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Mouse
Acolyte
USA
28 Posts |
 Posted - 17 Dec 2008 : 08:47:07
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How many folks have run campagins focused on the Unapprochable East and/or the Shining South of the Realms?
I have since come to prefer these areas of Faerun to the rest of it, mostly due to greater cultural diversity. The western Realms are all very much traditional western fantasy, oddly populated by white dudes everywhere you go, traditional western fantasy tropes despite whatever unqiue cultures are created.
FR is less prone to this then other settings (Amn and Waterdeep are very different for instance), but despite these varying cultures, they'll still be relatively vaugely western in theme.
The East and South have an insane gamut of cultures, some ranging from the basic medival culture of the western Realms, and some with cultures more relevant to bronze age standards.
Also, as a side note, if I want to GM an adventure of truly epic proportions, I don't have to account for the wherabouts of the Justice League of Mystra to let my villians get away with terrible epic plots . Simbul technically rules Alagorond, but she seems to spend more time being naked around El, or saving him from demon princes.
Also, first time post .
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"Barbarians are more polite then civilized men, for civilized men know they may be rude to another without having their skulls cleaved open as a general thing."
-Conan |
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Ionik Knight
Learned Scribe
USA
222 Posts |
Posted - 17 Dec 2008 : 13:02:23
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Welcome to the boards,
I'm cranking up my campaign in Impiltur, partially because it's on the border of both those areas. I have plans to make much use of the old empires in both areas; while my fallen paladin plot festers back in Impiltur.
And you're right, being so far away from most of the major busybodies lets you build up full head of steam. Plenty of time to decide when and how or if those nosy ones will but in. |
Fools to right of them,
Jesters to left of them,
Clowns in front of them
Pun'd and parody'd. |
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Alisttair
Great Reader
Canada
3054 Posts |
Posted - 17 Dec 2008 : 13:43:49
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| I haven't had the chance to run in those areas yet, but I hope to eventually. |
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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Lord Karsus
Great Reader
USA
3737 Posts |
Posted - 17 Dec 2008 : 16:44:00
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| -It would have been a cool thing, but TSR/WotC never did, would have been to have more "regional rules", to differentiate how places like the general South and the general East differ from each other, from the Heartlands, etc... |
(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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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 18 Dec 2008 : 20:09:57
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Welcome to the forums,
quote:
Originally posted by Mouse
I have since come to prefer these areas of Faerun to the rest of it, mostly due to greater cultural diversity. The western Realms are all very much traditional western fantasy, oddly populated by white dudes everywhere you go, traditional western fantasy tropes despite whatever unqiue cultures are created.
Well, it's not like there's anything wrong with these "traditional western fantasy tropes"--those tropes are precisely what attract some fans to the setting. And not everyone in the Heartlands is "white", thanks to trade with other lands.
quote:
Also, as a side note, if I want to GM an adventure of truly epic proportions, I don't have to account for the wherabouts of the Justice League of Mystra to let my villians get away with terrible epic plots.
There is no "Justice League of Mystra." That's just a stupid internet meme.
I hate to be blunt with someone who's new here, but I also don't want false, inaccurate ideas about the setting (JLoM) to spread and gain credence. |
"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) |
Edited by - Rinonalyrna Fathomlin on 18 Dec 2008 20:11:34 |
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dwarvenranger
Senior Scribe
USA
428 Posts |
Posted - 18 Dec 2008 : 22:00:18
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| Welcome mouse. While I didn't run it, I did play in a campaign set in the Great Dale once, a few years back. The party consisted of a Volodni rogue/ranger (me), a human druid from the forest of Lethyr, a wizard (Hathran) and her escort (barbarian), on dajemma, and a monk/shou expatriate from Thesk. |
If I waited till I knew what I was doing, I'd never get anything done.
