Book Description
The Underdark
Beneath the surface of Faerûn lies a whole different world.
A world of drow, deep gnomes, and other denizens of the dark.
A world of cities like Menzoberranzan and Skullport, of warriors and rogues like Drizzt Do'Urden and Liriel Baenre and numerous others.
Leave the security of the surface world and seek out the darkness that lies below.
Welcome to the Realms of the Underdark.
Customer Reviews:
You can almost hear the authors rolling the dice........2004-11-04
It's not that Realms of the Underdark is necessarily *bad*. Around the time that this stories were written, Drow elves (the evil dark-skinned elves that live deep underground and worship the dark spider-goddess Lloth) were all the rage in Forgotten Realms books. They must still be popular, as I never fail to see a new Drow book out there. It's only natural that TSR (before Wizards of the Coast bought them) would want to take advantage of such cool creatures. Drizzt Do'Urden was the coolest of the cool, an exiled Drow who is actually a hero. Of course, he features in one of the Realms of the Underdark novellas. Surprisingly he isn't really the star of it, but it does explain something of his past.
The problem is that there just isn't really anything exciting or original about any of the stories. Of the stories, one is very good, one is pretty bad, and the rest range from "bland" to "pretty good."
Getting the poor story out of the way first is "A Slow Day in Skullport," by Ed Greenwood. Greenwood is one of the masters of the Forgotten Realms setting, and he is determined to show it. Unfortunately, it's one of the more by-the-numbers entries in the book (and that's saying something!). Three of the Lords of Waterdeep, former adventurers who have retired to positions of wealth and power in the big city, find themselves on yet another adventure. Durnan, owner of the Yawning Portal and master of the entrance from Waterdeep into the Underdark, receives an image of a young noble girl in trouble, and is determined to rescue her. He sends a message to his friend, Mirt the Moneylender, who then alerts his friend Asper of the potential danger. He suspects a trap. Sure enough, it is, as Durnan is attacked by a Beholder, a floating creature with a huge eye in the center and a bunch of eyestalks, all of them able to shoot bolts of energy and other magical attacks. Durnan is the object of the Beholder's plan, and his friends have to come to his rescue. I'm not sure I can really say how bad this story is. I could almost hear the dice rolling during the battle scenes and there's no flow to them whatsoever. Greenwood also can't resist inserting Elminster into the story. Elminster is the greatest mage in the Realms and the character that Greenwood played when the Realms was a gaming world. He's in there for no apparent reason. Either that, or the story will be continued elsewhere, as other seemingly unrelated events happen as well. If true, that's a real minus for this story. What's even funnier is the sequence where Mirt is constantly attacked by various creatures of the Underdark and just swats everything away without raising a sweat. These characters don't feel like they're in any danger whatsoever, even when things start looking bleak at the end. Why should I care about these people? Ultimately, I didn't, and struggled to get through the story. Seemingly invincible characters are dull to read about. Next!
The final story, "Volo Does Menzo," is a wonderful conclusion written by Brian M. Thomsen. Percival Woodehous (or Pig, as he's known in Skullport) is a down-on-his-luck maitre'd who was the best in Waterdeep before being disgraced and forced to find what work he can in sinister Skullport. Volo, the infamous travel guide writer, was the cause of his distress, and Pig is surprised when he finds Volo in a tavern that Pig frequents. Determined to talk to him, he gets mixed up in an attack on Volo by two bumbling Drow disgraced warriors. It is said that Volo intends to write a guide to the Drow home city, Menzoberranzan, and they can't have that. Does Volo have something else up his sleeve? Or will both of them be put to death for the warriors' cleansed honour? This is a delightfully funny tale with the characterization of Volo being perfect. He loves the sound of his own voice and regales both tavern customers and his guards with tales of his travels all over the Realm. He's also devious, as his ultimate plan demonstrates. He has a terrific memory, as he ultimately does remember what happened to Percival (though it would have been nice if he had explained exactly what happened). Percival is also well done as the master chef, out of his element in a situation not of his making. I found the two bumbling Drow hard to get used to at first, because we've never seen one before. They are usually brutally efficient. However, their characterization grew on me, though Thomsen does go a little too far with their denseness. Still, the situations are hilarious, especially the confrontation with the two fish creatures, the Kuo-toa, that Volo and Percival witness when they're supposed to be asleep.
