Forgotten Realms

The Forgotten Realms is a fictional setting created by author and game designer Ed Greenwood for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. Most action in the Forgotten Realms takes place on the supercontinent of Faerûn, which is part of the world Toril.

Originally designed as Greenwood's personal campaign and detailed in a long series of articles in Dragon, it became the setting most popular with D&D gamers in the 1990s.

Its fame has been boosted by dozens of novels (including the exploits of the famous drow hero Drizzt Do'Urden) and the series of CRPGs Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Pool of Radiance, Icewind Dale, and so on.

The Realms are home to diverse races and cultures, from arctic dwarves to Egyptian-like Old Empires.

Geography

Technically, the Forgotten Realms is set on the planet Abeir-Toril. Various lands in this world are also home to other Dungeons & Dragons adventuring campaigns. Abeir-Toril includes the continents of Faerûn, Kara-Tur, Zakhara, Maztica, and other yet unspecified landmasses. However, most publications regarding the Forgotten Realms are specifically about Faerûn itself.

While Abeir-Toril is on the Material Plane in Dungeons & Dragons' planar mechanics, some action may also take place on other planes of existence. Visitors from other planes of existence are also a commonly used plot device in the Forgotten Realms.

Religions

The Forgotten Realms has a polytheistic pantheon. Deities are an integral part of the world. They interact with mortals, answer prayer, and have personal agendas. They have many servants on the Material Plane, in the form of worshipers, clerics, paladins, proxies, and the Chosen.

Clerics and paladins, both Dungeons & Dragons core classes, are devout worshipers who pay tribute and receive power from particular deities. The Chosen are mortal worshipers who have received a portion of their deities' power, acting as mortal representatives of their deities. The most famous are the Chosen of Mystra: for example Elminster, the Sage of Shadowdale.

Above all other deities is Ao the Overgod. Ao does not sanction worshipers and distances himself from mortals. He is single-handedly responsible for the Time of Troubles, or Godswar. (plotline from The Avatar Trilogy)

Campaign Settings

The Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting has seen 3 complete revisions of the core setting over four Editions of Dungeons & Dragons rules:

• Forgotten Realms Boxed Set - called "The Gray Box", and including Cyclopedia of the Realms and DM's Sourcebook of the Realms, 4 poster maps and 2 hex grids - for 1st Edition AD&D (1987 - Ed Greenwood and Jeff Grubb)
• (Second Edition) Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting - another boxed set, including A Grand Tour of the Realms, Running the Realms, Shadowdale, 4 poster maps, a Monster Compendium and 2 hex grids - for 2nd Edition AD&D and post-Time of Troubles (1993 - Ed Greenwood, Jeff Grubb and Don Bingle.
• Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting - a 320-page hardcover book with poster map - for Third Edition AD&D/D&D 3e (2001 - Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, and Rob Heinsoo).
  • The Player's Guide to Faerûn - a "crunch"-centric 191-page hardcover book - updated and partially revised the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting to 3.5 Edition D&D (2004 - Richard Baker, Travis Stout and James Wyatt).

Novels

Anthologies

By various

• Realms of Valor (1993)
• Realms of Magic (1994)
• Realms of Infamy (1995)
• Realms of the Underdark (1996)
• Realms of the Arcane (1997)
• Realms of Mystery (1998)
• Realms of the Deep (2000)
• Realms of Shadow (2002)
• Realms of Dragons (Due December 2004)

The Avatar Series

By Scott Ciencin, Troy Denning (Both originally by the pen-name 'Richard Awlinson') and James Lowder

• Shadowdale (1989)
• Tantras (1989)
• Waterdeep (1989)
• Prince of Lies (1993)
• Crucible: The Trial of Cyric the Mad (1998)

The Baldur's Gate Series

By Philip Athans (Based on the Baldur's Gate computer game series)

• Baldur's Gate (1999)
• Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn (2000)
• Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal (2001)

The Cities

By Richard Baker, Drew Karpyshyn and Mel Odom

• The City of Ravens (2000)
• Temple Hill (2001)
• The Jewel of Turmish (2002)

The Cleric Quintet

By R. A. Salvatore

• Canticle (1991)
• In Sylvan Shadows (1992)
• Night Masks (1992)
• The Fallen Fortress (1993)
• The Chaos Curse (1994)

The Cormyr Saga

By Ed Greenwood & Jeff Grubb & Troy Denning

• Cormyr: A Novel (1996)
• Beyond the High Road (1999)
• Death of the Dragon (2000)

