Review: FOR2 Drow of the Underdark

Drow have had a LONG history in D&D.  

This is a good one for me to review now. In my Forgotten Realms (even if AD&D 1st Ed) campaign has a Drow priestess of Eilistraee. I know a bit about her, but this is a good book for me now.

While I know a lot of Realms lore Drow, I would never say I am an expert. Admittedly I learned of Drow via Greyhawk lore and the Epic GDQ series from Gygax. So my first experiences with Drow were in Erelhei-Cinlu and not Menzoberranzan.

It is time I changed that. 

FOR2: The Drow of the Underdark (2e)

1991. Ed Greenwood. Artists: Jeff Easley (cover), Tim Bradstreet, Rick Harris (interiors). 96 pages. Color cover, gold, black & white interiors. Some full-color plates.

For this review, I am considering my PDF and Print on Demand versions from DriveThruRPG.

There’s a certain mystique that comes with any Ed Greenwood-penned Forgotten Realms book, but The Drow of the Underdark lands in that very specific early-'90s TSR sweet spot: prestige-format, Realms-focused, lore-dense, and just weird enough to feel like it snuck out of Elminster’s bottom drawer. 

I read Greenwood's articles fondly in Dragon Magazine, even if I was not interested in the Realms at the time. These days, not with more years of appreciation for Ed, the Realms, and these products I feel like I get a lot more out of these books than I would have say back in 91. 

This was the second entry in the "FOR" series, following Draconomicon, and it leans hard into that same idea: go deep on a singular part of the Realms and pull no punches. Where Draconomicon scattered its gaze across multiple dragon types, this one drills straight down into drow culture, religion, and society—and stays there.

And yes, this is very much a Greenwood book. That means: flavor over stats, dense Realmslore, and the occasional asides from Elminster. Honestly, I would not want it any other way. 

Note, the table of contents does not have the Chapter numbers, but the Chapters do as do the bookmarks in the PDF. 

The book feels like the AD&D 2nd Ed splat books of the time. 

Overview

This isn't just "Vault of the Drow in the Forgotten Realms." It's a deliberate reimagining of the drow as a functioning, if cruel and fractured, civilization with its own logic and diversity. Greenwood expands far beyond the Lolth-worshipping archetype that had become the default by 1991 and proposes alternative drow following other deities, traditions, and magical philosophies.

It's still evil, make no mistake. But this book provides a scaffold for playing, plotting, or writing about drow from the inside out. It dares to humanize them, not to redeem them, but to make them usable. And it succeeds.

Introduction

Classic Greenwood here. An interview between him and Elminster and a naked drow woman named Susprina Arkhenneld. She is finally detailed in one of Ed's more famous videos. In my head-canon, Simon Aumar is the distant offspring of Elminster and Suprina. Great, great grand-son according to the Realms wiki. Not sure how that works in "real" Realms lore, but it works fine for me. 

Chapter 1: The Nature of Dark Elves

The opening sections dive into drow history, physiology, life cycle, customs, language, and, most of all, their society.  We start with how Drow are similar and different from standard elves. This includes their intelligence and magic. 

We also get a bit on driders, which are different in later versions of the game. Here, in their original form, they are the misfits and rejects of the Drow society. 

Chapter 2: Dark Elven Society

Covers a lot of what we know about Drow.

The "House" system is here in all its backstabbing glory, with clear inspiration from both earlier Gygaxian sources and Greenwood's own campaigns. You get descriptions of how drow children are raised (answer: with cruelty and indoctrination), gender roles (strictly matriarchal), and the political maneuverings that dominate their lives.

We are introduced to Menzoberranzan, but many details are left out. Of course, I only know this because of future knowledge. Still, what is here is tantalizing. I am purposefully looking for differences between this and Erelhei-Cinlu. It is like comparing New York or LA (Menzoberranzan) to Chicago (Erelhei-Cinlu). 

This part reads less like a rulebook and more like a cultural ethnography written by a half-mad sage. And I mean that as praise.

Chapter 3: Religion and Deities

Lolth looms large, of course, but this book’s standout contribution is the introduction of three other drow deities:

• Eilistraee, the Dark Maiden, the Dancer, goddess of good-aligned drow
• Ghaunadaur, an oozy, mad god of slimes and the Realmsified version of the Elder Elemental God
• Lolth of course.
• Vhaeraun, the male drow god of stealth and thievery, and Drow aims on the Surface world.

Generally speaking, I like these gods. Eilistraee is interesting and makes "Good" Drow make sense to me. Vhaeraun seems like a god Drow should have. Ghaundaur, though I see less of a "version" of the Elder Elemental God and more of an aspect, or even a fragment. 

This section expands the theological spectrum of drow society and sets the groundwork for future Realms books and characters (like Qilué Veladorn and the Eilistraeean sects).

Chapter 4: History of the Drow

Similar to what we know from Greyhawk, but greatly expanded. 

Chapters 5 , 6 & 7: Magic, Spells, and Magic and Craftwork Items

A wide selection of new spells and magic items are detailed here, many built specifically for the Underdark environment. Drow necromancy, priestly magic, and magic item crafting are all treated with a specific cultural lens—these are not just elves with different spellbooks.

The book also explains why drow magic and weapons degrade in sunlight, a now-classic bit of Realms justification that threads game mechanics and worldbuilding nicely.

Chapters 8, 9, 10, & 11: Drow Language, Nomenclature, Glossary, and Symbols

Chapter 8 is just a page, but a lot of potential here. Chapter 9 covers some nomenclature and Chapter 10 has a Glossary of "Deep Drow." Chapter 11 covers various symbols. 

I do wonder why these chapters were not combined into one, more comprehensive chapter.

Chapter 13: The Underdark

It only has a page here, but the Underdark gets its "Forever Home" here in the Realms.

Chapter 14: Monsters and Allies

The book introduces new monsters, mostly arachnid or Underdark-themed. Standouts include:

Deep dragons, later seen in Monstrous Compendium: Forgotten Realms Appendix II

Yochlol, handmaidens of Lolth, finally updated for 2e

Several new giant spider and insect variants

And my favorite from Dragon Magazine, the Deep Bats.

These are presented in Monstrous Compendium format, ready to slot into your binder, a nice touch from the era. For me, the value here is to print them out and stick them all into my Forgotten Realms binder. 

Jeff Easley’s cover, with its webbed motif and brooding drow, sets the tone perfectly. The interior art is black-and-white linework typical of the time, functional and flavorful, if not always consistent. The layout is dense, with minimal whitespace, a product of both the printing economics of the time and Greenwood’s maximalist style.

The PDF on DriveThruRPG is a clean scan and includes the full content in a readable, printable format. The PoD version has the common fuzziness to the text, but still pretty sharp. Better than most of the PoDs from the same era. 

Compatibility and Use at the Table

Though it’s firmly written for AD&D 2nd Edition, most of this book is system-light and easily adapted. I've pulled material from it for 1st Edition games, OSR campaigns, and even 5e adventures. The gods, monsters, and magical quirks are timeless.

