Over a year ago, the Rebel publishing house released the Polish version of the Player’s Guide for the fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons . Then came the Dungeon Master’s Guide and the Book of Monsters . Now is the time for the Sword Coast . How is this handbook presented? We check!
We invite you for a trip
Abeir-Toril is a planet, somewhat similar to Earth, but where not only humans live, but also elves, dwarves, halflings, orcs and many other fantastic races. It was created by Ed Greenwood in 1967 for the needs of his original short stories. The world began to grow very quickly and the RPG Dungeons & Dragons was created on its basis . Anyone who has had the opportunity to play it will surely know the continent called Faerûn. It is there that stretches the Sword Coast between Amn and the Sea of Moving Ice. Although the continent is huge, it is this part of it that has become the most popular. And this is due to computer games such as Baldur’s Gate , Icewind Dale or Neverwinter Nightswhose action was set in this area. Now, thanks to the Rebel publishing house, the Coast of Swords textbook has appeared on the Polish market , thanks to which you will be able to get to know the region better and prepare campaigns set in this place. But not only! What is in over 150 pages? Let me tell you.
Time for a lesson
Thanks to the latest, Polish-language manual for the fifth edition of D&D , we can learn more about a fragment of Faerûn. The authors focus here largely on the history of the region. There is a lot going on on the coast. At the outset, we are familiarized with the most important events that took place between 1385 and 1489 DR. As a reminder, the adventure told in the first part of Neverwinter Nights takes place in 1372 DR. Over the years, the Lands have encountered such events as the Plague of Magic or the Second Rift, which can be an interesting plot to run a campaign.
If you are going to experience your own adventures on the Sword Coast, the textbook offers not only the history, but also the geography of these lands. On the following pages you will find out, for example, which districts are in Waterdeep or you will find a detailed description of Baldur’s Gate. By the way, you will get to know the topography of the area, check who currently rules each city, what races can be found in them, and what beasts are hanging around on individual routes. It will certainly be very useful during the game.
The last lesson in the textbook is religion. Although the gods of elves, dwarves and gnomes are described very briefly, you can get to know human deities, which are presented in more detail. So if you do not know who to pray to for the fallen, who to ask for favorable winds at sea, or who should send a penalty for destroying nature, just look at the Sword Coast and the matter will be clarified.
New character ideas
More than half of the textbook contains the already mentioned description of the world. On page 103, however, things begin that can inspire not only the Game Master, but also the players. First, we get descriptions of the races of the Realms. While we don’t have any races here apart from the ones we already know from the Player’s Handbook , we do get some interesting tweaks. Among the people we can find bedins and shaarans, for the elves lunar and solar ones were added, and the dwarves were offered gold. Each of the basic races will find a variant for themselves.
Besides races, several subclasses have also been introduced. The barbarian can now follow the furious path, the bard can join the Fochlucan College, and the druid can be part of the Emerald Enclave. There are also new domains for clerics, archetypes for a villain, orders for monks and paladins. Also added some spells for mages and enchanters.
In order to diversify the heroes even more, the creators also proposed further options regarding the origin. From now on, you can be foreigners, courtiers, monastic scholars, monastic knights or clan craftsmen. In total, as many as 12 new possibilities have been added.
The decision is yours
Sword Coast it is a wonderful textbook that gives us a wealth of information about this region of Faerûnu. Once again, it is impossible to complain about the release. The hard cover and beautiful, atmospheric drawings will make it attract our attention right away. Although it is well written, it is certainly not necessary for us. Thanks to it, you will not learn the rules of the game and you will not conduct your first session. If your adventure takes place in a completely different region or world, then only a few race or class additions may be of use to you. The rest will not be needed. But it is sure to be of help to all Game Masters who lead their players across the Sword Coast. City descriptions will allow you to better visualize their appearance, and the story will give rise to new ideas for the session. If, on the other hand, you know someone who is a fan of Forgotten Lands, this textbook will be a great gift for him. Now you have to consider for yourself whether you want to reach for it!