With one great story ("Volo Does Menzo), one good story ("Rites of Blood," by Elaine Cunningham), and three iffy ones ("Sea of Ghosts," by Roger E. Moore, "The Fires of Narbondel," by Mark Anthony, and "A Slow Day in Skullport"), this collection ultimately isn't that good. If you're a fan of the Forgotten Realms, you may enjoy these novellas. Otherwise, you should probably stay away.
David Roy
Bite sized stories for you to savor........2003-02-09
"Realms of the Underdark" is one of the "Realms" series of short story anthologies. This volume deals exclusively with the Underdark, the subterranean world of amongst things dark elves, Dwarfs and a unique ecology. The Underdark has been made famous by R.A. Salvatore's the hugely popular Dark elf series. Although R.A Salvatore doesn't actually contribute any stories in this anthology some of his characters do make appearances in several stories. Fans of R.A. Salvatore will enjoy this anthology since it fills in a lot of background details about the Underdark and how dangerous it really is. Fans might also notice the differing writing styles between R.A. Salvatore and the other authors but that shouldn't detract too much from the book. After finishing the book it leaves you wanting more... but in a good way.
Three Stars for three good stories........2001-09-08
I gave this book three stars, one for each good story in here. If you did not get enough of the Underdark from Salvatore's fantastic drow series, then this book is worth it for the three quality stories within. Though none of the stories are of the quality of Salvatories writings about the underdark, three out of five stories in here add nicely to the myth of the Underdark. The Liriel Baenre story is the best of them and even features a brief appearance by my favorite drow Jarlaxle. There is an excellent story about a deep gnome who was captured as a drow slave. And then there is the so-so Zaknefin story, which includes some more back story on Drizzt, and while this story is no where near the quality of Salvatories writing, it does provide some interesting insight into both Zaknefin and Drizzt. As for the other two stories in here, forget about them, I already did.
Not Bad........2000-07-18
Well.The book isn't bad. I've enjoyed reading most of the stories.But That's the bad part. They left you wanting more :)_ The stories are great, and, if you don't mind reading just short stories, buy it. I enjoyed the Liriel's story (Elaine Cunningham) the most of all.
Mixed Feelings.......2000-06-02
While I thoroughly enjoyed the Drow stories, I was quite disappointed that there were only two (if not two, then only three), which was the reason I bought the book. Disappointed as I was, I still read the rest of the book for the heck of it and discovered that the only stories that were worth my time and money were the Drow ones. They're pretty good. One of them was about young Drizzt and Zaknafein (mostly about Zaknafein). The other one was about Liriel. Anyway...If you just want to read the GOOD stories, just read them in the store. Don't waste your money.
Average customer rating:
- What there is , is great
- What a disappointment...
- Great for a UD Fan
- Tastes great, less filling...err...Very pretty book; not useful
- Still torn on this one
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Underdark (Dungeons & Dragons d20 Fantasy Roleplaying, Forgotten Realms Accessory)
Bruce R. Cordell ,
Gwendolyn F. M. Kestrel , and
Jeff Quick
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
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ASIN: 0786930535
Release Date: 2003-10-01 |
Book Description
Underdark provides a wealth of highly detailed information about one of the most popular regions in the
Forgotten Realms world, the world beneath the ground.
Underdark includes details on the most popular Underdark race, the drow, plus 16 other below-ground character races. In addition to 25 new regional feats as well as new prestige classes, spells, monsters, and magic items, there is also background content on 60 cities and sites of interest, including extensive story content gathered from a multitude of
Forgotten Realms products and articles.
To help both players and dungeon masters use the book without players stumbling onto things they shouldn't, additional material for running a campaign is isolated in a single section of the book and includes adventure hooks.
To use this accessory, you also need the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, the Player’s Handbook, the Dungeon Master’s Guide, and the Monster Manual.