Want to run a Drow-centric campaign? This is your bible.

Want to add depth to Drow NPCs or create political plotlines among rival Houses? It’s all here.

Even just dropping in Eilistraee or Vhaeraun as rare cults in your game world adds immediate nuance to the usual "Lolth or nothing" trope.

Highlights & Favorites

Debut of Eilistraee, Vhaeraun, and Ghaunadaur as active drow deities.

Deep dive into matriarchal House structure and political intrigue. Though not everything we will need or read about this, but this is where it starts.

New Drow-only spells and Underdark items.

Monstrous Compendium pages ready for use (my favorite).

Elminster flavor text. Indulgent, but charming, and honestly, I enjoy them more now than I would have back then.

A Few Quibbles

Some of Greenwood’s prose is thick, and it assumes some Realms knowledge going in. It is one of the reasons I avoided the Realms for as long as I did, which, of course, just makes the problem worse. I figured I had to dive in somewhere. I read this and I understand it, but there are still two things that I wonder about. 1. How would this have read to me back in 1991 without everything I know now? And 2. I always feel like there is some bit of Realms lore that it is assumed everyone knows, and I don't.

There's also less about specific locations than you might expect. Menzoberranzan, for example, is barely touched on, later books like Menzoberranzan (1992) and Drizzt Do’Urden’s Guide to the Underdark (1999) pick up that slack.

And while the book teases alternative Drow cultures, it still feels like 90% of them worship Lolth. The other sects are intriguing, but underdeveloped. Is this good or bad? I mean, I am more than happy to do more heavy lifting here. And in the end, that may be the real point. 

Final Thoughts

The Drow of the Underdark is a foundational text for Drow in the Realms and beyond. It takes what was once a one-note villain race and gives them depth, diversity, and terrifying credibility. I have to admit, after reading this, I see how Drizzt Do’Urden was not a fluke but an inevitability. 

The book holds up remarkably well. It’s a snapshot of the Realms before Drow culture became mainstream through novels and video games, offering a more alien and nuanced portrayal. Greenwood’s love of the setting shines, and his approach—dense, layered, a little chaotic—is as compelling now as it was in 1991.

More than just a monster book, this is a cultural document. And it’s one of the few early Realms supplements that still feels fresh and useful today, even across multiple editions. I am using it for AD&D 1st Ed now. I know I would get just as much use out of it if I were running 3e or 5e. I also printed out the spells for my son to use with his 1st ed Drow cleric. 

Though written for AD&D 2e, its focus on lore over mechanics makes it evergreen. 

Buy this if:

• You're running Underdark adventures in any edition of D&D
• You want to add Drow politics, religion, or flavor to your campaign
• You collect foundational Realms lore

Personally, I am happy to have it in my small, but growing Realms collection.

Fantasy Fridays: Man, Myth & Magic

Man, Myth & Magic by Herbert "Herbie" Brennan and J. Stephen Peek and published originally byYaquinto Publications in 1982, and now published (in PDF and single softcover formats) by Precis Intermedia.  

I have always been fascinated by this game. The name of course grabbed me for two reasons. There was the whole "Myth and Magic" side to it all which in 1982 was a big draw for me.  There was the magazine and encyclopedia series also called Man, Myth & Magic that dealt with all sorts of occult-related topics.  

I read reviews for it in Dragon Magazine (#80) and White Dwarf (#41) and was actually quite curious about it.  The reviews really ripped into the game, and I needed to know if it was as bad as they made it sound.  Sadly, I never found a copy near me, and a mail-order of $19.00 + tax and shipping and handling made it a little more out of reach when it was new and all I had was a paper route for spending money.

But I was always drawn to historical games. If I could play or run a game and learn something about history at the same time, then it was time well spent. I have enjoyed quite a few, mostly Victorian-era ones, and others I ripped online so much that I promised I wasn't going to rip on them anymore. 

Man, Myth, & Magic sadly belongs to the camp of a historical mishmash, that is to say, it is about as historically accurate as an episode of Xena: Warrior Princess.  Don't get me wrong, I love me some Xena and it is very entertaining in the right frame of mind.  The same is true for this game. Great, in the right frame of mind.  In fact, I think that now, living in a post-Xena world, there is a place for this game that did not exist in 1982.   

For this review, I am going to consider my original boxed set from 1982 (now minus the dice) and the newer PDF versions found on DriveThruRPG published by Precis Intermedia.  In both cases, the material is the same minus some of the extras that came in the boxed set like the dice and a pad of character sheets.

Man, Myth, & Magic

Man, Myth, & Magic was published in a boxed set of three books (same covers), with a pad of character sheets, some maps, and dice.  The PDF combines the three books into one 132 page volume. The original boxed set retailed for $19.00 in 1982 ($55 in today's buying power) and the PDFs sell for $7.95 today.  The books feature color covers and black & white interiors. 

Book 1

Book 1 is 24 pages and covers the "Basic Game" and the game most like the one as originally conceived of by Herbie Brennan.  In this game, the players play gladiators in the time of the Roman Emperors. Which one? That is up to a random dice roll unless of course, the players want something different. 

It's an interesting idea, but...well there are some problems here. According to the back of the box, it is the Summer of 41 CE. Cool.  But Caligula was assassinated in January of 41 CE.  Tiberius ruled 14 to 37 CE and Nero was Emperor from 54 to 68 CE.  The only Emperor in the Summer of 41 was Claudius. Adding dates in parentheses would have been a nice touch.  Let's not even get into the fact that Cleopatra VII, the last of the Egyptian Pharaohs, had died back in 30 BCE, 71 years before the events of this game, but that looks like her on the cover.  I'll talk more about this later.  In theory you can tun this game from 4000 BCE to 500 (or 1000) CE. 

You begin with your Roman Gladiator and your two percentile d20s and roll up your characteristics.  The characteristics in the Basic Game are Strength, Speed, Skill (not used just yet), Endurance, Intelligence, and Courage. The scores range from 1 to 100.  You add all these up for your Life Points (so 5 to 500), you fall unconscious at 20 or below and dead at 0 or below. 

The Basic rules take your gladiator from start to a bit of combat and adventure with the maxim that the best way to learn is to do.   This is a tactic that the rest of the game uses.  At the end of this, your character is ready for new adventures.

The neat bit, and one I want to revisit, is the idea of reincarnation. That is if your character dies they can be reincarnated. 

Book 2

Book 2 covers the "Advanced Game" and includes 40 pages. Here we learn more about skills, the Power score, and the different Nationalities (10) and Classes associated with each (2-5 each).  All are completely random and no real attempt is made to explain why say an Egyptian Sorcerer, a Gaulish Barbarian, a Roman Gladiator, and a Hibernian Leprechaun would all be part of the same adventuring party.  Ok. That's not entirely true, but the explanation takes some digging. 

