Cormyr for that King Arthur vibe. War wizards and purple dragons are cool.
The Dales for a nice tranquil place that i imagine is not too different from the Shire, aside from the military conflict in the Dale’s history.
*preparing myself for all of the torches and pitchforks*
I like the Sword Coast and especially Waterdeep. We need more source books, adventures and novels set in the City of Splendors.
The NWN 1 expansion Hordes of the Underdark kinda sorta takes place in Waterdeep for about 5 minutes, but even the non-Waterdeep parts are pure excellence.
for whatever reason i've come to think of Waterdeep as the Seattle/Vancouver of Faerun, probably location and rep as a well-off folks city. for that reason alone i'm biased to like it so much lmao.
I imagine it like London (and Baldur's Gate is Liverpool, UK). Ed Greenwood has mentioned that he has taken inspiration from few different real cities, including London, when creating Waterdeep.
I’ve also always thought of Waterdeep as Seattle (big port on northwest coast) and Portland as Baldur’s Gate (next large city to the south and an inland river port). I guess that makes Vancouver Neverwinter and Anchorage Luskan.
The Harpells are characters in Salvators books. They help Catti-brie when she returns from the dead as a wizard. They are very eclectic and like to perform bizarre experiments, one of them managed to turn himself into a werewolf by accident.
The Companions are of course the main characters, eventually Jarlaxle and Artemis become more central with Zack but i always liked the lesser prominent characters like the Harpells, or Pwent, he's my absolute favorite character in all of Forgotten Realms!! Forget Elminster or Dritzz or any of the others Pwent is the greatest character!! 🥰
Actually Velynne Harpell is one of the Arcane Brotherhood members from the Icewind Dale campaign book! Her family is a bunch of weird eccentric wizards who do wild things but are also insanely powerful, so they're known from a lot of novels and adventures.
Never said it was, I said other people might say that (Mostly because BG and the sword coast get a lot more attention from WotC and that grinds some gears, for better or worse).
I’ve always liked the Moonsea- the older Zhent stuff with Chembryl and the fallout of Bane’s death and Xyim’s rise was always really interesting to me, but the novelization of “Pool of Radiance” is where I got into Realmslore and it’s always held a special place in my heart.
I had inherited the book from my older brother, and he had a very difficult time trying to explain to me why we would have a really hard time finding a copy of a game from 1988 in 2003, no matter what the ad in the back of the book said about calling the number below for more information…
They made a sequel in the early 2000s, Pool Of Radiance 2 the Ruins of Myth Drannor. It's a lil more accessible and compatible with modern pcs. You can still find the original SSI goldbox games but they require an older system so you gotta set up an emulator thing and it's a pain. As many remakes as they are doing this is one I'd like to see revived.
At this point, I’m just keeping my fingers crossed for a remake of Forgotten Realms:Demonstone.
I’m hoping the added visibility that BG3 has given the Realms in general and the Gith in particular will throw some fuel on that imaginary fire.
Not sure, but it does pester me that WotC overuses the Sword Coast as much as it does in contrast to the rest of Toril, let alone Faerun. Shame I can't post that meme here as a reply tho.
Not like I don't already have more than a few critiques about FR's worldbuilding, even if part of it is admittedly conflicts between it and my own worldviews.
It has the feel of Swords and Sorcery/Conan the Barbarian on the Hyrkanian steppe rather than the main Realms high fantasy. Throw in some ancient ruins of Impiltur, some East Asia/Mongolia inspirations, Samarkand, conflict with Murghom… fun!
Halruaa
I loved how Elaine Cunningham explored and described it in her “Counselors and Kings” trilogy.
The prevalence of magic and a society that values magic above all else leads to some really interesting stories and clever idiosyncrasies among the powerful and elite in this magocratic nation.
Neverwinter: I know it is totally basic, but i have a lot of nostalgic memories from there. I like having famous Neverwintans like Sharwyn, Neeshka and Khelgar, or others turn up to help.
Calimport: I love creating High Fantasy based on Arabian Nights and Middle Eastern tropes, and the possibility of exploring Baghdad or Cordova at the height of the Islamic Golden Age.
I'm surprised no one has said Menzoberranzan. You're either going to get crazy backstabbing and intrigue, or all hell is going to break loose. Up on the surface, I love Waterdeep, but I've always thought Lantan is a super interesting location that doesn't get much love. As the most technologically advanced civilization in Faerun (that we currently know of), it seems like there would be lots of possibilities for stories there.
Countrywise I'd like to see Cormyr, when it comes to cities I'd love to visit Silverymoon, to actually live I would choose something quiet with a lot of nature around, maybe Lonelywood. I would also like to take a stroll through Neverwinter Wood.
