The Dessarin River

This information is intended for use with the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.


At a Glance

A river beginning in the Lost Peaks, in the northwest corner of the High Forest.  It flows almost due west to Yartar, where it’s joined by the Surbrin, and from there southward to empty into the Sea of Swords at Zundbridge, just south of Waterdeep.

Bridges are found only at Zundbridge, Ironford, and the Stone Bridge. Elsewhere, the river can be crossed by swimming (or magic) but it cannot be forded.


Sources

Primary Sources
  • Welcome to Waterdeep by Ed Greenwood — Dragon Magazine 128 page 14
  • Waterdeep and the North [FR1/9213] page 4
Maps

Disclaimer

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Roper

This information is intended for use with the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.


At a Glance

A magical beast.

Ropers are stony creatures of the Underdark, best described as resembling stalagmites. They have a gizzard-like organ known as a horlobb, which accumulates the durable items the roper sometimes consumes along with its victims.

Ropers are thought to venerate Ghaunadaur.


Variations

Ropers are related to ghauropers, storopers, and urophions.


Appearance

Art Review

A suggestive interpretation of the roper turned up in the Erotic Monster Manual Contest at something awful.com.


Climitat


Sources

Primary Sources
Passing Mention
  • Drizzt Do’Urden’s Guide to the Underdark [11509] pages 18, 22, 31, 65, 66, 74, 80
  • Demihuman Deities – some reference to ghauropers
  • 2e Manual of the Planes – some reference to ghauropers
  • The 2e stats for ghauropers first appeared in Dungeon of the Hark, a now-difficult-to-obtain adventure; the stats are given in the Candlekeep thread referenced above, courtesy of Eric Boyd
  • Elminster’s Everwinking EyePolyhedron #110 page 7
  • WotC Monster Index

Disclaimer

Wizards of the Coast, Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, Forgotten Realms, and their logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the United States and other countries. This blog is not affiliated with, endorsed, sponsored, or specifically approved by Wizards of the Coast LLC.

The Vault of the Thaalud

This information is intended for use with the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.

At a Glance

Once or twice per decade, an adventuring company returns after a successful foray into the Underdark beneath Anauroch, where the largest communities and expeditions of thaalud (aka tomb tappers) are found.  The adventurers, upon their return to the surface, naturally share (and suitably embellish) their experiences, in taverns and around campfires from Mirabar and Waterdeep to Suzail and Westgate, to Zhentil Keep and Mulmaster.  The Vault is often featured in those tales – not as an achievement, for no credible tale has ever been told of discovering it, but as the ultimate treasure trove of the Realms Below.

The thaalud seem to obsess over magic, pursuing it in the way the most avaricious of dragons or merchants seek wealth.  They will extort or kill for magic, without hesitation or remorse.  However, they don’t wear the armor they loot, and they use only the weapons that are crafted (and sometimes powerfully enchanted) by their own kin.  They’ve never been seen to eat magic items, and they certainly don’t destroy them.  Logically, then, they must be taking them somewhere.  A temple-city, the delvers insist… a dark place hidden far below, vast enough to display every magical item ever seen by a thaalud (who will not rest until it acquires the item).  This logic birthed, and still sustains, the legend of the Vault.

DM’s Notes

It’s not a bad idea.  So why not make it real?  However, there are a few buzzkills in store for acquisitive adventurers.

First, the biggest obstacle to be overcome is finding the Vault.  It’s assumed to be under the Anauroch because that’s where the vast majority of tomb tappers are found.  Nobody, other than the tomb tappers and whatever guardians they’ve put in place, has ever seen the Vault.  Human, dwarven, and even duergar sages have no sure knowledge about it, although some might make something up and charge you thousands of gold for their “wisdom” and then skip town while you’re gone to prevent possible retaliation for their underhandedness.  Obviously, the thaalud don’t advertise the existence or location of their Vault, and nobody else you encounter in the Underdark or on the surface will be able to point a finger and accurately say “it’s that way.”

