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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .4What You Need to Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .4How to Use This Book in Your Campaign. . . .5
Timeline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .5
Chapter 1: The Valorous Hero. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Goodand Evil in Faerûn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6RewardingValorous Behavior. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6How to DM forValorous Heroes . . . . . . . . . . .7Creating Valorous Challenges. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Valiant Hero Archetypes. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .9
The Imperfect Champion of Good . . . . . . . .10How Do YouAtone? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Vengeance versusCompassion . . . . . . . . . . . .14Kill or Capture? . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Character against Character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Goodversus Good: When Beliefs Collide . . . 15
Law versus Chaos. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Neutral versus Others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Lawversus Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Chaosversus Chaos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Races from Other Supplements . . . . . . . . . . . .17Goliaths .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..17Illumians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .17Raptorans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .17
Valorous Racial Archetypes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1850Things for Valorous Characters to Do . . 19
Chapter 2: Character Options . . . . . . . . . . . . .21Regional Backgrounds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Bardic Tutelage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21Bastard of Azoun. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22Celestial-Attended Birth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Childof the Unicorn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Chosen-Born .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Church Acolyte.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23Circle-Born . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23EnlightenedStudent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23Harper Protégé . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23Holy Realm. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23Knight Squire . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24Martyr’s Progeny . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24Monastery Orphan . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24Mulhorandi Royal . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .24Orphan of the Yellow Rose . . . . . .. . . . . . . .24Secret Moon dancer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 25Selûnite Foundling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 25Ward of the Triad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Feats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . 26Broken One’s Sacrifi ce. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 28Carmendine Monk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28Defender of the Homeland . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28DetectShadow Weave User . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Druuth Slayer . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Duerran MetaformTraining . . . . . . . . . . . 29Duerran Stealth Training . . . . .. . . . . . . . . 29From Smite to Song . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . 29Initiate of Anhur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 30Initiate of Arvoreen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30Initiate of Baravar Cloakshadow . . . . . . . . 30Initiate ofEilistraee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Initiate of theHoly Realm . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Initiate of Horus-Re . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Initiate of Milil . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31Initiate of Nobanion . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 31Initiate of Torm . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . 31Initiate of Tymora . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . 32Knight of the Red Falcon . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32Knight of the Risen Scepter . . . . . . . . . . . . 32Knight ofTyr’s Holy Judgment . . . . . . . . . 32
Knight of Tyr’s Merciful Sword . . . . . . . . .33Mark of theTriad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33Overcome ShadowWeave. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33Paladin of the Noble Heart .. . . . . . . . . . . .33Silver Blood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .33Silver Fang . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .33Smiting Power . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .33Sword of the Arcane Order . . . . . . .. . . . . . 34Sun Soul Monk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 34
Substitution Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34Berronar Valkyrie (Paladin). . . . . . . . . . . . . .35BrokenOne (Monk). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36Claw of the Sunand the Ankh (Paladin) . . 36Crescent Moon Knight (Paladin) . . . .. . . . 37Darksong Knight (Fighter) . . . . . . . . . . . . .38Dukar (Wizard) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38Eternal Order (Paladin) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..39Fangshields Barbarian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40Fangshields Druid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40Fangshields Ranger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..41Golden Cup (Paladin) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42Golden Lion (Paladin). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43HolyJudge (Paladin) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44LionLegionnaire (Paladin) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44Mystic FireKnight (Paladin) . . . . . . . . . . . .45Noble Heart (Paladin). .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46Phoenix Disciple (Monk) . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 46Purple Staff (Cleric) . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 47Red Falcon (Paladin) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 48Ruby Rose Knight (Paladin) . . . . . . . . . . . .49Shadow Sword (Ranger) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49ShootingStar (Ranger). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50Vigilant Eye ofHelm (Paladin) . . . . . . . . . 51Wary Swordknight (Paladin) . . .. . . . . . . . . 51
Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . 52Sanctifi ed Magic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 52Animate with the Spirit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52Benign Projection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..53Celestial Fortress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..53Convert Wand. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..53Create Lantern Archon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54Dawnshroud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54Diskof Solar Vengeance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54Dispel Silence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54Eilistraee’sMoonfi re. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55Favor of Tymora .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55Faith Healing Wand . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55Fleeting Fortune . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55Golden Dragonmail . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .55Holy Fire Shield . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .55Horrible Taste. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .56Invisibility, Swift . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .56Lionheart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .56Love Bite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56Portal Well . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56Rend Shadow Weave . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . 57Runic Marker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 57Shard Blessing Aura . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 57Silver Dragonmail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 57Skin of the Steel Dragon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58Spellsong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 58Spellsong, Lesser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58Spiderbind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 58Stars of Arvandor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58Stars of Mystra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..59Stars of Selûne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..59Stormvoice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .59Thunderstroke. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..59Vision of Punishment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
Weapon Special Abilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60Homeland Champion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60Sacrificial Smiting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Magic Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 60Albruin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 60Chalsembyr’s Heart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 61Dornavver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .62Dukar Hand Coral. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..63Faith Token . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 64Flying Hunt Armor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..65Glassteel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .65Hadryllis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .65Harper Token . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 66Oath-Hammer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .67Reluctant Four . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..67Ring of Truth-Telling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..69Storm Armor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..69Tabard of the Nimbral Herald . . . . . . . . . ..69Zundaerazylym’s Nevertokens . . . . . . . . . . . 70Crown ofNarfell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71RedeemedItems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Chapter 3: Valorous Organizations . . . . . . . . . 73What Makesan Organization Valorous? . . . 73
Not Every Organization Qualifi es . . . . . . . .74ValorousOrganizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
Organization Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74TheDruids of Tall Trees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75Fangshields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 78Fellowship of the Purple Staff . . . . . . . . . . . .80Guardians of the Weave. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82Knights of the Flying Hunt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85TheKnights of Imphras II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88The Knightsof the North. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92The Soft Claws. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96Minor Organizations .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Chapter 4: Prestige Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106Knight of the Flying Hunt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106Knightof the Weave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111MoonseaSkysentinel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117Triadic Knight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Chapter 5: Places of Valor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127Caveof Brother Luiman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127Chapel ofResounding Justice . . . . . . . . . . . . 129Cullrin Fields . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131Darkmaiden’s Leap. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133Planar Touchstones . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133Mholor Durinhal . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135Teumyshaaril . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137The Weeping Garden . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Chapter 6: Agents of Good . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142NPCs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142
