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Originally posted by Xandos Anskul

So in Selunnara, presumable there would be no actual surviving Netherese archwizards, since most of the people there are aasimar descendents? Or perhaps they are ruled by a council of archliches from the time of Netheril?

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Ed just posted this, and I think it pertains to the topic.

"Dargoth, I know of at least a dozen Netherese who are still active in the Realms of today, albeit some of them in greatly changed forms. Hint: a LOT of Netherese bound themselves into magic items (especially swords), to ‘live on’ telepathically. If your blade seems able to see what’s around it without having visible eyes, hear thoughts of nearby creatures, and mend/heal itself in limited ways, it just might contain the sentience of a Netherese.

The pages of ELMINSTER: THE MAKING OF A MAGE and SHADOWS OF DOOM both contain Netherese survivors (one each), and I can reveal here that I know of at least two who reside quietly (pretending to be “just plain folks”) in Waterdeep and Suzail, respectively. No, I’m not going to give names, because for a DM it’s far more useful to have them as ‘handy tools.’

The Waterdhavian one founded a successful mercantile family now regarded as noble, and then (having prepared for this with covert investments, coin caches, and property purchases) faked his own death, to reappear as a retired merchant, a role he’s played several times since. Like Elminster, he meddles covertly in city politics and society, spreading rumors and ‘turning’ particular individuals to hold more cosmopolitan world-views (investing in other lands, and taking an interest in folk from those places). He does this because he very much wants to avoid Waterdhavian haughtiness from growing any greater than it is already.

The Suzailan one is a female who firmly believes that Netheril fell because of overweening pride and overarching mastery of magic. She enjoys life in Cormyr (when it isn’t imperiled by war, of course), has hidden coins and gold in plenty for her needs, and covertly works to do two things: confuse and confound War Wizard investigations, and to make both War Wizards and others think that there are secret personal dangers involved in too much spellcasting, and in casting specific, over-powerful spells. She is VERY good at keeping hidden, spreading such rumors through the mouths of passing strangers by means of suggestion magics, and never doing anything openly herself. She’s no enemy of the Crown; she just doesn’t think allowing the War Wizards to reach the status of ‘extremely effective secret police’ is a good idea. She’s dwelt in Suzail for almost forty years, and knows it will soon be time to “disappear” or be noticed as something other than the well-to-do widow she’s pretending to be, but is tarrying because she enjoys the city and its folk so much (she perceives a rising danger in wealthy, ever-restless Sembia of sorcerers and wizards becoming overproud and reckless in their use of magic, but has such a distaste for what she’s seen of Sembian society that she just doesn’t want to go there, while also seeing that it would be a very good place to take a new face and name).

You can, of course, create many more Netherese, though I’d suggest that they all conceal their origins and that they NOT (or try not) to know of each other, rather than forming any sort of shadowy secret society or power group. That would be why, even for the two examples from my novels, clearly identified Netherese should be very scarce. After all, if Netheril is most remembered as a “land of awesome magic,” then anyone identified as Netherese can expect wizards and sorcerers to launch surprise attacks, mind-invasions, and attempts to capture or financially control them, to get all the magic that’s “surely” waiting in their minds, or in the case of items, hidden in places they know."

Dargoth then went on to ask: "How do you think the 2 survivors are taking the return of Shade Enclave? From the way you describe them they dont sound like they'd get on well with the Shades. Its also interesting the 2 cities/nations that they live in have recently had bad experiences with Shade enclave in the Return of the Arch Wizards series. Also the Shades are apparently looking for Netherese Survivors as well"

Ed answered: "I quite agree: the Netherese survivors won’t get along at all well with the people of Shade. In fact, I’d venture to say that ALL surviving Netherese in Faerun would be wary at best, and actively hostile at worst, to the new “arrivals.”

“Hiding from and otherwise ignoring” would probably be their initial reaction, and they’ll quite rightly see attempts by the folk of Shade to find them as attempts to snatch their power. If that happens just once, word will get around, and the folk of Shade will then discover they’ve bitten off a lot more than they can ever hope to chew."

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Originally posted by TomCosta
In 3E, its a little smaller with reshaping of the map to account for global curvature.

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Draegloth were intended to have SR, at least when they were first introduced. There's always the chance that has changed since then, of course, but there's no clarification stating outright that it has as of yet.

The following is copied from MONSTERFAQ1302003.pdf (Sage Advice compilation file that includes Monsters of Faeraun), which should still be available to download. I spaced the info out for ease of reading, and bolded the parts most relevant to this topic.



What does the term "drow abilities" refer to in the
draegloth's (from Monsters of Faerûn) special qualities
entry? Does a draegloth get spell resistance?

It refers to the special qualities of drow, which are listed in
the drow entry in the FORGOTTEN REALMS Campaign Setting
book (and in the Monster Manual). These include the
following:

Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day dancing lights, darkness, and
faerie fire. These abilities are as the spells cast by a sorcerer
of the drow's character level.