Up first is determining your Nationality. Again a random roll gives you African, Briton, Egyptian, Gaul, Greek, Hebrew, Hibernian, Visigoth, Roman, and Oriental. Each at 10% chance.   Within each nationality, there are character classes.  Regardless of how many there is an equal chance for any given class.  Most nationalities have a sort of "fighter" like class and all have merchant.  There are two classes open to women characters only, Wisewoman (African) and Sybil (Greek).  Details are given for all the classes, 20 in total, but not a lot of information.  In most cases only a paragraph here and some more details later on.  This brings up a persistent issue, the rules are a bit scattered everywhere throughout the book. 

Additionally, there are two "Special Categories" of players (not characters) of "Orator" and "Sage" or essentially a storyteller and a record keeper.  Much in the same way Basic D&D has a "Caller."  Not much else is mentioned about these roles however. 

This character is considered to be your first incarnation.  Anytime your character dies, you can then reincarnate.  This allows you to change your nationality, class, and gender and retain a little bit of the Skill from a previous incarnation.  It is an interesting idea, I am not 100% certain though that it works. Knowing gamers I see a situation where players would play a character only to get them to die for a chance at a better character next time. 

There is a fun chart on inheritance that would be fun to port over to other games.  Related there are our ubiquitous tables of equipment.   

Some of the other secondary "Optional" characteristics are also detailed.  These include Agility, Charm, Dexterity, Drinking, and so on.  These are really more akin to "skills." The trouble is that some of these you have to roll higher, some you have to roll lower and others you don't roll at all.  There is no rhyme or reason here. 

Combat rules follow and they remind me a bit of Runequest.  Nothing really special really.  Strength points over 50 can add to your damage, Skill points over 50 can add to your "To hit" chance. Combat, like all the rolls here, start with a basic 50% chance to hit.  The Basic game just has you roll. The Advanced game has you make called shots.  Classes with Combat as their "Prime Ability" can improve their ability to hit even more. All classes can spend Power to also increase their to-hit bonus; 10 points of Power to increase your chance by 1%.  Interestingly armor does not stop you from being hit, it does reduce damage taken.

The goal of the game though is the accumulation of Power.  Power advances your character and can overcome that 50% failure rate.  Power also is the, well, power behind Magic. 

The last third or so of the book covers all sorts of additional rules.  Some seem tossed in, to be honest. Poisons are covered as are spells.  

Magic, as expected, is given some special attention, though not as much as I was expecting.  Magic is assumed to be real and work, at least part of the time.  Magic is described as "Coincidence," a spell is uttered and something happens whether it caused it or not. "Science," Damascus steel is given an example. The superior technology was seen as magic. "Psychic Phenomena" which not really an explanation at all, likewise "Trance State" and as "Lost Knowledge."  Though no explanation is really given as to how magic works.  

Book 3

The adventures take up Book 3 and is 64 pages.  This book is for the Lore Master (Game Master) only and is also one of the weaker parts of the game.  The Adventures, while interesting, are a bit of a railroad. In order to succeed the players have to hit all the parts in order and then move on to the next adventure.   

The adventures include the following:

• The Dragon Loose in Rome. Not a dragon really, but a rogue T-Rex.  Not that this makes any more sense, but ok, points for effort.  
• Apollo's Temple. Emperor Caligula sends the characters to the Temple of Apollo aka Stonehenge.
• The Witches of Lolag Shlige. The characters then have to go to Ireland (Hibernia) and rescue a child from some witches.
• The Great Pyramid Revealed. Caligula has issued a death warrant for the characters. They find themselves in the Great Pyramid of Giza.

These adventures are a prelude to the published adventures.   There are some neat ideas here, but the adventures lack something for me. Actually, it lacks a lot of things for me, but I could make some changes to make them work.

There are some encounter tables, but they only cover the areas that the adventures are detailed here. I also have to note there are no monsters here. Just humans. 

One of the bigger criticisms of this game at the time was the then $19.00 price tag, which is about $55 in today's buying power. Now, $20 for a boxed set of three books, character sheets, and dice sounds like a steal. With the PDF at just $7.95, it is a price I think should attract anyone interested in this game. 

The art is in black & white, which is expected and welcome, but there is not a lot of it and some of it is repeated throughout the books.  

Man, Myth, & Magic sometimes feels like two different games, or rather two different ideas merged into one game. I feel that the classic Roman Gladiator/Basic Game was Herbie Brennan's idea and the worldwide game of various nations and types or the Advanced Game was Steve Peek's. Given that Brennan started working on a game called "Arena" which was a Gladitorial RPG. I don't have anything concrete to base this on other than a feeling. 

About Reincarnation

Reincarnation is quite a big deal in this game. This is not a huge surprise given Herbert Brennan's publication history.  His book "The Reincarnation Workbook: A Complete Course in Recalling Past Lives" could work as a guide for this game.  Personally, I would like to use the reincarnation idea to help smooth out some of the issues with different times.  So adventurers from Cleopatra VII's Egypt can then deal with Tiberius and then help in Boudicea's raid on Londinium.   Something similar to the Old Soul quality in Unisystem.  

Somehow, using the idea of the Distant Memory, which, like Old Soul, allows the characters to draw on past life knowledge and skill.  That is easy to do in Unisystem, not so easy to do in D&D like games with very rigidly defined classes. Taking a level in another class might do it. 

Not the same thing, but great fun

There is an interesting game here but I think the concept of it is greater than the rules as presented actually allow.  It never quite lives up to what the box claims.  Nor is it the abomination that earlier reviews made it out to be.  I think most reviewers balked at the price tag and the fact that the game did not offer anything new; at least not anything that meant going through the rather clunky rules. 

It is most certainly not a historically accurate game. It is historically inspired, to be sure, but not by any means accurate. 

The bottom line is that the game isn't good; in fact, it's rather bad in many respects. That is not to say that someone won't find this game interesting or fun. There are far, far better games out there. The game has some things that I enjoy, but not enough to make me want to play the RPG on a regular basis.  

Larina Nix for Man, Myth & Magic

Given this game's history and other tie-ins, a witch character is absolutely called for. As I have pointed out before in my *D&D games, witches can't use raise dead or resurrection spells, nor can they be used on them; witches can only reincarnate. This works well with Herbie Brennan's own ideas. So I am left sitting here wondering why it has taken me this long to make a witch character, especially one whose backstory (and future story) includes reincarnation. 

Indeed, the connection between Herbie Brennan, this game, and his own interest in the occult makes this character a no-brainer. A lot here works well for Larina, but nothing is perfect for her. There are sorcerers, wise-women, and even the leprechaun looks like fun. 

