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Jamallo Kreen
Master of Realmslore
USA
1537 Posts |
 Posted - 29 Aug 2007 : 19:19:03
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Well met!
Eric, I've started reading Dragons of Faerun and have a question for you: do dragons who have worshippers (such as Augaurath, page 11) have a divine rank in the Forgotten Realms, and if so, what is it likely to be?
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Faraer
Great Reader
3308 Posts |
Posted - 19 Sep 2007 : 20:56:17
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Eric, I drafted this a month ago and I'm just going to post it. I was going to redo it, but don't have the heart or the time. I understand better what in the book was your doing and what wasn't than I did then.
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Here's my personal response to this new adventure which deals with aspects of the Realms dear and familiar to me.
Shadowdale: The Scouring of the Land recalls the Scouring of the Shire chapter of The Lord of the Rings not just in title and the theme of rural idyll overrun, but mextatextually: the Realms has been put by TSR and Wizards of the Coast through these trying wars, and now we return to the centre and find it, too, changed. I think you handled time's passing in Shadowdale as sensitively and credibly as you could in the space. I was moved to see Jhaele, one of my favourite characters, so aged, Durgo Silvermane and others dead. I experienced cognitive dissonance between this emotion and the construct of the modern Realms, which I feel is more artificial than it needs be, less 'as if real' than it could be.
I loved seeing old standbys, and believed -- individually -- most of what you did with them: Watcher's Knoll and Castle Krag (even swapped with Wolfwatch Manor and missing its catapults mentioned in the FRCS!); why it was 'necessary' for Florin and Dove to wed; the polished-up Twisted Tower history with the fine House Dhuurniv addition. I feel they were worked together cleverly and, in large part, persuasively with the new elements like the Moonshadow Pack; though given the amount of revisiting going on, a few more of the new would have been even better.
I'm sure that, well DMed, this could be a very memorable play experience. In many ways it's the long campaign adventure that would have greatly helped the Realms circa 1990, showing off its aspects and how they work together in practice over time, somewhat as Spellfire did. But you used too many, and got across some dynamics of the Realms better than others.
The plot conspires together more foes than I can believe: Zhents, Sharrans, Maerimydran drow and Azmaer, Shadovar, Alokkair, Jyordhan, Lashan Aumersair, and Vhaeraunian drow and demon-elves offstage! Ironically in the effort to foreground the PCs, it casually resolves several major loose ends that could each easily be a campaign focus, as if cutting to Act IV of several stories at once. The potential grand quest to find and bring back Aumry's staff becomes a fait-accompli footnote; Jyordhan, Lashan and Azmaer, whose returns should have been important, are passive, incidental monsters whose names and stories the PCs may not even learn. Not all these threads are exhausted, but I feel the impact of their revelations has been sold for too little.
I'm reminded of Jim Butler's module trilogy where PCs almost by accident end the Zhent occupation of Daggerdale which Randal Morn's fought for decades. The subtext is that characters stumbling across these evils make more of a difference than characters who work in the long term and cooperate with each other. That isn't the spirit of the Realms. I know it's partly a limit of the adventure format, but I'd have liked to see guidance on how to prefigure and build up the conflicts and elements so they have their just weight for the characters and players, and discussion of how PCs can work together with some of Shadowdale's other protectors. Instead they're contrivedly isolated, as if someone thinks working with others deprotagonizes player characters. Only in some other world of ego-driven, antisocial solipsism.
The DM is given a barely interactive script for Sylūne, and little guidance on how to run the PCs' work with the people of Shadowdale for whom they're risking their lives -- the adventure's moral and potentially dramatic heart. Instead the space goes to the extravagant encounter format. I'd also have preferred more about the many foes and what they might do and why, as in the first and last chapters, and fewer mostly static sites where they 'wait' for the PCs to turn up.