Darkvision up to 120 feet.

Spell resistance 11 + class level.

+2 racial bonus on Will saves against spells and spell-like
abilities.

Light Blindness (Ex): Abrupt exposure to bright light (such
as sunlight or a daylight spell) blinds drow for 1 round. In
addition, they take a -1 circumstance penalty on all attack
rolls, saves, and checks while operating in bright light.

Proficient with longsword, rapier, longbow, composite
longbow, shortbow, and composite shortbow, regardless of
character class.

Immunity to magic sleep spells and effects.
+2 racial bonus on Will saves against Enchantment spells
or effects.

+2 racial bonus on Search, Spot, and Listen checks. A
drow who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or
concealed door is entitled to a Search check as though
actively looking for it.

Note that a draegloth with class levels has Spell Resistance
11, despite its number of Hit Dice.

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Originally posted by Zanan

Vendui!

While checking for some escape route for my City of the Spider Queen group I looked up a number of maps, starting with the one of Drizzt do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark, then CotSQ, and Underdark. I was somewhat surprised to see Maerimydra "jump down" 40 - 80 miles to the South during the adventure (CotSQ map as opposed to DdUGttUD), i.e. below Ashabenford, then back up again in Underdark. I would assume that the CotSQ map, as this whole campaign has the city as its topic, is the most correct one, but maybe a designer can clarify this nonetheless.

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Originally posted by Zanan

Vendui!

While checking for some escape route for my City of the Spider Queen group I looked up a number of maps, starting with the one of Drizzt do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark, then CotSQ, and Underdark. I was somewhat surprised to see Maerimydra "jump down" 40 - 80 miles to the South during the adventure (CotSQ map as opposed to DdUGttUD), i.e. below Ashabenford, then back up again in Underdark. I would assume that the CotSQ map, as this whole campaign has the city as its topic, is the most correct one, but maybe a designer can clarify this nonetheless.

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Originally posted by Arivia
I wouldn't be surprised if the CoSQ map was redrawn from 2e notes without taking the 3e map skew into effect, then Underdark rejigged things so they made more sense with the new surface maps.

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Originally posted by RodOdom

Dear FR designers,

On page 112 of the FRCS under "Thunder Peaks" it mentions a dragolich named Aurgloroasa. What kind of dragon was it when alive?

I'm collating a list of canon blue dragons around the Anarouch for a campaign of mine and am curious about Aurgloroasa. Much thanks !

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Originally posted by Zanan

Well, as I do not know which designers was responsible or had a say in this ... over at the WizBoards we were discussing the "problem" of planescaping / plane-hopping and I remembered the For Duty and Deity adventure. It mentioned the Infinite Staircase, which had, amongst other places, an access via the House of the Moon in Waterdeep. One Kyriani (doesn't she make an appearance in City of Splendors?) is telling the PC the necessary info and all. Now, I think I didn't read anything about the IS in the Waterdeep book, nor anywhere else in 3E/RE FR literature. Has it been chopped or is it still around and available for planescaping?

(NB: Sorry, but I am not able to access my books right now, hence the "seem to remember's" and all.)

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Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

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Originally posted by Zanan

Well, as I do not know which designers was responsible or had a say in this ... over at the WizBoards we were discussing the "problem" of planescaping / plane-hopping and I remembered the For Duty and Deity adventure. It mentioned the Infinite Staircase, which had, amongst other places, an access via the House of the Moon in Waterdeep. One Kyriani (doesn't she make an appearance in City of Splendors?) is telling the PC the necessary info and all. Now, I think I didn't read anything about the IS in the Waterdeep book, nor anywhere else in 3E/RE FR literature. Has it been chopped or is it still around and available for planescaping?

(NB: Sorry, but I am not able to access my books right now, hence the "seem to remember's" and all.)

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Kyriani does indeed appear in the new City of Splendors book, both as a Moonstar Agent and as a Lord of Waterdeep.

Newer lore trumps older lore. But, in the absence of new lore that states something has changed, then stick with the older stuff. There was a lot that wasn't mentioned in the new Waterdeep book. It's not a reflection on the designers, it's just that there is only so much stuff that can be put into a book. So, since nothing that I know of says otherwise, it's safe to assume the Staircase is still there.

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Originally posted by Kuje
Plus the Staircase is mentioned in the Player's Guide in Shaundakal's entry and Selunes.

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Originally posted by Zanan

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Originally posted by Kuje
Plus the Staircase is mentioned in the Player's Guide in Shaundakal's entry and Selunes.

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If only one has not to scan every book for every detail, especially if the details are quite important ... for some. The planescapers will surely be happy now.

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Originally posted by Zanan

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Originally posted by Kuje
Plus the Staircase is mentioned in the Player's Guide in Shaundakal's entry and Selunes.

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If only one has not to scan every book for every detail, especially if the details are quite important ... for some. The planescapers will surely be happy now.
Nod? Grin. Well I know my planar lore since I run FR and planar games. :)

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