| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Cbad285 |
Posted - 09 Sep 2009 : 05:50:56
I went home over Labor day weekend for a wedding and brought back some of my D&D books. There are some people willing to put together a game, provided I DM. I'd like to take them through the Anauroch but I've never run a full campaign through the desert. So I was hoping I could get some feed back here on what would be the A list of source books/novels I should read?
AD&D2E FR |
| 29 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Kno |
Posted - 22 Sep 2009 : 08:05:14
I moved the Bedine out of Anauroch, it didn't feel right. |
| Jorkens |
Posted - 17 Sep 2009 : 17:54:49
quote:
Originally posted by Thauramarth
quote:
Originally posted by Jorkens
The Desert of Desolation series is among the TSR products I don't own, are they worth getting? And not only from a realmsian viewpoint.
I liked the series - I3-5 was one of the first modules I ever bought when I got into AD&D (long, long ago). It has flaws (or features, depending on what you seek in a module), which are the result of its genesis. Originally, they were just three standard 32-page dungeon romps (published in 1982 and 1983), which were merged and upgraded with a bigger backstory to fit it into the Realms just after the publication of the Old Grey Box in 1987 (for more on the "fitting", see an answer of Ed's back in 2007: Ed's reply.
At heart, it's a series of linked dungeon romps, which are playable "as is", or to which can be added other encounters along the way (I often use desert-based mid-level modules from Dungeon Mag or other sources to spice up things a little bit. I liked the individual dungeons - one of them is a pyramid with an undead pharaoh, and I like pyramids with undead pharaohs  . The background story is a bit contrived (especially getting the PCs from wherever they are to where the action actually is).
Most of the time I used the dungeons and locales, and spun my own background to match my mood at the time (for instance, I got substitutes for the main villain and for the main villain's foil). It's not purely old-school dungeon locale-based adventure, it's not exactly a story-driven module either. Which means that, with some adaptation, it can serve as either. I know that I have enjoyed running it...
Thanks that sounds promising. I will probably pick them up some time in the future. There are several holes in my TSR D&D collection that I should fill in. Nobleknight would be the place to look I think. |
| Brimstone |
Posted - 17 Sep 2009 : 14:07:35
I got the PDF awhile back from Paizo.
Its a shame Wizards took all of their PDF's down that people were selling.
Sure I downloaded all of the Free PDF's from their site, but its not all of them. At least not yet. |
| Thauramarth |
Posted - 17 Sep 2009 : 12:33:29
quote:
Originally posted by Jorkens
The Desert of Desolation series is among the TSR products I don't own, are they worth getting? And not only from a realmsian viewpoint.
I liked the series - I3-5 was one of the first modules I ever bought when I got into AD&D (long, long ago). It has flaws (or features, depending on what you seek in a module), which are the result of its genesis. Originally, they were just three standard 32-page dungeon romps (published in 1982 and 1983), which were merged and upgraded with a bigger backstory to fit it into the Realms just after the publication of the Old Grey Box in 1987 (for more on the "fitting", see an answer of Ed's back in 2007: Ed's reply.
At heart, it's a series of linked dungeon romps, which are playable "as is", or to which can be added other encounters along the way (I often use desert-based mid-level modules from Dungeon Mag or other sources to spice up things a little bit. I liked the individual dungeons - one of them is a pyramid with an undead pharaoh, and I like pyramids with undead pharaohs . The background story is a bit contrived (especially getting the PCs from wherever they are to where the action actually is).
Most of the time I used the dungeons and locales, and spun my own background to match my mood at the time (for instance, I got substitutes for the main villain and for the main villain's foil). It's not purely old-school dungeon locale-based adventure, it's not exactly a story-driven module either. Which means that, with some adaptation, it can serve as either. I know that I have enjoyed running it... |
| Jorkens |
Posted - 17 Sep 2009 : 08:32:40
The Desert of Desolation series is among the TSR products I don't own, are they worth getting? And not only from a realmsian viewpoint. |
| Thauramarth |
Posted - 17 Sep 2009 : 07:56:20
quote:
Originally posted by Cbad285
quote:
Originally posted by capnvan
quote:
Originally posted by Cbad285
I also picked up the tomb of martek series (pharaoh, oasis of the white palm) from the used book store down the road. It's 1st edition, but it's got a little on the bedine and some decent side plots for reference which I think are pretty cool.
Where did you find info on the Bedine in the Desert of Desolation series?
When it was retconned into the Realms, it was placed in Raurin.
not sure about its placement in the realms, but the bedine are one of the random encounters for the series, and there are some given stats for what they carry and such in the back of the book with the genie on the front...not sure which one that is, as I'm in daytona beach right now, and my moduals are in melbourne.
