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scererar
Master of Realmslore
USA
1618 Posts |
 Posted - 19 Jun 2006 : 05:15:25
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Poll Question:
well met my fellow scribes and sages of the realms.
In looking at a number of newer scribes to this site and a lot of questions asked about material. I thought I would try my hand at a poll.
If you had to choose just one sourcebook to go along with the FRCS, which in your opinion, would be the most useful REALMS sourcebook, that you have encountered to date and why. (I will keep this to the current edition). I ran out of room to list all of the current sourcebooks, so if one is not on the list please include why you think it is the best.
I chose Races of Faerun as the one companion to the FRCS that I just could not do without.
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Edited by - scererar on 20 Jun 2006 04:58:16
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warlockco
Master of Realmslore
USA
1695 Posts |
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Jorkens
Great Reader
Norway
2950 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2006 : 07:31:54
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Well, I have to say Serpent kingdoms, as most of the others to a great degree covers the same areas as 1ed and 2ed products. I don't use 3ed rules so all rules are useless to me personally, so Serpent kingdoms is the only 3ed book that makes it to my top 20 FR books of all time.
Now, if I were to decide without taking into consideration the older material, I would say that Lost Empires of Faerun is the most useful. |
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Mr. Wilson
Seeker
USA
73 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2006 : 11:11:48
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| LEoF. IMHO it's the best 3.X product they have put out. I wish every book had that much fluff. |
"I've got a plan..."- Dan
"Nothing good has ever come after those four words." - Jesse |
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Mace Hammerhand
Great Reader
Germany
2296 Posts |
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Ergdusch
Master of Realmslore
Germany
1720 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2006 : 12:52:26
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Well, I have to say that I really like the area-books (SS, UE, Underdark, SM...) and will look forward to get my hands on the Mysteries of the Moonsea as well due to their in-depth exploration of the specific area. unfortunatelly htey are of little use to the once-every-other-month gamer because you have way too much information in just one book to work through all of same (due to lack of time!!!) so my advice would be: bye one, play throu it with your campaign and than bye another one to play in that specific area. THat way it is fun for the players too,because they get to know a differnet corenr of the world with new and intersting NPC'S villians and also feats, spells and prestige classes. combining all information and options in just one campaign is neigh impossible....
For me, I really like Magic ofFaerunandcound not go without, simply because it is nice as DM to use spells that the players have not read a million times before hand and that are thereby of a littel surprise to them. |
"Das Gras weht im Wind, wenn der Wind weht." |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36803 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2006 : 17:41:56
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It's hard to pick a single resource as the most useful, since everyone's interests and campaigns will dictate what they find the most useful. If a DM has set his entire campaign in Waterdeep, then CosW would of course be the most useful resource -- and so on.
Myself, for general utility, I'd say the most useful books would be the ones that could apply to the most campaigns. Magic of Faerūn, Races of Faerūn, Lords of Darkness, and Lost Empires of Faerūn would be the tomes I'd pick from this list. I don't include Faiths & Pantheons because it is a pale shadow of the much more useful trilogy of deity books from 2E. |
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Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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dannyfu
Learned Scribe
USA
108 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2006 : 17:54:59
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| it's close for me. RoF is great and i love the race info in there, and i also really dig the LEoF history which helps for campaigns as well as a great help for the novels when author's drop a reference to the past. |
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Faramicos
Senior Scribe
Denmark
468 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2006 : 21:30:37
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| I vote for the underdark. My foremost reason is that the underdark is such an unique environment to me as a real person, that it is hard for me to improvise details in such a setting. This makes a pre-made source vital for an adventure in the deep bowels of the Forgotten Realms. Other areas (surface) is easier for me to improvise, and thus makes the need for a sourcebook less pressing (but i wouldent be without most of them and the wise words of the realms authors). |
"When dragons make war, worlds can only tremble in the shadow of angry wings" |
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warlockco
Master of Realmslore
USA
1695 Posts |
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2006 : 22:13:40
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| I think I like Races of Faerun most of all. |
"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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scererar
Master of Realmslore
USA
1618 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jun 2006 : 04:57:46
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No one noticed the "champions of power". I edited to correct the proper name of champions of valor. Hope no one went to the book store for this very rare tome  |
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Kajehase
Great Reader
Sweden
2104 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jun 2006 : 08:46:55
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Personally I'm holding out for Champions of Law and Order: Special Rogue-Bashing Unit. |
There is a rumour going around that I have found god. I think is unlikely because I have enough difficulty finding my keys, and there is empirical evidence that they exist.
