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Mindseye
Acolyte
USA
27 Posts |
 Posted - 04 Nov 2019 : 22:46:04
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Is there a map of Toril with the Equator, Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn (or their equivalents) clearly marked?
I'm having some trouble getting a handle on some of these climates.
For example the Moonsea is near a couple of glaciers. Should it be frozen over during the winter? Would a forest in that area just have rivers flowing through it or would it be swampy?
What is a cold swamp like? Would it have lizardfolk?
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Seravin
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1297 Posts |
Posted - 04 Nov 2019 : 23:24:03
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I think the equator was only shown in the Faiths & Avatars 2nd edition supplement as here:
http://www.mediafire.com/view/0p09cloua3h625e/map%20from%20Faiths%20%26%20Avatars%2C%20supposedly%20showing%20the%20equator.jpg
I would have thought Chult would be closer to it than that, but that's considered the canon equator line in the center of that map.
The Moonsea probably doesn't freeze because the water is connected to the plane of water which maybe keeps it from reaching 0C/32F? It's far north and would for sure be cold though!
I wouldn't think lizard folk could be very active in cold weather, but there are definitely lizard men in the Moonsea area outside of Phlan (at least, the Ruins of Aventure module had them in that area..maybe they burrow for winter?).
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Mindseye
Acolyte
USA
27 Posts |
Posted - 05 Nov 2019 : 00:05:25
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Dragons are Lizards, and we have White dragons. Maybe Ice Lizardfolk?
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Rymac
Learned Scribe
USA
316 Posts |
Posted - 05 Nov 2019 : 03:01:14
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quote:
Originally posted by Mindseye
Is there a map of Toril with the Equator, Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn (or their equivalents) clearly marked?
If the map in Faiths & Avatars is wholly or in-part accurate is really up to you.
quote:
I'm having some trouble getting a handle on some of these climates.
Best advice advise is to not to apply real-world logic/science to weather and climate in a fantasy setting. |
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Edited by - Rymac on 05 Nov 2019 03:01:55 |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7989 Posts |
Posted - 05 Nov 2019 : 03:47:26
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The Wikia pages have (two versions of) an "official" map which shows the globe and equator.
https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Toril
https://spelljammer.fandom.com/wiki/Toril
Of course you do understand that most maps of the Realms differ in important details. And Realms maps published across different game editions often depict substantially different worlds.
The best attempts at accurate and consistent cartography, in my opinion, are those offered by dedicated fans, not those published by WotC. |
[/Ayrik] |
Edited by - Ayrik on 05 Nov 2019 03:55:33 |
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Wrigley
Senior Scribe
Czech Republic
605 Posts |
Posted - 05 Nov 2019 : 13:39:45
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quote:
Originally posted by Mindseye
Is there a map of Toril with the Equator, Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn (or their equivalents) clearly marked?
I'm having some trouble getting a handle on some of these climates.
For example the Moonsea is near a couple of glaciers. Should it be frozen over during the winter? Would a forest in that area just have rivers flowing through it or would it be swampy?
What is a cold swamp like? Would it have lizardfolk?
Equator should certainly be from Chult down South.
It would be best to either use local description of weather as canon or make your own. There are multiple reasons why RL patterns will not work - ie. Glacier of the White Worm is artificial and should not be existing in that place making a lot of Moonsea and Implitur colder than normal. There is also a lot of weather changes by local mages that disturbs patterns of winds, storms, ...
Near Moonsea you have a major river Duathamper flowing through Cormanthor and next to it you have a river Lis creating the Flooded forest.
As for the lizards - yes they can be there and you have a choice - you can say those are warmblooded lizards so they can endure cold or you can make a story around the fact that local tribe hybernates for a winter each year and what that does to local situation. Or you can make any other choice that sounds interesting to you and your group - like thermal vents, ice template for lizards, kobolds are almost certainly warmblooded, and of course magic... |
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Mindseye
Acolyte
USA
27 Posts |
Posted - 05 Nov 2019 : 15:41:57
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quote:
As for the lizards - yes they can be there and you have a choice - you can say those are warmblooded lizards so they can endure cold or you can make a story around the fact that local tribe hybernates for a winter each year and what that does to local situation. Or you can make any other choice that sounds interesting to you and your group - like thermal vents, ice template for lizards, kobolds are almost certainly warmblooded, and of course magic...
