D&D 1E Forgotten Realms in AD&D 1st Edition a better setting for adventures?

[hedgeknight]

Got a question and might as well just ask it here:

Does anyone remember if Westgate ever got some kind of detailed coverage anywhere between 1st and 3rd edition? I often got the impression that it's supposed to be a big deal, but can't find any actual sources about it.

Westgate did get some coverage in one or two of the FR novels, and I want to say there was at least one adventure in DUNGEON magazine with a very nice map. That's off the top of my head (with one cup of coffee) and not via Google

 

[Yora]

The fancy full page map is in both the 1st and 2nd edition Campaign Sets, but barely any information about the city other than that there is a thieves guild called the Night Masks.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

I could be entirely misremembering, but I thought there was a couple pages on Westgate in the 1st setting hardcover book.

 

[hedgeknight]

The fancy full page map is in both the 1st and 2nd edition Campaign Sets, but barely any information about the city other than that there is a thieves guild called the Night Masks.

Yes, the Night Masks! There was a novel (or series of novels) with that name if I recall correctly.

 

[Yora]

I could be entirely misremembering, but I thought there was a couple pages on Westgate in the 1st setting hardcover book.

What hardcover book? Never heard of that.

 

[Jacob Lewis]

The fancy full page map is in both the 1st and 2nd edition Campaign Sets, but barely any information about the city other than that there is a thieves guild called the Night Masks.

Cloak and Dagger (2e)

"More than just powerful wizards, divine temples, and wise kings comprise the Realms. For every beacon of light there exists a shadow; and shadows conceal much. Those who work in secret wield much power in Faerun: Groups as diverse as the Harpers and the Zhentarim all live and work in the shadows of the Realms.

Here, for the first time, is detailed information on these groups' areas of influence, leaders, chains of command, methods, agents, and their recent activities and plots. Read about:

• The schism that tears apart the Harpers
• The bizarre details of the "Manshoon Wars"
• The rise of Fzoul Chembryl, grand tyrant of Xvim the Baneson

This book also gives information on the Night Masks, the Knights of the Shield, the Iron Throne, the Shadow Thieves, and many more secret societies. Finally, Westgate - the nexus of many power groups, interests on the Sea of Fallen Stars - is detailed as never before.

Learn what goes on in the shadows of the Realms; learn the secrets they don't want you to know!"

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

What hardcover book? Never heard of that.

Page 116 and 117 in the first hardcover setting sourcebook, Forgotten Realms Adventures.

A bunch of the Alias and Dragonbait novels took place in Westgate, too.

 

[haakon1]

I run Greyhawk campaigns, but right now one of the parties is in the Temple of Elemental Evil, 1e dungeon run in 3.5e rules. Anyhow, they are in Elemental Nodes, which are sort of like Demiplanes.

So a Dismissal spell has an 80% chance of sending someone to their home Plane, but to me the Prime Material Plane contains GH, FR, Basic’s Known World, 4e’s Nentir Vale, Pathfinde’s Golarion, etc.

NOW comes the FR question: If a character gets randomly dropped into FR, where specifically would you have them land?

 

[Voadam]

NOW comes the FR question: If a character gets randomly dropped into FR, where specifically would you have them land?

Preferably somewhere I have a level/group appropriate module I would be interested in running.

If not or I was sandboxing I would generally roll a die for areas I have stuff for (Core, Zakhara, Kara Tur, Maztica) then a second roll for subparts (perhaps a percentile for the various parts of the core since there are so many nations). Alternatively I might roll a die and count off my FR sourcebooks until I get to that number then roll again for a page number and keep reading until I hit a place I can land them. Or go to one of my book shelves and the first FR book I see I would pull out and randomly open and read until I got to a spot that would work.

Or bam, Undermountain.

Or bam, Waterdeep.

Lots of options.

 

[hedgeknight]

Since your group is in the Elemental Nodes, you could drop them into Neverwinter Woods, specifically Mount Hotenow which is dormant volcano (pre-4th edition); perfect setting for a portal from the Elemental Plane of Fire...which could lead to the fabled City of Brass. You could drop them into Skullport, which is the port underneath Waterdeep that leads to all sorts of realms of the Underdark; perfect setting for a portal from the Elemental Plane of Earth/Stone. You could drop them on one of the islands of the Moonshae Isles via a portal link to one of the Moonwells, or the Elemental Plane of Water. And for the Elemental Plane of Air, there's always the floating castle of a Cloud Giant