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Neo2151
Learned Scribe

USA
113 Posts

Posted - 18 Mar 2018 :  09:48:35  Show Profile Send Neo2151 a Private Message  Reply with Quote  Delete Topic
Hello all!

So I didn't really start my D&D adventuring until 3rd edition, but out of sheer bored curiosity I've been looking into (and collecting together) various 2nd Ed books, and was just wondering what FR-specific books are highly recommended?

I'm not looking for Adventures so much as informative books that are specific to the realms; Secrets of the Magister for instance.

Thanks!

"Come looking for me, and I will blast you to dust, and then lay waste to all your descendants, ancestors, and the realm you came from, every last tree and stone of it. Why? Well, it's what I usually do."

-Baerendra Riverhand on The Story of Spellfire

George Krashos
Master of Realmslore

Australia
6666 Posts

Posted - 18 Mar 2018 :  11:09:43  Show Profile Send George Krashos a Private Message  Reply with Quote
So many. But my favorite is “Prayers From the Faithful” - so, so much lore. I get something new every time I read it.

— George Krashos

"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
Moderator

USA
36804 Posts

Posted - 18 Mar 2018 :  14:39:04  Show Profile Send Wooly Rupert a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I would recommend:

The three deity books(Faiths & Avatars, Powers & Pantheons, and Demihuman Deities) (the most complete picture of the deities of the Realms that we've had)

Volo's Guide to All Things Magical (a grab-bag of all sorts of magical lore, from Ed's pen)

Forgotten Realms Adventures (originally the conversion book for moving the Realms from 1E to 2E; it's got a wealth of info on a lot of topics; it's the broad overview that really made me notice the Realms)

Aurora's Whole Realms Catalog (to me, customizing equipment is a major thing for a character; this book has just about everything someone in the Realms could think to buy, so long as it's not real estate or magic)

And if there's a Volo's Guide that covers the region you're interested in, get it.

In my not-so-humble opinion, 2E was really the Golden Age of Realmslore. There is so much good stuff, on so many topics... My list here is just kind of a general list; if there were particular areas of interest noted, I'd toss out more stuff.

Candlekeep Forums Moderator

Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen!

Edited by - Wooly Rupert on 18 Mar 2018 14:40:44
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Lord Karsus
Great Reader

USA
3741 Posts

Posted - 18 Mar 2018 :  15:43:57  Show Profile Send Lord Karsus a Private Message  Reply with Quote
-Definitely was the Forgotten Realms' renaissance. D&D in general, really (in terms of sourcebooks published, and not necessarily rules).

Faiths & Avatars, Powers & Pantheons, and Demihuman Deities
Cormanthyr: Empire of the Elves and Netheril: Empire of Magic
Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark
The Horde, Kara-Tur: The Eastern Realms, al-Qadim: Land of Fate and Maztica Campaign Set
Aurora's Whole Realms Catalog and Volo's Guide to All Things Magical

(A Tri-Partite Arcanist Who Has Forgotten More Than Most Will Ever Know)

Elves of Faerūn
Vol I- The Elves of Faerūn
Vol. III- Spells of the Elves
Vol. VI- Mechanical Compendium
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Brimstone
Great Reader

USA
3287 Posts

Posted - 18 Mar 2018 :  19:45:33  Show Profile Send Brimstone a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Code of The Harper's, Seven Sisters, Cult of the Dragon, Cloak and Dagger, and Pages from the Mages are all source books that I have enjoyed. I also agree with the other Scribes recommendations...

"These things also I have observed: that knowledge of our world is
to be nurtured like a precious flower, for it is the most precious
thing we have. Wherefore guard the word written and heed
words unwritten and set them down ere they fade . . . Learn
then, well, the arts of reading, writing, and listening true, and they
will lead you to the greatest art of all: understanding."
Alaundo of Candlekeep
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist

USA
11830 Posts

Posted - 19 Mar 2018 :  12:11:07  Show Profile Send sleyvas a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Also Bloodstone Lands, Old Empires, Spellbound, Empires of the Shining Sea, FR16 Shining South

Also, if you'd be remotely interested in Zakhara... Ruined Kingdoms is an "adventure" with lore, Complete Necromancer contains a mini-campaign revolving around the isle of Sahu, and Cities of Bone is another good adventure with lore (which I'm just now noting, there was once a giant kingdom named Sokkar down in Zakhara... and it seems to have led into eventually the kingdom of Nogaro alias Nog)

Alavairthae, may your skill prevail

Phillip aka Sleyvas
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Brimstone
Great Reader

USA
3287 Posts

Posted - 19 Mar 2018 :  14:23:45  Show Profile Send Brimstone a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Lets not forget Cormyr, The Dalelands, The Moonsea, The Vilhon Reach, and Sea of Fallen Stars...

