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Questions about Ibrandul! Is it okay to make a "worshipper" of him? As in, you know, since he's dead you'd be getting your stuff from Shar, but think it's from him. Talking about a ranger in this particular case, if it makes any difference.

Also, who if anyone knows the truth about Ibrandul, other than Shar? ...Am I even thinking of the right god? I'm fairly sure, but don't have my books on hand to double-check... wiki says that Shar masqueraded as him "for a while", how's that going? Or is it no longer? Edit: In retrospect an answer to the second part of this post makes the first part unnecessary...

Shar ate Ibrandul during the Time of Troubles, 22 years before the current time on Amia (1358). I'd wager that she's still granting spells in his name. The FR wiki (blah blah 4e) confirms this by saying "Ibrandul, a lesser god of caverns, was destroyed by Shar, who still masquerades as the dead deity" on the Time of Troubles page. It uses Faiths and Avatars as a source. The more recent Faiths and Pantheons also confirms it.

Yes, it is ok. I would actually put Shar as your deity for mechanical purposes, but RP it the way you need to.

Was wondering if ayone knew a more exact location of the northmen kingdoms of Tuern and Gunderland?
All i was able to find is they're supposed to be some island kingdoms north of Waterdeep..didnt find them on the maps of faerun i've looked through however.

You won't find them on any map.

Not because theyre not there....they are just off the side of the map, as its commonly drawn, to the west. Someone else was wondering the same thing, once upon a time, and decided to ask someone if it'd vanished...

Quote:

Ahem. Seriously, I’d say the isle in question (about which I provided some lore on page 20 of the 2005 vintage of this thread here at Candlekeep) is just “off the map” (to the west) because of its projection, or perhaps just omitted by cartographers oversimplifying, rather than truly vanishing in any physical sense. Er, I hope. I would NOT want to have to design, in a balanced 3.5e sense, the spell that could “vanish” such a large landmass without anyone noticing (or not causing tidal waves, current alterations, and the like).

Quote:

I'm sorry, Lameth, but NDA concerns prevent me from telling you much of anything about the northern island of Gundarlun right now. I can say that the fierce warriors who dwell on this cold, mountainous island (warmed only by volcanic vents, in deep rifts beneath some of the caverns that underlie the oldest human settlements) were in the original Realms the closest thing I had to Vikings: raiders who fared forth in longships they could row if need be, to prey on coastal fishing villages of Ruathym, the wharves of Luskan, and merchant ships plying the northern waters of the Sword Coast.

Originally "Gundarlun" was just the name of the largest "city" (in the Heartlands it'd be a large village) on the island, a cluster of stern, spartan stone block houses with tile roofs, around a small natural harbor on the northern side of the island, but (as the folk of that place conquered all rivals on the island) it came to mean the entire isle, with "Gun-DAR-lun" meaning the island kingdom, and "GUN-dar-lun" meaning just the city.

The folk of Gundarlun are deepsea fishers (using both vast drift-nets and drag-nets, the latter often 'run' between two ships sailing abreast, to form a great scoop), and make their roofing, waterproofing, plumbing, and even some furniture of tile, digging out local seams of clay and firing them with great skill. Their island realm is rocky and windswept, with only a few meadows in the interior (in former volcanic basins, below the level of the surrounding rocks and the full fury of the sea winds). See "The North" boxed set for additional details, largely added by other designers.

The island of Tuern had scanty information in my original Realms. Basically, I knew this much: it was also mountainous, volcanic, and having one stone-fortress-and-cave 'city' (more of a town in size) human settlement, Uttersea, that had to be formidable to withstand the attacks of dragons dwelling on Tuern. Again, "The North" expanded slightly on this.

Quoth the Ed Greenwood. I don't think you can get a better source than that...

Well that explains it pretty much

A pity theres not more about them then, but still better than nothing. Plus i can stop looking over the same maps again and again in the hope to finally find them >.>
Thanks!

Further to my earlier construct questions:

I found the following quote on the SRD. "The creator must cast the spells personally, but they can come from outside sources, such as scrolls." From http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/golem.htm

Question 1) It uses scrolls as an example, but would it also count rods, staves, etc. as acceptable "outside sources"?

