Ed which edition do you play? Depends on who I'm playing with and why (playtest, or for pleasure?). I "think" in 2e, which I had the largest hand in designing/spent longest working in. I sometimes run 3e. These days, a lot of 5e.
But most often, edition-less, rules-light "DM=storyteller, players=actors" style— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) January 29, 2020
Erika Muse, the Siren @icequeenerika@TheEdVerse
my PCs are patterning themselves after the Knights of Myth Drannor, their Esparran hometown heroes. Were any mass-market texts written about the Knights’ adventures? (We’re in the Year of the Prince, but of course I can adapt.)— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) March 12, 2020
1)
Not that quickly, no, but Florin’s rescue of the King (and the awarding of the adventuring band charter) was the subject of a chapbook entitled LOYAL VALOR IN THE FOREST that was popular reading around the Forest Kingdom, and…#Realmslore 2)
…has been locally reprinted in Espar many times (so it’s always available in shops there). Eventually, some Harpers wrote some simplified, censored (of Harper matters and Zhent intrigues, not sex or dirty words) chapbooks…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) March 12, 2020
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…about the Knights: SHADOWDALE DEFEATS THE DARK HAND OF ZHENTIL KEEP, THE KNIGHTS OF MYTH DRANNOR: HEROES FOR OUR TIMES, and THE TONGUE OF TORM: INSULTS AND CLEVER COMMENTS FOR THE TRAIL.#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) March 12, 2020
@TheEdVerse
Greetings, Great Sage!
I'm working on a campaign right now and I'm in need of comprehensive information on legal proceedings and laws of Waterdeep. I found some information in "The City of Splendors" and "WDH" but I don't think that's enough. I simply need more!— Daniil (@DanielProoglow) January 11, 2020
1)
Formally, there isn’t any more. The Code Legal is it.
However, over the years, a huge body of what we real-world moderns might call “case law” (precedents from settled cases) has built up, and decrees have been issued by the 2)
…Open Lord (usually speaking for the Masked Lords) which amount to new laws applying within Waterdeep and its patrolled environs.
Here's the short version of how justice works: nobles and now guildmasters have the right to be…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) January 12, 2020
3)
…tried by the Masked Lords, or by a trio of magisters including a Masked Lord; everyone else is tried by a magister (black-robed city magistrate). If you’re an accused, you don’t get to decide who.
There are no 4)
…lawyers/barristers/solicitors as we would define them in our modern real-world, but there are private “advocates” an accused can hire who will argue in court for those who are too frightened, injured, or tongue-tied, or…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) January 12, 2020
5)
…have language difficulties (and for convenience, some Realms writers have referred to such individuals as “lawyers.”) The City Watch is the local police force, who make arrests.
In practise, the wealthy and powerful, or… 6)
…individuals operating in politicially ticklish situations, can often arrange for charges to be dropped in return for paying fines and undertaking quiet agreements with the authorities (such as “stay away from X” or “leave the…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) January 12, 2020
7)
…city forthwith” or “you are not to attempt to purchase Waterdhavian property this season or next”). The rather bloodthirsty Code Legal has for years been unofficially nudged towards a “pay this fine and we’ll forget all 8)
…about it” model because Waterdeep wants itself to be seen as a tolerant, crossroads trading city open to all, not a trap of litigation for all who visit.#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) January 12, 2020
@TheEdVerse Question, Great Sage! Two, actually. Any insights as to what happened to Queen Amlaruil? Also, are the four Faerûnian Time Gates in working order post Second Sundering?
— Nicole Martinsen (@MissMartinsen) January 30, 2020
2)
The time gates still exist, but they now seem to ‘twist’ (transform, unwillingly, into unforeseen shapes) those who try to use them, and teleport them to elsewhere in the Realms, and not elsewhen.#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) February 1, 2020
Is this related to the restrictions on time travel you mentioned in an ealier post? Is there a way to time travel after the Second Sundering, or is something that has become completely impossible? It seems to have become completely impossible. Time stop and stasis and Sleep of Ages remain, but travel back in time appears to be now unavailable.#Realmslore
— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) February 1, 2020
What about places like Darkturret, in Gontal, that were connected to multiple places in different time periods at the same time. Were those connections severed? Or if one braves the dangers, one could use those to move through time? Elminster replied, "Ye'll just have to go and see."
I administered drinkables and ice cream, and he relaxed enough to say some connections were severed, but he hasn't personally checked them all. "Larger rotten fish frying" was the reason he gave for not doing so.#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) February 1, 2020
Venerable sage and superb DM (trying to avoid crossbow quarrels or a mimic to the face in our next game, because you’re ruthless as well as wise), was Manshoon or Szass Tam ever considered for the role of Chosen of Mystra or indeed any other deity? Oh, yes. Manshoon was offered that status, and repudiated it. Mystra later offered him "a separate peace," and he repudiated THAT. (See the closing scenes of ELMINSTER MUST DIE.) Like Sammaster, in the end having unbridled access of power was too strong an allure.#Realmslore
— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) January 29, 2020
@TheEdVerse What were the military forces of ancient Netheril like? Were they pure spellcasters – because of their pride surrounding magic – or did they have other kinds of troops as well? Favorite tactics? What ranks might they have had?
— William Strong (@William21Strong) March 9, 2020
1)
The ancient Netherese were NOT monolithic. The cities they created were very different from each other, intentionally so, and so were their military forces. Some used their “underclass” of workers, some captured and enslaved, some built the equivalent of.. 2)
…battlebots, some captured, bred, and modified-for-more-fearsome-natural-weapons beasts (the equivalent of up-gunned wardogs), and so on.
