D&D 5E Thay Land of the Red Wizards Available From Realms Creator Ed Greenwood

Thay Land of the Red Wizards is a Forgotten Realms supplement by Forgotten Realms creator Ed Greenwood, plus Alex Kammer and Alan Patrick. The 108-page books is available in PDF ($17.99) and hardcover ($39.99) over on the DMs Guild.

Known to the wider Forgotten Realms® as a sinister land of Red Wizards, slavers, and marching undead armies, Thay is the distant—or uncomfortably close—menace that “may become our doom if Szass Tam turns his attention in our direction.”

And Thay is that, but it is also so much more. A truly magical land (thanks to a secret that even the goddess Mystra helps to keep) of rich culture, a rising middle class, ambitious nobles and Red Wizards who fear Szass Tam more than they hate him, but may soon be forced to defy him, and wealth beyond the imaginings of even wealthy and proud realms elsewhere.

This tome is your guide to the Thay of right now, a valuable resource for Dungeon Masters and players alike. It sets forth the people and places of the Land of Red Wizards, what life is like, and seeds, hints, and secrets sufficient to spur adventures for years of enjoyment at your gaming table.

Thay Land Of The Red Wizards - Dungeon Masters Guild | Dungeon Masters Guild

Thay Land Of The Red Wizards - Known to the wider Forgotten Realms® as a sinister land of Red Wizards, slavers, and marching undead armies, Thay is th

www.dmsguild.com

 

[R_J_K75]

It does have the names of the Zulkirs for most school (a couple vacant they explain) and what they are doing now but no stat blocks for them. Ex is Valindra for necromancy. Roughly 2 pages that covers the the Zulkirs and their schools.

This doesnt surprise me. Im not a fan of 5Es take on specialist wizards. With little to no drawback in this edition from being a specialist wizard such as opposed schools and limited spell lists, I was wondering how this would be handled. I guess they did the best thing by not statting them at all.

 

[dave2008]

This doesnt surprise me. Im not a fan of 5Es take on specialist wizards. With little to no drawback in this edition from being a specialist wizard such as opposed schools and limited spell lists, I was wondering how this would be handled. I guess they did the best thing by not statting them at all.

IDK, it seems easy enough to stat an NPC specialist wizard to me.

 

[This Effin’ GM]

I feel like the main trick is “have them cast spells from that school” and maybe have them shout “as the most gifted illusionist of the (campaign specific) academy, I will defeat you!”

maybe illusionists and enchanters shouldn’t be yelling that.

 

[Weiley31]

The Paladin Oath feels very "3.0/3.5ish" with it requiring three levels of Wizard to qualify for.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Like the entire fact that it's a nation based on slave labor and other exploitation?

How about we compare it to real-world history and the final 15-20 years in various nations before slavery was finally made illegal? Just in the US between 1840 and 1860, a lot was shifting away from slavery and toward finally making it illegal, to the point the Southern states seceded over it. So why can't Thay change too? Roleplay a civil war there and have some fun.

 

[Weiley31]

Roleplay a civil war there and have some fun.

I think Thay is/was experiencing a civil war amongst itself after Szass Tam basically inserted himself as the head honcho.

 

[Stormonu]

How does this compare to previous supplements about the Red Wizards? I have access to my old 2E books - mainly wondering if this is new information or just rehash of information that already existed.

 

[Redwizard007]

Well, poo. I guess that's on the to do list for today

 

[Mark Craddock]

Border Kingdoms, but I believe there's also a Candlekeep one that had a ton of wizard subclasses to it

EDIT: And checking there's also a Darkhold and a Rashemen book

Thank you.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

How does this compare to previous supplements about the Red Wizards? I have access to my old 2E books - mainly wondering if this is new information or just rehash of information that already existed.

Since it is updated for the 5E timeline, it should be set something like a few hundred years after the 2E material.

 

[This Effin’ GM]

I read that Richard Byers series about Thay in the spell plague, I’m interested in how much of that was kept and how much of that was effectively removed

 

[Storyteller Hero]

Considering how Szass Tam tried (and failed) to set up a Dread Ring array for a powerful ritual of godhood ascension, the secret even Mystra helps to keep might be a convergence of leylines; a hub of the world's natural flows of magical energy might be located either permanently or cyclically beneath the realm of Thay.

One of the hardest, most complex parts may be keeping the flow stable during such a ritual, and a single calculation mistake might ruin the ritual, with potentially devastating side-effects for failure.

 

[Demetrios1453]

Since it is updated for the 5E timeline, it should be set something like a few hundred years after the 2E material.

About 130 years or so.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

I think Thay is/was experiencing a civil war amongst itself after Szass Tam basically inserted himself as the head honcho.

Don't have the book yet, but I believe it is less civil war and more natural political machinations, leading to some wizards being exiled and allying with Thay's enemies. As in, there aren't really armies marching against each other, but definitely many trying to overthrow Szass.

 

[LordEntrails]

Since it is updated for the 5E timeline, it should be set something like a few hundred years after the 2E material.

But is it? We know Ed has influenced other timelines to effectively retcon events and revert back to his preferred 2E status quo.

Does this actually have a history/changes since those previous years with new major NPCs, or is it just reverting back to what was previously written?

 

[cavetroll]

But is it? We know Ed has influenced other timelines to effectively retcon events and revert back to his preferred 2E status quo.

Does this actually have a history/changes since those previous years with new major NPCs, or is it just reverting back to what was previously written?

Yes

 

[Burnside]

The Paladin Oath feels very "3.0/3.5ish" with it requiring three levels of Wizard to qualify for.

Yeah. I guess this paladin gets its level 20 capstone ability when you reach...level 22.

 

[LordEntrails]

Yes

Ok, let me give an example of what I'm concerned about and then you can clarify for me if something similar was done with Thay or not.

Waterdeep and Undermountain. In previous editions, both Halaster and Durnan died. Dead, gone, no more. In 5E as detailed in Dragon Heist and Mad Mage, both of those NPCs are back, and are the originals, not children, etc.

Anything like that with Szass Tam or any other Thay figures?

 

[darjr]

 

[Stormonu]

View attachment 152279

Looks like a Star Frontiers: New Generation mock-up to me!