Serpent Kingdoms (Dungeon & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Forgotten Realms Supplement) [Hardcover]

Ed Greenwood (Author), Eric L. Boyd (Author), Darrin Drader (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2004

A new sourcebook that details various serpentine races throughout the Forgotten Realms world.

This accessory provides a wealth of highly detailed information about all serpent-related creatures in the Forgotten Realms. Popular races such as the yuan-ti, naga, and various lizard races are explored at great length, with new monsters and new characters, deities, prestige classes, magic, and magic items tied to each race. In addition, many of the regions to which serpent folk are indigenous are explored in detail, many for the first time in a Forgotten Realms product.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ed Greenwood, creator of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, is the best-selling author of hundreds of stories, game products, novels, articles, and other material set in the world of Faerûn. His most recent titles for Wizards of the Coast, Inc., were Elminster in Hell and Hand of Fire. He is also the author of the Band of Four novels published by Tor Books.

EricC. L. Boyd has written articles for both Dungeon® and Dragon® Magazines and is the author of Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark™.

Darrin Drader has done design work for Asgard and d20 Weekly online magazines, Dragon® Magazine, and Wizards of the Coast, Inc., among others. His most recent credit is co-authoring Book of Exalted Deeds.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Wizards of the Coast (April 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786932775
• ISBN-13: 978-0786932771
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #428,606 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For the DM, not the player., August 16, 2004

By 

John D. "john-d8" (Farmington Hills, Mi. USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Serpent Kingdoms (Dungeon & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Forgotten Realms Supplement) (Hardcover)

Reading this book gives real insight into ancient Toril (The world on which the continent Faerun is on.) It deals primarly with the motivations of Yuan-Ti and Naga's, as well as a few other less well detailed intellegent lizard races. It also includes a great deal of information about the "elder" race that created them, as well as most intelligent "scaly folk," the Sarruk (sp). The Sarruk are human torsoed, and armed, great intellegent snakes that mastered magic and founded empires 30,000 years ago. Now nearly extinct, their creations, lead by the Yuan-Ti, continue to pursue the same goal, enslaving all the humanoids and ruling the world in another great empire.
This books geographic center is the Chult Jungle, but it would be well with in reason for PC adventures to find Yuan-Ti at the head of any criminal organization, except for those really far north because cold blooded villians and frosty temptures dont mix.
There is also a short list of feats, spells, and prestige classes. Nearly all for use by scaly folk. However, there is one prestige class for players, the "serpent hunter."

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In regards to the negative reviews..., September 7, 2004

By 

Darkling "chuck74" (South Korea) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Serpent Kingdoms (Dungeon & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Forgotten Realms Supplement) (Hardcover)

I just recently purchased this book mainly because of a new novel I finished. It brought up an interest in the Yuan-Ti. I've been waiting for this book, Serpent Kingdoms, to come out so I could insorporate them into a campaign.
Yes, this book does have a lot of story. it is meant for DMs with imaginations to carry the story on into their campaigns, or even to start a campaign. I believe that was the purpose of this book. It gives an impressively large background on the different races of serpentlike beings. It does have a new monsters for the Dm to use, new feats that concern those new monsters (hint hint, not for the player), and it provides many different sites for the DM to use.
I say if you don't like the purpose and usability of this book, give it away. You're not hurting anyone but yourself as a DM. Even players can use this book. I, as a DM, will allow my players to use a few of the new monsters, or even the old ones now, as a player race.
All in all, this book is excellent for working into an ongoing campaign, or even to start up a new one. Create a new world with this book even (humans, elves, dwarves...slaves? sounds fun to me). I recommend this book to any DM who has given thought to using the serpent races more often in their worlds and to any DM is stuck with writing a new campaign. Players, check it out as well. Just remember to keep player knowledge from character knowledge. Have fun gaming!

21 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent work, July 31, 2004

By 

S. Patel "sajioblo" (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Serpent Kingdoms (Dungeon & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Forgotten Realms Supplement) (Hardcover)

Hard to believe the same company produced the mediocre to bad planar handbook. For the same price, you can have this gem. What's so good about it? A combination of two factors:

1. Good writing--tons of information, the density of text clearly outshines most D&D books for the price. The fact that this text is then that much more interesting and useful makes it better. As much fluff as there is in this book--fluff that is good creative writing mind you--there is also plenty of crunch, as much as other D&D books I suspect.

2. Great Art--the art for this book, while obviously a lot of green, is gorgeous. Almost every picture evokes a sense of magic and power. Just by looking at the art you're hit with all kinds of ideas for your campaign.