I'm curious about 5e lore. The "official" Faerun map seems to be mostly just the Sword Coast, but older maps expand outwards a lot more. Is there a reason that WotC narrowed the scope on which Forgotten Realms lore takes place? Unless I'm misunderstanding something here?
Most of the original content was the from about Baldur's gate and northward, with it going eastward to Cormyr. At least much of the games and such I had interaction with. Even the vast majority of the dnd books I have read took place within that frame.
The Sword Coast is just a really diverse area to use as a baseline, Coastal regions, trade routes, large forests and swamps. Further north you get the frozen tundra and out west you have some island archipelagos to go island hopping on. There is some stuff for Chult as well for those that wish to go abroad.
Much like 5e as a whole I think it is to keep things relatively simple for a starting point, advanced players will go where they please but it gives a well established stomping ground for people that may be newer to everything dnd.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
I'm curious about 5e lore. The "official" Faerun map seems to be mostly just the Sword Coast, but older maps expand outwards a lot more. Is there a reason that WotC narrowed the scope on which Forgotten Realms lore takes place? Unless I'm misunderstanding something here?
I play a medium amount of board games.
Most of the original content was the from about Baldur's gate and northward, with it going eastward to Cormyr. At least much of the games and such I had interaction with. Even the vast majority of the dnd books I have read took place within that frame.
The Sword Coast is just a really diverse area to use as a baseline, Coastal regions, trade routes, large forests and swamps. Further north you get the frozen tundra and out west you have some island archipelagos to go island hopping on. There is some stuff for Chult as well for those that wish to go abroad.
Much like 5e as a whole I think it is to keep things relatively simple for a starting point, advanced players will go where they please but it gives a well established stomping ground for people that may be newer to everything dnd.
"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."