OOOO I like the thermal vents! :D
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 24 Nov 2019 : 13:04:27
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What, I disappear for a year or so, and no one points out my maps any more? 
Toril map with Timezones.
The latitudes are all canon, as is the map itself. The names I think are all canon (some were finally made canon in 4e). The 'tropics' zones and arctic zone names are homebrew, but based in FR lore. Mind you, Toril doesn't really have official Timezones as Earth does - its just a handy reference for DMs who have parties teleporting long distances. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 25 Nov 2019 13:38:29 |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7989 Posts |
Posted - 24 Nov 2019 : 17:22:23
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| Two timezones across Faerun, from Sword Coast to the Moonsea? |
[/Ayrik] |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 25 Nov 2019 : 00:01:44
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quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
Two timezones across Faerun, from Sword Coast to the Moonsea?
Yes, from Waterdeep up to the Unapproachable East. It you were to include most of the UE, then it would be three timezones, and you'll note the Frozen Far (region around and south of Icewind Dale) also extends into yet another timezone.
Which is all meaningless drivel, since Toril doesn't have any timezones. As I've stated numerous times in the past, Toril DOES NOT have official timezones. This is just to give folks a relative idea of the time of day it would be if you teleported vast distances. It would not mean that someone traveling from Waterdeep to even Luskan would have to 'set their clocks back' (although there are clocks in FR, so you'd have to ask Ed how that would actually work... his headache, not mine LOL).
I had one of the lines run directly through Waterdeep, because it was my original intent to make that Toril's 'Prime Meridian', but since there really isn't one, it didn't matter where I started my count, and cartography-wise, it was much easier having the center be the 'zero' point. Since the numbers don't mean anything to anyone ON Toril, you can just renumber them in your head with Waterdeep being 'zero'; it really doesn't matter. This is just so you, as a DM, would know that if your players used a Gate in Waterdeep to reach Thay, and it was late afternoon when they left, it could be early evening when they arrive (approximately three hours later).
I mostly did this map after I had learned other than the equator, we had another CANON latitude reference in regards to Waterdeep itself, so by extrapolating that data outward, I figured out where all the rest were, and could even compare weather to that of similar places on Earth (so its also useful in that regard, as well, although Toril's axial tilt is slightly different). There was some talk on the old chat forum (forget the name) about how in the Far North there would be 'six months of night', and the same for day... but as you can see by this map the arctic zones are actually VERY far from Faerūn proper, so there'd be none of that. Icewind Dale is really only about as far north as northern Scotland (although I have to surmise its on a vast plateau, and thus much colder due to altitude. I had to add that bit so that Drizzt/Salvatore fans don't have a cow. LOL
Plus, it actually makes a lot of sense. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 25 Nov 2019 13:39:20 |
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Wrigley
Senior Scribe
Czech Republic
605 Posts |
Posted - 25 Nov 2019 : 23:23:43
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quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
Two timezones across Faerun, from Sword Coast to the Moonsea?
Yes, from Waterdeep up to the Unapproachable East. It you were to include most of the UE, then it would be three timezones, and you'll note the Frozen Far (region around and south of Icewind Dale) also extends into yet another timezone.
Which is all meaningless drivel, since Toril doesn't have any timezones. As I've stated numerous times in the past, Toril DOES NOT have official timezones. This is just to give folks a relative idea of the time of day it would be if you teleported vast distances. It would not mean that someone traveling from Waterdeep to even Luskan would have to 'set their clocks back' (although there are clocks in FR, so you'd have to ask Ed how that would actually work... his headache, not mine LOL).
I had one of the lines run directly through Waterdeep, because it was my original intent to make that Toril's 'Prime Meridian', but since there really isn't one, it didn't matter where I started my count, and cartography-wise, it was much easier having the center be the 'zero' point. Since the numbers don't mean anything to anyone ON Toril, you can just renumber them in your head with Waterdeep being 'zero'; it really doesn't matter. This is just so you, as a DM, would know that if your players used a Gate in Waterdeep to reach Thay, and it was late afternoon when they left, it could be early evening when they arrive (approximately three hours later).
