D&D General Forgotten Realms Books Tables of Contents

The Table of Contents for both Heroes of Faerun and Adventures in Faerun.

Picked the books up this morning and love what I’ve seen so far. I’ll answer whatever questions I can here.

 

[GarrettKP]

Which one?

Don't want to post spoilers, I'll just say it is a Duke of the city.

 

[Chaltab]

Don't want to post spoilers, I'll just say it is a Duke of the city.

Spoiler: BG3 Spoiler

Stelmane? Perhaps she got resurrected.

 

[GarrettKP]

Spoiler: BG3 Spoiler

Stelmane? Perhaps she got resurrected.

Yes, that one. And possibly.

 

[Yaarel]

No, all backgrounds come with a specific feat, like in the PHB. The 10 regional feats just use PHB origin feats, while the Faction ones use new origin feats in the book.

Ah.

So the Players Handbook approach of specifying background-feat prereqs seems to be for the foreseeable future.

I am fine with this approach. The backgrounds and feats are exactly where a setting needs to be explaining how the setting works and gaining player buy-in. There needs to be defaults here.


But players might have to remind their DMs. DMs are supposed to modify and create backgrounds and feats! Its just that the DM needs to figure out where and when this background developed within the setting. The DM can also ask the player to detail how this particular background-and-feat takes place in the context of the setting. The player and DM can arrive at an agreement to help flesh out the world and gain player investment.

DMs Guide
55
"CREATING A BACKGROUND − Creating a unique background or customizing an existing one from the Players Handbook can reflect the particular theme of your campaign. You can also create a background to help a player craft the story they have in mind for their character."

Players Handbook
36
"Your DM might offer additional backgrounds as options."
177
"Your characters background is a collection of characteristics that represent the place. . . . Each background includes a brief narrative of . . . your characters past."



I prefer the phrasing "that you and your DM agree on". But the 2024 wording places the background strictly in the hands of the DM. Nevertheless it is the job of the DM to keep track of all setting details. Any modifications of the setting requires the DM to be paying full attention, and taking responsibility for it.

At the same time, the DM SHOULD be modifying the backgrounds to "craft" the stories that the players want to tell about their characters. The DM needs to be entangling this player-sourced information within the setting lore. The player characters are part of the history of a setting.

Background creation is also part of the process of making this Forgotten Realms setting ones own.

 

[Dr. Bull]

I am excited. Very little has been published (about the Forgotten Realms) for a long time. The Sword Coast is covered pretty well, but the rest of the realms were "forgotten" for too long! The tables of contents for each book look promising...

 

[GarrettKP]

But players might have to remind their DMs. DMs are supposed to modify and create backgrounds and feats!

I disagree. DMs CAN change things for specific cases, but I do not think it is the DM's obligation to change backgrounds to accommodate any player requests. The DM is a player too and is usually putting in way more effort to make the game happen; they are entitled to a say in what does and doesn't make sense in terms of backgrounds for characters.

If a player wants to play X background but wants to change the ASI's and feat just to minmax, the DM is not obligated to allow that.

Now obviously, a good DM and Player relationship can find common ground when story and mechanics can't align, I just think saying they are supposed to acquiesce to all requests is a slippery slope we should not go down.

 

[Parmandur]

It spoils the involvement of mind flayers, which could otherwise be a great twist.

I mean, I guess...? WotC spent a lot of energy letting people know there mindflauers in thst book via social media years ago already.

 

[Parmandur]

The map covers basically the 1e/2e era maps - basically all of Faerûn outside the very southernmost coastal areas like Halruaa and Liuren (which get arrows and mentions, though).

I mean, the ShiningSouth and other areas not detailed a full third of the landmass

 

[Parmandur]

I disagree. DMs CAN change things for specific cases, but I do not think it is the DM's obligation to change backgrounds to accommodate any player requests. The DM is a player too and is usually putting in way more effort to make the game happen; they are entitled to a say in what does and doesn't make sense in terms of backgrounds for characters.

If a player wants to play X background but wants to change the ASI's and feat just to minmax, the DM is not obligated to allow that.

Now obviously, a good DM and Player relationship can find common ground when story and mechanics can't align, I just think saying they are supposed to acquiesce to all requests is a slippery slope we should not go down.

I mean, the DMG suggests that doing so is super easy and encourages changing and creation Backgrounds. Having some firm presets is nice, but literally the easiest of homebrew.

 

[Charlaquin]

I mean, I guess...? WotC spent a lot of energy letting people know there mindflauers in thst book via social media years ago already.

Good point