Terry Pratchett |
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Ergdusch
Master of Realmslore
Germany
1720 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jun 2006 : 09:47:13
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Judgin from the results above it looks like most of those that voted do not use the regional sourse books (SS, SM, UE)or at least do not consider them that much useful. Does that lead to the conclusion that most of the ongoing campaigns are Fearun-wide and not located exclusively in one special region?
Ergdusch |
"Das Gras weht im Wind, wenn der Wind weht." |
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GothicDan
Master of Realmslore
USA
1103 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jun 2006 : 09:51:22
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The majority of the lore printed in the regional sourcebooks (with the exceptions of LEoF and Serpent Kingdoms) are just rehashed/reprinted versions of the lore from previous editions.
I felt utterly bored when reading Underdark and Unapproachable East, except for the parts on the Great Dale, Eltab, and the Imaskari. |
Planescape Fanatic
"Fiends and Undead are the peanut butter and jelly of evil." - Me
"That attitude should be stomped on, whenever and wherever it's encountered, because it makes people holding such views bad citizens, not just bad roleplayers (considering D&D was structured as a 'forced cooperation' game, and although successive editions are pointing it more and more towards a me-first, min-max game, the drift away from 'we all need each other to succeed' will at some point make it 'no longer' D&D)." - ED GREENWOOD |
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warlockco
Master of Realmslore
USA
1695 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jun 2006 : 11:00:59
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quote:
Originally posted by Ergdusch
Judgin from the results above it looks like most of those that voted do not use the regional sourse books (SS, SM, UE)or at least do not consider them that much useful. Does that lead to the conclusion that most of the ongoing campaigns are Fearun-wide and not located exclusively in one special region?
Ergdusch
All the books are Useful.
Just if I had to pick only 4 books to have with me, they would be: FRCS, PGtF, Magic of Faerun, Monsters of Faerun. |
News of the Weird
D20 System Reference Document
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Chosen of Bane
Senior Scribe
USA
552 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jun 2006 : 11:05:44
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quote:
Originally posted by GothicDan
The majority of the lore printed in the regional sourcebooks (with the exceptions of LEoF and Serpent Kingdoms) are just rehashed/reprinted versions of the lore from previous editions.
I felt utterly bored when reading Underdark and Unapproachable East, except for the parts on the Great Dale, Eltab, and the Imaskari.
Interesting. I converted to the realms in 3rd edition so all of the 2E sourcebooks I have are used books from ebay so excuse my ignorance...
Was the Silver Marches "just rehashed/reprinted versions of lore from previous editions"? I only ask because I thought this particular sourcebook was extremely well done and wonder if it would be on your list of books you were "utterly bored" with or if this was another exception. |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36803 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jun 2006 : 11:08:30
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quote:
Originally posted by scererar
No one noticed the "champions of power". I edited to correct the proper name of champions of valor. Hope no one went to the book store for this very rare tome
I noticed it, I just didn't comment on it.  |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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scererar
Master of Realmslore
USA
1618 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jun 2006 : 15:23:01
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quote:
Originally posted by Ergdusch
Judgin from the results above it looks like most of those that voted do not use the regional sourse books (SS, SM, UE)or at least do not consider them that much useful. Does that lead to the conclusion that most of the ongoing campaigns are Fearun-wide and not located exclusively in one special region?
Ergdusch
They all have their uses. I own all of them, except MoM. trying to catch up on novels. I agree with you though, if you are not going to use a specific region, you may want to skip that particular tome. Many here however want to have as much realmslore as they can get their hands on, and will probably pick up most new works as they come out.
Additionally, yes, over the past 20 years of traversing the realms, I have ran campaigns scattered over most parts of Faerun, and beyond. |
Edited by - scererar on 20 Jun 2006 15:25:42 |
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Jorkens
Great Reader
Norway
2950 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jun 2006 : 15:43:32
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quote:
Originally posted by Chosen of Bane
Was the Silver Marches "just rehashed/reprinted versions of lore from previous editions"? I only ask because I thought this particular sourcebook was extremely well done and wonder if it would be on your list of books you were "utterly bored" with or if this was another exception.
I am not GothicDan, so forgive me for butting in on the question. The Silver Marches is a very good book, but between Volos guide to the North, Savage frontier and The North most of the pure lore in this book had been covered. The politics of the new state og Luruar/Silver Marches are new for the book and there are many interesting details, but there are several 3ed realms products that offer new information and which I therefore give a higher priority. |
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jun 2006 : 16:36:26
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quote:
Originally posted by Chosen of Bane
Was the Silver Marches "just rehashed/reprinted versions of lore from previous editions"? I only ask because I thought this particular sourcebook was extremely well done and wonder if it would be on your list of books you were "utterly bored" with or if this was another exception.