Second, emerging from the first, is that you’re going to need a lot of power in order to get there.  It’s not the tomb tappers guarding the Vault that you should be worried about overcoming.  You should be concerned with the phaerimm, and the beholders, and the mind flayers (including a perhaps-shocking number of illithiliches).  You should think about all the drow (and the potentially vast numbers of driders who avoid the drow), and duergar (and far worse: derro), and kuo-toa, and deep dragons, and pseudonatural things creeping through portals from the Far Realm, and for that matter the natives of the ethereal and shadow planes who take their meals on the Prime Material, and all the constructs/elementals/outsiders/undead who’ve escaped their long-forgotten masters and now wander the Underdark bored and looking for a fight.  The places where you have to swim through miles of underground river, with only tiny/unpredictable air pockets, to get from one isolated pocket of the Underdark to the next because no dry tunnels exist.  The oozes, puddings, slimes, and the fact that every square foot of every tunnel has the potential to be infested with deadly molds and other fungi, many of which you’ve never seen before and/or won’t recognize until far too late.

Third, here’s the real kicker.  If you manage to find the Vault, and discover how to get into it, you’ll likely have the power to overcome the tomb tappers defending what is rightfully theirs… only to discover the ultimate disappointment.  The items in the Vault, no matter how numerous, won’t be appropriate to your level.  They’re not going to have +10 armor and weapons, or rings of universal elemental immunity, or the other fun items from the ELH… because in order to get them, they would have had to defeat adventurers like you… in which case they would have defeated you and kept you out of their Vault.  The treasures of the Vault are going to be mostly level 1-10 items, with some stretching up to level 20 (looted from tombs or taken from weaker adventurers who inherited them or stole them from tombs).  It is possible that the Vault contains one or more artifacts, especially the minor ones, but probably no major artifacts.

Then of course, there’s the question of how do you get all the treasure out of the Vault?  Even extradimensional spaces have limits.  Your best bet would probably be to set up a two-way portal, connecting the Vault with the personal stronghold you had the foresight to acquire.  From your keep, you can then sell the magical items off to merchants and adventurers passing through.

Yes, it is definitely an awesome quest, and don’t be discouraged from pursuing it.  Even the simple accumulation of several hundred +1 swords would be enough to make sure that you’re immortalized in taproom tales.  Just don’t count on it being quick, or easy, or hugely beneficial.  Profitable in gold… yes, perhaps, although the journey will have involved a lot of expense (ongoing armor/weapon repair and replacement as you get kicked in the crotch by everything and its brother, resurrection fees because some party members will definitely die, food and gear for your army while you blast your way through the Underdark, construction and upkeep of your castle, etc).  Upgrades in your own gear… no, the Vault probably won’t give you that.

Sources

  • The Tomb (I changed the name because I think “tomb of the tomb tappers” sounds lame) is mentioned under Tomb Tapper on page 82 of Monsters of Faerûn.
  • Underdark [88581] page 179 describes the Tomb as well. I have not yet incorporated this source into the ideas above.

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The Enclaves of Netheril

This information is intended for use with the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.

A flying city, from the WotC Epic Level Handbook Art Gallery... click on the image for the link. All rights are assumed to be reserved by Wizards of the Coast

At a Glance

Legend has it that the wizards of ancient Netheril raised flying cities into the sky over their realm. They called these cities Enclaves… or so the bards say. The magic needed to accomplish this is now lost, prompting generations of mages and treasure hunters to comb the sands searching for ancient Netherese magic and manuscripts. Only the most powerful survive, returning with tales of tribal humans who are violently superstitious about magic, murderous lizards of apparently infinite numbers, and ancient spell-sapping horrors who lurk in lightless depths beneath the world. Even among those who have found the ruins of the fallen empire, few have found magic enough to make the risk – and the investment of time – worthwhile.

DM’s Notes

The aforementioned tribes are the Bedine, the lizards are the laerti, and the (generally nameless because surface-dwellers know nothing about them) “horrors” are the phaerimm, though various ruins are also inhabited or watched by other races including beholderkin, illithids, lamia, and sharn.