The 'tearing of the Weave' which I hoped would be melodramatic promotional puffery turns out now to be more or less true, zone 0 unlimited without Sylūne's last sacrifice, but on the other hand it's easily downplayable. This is metaphorically the unravelling of the Realms and Realmslore itself! That would be a very hard plot to do justice to; here it's a subplot to kicking out the Zhents.
You don't need such extreme plot devices to write out good NPCs as here and in the War of the Archwizards novels -- we know that Elminster and the Knights spend much time walking other worlds and planes, or working against still direr threats. These unrepeatable drastic measures suggest and substantiate a non-existent problem by prompting the question 'what about all the times Elminster's tower isn't destroyed?'
It feels more coherent than many of Wizards' piecework books, such as Expedition to Undermountain. And I don't agree, if you recall it right, with an editing policy which removed Thomas's explanation of Jyordhan's wraithdom. In the Realms, just as less exposed and lower-level characters aren't minor, history and lore aren't just background. I admire the wish to bring history into the present, but it's not accomplished by creating new linking backstory that's either invisible to the PCs or not there at all.
Would have liked more Realms texture in the language, 'blackhelm' and 'hiresword', and in the wonderful more-than-minimally-necessary asides that make the FRE modules such great resources despite their premise.
Some of the things I dislike either have little effect on the adventure, or aren't its authors' doing, or are easily changed. As you (Eric) have noted, it's fairly easily detanglable from the Cormanthor War and the 1375 DR timeline (though why doesn't the book point that out, and win back some buyers put off by its link to the novel timeline?). While I won't use it in its 'official' context or all together, it contains a large amount of very good material for dismantling and modular use.
The art is mixed, as always these days. I especially liked the cover, the susurrus (scary), the Zhent caravan, and Jhaele. Many others I found forgettable, a few look like Citadel miniatures. Still we've no 'This is what Shadowdale looks like' picture -- I can see one in my head, the village under snow, lit by smoky Zhent fires and the horizon burning with sunset or dawn. |
Edited by - Faraer on 19 Sep 2007 21:07:53 |
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 20 Sep 2007 : 00:35:07
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Yay, Faraer's posted his Shadowdale adventure review!
quote:
Originally posted by Faraer
You don't need such extreme plot devices to write out good NPCs as here and in the War of the Archwizards novels -- we know that Elminster and the Knights spend much time walking other worlds and planes, or working against still direr threats. These unrepeatable drastic measures suggest and substantiate a non-existent problem by prompting the question 'what about all the times Elminster's tower isn't destroyed?'
I want to mention that I entirely agree with this. Why must Elminster be zapped violently out of the plot or else the PCs would be reduced to mere spectators? That argument is trotted out very often on the WotC boards, but I simply don't agree with it--I see it as a non-issue. And that ties-in with something else Faraer said--having the PCs work with the prominent protectors of an area rather than be isolated from them is totally in the spirit of the Realms. |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
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Skeptic
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1273 Posts |
Posted - 20 Sep 2007 : 00:39:30
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quote:
Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
I want to mention that I entirely agree with this. Why must Elminster be zapped violently out of the plot or else the PCs would be reduced to mere spectators? That argument is trotted out very often on the WotC boards, but I simply don't agree with it--I see it as a non-issue. And that ties-in with something else Faraer said--having the PCs work with the prominent protectors of an area rather than be isolated from them is totally in the spirit of the Realms.
I agree, but when you want to turn Shadowdale into ashes in a mid-level adventures, you'll have to answer questions on the Old Sage. |
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ericlboyd
Forgotten Realms Designer
USA
2066 Posts |
Posted - 24 Sep 2007 : 15:59:23
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quote:
Originally posted by Faraer
Eric, I drafted this a month ago and I'm just going to post it. I was going to redo it, but don't have the heart or the time. I understand better what in the book was your doing and what wasn't than I did then.
Thanks very much for the in-depth and thoughtful review!
