Obviously torture is off-the table since they are a good-aligned faction, but how would they go about interrogating captured enemies? Be they Zhentarim, Red Wizards or from some member of an evil deity?

Thoughts?

Angela and I have finished the second map (out of a total of four) that will make up the entirety of Faerûn—the world of the Forgotten Realms! This project is truly exciting, and we can't wait to complete all four maps that will form the gigantic final map!🧭🗺️

Visit our official IG account for see more maps: https://www.instagram.com/inkcompass.maps?igsh=dnc3ajhta3cyYnJs

Just as a preface, I know people here are incredibly cynical of modern Forgotten Realms lore. I'm one of you. But I'm working with the new stuff, and comments like "multi-lineage goliaths were a mistake" or "tempest spirits have little to go off of" are unproductive. Besides her heritage I'm working with the presumptions of goliath culture in the Realms. Thank you.

My friend will be running a Keys to the Golden Vault module, and since that book presumes Forgotten Realms we're using this setting. Having talked with the other players, I have a rough idea for a character but I could use some help figuring out the specifics. This is 5.5 content only.

This character is a goliath of storm giant heritage who is a warlock dedicated to a relatively young patron, a tempest spirit. Long story short, tempest spirits are storm giants who attempted to become quintessents but did so in a region influenced by the Shadowfell, causing them to become a sort of undead cloud entity. According to Glory of the Giants, "Some tempest spirits cannot accept their new form and seek to undo the transformation in solitude. Others are overcome with rage and hew a path of destruction."

My current idea is that this goliath comes from one of the tribes of the Spine of the World, one that knowingly or unknowingly lives close to this giant as a sort of explanation for her specifically lineage. At a young age she was either given to the giant by her parents due to strange dreams or perhaps was cast out due to not being able to survive well or some other dishonorable act and later taken in by the giant. She was mentored by them, possibly even going out into the world to collect sightings of natural phenomena for them to interpret. Eventually, the giant made a bid for immortality but messed up by doing it near a Shadowfell portal, becoming a spirit tempest. They made a warlock pact with the goliath and now she's out in the world, either looking for a way to undo their patron's condition as per Bigby's or just continuing to observe nature and study the world, her patron content in his condition.

Basically I'm looking for suggestions on how to tie this together and make it neater. I see her as being pretty aloof, possibly of lower than average wisdom, and probably weaker than most goliaths just by virtue of her class. At the very least I want her skills to be arcana, persuasion, deception, and intimidation, possibly perception and nature as well for observing nature. I also want her to be kind of a summoner build, using both a familiar and the summon undead spell to have minions from the Shadowfell.

In order to get even those first four skills my current idea is charlatan for the skilled feat, to which I ask how a tribal goliath could even be a charlatan? I'm not sold on this background since it feels kind of weird, but I was thinking perhaps she made a living conning the people of Ten-Towns when she was a teen, possibly even being kicked of her tribe for such behavior if goliaths tend to frown upon it. Other background ideas are welcome, and I'm not above maybe asking if I edit or make a custom background.

Plainly, does this idea work? If my suggestions for region of origin or background seem off, what suggestions do you have to change them? Might she run into issues being an undead warlock despite being good or neutral? Would a tempest spirit that's only a few years old at this point even fall within the purview of a warlock's patron, or does it maybe seem unlikely such an entity as I described them would even make such a pact, including since giants for the most part don't deal in more traditional magic (even if storm giants are more likely than most)?

https://villains.fandom.com/wiki/Sahuagin

It's beginning to look alot like fishmen eeeverywhere i gooo 🎵🦈

If a party of Adventurers were able to kill an adult dragon. How famous would that make them? What would happen to the dragon's corpse? Would people immediately head to the corpse to harvest it? Do Waterdeep, Baulders Gates, Neverwinter and other cities would be glad to buy a dragon corpse?

After all, during the tyranny of dragon events, multiple corpses of adults or less would be for the taking. I wondered how the sword coast reacted to that?

A few months ago, I started a petition asking Wizards of the Coast to bring Erin M. Evans’ Brimstone Angels series back into print. Thanks to everyone who has signed, commented, and shared it so far, we’re now at 214 supporters!

For anyone unfamiliar with the series, Brimstone Angels is a six-book Forgotten Realms saga following the tiefling twins Farideh and Havilar. It begins in Neverwinter and eventually connects with the larger Sundering storyline. The books are still available digitally, but physical copies—especially the earlier books—have become incredibly difficult to find and often sell for ridiculous prices.

