Customer Reviews

Lost Empires of Faerūn (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Forgotten Realms Supplement)

5 star:		(8)
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Finally it's here! This book was worth the wait. Lost Empires has it all. Well almost. Most of the magic items and artifacts ever published in previous editions for Forgotten Realms (Nether Scrolls anyone) and most of the spells (Sakkratar's Triple Strike maybe). There are 16 new feats most of which are pretty good and useful (Craft Scepter is nice (2 spells up to 7th lvl with 50 charges), Arcane Manipulation is even better (up to 3 higher lvl spell slots are devided to give you many more lower lvl spell slots). There are 5 prestige classes out of which I'd select Olin Gisir (an elven "keep the bad stuff hidden" arcane spellcaster - gets secrets similar to the Loremaster, but every 3 lvls). The best part regarding the spellcasting are 2 new epic seeds: Mythal Seed and Shadow Seed. And then a really detailed explanation on making mythals. Really nice. Some old (and dead) gods are presented and there are a few pages of info and tables on "what's in that ruin type of stuff." The information about various ancient and lost empires and how they impact modern Faerun is well presented. Every "empire" or "time period" (Crown Wars?) chapter starts of with a timeline, and then presents an overview of the most important features and historical information regarding the specific empire or time period. A number of present day sites are detailed and even some adventures or adventure sites are connected with each lost "empire". In short: If you liked AD&D 2nd Ed "Nethril: Empire of Magic", "How the Mighty are Fallen", "Cormathor: Empire of Elves" and "Fall of Myth Drannor" you're gonna like this book even more. Crown Wars, Nethril, Imaskari, Cormanthyr (Myth Drannor), Realms of the High Forest (Ammarindar, Delzoun, Eaerlann...), The Old North (Ardeep, Illusk...), The Impreial South (Tethir, Shoon Imperium...). Each "period" also has a very useful "Information table" that sets DCs for know (history) checks and explaines how detailed information should DM give to the players and there is also enough historical information that DM's won't have as many problems as they did in the past when players asked about certain "Lost Empires" after a good knowledge (history) check. In the end there is a monster chapter which gives some updated monsters and presents some new ones (Phaerimm, Helmed Horrors, Baneguards etc.). All in all worth the money spent.

I greatly looked forward to this book and was not disappointed. The Forgotten Realms is extremely rich in history that has been developed over the long years of its publication and this is truly a comprehensive source of that. The authors have touched on just about every area I can think of and they have done it well.

The book is divided into several sections, each dealing with a different geographic or cultural area. For instance, one section deals with the crown wars (wars between elves almost exclusively) and the elven nations involved (which covers a large area of Faerun) while another area covers the North and includes detail on several elven realms that had little part in the crown wars. They have timelines for each section of the book.

To be clear though, these histories are given not as a tool to play during those times, but as reference points to incorporate the locales of these ancient empires into the current timeline and an existing campaign. They bring the histories up to the current timeline and give you a good idea of what is going on in the ruins of these empires and the doings of the decedents of these empires.

On top of all of this rich history and information is a great deal of good crunchiness. There are several prestige classes, all of which seem well balanced and a great section on new spells and magic items. They even have specifics on mythal creation which is just plain cool to me. Going back to the integration of the past to the present, there is a section about Hellgate Keep and there they specify magic items of goodly races know to have been lost by fallen heroes there (items from the PGtF and this book).

All in all, a great tool for ANY dungeon master running ANY Realms Campaign for its information on ruins (dungeon - hint, hint) and its balance of historical information and crunchy bits. By far one of the most useful Realms products for any edition.

I always loved the 3.5 (3.0) Forgotten Realms accessories, but I must say that this book is perhaps the best in the series.

This books gives you a +10 competence bonus to your Ancient History(Faerun) skill, as it offers you in-depth knowledge on almost all of the great empires of the past. You can learn all, about the great elven empires, about the history of the Sword Coast, about the phaerimm manace, etc.

Also, you will find some great feats, prestige classes and spells in the book. Some of them are not really for players, but for the DM (and to the NPCs). Players will also find it interesting, if for nothing else, then to add some flavour to the game.

I found it also great that young DMs get some help in a separate chapter to create adventures based on the "ancient theme". Of course, even old DMs, like myself can learn a lot from it.

I found this title the best supplement ever written. That says a lot, since this series has been around since 1987. At last, in one volume, the history of this magical world is laid bare. I have speculated and wondered in the past why the world is like it is. This volume has given up most of those secret! I stand in awe of most of them. This is the flower of Realms lore. Most are not intended for most gamers. I read the novels and continue my illustrations outside this "gamers" world.

I can only say that the Forgotten Realms have come alive at last with a rich and frightening history in its past. Long live Netheril!

As I read through Lost Empires of Faerun I'm struck, as I often am while reading 3rd Edition (3.0 or 3.5) Forgotten Realms books at the thoughtfulness and creativity that the authors put into the book. It contains cool new prestige classes, cool new feats, cool new spells and cool new fictional history. Even though I run a homebrew campaign world, I incorporate items from Forgotten Realms books, and I can see that Lost Empires of Faerun will not prove an exception. Such items as the Wounding Spell feat, the sunmaster prestige class (a rival within the Church of Lathander to the morninglord prestige class), and the Sakkratar's triple strike spell serve as exemplars of the great new material in the book.

In addition to the new material, Lost of Empires of Faerun provides a 3.5 update for quite a few 3.0 creatures, including a series of lycanthropes which needed the update to conform to the 3.5 lycanthrope template rules. In a couple of cases Lost Empires not only updates a creature, but also provides a brand new variation, as with the battle horror variation of the helmed horror. The creature section of Lost Empires even provides some cool new monsters, like a three-headed dragon known as a gorynych, and a new edition to the nightshade familiar of creepy undead, the nighthaunt. The nighthaunt looks like what might have happened if Jeff Goldblum had tested a gargoyle in his teleporter in The Fly (a cross between a gargoyle and a fly).

Possiblly the best example of the Campaign setting books in the Faerun Setting.
The Book combines an excellent selection of new spells, new monsters, and new classes for use in the Campaign.

If you're interested in the history of Faerun, this is a excellent book. It goes into great detail and has a lot of extras, like relics and historical weapons. Great art and a good read.

Very well detailed and has a great amount of information that can be used in adventures. I would give it 4.5 if I could because of the usual lack of REAL MAPS that Wizards of the Coast seems to neglect. Great book though and a must have for DM's and Players in the forgotten realms.