Forgotten Realms

[Niemz]

What are your favorite Forgotten Realms stories and characters?

[Conner Destron]

Hmm, I'll have to try to write something up for this one, it's my primary setting these days...

[slandren]

I liked Drizzt, the whole story,background and setting with him. I also liked th whole Elminister saga.

Of course if you are talking about PC's in FR seting I have only ever played one and that was a Priest of Tyr. He was alot of fun albeit short lived.

[Conner Destron]

slandren said:

I liked Drizzt, the whole story,background and setting with him. I also liked th whole Elminister saga.

Of course if you are talking about PC's in FR seting I have only ever played one and that was a Priest of Tyr. He was alot of fun albeit short lived.

Hmm, I was thinking in terms of personal characters and such, but if we're talking about published stories about the Forgotten Realms, well, I'd agree with Slandren, the books by RA Salvatore and Ed Greenwood are my favorites, though I'd be very hard pressed to try to narrow it down further than that.

[theyeti1775]

Personnally I love the Novels, but the characters within the gameworld really irk me sometimes.

That's why many of my DM'ing of the realms tends either to be take place between Waterdeep and the Dales.

For favorite PC:
10th Level Cleric of Lathandar, 8 Cleric/2 Morninglord Prc
He was a walking tank versus Undead. I even went through the trouble of putting energy drain protection on the horse's barding.

Yeti

[Conner Destron]

theyeti1775 said:

Personnally I love the Novels, but the characters within the gameworld really irk me sometimes.

That's why many of my DM'ing of the realms tends either to be take place between Waterdeep and the Dales.

For favorite PC:
10th Level Cleric of Lathandar, 8 Cleric/2 Morninglord Prc
He was a walking tank versus Undead. I even went through the trouble of putting energy drain protection on the horse's barding.

I know what you mean, I really like some of the characters from the novels, but every now and then you run into one who really just don't behave the way you'd expect from someone he's supposed to be like.. Morik the rogue is an example of one such for me, though Artimis Enteri on the other hand... now there's a role model!

I find most of my campaigns in the realms tend to start out in or around the dales too, but mainly because that's one of the areas I know the most about, and because it's an area where so much can so easily be situated appropriately... Waterdeep on the other hand is great for intrigue and such, but cities, especially of such grand scale, offer too much hustle and bustle for my comfort when it's avoidable.

That's cool, that way even the horse has the most appropriate barding to go with it's master.. nice.

[Razor Edge KSC]

Drizzt is definately my favourite published character. I've read all of the novels about him, except for the Thousand Orcs Trilogy [and that was published a few years ago, I believe. And I didn't actually get a chance to borrow a copy of the Sea of Swords 'til only a year or so ago. ].

As for my own favourite character, I'd have to say Arcadia Ironhand, a level 14 human custom warrior who became a demon slayer before the game unfortunately ended [set in the time just before the Fall of Myth Drannor. So it was a pretty cool, if high-powered "epic" campaign. Got to battle a lot of Yugoloths, and there was some really good plot hooks and roleplaying too. She was even equiped with a Baatorian Greensteel two-handed sword named Shaka-ri-thraa, a special weapon forged with Elven High Magic, I believe.]

[Conner Destron]

thewalkingdead said:

Drizzt is definately my favourite published character. I've read all of the novels about him, except for the Thousand Orcs Trilogy [and that was published a few years ago, I believe. And I didn't actually get a chance to borrow a copy of the Sea of Swords 'til only a year or so ago. ].

As for my own favourite character, I'd have to say Arcadia Ironhand, a level 14 human custom warrior who became a demon slayer before the game unfortunately ended [set in the time just before the Fall of Myth Drannor. So it was a pretty cool, if high-powered "epic" campaign. Got to battle a lot of Yugoloths, and there was some really good plot hooks and roleplaying too. She was even equiped with a Baatorian Greensteel two-handed sword named Shaka-ri-thraa, a special weapon forged with Elven High Magic, I believe.]

I'd have to say that Drizzt is definately a great character, but he sure does spend a lot of time focusing on his own introspection...

Wow, sounds like an impressive character.

