I've just recently decided to switch from running my homebrew over to FR, and I'd like to begin by using the AoW. However, I know there are quite a few things to convert, and I'm getting in late on what everyone else has already done. Can anyone remember any important information to keep in mind, or better yet, thread names and such that dealt with the conversions? I'd appreciate any references I can get. Thank in advance!
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I've just recently decided to switch from running my homebrew over to FR, and I'd like to begin by using the AoW. However, I know there are quite a few things to convert, and I'm getting in late on what everyone else has already done. Can anyone remember any important information to keep in mind, or better yet, thread names and such that dealt with the conversions? I'd appreciate any references I can get. Thank in advance!
Get the AoW Overload from the downloads section, as it explains all the changes you need to make to have the AP fit the FR. Besides the overload is worth getting anyways.
The most important part is location, location, location! You can follow the tips in the Age of Worms Overload but to be honest I feel they are a little wonky and don't really fit. What area of Faerun are you running in?
Also you need to decide which three gods to use for the Ebon Triad.
The most important part is location, location, location! You can follow the tips in the Age of Worms Overload but to be honest I feel they are a little wonky and don't really fit. What area of Faerun are you running in?
Also you need to decide which three gods to use for the Ebon Triad.
This is actually in the Overload - Bhaal, Myrkul, and Bane. There's not too many dead, evil gods to choose from. :)
The Ebon triad dont have to use dead gods, they could be renegade clerics from still-living gods churches that have the rather heretical idea to merge three current gods into one almighty mega-god!
In my game an evil diety known as Tharizdum 'spoke' to certain members of current evil churches through recovered artifacts, over time corrupting their veiwpoints and prayers, turning the clerics faith towards itself. Basically 'stealing' these worshippers from their old patron god.
My Ebon Triad members believe that Bane+Shar+Cyric=Uber God. But in reality uber-god is Tharizdum and all this alien god is doing is getting the Ebon Triad to send it enough faith so it can grow in strength and burst through into the realms to then establish itself as a properly worshipped greater god in the realms pantheon.
This is actually in the Overload - Bhaal, Myrkul, and Bane. There's not too many dead, evil gods to choose from. :)
I know those are the default ones but they don't mesh well. Myrkul and Vecna especially. However I used them as my players don't know enough about the gods to really cry foul.
I know those are the default ones but they don't mesh well. Myrkul and Vecna especially. However I used them as my players don't know enough about the gods to really cry foul.
This is actually in the Overload - Bhaal, Myrkul, and Bane. There's not too many dead, evil gods to choose from. :)
How can't they not "mesh well"? They are, since the early time of the Realms, three gods linked together that raised from the status of mortal to Power after years of common scheming. And they all inherited their divine powers from the same entity: Jergal.
This is a nice fit.
And Eric L. Boyd is using that traditional FR story to develop a FR specific subplot to the AoW. He has not revealed yet the thick of the plot, but I can imagine than it will be with the conversion notes for #131 (yeah, I know it seems that they are far away from now).
Bocklin
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I've just recently decided to switch from running my homebrew over to FR, and I'd like to begin by using the AoW. However, I know there are quite a few things to convert, and I'm getting in late on what everyone else has already done. Can anyone remember any important information to keep in mind, or better yet, thread names and such that dealt with the conversions? I'd appreciate any references I can get. Thank in advance!
My biggest piece of advice is not to use Daggerford as your Diamond Lake. I looked at the 2e supplement that contained info on Daggerford, and it's so detailed that it seemed much easier to create a town near Daggerford rather than convert Daggerford itself (I called it Diamond River since it's on a river not a lake).
In any event, I think you want your starting town near Waterdeep (Free City) and I think most FR DMs are doing this. BTW, has anyone heard an update on where the City of Splendors web enhancement is? Not the nobility one which came out in August, but the one outlining the environs of Waterdeep. Seems REALLY late!