A couple of general comments:
Some decisions have to be taken as "givens", e.g. using the encounter format, the basic plot, the main protagonists (Zhents, drow, Sharrans), and the overall adventure level. (You may not agree with them, but that's the constraint system the designers had to work within.) Those constraints do also have secondary effects that may not be so obvious, such as a lack of room to give more detail on interacting with Sylune.
One major thread to the review was "using too much Shadowdale-based Realmslore". I have to agree and disagree here. On the one hand, if you're playing a full-blown Realms game with tons of role-playing and a slow-moving pace that really indulges the full potential of the setting, then I agree we probably "burned up" too many hooks. On the other hand, if this is your major visit to Shadowdale for a campaign just running through the trilogy before you're off to the next Realms campaign, then "let's have fun playing with the hooks." I'd also point out that its much simpler to drop a barely hinted at piece of Realmslore (like the identity of Azmaer) than it is to figure out how to work him in. Finally, my intuition is that the second type of campaign is far more common than the first.
A second major thread was that it was not necessary to move the Knights and Elminster "off-stage." While that may be true for some DMs, my intuition is that for the vast majority of DMs, the reaction would have been "why are the PCs necessary if Shadowdale still has the Knights and four Chosen". Moreover, making the campaign work in a way that explained what the NPCs were doing in conjunction with the actions of the PCs would have taken far more space than we had available (undercutting other parts of the adventure).
A third major thread was about the lack of detail for the interaction with the folk of Shadowdale. This was a deliberate choice due to lack of space and a stylistic choice as well. If you think back to the old AD&D1 modules set in Greyhawk, they gave you a little bit of rope, some encounters, and expected the DM to bring the story to life. In the design of this adventure, we endeavored to make the combat aspects of the adventure simple and easy to run without a lot of preparation. As I think we stated (or at least implied), there's a whole lot of role-playing that should be going on as well. My hope is that DMs will aspire to NOT race through this adventure but really add meat to the role-playing by letting the PCs interact with the people of the town. This is the sort of thing that can't really be "written down" in that there are so many possibilities that it would take 1,000 pages to cover every interactioin that the PCs might do. Given the space constraints, we aimed to give the raw bones of the adventure and give the DM room and hooks to grow the role-playing to whatever level the players enjoy.
Anyhow, thanks again for the review and I hope my comments help with understanding why we made the choices we did.
--Eric
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http://www.ericlboyd.com/dnd/ |
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Faraer
Great Reader
3308 Posts |
Posted - 26 Sep 2007 : 01:14:52
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quote:
Originally posted by ericlboyd
Some decisions have to be taken as "givens"
Understood (of course, they weren't givens for Rich).quote:
On the other hand, if this is your major visit to Shadowdale for a campaign just running through the trilogy before you're off to the next Realms campaign, then "let's have fun playing with the hooks."
The advantage then of that monster over there being a figure from the dale's history is solely on the namedropping level -- 'Oh, I heard of him', or more likely not.quote:
I'd also point out that its much simpler to drop a barely hinted at piece of Realmslore (like the identity of Azmaer) than it is to figure out how to work him in.
True, and for my taste the adventure would be explicitly decoupled from any official timeline so that such identities are clearly optional suggestions. Of course it all matters less if we won't see these threads used otherwise anyway.quote:
. . . my intuition is that for the vast majority of DMs, the reaction would have been "why are the PCs necessary if Shadowdale still has the Knights and four Chosen".
I was arguing for, say, two weakened/constrained Chosen and some Harpers -- somewhere in between, and the others occupied less explosively.quote:
Moreover, making the campaign work in a way that explained what the NPCs were doing in conjunction with the actions of the PCs would have taken far more space than we had available (undercutting other parts of the adventure).
Still, wouldn't it be great if we had an adventure that did give concrete guidance and examples of such interactions, rather than DMs having to infer it from novels and other scattered lore?quote:
This is the sort of thing that can't really be "written down" in that there are so many possibilities that it would take 1,000 pages to cover every interactioin that the PCs might do.
