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ForgingtheRealmsArchive|3/29/2013

TheWizardsDidIt
AdventurerRescuer
ByEdGreenwood

HowandwhereandwhendidtheForgottenRealmsstart?What'sattheheartofEdGreenwood'screation,and
howdoestheGrandMasteroftheRealmsusehisownworldwhenherunsD&Dadventuresfortheplayersin
hiscampaign?"ForgingtheForgottenRealms"isaweeklyfeaturewhereinEdanswersallthosequestionsand
more.

henthecondemnedprisonerissentfor,tobedraggedinfettersbeforetheenthronedkingfromthe
pitchdarkdeepestcelloftheroyaldungeonsbutthemanaclesarefounddanglingempty,thecell
vacantofallbutoldmolderingbones,thewhispersbegin:"Thewizarddidit!"

Whensomecoinsofthegreatroyalfortuneareneededatlast,andguardafterguardispassedandtrapafter
trapcircumvented,topenetratetotheinnermostvaultwheretripwiresarefoundundisturbedandintactspider
websstretchinthicknetsandthecoffinsizedtreasurechestisfoundlockedtightyetemptyofallbutair,the
judgmentdescends:"Thewizarddidit!"

Andwhenthetraitorishuntedthelengthofthekingdom,shoutingridersspurringtheirmountstooutgallopthe
wind,brandsblazingintheirhandsastheychasethemiscreantintoalonelyhutatopapinnaclefromwhich
thereisnoescape,andsurrounditwithwaryvigilanceasthebattlemightiestamongthemcloseinwith
warswordsdrawntoflingwidethedoorofthehutanditisfoundtobeempty,nomatterhowdiligentlyitslone
roomissearchedorallitsboardsdismantleduntilthereisnothingleftbutaheapofwood,onceagainthecry
goesup:"Thewizarddidit!"

Greatfun,buttoprovidemoreexampleswouldbemerelytobelaborthepoint:Infantasyworldswheremagicis
commonplace,hostilemagicuseissuchaneasyexplanationorjustificationthatittendstogetoverused.

RandallGarrett'sLordDarcytalesstandassomethingofacounterpointtothat,whichisoneofthereasonsI've
alwaysenjoyedthem.Theyincludeonenovel,TooManyMagicians,inwhichsomeoneimportantismurdered
inalockedroomatahugegatheringofwizards.So"ofcourse"itwasdonewithmagicbutifso,inabighotel
fullofwizards,justhowdoyoufigureoutwhodidit?

I'mnotsuggestingthatallRealmscampaignsshouldbeaseriesofmurdermysteriesbeingsolvedbyHolmes
likeplayercharacters.(ThoughthatcanbegreatfunIdidjustthatforoneofmylongagolibrarymini
campaigns,inwhichtheFourSwordsadventurersbecameunofficialassistantsoftheCityWatchinWaterdeep,
helpingsolveatroublingseriesofmurdersofnobleheirs.Boy,didtheygettoseealotoflaundrychutesand
pantriesandservants'intrigues.)

TheideaI'mgettingatisthatRealmscampaignsworkbetterwhenDMsseeanduseallsortsofother
explanationsfortheunusual,beyond"somesneakywizardorpriestdidthis,withtheirmagic."

PerhapsthisorthatparticularmysteryisreallyrootedinsomeFaerniansselectivelybreedingcreaturesfor
foodstocksormountsorotherspecializeduses,soahorseoroxorhouseholdcatordogcouldhaveopened
thelatchatasignal,orcarriedoffthekeyorconveyedthatkeytoapersonlockedinaroomorcell.

It'slikelythatmany"odd"oratfirstglanceinexplicableeventsorbehaviorsarereallytheresultsoftheold,old
powerofgreedandofferedcoins.Thecapturedmurdererorhostagebribedhiswayoutofthecell,ora
profferedbribegotaguardcloseenoughthattheprisonercouldscratchhimwithasharpenedsmallfingernail
coatedinacontactpoison,thengoneoutthewindowintotheseafarbelowclutchinghimsothepoisoned
guarddrowns,andtheprisonerswimsaway.