Larina "Nix" Nichols
Daughter of Lars

Nationality: 
Class: "Witch" (Mystic)
Prime Ability: Intelligence

BASIC
Strength: 45
Speed: 66
Skill: 78
Endurance: 60
Intelligence: 89
Courage: 75
Power: 91
LIFE POINTS: 335

OPTIONAL
Agility: 58
Charm: 15
Determination: 77
Dexterity: 60
Drinking: 22
Devotion: 20 (to the Old Ways)
Hearing: 50
Height: 5'4"

Language: 86% (3) Brittonic (Fluent), Latin (Basic), Saxon (Rudimentary)
Loyalty: 92 (to coven and outcast kin)
Luck: 3
Mental: 23
Read & Write: 92% (Brittonic runes, Latin scripts)
Senses: 45
Sight: 60
Stealth: 60

Swimming: 65
Portage: 40
Throwing: 48
Weight: 122 lbs

City Knowledge: 29 (limited, prefers villages)
Desert Knowledge: 5 (none)
Mountain Knowledge: 52 (hills, sacred sites)
Sea Knowledge: 51 (familiar with coastlines)
Woods Knowledge: 86 (knows herbs, hidden paths, spirits)

Magical/Special Fundamental Failure Rate:  5%/ 21%
First Strike Capacity: 125
Basic To Hit Number: 66
Number of Blows per Combat:  2   Per Round: 1  
Damage Bonus: +2
CMF: +10 when using spells, herbs, or improvised items

Weapons Allowed: Dagger, small blade, staff, sling
Armour Allowed: Leather or cloth robes only (prefers no armor)

Dexterity Figure: 17

Spells

• Healing - 1 pp = 2 LP
• Corn Dolly - 5 points of damage
• Woven Cross (Cross of Brigit) - Restores LP
• Pentacle - Turn Demons

Who Should Play This Game?

I would say the PDF, at just under $8, makes it worthwhile for the very, very curious. I have my boxed set, and I am happy with it, but my expectations were low, and my curiosity was really high. The PDFs are good, and Precis Intermedia did a great job cleaning them up and getting them out, so that is also a point in favor of the game.

The game itself is only worth about 2 stars.  My curiosity about it and desire to have it pushed it closer to 4 stars.  Ultimately, I will give 3 stars since I don't want to unduly affect Precis Intermedia games' overall rating.  But don't grab this unless you are really curious (which is a good reason) or want to see how not to design a game. 

There is another group that might be interested in this. Anyone who takes Herbie Brennan's ideas of reincarnation and astral projection seriously can use this game as a guide for exploring ideas in his Reincarnation Workbook. Not my thing, but some one will enjoy that aspect of it. 

Still, there is fun to be had with the right group and mindset. 

Links

• Man, Myth & Magic on RPG Geek
• Man, Myth & Magic (Classic Reprint) PDFs on DriveThruRPG
• Timeship, Herbie Brennan's other game.
• Man, Myth & Magic RPG (Classic Reprint) Published by Precis Intermedia
• PDF and Softcover store
• Character Sheet
• Roll for Sanity Unboxing video

Fantasy Fridays: The Dark Eye

I am concluding Walpurgis Week with the perfect game for both Walpurgis Week and Fantasy Fridays, Germany's own The Dark Eye.

I have known about this game for a while, both The Dark Eye and the original German Das Schwarze Auge. I always wanted to own the original German, having taken German in both high school and college, but not using a language for, well, longer than I care to admit, you lose it. Das tut mir leid.

The Dark Eye always attracted me as a sort of darker fantasy RPG.  A game where Mirkwood is replaced by the Black Forest.  

I picked the 2nd Printing of the English edition at my local game auction.  I grabbed the core rules and a bunch of add-ons that I suspect came from Kickstarter. There is a lot, and it all looks so good. There is even a basic QuickStart.

The Dark Eye - Core Rules

Hardcover & PDF. 414 pages. Full-color cover and interior art (and all of it is gorgeous).

For the purposes of this review, I am considering both my hardcover version and the PDF from DriveThruRPG.

There is so much about this book and game that I love. Before I go into my deep dive I want to say that this game is wonderfully crunchy; this is not a rules-light game. BUT, and I can't stress this enough, it works so well here.  This easily could have come across as an artifact of the mid-80s with some early 2000s notions added on, but it doesn't. It actually all holds together rather well. I can well imagine that this is what D&D would have been like if instead of the wilds of Wisconsin it grew up in the wilds of Germany.  In both cases, the beer and brats would have been good. The adventuring world, Aventuria (and I will be discussing that more), is a dark place but the characters seem lighter for it. It is a nice antidote for the "Grimdark" worlds where the characters are equally grim. 

Chapter 1: Introduction 

This chapter gives us the basics of the game including what an RPGs are. We also get some background on the adventuring land of Aventuria including the lands of Middenrealm and surrounding lands. There is a nice map too. We get a brief on all the gods and demigods and even the five major dragons of the world. 

Chapter 2: Basic Rules

Covers what it says, basic rules. The game mostly uses d6s and d20s. There are eight attributes; Courage (Cou), Sagacity (Sag), Intuition (Int), Charisma (Cha), Dexterity (Dex), Agility (Agl), Constitution (Con), and Strength (Con). Remember I said it was wonderfully crunchy. Attribute checks are rolled on a 1d20, rolling under their score. Pretty easy. There are modifiers to these rolls, as expected. A roll of "1" is a success, and "20" is a botch.  If a modifier ever brings an attribute below "1" then it can't be attempted. This chapter also covers the basics of Skill checks and combat. 

There are also various Conditions, like confusion, pain, paralysis and so on that also modify various rolls and even combat and movement. 

I think this great to have all of this up front since it helps with the Character Creation section next.

Chapter 3: Hero Creation

This chapter details character creation. There are 15 steps outlined. Sounds like a lot, but character creation is quite detailed. It is a 4-page character sheet after all. There are many human cultures that provide some roleplaying differences and some mechanical ones. Additionally, there are Elven and Dwarven cultures too. By Step 5 we are getting to allocating points to our Attributes. Going pretty fast so far. This is a point-buy system and like many modern RPGs you can set caps on attributes and the total number of points.  You can choose a Profession (detailed in Chapter 6), as well as choosing Advantages and Disadvantages. You can then modify abilities, calculate combat techniques, choose any special abilities, calculate your derived characteristics, buy equipment, choose your starting age and name. 

There are some sample characters given and some details of how they were made. With all these cultures, professions, advantages, and disadvantages you can make a wide variety of characters. 

I created one for a Character Creation Challenge. The process was long but really fun. I was reminded of both factors while working on Larina below.

Make no mistake here. Character creation takes a long time. There is a lot going on here. While there are no classes, even with the aid of professions character creation will take up a good part of Session 0. 

Chapter 4: Races

This gets into detail on the races available to us. In addition to the Humans, Elves, and Dwarves we have met there are also Half-Elves (who use elf or human culture). They seem to conform to pretty much what you would expect them to. The attraction of this game though is again, the deep lore and connection to the setting. These are not Tolkien elves and dwarves, nor are they Forgotten Realms, Skyrim, or Pathfinder ones. They are, on the surface, familiar and also very much their own thing.

Chapter 5: Cultures

Cultures are the more important aspect of your character's background. So there is more on culture than on race. The cultures are highly detailed and have some Earth analogues, but not exact copies which is nice. There is a good overview on Wikipedia.

Chapter 6: Professions

These are the "not classes" of The Dark Eye. And there are a lot of them here. They are divided into three types: Mundane, Magical, and Blessed.