"These things also I have observed: that knowledge of our world is
to be nurtured like a precious flower, for it is the most precious
thing we have. Wherefore guard the word written and heed
words unwritten and set them down ere they fade . . . Learn
then, well, the arts of reading, writing, and listening true, and they
will lead you to the greatest art of all: understanding."
Alaundo of Candlekeep
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Lord Karsus
Great Reader

USA
3741 Posts

Posted - 19 Mar 2018 :  23:02:56  Show Profile Send Lord Karsus a Private Message  Reply with Quote
-Just get em all.

(A Tri-Partite Arcanist Who Has Forgotten More Than Most Will Ever Know)

Elves of Faerūn
Vol I- The Elves of Faerūn
Vol. III- Spells of the Elves
Vol. VI- Mechanical Compendium
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Swordsage
Learned Scribe

149 Posts

Posted - 20 Mar 2018 :  08:13:12  Show Profile  Visit Swordsage's Homepage Send Swordsage a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Sea of Fallen Stars is great.

The Swordsage
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farinal
Learned Scribe

Turkey
270 Posts

Posted - 20 Mar 2018 :  09:02:06  Show Profile Send farinal a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Faiths & Avatars, Powers & Pantheons, Demihuman Deities, CLoak & Dagger, Volo's Guide to All Things Magical, then some books according to your interests in the Realms such as the Code of the Harpers, Elves of Evermeet, Dwarves Deep, Drow of the Underdark along with some books detailing the regions you like such as the Volo Guides and Menzoberranzan set.

Aside from that let me derail the thread just a little by asking what are the 3E must have books in your opinion? I think probably the FRCS is a must have since it's a compact and huge tome on information about more or less everything.
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Brimstone
Great Reader

USA
3287 Posts

Posted - 20 Mar 2018 :  13:35:57  Show Profile Send Brimstone a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by farinal

Aside from that let me derail the thread just a little by asking what are the 3E must have books in your opinion? I think probably the FRCS is a must have since it's a compact and huge tome on information about more or less everything.


Lost Empires, Power of Faerun(For Ed's Lore on the Border Kingdoms), Silver Marches, Serpent Kingdoms, and the Waterdeep book.

Oh, and Dragons of Faerun, and Lords of Darkness...

"These things also I have observed: that knowledge of our world is
to be nurtured like a precious flower, for it is the most precious
thing we have. Wherefore guard the word written and heed
words unwritten and set them down ere they fade . . . Learn
then, well, the arts of reading, writing, and listening true, and they
will lead you to the greatest art of all: understanding."
Alaundo of Candlekeep
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Lord Karsus
Great Reader

USA
3741 Posts

Posted - 21 Mar 2018 :  01:36:45  Show Profile Send Lord Karsus a Private Message  Reply with Quote
-I 3e, I think the best books were: The FRCS, Races of Faerun, Underdark, Player's Guide to Faerun, Serpent Kingdoms, Lost Empires of Faerun, and A Grand History of the Realms.

(A Tri-Partite Arcanist Who Has Forgotten More Than Most Will Ever Know)

Elves of Faerūn
Vol I- The Elves of Faerūn
Vol. III- Spells of the Elves
Vol. VI- Mechanical Compendium
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farinal
Learned Scribe

Turkey
270 Posts

Posted - 21 Mar 2018 :  19:24:54  Show Profile Send farinal a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I think FRCS, Silver Marches and Lost Empires of Faerun are the best from 3E era since they actually put new lore out there instead of just using the same texts from 2E books and adding a little bit new stuff to them. AFAIK LoEF don't have a similar product in 2E era apart from Arcane Age stuff?
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John Daker
Seeker

USA
78 Posts

Posted - 26 Mar 2018 :  14:15:34  Show Profile Send John Daker a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Is the 3.5 Player's Guide to Faerun a good resource for lore? My group plays 5e mechanics so I had passed on that one, thinking it is really only interesting if you're actually playing 3.5 -- was I mistaken?
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore

Australia
6666 Posts

Posted - 26 Mar 2018 :  23:26:57  Show Profile Send George Krashos a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by farinal

I think FRCS, Silver Marches and Lost Empires of Faerun are the best from 3E era since they actually put new lore out there instead of just using the same texts from 2E books and adding a little bit new stuff to them. AFAIK LoEF don't have a similar product in 2E era apart from Arcane Age stuff?



Eric Boyd and I did a LOT of tidying up work for LEoF and used that as an opportunity to add in a ton of history lore that we had come up with over the last decade. That's why the chapters on the High Forest and the Old North have so much new stuff. We also had a bit of a play with Netheril although space constraints prevented us from doing it properly.

-- George Krashos

"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus
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