You can't cover every possibility, but you can give clear information on the goals and nature of a dozen groups and individuals and suggest catalyzing events to bring them into contact with the PCs, i.e. Ron Edwards's relationship maps and bangs.
I'm glad you found my thoughts worthwhile. In the main I think you did a fine job within a framework that in several ways doesn't suit my likes or, I think, the Realms very well. |
Edited by - Faraer on 26 Sep 2007 01:25:51 |
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Faraer
Great Reader
3308 Posts |
Posted - 29 Sep 2007 : 16:48:42
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Eric, a couple more notes that I misplaced before.
The Realms Below chapter is very much improved from "Beyond the Twisted Tower".
Rich's moving Alokkair's phylactery from the Stonelands to his main lair is a typical example of the foreshortening this module does, part of a larger trend in recent D&D where difficult and special things are made easy, convenient and commonplace, ranging from monsters-as-PCs to the disenchanting overexposure of gates. |
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Jamallo Kreen
Master of Realmslore
USA
1537 Posts |
Posted - 12 Oct 2007 : 02:54:38
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Last night, while probing around in "the things of the gods" (I know that Ed Greenwood dislikes that almost as much as they do, what with socks and relics getting rearranged, and some misplaced or even nicked, but it's what I do -- it's my personal brand of hubris) ... ahem! ... while poking about in the things of the gods I discovered what may have long been apparent to others, but which came as a complete revelation to me: even though all deities are "Outsiders," some are more "outside" than others (specifically, more than mere ascended mortals).
Most deities are 20 HD Outsiders, and their hit point listing always begin with that stat: 20D8 + (20 x Con modifier). Ascended mortals, however, do not have those extra hit points, only hit points from their various character classes. This is true of the Forgotten Realms and (per Deities & Demigods) true of Olympus and Egypt as well. Even the reborn Bane, who may have more character classes than any other being in Realmspace, only gets character level hit points, while I suspect that even the lowliest and most inconsequential non-ascended demigod probably has 20D8 +20xConMod hit points on top of whatever character level hit points he or she has.
Which brings me to my question: how did those deities acquire those 20 Outsider hit dice, anyway? Were they created as 20 hit die beings who then acquired character levels, adventuring somewhere out in the planes (a good argument for Planescape 4.0!) or did they rise from lowly 1 HD (or possibly even less) Outsiders to 20 HD and then go adventuring, or did they spring forth full-blown from Whatever with 20 hit dice and character levels? (We all know what a precocious thief Hermes was, while the ascended hero Herakles had to earn every hit point he has.) Or is rising to godhood out on the Planes like a prestige class which simultaneously earns one Outsider levels along with character levels? None of the (current) ascended deities of Faerun were Outsiders prior to ascension, but if some hypothetical 20th level monk became an Outsider, then adventured on the Planes, and then came back to Faerun to be elevated to divinity (or to Krynn or to Oerth, for that matter), would he be earning Epic monk levels out on the Planes, or non-determinate Outsider levels?
I would love to here your take on this, Eric, and begging your pardon, I am also posing the query to Ed Greenwood, Monte Cook, and possibly some others -- I'm sure that there are numerous explanations for this "Divine Outsider" phenom
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I have a mouth, but I am in a library and must not scream.
Feed the poor and stroke your ego, too: http://www.freerice.com/index.php.
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Lord Karsus
Great Reader
USA
3736 Posts |
Posted - 19 Oct 2007 : 05:52:44
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| -Mr Boyd, I have a question concerning the article on the Sundering, <i>in Grand History of the Realms</i>. I am assuming that it was written by you (ELB). Anyway, what exactly does the Elven term '<i>Ever'Sakkatien</i>' mean, if you don't mind? |
(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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ACIS
Acolyte
USA
9 Posts |
Posted - 26 Oct 2007 : 21:36:25
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Hello,
This is a question I have scoured info for but thusfar have come up with only generalization of the order. Deminhuman Deities (2ed) ((I think)) writeup of Sehanine Moonbow has "Knight of the Seven Sacred Mysteries" and a short blurb of what they do. I'm interested in this order quite a lot for a campaign and was wondering if there is any more information on them? Should I as a DM 'fill in the blanks' with what I think is appropriate? I'd like to use canon as much as possible so if -anyone- knows anything more about them....please please please lemme know! =) Thanks all!