Councelors & Kings

By Elaine Cunningham

• The Magehound (2000)
• The Floodgate (2001)
• The Wizardwar (2002)

Dark Elf Trilogy

By R. A. Salvatore (featuring Drizzt Do'Urden)

• Homeland (1990)
• Exile (1990)
• Sojourn (1991)

Double Diamond Triangle Saga

By J. Robert King, James Ward & David Wise, Ed Greenwood, Roger E. Moore, Dave Gross, David Cook & Peter Archer, and Richard Baker

• The Abduction (1998)
• The Paladins (1998)
• The Mercenaries (1998)
• Errand of mercy (1998)
• An Opportunity for Profit (1998)
• Conspiracy (1998)
• Uneasy Alliances (1998)
• Easy Betrayals (1998)
• The Diamond (1998)

The Druidhome Trilogy

By Douglas Niles

• Prophet of Moonshae (1992)
• The Coral Kingdom (1992)
• The Druid Queen (1993)

The Elminster Series

By Ed Greenwood (featuring Elminster)

• Elminster - The Making of a Mage (1994)
• Elminster in Myth Drannor (1997)
• The Temptation of Elminster (1998)
• Elminster in Hell (2001)
• Elminster's Daughter (2004)

The Empires Trilogy

By David Cook, Troy Denning and James Lowder

• Horselords (1990)
• Dragonwall (1990)
• Crusade (1991)

The Erevis Cale Trilogy

By Paul S. Kemp

• Twilight Falling (2003)
• Dawn of Night (2004)
• Midnight's Mask (Due 2005)

Finder's Stone Trilogy

By Kate Novak & Jeff Grubb

• Azure Bonds (1988)
• The Wyvern's Spur (1990)
• Song of the Saurials (1991)

The Harpers

By Troy Denning, Elaine Cunningham, Jane Rabe, Scott Ciencin, James Lowder, Mark Anthony, David Cook, Ed Greenwood, and Kate Novak & Jeff Grubb.

• The Parched Sea (1991)
• Elfshadow (Songs & Swords 1; 1991)
• Red Magic (1991)
• The Night Parade (1992)
• Ring of Winter (1992)
• Crypt of the Shadowking (1993)
• Soldiers of Ice (1993)
• Elfsong Songs & Swords 2; 1994)
• Crown of Fire (Shandril's Saga 2; 1994)
• Masquerades (1995)
• Curse of the Shadowmage (1995)
• The Veiled Dragon (1996)
• Silver Shadows (Songs & Swords 3; 1996)
• Stormlight (1996)
• Finder's Bane (1997)
• Thornhold (Songs & Swords 4; 1998)

House of Serpents

By Lisa Smedman

• Venom's Taste (2004)
• Viper's Kiss (Due March 2005)
• Vanity's Brood (Due March 2006)

The Hunter's Blade Trilogy

By R.A. Salvatore (featuring Drizzt Do'Urden)

• The Thousand Orcs (2002)
• The Lone Drow (2003)
• The Two Swords (Due October 2004)

Icewind Dale Trilogy

By R.A. Salvatore (featuring Drizzt Do'Urden)

• The Crystal Shard (1988)
• Streams of Silver (1989)
• The Halfling's Gem (1990)

Legacy of the Drow

By R.A. Salvatore (featuring Drizzt Do'Urden)

• The Legacy (1992)
• Starless Night (1993)
• Siege of Darkness (1994)
• Passage to Dawn (1996)

Lost Empires

By Mel Odom, Troy Denning, Clayton Emery, and Lynn Abbey

• The Lost Library of Cormanthyr (1998)
• Faces of Deception (1998)
• The Shadow Stone (1999)
• The Nether Scroll (2000)

The Lost Gods

By Kate Novak & Jeff Grubb and Douglas Niles

• Finder's Bane (The Harpers 15; 1997)
• Fistandantilus Reborn (FR tie-in Dragonlance novel; 1997)
• Tymora's Luck (1997)

Maztica Trilogy

By Douglas Niles

• Ironhelm (1990)
• Viperhand (1990)
• Feathered Dragon (1991)

Moonshae Trilogy

By Douglas Niles

• Darkwalker on Moonshae (1987)
• Black Wizards (1988)
• Darkwell (1989)

Mysteries

By Chet Williamson, John Maddox Roberts and Richard S. Meyer

• Murder in Cormyr (1996)
• Murder in Tarsis (FR tie-in Dragonlanace novel; 1999)
• Murder in Halruaa (1996)

Netheril Trilogy

By Clayton Emery

• Sword Play (1996)
• Dangerous Games (1996)
• Mortal Consequences (1998)