[Razor Edge KSC]

conner said:

thewalkingdead said:

Drizzt is definately my favourite published character. I've read all of the novels about him, except for the Thousand Orcs Trilogy [and that was published a few years ago, I believe. And I didn't actually get a chance to borrow a copy of the Sea of Swords 'til only a year or so ago. ].

As for my own favourite character, I'd have to say Arcadia Ironhand, a level 14 human custom warrior who became a demon slayer before the game unfortunately ended [set in the time just before the Fall of Myth Drannor. So it was a pretty cool, if high-powered "epic" campaign. Got to battle a lot of Yugoloths, and there was some really good plot hooks and roleplaying too. She was even equiped with a Baatorian Greensteel two-handed sword named Shaka-ri-thraa, a special weapon forged with Elven High Magic, I believe.]

I'd have to say that Drizzt is definately a great character, but he sure does spend a lot of time focusing on his own introspection...

Wow, sounds like an impressive character.

I had a lot of fun with Arcadia, so I was disappointed that the campaign ended just before the Fall of Myth Drannor.
I'll admit it was a very combat orientated game, but there were a lot of great roleplaying moments too [for instance, Arcadia's husband, an elven High Mage, sacrificed a part of himself [aged by a few hundred years, and lost partial eyesight] in the ritual which enchanted and bound her sword to her soul and the mythal, which had an impact on the character. Plus, Arcadia discovered that her brother and the cousin of her dwarven friend were being held and tortured by lesser Yugoloths and a Pit Fiend. This adventure hook also tied in with another PC who's character had a sister that was captured by the same fiends. Also, the DM included a little revelation that Arcadia was Aasimar, or something like that, since her grandmother was Eladrin. ]

As for Drizzt, he did spend a lot of time in quiet reflection, pondering over his life, but in a way it was good because it gave some insights into his personality and conflicted feelings.
And, well, it took like 10 books just to see the frienship between Catti-Brie and Drizzt develop into something more.
I'm looking forward to reading the next trilogy though.

[theyeti1775]

thewalkingdead said:

Drizzt is definately my favourite published character. I've read all of the novels about him, except for the Thousand Orcs Trilogy [and that was published a few years ago, I believe. And I didn't actually get a chance to borrow a copy of the Sea of Swords 'til only a year or so ago. ].

As for my own favourite character, I'd have to say Arcadia Ironhand, a level 14 human custom warrior who became a demon slayer before the game unfortunately ended [set in the time just before the Fall of Myth Drannor. So it was a pretty cool, if high-powered "epic" campaign. Got to battle a lot of Yugoloths, and there was some really good plot hooks and roleplaying too. She was even equiped with a Baatorian Greensteel two-handed sword named Shaka-ri-thraa, a special weapon forged with Elven High Magic, I believe.]

Did you ever see the Demon Hunter/Slayer in the RoleAids product Demons? I know there was a couple of cool mods for 2e in it. As well as a half-breed.

Yeti

[Conner Destron]

thewalkingdead said:

conner said:

I'd have to say that Drizzt is definately a great character, but he sure does spend a lot of time focusing on his own introspection...

Wow, sounds like an impressive character.

I had a lot of fun with Arcadia, so I was disappointed that the campaign ended just before the Fall of Myth Drannor.
I'll admit it was a very combat orientated game, but there were a lot of great roleplaying moments too [for instance, Arcadia's husband, an elven High Mage, sacrificed a part of himself [aged by a few hundred years, and lost partial eyesight] in the ritual which enchanted and bound her sword to her soul and the mythal, which had an impact on the character. Plus, Arcadia discovered that her brother and the cousin of her dwarven friend were being held and tortured by lesser Yugoloths and a Pit Fiend. This adventure hook also tied in with another PC who's character had a sister that was captured by the same fiends. Also, the DM included a little revelation that Arcadia was Aasimar, or something like that, since her grandmother was Eladrin. ]

As for Drizzt, he did spend a lot of time in quiet reflection, pondering over his life, but in a way it was good because it gave some insights into his personality and conflicted feelings.
And, well, it took like 10 books just to see the frienship between Catti-Brie and Drizzt develop into something more.
I'm looking forward to reading the next trilogy though.

It sounds like it was a good campaign, at the very least it had to have been fairly good or it wouldn't be so memorable for you.