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althen artren
Senior Scribe
USA
780 Posts |
Posted - 30 Oct 2007 : 16:49:45
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Question friend Boyd,
In you Monster Compendium on your own website, you mention
how to summon a nature elemental and the effects thereof.
Here is a hypothetical:
If I were to summon a nature elemental within the ruins of
Sessrendale, would that critter be able to revive the dale to
a livable state?
Also, (but you may not know this) would restoring the dale to
a habitable state remove the curse of the ghosts? I believe that
Ed in his posts said that to put the ghosts to rest, Sessrendale had to be either restored or Archendale destroyed and salted.
Thank you sir. |
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Waldham
Seeker
83 Posts |
Posted - 04 Nov 2007 : 12:00:08
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Question for Mister Eric L. Boyd :
It's about the Jaezred Chaulssin in Dragons of Faerūn web enhancement. (Sorry for my english, I'm french)
1)Is it possible for a half-drow to become Anointed Blade ? (or the half-drow must have the drow legacy feat from the drow of the Underdark) Is it necessary to become Anointed Blade to be an half-dragon ?
quote:
Nimor was accorded the rank of Orthaevelve (Anointed Blade) of the Jaezred Chaulssin, the highest rank to which a half-shadow dragon drow could aspire before becoming a drow-dragon and one of the Patron Fathers.
2) The Patron Grandfather hates the dragon, I believe. Will a Grandfather permit to a member of a Jaezred Chaulssin to infiltrate the Cult of Dragon ? For example, to steal or obtain the secrets from Vargo Kent to become an half-dragon ?
3) What is the task for Anointed Blade to obtain the process to become a drow-dragon ? (since The Velves are
organized in a strict hierarchy that requires a Velve to defeat a higher-ranking rival to advance.)
Thanks in advance for your future answer. |
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 08 Nov 2007 : 03:04:49
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Heya Eric,
I asked Ed and THO this: Goodie, since Ed's back here's a question since I couldn't find the answer or maybe you can answer this THO.
What is the date, or even just the year if a full date isn't known, on when the Knight's closed the MD portal in the Burial Glen. I figured it had to be between 1348 and 1358 but even Sage said he didn't recall a date in any sourcebooks and I looked through Ruins of MD, the 1e campaign setting, the Grand History, and a few other books and didn't find a date either.
And she replied:
Hi, Kuje! Ed just sent me an e-mail saying he's "snowed under; REALLY snowed under," so his replies might turn sporadic for a while.
As far as that date goes, I seem to recall two different dates. As in, we had one date in our home Realms campaign (and I can't remember what it was, now!), but TSR lore of the time contradicted it due to something else written by someone else that had a date linked to that gate closure (not published in a product, but worked out so that it had to be internally adhered to).
However, I believe that Eric Boyd (if he remembers now, after all this time) worked out a "this must be the right" date for the published Realms with Ed, putting together all the published hints and factors. I'd try him straightaway if I were you (and tell me what answer he gives, will you, please? I'm curious, now).
love,
THO
So? Any idea?
Edit: He answered me with 1357 according to Dragon 359. :) |
For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
Edited by - Kuje on 08 Nov 2007 05:38:17 |
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Skeptic
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1273 Posts |
Posted - 12 Dec 2007 : 06:32:43
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Hi,
I'm looking for a reference on the Moorsedge keeps that can be seen on the FR Interactive Atlas in the southern high moor.
Thanks !
Btw, I hope that your silence here hides at least a little something related to the 4E realms  |
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Jamallo Kreen
Master of Realmslore
USA
1537 Posts |
Posted - 24 Dec 2007 : 19:25:08
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Well met!