Mostly rehash, yes. :) Actually most, but not all, of the current sourcebooks are rehash from mid to late 2e sourcebooks. The other poster listed most of the sourcebooks that SM is rehashed from but I'd add Cloak & Dagger as well. |
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 20 Jun 2006 16:36:54 |
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Snotlord
Senior Scribe
Norway
476 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jun 2006 : 16:39:01
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| Lots of fine books on the list, but I always go for utility at the gaming table, and vote fo r Lords of Darkness. |
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GothicDan
Master of Realmslore
USA
1103 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jun 2006 : 20:54:46
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I think my answer was quite well answered by others. :) Thanks all! (No sarcasm intended.)
So, you see, that is why I voted for RoF. My second choice would have been LEoF.
The books I disliked the most were Underdark, PGtF, F&P, and Unapproachable East.
... Though MotM will probably take the spot as the one I hate the most. |
Planescape Fanatic
"Fiends and Undead are the peanut butter and jelly of evil." - Me
"That attitude should be stomped on, whenever and wherever it's encountered, because it makes people holding such views bad citizens, not just bad roleplayers (considering D&D was structured as a 'forced cooperation' game, and although successive editions are pointing it more and more towards a me-first, min-max game, the drift away from 'we all need each other to succeed' will at some point make it 'no longer' D&D)." - ED GREENWOOD |
Edited by - GothicDan on 20 Jun 2006 20:55:51 |
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warlockco
Master of Realmslore
USA
1695 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jun 2006 : 22:59:46
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quote:
Originally posted by GothicDan
I think my answer was quite well answered by others. :) Thanks all! (No sarcasm intended.)
So, you see, that is why I voted for RoF. My second choice would have been LEoF.
The books I disliked the most were Underdark, PGtF, F&P, and Unapproachable East.
... Though MotM will probably take the spot as the one I hate the most.
Have to agree MotM was a disappointment, they should just have packaged it as a huge Adventure Arc. |
News of the Weird
D20 System Reference Document
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msatran
Learned Scribe
USA
210 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jun 2006 : 05:45:30
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| I voted for Power of Faerun. This is clearly the most useful sourcebook out of all of them. It tells you how politics work, how to get your PC into it, and the different types of leaders that you can have or become. Overall, this is probably not just the single best REALMS sourcebook in years, this is probably the best D+D sourcebook in years. And I'll stand by that until they come out with a better one. |
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Purple Dragon Knight
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1796 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jun 2006 : 12:43:49
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| Other: Player's Guide to Faerun |
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Alisttair
Great Reader
Canada
3054 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jun 2006 : 15:54:11
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| Races of Faerun put new meaning to the race we ourselves like to call ourselves Human, making each human sub-race more realms flavorful. |
Karsite Arcanar (Most Holy Servant of Karsus)
Anauria - Survivor State of Netheril as penned by me:
http://www.dmsguild.com/m/product/172023 |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36803 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jun 2006 : 17:20:30
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quote:
Originally posted by Alisttair
Races of Faerun put new meaning to the race we ourselves like to call ourselves Human, making each human sub-race more realms flavorful.
That was one of the things I loved about that book. Finally we were able to have Fighter Bob Smith from Shadowdale be different from Fighter Bahb Al'Smith from Calimport... And I also enjoyed the greater focus on the planetouched, particular the fey'ri and the various genasi. |
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Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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msatran
Learned Scribe
USA
210 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jun 2006 : 20:35:07
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Bah'b ahl Smith! BWAHAHAHAHHAHAAAAAAAAAAA.
That's GREAT. |
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 22 Jun 2006 : 01:54:26
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quote:
Originally posted by msatran
I voted for Power of Faerun. This is clearly the most useful sourcebook out of all of them. It tells you how politics work, how to get your PC into it, and the different types of leaders that you can have or become. Overall, this is probably not just the single best REALMS sourcebook in years, this is probably the best D+D sourcebook in years. And I'll stand by that until they come out with a better one.
I only wish I saw in that book what you did. |
"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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scererar
Master of Realmslore
USA
1618 Posts |
Posted - 22 Jun 2006 : 03:46:17
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by Alisttair
Races of Faerun put new meaning to the race we ourselves like to call ourselves Human, making each human sub-race more realms flavorful.
That was one of the things I loved about that book. Finally we were able to have Fighter Bob Smith from Shadowdale be different from Fighter Bahb Al'Smith from Calimport... And I also enjoyed the greater focus on the planetouched, particular the fey'ri and the various genasi.
exactly why I chose RoF as well. |
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most useful forgotten realms sourcebook
