Dwarves

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


At a Glance

Dwarf
A subtype of humanoids. Also called the Stout Folk.

The following types are described in general sources.

The dwarves of the Realms are distinguished differently.

Derro, durzagon, and maeluth are related — but gods help ye if you say so in front of a dwarf.


Overview

Dwarven Clans
  • Arnskull
  • Battlehammer
  • Belindorn
  • Blackbanner
  • Bladebite
  • Breakadder
  • Bucklebar
  • Crownshield
  • Darkfell
  • Deepaxe
  • Deepdelve
  • Eaglecleft
  • Foehammer
  • Forgebar
  • Gallowglar
  • Gemscepter
  • Ghalkin
  • Goldthumb
  • Gordrivver
  • Hillsafar
  • Horn
  • Ironstar
  • Jundeth
  • Malthin
  • Mastemyr
  • Melairkyn
  • Narlagh
  • Orothiar
  • Quarrymaster
  • Rockfist
  • Sorndar
  • Stoneshoulder
  • Stoneshield
  • Talnoth
  • Trueforger
  • Undurr
  • Velm
  • Watchever
  • Worldthrone
  • Wyrmslayer
  • Yund
  • Zord

Dwarven Realms

Notable Individuals

A
B
D
G
H
J
M
O
S
T

Sources

Passing Mention
Other Resources
  • Search for Dwarf on the FR Wiki

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.

Polar Werebear

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

At a Glance

A shapechanging humanoid.

A lycanthrope —specifically a werebear— which, like other werecreatures, may be found anywhere humanoids dwell.

Source

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.

Brown Werebear

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

At a Glance

A shapechanging humanoid.

A lycanthrope —specifically a werebear— which, like other werecreatures, may be found anywhere humanoids dwell.

Source

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.

Black Werebear

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

At a Glance

A shapechanging humanoid.

A lycanthrope —specifically a werebear— which, like other werecreatures, may be found anywhere humanoids dwell.

Source

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.

Lycanthropes

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


At a Glance

Lycanthropes are a category of shapechanging humanoids.


Variations


Sources

See individual types.

Passing Mention
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.

Bedine

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


At a Glance

The Bedine are a group of tribal humans found only in Anauroch.


The Xaeyruudh Campaign

One source says they are the descendants of those who survived the destruction of Anauria, Asram, and Hlondath. Another source contradicts this, making them travelers from Zakhara; a suggestion strongly supported by the Bedine speaking Midani. Elsewhere, the Bedine are said to speak Oloushinn, which is described as being an old language… implying that it’s older than the survivor states of Netheril.

For my campaign, the Bedine are descendants of a Zakharan tribe. Oloushinn is a dialect of Midani which was spoken by the tribe before they inadvertently relocated to Anauroch; the language has evolved by necessity over the centuries but it would still be recognizable if someone from their old tribe were to find them here.


Sources

Primary Sources
  • Anauroch [FR13/9320] — the Bedine are mentioned in many places throughout this book — the note about them being descendants of the Netherese is on page 68, the details of Oloushinn are from the front inside cover
Passing Mention
Other Resources
  • Search for the Bedine on the FR Wiki

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.

High Elf

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


At a Glance

A humanoid— specifically an elf.


Climitat


Notable Individuals

In Faerûn
Elsewhere

Sources

Primary Sources
  • Monster Manual [17755] page 101-102
  • Monster Manual [2009] (1e) page 39
Passing Mention

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.

Elves

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


At a Glance

Elf is a category of humanoids.


Variations

The elves of the Forgotten Realms are somewhat different from those listed in Monster Manual and other non-Realms sources.

Elves of Faerûn
Elves of Other Worlds

Elven Realms

Living Realms
Fallen Realms

Several fallen kingdoms were once lands of elves.


Notable Individuals

In Faerûn

When possible, individual elves will be listed under their subrace; the ones appearing here are the ones who couldn’t be classified by subrace.


Sources

Primary Sources
  • Monster Manual [17755] pages 101-104
  • Monster Manual [2009] (1e) page 39
Passing Mention
Other Resources
  • Search for Elf on the FR Wiki

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.

Abrian

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

At a Glance

A magical beast.

Absurd Adversary

Even within the context of a fantasy world which breaks many of the “rules” that govern our own, this monster is irrational and/or fundamentally stupid, earning it a spot in my Absurd Adversaries list.

  • “…a human-sized flightless birdlike creature…”Flightless birds are ridiculous to begin with, so if you’re going to turn one into a monster (instead of an easily ignored animal) then you better have a great concept. I don’t know if there was a great concept in the designer’s head, but this monster fails to deliver.
  • …far more intelligent than they look.” — Well that shouldn’t be hard, since an abrian looks like a flightless bird. Unfortunately its intelligence score is still 7, which places it right between an ogre and an orc. I get that that’s smart enough for some creatures to be dangerous, but in combination with the next couple of bullet points here it prevents the abrian from being taken seriously.
  • “…engage in trade with nomads and traveling merchants.” — What, exactly, do they trade? They’re not smart enough to engage in crafts, as noted above. After all, I don’t see ogres and orcs being big on craftsmanship, and that’s the ballpark the abrian is playing in. The next point also demonstrates that the abrian is physically incapable of both craftsmanship and the exchange of trade goods.
  • “…a pair of scaly, atrophied humanoid arms…” — ’nuff said.

Well, this all comes together to paint a pretty picture. A pretty stupid picture, that is. A flock of comparatively dumb, mostly defenseless, totally flightless birds, who want to acquire stuff (barding?) and maybe magic items from passersby in exchange for feathers, eggs, and dung.

Since they’re kinda stupid, they probably get cheated a lot, which helps explain their evil alignment. They can’t carry much of anything (shriveled clawlike hands and reduced carrying capacity) and they’re not really equipped to don armor or use weapons.

They have to depend on their trading partners to do all the lifting and carrying, so presumably a group of abrians surrounds each merchant and threatens to shriek if the merchant tries to cheat them. The merchant would have to deliver his payment to the abrian’s treasury and stack it himself, and then carry away his feathers and eggs by himself, escorted the whole way by this watchful pack of mean birdbrains.

The stench alone would be enough to keep most merchants away. What would make you that desperate to acquire abrian feathers?

The abrian’s only ranged attack is its shriek, which has a 20 foot range and a wimpy DC 12 Fort save. A single quasit could wipe out an entire “communal flock” of 40 abrians in an afternoon. It would be a waste of the quasit’s time, but hey… any diversion is a good diversion when you want to escape your superiors’ notice for a while.

I dunno, I guess the abrian could be useful for humor, but it would inevitably be centered around how absurd this creature is. Which makes it a nice fit for this category.

Sources

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.

Wang-Liang

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

At a Glance

A giant— specifically an oni.

Sources

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.