The sharn generally leave folks alone who don’t go bumbling into their lairs and causing trouble, but the phaerimm (and even more commonly, their minions) will eventually notice humanoids putzing around in their realm… which is to say: everything over, under, or buried in the sand or ice of Anauroch.

The Enclaves

At one time, there were 54 flying cities. The “official” list of enclaves, from various sources including Lost Empires [17738] and the Netheril boxed set [1147], includes

Three enclaves —supposedly named Anauria, Asram, and Hlondath— were saved by Mystra and became the centers of the survivor states of the same names. These might be among the enclaves whose fate or location are unclear, including Aquessir, Delia, Doubloon, Phylornel, Xinlenal, and Spiel. Spiel would be a particularly good candidate for one of these survivor cities, since it was close and apparently no trace of a ruin is found on the location today.

There are other cities with mythallars, which did not fly.

  • The Sargauth Demesne

Sources

  • Lost Empires of Faerûn [17738] pages 95-112
  • Netheril: Empire of Magic [1147]

Disclaimer

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Delzoun

This information is intended for use with the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.

At a Glance

A dwarven realm, now fallen. It stood on and under the Ice Mountains and the Rauvin Mountains. Ascore, Mithral Hall, Citadel Adbar, and Felbarr (now called the Citadel of Many Arrows) were all once part of Delzoun.

Sources

  • Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting [11836] page 266
  • Dwarves Deep [FR11/9300] page 55
  • Forgotten Realms [1085] A Grand Tour of the Realms page 124
  • Waterdeep and the North [FR1/9213] page 4

Disclaimer

Wizards of the Coast, Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, Forgotten Realms, and their logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the United States and other countries. This blog is not affiliated with, endorsed, sponsored, or specifically approved by Wizards of the Coast LLC.

Monster HWP, Part 2: Blobs

This is a continuation of more realistic weights for monsters.  This time: oozes, and other regular/irregular shapes that are definitely not humanoid.

A valuable reference here is www.simetric.co.uk/

Mimic

The average mimic is described as 150 cubic feet and 4500 lbs.  That sounds heavy, but as it turns out… that’s about the same density as a snowball.

Seriously.  4500/150 = 30 lbs per cubic foot, which is roughly equivalent to 480 kg per cubic meter.  Scroll down the list of weights on the reference page given at the top of this page, and what comes up around 480?  Household garbage, hydrated lime, ground-up scrap rubber, and… yup, compacted snow.

You might be saying so what.  Consider the fact that coffee beans are heavier than that.  Rice, apples, grits, all more dense than snow.  Solid ice is 919 kg per cubic meter… mimics are supposed to be half as dense as an ice cube?

So, clearly, something is wonky.  Yes, 4500 lbs is more than an empty chest would weigh, but my point is that a handful of mimic should be more significant than a handful of rice.  And I really don’t think mimics should float.

I’m going to go with 2400 kg/cu m, or 150 lbs/cu ft.  Seems like a big number, but packed dirt is around 2000 kg/cu m.  Soapstone, brick, and porcelain are all around 2400, while marble and window glass are closer to 2600, so this seems like a good range.  If you want to see big numbers, iron is 7850, steel is around 8000, and platinum is 21400.

Incidentally, I would base the mimic’s dimensions on its hit dice.  Greater mimics are described in the second 2e Undermountain box as 1000 cubic feet, at 15 HD, and I think this is a better basis for calculation than 7 HD and 150 cubic feet.  So here’s a simple way to calculate the size of any mimic:

HD x 2/3 = the length of one side, in feet.
cube that length to get the volume, in cubic feet.

using this formula, a 7 HD “normal” mimic would be 4.7 feet on a side and 102 cubic feet in volume.  Using my suggestion of 150 lbs per cubic foot, that mimic weighs 15,244 lbs.  Yea, it’s a beast… but that makes a lot more sense than letting it float on a lake because it has half the density of an ice cube!

Yea, I realize a floating mimic would have a certain appeal, but it’s too weird.