Bakra Hispul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142Brenvol Whitebrow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .144Breyarg Stonebreaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145Dalthyria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 146Dorgafal Shiverock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147Kerri Talindras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148Ramas-Teth Ankh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149Rindon Wasatho. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150Sarade Gedreghost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151Stormwing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .152
Monsters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 152Battle Effi gy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 153Equines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 153
3
4
Champions of Valor is for players and Dungeon Masters who wantto incorporate great heroism into their campaigns. This is morethan simply a list of good deeds and good traits, for a lowlypeasant can do good deeds or embody good traits, intentionally oraccidentally. The use of the word “valor” in the book title issignifi cant; it means “courage and boldness,” “the qualities of ahero,” and “exceptional courage when facing danger.” Compare thesemeans to the contextual meaning of the word “good;” a thief mightbe good at picking a pocket, an assassin good at murder, and ablack-guard good at cowing his enemies, but none of those thingsare valorous or heroic. This book is about valorouscharacters—those who might be good or in some cases merely neutral,but are great and heroic in facing down the greatest dangers ofFaerûn. Most valorous characters are good, but a signifi cantfraction of them are indifferent to good and evil, and a rare feware evil but recognize that some evils must be challenged (even themad Halaster has battled on Mystra’s behalf). It’s worth notingthat if you look at the ratio of good, neutral, and evil deities inFaerûn, there are a disproportionate number of good-aligned deitiescompared to neutral or evil deities. You see this if you comparethe thirty fully described deities in the FORGOTTEN REALMS®Campaign Setting, or just the greater and intermediate deities ofFaerûn, or all the deities described in Chapter 5 of that book:Good-aligned deities outnumber those with a neutral aspect, andthey outnumber evil deities as well. This means there are more goodinfl uences in the world than evil or neutral ones (though the evilones tend to be more overt and careful in their infl uence). Thereare more good-aligned
adventurers in Faerûn than neutral or evil ones, not justbecause of divine infl uence but because Faerûn calls out for goodheroes. From the earliest version of the setting to the latestincarna-tion, FORGOTTEN REALMS books assume that player charactersare usually good and will sometimes do things just because it’s theright thing to do, not for a reward. However, it is unfair toexpect the PCs to always behave this way; part of the enjoyment ofplaying D&D is seeing your character become more powerful, andwhen the rewards are lacking it detracts from the experience. Oneof the goals of this book is to provide DMs ways to motivatevalorous characters and reward them in atypical ways. If you’re aDM, use this book for ideas on how to encourage your players toplay valorous PCs, create valorous adventures for those PCs, andbuild a campaign based on heroic deeds. You can even use thismaterial to guide the behavior of your villains and villainousorganizations, for one of the pinnacles of valor is chal-lengingyour evil opposite with the fate of the world at stake. If you’re aplayer, this book presents you with new options for yourcharacters, whether you want them to have humble beginnings andaspire to great heroism of be born destined for greatness and awareof it from the very start. Read this book and talk to your DM aboutwhat he expects from valorous heroes; this book can help establishcommon ground so your character doesn’t stumble in mid-campaignover confl icting perceptions of what is valorous behavior.
What You Need to PlayTo use this supplement, you also need theDUNGEONS & DRAG-ONS® Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide,and Monster Manual, plus the FORGOTTEN REALMS Campaign Setting.Many references are also made in these pages to Races of Faerûn,Player’s Guide to Faerûn, and Magic of Faerûn. We also recommendBook of Exalted Deeds, Races of Stone, Races of Destiny, and Racesof the Wild. Though you don’t
5
INTRODUCTION
need any of those books to use this one, some specifi c ideasand game concepts presented in those books appear here in a limitedform, and you can fi nd more details in the appropriate book. Forexample, this book suggests ways to incorporate the goliaths (a newrace from Races of Stone) into a FORGOTTEN REALMS campaign, butonly includes the briefest amount of information on the goliathrace; if you want more information on goliaths, refer to Races ofStone. Several other books are referenced herein. In many cases,this reference is in the form of a superscript abbreviation of thebook’s title, which is tacked onto the end of the name of a spell,monster, or some other piece of information. The books (includingsome of those mentioned above) and their abbrevia-tions, whenapplicable, are as follows: Book of Exalted Deeds (BE), Championsof Ruin (CR), Complete Warrior (CW), Lost Empires of Faerûn (LE),Magic of Faerûn (Mag), Player’s Guide to Faerûn (PG), Races ofFaerûn (Rac), and Unapproach-able East (Una).