I just checked both the original I4 and the I3-5. Although I have not checked every word of it, I am pretty sure that the nomads of the Oasis of the White Palm were not referred to as "Bedine". In I4, they're called Symbayans or Thunes, depending on their allegiance. In I3-5, they are referred to as Raurindi or Dervish Cultists.
Of course, the depiction of both the Bedine and the Raurindi in these modules is very similar, but that's probably because both were inspired by the real-life Bedouins? |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 17 Sep 2009 : 06:38:08
quote:
Originally posted by Cbad285
quote:
Originally posted by capnvan
quote:
Originally posted by Cbad285
I also picked up the tomb of martek series (pharaoh, oasis of the white palm) from the used book store down the road. It's 1st edition, but it's got a little on the bedine and some decent side plots for reference which I think are pretty cool.
Where did you find info on the Bedine in the Desert of Desolation series?
When it was retconned into the Realms, it was placed in Raurin.
not sure about its placement in the realms, but the bedine are one of the random encounters for the series, and there are some given stats for what they carry and such in the back of the book with the genie on the front...not sure which one that is, as I'm in daytona beach right now, and my moduals are in melbourne.
Whoa... Didn't realize there were any locals in here! |
| Cbad285 |
Posted - 17 Sep 2009 : 04:34:52
quote:
Originally posted by capnvan
quote:
Originally posted by Cbad285
I also picked up the tomb of martek series (pharaoh, oasis of the white palm) from the used book store down the road. It's 1st edition, but it's got a little on the bedine and some decent side plots for reference which I think are pretty cool.
Where did you find info on the Bedine in the Desert of Desolation series?
When it was retconned into the Realms, it was placed in Raurin.
not sure about its placement in the realms, but the bedine are one of the random encounters for the series, and there are some given stats for what they carry and such in the back of the book with the genie on the front...not sure which one that is, as I'm in daytona beach right now, and my moduals are in melbourne. |
| Brimstone |
Posted - 14 Sep 2009 : 22:11:25
Nice to hear from you Markus. |
| Markustay |
Posted - 14 Sep 2009 : 19:40:06
Anauroch is probably the 'most changing' region depending on what edition you are playing in.
Empty desert, intriguing desert, desert empire, and lastly powerful empire with receding badlands.
Take your pick - you could do whatever you want there, from canon (which has changed dramatically 3 times) to Tatooine to Dune.
I'd leave pyramids and mummies to the Raurin though (even though both exist in or near Anauroch as well) - just a matter of personal taste.
Do yourself a favor and swap-out the Bedine for something else (unless you like inappropriate derivations) - Sand People (Tuskan Raiders) are my personal favorites, but the Aiel (Wheel of Time) work just as well.
Just some suggestions is all... I was never very happy with the official takes on the region.
--- Mark |
| Brimstone |
Posted - 10 Sep 2009 : 17:35:47
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| Cbad285 |
Posted - 10 Sep 2009 : 16:18:28
I picked up Elmisnter's Ecology in pdf, the f13 source book (Forget who mentioned it but thank you) and a couple others suggested here
(Scribble,scribble,scribble,white out)
. I also picked up the tomb of martek series (pharaoh, oasis of the white palm) from the used book store down the road. It's 1st edition, but it's got a little on the bedine and some decent side plots for reference which I think are pretty cool. |
| Chosen of Moradin |
Posted - 10 Sep 2009 : 15:49:35
Elminster Ecology is really an awesome sourcebook, and the Anauroch part have a lot of good stuff.
Something that you could use as a reference for good desert adventures are the Al-Qadin adventures. There´s many of there, and you could use them as reference to tailor your own adventures, or to spark some good idea... |
| Erik Scott de Bie |
Posted - 10 Sep 2009 : 15:21:11
quote:
Originally posted by Cbad285
I have no idea where I'm going to start in the desert, but my players seem to think it would be a great idea if they were all zhentilar soldiers who flee to the desert after Zhentil Keep falls.
That sounds awesome. It adds another layer to your adventure schema: survival and staying anonymous.
From the Zhent angle, you might also check out the writeup for Newfort in the Silver Marches book (p 81). It's not Anauroch and it's a 3e source, but it gives a pretty good outline of what a community of zhent expats might look like. Setting up the PCs as caretakers of a refugee community makes a neat inversion on what zhents would do normally.
Also, since you're in the desert, I recommend several adventures where the focus is to find water/food/supplies. The survival angle adds verisimilitude to a desert adventure, and is an unusual motivation for players to have (i.e., not that many adventures are based on it). Consider having an early adventure be about searching for an oasis, then destroying a monster or a colony of evil humanoids who've taken up residence.
Don't go overboard with this--PCs are usually better motivated by treasure and adventure for themselves, rather than for others. But every now and then, have it factor into the adventure.