Question 2) If the answer to #1 is Yes, then would the enchanter of the rod, stave, etc. that is used, have to be the same one who creates the finished golem?

Summary Question: I.E. Clay golems require spells that only a Cleric can cast. Could a Wizard get a Cleric to enchant a rod with the needed spells, and then the Wizard use that rod as an "outside source" to finish the golem himself?

Hrothmus wrote:

Yeah i read that some elves stole most of the scrolls and transformed them into a tree. I wasn't sure if they had all 50 scrolls or what though. It mentioned that when all 50 scrolls were read (via some weird process when a golden bird and snake on the tree merge into a dragon) they were able to learn to use 10th and 11th circle spells.

Larloch currently has the largest collection of netherscrolls and hunts for any he hears off, also mystra has recreated some scrolls for him, for services rendered.
And no..you cant learn 10th and above level spells or cast them, mystra stopped that for good.

Glim wrote:

Question 1) It uses scrolls as an example, but would it also count rods, staves, etc. as acceptable "outside sources"?

Question 2) If the answer to #1 is Yes, then would the enchanter of the rod, stave, etc. that is used, have to be the same one who creates the finished golem?

Summary Question: I.E. Clay golems require spells that only a Cleric can cast. Could a Wizard get a Cleric to enchant a rod with the needed spells, and then the Wizard use that rod as an "outside source" to finish the golem himself?

If the ruling on Amia is the same as in PnP, then 1.) yes, those are usable; 2.) no, they don't need to be the same person; and 3.) yes, that's workable.

Lizzie wrote:

Glim wrote:

Question 1) It uses scrolls as an example, but would it also count rods, staves, etc. as acceptable "outside sources"?

Question 2) If the answer to #1 is Yes, then would the enchanter of the rod, stave, etc. that is used, have to be the same one who creates the finished golem?

Summary Question: I.E. Clay golems require spells that only a Cleric can cast. Could a Wizard get a Cleric to enchant a rod with the needed spells, and then the Wizard use that rod as an "outside source" to finish the golem himself?

If the ruling on Amia is the same as in PnP, then 1.) yes, those are usable; 2.) no, they don't need to be the same person; and 3.) yes, that's workable.

Ya, obviously Amia could work differently and it would be up to the DMs, but I figured that checking the base lore would be the first step.

Thanks

Curious!

Elves are mostly CG as is the Seldarine. Is it okay to make an Elven Monk of Sehanine or any Seldarine?

Sin4given wrote:

Curious!

Elves are mostly CG as is the Seldarine. Is it okay to make an Elven Monk of Sehanine or any Seldarine?

Its ok, but i personally find it weird.

Yes, as long as there are no cleric levels involved.

I've checked around quite a bit, but couldn't find if Demogorgon has an official symbol or if you just trust in the mad screaming of his worshipers to identify them.

"Demogorgon's symbol is a serpentine forked tail, usually wrapped around something such as a sword or a skull."

Quoth the Book of Vile Darkness. No Picture supplied.

Now I feel stupid since I swear I remember that exact line. Thanks.

Very_Svensk wrote:

Sin4given wrote:

Elves are mostly CG as is the Seldarine. Is it okay to make an Elven Monk of Sehanine or any Seldarine?

Its ok, but i personally find it weird.

Ditto Svensk. The elves just don't have any culture of monks among them. Like Suney said, it's mechanically legal to play a monk who worships the Seldarine, but I'd emphasize that the Seldarine don't have any interest in sponsoring monks or establishing monastic orders. If you do go the elf monk route, my advice would be to keep it clear in your character's mind that s/he isn't an "elven monk of Sehanine" (or whichever deity), since those don't really exist. Rather, s/he is an elf who is faithful to the Seldarine, and also who happens to have individual skills and inclinations which make monasticism a plausible personal choice. Or to put it a bit differently, it would be less weird to play an elf whose monasticism is a statement only about him/herself, than one who attempts to insist that his/her monasticism is an outgrowth of elven faith or society. I know that's a somewhat narrow distinction, though.

Seconding what's been said. As a reminder too, there are plenty of secular monk orders out there. Secular as in they have no particular patron. This is something more likely an elven monk would join, in which case their faith really doesn't matter as much. What really matters is figuring out what type of world view and environment caused your elf to see things so differently than his generally chaotic culture. Sort of a "paper trail" that led them to where they are.