How to Use This Book
in Your CampaignThis book gives you many options for running avalorous campaign, running valorous PCs or NPCs, and making heroicsa critical part of your FORGOTTEN REALMS campaign. Whether it’s newoptions for building a character, inspirational organi-zations acharacter can join, places of power tied to heroism and sacrifi ce,or new allies and companions for valorous PCs, Champions of Valoris the key supplement for Faerûn’s heroic
characters. Alternatively, much of this book can be used withminor adjustments in any setting. Introduction: What is thedifference between good and valor? Why are there are so many heroesin Faerûn? Chapter 1: The Valorous Hero has advice for DMs andplayers about valorous campaigns, valorous challenges, and valorousarchetypes by class and race. It addresses the idea of fl awedheroes, atonement, and confl ict between different kinds of good.Chapter 2: Character Options details new regions, feats, spells,magic items, and substitution levels tailored for Faerûnian deitiesand organizations. Chapter 3: Valorous Organizations covers severalvalorous organizations, including information on how to join andthe benefi ts of joining each group. Following that are shortdescrip-tions of many valorous knighthoods, monk orders, and otherorganizations. Chapter 4: Prestige Classes introduces four newprestige classes for valorous heroes, from the Knight of the FlyingHunt to the Triadic Knight. Chapter 5: Places of Valor gives samplelocations associated with good, from a holy temple to the site of agreat battle. Chapter 6: Agents of Good describes several new NPCsand monsters with descriptions and game statistics, suitable forcohorts, allies, or contacts.
TimelineThis book assumes that the current year is the Year ofLightning Storms (1374 DR).
Some of the rules and features described in Champions of Valoruse two action types not described in the core rulebooks: the swiftaction and the immediate action. A description of how each worksfollows. Swift Action: A swift action consumes a very small amountof time, but represents a larger expenditure of effort and energythan a free action. You can perform one swift action per turnwithout affecting your ability to perform other actions. In thatregard, a swift action is like a free action. However, you canperform only a single swift action per turn, regardless of whatother actions you take. You can take a swift action any time youwould normally be allowed to take a free action. Casting aquickened spell is a swift action (instead of a free action, asstated in the Quicken Spell feat description in the Player’sHandbook). In addition, casting any spell with a casting time of 1swift action (such as divest essentia) is a swift action.
Casting a spell with a casting time of 1 swift action does notprovoke attacks of opportunity. Immediate Action: Much like a swiftaction, an immediate action consumes a very small amount of time,but represents a larger expenditure of effort and energy than afree action. However, unlike a swift action, an immediate actioncan be performed at any time—even if it’s not your turn. Castingfeather fall is an immediate action (instead of a free action, asstated in the spell description in the Player’s Handbook), sincethe spell can be cast at any time. Using an immediate action onyour turn is the same as using a swift action, and counts as yourswift action for that turn. You cannot use another immediate actionor a swift action until after your next turn if you have used animmediate action when it is not currently your turn. You alsocannot use an immediate action if you are currently flat-footed
Swift and Immediate Actions
6
Book of Exalted Deeds addresses the concepts of good and evil inthe D&D universe. This chapter examines those issues in thecontext of the FOR-GOTTEN REALMS campaign setting, providing advicefor DMs and players who want more valor and heroics in theircampaigns.
Good and Evil
in FaerûnFaerûn is an interesting place, to be sure, when viewedin terms of good and evil. The goddess of magic is good, so allmagic ultimately comes from a good source, and while she canrestrict magical access to only good creatures, she does not do soor risk upsetting the balance of power in the world. The god of thedead is neutral, seeing death as an inevitable thing but notsomething he wants to promote or encourage before its due time.Several nongood deities allow paladins in their service, promotingonly the most lawful and good aspects of their faith. The god ofknowledge is neutral, while the gods of literature and song aregood. The protector of caravans is neutral, while the goddess offesthalls is good. While the D&D game views good and evil in amore black-and-white sense than what exists in the real world, itis clear that in Faerûn, these concepts are not so cut-and-dried.That said, we can use the godly portfolios to determine there aresome things in Faerûn that are defi nitely good or evil. Nature,rather than being an indifferent or neutral force, is often good(Chauntea, Eldath, and Mielikki are good, while
Silvanus is neutral). Hereditary rule by qualifi ed nobles isassoci-ated with good—Cormyr is the only true human monarchy and isconsidered a good nation; Mulhorand is ruled by lawful goodhereditary priest-kings; Evermeet and the Great Rift clans are goodmonarchies. Light, whether sunlight or moonlight, is good(Lathander, Selûne, Horus-Re, Eilistraee, and Sehanine Moonbow aregood deities of light, dawn, or the moon). Undeath, wanton killing,and destruction are evil (Bhaal, Myrkul, Velsharoon, Kiaransalee,Cyric, Talos, Set, and Malar). Oppression, conquest, and inflicting suffering are evil (Bane, Loviatar, Lolth, Gruumsh, Urdlen,Deep Duerra, and Talona), as are darkness and thievery (Mask, Shar,and Vhaeraun). When viewed in this way, the deities of the settinghelp defi ne the borders of Faerûnian morality. In short: Life,concern for others, and respect for nature are good, whiledisruptions of the natural cycle and abuse of power are evil. Thusit is quite possible for a powerful good government to act in anevil manner by abusing its power, destroying nearby lands, orengaging in war for the sake of glory or territory.