I mostly did this map after I had learned other than the equator, we had another CANON latitude reference in regards to Waterdeep itself, so by extrapolating that data outward, I figured out where all the rest were, and could even compare weather to that of similar places on Earth (so its also useful in that regard, as well, although Toril's axial tilt is slightly different). There was some talk on the old chat forum (forget the name) about how in the Far North there would be 'six months of night', and the same for day... but as you can see by this map the arctic zones are actually VERY far from Faerūn proper, so there'd be none of that. Icewind Dale is really only about as far north as northern Scotland (although I have to surmise its on a vast plateau, and thus much colder due to altitude. I had to add that bit so that Drizzt/Salvatore fans don't have a cow. LOL
Plus, it actually makes a lot of sense.
You meant Greenwood meridian as +0 timezone right?
I thought most of your maps got deleted... |
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AJA
Senior Scribe
USA
792 Posts |
Posted - 25 Nov 2019 : 23:49:50
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quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
The 'tropics' zones and arctic zone names are homebrew, but based in FR lore.
I like your names for the tropics. There are also these notes, from Ed:
quote:
Originally posted by Ed via The Hooded One
Jerryd, most folk of Faerūn have no PRECISE idea about solar seasonal wanderings (in GENERAL, of course, they know about it, especially if they farm, sail the seas, or travel extensively), and therefore theres no widely-known concept of the arctic circles or the tropics, and no commonly-accepted names for them.
However, that doesnt mean that certain faiths havent studied the sun closely. In Kara-Tur there are names for the tropic parallels (unknown to me), and they are also named (not necessarily venerated or made much of) in some Faerūnian faiths, as follows:
Angharradh: Dieree (Cancer), Luel (Capricorn)
Aumauntor: Resrar (Cancer), Alondar (Capricorn)
Baervan Wildwanderer: Nyarduth (Cancer), Sudduth (Capricorn)
Deep Sashelas: Dieree (Cancer), Luel (Capricorn)
Chauntea: Resm (Cancer), Londim (Capricorn)
Gwaeron Windstrom: Trethen (Cancer), Lonthen (Capricorn)
Horus-Re: Sebrah (Cancer), Umbrah (Capricorn)
Kossuth: Arfane (Cancer), Dloefane (Capricorn)
Labelas Enoreth: Dieree (Cancer), Luel (Capricorn)
Lathander: Resra (Cancer), Alondyr (Capricorn)
Marthammor Duin: Taen (Cancer), Muirtaen (Capricorn)
Mielikki: Trethen (Cancer), Lonthen (Capricorn)
Sejojan Earthcaller: Nyarduth (Cancer), Sudduth (Capricorn)
Sźlune: Treth (Cancer), Lonth (Capricorn)
Shaundakul: Trethen (Cancer), Lonthen (Capricorn)
Sheela Peryroyal: Nyarra (Cancer), Soudrra (Capricorn)
Valkur: Trethen (Cancer), Lonthen (Capricorn)
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AJA
YAFRP
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 01 Dec 2019 : 20:37:21
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quote:
Originally posted by Wrigley
You meant Greenwood meridian as +0 timezone right?
I thought most of your maps got deleted...
I have TWICE deleted all my maps. The originals I can no longer get back - that computer/HD burned along with everything else. I do still find a lot of them all over the web, though.
The second time I deleted them is when I had a bit of a 'hissy fit' a few years back, swearing away FR, WotC, and mapping forever. I do that sometimes. I did leave a few up, though, and have since added more to that number, but not nearly as much as I used to have.
The mapping relaxes me - its something I can control, which helps placate my OCD leanings. So sometimes I see something that interests me - not necessarily FR or even D&D - and I map it. Funny thing is, I work quite a bit faster now, because I've lost my 'attachment' to FR/D&D. The lore barely interests me at this point, which means I don't spend 95% of my time researching each and every locale.
I've also begun to apply my skills to PC/video game modding. I feel VG's are the future, and eventually we won't have any more physical toys or games. Thus, "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em". Eventually they'll figure out how to replicate the Table-Top experience virtually, and hopefully I'll still be around to see that. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 01 Dec 2019 20:38:09 |
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Where is the Equator?
