Rating: 
Summary: Worthless blabber. I would give it half a star if I could.
Review: This book basically sounds like this, "Queen Blah-dee Blah-blah-blah of Blah-blah-blah-land ordered her Blah-beep-blop-blah forces to conquer the lands of Blah-dee-blah-blah in the year Blah-dee-blah-blah-blah." There are absolutely no details worth anything in the book. The only thing that is detailed is the population of each realm which is so unrealistic considering even today it would be difficult to get the exact population of a country or city. Fanboys of Forgotten Realms will probably love this piece of tripe from Ed Greenwood the Grand Mage of High Magic and Multi-Class Nonsense NPC's. I hated it. It's worth about [$$$] to me. The characters in here are ridiculous and the writing in general has no flavor or feel to it at all.
Rating: 
Summary: Oh, I always wanted to do combat with Drizzt ^-^
Review: Oh boy, a rulebook that plasters page after page with the stats of all the major ncps! I never know when I want my party to fight Ningal (good-aligned cleric) or have that travasty Deus Ex Machina the group out of an impossable situation I dream up to take complete control of the story. Why else would they take up valuable page space which could be spent fleshing out a world, which by coincidence is why I bought the book. Honestly, this book is Replete with spelling errors, the gods are stat blocks, the cosmology is only different in that the moon is cooler looking and the calander is based on 10 day weeks. The geography is dedicated to the who's who versus a sociological study of the real people. The whole effect of the book's fantanstical worlds and uber-powerful characters is a feeling that everything has been done before, and if the characters cant defeat the enemy a Harper or Elminster or someone will eventually. In short, get Kalamar or at least Greyhawk campaign settings, as they have a tangent in reality.
Rating: 
Summary: Must have for gamers!
Review: This book is a must have for all D&D gamers out there, despite the hefty cost. Forgotten Realms players especially need it. Contained within is a wealth of informaiton for 3rd ed D&D. A wide and varying assortment of new spells, feats, magic items, several new Prestige Classes (outstanding variety), descriptions and dogmas of many FR dieties. But the true thing that makes this book irreplaceable is the descriptions of the different lands of Fearun. Complete with populations, geographical makeup, leaders, backround information on powerful people, temples, groups, histories of many areas, and a brief description of what's going on in each area now to give the DM some adventuring hooks for his players. Want some powerful NPCs to either aid or hinder your PCs? Many are outlined here from Dizzt, Elminster and a few of the Seven Sisters to Artimes Entreri and Fzoul. The artwork is simply fantastic. Vivid and detailed each piece in the book describes the characters as I envisioned them (the first decent drawing of Drizzt I have seen as well), though Elminster's beard was a bit short for my liking. Ah well nothing's perfect. Forgotten Realms has always been a mystic and wonderful fantasy world, this book will only enhance your gaming experience. Pick it up, despite the price tag, you will not be sorry.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent campaign source
Review: This book is definitely one of the best sources of campaign material for the 3rd edition.It contains new feats and spells (some are duplicated in other 3rd edition books) as well as new prestige classes for the realms. There's prestige classes for two of the prominent groups in the realms, the Harpers and the Red Wizards of Thay. Also, there's character write ups for a lot of the well-known characters: Elminster, Khelben Arunsun, Drizzt Do'Urden, Artemis Entreri, and others. If you play the 3rd edition, you will definitely enjoy this book. Even if you don't, but have read the novels, you'll find this enjoyable because you'll see some of your favorite characters come to life.
Rating:
Summary: A NOVEL RESOURCE!
Review: I have not had the opportunity to play Ad&d in this setting. However, I own every Forgotten Realms video game and 70 percent of the novels. At times I would find myself confused. The novels and games make references to different places, people, gods, items, guilds etc. This book is an excellent resource for FANS of the FR books and video games series. A must have in your novel collections.