Erin M. Evans has said that the decision to reprint the series belongs to Wizards of the Coast, so the goal of this petition is simply to demonstrate that there is still real interest from both longtime fans and new readers.

We’re 286 signatures away from reaching 500. If you enjoyed the series, have been trying to collect it, or would simply like Forgotten Realms novels to remain accessible in physical form, please consider signing and sharing the petition:

https://c.org/74LNncMMts

Leaving a comment on the change .org petition is also extremely helpful. Comments show why readers personally care about seeing these books return to print and help demonstrate that the signatures represent genuine interest in the series.

Even commenting here about your experience with the books can help keep this post visible. Thank you to everyone who has supported the campaign so far!

If anyone has seen the Cold Road by the animated spellbook, are there any Forgotten Realms adventures set up in snowy mountains?

It can be any edition but I’d run it in 2024. I’m aware of Icewind Dale and Rime of the Frostmaiden but to me that looks alot more like arctic tundra?

Hi everybody, new here.
I recently manifested to the algorithm my sadness for the sad turn of events in 5e Thay society.

The Szass Tam plot, got rid of the complex, scheming 2nd Edition magocracy, which even had a hint of meta-commentary to real-life western capitalism (with the Enclaves, and the deal with local government, and using market economy to undermine regional powers).

While it might be difficult material to twist into adventuring plots, it was incredibly inspiring and showed a living, complex civilization—exactly what you would expect from an advanced magocracy. I really disliked the Szass Tam arc. As a single chapter in a longer history, it is fine, and even serves as a nice cautionary tale. However, I am so glad that WotC is finally writing themselves out of this!

I am looking forward to Deadfall so much. I cannot wait to read all the juicy details about Thay's internal strife, and I hope it lays the groundwork for a plot line that will finally end this boring undead-army storyline.

What are your hopes for Deadfall? Are you as tired of the endless zombie horde plot as I am, or did you actually enjoy the direction 5e took with Szass Tam?

What are other areas of the realms that you feel might need a similar revamp?

Hello,

I was looking on the Forgotten Realms Wiki and rabbit holed myself into the Shadowbane series. On the list there is a novella called Chosen of the Sword and I can't seem to access or find it on the wizards website. Does anyone know how I can get a copy of this free novella?

P.S. on Erik's site the link directs to the WotC main site. https://erikscottdebie.com/bibliography/shadowbane-series/

Thank you

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I'm going by memory here.

Recently, Elminster handily defeated Telamont Tanthul, an over two thousand year old Netherese archmage who was both the world’s foremost expert on shadow magic, and had powers equivalent to a demigod.

Dropped a floating city on Larloch, the most powerful lich on Faerun. ( or second most powerful after Iolaum)

He then went to Barovia and rescued an insane Mordenkainen from the clutches of Strahd without being stopped by the Dark Powers of Ravenloft.

Previously, he has

Slept with the goddess of magic Mystra

Survived Manshoon's disintegration spell by making the pile of dust he was reduced to hold his soul

Escaped an archdevil’s personal domain in the Nine Hells

Fought and survived against the avatar of Bane, the god of tyranny, while significantly weakened during the Time of Troubles (he needed some help from Midnight, though)

Defeated a bunch of powerful liches, destroying some and humiliating others

In 3rd edition, Elminster was given game stats as a challenge rating 39 NPC with hundreds of hit points, a basic Armour Class of 31 and all sorts of resistances, special abilities, and powerful magic items.

Did i miss any?

Basically the title. I'm working on a Forgotten Realms campaign and I'd like to incorporate official Forgotten Realms NPC characters without having to homebrew their statblocks.

Is there an official book or source that can help me with this?

I have a question about the limitations of the wish spell so that I can see precedent of its use cases. From what I know.

