The Great Dale

UNAPPROACHABLE EAST CAMPAIGN GUIDE

Sample file FORGOTTEN REALMS THE GREAT DALE UNAPPROACHABLE EAST CAMPAIGN GUIDE

CREDITS ON THE COVER: Lead Designer: Joe Raso Nastya Lehn’s interpretation of Vesholva Yadrova Contributing Writers: Alex Clippinger, Anne graces the cover. Veshlova is a follower of Talona who Gregersen, Derek Nekritz, Elise Cretel, Emily Smith, stalks the Great Dale using poison and disease to Glenn Magas, Joe Raso, Oliver Clegg, R P Davis, influence the future of the region. Scott Bean BIBLIOGRAPHY Editing: Christopher Walz The following Forgotten Realms works were Layout: Travis Legge indispensable in crafting this volume: Cartography: Daniel F. Walthall, Dyson Logos, Joe Ed Greenwood, Jeff Grubb, and Karen S. Martin. Cyclope- Raso dia of the Realms. 1987. Cover Art: Nastya Lehn Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, and Rob Heinsoo. Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting. 2001. Internal Art Commissions: Daniel F. Walthall, Fez Inkwright, John Latta, Petar Penev Richard Baker, Matt Forbeck, and Sean K. Reynolds. Unap- proachable East. 2003. Internal Stock Art: Adela Quiles, Critical Hit, Dave Richard Baker, Ed Bonny, Travis Stout. Lost Empires of Allsop, Daniel Comerci, Dean Spencer, DM’s Guild Faerûn. 2005. Creator Resource (courtesy of Wizard of the Coast), Eric Pommer, Forrest Imel, Gary Dupuis, Jeffery Jeff Crook, Will Upchurch, and Eric L. Boyd. Champions of Koch, Jeremy Hart, Mathew Richmond, Nimgyu, Ruin. 2005. Rick Hershey, Rising Phoenix Games, Vagelio Kaliva, Brian R. James and Ed Greenwood. Grand History of the William McAusland Realms. 2007. Internal Art - Public Domain: Albert Bierstadt, Carl Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, and Chris Sims. Forgot- Eduard Ferdinand Blechen, Sidney Richard Percy ten Realms Campaign Guide. 2008. Wizard’s RPG Team. Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide. Final Proofing: Bob Anger, Cory Repta, Dave 2015. Caughlin, Mark Vickers, Mike VanHooydonk, Stuart Teather Sample file DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, Eberron, the dragon ampersand, Ravnica and all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such material is used with permission under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. All other original material in this work is copyright 2019 by Joe Raso and published under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. Some artwork by © Adela Quiles, © Critical Hit at www.critical-hit.biz, © 2011 Dave Allsop, © Dean Spencer, © Daniel Comerci–danielcomerci.com, © Daniel F. Walthall, Elite Design Elements © Ris- ing Phoenix Games, © Eric Pommer–[email protected], © Forrest Imel, © Jeremy Hart, © Matt Richmond, Publisher’s Choice Quality Stock Art © Rick Hershey / Fat Goblin Games, Purple Duck Games © Gary Dupuis, © Vagelio Kaliva, and ©William McAusland, used with permission. All rights reserved.

Credits 1 FOREWARD SPECIAL THANKS This book is Jeff and Karl’s fault, though I should also I would be remiss if I didn’t thank the many folks lay some blame on R P Davis. who’ve had a hand in creating this product. Jeff Stevens, Karl Resch and I had begun an effort Firstly, thank you to all the artists who have made to create a new 5e adventure to be published on their stock art affordably accessible on the DM’s Guild the DM’s Guild. I began to comb through Forgotten and Drivethru RPG. Your creativity has helped to Realms lore for a place to locate our adventure when I breath life into the words of this book. stumbled across the “Unapproachable East” . Next, I feel lucky to have commissioned new art from This WOTC publication detailed lands in eastern some very talented individuals who were great to Faerûn that I hadn’t previously read much about. I work with. Nastya, Daniel, Fez, John and Petar were immediately grew infatuated with this part of Faerûn. all fantastic artists to collaborate with. Thanks for The Great Dale was particularly interesting to me, allowing me to share your vision in this publication. as it seemed a perfect fit for the story we intended to Alex, Anne, Derek, Elise, Emily, Glenn, Oliver, Robert write. Having decided to place our nascent adventure and Scott were all great writers to collaborate with. I in the Great Dale, I began scouring publications for hope to work with you folks again soon. more recent material that updated the region’s lore to the current 5th edition game year. To Christopher and Travis, you both were instrumental in helping me bring this book to I soon became frustrated. Try as I might, I found very completion. Your coaching and words of reassurance, little published material describing events occuring not to mention your hard work, made me believe we between the years covered in the Unapproachable could finish this seemingly daunting task. East and the current edition of the game. In game terms, roughly 100 years had advanced, yet very little I can’t forget to shout out to the many gamers I’ve was written on what happened in the Great Dale had the pleasure of playing with over the years. during that time. Particularly I need to express my gratitude to my current home group. I feel lucky to be able to game I then had a series of online conversations with with them and always look forward to whenever we R P Davis. He’d already published “Timbertown”, can get together. It is because of them that my love for describing a region in nearby Impiltur. He was this game continues to grow, year by year. enthused to help with creating an update for regions covered by the Unapproachable East but he himself And finally, I must thank my wife Lorraine and my was too busy with other commitments to lead it. He daughters Claire and Sophie. It’s only because of their encouraged me to pursue the updated, and so I did. continued love, support and tolerance of my D&D Now a good four months later, I am finishing up the gaming obsession that I’ve been able to complete this final details for this book. work. I am forever grateful. I do not doubt that scholars of realms lore will find Joe Raso errors I have made, or question some of the liberties we’ve taken to describe characters and events in the Dale. However, I’ve tried my best to treat Ed Greenwood’s world with the respect it deserves, and also to honour the countless hours of work done by the numerous talented writers who have expanded on it since. My only hope is that you, the reader, will find inspiration in these pages to help you craft your own adventures in this exciting part of the Realms. Enjoy! Sample file

