Forgotten Realms: Difference between revisions

Series that are set in the Forgotten Realms include:

* ''[[The Icewind Dale Trilogy]]'': First introduced Drizzt.

* ''[[Legacy of the Drow Series]]'': Even ''more'' Drizzt.

* [[Blood Magic]] - Mostly elven, mostly forgotten, partly [[The Dark Arts|forbidden]], sometimes suicidal, usually quite impressive. 'Blood Dragon' is a [[Vengeance/last Stand|last Stand]] spell ''requiring'' [[Taking You with Me|the caster's death]] that sends at the target a big, nearly unstoppable, flesh-dissolving magical construct. 'Bloodstars' turns seven droplets of the caster's blood into sharp projectiles that ''explode'' if they hit and draw blood.

* [[Bloodbath Villain Origin]]: Sammaster.

* [[Call a Rabbit a Smeerp]] - Tressym are winged cats; Rothe are a yak-like herd animal, related (presumably) to musk oxen.

* [[Cannon Fodder]] - Orcs, Goblin, et al.

** Skuld where residences of Mulhorandi pantheon's manifestations are located. Menzoberranzan, the sacred city of Lloth/Lolth from the start (named after her prophet and the city's founder Menzoberra the Kinless). Athkatla is a pilgrimage site for followers of Waukeen -- itself being nicknamed "the City of Coin" and it's marketplace (the size of a good stadium and [[Bazaar of the Bizarre|providing nearly anything]]) called "Waukeen's Promenade".

* [[Honor Before Reason]]: Taken to a divine level in "The Trial of Cyric the Mad". [[Mad God|Cyric]] is put on trial and threatened with destruction because his insanity makes him a threat to the stability of the pantheon. He makes no secret of the fact that he intends to have the ''Cyrinishad'' read into evidence. The ''Cyrinishad'' is a book of epic propaganda telling the highly-sanitized story of Cyric's mortal life, enchanted by Cyric himself to brainwash anyone who hears its words from start to finish one of his worshippers, even gods. The pantheon's greater gods serve as Cyric's jury and would have no choice but to hear the ''Cyrinishad'' if he introduces it, and so pull out all the stops to keep the book hidden from his worshippers. [[Oh Crap|They fail]]. Thus, when Cyric's [[Dirty Coward|most worthy]] follower shows up at the trial with the book, all Heaven and Hell break loose, with half the gods ready to destroy the mortal and each other before being bound to Cyric's will. [[Lawful Good|Tyr]], God of Justice and the trial's judge, forbids them to interfere. To his reasoning, Cyric faces death and has the right to present any evidence he may to prove his innocence; to him, a pantheon of brainwashed deities bound in service to a [[Mad God]] is a small price to pay to avoid violating the sanctity of his trial.

* [[Hybrid Monster]] - Fey'ri.

* [[In Name Only]] - Many 2e sourcebooks, that had 'Forgotten Realms' on the cover, but weren't very setting-specific or relevant.

* [[Lost Colony]] - Shade was an evil one of these, to the Empire of Netheril

* [[Lost Technology]] - Mostly lost [[Magitek]]. The Imaskari Empire, the Netherese Empire, Ancient Elven Empires...

* [[Mad God]] - Cyric.

* [[Magic Dance]] - Variant magic users known as Spellsingers (AD&D2 ''[http://index.rpg.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=2461 Wizards and Rogues of the Realms]'') or Spelldancers (D&D3 ''[http://index.rpg.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=868 Magic of Faerûn]'', toned down version) practice long elaborate dances istead of brief [[Magical Gesture|Magical Gestures]], which allows to get around [[Vancian Magic]] limitations. Circle Dance/Circle Charm spell.

* [[Moral Guardians]] - The Zhentarim and occasionally other evil organizations began to be portrayed as Keystone Kops, at times, because evil was not allowed to prevail.

* [[Mordor]] - Thay (though the worst part is ruled by the nicest of them), Zhentil Keep... Played with in Netheril's case--Phaerimm reduced the entire region was an incredibly harsh magic-blighted desert. Now that the ensemble [[Big Bad]] Princes of Shade came along, it's quickly grown back to warm, temperate grasslands and forests.

{{quote|Several well-known mages in cities up and down the Sword Coast sell complex spell disguises (for 1,000 gp per layer, with the simplest having eight layers and most running to at least double that) for use by wizards who dare not attend a Mage Fair as themselves. (Wizards of any age or accomplishment seem to acquire enemies, or at least unscrupulous rivals, as easily as most of us breathe.)}}

* [[Musical Assassin]] - banshee, harpia, some monstrous cricket (in ''Elfsong'')...

* [[Stairway to Heaven]] - The Celestial Stairs.

* [[Stripperiffic]] - This is actually '''reconstructed''' by drow society! It's common for drow girls to expose a lot of skin due to [[Fan Service]], but considering most females in drow society can [[Barrier Warrior|protect themselves with magic]], wearing a sexy outfit is akin to announcing your spellcasting ability and confidence. This is actually [[Lampshade Hanging|mentioned]] in ''The Drow of the Underdark.''