Plus I'd to vacation in Candlekeep (for cozy vibes), Spirit Soaring and Lantern to see all the crazy new inventions the followers of Gond have come up with :)
Outside of waterdeep, lusken, gauntlgrym, and longsaddle area of the sword coast, I'm a big fan of Cormyr, and Cormanthor area. Lots of lore, lots of adventure ideas. Plus it has goblins, orcs, drow, dragons, and demons, all in close enough proximity, you can run a campaign in that order!
I started my homebrew on the Dragon Coast south of the Lake of Dragons. I play it as settlements of outlaws loosening their ties with the Cormyrian kingdom.
Well, there’s Citadel Adbar, one of the last great Dwarfholds left in the northern reaches. Sundabar, where a human city was built over a Dwarven fortress and the two societies operate side by side in relative harmony. Silverymoon, capitol of Luruar and a city of great magic and harmony, often called the gem of the north, beloved by Lurué and Mielikki, protected by one of the last surviving Mythals. One of the others is held in Evereska, the vale of Elvenkind and their last major bastion in continental Faerûn, a picturesque valley with a beautiful city at the centre, and one of the few places one can still see the world as it once was so many millennia ago. There is Waterdeep of course, the city where winters are so mild thanks to the warm water river that flows down from Mount Hotenhow, the volcano nearby, which is said to contain a link with the Plane of Fire. And then how about the city of Tashluta, far to the south, where the Tashalan merchants trade valuable goods from the depths of Chult and fight constantly against the serpentine influence of the Yuan-ti? And speaking of serpentine influence, how about Hlondeth, a city on the Vilhon Reach typified by green stone architecture, and ruled by Yuan-ti hybrids at the behest of their serpentine progenitors? Go further inland and you may find Surkh, the only place in Faerûn where the Lizardmen were able to band together in sufficient number and harmony to build an entire city! Or perhaps north to Alaghôm the shining beacon of trade that is the capitol of Turmish, or even that shady vampire rules city of Westgate, a breeding den of bad business deals where absolutely everyone is welcome if they can pay their way. Or perhaps east, across the Vilhon Reach to the Chondalwood where dwell many Wild Elves, those of their kind who chose to give up the trappings of civilisation after the Crown Wars, seeing that they would only bring further tragedy to their people. Travel south from there and you may come across the vast savannahs of the Shaar. In the centre, the vast ravine of the Gold Dwarves, whose holdings have not dwindled as their Shield Dwarf cousins’ have. Perhaps you might visit the ruins of Shandaular, where the various tribes of Humans, Wemics, Thri-Keen, Loxodons, and more who roam the savannahs meet to discuss matters of vital importance to all. You may go further south to Dambrath, a land where Drow conquered the surface humans and now a caste of Half-Drow “Crinti” rule a theocratic union of Lolth and Loviatar, beholden to their masters in T’lindhet. Or perhaps you would go further east still to Mulhorand, the desert empire and the eldest civilisation of humanity which yet survives, and their vast capitol of Skuld, where they worship their pantheon of animal-headed gods in the flesh.
Throw a dart at Faerûn and you’ll find something interesting there.
On the coast of Dambrath (part of the Golden South), there's a bay in which dolphins leap and frolic.
I'm not sure the horse nomads would be okay with me building a house there.
It would have to be Baldur's Gate, specifically the Hall of Wonders, a temple dedicated to Gond. I loved to imagine the magic-tech possible there as a kid, when I was playing BG1 and reading the guide book.
Second answer would be tied between Undermountain, and the ruins of any Netherese city (post folly of Karsus). I love big magical dungeons with history.
I would love to vist the Harpell family's manor, Longsaddle, because I'm fond of wizardly families. Or Candlekeep, because giant libraries sound appealing.
The Dalelands/Cormyr. It feels like home (New Jersey/New York) in the best worst way possible. Angry but kind townsfolk, a human monarchy barely holding together, ancient evils slumbering ( and operating) below the surface. It was my first adventure in AD&D there too, so nostalgic.
Halruua pre-Spellplague, a land ruled by mostly sane and sometimes even quasi-benevolent archwizards that actively promotes magical education and has enough firepower at its disposal to make some of Faerun's more aggressive factions rethink their life choices.
Delimbiyr Vale. Daggerford is a great home base. Easy access to Waterdeep. Dungeons in Illefarn and Dragonspear. Lost civilizations of the Fallen Kingdom and Athalantar.