Does anyone know of any references, one way or the other, as to whether magnetic fields are a known phenomenon within the FR setting lore?

IIRC there are events mentioning Aurora Borealis sorts of things, (even a few areas in game get funky lights) but I'm not entirely sure if the cause is magical or actual magnetism. I know the Cordor occurrence of 'northern lights' was magical and thats about it.

....I wonder if Rust Monsters can only move in straight lines after lunch.

But I doubt it. I've never seen anything like that, seems a bit too technical. Perhaps in Lantan.

Glim wrote:

Does anyone know of any references, one way or the other, as to whether magnetic fields are a known phenomenon within the FR setting lore?

If you go by item bios, Gnomish Magnetic Armor at least mentions that the Gnomes are aware of them.

But I'd imagine knowledge of magnetism is a lot more common. The Greeks knew about lodestones as early as the 6th century BC. I'd assume our "mid-post medieval" world knows about them. And as far as I know, compasses are available in FR too, and I'd imagine they work off of the regular magnetism of Toril. Magical variety likely exist though as well, but it's relatively easy to make a mundane compass with a magnet, a needle, and something to balance it on.

Glim wrote:

Does anyone know of any references, one way or the other, as to whether magnetic fields are a known phenomenon within the FR setting lore?

Generally speaking, Toril works like Earth. So yes.

without going overboard on physics here, magnetism is basically atoms lining up, so its unlikely it wouldn't exist. another example of magnet discoverys was an old blacksmiths observation that hot iron when struck has a similar effect to regular lodestone.

i'd check out ed leedskalnin's work too, 6th century BC might be an understatement

Actually, compass. Of course magnets exist. *smacks forehead*

Hello!

May a non-ranger/druid have a bond with an animal like an animal companion? Something different from the magical bond between a mage and a familiar. If so, how does this come about? Is it the same way as the ranger or druid attains this bond?

Thanks!

Day Dreaming wrote:

May a non-ranger/druid have a bond with an animal like an animal companion? Something different from the magical bond between a mage and a familiar. If so, how does this come about? Is it the same way as the ranger or druid attains this bond?

Try this. It gives both the mechanics and a smidge of lore to start from.

This is perfect, thanks lizzie!

Alkor wrote:

Questions on the Nature of Erinyes.

Pg. 18 of the Fiendish Codex II provides more insight on what Erinyes are. From what I've read, however, they have both males and females. They're a special form of devil that can only increase in number through their own reproduction. While they may be immortal, they're still quite killable. They act as soldiers in the Blood War, which means that their numbers would need replenishing as the war takes its toll.

If you're wondering why Erinyes primarily appear as Female in most settings, that's up to speculation. They could be capable of changing gender as they wish, or perhaps males stay within the colonies to tend the young while females fight the battles.

ShadowSoul89 wrote:

Alkor wrote:

Questions on the Nature of Erinyes.

Pg. 18 of the Fiendish Codex II provides more insight on what Erinyes are. From what I've read, however, they have both males and females. They're a special form of devil that can only increase in number through their own reproduction. While they may be immortal, they're still quite killable. They act as soldiers in the Blood War, which means that their numbers would need replenishing as the war takes its toll.

If you're wondering why Erinyes primarily appear as Female in most settings, that's up to speculation. They could be capable of changing gender as they wish, or perhaps males stay within the colonies to tend the young while females fight the battles.

Thanks for the reply, just letting you know I got it. What I've read thus far seems to support this too.

I wonder if they're only kill-able on their own plane, or if not on their plane, simply banished back to it as regular devils are. -not sure how to get a source to clarify that though.

As for why they seem to appear as females all the time, I think a case of the horny-nerd has afflicted the lore making process.

It might be like how reef fish operate. They're all female to begin with, with one top male. As needed, the next one in line will change into a male. So they're technically hermaphroditic, though they show two distinct sexes at given times.

That would mean... Erinyes are like Slaanesh! O_O

It would make sense, I guess. The male forms are rarely seen because they don't exist until they're needed. And when they finally do show up, they're only one per group, and he's back home running the show.

