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Forgotten Realms Campaign

  • Writer: KL Forslund
    KL Forslund
  • 2 days ago
  • 3 min read

I’m starting a Forgotten Realms D&D campaign. This article is for my players.


Forgotten Realms Summed Up

Forty years ago, a Ed Greenwood’s personal D&D campaign setting turned into a major published setting for the Dungeons and Dragons game. All those Baldur’s Gate games are set here. There’s over seventy novels written, many of them are about Drizz’t Do’Urden. You might have heard of him. It’s a realm of many gods, adventures, evil conspiracies and because of all those books, a richer history than the original parts presented back in the day. And we get to play in it.


Let’s recap the landscape. Forgotten Realms is the setting name for the planet Toril. We’ll be playing on the continent known as Faerun, in the region called the Sword Coast (the west coast). Which is where the Baldur’s Gate video games took place. Which is also the name of the city, Baldur’s Gate. Not to be confused with Neverwinter (another city) where the D&D movie Honor Among Theives took place. The Icewind Dale novel trilogy takes place to the north, in Icewind Dale (which is where the prison scene took place in the film).


Campaign Description

Out on the Sword Coast, five adventurers begin their journey to Baldur’s Gate. Each has their reasons. Maybe they’ll get there. But not without some trouble along the way.


Expect to go on quests for Selune, the Harpers, or lend a helping hand.


This is a game with three new players to tabletop role-playing games.


PS. Go read the stuff in the References section for a crash course in the setting, and my table rules.


Allowed Player Books

We’re playing D&D 5E 2024, what some folks call D&D5.5. As per my general D&D campaign guide (see links below), players should stick with the following books that I’ve read and considered fitting for the setting. You don’t need to own all these, but I recommend the PH for spellcasters.


  • Player’s Handbook (2024)

  • Forgotten Realms Heroes of Faerun

  • That’s it for now.


Epicness

Per the Heroes of Faerun sourcebook, player characters are supposed to be Epic, that is, there is something about them even starting out, that is beyond the stock material in the Player’s Handbook. How special? Well, just a pinch special at first level, so it’s not unbalancing, and grows over time. Like the PCs in the Baldur’s Gate 3 video game, a vampire who can walk in the sun, a woman with a mechanical heart, a wizard who must consume magic items or explode. You get the idea. But not those, been done already.


Whatever we come up with together, it’ll be cool or turn cool once we really get going. Here’s some ideas:


  • Someone stole your heart. It’s gone. You might need it back.

  • Apprenticed to a bigshot wizard, might learn some new tricks

  • Chosen to become Chosen. No pressure. The Gods are patient.

  • Heir to the empire. Just need to take care of a few obstacles

  • You aren’t who you say you are in a big way

  • Who’s the bestest secret Agent? Your mom. I’m sure you’ll measure up

  • Hide from the moon, it’s that murderous time of the month

  • You look pretty good for a dead person.

  • Go undercover they said. Just for a couple months.

  • According to the prophecy, you’ll make a big impact

  • Dhampire, huh?

  • So there is a heart inside your machine body…

  • You see dead people. There’s a spell for that, but you don’t need it

  • It’s nice to be wanted. But not by the Zhentarim or the Thayans

  • You’re never really gone if people remember you. But you will be if they don’t.

  • That’s an awful lot of people packed into one body

  • No one knows their Appointed Hour. But you do.


Each of these are cryptic for a reason. The DM turns these into interesting aspects for you to unlock and discover. Choose one or help craft something unique. Just remember, how it turns out is still a surprise.


References



My D&D category of blog posts is here

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