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

[Greggy C]

My personal opinion is that the best published version of the Realms for D&D gaming is, was, and remains the Old Gray Box (1987).

But it's why I was advocating (ten years ago on the Candlekeep forum) that the "Fifth Edition" version of the Realms should reboot the entire setting back to the standard of the Old Gray Box and 1357 DR, and then never advance the timeline in any subsequent tabletop RPG product. Let the Realms as a multimedia property setting (computer games, novels, whatever) do whatever, but don't back-import any of that to the TTRPG.

I was very distressed that 4e added 100 years effectively killing hundreds of characters. I would like to reboot to then too (which is where I started, box + hardcover).

Is handsome robs map from that time? this one : /faerun/

 

[Greggy C]

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.

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

I started my players out in Cormyr (and added Temple of Elemental Evil to Faerun though I can't remember where).

 

[see]

I was very distressed that 4e added 100 years effectively killing hundreds of characters. I would like to reboot to then too (which is where I started, box + hardcover).

Is handsome robs map from that time? this one : /faerun/

That's a 3rd/3.5 edition map, so it's canted slightly and has less space than the 1e/2e/5e map. (The differences aren't a big deal, but some exist.)

 

[haakon1]

Or bam, Waterdeep.

That’s the sort of thing I mean. Dismissal is one just person, so best to be “focused” a liveable place with a chance to make it home.

 

[haakon1]

I decided the PC (a 10th level Monk) of a player who hasn't been with us for a while got hit with Dismissal while guarding away from the group. I decided to use random determination on where he went (from the Fire Node of the Temple of the Elemental Evil, a sort of demiplane off Greyhawk).

Rolled 67 for the 70% chance of going to his home plane, so yeah, Prime Material Plane.

Rolled 5 on the scale of:
1: Flanaess region of Greyhawk setting planet Oerth
2: "Izmerhawk" region of planet Oerth (based on the D&D movies, primarily the 2nd not terrible one, "Wrath of the Dragon God". I did some light developing of this on Facebook's Flanaess Geography group and kind of want to use it.
3: Other weird region of Oerth, like Hepmonaland, Isle of the Ape, or possible New Empyria (from I11) or other areas from Dungeon adventures
4: Another PMP planet with a different "physics" (rule set): Known World with Basic Red Box rules (so only up to 3rd level characters, so Teleport to leave won't work -- maybe from the wizard country?), Nentir Vale with 4e rules, or Golarion with PF1 rules.
5: Forgotten Realms mainstream areas
6: Forgotten Realms weird area (off the original map, so maybe Icewind Dale or Kara-Tur)

So yeah, Forgotten Realms!

I rolled a 54 in the Gray Box, and for the page for Iriaebor. That works. He should be able to learn some things about FR (he's a scholar), probably connect with the ruler Bron, and Iriaebor is in the Lord's Alliance, so he can get to Baldur's Gate or Waterdeep and teleport home from there, I think. His mage NPC (retired PC from a different campaign) associate who runs a teleportation service and has a crystal ball should be able to retrieve him.

Seems like it works for a PC turned NPC to introduce the existence of FR to a Greyhawk campaign.

 

[Greggy C]

I have to say, I'd hate to be the continuity editor for these people. Can you imagine keeping track of everything that's been written about Zhentil Keep in 40 years?

Zhentil Keep

So what is missing that wasn't kept track of?

 

[Voadam]

Zhentil Keep

So what is missing that wasn't kept track of?

There is a lot there and it looks like a great reference that a lot of work went into.

I could not say though how complete it is, or whether there are no, a few, or a lot of details that are not included or whether any of it is contradicted by other realmslore in a sourcebook, Dragon article, novel, or other source.

 

[haakon1]

Forgotten Realms wiki is awesome.

 

[hedgeknight]

I've used the FR wiki a great deal through the years, as well as the Candlekeep forum, avoiding arguments about how many lights are on a particular street in Waterdeep.
I bought a very nice Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting box (that came with the FR Adventures hardcover as a bonus!) from feeBay and the maps appear to have never been used. Also, I have a nice copy of the Savage Frontier on the way, which I am even more excited about. It is my favorite FR supplement.
Now, if I can only snag a decent copy of Volo's Guide to the North...