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The Forgotten Realms third edition logo.

The Forgotten Realms second edition logo.

The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) fantasy role-playing game, created by Canadian author and game designer Ed Greenwood. Commonly referred to as simply The Realms, it became the most popular setting with D&D gamers in the 1990s, boosted by the success of novels by authors such as R. A. Salvatore and numerous computer role-playing games such as Pool of Radiance and Baldur's Gate. The primary focus of the setting is the continent of Faerûn, part of the world of Abeir-Toril, an Earth-like planet with many real world influences. Image File history File links Please see the file description page for further information. ... In 2001, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. ... Image File history File links WotC_Forgotten_Realms. ... Image File history File links WotC_Forgotten_Realms. ... Forgotten Realms second edition logo. ... Forgotten Realms second edition logo. ... A campaign setting is a fictional fantasy world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame. ... Dungeons & Dragons (abbreviated as D&D or DnD) is a fantasy role-playing game (RPG) currently published by Wizards of the Coast. ... Smaug in his lair: an illustration for the fantasy The Hobbit Fantasy is a genre of art that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. ... A role-playing game (RPG, often roleplaying game) is a type of game in which the participants assume the roles of fictional characters and collaboratively create or follow stories. ... Ed Greenwood displays his novel Elminsters Daughter. ... For the band, see 1990s (band). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Role-playing game (video games). ... Pool of Radiance, released in 1988, was the first of a long series of computer role playing games that shared a common engine that came to be known as the Gold Box Engine after the gold boxes in which most games of the series were sold. ... Title screen of Baldurs Gate, the first game in the series. ... Animated, colour-coded map showing the various continents. ... Faerûn is a fictional subcontinent, the primary setting of the Dungeons & Dragons world of Forgotten Realms. ... In the Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting Forgotten Realms, Abeir-Toril is the name of the fictional planet on which the campaign setting is set. ... Adjectives: Terrestrial, Terran, Telluric, Tellurian, Earthly Atmosphere Surface pressure: 101. ...

It is a highly developed and comprehensive fantasy world, comprised of many characters, places and events, detailed in a long line of game products, novels and accessories published since the late 1980s. It is currently one of only two campaign settings, along with Eberron, for which official Dungeons & Dragons publisher Wizards of the Coast is still creating new material. The 1980s refers to the years of and between 1980 and 1989. ... The Eberron logo Eberron is a campaign setting created by author and game designer Keith Baker for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. ... Wizards of the Coast (often referred to as WotC or simply Wizards) is a publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes. ...

History

The original 1987 edition of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Set

Image File history File links FRCS-1ED.jpg Summary Description:The cover of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Set released in 1987 by TSR. Licensing This image is of a book cover, and the copyright for it is most likely owned either by the artist who drew the cover or the... Image File history File links FRCS-1ED.jpg Summary Description:The cover of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Set released in 1987 by TSR. Licensing This image is of a book cover, and the copyright for it is most likely owned either by the artist who drew the cover or the...

Initial release

The Forgotten Realms were originally designed by Ed Greenwood as his own personal adventure campaign, from which he began publishing a series of short articles detailing the setting in Dragon magazine. Although The Realms were yet to be an official campaign world, the first module based on the setting, H1 Bloodstone Pass, was released in 1985 by TSR. The first fully official Forgotten Realms Campaign Set (often referred to as 'the old grey box' or just 'grey box') was later released in 1987 as a boxed set of two source books and four large maps, designed by Greenwood in collaboration with author Jeff Grubb. Ed Greenwood displays his novel Elminsters Daughter. ... The cover of the 300th issue Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products. ... H1 Bloodstone Pass (Item Code: 9122) is module for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (1st Edition). ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... TSR, Inc. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jeff Grubb is a fantasy author of such books as The Brothers War and Libertys Crusade. ...