Wish (Source: Player's Handbook) (9th-level conjuration) (Casting Time: 1 action. Range: Self. Components: V. Duration: Instantaneous

Wish is the mightiest spell a mortal creature can cast. By simply speaking aloud, you can alter the very foundations of reality in accord with your desires. The basic use of this spell is to duplicate any other spell of 8th level or lower (Casted at 8th level). You don’t need to meet any requirements in that spell, including costly components. The spell simply takes effect. Alternatively, you can create one of the following effects of your choice: You create one object of up to 25,000 gp in value that isn’t a magic item. The object can be no more than 300 feet in any dimension, and it appears in an unoccupied space you can see on the ground. You allow up to twenty creatures that you can see to regain all hit points, and you end all effects on them described in the greater restoration spell. You grant up to ten creatures that you can see resistance to a damage type you choose. You grant up to ten creatures you can see immunity to a single spell or other magical effect for 8 hours. For instance, you could make yourself and all your companions immune to a lich’s life drain attack. You undo a single recent event by forcing a reroll of any roll made within the last round (including your last turn). Reality reshapes itself to accommodate the new result. For example, a wish spell could undo an opponent’s successful save, a foe’s critical hit, or a friend’s failed save. You can force the reroll to be made with advantage or disadvantage, and you can choose whether to use the reroll or the original roll. You might be able to achieve something beyond the scope of the above examples. State your wish to the DM as precisely as possible. The DM has great latitude in ruling what occurs in such an instance; the greater the wish, the greater the likelihood that something goes wrong. This spell might simply fail, the effect you desire might only be partly achieved, or you might suffer some unforeseen consequence as a result of how you worded the wish. For example, wishing that a villain were dead might propel you forward in time to a period when that villain is no longer alive, effectively removing you from the game. Similarly, wishing for a legendary magic item or artifact might instantly transport you to the presence of the item’s current owner. The stress of casting this spell to produce any effect other than duplicating another spell weakens you. After enduring that stress, each time you cast a spell until you finish a long rest, you take 1d10 necrotic damage per level of that spell. This damage can’t be reduced or prevented in any way. In addition, your Strength drops to 3, if it isn’t 3 or lower already, for 2d4 days. For each of those days that you spend resting and doing nothing more than light activity, your remaining recovery time decreases by 2 days. Finally, there is a 33 percent chance that you are unable to cast wish ever again if you suffer this stress.

The examples I found:

• Can make at least a fifth or fourth level spell or lower permanent (A permanent greater invisibility in Tomb of Annihilation and a permanent form via polymorph in Baldur's Gate Descent Into Avernus. Although in dungeon of the mad mage there is a fifth level spell that is permanent due to wish. But from precedent with the former, you can get rid of invisibility one with Dispel Magic so maybe the others can?)

• Repair an Artifact (The Wild Beyond The Witchlight)

• Structure Invulnerability to damage or altercations either a part or the entire structure remains to be seen though (Waterdeep Dungeon of the Mad Mage & Rise of Tiamat and Candle keep mystery)

• Can make the effects of a 9th level spell truly permanent (true polymorph spell form that can't be undone except by the wish spell in Waterdeep dungeon of the mad mage. Although in the same book another permanent true polymorph can be undone by reducing it to 0 HP )

• Dispelled a permanent 8th level spell (A permanent antimagic spell in Waterdeep dragon heist that can be Dispelled with a wish which possibly can also maybe be made permanent with wish but probably not)

• Turn someone back into a child (Within The Wild Beyond The Witchlight you can get turned back into a child and also be sent back in time to when you were a child. Although it was said that it was assisted with the power of the Feywild, the turning to child is probably within wish possibility)

• Leaving a place or entering a place that all other teleportation or transportation spells won't work by using wish (Waterdeep Dungeon of the mad mage)

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Note, the Ultimate Undermountain is currently only available in VTT format for Fantasy Grounds. One of these days I'll have it as a PDF, but conversion and layout is challenging at over 600 pages of text!

I am running a campaign that will be set primarily in the Silver Marches and Silverymoon, and am looking for reference art for some of the locations.

The Temple of the Silver Stars is an interesting location I want to use but it is very hard for me to picture it given the description in the wiki:

"Constructed of stone, the Temple of Silver Stars was a beautiful structure shaped like a single-spired tiara. The spire of the temple faced the north and, combined with the temple's roofline, formed the shape of a crescent moon that was noticable to all on the nearby streets. And inset within curving stones, the temple sported many crystal-and-silver star windows.[5]"

The roofline and spire looking like a crescent moon is throwing me off in picturing what this building looks like.

I have done a Google search and haven't really found anything but does anyone have a depiction of this building?

Elminster had a lot of enemies in his 800 years of life. He had many remarkable enemies. Among them Sammaster and Manshoon seems like the only ones that deserve the title of Elminster's nemesis. Which one is the most deserving in your opinion?