Gelatinous Cube

These are described as 15 feet on a side and 50,000 lbs.  That’s about 15 lbs per cubic foot.  This is about the same weight/volume ratio as cork, which as you know if you’ve ever handled cork is… pretty light.  I suggest beefing the gelatinous cube up to about 50 lbs per cubic foot, or 800 kg/cu m, which is a little less than butter and significantly less than water.  As a bonus, butter is a great analogy for the consistency of a gelatinous cube.  This also means that, unlike a mimic, a gelatinous cube can float in water.  No idea why it would want to float, considering that it would be unable to move or steer itself, but whatever.

A 15 ft cube has a volume of 3375 cu ft, which (at 50 lbs per cu ft) is 168,750 lbs.  Which really doesn’t matter… unless you piss Durnan off, and instead of pulling you up into the Yawning Portal, he pushes a gelatinous cube down on you…

Just sayin.  Don’t mess with Durnan.

More later.

Fallen Realms

This information is intended for use with the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.

This is a work in progress

…and will probably remain so, given the number of fallen realms. Stop falling!

Realm Race(s)
Ammarindar Dwarves
Anauria Humans
Ardeep
Argissthilliax dragons
Arkaia Humans
Arunduth
Aryselmalyr
Aryvandaar Elves
Ashanath Humans
Askavar Elves
Asram Humans
Athalantar Humans
Barakuir Dwarves
Besilmer Dwarves
Boitumelo creator races
Caesinmalsvir dragons
Calandor
Citadel Adbar Dwarves
Cormanthyr Elves
Cortryn
Daerimathlor
Darasriverthicha dragons
Darchar giants
Dardath Dwarves
Dareth Dwarves
Delimbiyran Humans
Delzoun Dwarves
Dolblunde gnomes
Drakkalor Dwarves
Eaerlann Elves
Ebenfar
Eiellur Elves
Elembar
Ellermere
Eltabranar Humans
The Elven Court Elves
Es’rath shalarin
Gharraghaur Dwarves
Glorfindral Elves
Golothaer drow
Grunfesting giants
Harpshield
Haunghdannar Dwarves
Helligheim giants
Hlondath Humans
Hlontar
Hlundadim goblinoids
Holorarar Dwarves
Hunnabar Dwarves
Iliyanbruen
Illefarn Elves
Illusk Humans
Ilodhar Elves
Iltkazar Humans
Ilythiir Elves
Imaskar Humans
Ironstar Dwarves
Isstossefifil Sarrukh
Jhaamdath Humans
Jhothûn Giants, Qorrash
Jhyrennstar Elves
Kanaglym Dwarves
Keltormir Elves
Kolophoon creator races
Korolnor Dwarves
Lethyr Elves
Loravatha
The Kingdom of Man Dwarves, Elves, Humans
Meiritin halflings
Mhairshaulk Sarrukh
Mir
Miyeritar Elves
Nadezhda creator races
Naramyr Elves
Narfell Humans
Nedeheim giants
Netheril Humans
Nikerymath Elves
Oelerhode gnomes
Oghrann Dwarves
Okoth Sarrukh
Orishaar Elves
Orogoth
Ostoria giants
Phalorm Dwarves, Elves, Humans
Phandalin
Philock Humans
P’karnis merrow
Pourounkorokale
Rangfjell giants
Raumathar Humans
Rilithar
Roldilar
Rystall Wood Elves
Sarphil Dwarves
Scathril
Selu’maraar
Semberholme Elves
Serpentes Yuan-ti
Shanatar Dwarves
Shantel Othreier Elves
Sharrven Elves
Shilmista Elves
Shoon Humans
Siluvanede Elves
Sondarr Dwarves
Songfarla gnomes
Stonegard
Sundul Humans
Syòrpiir Elves
Talfir Humans
Talmost
Telantiwar drow
Teshar
Tethyamar Dwarves
Thaltekth Dwarves
Thar orcs
Tharkrixghontix dragons
Thearnytaar Elves
Torglor Dwarves
Ulbaerag
Ultoksamrin Dwarves
Urgnarash gnolls
Uthtower
Uvaeren Elves
Vastar
Xothaerin Dwarves
Yarlith
Yuireshanyaar Elves
Zhoukoudien creator races

The list grows a bit longer if we add dales, such as Moondale, Sessrendale, Tarkhaldale, and Teshendale, and kingdoms and cultures which may not truly be gone, but are widely believed to be… the Innugaakalikurit, the Siremun, Synnoria, and to a lesser extent Mulhorand and Unther, or all the nations that were demolished by 4e… but I’m not going to get started on that, here.