Shade is another thing to consider using. I know you said 2e, but if on the off-chance your campaign goes past 1373, then Shade might show up. The PCs may have to keep ducking it, or they may have a set of encounters or an entire adventure where they have to rescue someone of their own, or from their community who's been taken by the shades. Alternately, even significantly before 1373, they might encounter scouting parties of shades who have come back to see about a return.
Also (and this is why I mentioned DoM, not for shameless pluggage!), consider having the PCs come into conflict/trade with the local goliath tribe in the plain of standing stones. See Races of Stone (again, 3e, but just for the lore, not the mechanics) for details.
Also, there exists at least one buried Netherese ruin in the Anauroch . . . and probably more than one. They make for good dungeon crawls and allow you the DM lots of freedom.
Cheers |
| Cbad285 |
Posted - 10 Sep 2009 : 05:53:28
You guys rock. I have no idea where I'm going to start in the desert, but my players seem to think it would be a great idea if they were all zhentilar soldiers who flee to the desert after Zhentil Keep falls. |
| scererar |
Posted - 10 Sep 2009 : 03:03:55
quote:
Originally posted by Jorkens
There's also the Anauroch book in Elminster's Eucology. box set from 2ed.
+1 on this supplement. Elminster's ecology sets are excellent |
| Erik Scott de Bie |
Posted - 10 Sep 2009 : 00:25:35
Hey! I'm just trying to be helpful. 
quote:
Originally posted by capnvan
Can we get a "shameless plug" emoticon in Candlekeep 2?
You can just use my user icon, I think.
Cheers |
| sfdragon |
Posted - 09 Sep 2009 : 22:38:28
I was going to add look at the sandstorm splat but.....
I'll add the Netheril download, since it has a good deal of what became the Anauroch in it.
It would be useful atleast to a point on the ruins of the city |
| Afetbinttuzani |
Posted - 09 Sep 2009 : 21:46:10
I've been thinking about DMing an adventure through the Anauroch, as well. The 2E Anauroch accessory by Ed Greenwood (TSR 9320 FR13) is full of useful info.
My ideas are somewhat vague at this point, but I'm thinking of having the PCs join up with the Bedine at the ruins of Spellgard, where the Bedine are known to come to use the springs. The PC's goal would be to disrupt a Zhentarim slave caravan travelling along the black road. The hook could be that a young person of importance is among the slaves, and there is a reward for their rescue. It could also involve visits to the ruins of cities from the post-Netherese empires. |
| Erik Scott de Bie |
Posted - 09 Sep 2009 : 17:32:46
If you're looking for adventure ideas--particularly related to ancient fallen cities of Netheril--you might check out my novel Depths of Madness, which takes place in (or, actually, mostly beneath) the Anauroch.
Cheers |
| Jorkens |
Posted - 09 Sep 2009 : 17:01:52
There's also the Anauroch book in Elminster's Ecology. box set from 2ed. |
| The Sage |
Posted - 09 Sep 2009 : 15:28:36
quote:
Originally posted by Brimstone
Didn't she return during The Return of the Arch Wizards?
Yes. She appears at odd times during the trilogy. |
| Brimstone |
Posted - 09 Sep 2009 : 15:22:56
Didn't she return during The Return of the Arch Wizards?
I just got FR13 yesterday in the mail from nobleknight...along with some other realmslore goodies. |
| Alisttair |
Posted - 09 Sep 2009 : 13:41:17
quote:
Originally posted by Hoondatha
No, it takes place in a city in the Heartlands (I don't remember which one). The connection is Ruha, the Bedine witch introduced in Parched Sea and who has since left the desert.
Ah yes. Thanks for the correction. I think the shot I took to the head playing paintball over the weekend affected my memory  |
| Hoondatha |
Posted - 09 Sep 2009 : 13:15:53
No, it takes place in a city in the Heartlands (I don't remember which one). The connection is Ruha, the Bedine witch introduced in Parched Sea and who has since left the desert. |
| Alisttair |
Posted - 09 Sep 2009 : 11:56:48
Doesn't The Veiled Dragon (sequel to Parched Sea) occur there as well? (my memory could be flawed however, lol). |
| The Sage |
Posted - 09 Sep 2009 : 08:10:46
And while it is 3e, the Anauroch: The Empire of Shade adventure module has an appendix featuring lore on the region. It should be somewhat useful for a 2e campaign. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 09 Sep 2009 : 06:45:34
quote:
Originally posted by Wenin
There is the Anauroch reference book, 2nd edition. I only believe there is a single novel, one of the harper series that covered an adventure within that area.
It was the first one, Parched Sea. |
| Wenin |
Posted - 09 Sep 2009 : 06:06:33
There is the Anauroch reference book, 2nd edition. I only believe there is a single novel, one of the harper series that covered an adventure within that area. |
