campaign setting fantasy role playing game commonly referred players game designers alike realms created game designer setting childhood stories years later brought setting game series magazine articles realms game products released role playing game products produced setting licensed products including sword novels role playing video game adaptations including massively multiplayer online role playing game use graphics comic books forgotten realms popular settings largely success novels authors numerous role playing video games including pool gate fantasy world setting described world strange lands dangerous creatures mighty deities magic supernatural phenomena real premise long ago earth world forgotten realms closely connected time passed inhabitants planet earth forgotten existence world term original logo small letters read lie lost lands allusion connection worlds world focus forgotten realms setting continent fictional world usually called simply earth like planet real world influences unlike earth lands forgotten realms ruled human race planet shared humans peoples creatures world forgotten realms nearly advanced earth respect resembles pre industrial earth 13th 14th century presence magic provides additional element power societies nation states independent cities loose alliances formed defense conquest trade performed ship horse drawn vehicle manufacturing based cottage industry geography consists large continents including western continent roughly modeled continent earth detailed original published continents include unspecified roughly corresponding ancient later focus source book eastern realms published vast subterranean world called beneath surface products detailing specific areas 2nd edition gold glory shining south released continent heavily detailed documented creating highly developed setting early editions setting realms shared unified campaign settings called great wheel way campaign settings linked form interwoven world connected planes existence release setting given distinct separate arrangement unique planes explicitly connected settings religion religion plays large deities followers integral world passive role fact interact directly mortal affairs answer prayers personal deities survive worship patron deity secure good huge number diverse deities exist large number documented detail history realms detailed novels source books concerns actions deities chosen mortal representatives portion deities power midnight later new embodiment goddess magic seven sisters deities overlord distances single responsible seen characters setting home iconic characters popularized authors including wizard appeared series novels created highly popular dark ranger created history early years began writing stories forgotten realms child starting dream space swords stories came forgotten realms notion parallel worlds earth world realms original conception fantastic legends earth derive fantasy world way lost discovered game role playing game releases setting home personal campaign began realms campaign city started group known felt players detail realms want real work honest jobs personal activities thing grows far casual campaign rules adventures develop stated version forgotten realms run personal campaign darker published versions beginning periodical 30th issue published series short articles detailed setting dragon magazine monster known wrote entries dragon magazine realms setting descriptions magic items monsters spells american game publishing company began looking new campaign setting game assigned find setting portrayed articles dragon according asked stuff huge campaign world answered yes questions felt forgotten realms open ended setting epic setting chose realms ready campaign setting deciding publish agreed work project began working forgotten realms officially published sent dozen cardboard boxes stuffed pencil notes maps sold rights realms token fee noted altered original conception realms place travel world concerns possible lawsuits kids getting hurt trying find gate led emphasize meaning 1st edition realms official campaign world module released considered wasn module wars released official setting module series official product book trilogy month referred grey box later released boxed set source books realms realms large maps designed collaboration author set introduced campaign setting explained use reserved space map computer role playing games set instant hit compilation module reworked fit module bears logo cover released throne swords iron legion crystal released novel feature successful character appeared seventeen subsequent novels appeared new_york_times best seller list line role playing video games pool released inc game popular winning game ported nintendo_entertainment_system original boxed set released edition rules including north sands savage frontier dreams lords darkness came city system boxed set containing maps city ruins adventure module based computer game released boxed set eastern realms released giving details lands previously appeared book officially placed forgotten realms world year module dragon released setting forgotten realms product began publishing series comics written issue contained pages illustrated primarily issues published total released page annual comic annual illustrated artists released 2nd edition eponymous module based role playing video game curse bonds released series novels consisting detailed storyline known series module adaptations novels released year detailing major characters appearing novels published time early hardcover released introduced realms setting second edition game detailed changed setting forgotten realms city bluff setting living campaign official support product line included series number sub settings forgotten realms briefly supported early 1990s produced setting released detailed featured series released detailed continent original gray boxed set received revision update second edition rules system release new boxed set containing books grand tour realms running realms monster new graphic look additional material setting released steadily 1990s novels legacy series books series numerous released 1990s led setting hailed successful shared fantasy 1990s novels turn sparked interest role playing activity new gamers numerous video games released eye game released game later followed sequels second games released dos single disk release graphical massively multiplayer online gate released line popular role playing video games developed considered hands best game game followed sequel gate shadows separate game utilized game engine gate pool ruins released popular characters minor appearances games 3rd edition release 3rd edition rules system released hardcover official material advancing timeline game world won origins award best role playing game supplement additional released new edition including monsters magic races adventure included dragon pool attack city spider queen released set northern reaches operating revised rules followed expansion packs shadows sequel version rules produced followed expansion sets mask storm compilation released containing gate series excluding games series nights games nights release version update rules forgotten realms product line continued expand accessories released included player guide kingdoms shining south champions ruin city champions mysteries grand history realms adventure released included sons twilight tomb tearing land empire shade 4th edition release 4th edition forgotten realms updated new rules system featuring changed realms moving fictional world timeline years future released august page book dungeon masters forgotten realms player guide released following month contains information players help create characters adventure released september combination adventure start campaign forgotten realms setting sole living campaign replacing released 5th edition release 5th edition coast announced forgotten realms continue serve official campaign setting upcoming published adventure materials date officially licensed products set forgotten realms published dragon queen september rise october princes apocalypse april abyss september official campaign guide sword coast guide released november 5th edition world returned previous 3rd edition geography event called resulted worlds split coast announced upcoming adventure series set reception book fantasy gamer bible describes forgotten realms ambitious fantasy game setting published widely played game setting rpg history similarly literature novels written forgotten realms setting formed industry leading fantasy series time novels gained unprecedented popularity led noted book 1990s novels having extraordinary shelf life remaining print years popular reception reflected public libraries example states readers advisory guide genre fiction novels requested books fans fantasy genre
Forgotten Realms