** This being a highly magical setting, a law not applicable to all priests, adepts of the [[Psychic Powers|Invisible Art]], people who just got a nifty magic item and so on doesn't instill order too much. But it does: a) help to compile lists of Cormyrean resident mages so that the War Wizard recruiters (or draft notices) know where to go, and b) gives an extra measure of control on adventuring parties, because any of them that didn't stop to register their wizard can be kept in town simply by arresting their arcane caster and forcing the rest to either abandon him or pay his bail.

* [[The Syndicate]] - The Zhentarim, The Twisted Rune, The Knights of the Shield, Iron Throne et al.

{{quote|I'll be all right. Stop soaking my robes with tears, look ye! They cost me three silver pieces, they did, in -- ... Well, in a place gone now. (''Shadows of Doom'')}}

* [[Too Much for Man to Handle]] - Dragonmagic is said to involve channeling enough power to instantly kill several times over any little two-legged creature trying to do the same. Elven High Magic is likewise inherently inaccessible for anyone else. Karsus' inability to work as the guardian of the Weave even for few seconds proved that either it's a female-only position, one needs to ascend normally, or both.

* [[Cloning Blues]] - The basic spell [[Only One Me Allowed Right Now|has limitations]], but there are twists. The unique ''Manshoon's Stasis Clone'' spell circumvents this, and according to ''[http://ww2.wizards.com/Books/mirrorstone/Article.aspx?doc=fr_spinyarn2003a Only a Woman Can Take This Sort of Abuse]'' (though it's a [[Side-Story Bonus Art|spin-a-yarn story]], not canon), it emulated Tarrasque's life cycle.

** The conspiracy in ''Azure Bonds'' as the most devious and overcomplicated case.

** "Manshoon Wars", the result of Manshoon's Stasis Clone being finally broken. Lord Orgauth and Fzoul Chembryl killed Manshoon, expecting one clone with non-updated memory (thus not knowing of their treachery) to reappear. Instead, ''four'' Manshoons teleported in, trying both to get their master spellbook and avenge themselves. Soon ''at least'' 40 normal (and very desperate) clones of him were runing around. [[Hilarity Ensues]], as well as trading spells, un-squirreling magic item and killing or bribing lots of other magic-users. The clones who were converted to any form of undeath, permanently polymorphed or simply left Realmspace weren't ''compelled'' to kill all others, but this changed little.

** Deepspawn can create copies of whatever creature it devoured. Unlimited, as long as it got enough of food.

* [[Identity Amnesia]] - Kheil of Sentinelspire.

* [[Indian Burial Ground]] - Played with. Elven tombs attract thieves, but are not safe at all, even if not patrolled by armed forces (like in vicinity of Evereska). Or, Battledale farmers thought, if backed up by few mercenaries and wizards, they could fill and use a swamp even after mold men neighbours told them it's their burial ground. It turned out that both "their" and "burial" should be understood rather broadly. Less than in one year farmers who ran away quickly enough thought they were damn lucky to survive at all. <ref> ''Elminster's Ecologies'', # 1111 </ref>

{{quote|While it is suspected that Elminster has visited Oerth and Bigby has visited Toril, it is known that Mordenkainen and Vangerdahast both competed magically for the hand of a young extra-planar beauty (both lost, by the way).}}

** Blackstaff had an encounter with Bigby "apparently not on the best of terms" resulting in a mention that "the old goat comes up with [[Helping Hands|one good gimmick]] and [[When All You Have Is a Hammer|beats it to death with a rock]]" -- and creation of Khelben's Warding Whip.

* [[Noodle Incident]]: It's not known ''what'' Aerilaya (green elf druidess referenced in a few elf-related Realmslore sources) did that she had to leave the continent - except [[Noodle Implements|a few bizarre details]] .

* [[Not So Harmless]] - Cyric in 4th edition.

* [[Obfuscating Stupidity]] - As Elminster's scribe Lhaeo played little obnoxious [[Obstructive Bureaucrat]]. After he covertly turned into Haedrak III he plays less than bright lordling and dabbler in magic absent-mindedly playing with his familiar instead of listening to any [[Serious Business]] discussed before him. While his personal power isn't great, he has [[Seen It All]], have an ideal memory, is very observant, good enough investigator to tell nosy ''Khelben'' something new about the events under Blackstaff's own nose and as deft with his spells - including a few Elminster developed personally for him - as it can be expected from a guy apprenticed to the Old Mage for two dozens years.

* [[Older Than They Look]] - Fyodor takes some time to get accustomed to the idea of Liriel being mature enough for a relationship. For one, she's small for a drow. For two, as a drow, at the age of 39 <ref> at 1361 DR, born 1322 DR</ref>, she looks more like 12.