It is contended that this was partially due to the departure of Gary Gygax from TSR, and a corresponding effort by the new management to minimize the royalties due him; the shift of emphasis to the Realms was intended to overshadow Gygax's Greyhawk campaign setting, and at around the same time work began on a second edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons so that Gygax would no longer receive royalties from sales of the first edition rulebooks. Ernest Gary Gygax, 2004 Ernest Gary Gygax (born July 27, 1938 in Chicago, Illinois) is best known as the author of the well known fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), co-created with Dave Arneson and co-published with Don Kaye in 1974 under the company Tactical Studies... Greyhawk is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, also known as the World of Greyhawk. ...

However the commercial success and persistent popularity of the Realms and the 2nd edition game in the ensuing decade suggests that the decision to develop Dungeons and Dragons further was well received by many fans.

Late '80s-Mid '90s

After the initial popularity of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Set, the first novel based on the setting, Darkwalker on Moonshae, the first of The Moonshae Trilogy, by author Douglas Niles was published in May 1987. The following year saw the release of The Crystal Shard, the first novel to feature the highly successful character Drizzt Do'Urden, who has since appeared in more than seventeen subsequent novels, many of which have featured on the New York Times Best Seller list.^[1] In 1988 the first in a line of Forgotten Realms computer role-playing games, Pool of Radiance was released by Strategic Simulations, Inc. The game was quite popular, winning the Origins Award for Best Fantasy or Science Fiction Computer Game of 1988, and in 1992, the game was ported to the Nintendo Entertainment System. Douglas Niles is a fantasy author and game designer. ... Drizzt DoUrden is a fictional character in the Dungeons & Dragons-based Forgotten Realms setting. ... The New York Times Best Seller List is a weekly chart in The New York Times newspaper that keeps track of the best-selling books of the week. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Role-playing game (video games). ... Pool of Radiance, released in 1988, was the first of a long series of computer role playing games that shared a common engine that came to be known as the Gold Box Engine after the gold boxes in which most games of the series were sold. ... Strategic Simulations, Inc. ... The Origins Awards, presented by the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design, are presented at the Origins International Game Expo for outstanding work in the game industry. ... “NES” redirects here. ...

In 1989, DC Comics began publishing a series of Forgotten Realms comic books written by Jeff Grubb. Each issue contained twenty-six pages illustrated primarily by Rags Morales and Dave Simons. Twenty-five issues were published in total, with the last being released in 1991. A fifty-six page annual Forgotten Realms Comic Annual #1: Waterdhavian Nights, illustrated by various artists was also released in 1990. DC Comics is one of the largest American companies in comic book and related media publishing. ... A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... Jeff Grubb is a fantasy author of such books as The Brothers War and Libertys Crusade. ... Rags Morales (born ?) is a comic book artist. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... An annual publication, more often called simply an annual, is a book or a magazine, comic book or comic strip published yearly. ... MCMXC redirects here; for the Enigma album, see MCMXC a. ...

The setting received a revision in 1993 to update it to the newer second edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) rules system, with the release of Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, containing three books and various "monster supplements." Additional material for the setting, as well as further novels by various authors, was released steadily throughout the 1990s. 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ...

The third edition revision of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting

Image File history File links Frcs_book_cover. ... Image File history File links Frcs_book_cover. ...

Late '90s-Present

1998 saw the release of Baldur's Gate, the first in a line of popular computer role-playing games developed by Bioware for the PC. The game was followed up with a sequel, Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn in 2000, as well as Icewind Dale a separate game that utilized the same game engine. Several popular Forgotten Realms characters such as Drizzt Do'Urden and Elminster made minor appearances in these games. 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean [1]. // Coated in ice, power and telephone lines sag and often break, resulting in power outages. ... Title screen of Baldurs Gate, the first game in the series. ... Title screen of Baldurs Gate, the first game in the series. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Icewind Dale is a computer role-playing game (CRPG) series developed by Black Isle Studios. ... A game engine is the core software component of a computer or video game or other interactive application with real-time graphics. ... Drizzt DoUrden is a fictional character in the Dungeons & Dragons-based Forgotten Realms setting. ... Symbol of Elminster Elminster Aumar (born in 212 DR), the Sage of Shadowdale, is a powerful wizard in the Forgotten Realms, a Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting. ...

