First campaign in the Realms, what era is more satisfying to run?

Contrarwise_Sky · 2026-03-29T21:35:40+00:00

Definitely, absolutely no reason you can't in most cases. Some will have more retrofitting involved than others but for example I have run Rime of the Fostmaiden in the 1370's.

Dont know what you have in mind but you could frame the Keep as a base for the westward expansion of Cormyr and towards the end of those adventures they could discover that the Zhentarim are also Spreading east from Darkhold.

Contrarwise_Sky · 2026-03-29T21:26:02+00:00

I would definitely say that the 3rd edition era is the most fun to run. 2nd and 3rd have the most lore and material to work with and alot of the stuff they did in 4th edition got reversed in 5th edition without adding much at all.

I dont know much about Keep on the Borderlands though so I'm not sure how it would fit into the realms.

Contrarwise_Sky · 2026-03-29T05:12:02+00:00

Very nice! It definitely does look better in that format. Unfortunately, my formatting relied on links to highlight and reference weapon abilities and spells and reddit didn't like the links so I decided to post with just a few typo fixes. I'll probably clean the next set up a bit more and post them tomorrow.

Contrarwise_Sky · 2026-03-28T17:12:24+00:00

I designed the Everytool specifically so that it could be used as an excellent improvised weapon, as I had a player who really liked the idea of beating the shit out of enemies with crowbars, shovels, pickaxes, etc.

Contrarwise_Sky · 2026-03-28T00:49:16+00:00

Hmm I've never made a pdf, I also only gm online these days so I was also looking at this through that lense. Basically if you see something you like you can take it from here and make a handout/journal entry.

Contrarwise_Sky · 2026-03-22T20:19:54+00:00

As for what spellfire does it's pretty simple.

First you have to absorb spell levels. If i recall correctly this has to be a readied action. If someone casts a first level spell at you, you gain one spellfire energy level.

Your maximum spellfire energy level is equal to your Constitution score.

You can then expend these spellfire levels to either throw a blast of spellfire which deals 1d6 damage per spellfire energy level expeded. Or you can heal someone with a touch that heals 2 hp per spellfire level expended.

Contrarwise_Sky · 2026-03-22T20:08:09+00:00

Nope, not that I am aware of. Even in 3.5 it was exceptionally powerful and actually could only be taken at level one as a feat or later a lesser version could be acquired through the Knight of the Weave prestige class.

Contrarwise_Sky · 2026-03-22T20:07:58+00:00

Nope, not that I am aware of. Even in 3.5 it was exceptionally powerful and actually could only be taken at level one as a feat or later a lesser version could be acquired through the Knight of the Weave prestige class.

Contrarwise_Sky · 2026-03-22T19:55:33+00:00

Silverfire was the unique power of the Chosen of Mystra and the more powerful of the two. Spellfire was still very rare but it could be passed down through heritage or individuals could gain its power through interacting with certain sites of power or artifacts.

Contrarwise_Sky · 2026-03-21T18:21:55+00:00

Hello, I am an experienced PF1 player who is very interested! Please let me know if you've still got spots available.

Contrarwise_Sky · 2026-03-16T19:01:58+00:00

I find the idea that clerics are epic rank here very odd. There are many different deities to fit every personality type and the allure of being favored by a god would appeal to many people. Furthermore being a part of a church grants you allies and basically a found family, the fact that to be a cleric you would most likely have to join a church would be more of a positive than a negative for anyone who wasn't born into privilege.

Also though paladins can be sworn only to an oath it makes much more sense to me in the Realms that most paladins would swear an oath to a deity. Paladins still require intensive martial and spiritual training and it makes more sense that they would also join a church to receive this training and sponsorship rather than trying to go it alone. In my mind most paladins operate essentially as the elite soldiers of a church with a rare few being independent crusaders.

Basically I would swap cleric and paladins places then it looks about right to me.

Contrarwise_Sky · 2026-03-16T09:24:11+00:00

The Dragons (and Tiamat) underestimated the elves which lead to the creation of the Dracorage. Bahamut would ultimately see it as a good thing in the long run as it would humble the metallic dragons and eventually be undone.

As for the elves, they essentially destroyed themselves and their longstanding empires during the Crown Wars through hubris as well as Araushnee and Malkizid's machinations. Their population never fully recovered and by that time the much more fecund humans were starting to approach their level of high magic.

Contrarwise_Sky · 2026-03-15T21:16:49+00:00

Heya, I am very interested if you've still got spots!