Customer Reviews:
What there is , is great.......2007-05-01
Initially going through the book, its full of excellent ideas and information, all the things you want to know about the Underdark. It was only when I started to look things up , I found that there was no index. How can a reference book have no index! Then after reading through the geography section trying to find what I was looking for I noticed , half the paces on the map have not enteries, which was quiet frustrating.
Overall, what there is is excellent, but it seems like the only wrote half the book.
What a disappointment..........2006-05-04
I am an avid DM particularly in the Underdark and I thought frankly that it really was two hundred pages of nothing save for a few paragraphs. I have found more useful information from my old box sets and Drow of the Underdark supplements than this book provided. The maps were completely worthless and the city descriptions were paltry at best. Gone are the days when forgotten realms books were jam-packed with useful DM information ready to pop into a campaign. If you are looking for a general overview of the Underdark then it fills the need, however my imagination works much better than this book.
Great for a UD Fan.......2006-03-07
I guess if you are an old school player this book may not be up to your standards, but if you're a new school D&D guy like me this book is great. Tells you a lot of things about some hardly talked about underdark races and places of interest. Sure you may find it in the novels but they are "cliffnoted" in this version. Also has some very sweet arse monsters and if you plan on building an Underdark campaign it comes in very handy with geography. Being a drow fan I am, and no not due to Dritzz, this book has my recommendations for some help in Lloth based drow but it is a bit lacking. I could go on but to sum it all up, you like the Underdark or creatures in it I highly suggest getting this book to help you in the aspects it has to offer unless you read the novels enough to just know. That is why I give it a 5 star, for one it does what it says, Underdark. Tells you a summed up describtion of it and places of interest.
Tastes great, less filling...err...Very pretty book; not useful.......2005-12-08
Once again, WoTC has produced a quality art book with some great, solid writing. If you're the average, married, Gen-X (that means your parents were yuppies) era, career-minded professional; not in school, you don't work in the gaming industry, you don't own a hobby shop, and you have children...then you probably don't really play D&D (and your Xbox is a dust-magnet), and you probably haven't really played for years---research says there's lots of you out there--- but you still enjoy fantasising about fantasy, so this is the book for you! (Whew! Gotta love those run-on sentences!!)Great art, beautiful, high-end production, tight, interesting writing...but...if you're a real player (which means you're probaby under 25 and/or in some form of school), then this book is nothing but an art book: no value to the gamer. There's nothing here you don't already know, or that you'd NEVER miss. WORTHLESS...unless you like pretty pictures and good writing...Four Stars for the quality of the book; WoTC is bursting at the seams with talent, and Underdark proves it...worth the price of admission, but no instant campaigns inside; just a great imagination springboard!
Still torn on this one.......2005-06-21
This is a source book that is really ment if you are running a Forgotten Realms campaign and want to expand into the underdark. If you are looking for material for a home-made campaign this might not be the right book for you. It does offer a lot of background info about places, people, and events in the underdark of FR. Some of it can be adapted for home-made but most will not be of use.
Customer Reviews:
Must Have for Underdark DM.......2006-03-15
This is by far the most detailed resource book ever about drow that I have found besides just reading the novels. It is very enjoyable to read if you are a drow fan or a underdark DM, or simply wish to have a basis on how to rp your drow. I use it as a bible when it comes to my players bickering on how drow are and what this book says is final as far as I am concerned. If you do not give this book 5 stars I suggest you look at yourself and ask how anal you really are. If you can find a better resource book please let me know. So far this is the winner in my opinion.
excellent.......2003-02-27
AN EXCELLENT BOOK THAT GIVES SOMEONE THAT IS NEW A VERY GOOD UNDERSTANDING AND BACK GROUND OF THE DROW UNDERWORLD
This was, sadly, a disappointment..........2001-10-31
When I finally got this book and found out that it doesn't exactly have everything you need to know about the drow in it, I was really disappointed. What really bothered me was that it starts out in a kind of narrative, story format rather than a scientific, "factual" treatise. It does give info on the drow pantheon and its unique spells, but then so does Demihuman Deities. It's also got stuff on specific drow-associated monsters, but then so does the Monster Manual. There's a little on drow architecture, religion, and culture, but nothing extraordinarily revealing. It does have this nice (but small) Drow-Common dictionary but there's still so much drow lingo that I can't piece together any sense of. The reference's got nothing specific about things such as drow child-bearing and -raising, everyday life, and common practices. We know that the important things they do is worship Lolth, scheme, and murder, but what do they do in the meantime when they *aren't* acting out of ambition, anger, or lust? What food, sport, or fashion-style are they fond of? What of the lives and fate of the inevitable half-drow? Still, I have to recommend this book if you want to read stuff on the drow because it's the only one out there that has so much relating to them in one compilation.