In 2002, Bioware released Neverwinter Nights, set in the northern reaches of Faerun and operated on the revised 3.0 rules for D&D. It was followed by two expansion packs (Shadows of Undrentide in 2003, Hordes of the Underdark in 2005), 6 Premium Downloadable Modules (Witch's Wake, Shadow Guard, Kingmaker, Pirates of the Sword Coast, Infinite Dungeons, and Wyvern Crown of Cormyr) and a sequel in 2006. This article is about the 2002 computer role-playing game. ... An expansion pack is an addition to an existing game. ... Kingmaker refers to a person or group that has great influence in a royal succession, without being a viable candidate. ... Neverwinter Nights 2 (NWN2) is a computer role-playing game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Atari. ...

With the release of the revised Dungeons & Dragons rules system in 2000 by Wizards of the Coast, the Forgotten Realms campaign setting received its own revision, released in 2001, updating the official material and advancing the timeline of the game world. In 2002, the latest revision of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting won the Origins Award for Best Role-Playing Game Supplement of 2001. 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Wizards of the Coast (often referred to as WotC or simply Wizards) is a publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes. ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... The Origins Awards, presented by the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design, are presented at the Origins International Game Expo for outstanding work in the game industry. ...

See also: Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting.

In 2001, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. ...

The world

Geography

Main article: Faerûn Geography.

The planet of Abeir-Toril consists of several large continents, including Faerûn, the focus of the setting, which was first detailed in the original Forgotten Realms Campaign Set, published in 1987 by TSR. The other continents include Kara-Tur, Zakhara, Maztica, and other yet unspecified landmasses. Kara-Tur, roughly corresponding to ancient East Asia, was later the focus of its own source book Kara-Tur: The Eastern Realms, published in 1988.^[2] Faerûn is a fictional subcontinent, the primary setting of the Dungeons & Dragons world of Forgotten Realms. ... In the Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting Forgotten Realms, Abeir-Toril is the name of the fictional planet on which the campaign setting is set. ... Animated, colour-coded map showing the various continents. ... Faerûn is a fictional subcontinent, the primary setting of the Dungeons & Dragons world of Forgotten Realms. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... TSR, Inc. ... 3rd edition D&D manual for Oriental Adventures. ... Zakhara is a fictional realm styled after the themes and setting depicted in the Arabian Nights. ... Maztica, called by its inhabitants The True World, is a fictional continent, set on a world Toril of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for RPG Dungeons & Dragons. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Various products detailing specific areas of Faerûn have been released, and as such much of the continent has been heavily detailed and documented to create a highly developed setting.

In early editions of the setting, The Realms shared a unified cosmology with various other campaign settings called the Great Wheel. In this way each of the Dungeons & Dragons campaign settings were linked together to form one interwoven world connected by various planes of existence. With the release of the 2001 Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, the setting was given its own distinct and separate cosmological arrangement, with unique planes not explicitly connected to those of the other settings.^[3][4] Cosmology, from the Greek: κοσμολογία (cosmologia, κόσμος (cosmos) order + λογια (logia) discourse) is the study of the Universe in its totality, and by extension, humanitys place in it. ... A campaign setting is a fictional fantasy world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame. ... The Outer Planes are the outermost planes of existence in the standard cosmology of the Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game. ... In the standard cosmology of the Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game, the planes of existence are alternate planes or alternate dimensions. ...

Religion

Religion plays a large part in the Forgotten Realms, with deities and their followers being an integral part of the world. They do not have a passive role, but in fact interact directly in mortal affairs, answer prayers, and have their own personal agendas. All deities must have worshippers to survive, and all mortals must worship a patron deity to secure a good afterlife. A huge number of diverse deities exist within several polytheistic pantheons; a large number of supplements have documented many of them, some in more detail than others.^[5][6] Polytheism is belief in or worship of multiple gods or deities. ...