2 THE GREAT DALE TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 4 Chapter 9 - Factions 85 Chapter 1 – Peoples 6 Organizations 85 Gods of the Great Dale 91 New Race – Volodni 6 Common Peoples 8 Chapter 10 – Friends, Foes, and Creatures of Chapter 2 – Classes 11 Interest 94 Personalities 94 Barbarian 11 New Monsters 111 Bard 11 Previously Published 126 Cleric 11 Druid 13 Chapter 11 – Adventure Ideas 131 Fighter 16 Monk 16 Appendix – New Monster Lists 133 Paladin 17 Ranger 19 Appendix – Contribution Summary 134 Rogue 20 Sorcerer 23 Warlock 26 Appendix –Art Listing 136 Wizard 29 Chapter 3 – Backgrounds 31 Chapter 4 – Feats 39 Chapter 5 – Spells 41 Spell Lists 41 Spell Descriptions 43 Chapter 6 – Items of Interest 50 Chapter 7 – The Lands 55 The Dunwood 55 The Dale 59 The Forest of Lethyr 67 Neighboring Regions 71 Chapter 8 – Historical Overview 78 Age of the Crown Wars 78 Age of Humanity 79 The PresentSample Age 81 file

Table of Contents 3 INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the Great Dale!

his volume details many aspects of a In the western edge of the Great Dale, the large wondrous region located in a remote corner settlement of Uthmere rises expectantly beside the of Faerûn—a land many refer to as the waters of the Easting Reach, rejuvenated from the TUnapproachable East. ravages of the Second Sundering. Dockyards that had lain useless for a century now bustle with life as its The Great Dale is an ancient place. It is still piers once again kiss the waters. This has not gone afflicted with the fiendish horrors left behind by unnoticed, however, as enterprising individuals now the once-mighty Narfell Empire. Terrible secrets descended on Uthmere hoping to win some fortune in lie hidden within ruins of broken stone or buried this growing frontier town. beneath the earth. For those who dislike the bustle of city life, isolated A powerful council of druids now act as caretakers farmsteads dot the Great Dale’s interior. Their for much of its sparsely populated territory. They residents live a simple existence dealing with the seek to purge the demonic evils that still infest the persistent dangers that threaten any seeking to survive Dale and the great forests that surround it. These old here. woods stand on ground where the veil that hides the Feywild is thin and its influence is still felt.

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4 THE GREAT DALE About this Book On Dates and Naming

This guide to the Great Dale provides a wealth of Throughout this volume, Dale Reckoning (DR) has material to run Dungeons & Dragons campaigns been used whenever years are specified in the text. in this section of Faerûn. The book is organized as This is consistent with how most inhabitants of the follows: Great Dale and surrounding areas refer to dates. Chapter 1 describes the people who call this land Wherever possible, naming from the roll of years their home, and introduces the Volodni, a new player has been given, derived from the prognostications of character race. Augathra the Mad and Alaundo the Seer. Chapter 2 details how character class options fit Rumors have surfaced that a new roll of years was into this region, including numerous new archetypes revealed to the servants of Shar, called the Shadow specifically crafted for this land. Roll. However, no references to such a roll have been Chapter 3 outlines how character backgrounds included within. found in the Player’s Handbook translate to the Great Dale. Three new character backgrounds are detailed Abbreviations herein. The author has assumed readers have access to Chapter 4 provides a sampling of new feats for the three core rulebooks for Dungeons & Dragons: players to consider. Dungeon Master’s Guide (DMG), Monster Manual Chapter 5 showcases a host of new spells that could (MM), and the Player’s Handbook (PHB). For material be included for players or NPCs to use. referencing other 5th edition publications, wherever Chapter 6 details magical items that have some tie possible, they have been included within this text. The to this region. following abbreviations are used to reference these other sources. Chapter 7 provides an overview of the Great Dale itself, describing the towns, landmarks, and places MToF – Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes of interest, featuring mysterious ruins waiting to be ToA – Tomb of Annihilation explored. VGtM – Volo’s Guide to Monsters Chapter 8 expounds upon the long history of the XGtE – Xanathar’s Guide to Everything Great Dale, providing a wealth of lore from which new adventures could be built. Chapter 9 identifies key factions that hold sway in this region. Chapter 10 showcases some of the inhabitants of the Great Dale. This chapter includes a number of personalities that DMs can use to populate their games. There are also plenty of new monsters to challenge your players, including a demon lord that has affected this region for centuries. Chapter 11 provides several adventure ideas for DMs to craft their own adventures in the Great Dale. WhatSample treasures will you find within? file

Introduction 5