Rewarding
Valorous BehaviorFaerûn is a well-developed campaign world, withan established history and connectivity between its countries,organizations, and powerful individuals. When something happens,others are sure to fi nd out about it and respond. The mage whodestroyed the dire doppelganger’s hold on Westgate gains areputation elsewhere along the Dragon Coast. The Rashemi barbarianwho held off a charge of Thayan knights long enough to enable ahathran to heal her wounded sister and escape is spoken of in Theskand Aglarond as well as his homeland. The heroic thief who stolethe Bloodstaff of Arkhoun from a Banite temple—the night before
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Fzoul was to claim it—earns many rounds of drinks in Cormyr andWaterdeep. While it is easy to reward valorous characters withmoney and magic items or to allow them to take special feats, thesetypes of rewards aren’t the only way to reinforce valorousbehavior. In the real world, people who do great deeds are oftenrewarded fi nancially, but quite often these rewards are minorcompared to the fame and thanks heaped upon them by those theyhelped. A fantasy world with magic, true celestials, and huge areasof pristine land has even more ways to reward valorous charactersthan the real world does, and all without adding game mechanics. AMulhorandi high priest might reward a heroic wizard with the powerto make any creature realize the hero is a friend of the royalfamily. A valorous cleric can be assigned a specifi c veterancelestial to watch over her, and it is this celestial that answersher lesser planar ally and commune spells. A warrior dragonslayercan be awarded title to the lands formerly held by the dragon andpermission to build a castle as a knighted lord of the realm. Aheroic rogue who broke the back of an assassins guild might begiven a key to the city and a position as advisor to the localduke. This is not to say that magic, spells, and feats aren’tinterest-ing and exciting ways to reward a valorous character, butsince good characters are expected to do good deeds withoutrequiring a reward, always giving them a material award cheapenstheir acts—while other types of rewards help build thecharacter’s
reputation and establish him or her in the setting (nonmaterialawards also avoid the problem of exceeding the recommended amountof treasure for a particular character level). Heroes inspire greatstories, which cause others to retell and emulate those stories,which often results in a new generation of heroes inspired by theprevious generation. In a way, that is true immortality.