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Lord Karsus
Great Reader
USA
3737 Posts |
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Mouse
Acolyte
USA
28 Posts |
Posted - 19 Dec 2008 : 08:50:25
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The Justice Leauge of Mystra is real as far was WoTC was concerned. They just wanted to to sell books there. I think that's why they offed so many canon characters (except the markatable ones) for 4th Ed, because there was a lot of complaints by some folks (some complaints unfounded, and some I didn't share) due to the Chosen of Mystra's tendencies to end major plot threads with their really really awsome magic.
But I don't want this to turn into another one of THOSE threads, so i digress.
Also, thought I AM a first-time poster, this is not my first time on this forum. I've read Candlekeep forums and the site itself on a regular basis since I heard about the site some four or five
years back, I just never worked up the energy to register. Most internet forums arn't worth it (lots of doodieheads on them), but I LIKED the Candlekeep forums, so I figured what the hell? I'm a Realms player vet, and there's good people here .
Neways, back to topic.
Yeah, since I've started playing in the more obscurly used parts of FR, I've grown accustomed to their unique flavor. Our group has a paladin of Horus-Re who's kind of completely different from most Pallies due to his unique religion and country. Helps my group is creative enough to use the wild cultures in the East to make totally interesting characters,such as a Shou expatriate Monk/Shou Fighter who, rather then seeking any kind of "enlightenment" is more mercenary then our whole party combined, a paladin whom firmly believes his homeland's empire should expand, by force if nessecary to spread their holy faith, a pompus-ass Red Wizard who got kicked out of Thay because he just was't evil enough, etc.
Mod edit: Let's watch the language, please.  |
"Barbarians are more polite then civilized men, for civilized men know they may be rude to another without having their skulls cleaved open as a general thing."
-Conan |
Edited by - Wooly Rupert on 19 Dec 2008 14:23:07 |
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Lemernis
Senior Scribe
378 Posts |
Posted - 19 Dec 2008 : 11:22:01
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| I'm involved with a NWN2 persistent world that's set in Amn starting late 1370 DR (see sig). Originally we had hoped to expand the project to include the other Lands of Intrigues settings of Tethyr and Calimshan, and Shining South settings of Ormpur, the Shaar, Great Rift, Halruaa, and Dambrath. But it's such an extraordinary amount of work to build a server with NWN2 that we ended up settling with just Amn. Our DM staff has run countless adventures there with our playerbase. |
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Ghost King
Learned Scribe
USA
253 Posts |
Posted - 19 Dec 2008 : 20:48:33
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I've only played once in a campaign that was in Mulhorand and Thay, then eventually made it's way west then back again. It was very short lived and I was disappointed when it ended abruptly, but the GM was known to be a flake and when his older brother took over the campaign just became a blood bath with zero plot or suspense (that's why we headed west to join the Tethyr civil war). Plus the new GM threw in a bunch of npcs that stole the center show from all of the PCs which is normal from this GM.
Finally I just got fed up with the group and said he left back for Mulhorand. Had a good friend DM him back there for a few adventurers just to wrap up a story-arc then retired him.
Now as for characters from the Shining South or Unapproachable East in the West and North I have had tons, it is just that none of the GMs running it ever wanted to go to those regions. So whatever plots I had with foes there always seemed to be "drawn" to the West and North so I could fight them. It was kind of lame, but eh, what are you going to do?
~Ghost King~ |
Edited by - Ghost King on 19 Dec 2008 20:49:39 |
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Mouse
Acolyte
USA
28 Posts |
Posted - 20 Dec 2008 : 02:40:13
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That's the kind of thing I mean. I've personally found a lot of DM's just plain unwilling to do the Eastern or Southern areas of Faerun. I can understand if it's because a lack of detailed information, but with the Shining South and Unnaproachable East books out, there's no reason to not use such great areas.
I gave DM's BOTH books, created characters for both settings, and he just drops us back inta the freakin Dalelands and Cormyr again.
I really have no clue why: I find it a massively refreshing change to fight Red Wizards nefarious plots openly rather then deal with sinister mercentile intrigues, and not have to worry about the Zhents or the other western villians at all.
I was actually wary of the South at first, due to a lack of "major" villians to attempt to dominate/control surrounding areas (it's nice to have big, evil, fallback plots if you can't DM anything totally unique for the party I've found), but with the Serpent Kingdoms book I found my villians in the millenia-old reptilian masterminds.