Rating:
Summary: By far, the best 3e resource book to date
Review: Really, the only book that even comes close is Manual of the Planes. For those who have been playing in 2e Faerun, this book makes pulling together 2e and 3e much easier. The prestige classes are completely appropriate to the flavor of the Realms, and add a wonderful perspective on the capabilities of prestige classes over what the DMG shows. There is information on requirements to become an Archmage, Rashemen Witch, Divine Champion, etc. Some of the major players in the Realms have their character stats listed. Yes, this includes Elminster and Drizzt, as well as less-well-known people, such as a particular drow who's creating havoc in the Cormanthor Forest (Dalelands). There is detailed history and geography on each of the major regions. The combination of these two, I found, really helps to describe a distinct 'flavor' to characters. As an example, my players have indicated that they found the differences between the Western Heartlands and the Dragon Coast (adjacent areas) to be akin to the difference between the US Midwest and South, respectively. For those in Europe, this might be similar to the differences between Ireland and England. There are a considerable number of new feats, spells, and class enhancements to contribute to the FR feel. There are also lists of various plants, gems, and metals with details on their benefits or drawbacks, especially as they relate to magic or item creation. Between this and the descriptions of different 'normal' plants that players might encounter, I found it easier to describe the player's world with a broader brush, so to speak. One of the nice things contained herein is a list of all the relevent pantheon gods, and their high-level details. Several of the major deities have more detailed information. It would have been nice if more of the deities were explained further, but WotC does offer the rest of FR pantheon as a download from their website for free, so it is still available. In all, I use the book regularly. In fact, with the exception of only a couple prestige classes, I don't have any need for the Tome and Blood resource book, now that I have this and the Magic of Faerun books.
Rating:
Summary: Another "Teenage Review" 4 the Fans--Forgotten Realms Rules!
Review: The Forgotten Realms is an exciting place to Adventure in the world of Dungeons & Dragons. This book has enough information, ideas, campaign settings, New Character possibilites, etc. to keep Teenagers and Adults busy for a long time. I recent'y recieved an email telling me to grow up and "live in the real world," but I was not allowed to play D&D as a Teenager, due to religious zealotry. So, like many Adults, I am experiencing the Forgotten Realms for the first time, now. Personally, I do not believe it matters if you are a Teenager, or a kid at heart, The Forgotten Realms campaign setting is a wonderful, fantastic world to Adventure in on the weekends. You can take your Real World stress out on a band of Orcs, or explore ruins and Magickal lands, with your friends. This Forgotton Realms book provides Celestial beings as character possibilities, as well as more nefarious creatures. So-far, every "Adult" I have met who has seen this book, has rushed-home and bought it on-line. The Artwork, Characters, Setting, information and the Huge Map are all well-worth the price. Have Fun !
Rating:
Summary: Unrestrained adoration for another masterpiece...
Review: The remarkable skill of the authors of this campaign setting sourcebook should be lauded. The book hosts a treasure of Realms information spanning a cornucopia of topics, including Faerunian magic, religions, geography, key players and groups, races and many, many more. It is presented in a format that is not only beautiful to behold but that allows for rapid digestion of the rich bounty of its contents. If you are a fan of the d20 system, and have an interest in the abundantly bedecked Forgotten Realms, you would be woefully remiss in not purchasing this book immediately. You and your characters will never be sorry, nor lack for adventure.
Rating:
Summary: The Most Used Book in Our Campaign
Review: This book is fantastic and well done. Probably the best addition out there to 3rd edition yet. Whether you are a Faerun fan or not. This book is a must have!
Rating:
Summary: Everything you need and (much) more......
Review: Anyone that wants to run a Forgotten Realms campaign will be highly impressed with this massive volume detailing every little nook and crannie of the Realms. It has listings for all the major and minor kingdoms and the details the more important cities within each. On top of that it breaks down the population by race, so if you want to play a dwarf or elf you know which land he would more than likely call home. If that weren't enough it also has a map listing the major commodity trade routes all across the Realms (useless but cool). The only thing the book doesn't seem to list is what Elminster's cat likes to eat. More important to actual gameplay, though, are the new prestige clases and spells. Wether you desire to be a Harper or a Red Mage this book has all you need to get started. Overall, any DM that goes without this book is cheating his group out of a wonderful world to explore.
|