Great book even if you don't play Underdark.......2000-07-28
This is the best D&D rules supplement I have ever purchased. It contains so much information about the drow (dark) elves. It talks about their religion, their language, and a sect of drow that are good aligned. If you have any interest in ever including drow in your campaign this is the book for you. I use the drow- english dictionary in it all the time. It makes interesting puzzles for my PCs. Even when I am not playing D&D I use this book; it has some cool drow names that I like to use as names for some of my MUD characters. Without a doubt this is the most useful D&D book I own short of the Monsters Manual.
A must for all players and DMs of the Underdark.......2000-04-10
A detailed journey through the drow world. The Drow of the Underdark is perhaps the only book which will give you precise details and also a lot of aid in creating a drow PC or NPC. Going through everything from drow history to magical items, the Drow of the Underdark is a must for all players. It's adaptability is unmatched yet, and is useable by all players.
Better yet, it has a cover unlike many of the other Forgotten Realms expansions. A black paperback cover inlaid with gold.
Book Description
The place has many names: the Underdark, Deepearth, the Realms Below, the Night Below, the Lightless Lands. The vast world beneath the surface is home to fabled races such as beholders, cloakers, drow, illithids, and ixzan. Menzoberranzan, the dreaded City of Spiders, is only one of the hidden cities of the Underdark.
This 128-page book, compiled by the Underdark's most famous son, Drizzt Do'Urden, lays bare the bizarre societies that lurk in the Realms Below. It includes an overview of the major races of the Underdark, an Underdark survival guide, and details and maps of more than a dozen cities. Discover a drow city constructed entirely of calcified spider silk, a nigh-immortal dwarven king trapped in stone form, and a storehouse of knowledge that rivals Candlekeep. Learn the particulars of the alliance of the true master of Firedrake Bay, and an explanation of the enduring strength of the beholder cults along the Lake of Steam.
With Drizzt Do'Urden as your guide, a whole new world opens up beneath your feet.
Suitable for all levels of play.
Customer Reviews:
Not what I expected.......2000-11-04
After reading R. A. Salvatore's books, I expected more. I wanted to know everything about the drow and what happened to Mezonberranzan after Sige of Darkness. I did not find it in this book. It is really good, but could be better. There could be better descriptions about some importants citie sin the Underdark. They tell so little about Mezonberranzan and ohter drow city... But it is ok. But only buy it if you want to play in all the Underdark. Do not expect specific descriptions about your prefered race or city.
A good read but lacking excitement.......2000-05-31
This book is basically an expansion on the underground realms for TSR's Forgotten Realms AD&D campaign setting. As a veteran gamer who probably has more supplements than should be healthy, I found this book to be readable and a good addition for any GM who plans to take his players into the Underdark.
While the essays, descriptions and artwork are perfectly functional, the style is a little dry and lacking in excitement. It would probably have read better if the author had adopted a first-person perspective - after all, the title is 'Drizzt's Guide to the Underdark' - and doesn't quite match up to R.A. Salvatore's Dark Elf Trilogy.
I really, really wanted to like this book (being a Drizzt fan) but feel a little dissapointed. The best gaming supplements are those that are written with such enthusiasm and passion that make gamers all want to explore the new locations at once. Sadly this book doesn't do that, although it is still a good read. Just not great.
Actually not too bad.......2000-04-15
When I picked up this book, I said to myself, "Bah, this will be garbage", but it being about Drizzt, I had to take a look. I was extremely surprised to find it wasn't all that bad.