Additional Sources

  • The Grand History of the Realms
  • George Krashos mentions the survivors of the Kingdom of Man in a Candlekeep thread.

Disclaimer

Wizards of the Coast, Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, Forgotten Realms, and their logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the United States and other countries. This blog is not affiliated with, endorsed, sponsored, or specifically approved by Wizards of the Coast LLC.

The Moonsea North

At a Glance

An arbitrary region, defined here as everything north of the elven wood, including the Moonsea (obviously) but excluding Vaasa and the glacier.

To the west is Anauroch.  To the east are the Great Glacier and the Bloodstone Lands.  To the south are Cormanthor and the Vast.

Not all of the folk in this area consider their position relevant to the Moonsea.  It’s just a convenient way to divide up the map.

Anauroch

This information is intended for use with the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.


At a Glance

Anauroch is a large desert separating the Sword Coast North from the Moonsea North.


Visiting

Geological Divisions

Anauroch is divided into four regions, known as the High Ice, the Frozen Sea, the Plain of Standing Stones, and the Sword. The latter three roughly coincide with the borders of fallen Netheril.

Neighboring Nations and Features

Politics

Who Rules

No individual can be said to control Anauroch. The Bedine tribes “rule” the patches of ground they camp on each night, and the d’tarig have their settlements, but the open sands are held by no one.

Who Really Rules

Nothing happens over or under the sands without the direction or tacit approval of the phaerimm.


Culture and Society

Demographics

The overall population is 77% human, 17% asabi, 5% gnoll, and 1% other races.

The human population of the region is 95% Bedine, 5% Vaasan, and less than 1% other subraces. The primary language is Midani.


Notable Individuals

The Zhentarim have some influence here, particularly in the northern Sword. The Bedine and D’tarig natives have their own “pecking orders” which are inscrutable to outsiders. The phaerimm, asabi and other desert creatures do pretty much whatever they please, unless someone is able to stop them.


Sources

Primary Sources
Passing Mention
Maps
Other Resources

Disclaimer

Wizards of the Coast, Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, Forgotten Realms, and their logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the United States and other countries. This blog is not affiliated with, endorsed, sponsored, or specifically approved by Wizards of the Coast LLC.

Sword Coast

This information is intended for use with the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.


At a Glance

The Sword Coast, strictly speaking, is the saber-like western shore of northern Faerun, stretching from Candlekeep to Luskan.

In the looser, colloquial sense, the Sword Coast is an arbitrary region, defined here as everything south of the Delimbiyr and north of the Cloud Peaks, from the Sea of Swords itself east to Anauroch and the Sunset Mountains. This region is often called the Western Heartlands in official sources.

The folk of this area don’t necessarily consider themselves residents of the coast.  It’s just a convenient way to divide up the map.

Waterdeep and the High Forest, among other famous landmarks, are north of the Delimbiyr and are hence part of the Sword Coast North.


Overview

Settlements
Ruins, Dungeons, Etc
Roads
Other Landmarks
Neighboring Nations & Features

Sources

Primary Sources
  • Forgotten Realms [1085] (2e campaign setting) — A Grand Tour of the Realms pages 85-103 (the Western Heartlands)
  • Forgotten Realms [1031] (1e campaign setting) — Cyclopedia of the Realms page 81
Passing Mention
Maps
Other Resources

Disclaimer

Wizards of the Coast, Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, Forgotten Realms, and their logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the United States and other countries. This blog is not affiliated with, endorsed, sponsored, or specifically approved by Wizards of the Coast LLC.