Perhapstheexplanationinvolvescoins,butnothingasswiftorblatantasabribe.Thereasonbehind

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bewilderingdeedsoreventscouldbeadesiretotrimcostsormakelucrativelongtermtradedeals.

Howoftendowealljumptotheeasiest(buterroneous)explanation?Downinthedungeon,thewarily
exploringPCsencounteramagical"field,"wildmagicarea,orweirdmagicaleffect.Aha!Thedefensesofa
powerful,lurkingspellcaster,ofcourse!

Yetarethey,really?Howoftendosuchthingsresultfromlongagocollisionsbetweenspellshurledinabattle
betweenrivalbandsofadventurerswhogottothedungeonbeforethePCs?Orthemeetingofanimprudently
castspellwithanexistingmagicalfield?

Thankstotheexpenseanddangerofexperimentingwithcollidingmagicaleffects,resultsremainlargely
unpredictable.OrtoputitinDMs'terms,youcanhavethemcausejustaboutanything.

Forexample,thePCsarehuntingdown"badguy"adventurersin,say,Undermountain.Thebadguyshurla
fireballspellatthePCsdownalong,narrowpassage.Itseffect,confinedbyunyieldingstonewalls,spreadsfar,
reachingalongthecorridortowardthePCs.Notwantingtobeimmolated,thePCwizardcountersbyhurlinga
fireballspellattheonrushingflames,acounterblasttodriveitback.

Whathappens?Well,evenifthePCwizardhassucceededwiththistacticbefore,theansweralmostmustbe:"It
depends."Foronething,thePCwizardprobablyhasn'tpracticedhurlingfireballspellsdownthisparticular
passagebefore.Theremaybeoldmagicwaitingalongit,unseen,thatwillaffectandbeaffectedbythe
clashingfireballs,twistingtheirmagicalenergyintoawakeningsomethingorcreatinganunforeseenmagical
effectthathaslittletodowithfire.Ortheremaysimplybeslidingpanelsorexistingcracksinthewallsofthe
passagethatgivewaybeforeeitherofthefireballsbursts,breakingopennew"exits"fromthepassageinto
adjacentroomsorcollapsingthefloorofthepassage,alongwithsomeofthePCsorthe"badguys"orboth,
downintothenextlevelofUndermountain,beneath.

Anaffectedadjacentroommaybewhereafellandpowerfulspellcasterfloats,caughtinageoldstasisuntilthe
roilingfireballenergyawakensandreinvigoratesthemrousingthemtofuriousretaliation.

Oradecayinglichwhohasbeenawaitingthearrivalofsufficientmagicalpowertocaptureanddraindecides
thatthisfireballcollisionispowerenough,anditsbeareristhelongawaitedprizetobedrained.

Ifmagichasbecometoofamiliarandhumdrum("Justa+1swordthatglowswhenyouwantitto,orwhenthe
windblowseast,oradragonistooclose?Huh,nothingspecial.Tossitinthewagon.We'llsellitwhenwegetto
thecity."),drawingattentiontoitsunpredictabilitythefactthatmortalsandgodsalikeareplayingwithforces
theydon'tfullyunderstandandthatarealltoolikelytogowildoratleastdounpredictable(andusually"bad")
thingswillatleastmakeplayerswaryofit.

Sothey'llthinktwicebeforegliblysendingtheircharactersto"runandpickupthewandandseewhatitdoes."
Or"Iopenthebookandreadthefirstspellout,andseeiftheidolresponds."(Oh,it'llrespond,allright...)

Inotherwords,putalittleaweandwonderbackintothemagicinyourgame.

Andifyoucan'tevokeaweandwonderinyourplayers,alittlefearandrespectwilldo.

AbouttheAuthor

EdGreenwoodisthemanwhounleashedtheForgottenRealmssettingonanunsuspectingworld.Heworksin
libraries,andhewritesfantasy,sciencefiction,horror,mystery,andromancestories(sometimesallinthesame
novel),butheishappiestwhenchurningoutRealmslore,Realmslore,andmoreRealmslore.Hestillhasafew
roomsinhishouseinwhichhehasspacelefttopileuppapers.

19952015WizardsoftheCoastLLC,asubsidiaryofHasbro,Inc.AllRightsReserved.

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