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DOC4

Uploaded by

Jeremiah Seth Breitenbach
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The original gray boxed set was revised in 1993 to update it to AD&D 2nd edition,

with the release of a new Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting boxed set containing
three books (A Grand Tour of the Realms, Running the Realms, and Shadowdale)
and various "monster supplements".[24] Additional material for the setting was
released steadily throughout the 1990s. Forgotten Realms novels, such as
the Legacy of the Drow series, the first three books of The Elminster Series, and
numerous anthologies were also released throughout the 1990s, which led to the
setting being hailed as one of the most successful shared fantasy universes of the
1990s.[25] By the first quarter of 1996, TSR had published sixty-four novels set in the
Forgotten Realms out of the 242 novels set in AD&D worlds.[26]: 20 These novels in
turn sparked interest in role-playing by new gamers. [27]
Numerous Forgotten Realms video games were released between 1990 and
2000. Eye of the Beholder for MS-DOS was released in 1990,[28] which was followed
by two sequels: the first in 1991,[29] and the second in 1992.[30] All three games were
re-released for MS-DOS compatible operating systems on a single disk in 1995.
[31]
Another 1991 release was Neverwinter Nights on America Online, the first
graphical massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG).[32] In
1998, Baldur's Gate, the first in a line of popular role-playing video
games[33] developed by BioWare and "considered by most pundits as the hands-
down best PC roleplaying game ever", was released. [1] The game was followed by a
sequel, Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn, in 2000 and Icewind Dale, a separate
game that utilized the same game engine as Baldur's Gate. Pool of Radiance: Ruins
of Myth Drannor was released in 2001. Several popular Forgotten Realms characters
such as Drizzt Do'Urden and Elminster made minor appearances in these games.
2000–2008
[edit]
When Wizards of the Coast took over publication of Dungeons & Dragons after
purchasing TSR in 1997, they trimmed production down from six campaign settings
to Forgotten Realms and Dragonlance, and completed AD&D 2nd edition production
sometime between 1998 and 1999.[34]: 146 They later hired Rob Heinsoo to be part of
the D&D Worlds team and focus on Forgotten Realms in the third edition
of Dungeons & Dragons.[34]: 162 An official material update and a timeline advance
were introduced to the Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition in 2001 with the release of
the hardcover book the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting,[35] which won
the Origins Award for Best Role-Playing Game Supplement of 2001 in 2002.[36] The
timeline was officially advanced from 1358 DR to 1372 DR. [9] The adventure City of
the Spider Queen (2002) did not meet its projected sales targets, so Wizards of the
Coast cut back on production of new adventures. [34]: 165
In 2002, BioWare released Neverwinter Nights, set in the northern reaches
of Faerûn and operating on the revised 3.0 rules for D&D. It was followed by
two expansion packs: Shadows of Undrentide and Hordes of the Underdark.
A sequel using version 3.5 of the rules was produced by Obsidian Entertainment in
2006, and was followed by the expansion sets Mask of the Betrayer and Storm of
Zehir. The Forgotten Realms Deluxe Edition compilation was released in 2006,
containing the Baldur's Gate series (excluding the Dark Alliance games), Icewind
Dale series, and all Neverwinter Nights games before Neverwinter Nights 2.
2008–2014
[edit]
With the release of Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition in 2008, Wizards opted for a
publishing plan featuring a series of six books per year – consisting of three core
rulebooks as well as three setting books – beginning with the Forgotten Realms. The
company started the cycle with the Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide (2008),
the Forgotten Realms Player's Guide (2008), and Scepter Tower of Spellgard.[34]:
190
These books updated the Forgotten Realms to the newest rules system which
altered the setting drastically to make it fit with the 4th edition concept of "Points of
Light".[34]: 190
The main lore change centered around an event called the Spellplague in 1385 DR.
[9]
This cataclysm was unleashed when the goddess of magic Mystra was killed,
"transforming whole nations and altering creatures. In addition, parts of Toril have
fused with its long-lost twin world Abeir, whisking away some countries and adding
new ones. The Underdark is more open to the surface. Thay has become a
nightmare land of death and the Elves, sensing the newfound connection to the
Feywild, have returned to Faerûn in force". [37] The event moved the fictional world's
timeline 94 years into the future to 1479 DR. [9] The Spellplague acted as "a
narrative justification for design changes". [9]: 10

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