BTW, LOVED that book. The echoes back to Robert E. Howard tickled my literary-fantasy loving bones :P. |
"Barbarians are more polite then civilized men, for civilized men know they may be rude to another without having their skulls cleaved open as a general thing."
-Conan |
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Lord Karsus
Great Reader
USA
3737 Posts |
Posted - 20 Dec 2008 : 02:42:51
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quote:
Originally posted by Mouse
That's the kind of thing I mean. I've personally found a lot of DM's just plain unwilling to do the Eastern or Southern areas of Faerun...I really have no clue why...
-Many of the "non-traditional" regions of Faerūn, and, of course, Kara-Tur, Maztica, Zakhara, and so on, are "niche" regions. A DM who doesn't like Asian-type fantasy isn't going to set his/her games in Kara-Tur. A DM who doesn't like Arabian-type fantasy isn't going to set his/her campaign in Zakhara, or in Calimshan, or in the Anauroch. And so on. |
(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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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 20 Dec 2008 : 02:49:55
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I was lucky enough to play in a game set in the Vast with a really great DM....
Oh... wait... that was MY campaign... 
Woooow... that was bad... even for me.
I love the east (as anyone who knows me at all can tell), but the Vast is the furthest east I've yet gotten a chance to play. And as far as the Shining South goes, I've never even been south of the Sea of Fallen Stars. 
Also, it's not the Justice League... its the Avengers. Everyone knows Moonknight was a member of the Avengers (West Coast), and he gets his powers from the Pharonic (Mulhorandi) Pantheon.
Then again... Wonder Woman follows the Greco-Roman Pantheon, and we've had some of that in FR as well...
But Wait! Thor knew Tyr personally, ergo the Avengers are indeed better suited to the Realms.  |
"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 20 Dec 2008 02:52:39 |
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Lord Karsus
Great Reader
USA
3737 Posts |
Posted - 20 Dec 2008 : 03:27:07
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quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
I love the east (as anyone who knows me at all can tell), but the Vast is the furthest east I've yet gotten a chance to play. And as far as the Shining South goes, I've never even been south of the Sea of Fallen Stars.
-I'm currently in the Wealdath, heading back to Tethyr, with plans to return to Calimshan (and possibly Sigil) from there.
-In my own setting, though, where I am DMing, I've sent the PCs all over the map. One group having a pseudo-Spelljammer Airship makes overland travel much easier.
-And, Marvel is much better than DC. |
(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 |
Edited by - Lord Karsus on 20 Dec 2008 03:27:52 |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 20 Dec 2008 : 03:37:34
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Your going to make me post that pic, again, aren't you?
Way cool comic cover |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 20 Dec 2008 : 04:00:07
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quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
Also, it's not the Justice League... its the Avengers. Everyone knows Moonknight was a member of the Avengers (West Coast), and he gets his powers from the Pharonic (Mulhorandi) Pantheon.
Heh. I actually had an aspect of Khonshu/Khonsu appear in a one-shot Realms campaign I ran for several players who were fans of the Mulhorandi pantheon. One of the PC's was loosely modelled after Spector's alter-ego and needed a patron deity. Of course, for a bit of a laugh, I then modelled the villain NPC after Raoul Bushman, who attempted to kill the Spector-like PC by leaving him in the Plains of Purple Dust. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Mouse
Acolyte
USA
28 Posts |
Posted - 20 Dec 2008 : 04:40:41
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Hell yeah Moon Knight. His new comics reboot is intense. Only grimdark hero who bothers to wear white.
Neways.
Seems I just have jackasses when I GM, though I've found one that's taking our group on an epic journey to nowhere, focusing only on the East and Southern areas the Realms. Maybe my luck in that area is turning around.
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"Barbarians are more polite then civilized men, for civilized men know they may be rude to another without having their skulls cleaved open as a general thing."