Yes, sometimes it feels like you're reading his diary rather than a story, but overall he's a good character with a great deal of depth of character. And, yes, he moved incredibly slowly approaching Cattie-Brie, one would almost think he wanted to lose her to Wulfgar.. I'm currently reading Servant of the Shard, and at about 2/3rds through it, it's a pretty good book, and I've enjoyed the various trilogies leading up to this one immensely so far.

[Razor Edge KSC]

conner said:

It sounds like it was a good campaign, at the very least it had to have been fairly good or it wouldn't be so memorable for you.

One moment I can remember really well, even many years later, was when she was stupid enough to accept a "firendly" drink from a red-robed, tattooed wizard [Thayvian no doubt. ], and before she knew what was happening, she was "chosen" as a host to breed a half-demon, and "seduced" by a Yugoloth. She nearly died the next day, and again 3 days later, during a ritual which had to be timed precisely to coincide with the demon-child's "birth". Arcadia survived the encounter, albiet barely, losing 1 point on Con, but gaining 1 point of Wis. from the ordeal. Not long after that though, I roleplayed her as being severely traumatised by the event, and she went insane... in the end she was fully restored, physically and mentally, by an elven high ritual I believe, which exposed her to the mythal, extending her life and giving her the ability to learn how to wield magic.

conner said:

Yes, sometimes it feels like you're reading his diary rather than a story, but overall he's a good character with a great deal of depth of character. And, yes, he moved incredibly slowly approaching Cattie-Brie, one would almost think he wanted to lose her to Wulfgar.. I'm currently reading Servant of the Shard, and at about 2/3rds through it, it's a pretty good book, and I've enjoyed the various trilogies leading up to this one immensely so far.

I found that annoying and a bit stilted, actually. Sure, romances in novels take a while to develop properly, as they should - like anything about beloved characters - and its the anticipation that keeps you hooked, and turning pages.
But I see what you mean. It did seem that way at times. Though, from what I recall, part of Drizzt's hesitation had something to do with the fact that he could live for centuries, whereas Catti-Brie would wither away and die long before he did.

I haven't read Servant of the Shard [or the Spine of the World for that matter]. Isn't that the one about Artemis Entreri [great rogue, very ambitious fellow, I might add] and Jarlaxle [one of my favourite Drow. ;D]? I only read up to the Sea of Swords, which is a great book I might add .

I have yet to read the Thousand Orcs Trilogy.

[Conner Destron]

thewalkingdead said:

One moment I can remember really well, even many years later, was when she was stupid enough to accept a "firendly" drink from a red-robed, tattooed wizard [Thayvian no doubt. ], and before she knew what was happening, she was "chosen" as a host to breed a half-demon, and "seduced" by a Yugoloth. She nearly died the next day, and again 3 days later, during a ritual which had to be timed precisely to coincide with the demon-child's "birth". Arcadia survived the encounter, albiet barely, losing 1 point on Con, but gaining 1 point of Wis. from the ordeal. Not long after that though, I roleplayed her as being severely traumatised by the event, and she went insane... in the end she was fully restored, physically and mentally, by an elven high ritual I believe, which exposed her to the mythal, extending her life and giving her the ability to learn how to wield magic.

Oh my, that's pretty ...intense. Many female players I know would not appreciate that sort of story line at all. On the other hand, it's a really deep way to involve the character in the type of severe drama that most likely really would take place in those lands. It's good that you can take that sort of character plot and roll with it. (I'll bet that character would be traumatized by the experience, my question would be, even after she was "restored" wouldn't she remain traumatized by the memories?)

thewalkingdead said:

conner said:

Yes, sometimes it feels like you're reading his diary rather than a story, but overall he's a good character with a great deal of depth of character. And, yes, he moved incredibly slowly approaching Cattie-Brie, one would almost think he wanted to lose her to Wulfgar.. I'm currently reading Servant of the Shard, and at about 2/3rds through it, it's a pretty good book, and I've enjoyed the various trilogies leading up to this one immensely so far.