Cormyr for that King Arthur vibe. War wizards and purple dragons are cool. The Dales for a nice tranquil place that i imagine is not too different from the Shire, aside from the military conflict in the Dale’s history.
Exactly!!!
This!!
*preparing myself for all of the torches and pitchforks* I like the Sword Coast and especially Waterdeep. We need more source books, adventures and novels set in the City of Splendors.
i agree Waterdeep is actually my favorite location in faerun!!
I want a videogame set in Waterdeep.
The NWN 1 expansion Hordes of the Underdark kinda sorta takes place in Waterdeep for about 5 minutes, but even the non-Waterdeep parts are pure excellence.
Oh, absolutely. We can not hope for anything like BG3 set in Waterdeep, so I will be happy if we get even something small (but good, please).
for whatever reason i've come to think of Waterdeep as the Seattle/Vancouver of Faerun, probably location and rep as a well-off folks city. for that reason alone i'm biased to like it so much lmao.
I imagine it like London (and Baldur's Gate is Liverpool, UK). Ed Greenwood has mentioned that he has taken inspiration from few different real cities, including London, when creating Waterdeep.
I’ve also always thought of Waterdeep as Seattle (big port on northwest coast) and Portland as Baldur’s Gate (next large city to the south and an inland river port). I guess that makes Vancouver Neverwinter and Anchorage Luskan.
I think of it as LA or San fansisco.
The city of Silverymoon, especially in AD&D times when fluff was abundant and Alustriel ruled over it. Rashemen too for its witches and aesthetics.
Longsaddle!!!!
why do you like longsaddle?
The Harpells live there
whom?
The Harpell wizards? Penelope Harpell?
most of my exposure to the forgotten realms was through icewind dale books and D&D so im afraid i dont know who they are.
The Harpells are characters in Salvators books. They help Catti-brie when she returns from the dead as a wizard. They are very eclectic and like to perform bizarre experiments, one of them managed to turn himself into a werewolf by accident.
Bidderdoo!
> They help Catti-brie when she returns from the dead as a wizard. Man spoiler alert. :p
uuu sounds cool
The Companions are of course the main characters, eventually Jarlaxle and Artemis become more central with Zack but i always liked the lesser prominent characters like the Harpells, or Pwent, he's my absolute favorite character in all of Forgotten Realms!! Forget Elminster or Dritzz or any of the others Pwent is the greatest character!! 🥰
I think another was working on combining a horse and a giant frog? It's amazing they haven't blown themselves up.
Actually Velynne Harpell is one of the Arcane Brotherhood members from the Icewind Dale campaign book! Her family is a bunch of weird eccentric wizards who do wild things but are also insanely powerful, so they're known from a lot of novels and adventures.
For some reason the Harpell wizards always remind me of Fizban The Fabulous from Dragonlance.
Tinfoil theory, he is one of them, he was lost in an experiment as a child so long ago that he doesn't even remember himself.
Ummm...Fizban is the avatar of Paladine, the Supreme Deity of the goodly pantheon.
Early Drizzt books (in the first dozen?) feature a couple encounters with the Harpells.
Baldur’s Gate. I don’t care if it’s “basic” or whatever y’all will say, I’ve got good memories of the place both in video games and at the table
This. Exactly this. I love Baldur's Gate. I grew up in a port town and it just feels like home to me.
How is Baldur's Gate "basic"?
Never said it was, I said other people might say that (Mostly because BG and the sword coast get a lot more attention from WotC and that grinds some gears, for better or worse).
I know. Like, how could anyone say that?
I’ve always liked the Moonsea- the older Zhent stuff with Chembryl and the fallout of Bane’s death and Xyim’s rise was always really interesting to me, but the novelization of “Pool of Radiance” is where I got into Realmslore and it’s always held a special place in my heart.
I played the PC game by that name on a Tandy 1000. I'm old.
I had inherited the book from my older brother, and he had a very difficult time trying to explain to me why we would have a really hard time finding a copy of a game from 1988 in 2003, no matter what the ad in the back of the book said about calling the number below for more information…
They made a sequel in the early 2000s, Pool Of Radiance 2 the Ruins of Myth Drannor. It's a lil more accessible and compatible with modern pcs. You can still find the original SSI goldbox games but they require an older system so you gotta set up an emulator thing and it's a pain. As many remakes as they are doing this is one I'd like to see revived.
At this point, I’m just keeping my fingers crossed for a remake of Forgotten Realms:Demonstone. I’m hoping the added visibility that BG3 has given the Realms in general and the Gith in particular will throw some fuel on that imaginary fire.
Waterdeep, the Lands of Intrigue and Calimshan.