I also did a major overhaul of TFoE. Basically, Smenk recruited the PCs to take out the cult because he is in too deep (and he has some leverage b/c the PCs killed Filge). The PCs sneak into the mine and find a makeshift, abandoned shrine to the three gods (I used Bane, Bhaal, and Myrkul). They then explore an abandoned shaft which the cultists continued to the other end of the hill using transmute rock to mud spells. The cult was building their own temple away from towns/roads using wall of stone spells. I used the Church of Bane temple from the FR book Lords of Darkness. If anyone who wants more detail on this, let me know.
My group is just about to begin Encounter at Blackwall Keep. Enjoy!
I have the Overload. It does really well for converting the starting adventures, but falls short over the long run, since it fails to talk about how to handle the Ebon Triad as a "real" cult, the minions of one of Jergal's ancient plots to become the Overgod. Bane, Bhall, and Myrkul will work fine in my campaign, since this will be the first Realms campaign I'm running. Most of them have played Baldur's Gate and are familiar enough with Bane and Bhaal. They know nothing of Myrkul, so they won't miss the slight portfolio discrepency between that deity and Vecna.
As for the download, the North, I have that, too, and it really is overwhelming with its information. I never played 2e, and I find it difficult to look at such horribly drawn (compared to 3.X D&D) maps and illustrations, and still keep the right visuals in my head (and if I don't have those, I don't get it, I'm very visually oriented). The group I'm with has never done 2e or older, either, and thus will not miss out on the canon discrepencies. I'd like to keep this as close to the core Realms and all that is already established, but it's enough work as is. I don't feel like reading that big of a PDF when most of the "canon" my group will know of is BG and NWN (regardless of it's "accuracy"). It's not worth the time. Sorry if I sounded like I was complaining or ranting, I didn't mean to. I'll just use Daggerford. I know the Realms is all about details, but I actually think that, with the backdrop in Dungeon and the Overload, I can make up enough of my own faster than I could read the PDF.
The point is, however, I have noticed many threads running around on this board pertaining to translating the AoW to FR, and I wanted to know if any of them had turned out really well for anyone and were recomended additions to a FR AoW, other than the conversion notes for the individual parts in the issue-pertanent downloads.
How can't they not "mesh well"? They are, since the early time of the Realms, three gods linked together that raised from the status of mortal to Power after years of common scheming. And they all inherited their divine powers from the same entity: Jergal.
This is a nice fit.
Bocklin
Myrkul was the god of the underworld, and had death and undead in his portfolio. Vecna is about secrets and mages. Vecna's area doesn't mesh with what I would expect for Myrkul. Bane and Hextor match ok, but erythnul and Bhaal are a stretch as well.
Plus in realms canon none of the priests of the three would have access to spells as their patron deities are dead. In Greyhawk they are still alive. Thats easy to fix, but each DM needs to make a choice how far they want to tweak the rules.
Saern: I don't know how much FR background info you have, but I find the area between the dales and the moonsea is perfect for the campaign. Theres small towns that can function as diamond lake (I choose Hap), Hillsfar makes an excellent Free City. Its known for its Gladiator arena. I was pleased to discover that Zhentil Keep makes an excellent Alhaster/redhand. Its about the only human city in the realms I can think of thats that Lawful Evil aligned besides Thay. Theres also some areas of swamp south of hillsfar for running blackwall keep, and theres NPC's that fit the various roles well.
I choose to ignore the Jergal part. He's just not as scary as Kyuss. The three cults in my campaign think they are trying to resurrect their gods in the only way possible (by combining into an overgod), and Kyuss is an ancient Diety that is manipulating them. Plus it explains why they don't work together closely.
Well, we can all have our opinions, but Kyuss AND Jergal are involved in the FR conversion, not just Jergal, and Jergal has an agenda that has been going on since before he gave up his portfolios to Bane, Bhaal, and Myrkul.
Bane's preists easily have access to spells, since he is alive again. Bhaal and Myrkul's do as well, as long as the clerics swap out a feat for the Servant of the Fallen feat (Lost Empires of Faerun). Basically it allows them to call on the divine essese that is still around from the ambient power of the dead god. So yes, in FR you have to have a real patron deity for divine spells, but if they die, you can leech power off them for a while if you learn how.