Much of the history of the The Realms detailed in novels and source books is concerned with the actions of various deities or The Chosen, mortal representatives with a portion of their deities' power, such as Elminster, Midnight who later became the new embodiment of the goddess of magic, Mystra, and the Seven Sisters. Symbol of Elminster Elminster Aumar (born in 212 DR), the Sage of Shadowdale, is a powerful wizard in the Forgotten Realms, a Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting. ... For other uses, see Midnight (disambiguation) Midnight, literally the middle of the night, is a time arbitrarily designated to determine the end of a day and the beginning of the next in some, mainly Western, cultures. ... Mystra is either Mystras, a town in Modern Greece or Mystra (goddess), a deity in the fictional Forgotten Realms universe. ... The Seven Sisters—fictional characters of the Forgotten Realms Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting, and creations of Ed Greenwood—are seven immortal women, all Chosen and daughters of the goddess Mystra. ...

Above all other deities is Ao the Overlord. Ao does not sanction worshipers and distances himself from mortals. He is single-handedly responsible for the Time of Troubles, or Godswar, as seen in The Avatar Trilogy. Lord Ao (ay-oh) is the Overgod of the fictitious, magical world of Abeir-Toril. ... The Time of Troubles, also known as the Godswar or Avatar Crisis, was a cataclysmic time period in the chronology of the Forgotten Realms Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting. ... The Avatar Series, originally the Avatar Trilogy, is a series of fantasy novels in the Forgotten Realms setting, covering the Time of Troubles. ...

See also: List of Forgotten Realms deities.

This is a list of the fictional deities in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game . ...

Characters

The setting is the home of several iconic characters popularized by authors, including Elminster the wizard, who has appeared in several series of novels created by Greenwood himself, and Drizzt Do'Urden the highly popular drow, or dark elf, ranger created by R. A. Salvatore. Elminster Aumar (born in 212 DR) is a fictional character in the Dungeons & Dragons-based Forgotten Realms setting. ... Drizzt DoUrden is a fictional character in the Dungeons & Dragons-based Forgotten Realms setting. ... This article refers to the fictional elven race from Dungeons & Dragons. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

See also: List of Forgotten Realms characters

This is a list of Forgotten Realms characters. ...

Official material

Source materials

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

• Forgotten Realms Campaign Set (1987)—called "The Old 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.^[7]
• Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, 2nd edition (1993)—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.^[8]
• Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (2001)—a 320-page hardcover book with poster map—for Third Edition D&D.^[3]

Various campaign accessories, including: The Time of Troubles, also known as the Godswar or Avatar Crisis, was a cataclysmic time period in the chronology of the Forgotten Realms Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting. ... In 2001, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. ...

• Menzoberranzan (1992)—A 240 page boxed set detailing the drow city of Menzoberranzan, which featured heavily in The Dark Elf Trilogy.^[9]
• City of Splendors (1994)—A 320 page boxed set detailing the city of Waterdeep.^[10] A revised version for 3rd edition was released in 2005.^[11]
• Sea of Fallen Stars (1999)—An relatively recent campaign expansion that covers the events and of The Threat from the Sea trilogy.^[12]
• The Forgotten Realms Interactive Altas (1999)—A PC-based atlas with over 800 maps of the Realms in Campaign Cartographer format.
• Players' Guide to Faerûn (2004)—A recent supplement detailing the creation and play of characters within the Forgotten Realms setting.^[4]

A website, realmslore made up of articles by Ed Greenwood, weekly updates. The Dark Elf Trilogy is a prequel to the very successful Icewind Dale Trilogy by R. A. Salvatore. ... Waterdeep is a city-state in the fictional world of Forgotten Realms, located along the Sword Coast, on the continent of Faerûn. ... Campaign Cartographer is a PC-based program created by ProFantasy Software designed to draw maps for role playing and miniature war games. ... Ed Greenwood displays his novel Elminsters Daughter. ...

Novels

Main article: List of Forgotten Realms novels.

Numerous novels concerning the fictional events of the Forgotten Realms have been released by many authors, including: The List of Forgotten Realms novels is a listing of the many works of fantasy fiction that are based in the role-playing game setting of the Forgotten Realms. ...