I will say though (as I've said before) nobody should do Drizzt except for Salvatore
Good way to see the underdark.......2000-02-06
if you have missed out on (now out of print) Story lines on the underdark this book not only cataches you up but gives you a lot more detail
Great book!.......1999-11-23
I just got this book today (2 days earlier than expected) and I sat down and began reading. I'm about done now and just wanted to tell everyone how great the book is. There are parts about every race I have heard of in the Underdark. After it describes the races it tells about the cites they live in, this part is excellant! There are rummors and very interesting facts about all races (I found the Illithads most interesting). On top of all of that there is an eights fold map that makes everything fall together. It is a map of The Realms and on it are many of the many cities of the surface andf the Underdark, it shows where all cities are in relationship to one another. i would have bought the book just for this map. I know it will torment my PCs over and over again. I recomend this book to anyone who likes D&D or even just needs a book to read. The only problem I found was that they (Wizards of the Coast) attached a survey in the book and you had to rip it out to fill it out. It was a post card sized piece of card board. WOTC people, please don't put these in books anymore unless they come out more easily!
Customer Reviews:
Devlin and Jessica/Jess-SPOILERS.......2006-07-24
Favorite scene with Jessica/Jess-
When Jessica/Jess storms into Burke's gambling parlor, threatening him with a gun. Devlin helps her out.
Favorite scene with Devlin-
Saving Clem during the mule accident. What a hero!
Together-
The cave accident.
What did you like about Jessica/Jess-
Her love for her father. She would do anything for friends. Willing to forgive Burke. She sure was a tough cookie with her gun.
What didn't you like about Jessica/Jess-
She was so quick to judge Devlin, not only because of his wealth, but also because of his way with the ladies. She was a tough cookie, and yet, she doubted herself one too many times.
What did you like about Devlin-
He was a brilliant businessman. He was a good man. He had the whole town wrapped around his little finger, for the good. His willingness to help perfect strangers without expecting anything in return. He was a true hero several times throughout the novel.
What didn't you like about Devlin-
There wasn't anything I didn't like about Devlin.
If I had to cast Devlin, I'd cast Julian McMahon.
If I had to cast Jessica/Jess, I'd cast Emily Robison.
Book Description.......2005-08-06
Passion's Gamble.... There's fire in Jessica Sommer's hazel eyes. She's out to get the scoundrel who shot her father and she needs a hired gun to help her protect the family silver mine. Garrett Devlin arrives in town just in time to take on the job. Suave and disturbingly good-looking, Devlin claims to be just a gambling man...but he's not showing all his cards. His easy-going charm and self-assurance make him irresistible to most women, yet Jessica, strong-willed and independent, spurns his promises of pleasure as they follow the dangerous trail of outlaws through the majestic Colorado Rockies. But suddenly faced with life-threatening peril, Jessica yields to the warm comfort of Garrett's embrace...surrendering helplessly to the firestorm of passion in the searing kisses of a stranger's love...
it was okay, but not her best.......2000-06-17
This book was entertaining because of the great storyline and the characters really brought the book alive. However, I thought the love story could have been developed a little more. Don't get me wrong; it's still a good book but I don't think it's her best.
Average customer rating:
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Wildstar
Linda Ladd
Manufacturer: Avon Books (Mm)
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Binding: Paperback
Ladd, Linda | ( L ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0380871718 |
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Wildstar
Manufacturer: Image Comics
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Wildstar #1 : Sky Zero (Image Comics)
Al Gordon
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ASIN: B000SNLSIW |
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WildStar #1 of 4
Image
Manufacturer: Image Comics
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ASIN: B000IMK8VQ |
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Wildstar #3 : Guest Starring the Savage Dragon (Image Comics)
Al Gordon
Manufacturer: Image Comics
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ASIN: B000SNLU1C |
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Wildstar #4 (Image Comics)
Al Gordon
Manufacturer: Image Comics
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ASIN: B000SNGYZ4 |
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Wildstar (Vol.1 No. 1 of 4)
Manufacturer: Image Comics, Inc.
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Binding: Comic
ASIN: B000HYF0WM |
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- Staying On: A Novel (Phoenix Fiction Series)
- Tell Me What to Eat If I Have Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Nutrition You Can Live With (Tell Me What to Eat)
- That Hideous Strength (Space Trilogy, Book 3)
- The Body Artist: A Novel
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