Mundanes include Bard, Courtier, Gladiator, Guard, Healer, Hunter, Knight, Mercenary, Merchant, Performer, Rogue, Sailor, Spy, Tribal Warrior, and Warrior. 

Magical professions are: Spellweaver, Wyldrunner, Cat Witch, Raven Witch, Toad Witch (three witches!), Black Mage, Gray Mage, Guildless Mage, and White Mage.

Blessed professions are your cleric and religious types. They are: Blessed One of Boron, Blessed One of Hesinde, Blessed One of Peraine, Blessed One of Phex, Blessed One of Praios, and Blessed One of Rondra. Or, the various gods of the land, but not all of them.

Chapter 7: Advantages and Disadvantages

This covers the same lists found in character creation, but much more detail.

I am a huge fan of Advantages and Disadvantages. We used them all the time in Unisystem and became a great mechanic. I would love to see them ported over to D&D in someway.  But I guess modern D&D has feats, so there is that. These are great here and hit all the ones I expect to see.

Chapter 8: Skills and Chapter 9: Combat

Both chapters deal with how to run skills, non-combat, and combat, respectively.  Chapter 8, like Chapter 7, provides more detail than what was presented in Character Creation, Chapter 3.

Chapter 10: Magic

My favorite part of any fantasy RPG is Magic. This one is no exception. In the Dark Eye we have two basic methods of controlling arcane power, Spellcasting and Rituals. 

Now various spell-casting checks rely on different combinations of attributes, so no one mage is going to be great at everything unless all their attribute are high. Point-buy mostly assures this won't happen. Magic is a highly detailed affair, as to be expected. So one magic-using class is certainly not like the other. 

There are rules for traditions, artifacts, illusions. Just tons of details here. It is certainly one of the most robust magic systems I have seen in a while. Even elves have a complete different set of magics. 

And of course, there are spell listings. 

Chapter 11: Works of the Gods

This is similar to the Magic chapter, but for the Blessed Ones.  The magic here has different mechanics as to be expected really. While the "Spells" are largely similar format (for ease of reading) they feel very different.

Chapter 12: Detailed Rules

Covers all sorts of other rules. Healing, disease, poisons, heat and cold, and gaining experience. Also how Arcane Energy and Karma are replenished. 

Chapter 13: Bestiary

My next favorite chapter after Magic is usually this one, and it's great. We get all sorts of demons, elementals, animals, and familiars listed here. There is obviously room for much more. The monsters are built like characters, so they have similar stat blocks.

Chapter 14: Equipment

All the gear your characters will need.

Chapter 15: Game Tips

Both tips for the Players and the GMs. Kudos to them showing apples as the game snack.

Appendix

This includes a checklist for optional rules (with page numbers), common abbreviations, and tables.

There is just SO MUCH with this game.

I am overjoyed AND overwhelmed with all the options.  I can easily see why this game is so popular here and in Germany.  It is a game I would love to do more with. There is just so much material to be had, both to buy and for free. There is even a Community Content section for fan-produced works.

I could spend another year with it and still be finding something new. My only regret is not having anyone I can play this one with.  Well. I suppose I will mine it for ideas.

Larina Nix for the Dark Eye

A fantasy RPG with a dedicated witch class? Of course, I am going to try to build Larina here. I am opting to go with an older and more powerful version of her here with the Legendary experience level. It gives me a good idea of what progression is like in this game. 

Larina Nix
Female Human Middenrealmer Cat Witch

COU 14
SGC 15
INT 16
CHA 18
DEX 10
AGI 12
CON 13
STR 9

Life Points 34
Arcane Energy 45
Karma -
Spirit 2
Toughness 1
Dodge 6
Initiative 13+1d6

Fate Points 3
Social Standing 2 (Free)

Experience Level: Legendary (2,100 AP)

Advantages
Spellcaster, Good Looks (II), Increased Arcane Energy (VII), Increased Life Points (III), Socially Adaptable, Rich (VI)

Disadvantages
Bad Habit (Bites Nails), Annoyed by Minor Spirits, Afraid of Fire (I), Negative Trait (Obsessed with Magic)

Special Abilities
Tradition (Witch), Language & Literacy, Flying Balm, Connection to Familiar, Forbidden Portals

Languages
Cyclopean, Alaani, Alaani Script, Middenrealmer (native)

Skills
Physical: Body Control 4, Climbing 4, Dancing 12, Flying 12, Perception 12, Singing 14, Stealth
Social: Disguise 3, Empathy 12, Etiquette 5, Fast-Talk 4, Intimidate 6, Seduction 14
Nature: Animal Lore 6, Plant Lore 12, Survival 4
Knowledge: Astronomy 15, Magical Lore 20, Math 14, Myths & Legends 12, Religions 12
Craft: Alchemy 12, Artistic Ability 12, Clothworking 1, Metalworking 1, Music 12, Prepare Food 6, Treat Disease 6, Treat Soul 6, Treat Wounds 6, Woodworking 1

Not Larina, but really close. p 345

Combat Techniques
Brawling 7, Daggers 7 (melee) 6 (ranged)

Familiar
"Wattebausch" (Cat)
SA: First Among Equals

Spells
Cat Eyes 6
Harmless Shape 5
Fighting Stick 4
Odem 4
Gaze into the Mind 6
Satvarian's Splendor 5
Witch's Bile 4
Witch's Claws 4
Analyze Arcane 6
Corpofesso 4
Motoricus 4
Transversalis 6

Rituals
Call Djinn

Cantrips
Lucky Fingers
Rainbow Eyes

Age: 37
Birthday: Travia 25
Social Status: Free
Hair: Red
Eyes: Blue
Height: 5'4"

I like this version quite a lot. For role-playing ideas, I based this one largely on the version of her I ran over last summer in Blue Rose. 

Character creation is best done with the people you are going to game with. Not because the characters are mechanically tied to each other, but rather it is all too easy to make a character that is great at one thing and terrible at all others. Larina here is a great magic character and a very good (maybe even great) social character. When it comes to combat, though, she is rather terrible. She is going to have to rely on her charms to get through. But that is fine really, The Dark Eye is not a combat-focused game. Oh, you can, no doubt, but there is so much more here. 

I spent about 500 AP on skills alone and about that on Spells and Rituals. I have a handful left, but I rounded down to keep my math in check. I didn't buy any equipment or weapons other than a dagger and a broom. 

Who Should Play This Game?

This game may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it is perfect for some groups. 

For me, I love it. The game is amazing, really, and it looks great. Production-wise, it can go toe-to-toe with D&D 5e. It is deep, gorgeous, and there is history here. I am so disappointed that more people don't play it, and I am more disappointed that *I* don't get to play it more.

So, who should play this game? Everyone. Everyone should try this game. Under the caveat that you should try it with a Game Master who knows the game well and can help speed you along some of the crunchier bits.

Could this Game Replace D&D?