The Nobles

By David Cook, Victor Milan, Mark Anthony, Brian Thomson, Paul Kidd, and Lynn Abbey

• King Pinch (1995)
• War in Tethyr (1995)
• Escape from Undermountain (1996)
• The Mage in the Iron Mask (1996)
• The Council of Blades (1996)
• The Simbul's Gift (1997)

Paths of Darkness

By R.A. Salvatore (featuring Drizzt Do'Urden)

• The Silent Blade (1998)
• The Spine of the World (1999)
• Servant of the Shard (2000)
• Sea of Swords (2001)

Pools Trilogy

By James Ward & Jane Cooper Hong & Anne K. Brown

• Pool of Radiance (1989)
• Pools of Darkness (1992)
• Pool of Twilight (1993)

The Priests

By Bruce R. Cordell, Dave Gross, Voronica Whitney-Robinson, and Kameron M. Franklin (winner of the WotC Open Call)

• Lady of Posion (2004)
• Mistress of the Night (Due September 2004)
• Queen of the Depths (Due May 2005)
• Maiden of Pain (Subject of the 2003 novel Open Call; due July 2005)

Return of the Archwizards

By Troy Denning

• The Summoning (2001)
• The Siege (2001)
• The Sorcerer (2002)

The Rogues

By Edward Bolme, Richard Lee Byers, Voronica Whitney-Robinson, and Don Bassingthwaite

• The Alabaster Staff (2003)
• The Black Bouquet (2003)
• The Crimson Gold (2003)
• The Yellow Silk (2004)

The Scions of Arrabar Trilogy

By Thomas M. Reid

• The Sapphire Crescent (2003)
• The Ruby Guardian (Due November 2004)
• The Emerald Sceptre (Due August 2005)

Sembia

By Ed Greenwood, Clayton Emery, Paul S. Kemp, Richard Lee Byers, Dave Gross, Lisa Smedman, and Voronica Whitney-Robinson.

• The Halls of Stormweather: A Novel in Seven Parts (2000)
  • "The Burning Chalice"
  • "Song of Chaos"
  • "Night School"
  • "The Price"
  • "Thirty Days"
  • "Resurrection"
  • "Skin Deep"
• Shadow's Witness (2000)
• The Shattered Mask (2001)
• Black Wolf (2001)
• Heirs of Prophecy (2002)
• Sands of the Soul (2002)
• Lord of Stormweather (2003)

The Shadow of the Avatar Trilogy

By Ed Greenwood (featuring Elminster)

• Shadows of Doom (1995)
• Cloak of Shadows (1995)
• All Shadows Fled (1995)

Shandril's Saga

By Ed Greenwood

• Spellfire (1988)
• Crown of Fire (The Harpers 9; 1994)
• Hand of Fire (2002)

Starlight and Shadows

By Elaine Cunningham

• Daughter of the Drow (1995)
• Tangled Webs (1996)
• Windwalker (2003)

Songs & Swords

By Elaine Cunningham

• Elfshadow (The Harpers 2; 1991)
• Elfsong (The Harpers 8; 1994)
• Silver Shadows (The Harpers 13; 1996)
• Thornhold (The Harpers 16; 1998)
• The Dream Spheres (1999)

The Threat from the Sea Trilogy

By Mel Odom

• Rising Tide (1999)
• Under Fallen Stars (1999)
• The Sea Devil's Eye (2000)

The Twilight Giants

By Troy Denning

• The Ogre's Pact (1994)
• The Giant Among Us (1995)
• The Titan of Twilight (1995)

War of the Spider Queen

By Richard Lee Byers, Thomas M. Reid, Richard Baker, Lisa Smedman, Philip Athans, and Paul S. Kemp (R.A. Salvatore supervising)

• Dissolution (2002)
• Insurrection (2002)
• Condemnation (2003)
• Extinction (2004)
• Annihilation (2004)
• Resurrection (Due April 2005)

The Year of Rogue Dragons

By Richard Lee Byers

• The Rage (2004)
• The Rite (Due January 2005)
• The Ruin (Due May 2006)

Other titles

• Evermeet: Island of Elves (Elaine Cunningham; 1999)
• The Glass Prison (Monte Cook; 1999)
• Once Around the Realms (Brian Thomson; 1995)
• Pool of Radiance: The Ruins of Myth Drannor (Carrie A. Bebris; based on the computer game; 2001)
• Silverfall: Stories of the Seven Sisters (Ed Greenwood; 1999)

See also: List of Forgotten Realms gods