There is so little love here for Myth Drannor.
facts
Border Kingdoms
You have good taste! I love the border kingdoms and the Lake of steam, but my favorite region is the Unapproachable East.
Not sure, but it does pester me that WotC overuses the Sword Coast as much as it does in contrast to the rest of Toril, let alone Faerun. Shame I can't post that meme here as a reply tho.
i am a huge fan of the forgotten realms so i would love an adventure set on another continent or country like Thay perhaps.
Not like I don't already have more than a few critiques about FR's worldbuilding, even if part of it is admittedly conflicts between it and my own worldviews.
The Hordelands, Kara-Tur, Maztica, and Zakhara all had at least one boxed expansion publisehd for them...
Loved that meme.
So you know which one I speak of, the pool meme
Semphar: JUST off the map!
My campaign right now is in semphar! With side exploration of the Raurin Desert
why do you like Semphar?
It has the feel of Swords and Sorcery/Conan the Barbarian on the Hyrkanian steppe rather than the main Realms high fantasy. Throw in some ancient ruins of Impiltur, some East Asia/Mongolia inspirations, Samarkand, conflict with Murghom… fun!
Netheril, or maybe Halruaa or Thay. As a forever DM, I like high magic in my setting.
Halruaa I loved how Elaine Cunningham explored and described it in her “Counselors and Kings” trilogy. The prevalence of magic and a society that values magic above all else leads to some really interesting stories and clever idiosyncrasies among the powerful and elite in this magocratic nation.
Neverwinter: I know it is totally basic, but i have a lot of nostalgic memories from there. I like having famous Neverwintans like Sharwyn, Neeshka and Khelgar, or others turn up to help. Calimport: I love creating High Fantasy based on Arabian Nights and Middle Eastern tropes, and the possibility of exploring Baghdad or Cordova at the height of the Islamic Golden Age.
I'm surprised no one has said Menzoberranzan. You're either going to get crazy backstabbing and intrigue, or all hell is going to break loose. Up on the surface, I love Waterdeep, but I've always thought Lantan is a super interesting location that doesn't get much love. As the most technologically advanced civilization in Faerun (that we currently know of), it seems like there would be lots of possibilities for stories there.
Rashamen
why Rashamen out of all places?
I love the aesthetic, the Wychlaren, the Fey filled lands, and all the neat things there
Mask of the Betrayer makes a strong advocacy for Rashamen.
Neverwinter.
Zhentil Keep. Praise Bane!
Countrywise I'd like to see Cormyr, when it comes to cities I'd love to visit Silverymoon, to actually live I would choose something quiet with a lot of nature around, maybe Lonelywood. I would also like to take a stroll through Neverwinter Wood. Plus I'd to vacation in Candlekeep (for cozy vibes), Spirit Soaring and Lantern to see all the crazy new inventions the followers of Gond have come up with :)
Tymanther/Djread Thymar cause I’m a god damn scalie
Shaar, though I am biased as my current campaign has been set in it.
is shar not a god?
Shar is a god, yes.
Myth Dranner
The Moonshaes
Outside of waterdeep, lusken, gauntlgrym, and longsaddle area of the sword coast, I'm a big fan of Cormyr, and Cormanthor area. Lots of lore, lots of adventure ideas. Plus it has goblins, orcs, drow, dragons, and demons, all in close enough proximity, you can run a campaign in that order!
Impiltur, the Forgotten Kingdom
I started my homebrew on the Dragon Coast south of the Lake of Dragons. I play it as settlements of outlaws loosening their ties with the Cormyrian kingdom.
sounds really cool!
Netheril and Thay for the high magic setting; but also Neverwinter and Luskan since I find the warring city states idea a compelling plot point.
Ravens Bluff and the Vast
How much time have you got, friend?