That depends. It has everything to play the same sorts of games that people playing D&D want. In fact while going through it all I can't help but think that Strixhaven would fare better under the rules for The Dark Eye. I have also already taken the adventure Witch's Dance and ported it over to D&D/OSR. While power levels are different, with characters in The Dark Eye scaled down from their D&D counterparts.

In it's home country of Germany, Das Schwarze Auge has already replaced D&D for many and is the "generic" for Fantasy RPGs, much like saying D&D is here. 

The setting is deep and rich. The art is gorgeous. The customization options for characters is outstanding. The only thing holding it back is how crunchy it is. Figuring out skills was like dealing with AD&D 1st Ed proficiency bonuses. Yes, it got a lot easier as you went on. Same with spells. But that initial learning curve will be more than many will want to do. 

In any case, it is still an excellent game. I wish it got more love here in the States.

Links

• Ulisses Spiele
• The Dark Eye (English)
• Das Schwarze Auge (German)
• DriveThruRPG site
• My Links
• Review: The Dark Eye
• Review: The Dark Eye - Witch's Dance (100 Days of Halloween)
• Character Creation Challenge: The Dark Eye
• Wikipedia
• Wiki Aventurica

Fantasy Fridays: Hyperborea 3rd Edition

 Welcome to my first proper Fantasy Fridays. For this first one I want to feature one of my favorite fantasy RPGs. It is Jeffrey Talanian's Hyperborea RPG, now in its 3rd Edition.

I keep coming back to this game time and time again for good reason, it is just a fantastic game.

This game has the feel of first Edition AD&D in a "Dying Earth" style setting. It is part Jack Vance's Dying Earth, but a greater part of Clark Ashton Smith's "Zothique." The world is old, cold, and dying.

The first edition was a boxed set of three books, and the second edition was a single massive tome. The third edition is now two separate books.

I have all three and have reviewed them all.  I'll throw some links below to the reviews and other characters, here is the the latest, the third edition, which sits nicely on my shelves with my AD&D books.

HYPERBOREA Player's Manual

PDF and Hardcover. 324 pages. Color cover, black & white art with full color art pages.

For my review, I am going to be considering the hardcover from the Kickstarter and the PDFs from DriveThruRPG.

The book starts with the credits, acknowledgments, and dedication to John Eric Holmes, the author/editor of the "Holmes" Basic edition. 

Chapter 1: Introduction this covers what this game is and what RPGs in general are. This is important and worth a read since it sets the stage for what sort of sub-genre this game covers, "swords, sorcery, and weird science-fantasy."  The classics of Swords and Sorcery are covered here briefly and how they add to the feeling of this game. This is pure Howard, Lovecraft, and Smith.

Chapter 2: Character Generation covers character creation. This chapter is brief covering of what you can do with the five chapters.  This also has a listing of the common "facts" known to every character. There is a section on leveling up. 

Chapter 3: Statistics or the "rolling up characters" chapter. The six recognizable methods are presented here. The most common of course is Method III; roll 4d6 drop the lowest.  We also have the same six attributes we have always had.

Each class has a "Fighting Ability" (FA) and a "Casting Ability" (CA) which relates to attacks. So yes, even magicians can get a little better in combat as they go up in level.  It's a great little shorthand and works great.  So a 4th level Fighter has a fighting ability of 4. A 4th level magician still only has a fighting ability of 1 and a cleric 3 and thief 3.  Subclasses can and do vary.

AC is descending (like old school games), BUT with the Fighting Ability stat it could be converted to an ascending AC easily.

Chapter 4: Classes We still have our Basic Four; Fighter, Magician, Cleric, and Thief.  Each also gets a number of subclasses.  Fighters get Barbarian, Berserker, Cataphract, Huntsman, Paladin, Ranger, and Warlock.  The Magician has Cryomancer, Illusionist, Necromancer, Pyromancer, and Witch. The Cleric has the Druid, Monk, Priest, Runegraver, and Shaman.  Finally, the Thief has the Assassin, Bard, Legerdemainist, Purloiner, and Scout.  

Each subclass is very much like its parent classes with some changes.  The classes look pretty well balanced.

Chapter 5: Background This covers all the things about the character that "happened" before they were characters.

Races are dealt with first. They include Amazons, Atlanteans, Esquimaux, Hyperboreans, Ixians, Kelts, Kimmerians, Lemurians, Picts, and Vikings along with the catch-all "Common" race of man.  No elves or dwarves here. Physique is also covered. 

Alignment is a simpler affair of Lawful Good, Lawful Evil, Chaotic Good, Chaotic Evil, and Neutral.

Along with race, there are various languages the characters can learn/know.  There are also gods here, an interesting mix of Greek, Lovecraftian, Norse, and Smith gods. 

There are background skills and weapon skills. Though I misread "charcoaler" as "chocolatier," and now I want a character with this background. 

Chapter 6: Equipment Or the "let's go shopping" chapter.  If you missed the "to hit modifiers vs. armor types/AC" in AD&D then I have a treat for you. Weapons here are more detailed than they were in previous editions of HYPERBOREA; or at least more detailed than my memory of the older editions.  Just checked, this one is much more detailed. 

Chapter 7: Sorcery This is our spell chapter but it also covers alchemy. Spells are split up by character class. Spells are limit to 6th level since classes are all limited to 12 levels. Spell descriptions are all alphabetical. This covers about 75 pages.  

Chapter 8: Adventure. This chapter improves over the previous editions. It covers all sorts of adventure topics like hirelings and henchmen, climbing, doors, nonstandard actions, time and movement.

Chapter 9: Combat. All sorts of combat topics are covered. Critical hits, unarmed combat, mounted combat and more. Damage and madness are also covered. The madness section is small and not really designed to mimic the real world. 

Appendix A: Name Generator. Pretty useful, really, to get the right feel of the game. Afterall "Bob the Barbarian" isn't going to cut it here. 

Appendix B: Lordship and Strongholds. What each class and subclass gains as a Lord or Lady of their chosen strongholds.  There is a great section on creating strongholds as well.

Appendix C: Cooperative Gaming. This covers how well to play in a group.

Appendix D: OGL Statement. This is our OGL statement.

These appendices (with the exception of D) are all new. 

There is also a great index.

So I will admit I was unsure about backing the 3rd Edition of HYPERBOREA.  I have the 1st and 2nd Editions and they have served me well over the last few years.  This edition brings enough new material to the table that it really is the definitive version of the game. 

The leatherette covers are really nice and I am happy I waited for it. Since the Player's and Ref's books are now separate, I could, if I wanted, pick up another Player's book.

The art is great. There are some reused pieces and still plenty of new ones. It uses the art well and helps set the tone of the game.

HYPERBOREA Referee's Manual

PDF and Hardcover. 308 pages. Color cover, black & white art with full-color art pages.

Chapter 10: Introduction Again, this is our introduction this time for the Game Master or Referee's point of view. What the Referee does for the game and more. 

Chapter 11: Refereeing This get's into the Game Mastering process in detail. This covers grant experience for the characters and setting up the campaign. 