Eric, The Sage suggested that I refer this question which I asked of Ed to you:
Does Araumycos ever produce spores? If it does, may these be planted elsewhere and grow into another fungus-thing, even if cuttings of Araumycos won't transplant? And -- being a mycophile I must ask -- what does it taste like -- at least when sauteed in a light butter sauce?
(In '04 Ed also said that it "anchors" the Weave over itself. If it does release spores and they do "take" somewhere else, can they be placed under dead magic zones to restore the Weave above them?)
I hope that everyone had a Happy Solstice.
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I have a mouth, but I am in a library and must not scream.
Feed the poor and stroke your ego, too: http://www.freerice.com/index.php.
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Verghityax
Learned Scribe
131 Posts |
Posted - 01 Feb 2008 : 20:47:16
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Dear Eric,
I have some questions concerning Istishian faith.
1.You written in "Faiths & Avatars" that generally every 5 years or so an Istishian priest is supposed to change his posting. Now in "Empires of the Shining Sea" it is said that in Almraiven there's a Istishian temple - the Amphitheater of Tasryn - which is overseen by Abbas el Erispar. Since the sourcebook's info has been actual in 1370 year of DR, is Abbas el Erispar still their in today Realms (I mean circa 1375 year of DR)? And if not, who prisides over the Amphitheater of Tasryn.
2. In "Calimport" it has been written that in Dock Ward there's a temple to Istishia called Palace of the Cresting Wave. Could you share any info about this particular temple, like who presides over it and what it looks like?
3. Among many titles in Istishian hierarchy there's a very strange one which I do not understand and can't find it in any dictionary. I mean the Cephalian. Could you tell me what is the meaning and the origin of this term?
4. Now about the Primatus. What are the seven regions of Istishian faith in Toril?
5. My last question would be about the Elder Oversight Committee. How does one become a member of this Committee?
I would be very grateful for any response. Thanks in advance! |
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crazedventurers
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1073 Posts |
Posted - 01 Feb 2008 : 21:19:27
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quote:
Originally posted by Verghityax
3. Among many titles in Istishian hierarchy there's a very strange one which I do not understand and can't find it in any dictionary. I mean the Cephalian. Could you tell me what is the meaning and the origin of this term?
Cephalian are fish groups including The holocephalians (chimaeras or rat fish) - hmmm chimaera?
anyhoo holocephalians from the greek holos (whole) and kephale (head)
similar to cephalopod greek for head/foot - octopus etc
so all fish/water related and fitting the faith quite nicely
Hope this helps
Damian |
So saith Ed. I've never said he was sane, have I?
Gods, all this writing and he's running a constant fantasy version of Coronation Street in his head, too. .
shudder,
love to all,
THO
Candlekeep Forum 7 May 2005 |
Edited by - crazedventurers on 01 Feb 2008 21:20:52 |
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Uzzy
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
618 Posts |
Posted - 06 Mar 2008 : 23:21:13
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Hello Eric. I've got a question if I could borrow a moment of your time.
What would be the seal/symbol of both Durgar the Just, Croamarkh of Westgate, and the official seal of Westgate itself. I was thinking that for Durgar, a derivation of the Tyrran symbol would be suitable, while for Westgate itself perhaps a ship, surrounded by seven hills. Any ideas? |
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xaeyruudh
Master of Realmslore
USA
1853 Posts |
Posted - 10 Mar 2008 : 04:43:11
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hiya Eric,
i was wondering if you made any notes that didn't make it into Serpent Kingdoms, regarding the sarrukh liches of Oreme. i'm working on a timeline for who was "in charge" at what times, and i thought i should see if it's already been done. thanks!
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http://xaeyruudh.wordpress.com/ |
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6643 Posts |
Posted - 10 Mar 2008 : 07:21:08
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quote:
Originally posted by xaeyruudh
hiya Eric,
i was wondering if you made any notes that didn't make it into Serpent Kingdoms, regarding the sarrukh liches of Oreme. i'm working on a timeline for who was "in charge" at what times, and i thought i should see if it's already been done. thanks!
