So, I'm fairly new to D&D, but a long time World of Darkness vet. I love lore. I devour it and I want to deep dive into the lore of the various D&D Campaign Settings (Forgotten Realms got my attention, in particular. I was a big Neverwinter Nights fan).
So, where should one start? Is there a recommended reading order? Should one include Campaign Setting guidebooks, in addition to novels and such?
I personally have really enjoyed the Ravnica setting, but if you want a more traditionally D&D setting then Forgotten Realms is definitely the best place to start. It's a pretty easy one to get into.
I would suggest reading up about the Times of Trouble and the Spellplague, which are pretty major events, as early as possible. Then of course the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. I'm not sure if your talking about the Neverwinter Nights MMO or the Bioware game. If you aren't talking about the Bioware game, I suggest playing at least the original campaigns of Neverwinter Nights Enhanced Edition and Neverwinter Nights 2 Complete. If you can't afford them or don't want to play them, you can read synopses of them in several areas. Take a look at or play the Waterdeep Modules (Dragon Heist and Dungeon of the Mad Mage) if you can. There is also Baldur's Gate 1 and 2, and Icewind Dale 1 and 2, in the same setting. R. A. Salvatore's novels set in The Forgotten Realms are usually what other people suggest, I personally haven't read them.
Cool. I love and adore the Bioware NWN games (The AOL MMO was before my time. Mom and Dad had issues with anything D&D and it ended before I moved out and had my own internet connection). I'm playing Baldur's Gate right now.
If I want to jump into the Forgotten Realms novels and just read all of them, do you know where I'd start? (And please god, let these all be available via iBooks)
OR for sake of simplicity, are there novels in the 5e era that're good jumping on points?
Death Masks seems to be the only one set in the current Forgotten Realms time (1491 DR), that one has a pretty interesting premise, doesn't seem to difficult to understand, has intrigue. Apparently it also has an appearance by Omin Dran (one of the Penny Arcade Characters in Acquisitions Incorporated) if you care about that sort of thing. You could read the following books that are a lead up to 5th Edition (in order): The Companions by R. A. Salvatore, The Godborn by Paul S. Kemp, The Adversary by Erin Evans, The Reaver by Richard Lee Byers, The Sentinel by Troy Denning, and The Herald by Ed Greenwood. Reading all the Books is... well I counted over 100 Books that were only between 1300 DR and 1365 DR that's not including short stories, so.... I don't recommend even attempting to read all the books.
Princes of the Apocalypse is also set around that time, but that's another Adventure Module. Which is usually what I do in Forgotten Realms, I'm afraid someone else will need to come it on the novel side.
Also, when I said MMO Neverwinter Nights I meant the new Free-to-Play one. Most people don't know about the AOL one so I just kid of assumed you probably didn't as well.
Watch YouTube, The channels of - AJ Pickett, or -Forgotten Realms History, are amazing for Lore.
Not only saves you from reading and hunting for it all, its graphic illustration helps so much for ideas and understanding.
I spent years Storytelling for World of Darkness, However Forgotten Realms has always been my home. These 2 channels has been an amazing source of Lore to catch up on. Choosing at your own leisure what part of the Lore you wish to follow helps the most.
I've enjoyed watching the videos on Forgotten Realms lore by Jorphdan.
If you're thinking of reading Forgotten Realms novels, I'd suggest the Drizzt books. I started with the Icewind Dale trilogy, which were the first ones written. (Crystal Shard, Streams of Silver, Halfling's Gem). But I think most people suggest starting with the Dark Elf trilogy, which begins the story of Drizzt (Homeland, Exile, Sojourn).
I really liked the Avatar Trilogy when I read it many years ago. (Shadowdale, Tantras, Waterdeep) This introduces you to an era known as the Time of Troubles, when the gods were cast out of the heavens and forced to walk the earth, vulnerable. The writing may not hold up, but when I read it I loved the story.