Many gamers immediately want to know rank structures, because they're thinking in terms of professional standing armies…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) March 9, 2020
3)
…(career soldiers). That might fit a handful of Netherese cities, but not most of them. They were interested in new tech and magic innovations, changing their lives. Fighting was a fleeting necessary nuisance when someone/something got in their way or 4)
…inconvenienced/defied them.
So they were like all sorts of different military forces, from howling mobs with a few flying artificers above them hurling spells, to monster-equivalents of war elephants with junior mages aplenty riding them hurling spells, to…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) March 9, 2020
5)
…elite warrior bodyguards forming human wedges protecting "battlemasters" armed with arsenals of rods, staves, wands, and rings they unleash in all directions, to flying wyvern mage-cavalry, and on and on. ;}
In other words, a DM can hurl ANYTHING at PCs. ;}#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) March 9, 2020
That’s fascinating – and exciting with all the possibilities. Thank you so much! You're very welcome! Have fun creating new augmented monsters and wild battle spells! (And remember, some Netherese archwizards won't care much what happens to their own underlings, so may blast them or transform them into beasts to fight.)#Realmslore
— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) March 9, 2020
@ChrisPerkinsDnD @JeremyECrawford @TheEdVerse
Thoughts on Jarlaxle leveraging the greatly diminished property values of Mistshore to buy up space and attract investors? Maybe clearing out some space for a private dock and HQ fronted by year-round circus/freak attractions?— That Guy (@codeGlaze) April 6, 2020
1)
A far less tempting prospect than, say, buying up run-down properties in North, Trades, and Castle wards, refurbishing, and making much higher profit margins. Mistshore was largely dismantled on the orders of the Lords, after several terrible fires and a.. 2)
…persistent crime problem. NO ONE gets to build "private docks" in Waterdeep, because the nobles AND guilds (and more than a few private individuals) all tried it in the past and there's no room for a working port (root source of most income in Waterdeep) if…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) April 6, 2020
3)
…if you let them. They’ll literally fill up the harbor basin. So if Jarlaxle or anyone else starts trying to rebuild Mistshore in a large enough way to make a profit, they’ll attract immediate attention…of the sort Jarlaxle is far too wise to want to attract, 4)
…as constant scrutiny make his sort of operations very difficult to pull off, and even less likely to make large profits. Using a foolish noble or guildmaster as a front will attract that same scrutiny; Laeral, the Blackstaff, and the Watch are all wise veterans.#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) April 6, 2020
@TheEdVerse Great wise one, a question if I might ask. When Mystra chooses someone as her chosen, what criteria, test, or quests does she use to prove someone's worth?
— Lysbeth Raven (@LysbethRaven) February 29, 2020
1)
“Worth” to Mystra is loyalty to her and to her aims (spreading magic to all who won’t use it to keep magic from others), durability (the ability to withstand the horrible stresses of prolonged Weave-work, that have worn out several Chosen in the past), the Gift… 2)
… (that is, the ability to wield the Art = arcane magic), and incorruptibility (the ability to wield such power without succumbing to the temptation to misuse it, which was Sammaster's downfall and bars Manshoon from becoming a Chosen).
The Weave is a mighty…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) February 29, 2020
3)
…and magnificent thing, but it’s also incredibly powerful, and that sheer power is beyond some mortals to wield with any precision and without being mentally overwhelmed. So ‘tough cookies’ who can remain true to Mystra and themselves are what’s needed. Mystra…#Realmslore 4)
…doesn't send individuals on formal quests when she needs new Chosen, and rarely needs or wants new Chosen (and so few measure up; that's why she took a direct hand, to put it delicately, in birthing the Seven), but she does covertly test her Chosen to make…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) February 29, 2020
5)
…sure they aren't succumbing to temptation (in my novel THE TEMPTATION OF ELMINSTER, the temptation referred to is power, and the lure of using it to "fix" the world or do as the wielder pleases, when it should most often NOT be used).#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) February 29, 2020
So then, she would be heavily reluctant to elevate a candidate to replace the chosen she has already lost? Such as a candidate to replace Qilué Veladorn?
— Lysbeth Raven (@LysbethRaven) February 29, 2020
1)
It depends on whether or not she sees a need. Qilué, Syluné, and Dove are all still around, remember, as Voices in the Weave, serving Mystra. They can ‘possess’ bodies if need be, though there’s a moral cost to this.
And Mystra is one of the few deities to think… 2)
…she herself incurs a moral cost by making a mortal into a Chosen, knowing what she's doing to them.
It doesn't mean she won't. It means she won't create a new Chosen lightly.
So, if in your campaign, Mystra feels she needs a new Chosen…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) February 29, 2020
No no, I was talking about Mystra’s Chosen, not in general, in general it’s a given it depends on the deity. Mystra's Chosen need not be good-aligned, but in a world dominated by magic (the Weave), many of their actions will be seen as good by many creatures, regardless of their intent or alignment. Mystra has at times been seen as good, and at other times as lawful neutral.#Realmslore
— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) February 29, 2020
So basically "Do what you want, just make sure everybody can afford tuition".
— Xyn Raven (@XynRaven) February 29, 2020
1)
There are two sorts of Chosen: the “Chosen” of Mystra, who contain part of her divine power by Ao’s decree (and as a fail-safe mechanism) that she can’t wrest back from them, and the lesser Chosen of other deities (whose powers and status their deities can 2)
…dismiss at will). All of these Chosen can be of any alignment, though they are likely to be Lawful (so as to be loyal to, and obey, the deity), and are otherwise likely to mirror or be akin to the alignment of the deity.#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) February 29, 2020
3)
…magic or access to magic, or who imprison or coerce 'wild talents.' Mystra is dedicated to the widespread use of magic. One way to think of it is that her servitors work to spread the wealth across a society. She sees magic for all improving the world for all. #Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) February 29, 2020
