D&D 5E Is Blingdenstone original to 5E?

[Stormonu]

Does anyone know what product the Bligdenstone map came from?

When I first pulled up this adventure in the 5E playtest, I had this nagging feeling I'd heard of Bligdenstone somewhere else, back in my 2E days. The map looks very 2Eish (the maps on page 44 are from D1-D3, that I easily recognize) and I can see the "ghosts" of letters coming through the scan of the other side of the page (even with my huge monitor they're too faint for me to make out any words - doesn't help they're probably backwards). I've got this nagging feeling I've seen it in an FR supplement somewhere (Menzoberranzan boxed set or perhaps a Dungeon Magazine?), but I'm not entirely sure.

I'm curious if they just grabbed the map and ad-libbed the encounters or, if like the Caves of Chaos this is from an older adventure - apparently one I'm less familiar with.

 

[FireLance]

IIRC, Blingdenstone was a svirfneblin city that was overrun by drow in one of the Drizzt novels. I'm not sure if it was ever referenced in a game product, though.

 

[ComradeGnull]

IIRC, Blingdenstone was a svirfneblin city that was overrun by drow in one of the Drizzt novels. I'm not sure if it was ever referenced in a game product, though.

Yup, in book two of the original Dark Elf triology (Sojourn, I think), Drizzt visits Blingdenstone and is briefly taken in by the deep gnomes that live there. In either late book 2 or book three (Exile), the Drow from Menzoberanzan track Drizzt to the city and lay waste to it.

There is also a sverfneblin mining party in book 1 that is taken out by a drow patrol- I think Drizzt gets his brother to spare one of the gnomes 'as a warning' to the rest, and that guy is the gnome at Blingdenstone (Bulwar?) who vouches for Drizzt.

 

[Yora]

Exile was released in 1990. So more than enough time for some obscure AD&D product to include that map.

 

[Shemeska]

The city is mentioned in the 3e FRCS, and possibly elsewhere during 3.x, but I'm not sure about the map.

 

[vagabundo]

The Map is from Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark and it has a write-up on the city too.

 

[MortalPlague]

...and that guy is the gnome at Blingdenstone (Bulwar?) who vouches for Drizzt.

Belwar.

Belwar Dissengulp.

Of note, since the leader of the expedition is Karglen Dissengulp. Perhaps his son or grandson?