I'm pretty sure that Eric didn't do anything like such a timeline. All that happened was I gave the terraseer a name, and then Eric stepped in and made him a sarrukh with an agenda.
-- George Krashos |
"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
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xaeyruudh
Master of Realmslore
USA
1853 Posts |
Posted - 10 Mar 2008 : 07:27:10
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quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
I'm pretty sure that Eric didn't do anything like such a timeline. All that happened was I gave the terraseer a name, and then Eric stepped in and made him a sarrukh with an agenda.
-- George Krashos
hokay, thanks a bunch George! ...back to my silly little project... |
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crazedventurers
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1073 Posts |
Posted - 10 Mar 2008 : 11:30:55
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quote:
Originally posted by xaeyruudh
hokay, thanks a bunch George! ...back to my silly little project...
No Realms project is ever silly - am sure that we would all like to see what you come up with
Cheers
Damian |
So saith Ed. I've never said he was sane, have I?
Gods, all this writing and he's running a constant fantasy version of Coronation Street in his head, too. .
shudder,
love to all,
THO
Candlekeep Forum 7 May 2005 |
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Eldacar
Senior Scribe
438 Posts |
Posted - 10 Mar 2008 : 15:21:57
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Eric, one or two (or three) questions relating to the "Shadowdale" module, since I'm considering having the characters run through it soon (I'm not going to use the Cormyr adventure, though, as a reference):
1. First off, the "deadly to Mystra's Chosen" part. This poses a problem, because one of the characters in the party happens to be a Chosen, albeit a very inexperienced one who's still learning the full extent of what he's gotten himself into (one of the ways I'm going to nudge the characters into the adventure is that Mystra would take an interest in the fact that the Weave is being "killed", so to speak, and how Elminster et all have been taken out of action, so she'll bring in some of the "new blood"). Because of this, what I'm considering is have the Chosen in question conceal himself within a kind of "portable dead magic zone" via a gift from Mystra (in the form of an item, if necessary - a miniature talisman that he would carry around that prevents him from dying as a result of the silver fire yet also blocks his access to magic and the Weave). I know the person controlling the character doesn't mind the heavy restrictions on his spell repertoire that this would entail, because he is really interested in putting the character through the adventure. The other option I'm currently considering is a rather large amount of regeneration/healing magic (regenerate, fast healing, and so on) being used on the character to sustain him, probably through the use of items - the "group" has been together for a while now, so they've built up quite a stockpile of odds and ends, and do have some "political connections" which would give them access to other resources.
Basically, my question boils down to: what would you do with the idea of getting a character with silver fire around the 3d6/6d6 damage effect, and how would you do it?
2. In a sort of follow-on question from the above, this one deals with Sylune, and how by expending herself and "dying again", she would be able to finish off the Rite. With a character who has silver fire already in the party, how do you envision the situation playing out? Would Sylune still sacrifice herself? Would the character instead choose to use his own silver fire to "fix" things, thus preserving what remains of Sylune? Would she "bond" with the character through the silver fire, and live on as a sort of voice in the back of his head, even? At the moment, I'm leaning towards letting her "die in truth" and be gathered by Mystra, as much as I dislike it (Sylune is one of the Realms characters that I am very fond of, much like how I have no complaints with Khelben actually dying in the way that he did, but dislike the fact that he's dead - so to speak).
3. This one is about the Warblade, and what happens to it after the conclusion. The note in the adventure is that by returning and handing it over to the elves, you would gain "points" towards the elven struggle. However, how would this change if one of the characters in the party were to successfully bond with the blade, and to what degree do you see the events playing out differently? You can't very well return it and give the sword up at that point, after all, because it will have chosen its bearer.