I found that annoying and a bit stilted, actually. Sure, romances in novels take a while to develop properly, as they should - like anything about beloved characters - and its the anticipation that keeps you hooked, and turning pages.
But I see what you mean. It did seem that way at times. Though, from what I recall, part of Drizzt's hesitation had something to do with the fact that he could live for centuries, whereas Catti-Brie would wither away and die long before he did.

Yes, that was one of his major concerns, along with the question of physical compatibility and the greater question of the morality of potentially bringing a child into the world which would not only have to live in the world with all it's evils but would also have to live with all the stigmas of being half drow. Very realistic given the character, but he also debated because he thought that he'd be hurting Wulfgar's feelings even though Wulfgar knew about how Drizzt and Cattie felt about each other and Cattie wanted Drizzt more than Wulfgar and Wulfgar was already "moving on" after his encounter with Errtu...

thewalkingdead said:

I haven't read Servant of the Shard [or the Spine of the World for that matter]. Isn't that the one about Artemis Entreri [great rogue, very ambitious fellow, I might add] and Jarlaxle [one of my favourite Drow. ;D]? I only read up to the Sea of Swords, which is a great book I might add .

I have yet to read the Thousand Orcs Trilogy.

It's ok, I have read all of those already, I believe that the 2nd book in the trilogy I'm currently in (just finished Servant of the Shard last night) is the most recent release of R. A. Salvatore, but I could be mistaken. On the other hand, I always try not to reveal too much about any story in a book review because I don't know who else is reading this thread that hasn't yet read these books and may not know (or want to know yet) how they turn out. But I will agree that these are great books and even add that you will most likely enjoy the Thousand Orc Trilogy nearly as much as the rest to date, though there are some twists in it that may not be as "nice" as in the past series.. and, yes, servant of the shard is about Artemis & Jarlaxle & the crystal shard we've read about in the past too, though it does give a different light to Artemis & Jarlaxle than we've seen previously and Drizzt's diary entries still creep into this one too.

[Razor Edge KSC]

conner said:

Oh my, that's pretty ...intense. Many female players I know would not appreciate that sort of story line at all. On the other hand, it's a really deep way to involve the character in the type of severe drama that most likely really would take place in those lands. It's good that you can take that sort of character plot and roll with it. (I'll bet that character would be traumatized by the experience, my question would be, even after she was "restored" wouldn't she remain traumatized by the memories?)

I'm actually a bit embarrassed to admit it, but a few of the really memorable games I was in had "ahem" adult themes... so the roleplaying plotlines could get intense. This campaign in particular was quite intense at times.
At first I was against the idea of the demon-birth, especially since my DM was quite descriptive, and I have a very vivid imagination. But after that was over, it lead to the roleplaying where Arcadia starts to lose her grip on her sanity, experiences frequent nightmares, and becomes an alcoholic. Naturally her companions were concerned about her, and this leads to a huge argument in the street, followed by a brawl with a paladin PC, the guards get involved, she goes insane, etc, etc...
But I believe that Arcadia's memory of the whole event was erased, in addition to the ritual making her whole again [any scars/blemishes she had disappeared, etc].

conner said:

Yes, that was one of his major concerns, along with the question of physical compatibility and the greater question of the morality of potentially bringing a child into the world which would not only have to live in the world with all it's evils but would also have to live with all the stigmas of being half drow. Very realistic given the character, but he also debated because he thought that he'd be hurting Wulfgar's feelings even though Wulfgar knew about how Drizzt and Cattie felt about each other and Cattie wanted Drizzt more than Wulfgar and Wulfgar was already "moving on" after his encounter with Errtu...

Yep. Though it's been a while since I last read the Sea of Swords, and I read it only once. Hmm, I think I'll need to borrow it again actually. That was a great book, with a very nice twist in it, and a few adult themes I'll admit, too.

conner said:

It's ok, I have read all of those already, I believe that the 2nd book in the trilogy I'm currently in (just finished Servant of the Shard last night) is the most recent release of R. A. Salvatore, but I could be mistaken. On the other hand, I always try not to reveal too much about any story in a book review because I don't know who else is reading this thread that hasn't yet read these books and may not know (or want to know yet) how they turn out. But I will agree that these are great books and even add that you will most likely enjoy the Thousand Orc Trilogy nearly as much as the rest to date, though there are some twists in it that may not be as "nice" as in the past series.. and, yes, servant of the shard is about Artemis & Jarlaxle & the crystal shard we've read about in the past too, though it does give a different light to Artemis & Jarlaxle than we've seen previously and Drizzt's diary entries still creep into this one too.

