D&D 5E What are the best resources for running Hoard of the Dragon Queen campaign in Forgotten Realms?

[zoroaster100]

I'm running Lost Mine of Phandelver and will be soon running Hoard of the Dragon Queen (I think I'm deciding it is 1479 DR) in the Forgotten Realms. What are the best resources for running a campaign focused in the Sword Coast region? I got Murder in Baldur's Gate for the info on Baldur's Gate. I'm considering getting a supplement on Waterdeep from 2d or 3d edition, and the Fourth Edition hardcover on Neverwinter. I'd like to have something that gets into more detail on the faiths of Faerun, more detail on other cities of the Sword Coast region, and maybe an overall Forgotten Realms resource for the whole continent and maybe even beyond just in case the players stray occasionally from the area where the campaign is focused. But I'm open to other suggestions for where to find good resources.

I've found a lot of stuff online, but it would be nice to have a book for easy reference, and big USEFUL maps with hexes to plot long overland travel and find important locations. I don't like a lot of the changes made to the Realms with Fourth Edition, but am ok keeping the canon changes to the Sword Coast, but also ok ignoring the crazy geographical changes like whole countries destroyed or added, etc.

 

[Scrivener of Doom]

I still use a lot of 2E material for my 4E games and 4E-era games in this region (it's a highly inaccurate myth that earlier products lost utility after the Spellplague changes). I find Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast, Volo's Guide to the North, and The North boxed set are all good sources, as is the 2E campaign setting. FR Adventures is also useful for the city maps and other details. 3E's Silver Marches also expands nicely on a smaller part of the region covered by 2E's The North boxed set.

To be frank, 4E really didn't change a lot about the area depicted on the Sword Coast map that came with Hoard of the Dragon Queen other than what happened to Neverwinter. And that worked out really well because it inspired one of the best 4E products, the Neverwinter Campaign Setting. BTW, if you're lopoking for inspiration about adventures to run in Neverwinter, I think the basic structure provided by 1E's FRC1 Ruins of Adventure is pretty solid. (Just don't use the crappy names or the just-as-crappy maps! )

I think you've listed most of the other products that are worthwhile for this area.

 

[zoroaster100]

Thank you! I'll take a look at those.

 

[Nemio]

I'm new to DND and the Forgotten Realms and bought the book
"Ed Greenwood Presents Elminster's Forgotten Realms: A Dungeons & Dragons Supplement"

I found it very interesting so far

The FORGOTTEN REALMS is the most successful and widely known DUNGEONS & DRAGONS campaign setting ever created, and it owes its existence to creator Ed Greenwood.

This 160-page hardcover book describes the campaign setting as it lives and breathes in the imagination of its creator. Through the alter ego of Elminster, Archmage of Shadowdale, Ed Greenwood presents the Realms as a setting where companies of crazed adventurers are born and have rich lives, and where they get to call the shots. In this book, Ed presents a world where friendships are forged, endless intrigues unfold, and heroes wage war against the monstrous inhabitants of famous dungeons and untamed wildernesses.

For the FORGOTTEN REALMS fan, this book provides a rare glimpse into the setting as imagined by its creator, with new information on its visible and clandestine rulers, various merchant and trade princes, the churches and mercenary companies of the Realms, renown magic-users and secret societies, adventuring companies, and the web of alliances and enmities that connect them. The book is aimed at all Forgotten Realms enthusiasts, including players of every edition of the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game.

 

[rastus_burne]

I would recommend older publications - they have so much flavour and aren't bloated with high fantasy and overstimulating story lines. I've read a lot of the 4e stuff and it doesn't hold a candle to the earlier stuff (in my opinion). If you want to go really old school, purchase the 1987 Forgotten Realms box set. It's seriously badass. Some of the 2e stuff is excellent. the 3.0 Forgotten Realms core rulebook has a great map, is well written and is presented very professionally.

My personal pick would be the box set or 3.0.

Happy gaming.

 

[Queer Venger]

I'm running Lost Mine of Phandelver and will be soon running Hoard of the Dragon Queen (I think I'm deciding it is 1479 DR) in the Forgotten Realms. What are the best resources for running a campaign focused in the Sword Coast region? I got Murder in Baldur's Gate for the info on Baldur's Gate. I'm considering getting a supplement on Waterdeep from 2d or 3d edition, and the Fourth Edition hardcover on Neverwinter. I'd like to have something that gets into more detail on the faiths of Faerun, more detail on other cities of the Sword Coast region, and maybe an overall Forgotten Realms resource for the whole continent and maybe even beyond just in case the players stray occasionally from the area where the campaign is focused. But I'm open to other suggestions for where to find good resources.

I've found a lot of stuff online, but it would be nice to have a book for easy reference, and big USEFUL maps with hexes to plot long overland travel and find important locations. I don't like a lot of the changes made to the Realms with Fourth Edition, but am ok keeping the canon changes to the Sword Coast, but also ok ignoring the crazy geographical changes like whole countries destroyed or added, etc.

I think you are all set for using Murder in Baldur's Gate. I will be using this supplemment as well as the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (for 3e) as well as the new Ed Greenwood Presents the Forgotten Realms.

Incidentally, it was announced that the official start year of Hoard and Tyranny of Dragons is 1489 DR, this was mentioned in the Wizards forums by one of the writers.

 

[Krafus]

I don't know if this is the sort of thing you're looking for, but you might find Ed Greenwood's old Wyrms of the North articles useful if you'd like to insert some good or evil dragons with already-developed personalities into your Tyranny of Dragons campaign. You can find copies of those articles here:

http://www.realmshelps.net/npc/wyrms/index.shtml

In particular, Daurgothoth the Creeping Doom (a dracolich wizard), Malaeragoth the Dragon Unseen (a sapphire dragon who likes to manipulate the Cult of the Dragon), Valadamarace the Dragon Queen (an ancient gold dragon who rules a domain in the North, and would likely thus be a prime target for the Cult) and her mate Deszeldarundyn Silverwing (a silver dragon) would IMO be likely to be involved in Tyranny of Dragons, willingly or not. Mind you, all this info dates back to 3e, but could easily enough be adapted to 5e (you could change Malaeragoth's species).

At Candlekeep, I actually asked Greenwood about what Daurgothoth might be up to during the events of Tyranny of Dragons, and this was his answer: "the Creeping Doom wants to subvert all Cult of the Dragon members who have misgivings about the central goal of Tyranny into working for, yep, the Creeping Doom, on a more subtle/low-profile/slower-paced scheme to enrich the Cult members through investments and illicit (undercutting guilds and not honoring guild rules or local near-monopolies) trade(which will please the Cult members) and then ensuring that the Cult members further the will of the Creeping Doom, which is to covertly rule/influence political matters..."

 

[Scrivener of Doom]

Great recommendation and link, [MENTION=27256]Krafus[/MENTION]. I'm kicking myself for not mentioning that, particularly as I looked at the "Old Gnawbone" article for some ideas about how to make the Thundertree encounters in Lost Mine of Phandelver a bit more interesting.

And I do recommend the "Old Gnawbone" article to anyone who might be running Corruption in the Kryptgarden.