Unfortunately Eric explanations for what Jergal is up to and how the cult works are going to be in the later adaptations, so it might be a while before we see everything come together.
Yes, that lack of Ebon Triad info is what's really getting to me. I do like the scenes from Prince of Redhand with the Greyhawk setting in mind, which seem to center around the Ebon Triad being a false cult set up by Lashonna and the avolakias. I really like that story, and, depending on what is eventually released concerning the FR Ebon Triad, may just keep it.
Please excuse my lack of FR knowledge if I'm missing something, since I'm just going on the FRCS, but isn't Zhentil Keep the seat of the Zhentarim, and the residence of Fzoul Chembryl and Manshoon? I'm fine with displacing the Zhentarim as part of AoW; it would make an interesting follow-up campaign, where a new party was fighting against the Zhentarim trying to return to their old power base or find a new one, or something. The only problem is having the party deal with the Chosen of Bane and Manshoon, which should be well beyond their capabilities.
Wasn't there a thread for running the campaign in Westgate? I think that would still work well as a Free City, especially since, as written, the Overload says that Alhaster becomes nearby Starmantle. The Dragon Coast also seems to favor Diamond Lake's intended atmosphere, although the Free City seems to be portrayed as a bit more benevolent than Westgate as written. No big deal. Reddansyr seems to look like a promising spot to relocate Diamond Lake, and that would make the presence and influence of Westgate and Starmantle even more sigificant, since it's right between the two.
Hi Saern,
If you want to do a bit of background reading on the Ebon Triad as adapted by Eric Boyd, you could check the following link:
http://www.sorcerers.net/Worlds/FR/8.php
The "Knucklebones" story is straight from "Faiths and Avatars" (the 2nd Edition source book on the FR gods). It belongs to the FR canon and shows you the link between Jergal and the Dead Three. And maybe why he would have a secret plan to steal the remaining divine powers from these entities.
It seems that he had a long term plan about this and that he is behind the creation of the Ebon Triad. I understand that the FR Ebon Triad does not know that it is indirectly serving the plans of Jergal (Lord of the End of Everything).
I am still waiting for issue #131, but I can imagine that Lashonna is actually Jergal's agent. The Avakoias (sp?) will maybe be replaced by a more Realmsian equivalent.
The question is:
Is Jergal doing this to gain power or to haste the coming of the Age of Worms and thus of the coming of the "End of Everything"?
I lean towards the second reply, but we will see this in the next months... (when Paizo puts out the web enhancements)
The good thing with your late start is that you have plenty of time until you reach a stage where you actually need know what the Ebon Triad and Jergal are up to.
Bocklin
PS: my take on the adaptation work is that you should not worry so much about providing good matches for the Greyhawk gods (e.g. Vecna = Shar), but rather on having a good, solid, FR-based background story linked to it (like the "Knucklebones" story and Jergal's machination).
It's not about pasting FR names over a Greyhawk story, but actually adapting the story and fine-tuning it so that it fits the history of the Forgotten Realms.
PPS: Another background reading could be
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Three
I was also trying to think of who Kyuss' patron would have been those 2,000 years ago when he was mortal, and I was leaning towards Velsharoon (undeath and necromancy, perhaps thinking to steal Kyuss' transcended essence to become more powerful, but the mortal got away from him and became a god anyway), but then it hit me- Jergal, obviously! That makes everything tie together. The Ebon Triad can still be a pawn of Kyuss and Lashonna, and Jergal is just hastening the coming of the Age of Worms, leaving the Ebon Triad as a "false cult" and an intricate part of a very real deific scheme at the same time.
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Plus in realms canon none of the priests of the three would have access to spells as their patron deities are dead.
Actually, they would, with the Servant of the Fallen feat from Lost Empires of Faerun (I think this change is mentioned in the Overload).
And, BTW, Saern, if you're placing Diamond Lake near Westgate, I believe Cloak & Dagger has a section and map of the city. I think it came out right before 3e but would be useful nonetheless.