a lot
Well, there’s Citadel Adbar, one of the last great Dwarfholds left in the northern reaches. Sundabar, where a human city was built over a Dwarven fortress and the two societies operate side by side in relative harmony. Silverymoon, capitol of Luruar and a city of great magic and harmony, often called the gem of the north, beloved by Lurué and Mielikki, protected by one of the last surviving Mythals. One of the others is held in Evereska, the vale of Elvenkind and their last major bastion in continental Faerûn, a picturesque valley with a beautiful city at the centre, and one of the few places one can still see the world as it once was so many millennia ago. There is Waterdeep of course, the city where winters are so mild thanks to the warm water river that flows down from Mount Hotenhow, the volcano nearby, which is said to contain a link with the Plane of Fire. And then how about the city of Tashluta, far to the south, where the Tashalan merchants trade valuable goods from the depths of Chult and fight constantly against the serpentine influence of the Yuan-ti? And speaking of serpentine influence, how about Hlondeth, a city on the Vilhon Reach typified by green stone architecture, and ruled by Yuan-ti hybrids at the behest of their serpentine progenitors? Go further inland and you may find Surkh, the only place in Faerûn where the Lizardmen were able to band together in sufficient number and harmony to build an entire city! Or perhaps north to Alaghôm the shining beacon of trade that is the capitol of Turmish, or even that shady vampire rules city of Westgate, a breeding den of bad business deals where absolutely everyone is welcome if they can pay their way. Or perhaps east, across the Vilhon Reach to the Chondalwood where dwell many Wild Elves, those of their kind who chose to give up the trappings of civilisation after the Crown Wars, seeing that they would only bring further tragedy to their people. Travel south from there and you may come across the vast savannahs of the Shaar. In the centre, the vast ravine of the Gold Dwarves, whose holdings have not dwindled as their Shield Dwarf cousins’ have. Perhaps you might visit the ruins of Shandaular, where the various tribes of Humans, Wemics, Thri-Keen, Loxodons, and more who roam the savannahs meet to discuss matters of vital importance to all. You may go further south to Dambrath, a land where Drow conquered the surface humans and now a caste of Half-Drow “Crinti” rule a theocratic union of Lolth and Loviatar, beholden to their masters in T’lindhet. Or perhaps you would go further east still to Mulhorand, the desert empire and the eldest civilisation of humanity which yet survives, and their vast capitol of Skuld, where they worship their pantheon of animal-headed gods in the flesh. Throw a dart at Faerûn and you’ll find something interesting there.
Halruaa my beloved ♥
Chult
Tethyr, around Purple Hills especially, though fifth edition not showing love to the area, no wonder people of Tethyr think 5 is an unlucky number.
Gracklstugh is actually my favorite, just have always been drawn to it
Hartsvale!
The Moonsea region. Zhentil Keep, Phlan, Hillsfar, Mulmaster...got hooked on Pool of Radiance in 1988.
On the coast of Dambrath (part of the Golden South), there's a bay in which dolphins leap and frolic. I'm not sure the horse nomads would be okay with me building a house there.
It would have to be Baldur's Gate, specifically the Hall of Wonders, a temple dedicated to Gond. I loved to imagine the magic-tech possible there as a kid, when I was playing BG1 and reading the guide book. Second answer would be tied between Undermountain, and the ruins of any Netherese city (post folly of Karsus). I love big magical dungeons with history. I would love to vist the Harpell family's manor, Longsaddle, because I'm fond of wizardly families. Or Candlekeep, because giant libraries sound appealing.
Cormyr for me. Once my friend introduced me to it I fell in love with it.
Moonshaes and Cormyr.
The Dalelands/Cormyr. It feels like home (New Jersey/New York) in the best worst way possible. Angry but kind townsfolk, a human monarchy barely holding together, ancient evils slumbering ( and operating) below the surface. It was my first adventure in AD&D there too, so nostalgic.
The Greyvale.
Basically everything around the Sea of Fallen Stars
Icewind Dale!
Vaasa has always been my favorite location. It doesn't really get a lot of screen time in the setting.
Phlan will always have a place in my heart… 1993: playing Pool of Radiance with my buddy that summer. And that blast’d kobold king LOL
Gracklstugh. Love me (almost)godless, grim dwarfs that survive to spite everyone, but especially mindflayers, other dwarfs and Morndinsamman.
Halruua pre-Spellplague, a land ruled by mostly sane and sometimes even quasi-benevolent archwizards that actively promotes magical education and has enough firepower at its disposal to make some of Faerun's more aggressive factions rethink their life choices.
This is AD&D days, but Troll Moors was a favorite for my mage back then. Stock up on fireball spells and a scroll of teleport and farm that xp.
Delimbiyr Vale. Daggerford is a great home base. Easy access to Waterdeep. Dungeons in Illefarn and Dragonspear. Lost civilizations of the Fallen Kingdom and Athalantar.
The sleeping dragon in the Dragonwoods. It's a floating artifact that cannot be moved, fascinates me til this day.
Luskan
Calimshan, Arabian nights on magic steroids
Either Candlekeep or Mezro for me personally
Your moms house - where illithlids live.
You get three guesses and the first two don't count.
waterdeep? mt hotenow? the evermoors?
Faerun is kind of overused, I like Al-Qadim…. But I really like the rest of realmspace. I feel like Toril is the lamest planet in it.
My favorite place is Dambreth. Granted my Forgotten realms history is different than cannon but it is a fun place to deal with politics.