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So, I'm fairly new to D&D, but a long time World of Darkness vet. I love lore. I devour it and I want to deep dive into the lore of the various D&D Campaign Settings (Forgotten Realms got my attention, in particular. I was a big Neverwinter Nights fan).
So, where should one start? Is there a recommended reading order? Should one include Campaign Setting guidebooks, in addition to novels and such?
I personally have really enjoyed the Ravnica setting, but if you want a more traditionally D&D setting then Forgotten Realms is definitely the best place to start. It's a pretty easy one to get into.
I would suggest reading up about the Times of Trouble and the Spellplague, which are pretty major events, as early as possible. Then of course the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. I'm not sure if your talking about the Neverwinter Nights MMO or the Bioware game. If you aren't talking about the Bioware game, I suggest playing at least the original campaigns of Neverwinter Nights Enhanced Edition and Neverwinter Nights 2 Complete. If you can't afford them or don't want to play them, you can read synopses of them in several areas. Take a look at or play the Waterdeep Modules (Dragon Heist and Dungeon of the Mad Mage) if you can. There is also Baldur's Gate 1 and 2, and Icewind Dale 1 and 2, in the same setting. R. A. Salvatore's novels set in The Forgotten Realms are usually what other people suggest, I personally haven't read them.
Cool. I love and adore the Bioware NWN games (The AOL MMO was before my time. Mom and Dad had issues with anything D&D and it ended before I moved out and had my own internet connection). I'm playing Baldur's Gate right now.
If I want to jump into the Forgotten Realms novels and just read all of them, do you know where I'd start? (And please god, let these all be available via iBooks)
OR for sake of simplicity, are there novels in the 5e era that're good jumping on points?
Death Masks seems to be the only one set in the current Forgotten Realms time (1491 DR), that one has a pretty interesting premise, doesn't seem to difficult to understand, has intrigue. Apparently it also has an appearance by Omin Dran (one of the Penny Arcade Characters in Acquisitions Incorporated) if you care about that sort of thing. You could read the following books that are a lead up to 5th Edition (in order): The Companions by R. A. Salvatore, The Godborn by Paul S. Kemp, The Adversary by Erin Evans, The Reaver by Richard Lee Byers, The Sentinel by Troy Denning, and The Herald by Ed Greenwood. Reading all the Books is... well I counted over 100 Books that were only between 1300 DR and 1365 DR that's not including short stories, so.... I don't recommend even attempting to read all the books.
Princes of the Apocalypse is also set around that time, but that's another Adventure Module. Which is usually what I do in Forgotten Realms, I'm afraid someone else will need to come it on the novel side.
Also, when I said MMO Neverwinter Nights I meant the new Free-to-Play one. Most people don't know about the AOL one so I just kid of assumed you probably didn't as well.
Watch YouTube, The channels of - AJ Pickett, or -Forgotten Realms History, are amazing for Lore.
Not only saves you from reading and hunting for it all, its graphic illustration helps so much for ideas and understanding.
I spent years Storytelling for World of Darkness, However Forgotten Realms has always been my home. These 2 channels has been an amazing source of Lore to catch up on. Choosing at your own leisure what part of the Lore you wish to follow helps the most.
I watched this today, I learned a lot!
https://youtu.be/KRh9J9yMIUc
I've enjoyed watching the videos on Forgotten Realms lore by Jorphdan.
If you're thinking of reading Forgotten Realms novels, I'd suggest the Drizzt books. I started with the Icewind Dale trilogy, which were the first ones written. (Crystal Shard, Streams of Silver, Halfling's Gem). But I think most people suggest starting with the Dark Elf trilogy, which begins the story of Drizzt (Homeland, Exile, Sojourn).
I really liked the Avatar Trilogy when I read it many years ago. (Shadowdale, Tantras, Waterdeep) This introduces you to an era known as the Time of Troubles, when the gods were cast out of the heavens and forced to walk the earth, vulnerable. The writing may not hold up, but when I read it I loved the story.