So you've started reading the Thousand Orcs Trilogy? I noticed these novels only a few months ago in a game store in the city, and I think all three were there. But yes, I believe these are the latest of his books on Drizzt. PLus I noticed a few other novels about other Drow, written by R. A. Salvatore.

[Conner Destron]

thewalkingdead said:

conner said:

Oh my, that's pretty ...intense. Many female players I know would not appreciate that sort of story line at all. On the other hand, it's a really deep way to involve the character in the type of severe drama that most likely really would take place in those lands. It's good that you can take that sort of character plot and roll with it. (I'll bet that character would be traumatized by the experience, my question would be, even after she was "restored" wouldn't she remain traumatized by the memories?)

I'm actually a bit embarrassed to admit it, but a few of the really memorable games I was in had "ahem" adult themes... so the roleplaying plotlines could get intense. This campaign in particular was quite intense at times.
At first I was against the idea of the demon-birth, especially since my DM was quite descriptive, and I have a very vivid imagination. But after that was over, it lead to the roleplaying where Arcadia starts to lose her grip on her sanity, experiences frequent nightmares, and becomes an alcoholic. Naturally her companions were concerned about her, and this leads to a huge argument in the street, followed by a brawl with a paladin PC, the guards get involved, she goes insane, etc, etc...
But I believe that Arcadia's memory of the whole event was erased, in addition to the ritual making her whole again [any scars/blemishes she had disappeared, etc].

It's funny, but the adult themed adventures do often stay amongst the most memorable, though part of that may actually be because they're more intimate in every way...

That's quite a healing.. but would she have willingly allowed even her memories (thus part of who she is) to be taken from her too?

thewalkingdead said:

conner said:

Yes, that was one of his major concerns, along with the question of physical compatibility and the greater question of the morality of potentially bringing a child into the world which would not only have to live in the world with all it's evils but would also have to live with all the stigmas of being half drow. Very realistic given the character, but he also debated because he thought that he'd be hurting Wulfgar's feelings even though Wulfgar knew about how Drizzt and Cattie felt about each other and Cattie wanted Drizzt more than Wulfgar and Wulfgar was already "moving on" after his encounter with Errtu...

Yep. Though it's been a while since I last read the Sea of Swords, and I read it only once. Hmm, I think I'll need to borrow it again actually. That was a great book, with a very nice twist in it, and a few adult themes I'll admit, too.

See, and sea adventures aren't one of my bigger interests in my fantasy reading, but it was a good set and it was another part of the saga that is Drizzt's life, so it was a must read.

thewalkingdead said:

conner said:

It's ok, I have read all of those already, I believe that the 2nd book in the trilogy I'm currently in (just finished Servant of the Shard last night) is the most recent release of R. A. Salvatore, but I could be mistaken. On the other hand, I always try not to reveal too much about any story in a book review because I don't know who else is reading this thread that hasn't yet read these books and may not know (or want to know yet) how they turn out. But I will agree that these are great books and even add that you will most likely enjoy the Thousand Orc Trilogy nearly as much as the rest to date, though there are some twists in it that may not be as "nice" as in the past series.. and, yes, servant of the shard is about Artemis & Jarlaxle & the crystal shard we've read about in the past too, though it does give a different light to Artemis & Jarlaxle than we've seen previously and Drizzt's diary entries still creep into this one too.

So you've started reading the Thousand Orcs Trilogy? I noticed these novels only a few months ago in a game store in the city, and I think all three were there. But yes, I believe these are the latest of his books on Drizzt. PLus I noticed a few other novels about other Drow, written by R. A. Salvatore.

The Thousand Orcs was the first book in The Hunter's Blades Trilogy, the Servant of the Shard is the first book in The Sellswords trilogy, but yes, I'm ready to hit the library and see if they've got Promise of the Witch-King in yet or if I'm going to have to go buy a copy from Amazon or Barnes & Noble, etc...