-Conan |
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Ghost King
Learned Scribe
USA
253 Posts |
Posted - 20 Dec 2008 : 04:55:04
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quote:
Originally posted by Mouse
That's the kind of thing I mean. I've personally found a lot of DM's just plain unwilling to do the Eastern or Southern areas of Faerun. I can understand if it's because a lack of detailed information, but with the Shining South and Unnaproachable East books out, there's no reason to not use such great areas.
I gave DM's BOTH books, created characters for both settings, and he just drops us back inta the freakin Dalelands and Cormyr again.
I really have no clue why: I find it a massively refreshing change to fight Red Wizards nefarious plots openly rather then deal with sinister mercentile intrigues, and not have to worry about the Zhents or the other western villians at all.
I was actually wary of the South at first, due to a lack of "major" villians to attempt to dominate/control surrounding areas (it's nice to have big, evil, fallback plots if you can't DM anything totally unique for the party I've found), but with the Serpent Kingdoms book I found my villians in the millenia-old reptilian masterminds.
BTW, LOVED that book. The echoes back to Robert E. Howard tickled my literary-fantasy loving bones :P.
Glad to hear I'm not the only one that owns those sourcebooks. I too found Serpent Kingdoms incredable material on how the foul creatures think, act, and are always just below the surface moving everyone like a chess piece.
And the Shining South is full of rich cultures and sinister forces in the shadows scheming and plotting the demise of Halruaa (which I guess was wasted since the Spellplague did it better then anyone could have dreamt of doing ). Aside from a few beacons of civilization there it is very untamed. You have the Thri-kreen, Wemics, and a whole other host of creatures that appear "savage" to outsiders due to their territorial/tribal mind set.
But I am rambling now, but suffice to say I think both regions are full of great stories left untapped. Just hope I'll be able to explore those regions once more. Wish you the best of luck in having a successful run in either or both of those regions in the future.
~Ghost King~
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Lord Karsus
Great Reader
USA
3737 Posts |
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Mouse
Acolyte
USA
28 Posts |
Posted - 20 Dec 2008 : 06:49:27
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| I thought the sarrukh in particular made a good unifying force behind the otherwise seperate and disorginized Scaled Ones, and with the rather heavy presence of the Serpent Kingdoms down south (at least three major powerbases)) they made a good overall villian for the Shining South. |
"Barbarians are more polite then civilized men, for civilized men know they may be rude to another without having their skulls cleaved open as a general thing."
-Conan |
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dwarvenranger
Senior Scribe
USA
428 Posts |
Posted - 20 Dec 2008 : 14:01:48
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quote:
Originally posted by Dagnirion
-I'm currently in the Wealdath, heading back to Tethyr, with plans to return to Calimshan (and possibly Sigil) from there.
I'm starting a game today where the characters, will begin in the upper Delimbiyr valley, but will be headed to Sigil within the first session. Then it's time for some planeswalking |
If I waited till I knew what I was doing, I'd never get anything done.
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Lord Karsus
Great Reader
USA
3737 Posts |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 21 Dec 2008 : 16:26:16
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A big dash of Planescape (mostly for background) and a tiny dash of Spelljammer.
Spelljammer is good unto itself, but it has a way of quickly unbalancing a Groundling Campaign. I use everything in my games, even 3rd party, but most things are only good in moderation....
Aberrations, for example....  |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Dalor Darden
Great Reader
USA
4211 Posts |
Posted - 21 Dec 2008 : 20:47:01
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What's wrong with Abeirations?
I like to get a little Cthulhu on my people...scares the crap out of them when they run across something they have never seen in a book anywhere. I don't actually use H.P.'s mythos; but I have created several horrors that are so damnable that comprehending them alone causes mental disorders in party members that don't have the intellect to handle it...and then there is the danger of being TOO smart and one of the things trying to talk to you...
I grew up reading R.E. Howard's Conan mostly and always enjoyed the books when he was pitted against something he just KNEW was beyond him. There is always something badder on the next block; so the saying goes.
In the East around Thay and such places is where I would really love to run a campaign like this. Have the party actually working FOR the Red Wizards...but not as evil characters really. See, the REAL reason the Red Wizards haven't taken over the East is that their land is VERY portal rich and some things have come into their land that even the Undead have fear of...