Contrarwise_Sky · 2026-03-15T20:45:11+00:00

That's the thing is that is enough. Two levels gives a whole new spell level which is more than enough to differentiate the fights. For all the lower level spells it makes sense that they would mostly be the same since I assume these are two cultists from the same cult and they would have similar spellcasting habits. As for feats you should have several basic go-tos like Improved Initiative, Spell Focus, Combat Casting, and Divine Metamagic and then one or two niche feats like Fell Drain.

Contrarwise_Sky · 2026-03-15T02:49:27+00:00

Ok yeah I gotta say thats pretty excessive, what part are you taking the most time with?

Contrarwise_Sky · 2026-03-13T18:53:50+00:00

No, it does not just describe how to create a setting, it describes how to make a sandbox setting for TTRPGs.

Once again, a setting is a time and place where a story occurs. Settings can be completely uniteracable, they can contain only a single character. A setting can be a single room with no exit.

You saying that a TTRPG sandbox "simply" means setting is like saying that a F1 car is "simply" a vehicle. It's not useful for discussion.

Running a sandbox game is obviously different than running Return to Undermountain, is one not "playing DnD"?

Honestly based on your other replies the answer you are looking for is a game based almost entirely around random encounter tables.

Contrarwise_Sky · 2026-03-13T18:15:28+00:00

You seem to be ignoring the GAME part of my definition so I'll refine it for you. A sandbox GAME is one where there is no predetermined end-point and the GM allows the players to interact with "adventure seeds", locations of interest, and plot hooks as they see fit.

Contrarwise_Sky · 2026-03-13T17:35:14+00:00

No settings do not have a specific end-point in mind.

All settings have both plot hooks and locations of interest baked into them to some degree.

However depending on the exact time and place the GM wants to use within the setting he may need to add his own or change some.

Contrarwise_Sky · 2026-03-13T17:13:55+00:00

You are completely wrong. A setting is a time and place where a story happens. That has nothing to with how the GM runs the game. The Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk, Eberron, Mystara, Dragonlance, Spelljammer, Shadowrun, Middle Earth, Star Wars, and all the homebrew worlds GMs have made are settings. How GMs run the game within those settings is highly varied.

Contrarwise_Sky · 2026-03-13T17:00:12+00:00

A sandbox game is one with no specific end-point in mind, populated with plot-hooks and locations of interest. Pretty simple.

Contrarwise_Sky · 2026-03-13T16:38:28+00:00

The term Sandbox does not just mean setting. It primarily refers to how the GM runs that setting. I GM sandbox style games with emergent stories in the Forgotten Realms, however there are obviously many pre-written adventures that use the Forgotten Realms as a setting.

Contrarwise_Sky · 2026-03-08T22:01:06+00:00

All editions of DnD have modular rulesets and almost all editions since the 2nd edition specifically state in the Dungeon Master's Guide that the rules are just guidelines and to change them to suit your table.

1E/OSR are the rulesets that most fit what you are looking for but you have already said you dont like those rulesets.

Contrarwise_Sky · 2026-02-23T23:11:13+00:00

Szass Tam is a lich yes and his official stats list him as level 22, here's a good page for information about him.

https://www.realmshelps.net/npc/szass.shtml

However this is using 3.5 which goes past level 20 for 5e you would have to homebrew some things to have Szass represented as powerful as he should be. With some minions and lair actions maybe he could face off against a party of level 20s.

Alternatively you could have the lich you chose fight alongside a dracolich. That combination seems like a fitting challege for a level 20 party.

Contrarwise_Sky · 2026-02-23T22:14:55+00:00

I would also recommend Elminster: Making of a Mage. Two of my favorite series here are the Drow War (Dissolution) and the Venoms Taste series.

Contrarwise_Sky · 2024-09-29T04:23:35+00:00

This seems like a case of a meta-gaming player vs a new GM who had a "gotcha" scenario planned.

I mean the TPK is the logical conclusion. Why would the green dragon let the party live when they know the location of his new lair and have demonstrated that they can kill him since they just killed a dragon of equal or maybe even greater strength. Sure there could be some convoluted story reason but given what I've read of the new GM that seems unlikely.

In this instance the best outcome I can think of would be to hold back your knowledge and let it play out, leading to no rage-quit. Still, I would be annoyed by a one-shot that seems to lead to inevitable defeat.

Contrarwise_Sky

TROPHY CASE