Chapter 12: Bestiary Our monster section and truthfully one of my favorites. The expected ones are here, but there are also plenty of new ones.  This covers roughly 130 pages.  There are interesting new takes on some classic "D&D" monsters, plus many new ones like a bunch of new "lesser" and "sublunary" demons. The format is most similar to Basic or Labyrinth Lord, and it is full of the usual suspects with some Lovecraftian Horrors, and even remnants of alien and bygone ages. "Demons" are here, but no devils. 

Chapter 13: Treasure Covers treasure types and magical treasure. Among the magic items are things like Radium Pistols and other sc-fi artifacts. Very pulpy. It also includes some rules on scribing spell and protection scrolls. There is even a small section on Alchemy in Hyperborea. Very useful to have really.

Chapter 14: Gazetteer.  The lands are a pastiche of Howard, Vance, Lovecraft, and Smith.  If these names mean anything to you, then you know or have an idea, of what you are going to get here.  This section has been greatly expanded from the previous editions. Included here are the gods again and a little more on religion.  Basically, you get the idea that gods are either something you swear by (or to) or get sacrificed to by crazy cultists.  So yeah, you know I am a fan.

Appendix A: Weather in Hyperborea. Likely more important here than, say, other game worlds. Weather in Hyperborea is dangerous. 

Appendix B: Hazards of Hyperborea. There are horrible things waiting for you in Hyperborea and they are not all monsters or the weather. 

Appendix C: Waterborne Expeditions. Covers waterborne adventures and combat. 

Appendix D: Warfare and Siege. Your characters have built their strongholds. Now someone wants to know it down.  Here are the rules.

Appendix E: OGL Statement. The OGL statement for this book.

Since the 2nd edition, nearly every aspect of this game has been expanded, some sections more than others, but it is a great upgrade.

The art throughout is very evocative of the setting. Mighty thewed barbarians, shining knights, elderly and eldritch wizards. 

Larina Nix for Hyperborea 3rd Edition

A dedicated witch class? Yes please! That means I want to try out Larina here. Now I have tried other witch characters with the Hyperborea rules, but to build my iconic witch is something of a full test for me and a game. 

Larina Nix

Female Kelt Witch 12th level

Alignment: Neutral (Lawful)

ST 9 [+0 +0 2:6 4%]
DX 12 [+0 +0 3:6 4%]
CN 12 [+0 +0 75% 2:6 4%]
IN 18 [+3 95%, Bonus Spells 1, 2, 3, 4]
WS 18 [+2]
CH 18 [+3 12 +1]

Age: 30s
AC: 1 (Cloak of Darkness, Bracers of Defense)
HD: d4
hp: 27
FA: 5
CA: 12
#Attacks: 1/1
Damage: 1d4+3 (dagger+3), 1d6 (staff)
SV: 11 (+2 Transformation, +2 Sorcery)
ML: 12

Abilities
Alchemy, Brew Decoction, Familiar, Read Magic, Scroll Use, Scroll Writing, Sorcery, Dance of Beguilement, Effigy, Henchmen, Broom Enchantment, Ladyship, Witch's Apprentice

Spells
First level (5+1): Charm Person, Detect Magic, Mending, Shocking Grasp, Sleep, Write Spell (Charm Person in ring)
Second level (5+1): Bless, Extrasensory Perception, Hold Person, Identity, Ray of Enfeeblement, Shatter, (Ungovernable Hideous Laughter in ring)
Third level (4+1): Dispel Magic, Phantasm, Tongues, Witch Fire, Wind Wall, (Starlight in ring)
Fourth level (4+1): Gylph of Warding, Moonlight, Mirror Mirror, Sorcerer Eye, (Transfer Wounds in ring)
Fifth level (3): Anti-magic Shell, Control Winds, Shadow Conjuration

Sixth level (2): Control Weather, See

Languages: Common, Keltic (Goidelic), Hellenic (Greek), Old Norse, Speak with the Dead, Speak with Nature Spirits
Size: M (Height: 5'4", 125 lbs)
Move: 40
Saving Throw Modifiers: Transformation +2, Sorcery +2
Secondary Skill: Scribe
God: Lunaqqua

Flying Cat ("Cotton Ball"): AL N; SZ S; MV 10 (Fly 80); DX 15; AC 7; HD 1/4 (hp 5); #AT 3/1 (claw, claw, bite); D 1/1/1; SV 17; ML 5; XP 11

Normal Gear
Clothing, daggers (2), backpack, woolen blanket, chalk, ink and quill, polished steel mirror, incendiary oil, parchment (4), soft leather pouch (2), small sack (2), tinderbox, torches (2), wineskin (wine), writing stick, iron rations (one week), spellbook (contains all prepared spells), 5 gp, 15 sp, gems (100gp)

Magic Items
Bracers of Defense, Ring of Spell Storing (4 spells), Ring of Telekinesis (100 lbs), Wand of Magic Missiles, Wand of Lightning Bolts, Bonded Broom, Cloak of Shadows, Gem of Brightness, Horn of Blasting (Thor), Copper Skull Necklace 

I like this version. So who is this Larina? This is Larina at the End of Time. She has all the memories of her past lives and often gets lost in them. Not really remembering who, or when, she is. She lives alone in her witch's cottage with her, yet unnamed apprentice. This is not the Witch-Queen Larina, this is something lesser and far older.

She would make for a great NPC for the next time I run this game.

Who Should Play This Game?

Anyone that enjoyed First Edition AD&D but liked the level limits of B/X D&D. Humans abound here, so if you like playing anything other than a human, you might not have as much fun. Also, the world is bleak and dying. This is not a time of heroes to make for a better day; better days are past. This is a time to survive against brutal odds and in the face of an uncaring universe. 

Also, play this if you loved the works of Jack Vance, H.P. Lovecraft, and especially Clark Ashton Smith. 

There is also a pretty good online community for this game, so support and advice are often a click or two away.

This is one of the games that I play the least but want to play the most. I love everything about it. It combines so many of my favorite things in one game that I am hard pressed to think of something I would have done differently.  Well...maybe go to level 14 so I could map it onto my Basic-era games plans a bit better.  

Links

• NorthWind Adventures Page (Home of Hyperborea)
• DriveThruRPG page
• Discord
• Facebook
• Xitter
• Instagram
• Reviews
• Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea, 1st Edition
• Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea, 2nd Edition
• HYPERBOREA 3rd Edition Player's Manual
• HYPERBOREA 3rd Edition Referee's Manual
• Other Products
• Plays Well With Others
• 2nd Edition
• BASSH, Basic Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea
• Characters
• Miriam, The Witch-Queen of Yithorium
• Red Sonja
• Skylla
• Tanith, 2nd Edition
• Tanith, 3rd Edition
• Xaltana

Monstrous Mondays: DMGR4 Monster Mythology (2e)

 I want to pick back up my reviews of my collection of Forgotten Realms books, I also want to keep up my exploration of various monsters that have appeared in past versions of the *D&D game. With the lack of "playable humanoids" in the current Monster Manual, I returned to my collection and found a book that fits my needs.  While this means I am skipping over a couple of books in my chronological order, they are all connected to each other, so I can justify it. 

