Faerun - Forgotten Realms Setting
Scope
The motivation behind building Faerun - Forgotten Realms Setting
I personally really enjoyed the literature in the 90's in the Forgotten Realms and Dragonlance series. I decided to try my hand at building a custom campaign that is set within the Forgotten Realms setting, specifically in the Kingdom of Cormyr.
The goal of the project
My goal was to introduce the party to the Forgotten Realms as accurately as I could while allowing them a personalized experience. In order for them to see the range of devious and deadly foes, I also chose to use a custom method for stat rolls and accelerated their leveling progression. I'm hoping the players get a deeper delve into the some of different factions and foes that threaten the realms. I also hope they appreciate the amount of weight their actions might impact the outcome of an entire nation.
Faerun - Forgotten Realms Setting's Unique Selling point
An extremely high percentage of the historical data I am inputing into this world is directly from the source material. The sourcebook/PDF I most frequently referenced was "Cormyr - Land of the Purple Dragons." The campaign essentially creates an alternate splintered path from the original source material which starts in 1486 DR in the Kingdom of Cormyr just before Baerovus abdicates the throne to Queen Raedra.
Theme
Genre
Fantasy Role-Playing in the typical setting of most D&D campaigns.
Reader Experience
My intent is to illustrate the varying scales of evil or good rather than a clear black and white distinction between the two. I also want their perceptions of the world to evolve based on their experiences with the inhabitants of it.
Reader Tone
On the surface and to most ordinary people, the world seems stable and safe. Beneath the surface a deadly conflict ensues between numerous evil factions vying for dominance as they all understand how precarious the balance of power is currently.
Recurring Themes
An ancient green dragon has brought much pain and suffering to others
The Cult of the Dragon is desperately looking for said ancient dragon
Character Agency
A very dangerous nemesis could very well topple the kingdom of Cormyr once and for all. The protagonists are meant to represent some of the most gifted adventurers in terms of raw potential.
Focus
Drama
The Cult of the Dragon is actively seeking an ancient green dragon. They wish to perform the ritual to transform this green dragon into a dracolich.
Shar Cultists have an underground hideout in Marsember that is currently infested with undead creatures.
A figure known as the Dark Merchant might have critical information on how to deal with the ancient green dragon.
The party is search for the whereabouts of an infamous pirate and smuggler known as Janis Crow. His crew and his ship, the Rusty Crow, have not been seen in weeks.