Icewind Dale Trilogy is a series of books written by R. A. Salvatore about Drizzt DoUrden, a noble drow warrior who becomes an outcast from his evil race. ... The Dark Elf Trilogy is a prequel to the very successful Icewind Dale Trilogy by R. A. Salvatore. ... The Legacy of the Drow is the third series by R. A. Salvatore about the Forgotten Realms character Drizzt DoUrden. ... Paths of Darkness is the fourth series of novels about the character Drizzt DoUrden written by R. A. Salvatore. ... The cover of The Thousand Orcs, featuring Drizzt. ... The Elminster Series is a series of novels by Ed Greenwood, set in the Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms setting. ... The War of the Spider Queen is a series of novels set in the Forgotten Realms setting, with 6 books: Dissolution (2002) by Richard Lee Byers Insurrection (2002) by Thomas M. Reid Condemnation (2003) by Richard Baker Extinction (2004) by Lisa Smedman Annihilation (2004) by Philip Athans Resurrection (2005) by...

Video games

Main article: List of Forgotten Realms computer games.

A large number of computer role-playing games have been released since the inception of the Forgotten Realms. Notable titles include: This is a listing of computer and video games based on various campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. ...

• Pool of Radiance (1988) - The first Forgotten Realms based computer game released, also the first in a long series of Gold Box engine games.

• Neverwinter Nights (AOL game) (1991) - The first graphical Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG).

• Baldur's Gate (1998) - The first game to utilise the Infinity Engine, it was highly popular and spawned the acclaimed sequel Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn. Several other games based on the engine were also released, including the Icewind Dale series.

• Neverwinter Nights (2002) - a highly popular third-person perspective role-playing game set in the Forgotten Realms. The game features online play and a toolset allowing creation of new adventure modules.

• Demon Stone (2004) - a game released for PC, PS2 and Xbox. It is a 3D third person role-playing game, constructed using the The Two Towers game engine

• Neverwinter Nights 2 (2006) - the sequel to the 2002 game. Like its predecessor, it features online play and a toolset.

Pool of Radiance, released in 1988, was the first of a long series of computer role playing games that shared a common engine that came to be known as the Gold Box Engine after the gold boxes in which most games of the series were sold. ... Gold Box is the name for a series of computer role-playing games produced by SSI. The company won a license to produce games based on the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game system from TSR, Inc. ... Neverwinter Nights is the first graphical Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG), which ran from 1991 to 1997 on AOL. It is the predecessor to BioWares 2002 game, Neverwinter Nights. ... An image from World of Warcraft, one of the largest commercial MMORPGs as of 2004, based on active subscriptions. ... Title screen of Baldurs Gate, the first game in the series. ... The Infinity Engine is a computer game engine, which allows the creation of isometric computer role-playing games. ... Icewind Dale is a computer role-playing game (CRPG) series developed by Black Isle Studios. ... This article is about the 2002 computer role-playing game. ... Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone is a video game that was released in 2004 on many consoles, including the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. ... Neverwinter Nights 2 (NWN2) is a computer role-playing game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Atari. ... This article is about the 2002 computer role-playing game. ...

Footnotes

For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... March 3 is the 62nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (63rd in leap years). ... TSR, Inc. ... Wizards of the Coast (often referred to as WotC or simply Wizards) is a publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes. ...

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Forgotten Realms

• Forgotten Realms at Wizards of the Coast official website
• Wikia has a wiki about this topic: Forgotten Realms
• D&D Wiki has many Homebrew things made for the Forgotten Realms CS.
• Candlekeep(.com) - Forgotten Realms Lore Fansite
• Candlekeep(.co.uk) - The ever-growing library of realms-lore - Forgotten Realms Lore Fansite
• Forgotten Realms: The library Fansite about books, authors and artists
• Forgotten Realms Interactive Atlas page
• Forgotten Realms FAQ - A comprehensive FAQ regarding the Forgotten Realms with an extensive list of published products
• TSR Archive Forgotten Realms product list

Image File history File links Wikiquote-logo-en. ... Wikiquote is a sister project of Wikipedia, using the same MediaWiki software. ... Wikia is a selective wiki hosting service (or wiki farm) founded in 2004 by Jimmy Wales and Angela Beesley under the name Wikicities. ... Look up Wiki in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...