Of note, this is another book I obtained from the Grenda collection. So that is also a good reason to feature it. It can also stand-in as an entry to my "One Man's God" series. 

DMGR4 Monster Mythology (2e)

1992, by Carl Sargent. Art by John Lakey, Laura Lakey, Keith Parkinson, Terry Dykstra. Softcover, blue&white and full color art. 128 Pages.

This book was the fourth in the DMGR, or Dungeon Master's Guide Rules, series for AD&D 2nd edition. I did not purchase many of these when they were new. At this point, most, if not all, of my gaming money went to Ravenloft-themed products. 

This book covers, not monsters really, but their gods, demigods, and heroes. The format is simialr to that of new Legends & Lore book for 2nd Edition, and it would be a prequel of sorts to various Forgotten Realms "Faiths & Avatars" books, with Demihuman Deities being its direct descendant. 

Now to be fair, Monster Mythology is not a Realms book per se. A lot of what goes on in this book will later get adopted to the Realms. Author Carl Sargent, also know for his Greyhawk From the Ashes boxed set, makes many mentions of various Greyhawk secific gods. It seems that he felt these two products would work together. And they do, quite well in fact, but the Forgotten Realms are also explicitly mentioned. 

What does this book actually have in it?

There are gods for the Elves (including sea elves), Dwarves, Gnomes, and Halflings, specifically for the Forgotten Realms, though we have seen these before in one form or another. There are "Goblinoid Deities" of the orcs, goblins, bugbears, kobolds, and others.  

There are the Gods of the Underdark: For Drow, Underdark Dwarves, Illithids, Beholders, Myconids, and Deep Gnomes. 

Gods for the Giants, for other monsters, and many more are also mentioned. This includes the Elder Elemental God, aka the Elder Elemental Eye. This book does nothin to clear up that confusion, but that is fine. I like my gods messy. Case in point, the Demon Lord Juiblex is listed as a Lesser God here. Indeed, one man's god is another man's demon.

In addition to Juiblex, other demons are mentioned and get deity-level treatment. This includes Demogogn, Yeenoghu, Kostchtchie, Baphomet, and Lolth (naturally). Additionally, other "monsters" get god-like treatments, such as Bahamut and Tiamat. 

Vampires, liches, and even hags get gods. Though I am not sure I'd ever use them as gods and more as "powerful examples" of each type. 

It is an interesting mix, especially rereading it with 2025 eyes. Some gods were ported over from the various Gods of the Demihumans articles from Dragon magazine, and others from previous Realms-based books and earlier as well. The Underdark gets more detail. It's no surprise; the early 1990s were all about the Underdark and Drow in particular.

All gods get mentions of their Specialty Priests. So in general, this book has more value to the game than does the Legends & Lore book proper. 

A couple of thoughts, though, of my own.

I'm not sure what happens with the gods of the Kobolds as they became less "goblin" and more "dragon."  I am likely to say that these gods were once powerful kobold heroes that fell into a sort of ancestor worship. 

I also can't see the Illithids or the Beholders having gods. For the Illithids, I say that their two gods, Ilsensine and Maanzecorian, are not real beings but rather constructs of the Illithid shared mindscape, something akin to a Tulpa. The beholders, on the other hand, have their "Great Mother," who I say is not so much a divine figure, but actually the mother of all beholders. So in a way she is more akin to Vlaakith of the Githyanki. 

The book is flexible enough to be used in any campaign setting, and it mentions just about every campaign setting from that time. 

While the book has been superseded by newer AD&D 2nd Ed books in the Forgotten Realms and by shifts in the pantheons in different editions, this is still a solid book.

The details on specialty priests alone makes it worthwhile.  

Review: The Forgotten Realms Atlas

 Last month I presented a few characters from Grenda's collection of Forgotten Realms material. It got me thinking I needed to continue my exploration of the Realms.  Among the books in his collection is the amazing The Forgotten Realms Atlas. Under normal circumstances at this point in my exploration of a new world I would go right to a publication like this. The fact that it is the next book in chronological order and it was part of my friend's collection makes it an even better choice. 

The Forgotten Realms Atlas (2e)

1990. By Karen Wynn Fonstad. Forewords by Ed Greenwood and Jeff Grubb. 178 pages.

Before I get into this book, I have a few words about Karen Wynn Fonstad. She is not a name usually associated with the Realms, but she is a "name." Prior to this book, she had given us the equally extensive Atlas of the Dragonlance World. She came to these via her work on The Atlas of Middle-Earth, The Atlas of Pern, and the Atlas of The Land from "Chronicles of Thomas Covenant." All epic works of cartography and staples of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Club during the 1980s.  All her books have a similar feel to them, and all are meticulously well-researched. She had been the Director of Cartographic Services at the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh and had fallen in love with Tolkien's world back in 1975.  I don't know if she felt the same love for Toril, Krynn or Pern, but her work in all three was top-notch. She passed in 2005 at the young age of 59. She was remembered fondly in the New York Times this past January, nearly 20 years after her death.

The Atlas itself is a massive work. The book itself is 178 pages, with 3-color art. The only illustrations in the book are Fonstad's maps and there is nearly a map per page. These are not just geographical maps of places, there are maps of towns, homes, castles, even standing stones on the Moonshae islands. Everything is footnoted and cross referenced. 

It covers all the Forgotten Realms products, novels and RPG sources, up that point. So it is pretty comprehensive. 

The atlas is divided into four major sections.

Part One: Regions

This covers the large regions of the known world of the Forgotten Realms circa 1990. It includes large area maps of the Western Realms (most familiar) north and south, the Hordelands, and the Eastern Realms where Kara-Tur had been newly re-set. 

Part Two: The Moonshae Isles

This covers the Moonshaes and the places (and events) of the Darkwater Trilogy novels. I should probably read those at some point. The level of detail here is rather amazing, to be honest, and you do get the feel that this is a living, breathing world. 

Part Three: The North and West

Again, the areas most familiar even to the most casual Realms fan. Though, while I admit that now I am likely more than a casual fan, the amount of detail here is staggering to me. There is so much I don't know here. Reading it makes me feel like I have missed a lot since there are many references to the novels. I know I am never going to ever read everything Forgotten Realms, but this does make me appreciate the in-world and real-world history here.

Part Four: The Western Heartlands

This is the bulk of the book and is just packed. Here, I am further outside of the areas I know. Hell, even the areas I know I know I don't know well. But I think I am going to come back to this book very often.

Honestly. This book is a treasure. I had flipped through a copy of Fonstad's Atlas of Middle of Earth years ago and was blown away by it. I have the same feeling here. It is almost too much to take in at once.

Her References alone would be the basis of a great adventure, academically speaking, to read up on the Realms from 35 years ago. It is more than I could ever hope to read and still manage to get all my other reading in! But it also gives me ideas of other products to review, beyond what I already have.