Could be fun. |
The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me! |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 21 Dec 2008 : 22:56:32
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quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
A big dash of Planescape (mostly for background) and a tiny dash of Spelljammer.
Spelljammer is good unto itself, but it has a way of quickly unbalancing a Groundling Campaign. I use everything in my games, even 3rd party, but most things are only good in moderation....
Aberrations, for example....
Heh. In my case, most of my Realms campaigns are liberally influenced/supported by both Planescape and Spelljammer. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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see
Learned Scribe
235 Posts |
Posted - 22 Dec 2008 : 03:57:22
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| Spelljammer and the canon Maztica timeline, of course, are basically incompatible. |
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Dalor Darden
Great Reader
USA
4211 Posts |
Posted - 22 Dec 2008 : 04:46:54
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quote:
Originally posted by see
Spelljammer and the canon Maztica timeline, of course, are basically incompatible.
How so? |
The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me! |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 22 Dec 2008 : 05:37:22
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quote:
Originally posted by Dalor Darden
In the East around Thay and such places is where I would really love to run a campaign like this. Have the party actually working FOR the Red Wizards...but not as evil characters really. See, the REAL reason the Red Wizards haven't taken over the East is that their land is VERY portal rich and some things have come into their land that even the Undead have fear of...
This is going on in my current campaign - the party has een hired as caravan gaurds, bringing supplies up the Dragonreach from Raven's Bluff heading to Mulmaster.
They think it's a normal merchant caravan, but its really a Thayan one headed up by a Red Wizard (with hair - he's undercover) and two priests of Kossuth. They are bringing up some important stuff to Mulmaster (mostly low-lev magical items, like weapons and what-not), and the wagons include a few personal items of Tharchion Dmitra Flass, which she has sent for since she has taken up residence in the city (at least temporarily).
The premise is that the Thayans chose to go that route, after finding out the Harpers were onto the shipment and planned on sinking the ship, so they went overland instead to confuse them. However, at least one Harper was set to watch for such a move, and the PCs - who don't know who their bosses really are - have spotted a sneaky looking fellow keeping just out of site and shadowing the caravan.
They've also spotted a large group of Gnolls who are also following them, and hjavbe them very worried (but not their employers, strangely enough)The Gnolls have also been noticed by the 'sneaky fellow' (the Harper agent), which is what made him suspicious in the first place. The Gnolls are the real caravan gaurds - the party was just picked-up to make everything looked on the up-and-up.
I'm still waiting for the fireworks to start.
Thay in trouble with something worse then them sounds like a fun idea, though, and I'll keep that in mind if the party decides to stick with the Thayans. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 22 Dec 2008 : 05:39:05
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quote:
Originally posted by Dalor Darden
quote:
Originally posted by see
Spelljammer and the canon Maztica timeline, of course, are basically incompatible.
How so?
Yes, I was wondering what you mean by this as well.
Are you talking about that ancient Spelljamming vessel found in Maztica?  |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Lord Karsus
Great Reader
USA
3737 Posts |
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see
Learned Scribe
235 Posts |
Posted - 22 Dec 2008 : 10:22:25
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Implicit in the Spelljammer background is that spelljamming has been ongoing for a significant period of time with a significant number of vessels. Quite a bit of this activity happens in Realmspace, which is even the home of a major spacefaring power (Shou Lung).
Maztica establishes there is an entire continent of Toril where nobody knows arcane magic or has metal weapons for much of this time spelljammers are plying the heavens.
And yet, nobody has tried to exploit the Mazticans. Not beholders, mind flayers, neogi, or a Red Wizard zulkir looking for an easy conquest. Not a Shou Lung captain looking to extract tribute for the Emperor. Not a single trader, looking for exotic trade opportunities (a fortune could be made selling them used steel weapons in trade for local gold and sacks of cacao . . .)
What, can't anybody see that big continent sitting right there? |
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Eastern/Southern Campaigns