Two Questions:

Can anyone PM me (Or just write it on this thread) the history of Cordor from RL time of 2006 to present, Please.

Could anyone link me to History and Information on Candlekeep and Waterdeep please.

Thanks.

Those are some pretty big questions.

For Cordor there's an Amia Timeline in the Lore Forum. And you could read the DM Event stories.

Waterdeep info is pretty widely available on google. Let me check if Wizards have released the pdf of the City of Splendours sourcebook like they did with some others...

Candlekeep. Ever play Baldur's Gate? :idea:

Thanks Cloak! Your a big help! The PDF would be ideal.

So druids of Talos seem to be a relatively obscure subject to look into, and I was wondering if they'd be prone to commanding undead, given Talos's tendency to make lichs and such, or if they still loosely following being a druid...in that pure destruction sort of way.

Arcadence wrote:

So druids of Talos seem to be a relatively obscure subject to look into, and I was wondering if they'd be prone to commanding undead, given Talos's tendency to make lichs and such, or if they still loosely following being a druid...in that pure destruction sort of way.

Counting down to GuNz's response in 3... 2... 1...

Let's see if I can anticipate his answer, though. "Druids don't create or command undead, ever." The general sentiment seems to be that while there are certain gods whose clerics could straddle the turn / rebuke fence, all druids are bound by tighter dogma, even druids of those same gods who aren't so strict with their clerics.

Not sure with any specific info. But I suppose they'd be concerned with destruction as a natural process. Things cannot grow from nothing. Carnage, fire, turmoil, all give the chance for new things to grow, feed, and ensure the survival of the fittest.

And yes, NB4 Guns.

Undead + Druid = Fall. No matter who your god is. Druids are pro-nature and undead are anti-nature manifested.

Kind of figured. All I could find on candlekeep was arguments about his druids wearing metal armor or not, etc.

Duergar Dwarven Defenders.

Is this possible lore-wise?

Genar_Detkasa wrote:

Duergar Dwarven Defenders.

Is this possible lore-wise?

I would hope so, if for no other reason than it would be rather a jerk move OOC to allow drow arcane archers, but disallow duergar defenders.

Lesser an oddity than Drow AA, if you ask me. Then again, you're asking from people who actually know about these things.

Uncle-Opustus wrote:

Lesser an oddity than Drow AA.

That.

Duergar Defenders are fine.

Even if it does seem slightly rediculous for a Duergar, which is a race of sneaky stealthy buggers who fight with guile and treachery, to be walking around heavily armored like the Anti-Dwarf so many people see them as.

Speaking of undead, I've noticed that it's the general opinion that undeath and negative energy is Always Evil. Now, I'm not really well versed in Realmslore, barring NWN and a few Salvatore-books, but I did stumble over this excerpt from Lords of Darkness:

Quote:

But vampires have helped travelers and battlefield survivors. Liches have trained, advised, or chatted amiably with adventurers. Skeletons have marched out of crypts in besieged cities to snatch up children — their descendants — and bear them to safety. The great paladin Ralgorax, the "Sword of Tyr"...

Now, LoD came out in 1988, which makes it older than me (!) and possibly outdated, but I was wondering if there are any other information on this. Are there good undead outside of those defined as non-evil, such as archliches?

There are these, which are an example of undead specifically forbidden from being evil.

Can someone point me to D&D books that may have information on rituals, gifts or blessings that may turn someone into a dragon or something similar? Rather them being born with Dragon Blood, or taking RDD, something that would grant a metamorphsis as a gift or blessing?

Lizzie wrote:

There are these, which are an example of undead specifically forbidden from being evil.

Well yes, but I was wondering about Good or Neutral undead aside from those specifically designed to be non-evil. Like the vampires and skeletons mentioned in the quote (the lich might have been an archlich or a baelnorn).

Selvec Darkon wrote:

Can someone point me to D&D books that may have information on rituals, gifts or blessings that may turn someone into a dragon or something similar? Rather them being born with Dragon Blood, or taking RDD, something that would grant a metamorphsis as a gift or blessing?

Page 123 of the Draconomicon tells about a prestige class called Dragonkith. It sounds like what you're looking for.

Nah, unfortunatly it isn't. Ah well, I get the feeling D&D is probably not got what I'm looking for.

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