Any insight you can provide would be helpful. |
"The Wild Mages I have met exhibit a startling disregard for common sense, and are often meddling with powers far beyond their own control." ~Volo
"Not unlike a certain travelogue author with whom I am unfortunately acquainted." ~Elminster |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 10 Mar 2008 : 15:27:59
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quote:
Originally posted by crazedventurers
No Realms project is ever silly
What about my Giant Space Hamsters of the Realms project?  |
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I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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ShadezofDis
Senior Scribe
402 Posts |
Posted - 10 Mar 2008 : 20:12:53
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by crazedventurers
No Realms project is ever silly
What about my Giant Space Hamsters of the Realms project?
The project isn't silly, you are.  |
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AlorinDawn
Learned Scribe
USA
313 Posts |
Posted - 21 Mar 2008 : 21:30:26
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Eric,
In the Waterdeep, City of Splendors 3.5 book the Moonstar Prc lists stealthy and investigator as required feats. I think this is a bit too rogue/bard focused for the amount of spellcasters involved with the group and it goals/aims. While I agree both feats certainly assist in the group goals, could you perhaps provide an alternate feat for spellcasting member who achieves stealth & snooping via his spells rather than a feat that requires them to take CC skills?
Thanks
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Edited by - AlorinDawn on 22 Mar 2008 02:39:52 |
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Fillow
Master of Realmslore
France
1608 Posts |
Posted - 15 Apr 2008 : 20:51:55
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Hi Eric,
A wondeful and so pretty scribe advised me to come and ask you this matter which bother me for few days :
In F&A, p.34, it is said that the gem which is on the top the Old Staff, Azuth's staff, is called The Spirit Stone.
In F&P, p.14, it is said the gem is called the Donjon of facets
Do you know why this change happened ? Are there two names for the same gem ?
These both sourcebooks seem to be the only ones where the artefact is named.
I was also said that maybe :
"the Spirit Stone" is the name of this particular gem, and a "Donjon of facets" is WHAT it is.
Thanks a lot for reading Eric. |
"Today is a good day to smile",
Fillow Big'n'Book Mahlemiut 'Lead-dog', Son of Garl, Wanderer of the Masked Leaf and Namer of Oghma.
- Fight in the arena and have fun ! : La brute.com
- Feel free to take part to these projects : Post-Spellplague bibliography ; 4E index project ; Taverns and inns of the Realms ; Dogs of the Realms ; Descriptions of places in the novels ; forums, RPG, FR Abbreviations and Acronyms
- Come and have a look at the already asked questions from the Forgotten Realms Trivia Challenge
I am a French FR fan, so please forgive my lapses in English language and do not hesitate to correct me. Thanks a lot. |
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BlackDahlya
Acolyte
Brazil
3 Posts |
Posted - 08 May 2008 : 02:54:25
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Hello Mr. Boyd.
First of all, I want to tell you that I love your novels and I am always looking forward for your next work.
Now, I come here with a question that's been plaguing me. I have read the WotSQ series one or two years ago, and I just created a drow who is a Shadow Dragon disciple. I don't remember which were the characteristics of drow from House Jaezred Chaulssin; whether or not they had draconic traits.
Regarding Shadow Dragon Disciples, would they have any visible draconic traits, besides the wings? As in scales, teeth, some resemblance to a Shadow Dragon's head? Or is it possible that they can look as any other drow, and the wings are the only sign of their dragon blood? |
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althen artren
Senior Scribe
USA
780 Posts |
Posted - 06 Sep 2008 : 16:40:35
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Spells stilled, Friend Boyd:
Everything okay? We haven't heard from you in close to a year.
Just wanting to see if your still around. |
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Rolindin
Acolyte
USA
46 Posts |
Posted - 20 Nov 2008 : 11:54:22
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Mr Boyd when you can answer, would you answer this question.
Was it you who did the work on the nodes: feats and spells in the champions of ruin ?
Or was it one of the other ones listed, Wil Upchurch, or Jeff Crook? |
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Questions for Eric L Boyd