How to DM for
Valorous HeroesRunning a campaign with valorous heroes requiresextra work and preparation by the Dungeon Master, but the rewardsare signifi cant. In a standard campaign, PCs might be content toescort caravans, defeat orc outposts, and dabble in heroics now andthen, but such campaigns are usually poorer in the retelling. Bycomparison, a valorous campaign where the stakes are high, theheroes larger than life, and the villains especially foul is morelikely to inspire good memories of the games and encourage theplayers to even greater acts of heroism. Valorous heroes requirespecial care and attention. Even more so than in a standardcampaign, the two rules of running a FORGOTTEN REALMS campaign (seeChapter 8 of the FORGOTTEN REALMS Campaign Setting) are critical.First, you must remember that your campaign is your world. Youdon’t need to follow the events of the novels or campaign updatesin the game supplements,
and if you need to change something to give your characters theopportunity to do something valorous, then by
all means do it. If you want your valorous PCs to pass throughTilverton right before it vanished from Faerûn, give
them a chance to stop whatever causes the catastrophe—inyour
campaign, Tilverton
Illu
strat
ion
by R
alph
Hor
sley
A small keep makes the perfect gift for a valorous knight
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still exists as long as the PCs intervene. If you want your PCsto have a chance to prevent the rebirth of Bane by attacking anavatar of Xvim, do it—in your campaign, Bane might stay deadforever if the PCs are made of the right stuff. Second, by allmeans make the PCs the stars of the campaign rather than the famousNPCs. If even the most valorous hero gets less “screen time” thanDrizzt Do’Urden or Elminster in your campaign, it cheapens theefforts of your PCs and makes the players wonder why they bothertrying to be valorous at all. Give your PCs the opportunity toshine and do great things, pushing NPCs out of the spotlight. Ifyou’re playing a campaign in Cormyr during the war against Nalavarathe Devil Dragon, and your valorous Cormyrean wizard PC proveshimself wise and mighty, ignore the information about Caladnei onpage 115 of the FORGOTTEN REALMS Campaign Setting and instead letVangerdahast nominate the PC wizard as his successor, citing along-forgotten branch of the line of Royal Magicians thatculminates in the character. Perhaps a noble-hearted duergar andhis friends were the ones who defended Mithral Hall against aninvasion of gray dwarves rather than a violet-eyed drow fi ghtingagainst the vengeful forces of his home city. Perhaps the true heirto the throne of Tethyr is not Zaranda Star but actually aChondathan mercenary fi ghter PC who must battle to unite the landhe would claim as his own; in your campaign, it might not beKhelben Arunsun who negotiated a temporary peace with theZhentarim, but rather an ambitious half-elf bard who then left toform his own organization. If you make the PCs the stars and letthem perform incredible heroic deeds that affect the entire world,the players recognize that it is they who are shaping their gamingworld, not authors and game designers.
Creating Valorous
ChallengesFor heroes to truly shine with the light of valor,they must face down the darkest evils. There’s only a smallpotential for valor in an adventure focused on guarding a caravancarrying copper ingots to the Western Heartlands. If instead thecargo is dwarven steel to be made into swords to arm a localmilitia against an invasion of Zhent soldiers, and the caravan ispassing through an area known to be patrolled by Kurn Cormaeril(vampire skymage of the Zhentarim and traitor to the crown ofCormyr), now you have an opportunity for heroism. The militia can’tkeep this caravan safe by itself; it needs a group of heroes tolead them in battle so the rank-and-fi le soldiers won’t beslaughtered. This type of scenario has great potential for valor,even for low-level characters and for a broad mix of characterclasses. Remember that Faerûn isn’t just a bland fantasy setting,it has a rich and detailed history that you can use to create
scenarios tied to the world and lay the groundwork for futureadventures. A lot is going on at any moment in Faerûn, even if youonly look at a small area, and there should be plenty of ways toincorporate far-reaching plot elements for valorous heroes toseize, shake, and follow. Champions of Ruin and Book of VileDarkness are excellent resources for the enemies that valorousheroes loathe, fi ght, and defeat. Even if you don’t have thosebooks, there are dozens of adventure seeds are strewn throughoutthe FORGOTTEN REALMS Campaign Setting and other FORGOTTEN REALMSproducts. In its long history, Faerûn has seen several evilcountries rise to power only to collapse because of internal conflict, delving too deep into forbidden magic, confl ict with evilenemies, or destruction at the hands of the forces of good; evendead evil empires can be the seeds of great adventures, asmisguided humanoids unearth and use long-buried artifacts, lichesand other immortal evils dig themselves free or awake fromcenturies of magical imprison-ment, or a madman tries toreconstruct the “glory days” of old. Evil gods can die and stillleave their legacy—Moander’s cultists still try to bring him backfrom the dead, Myrkul’s evil lingers in the crown of horns, and soon. Not that enough evil isn’t already present in Faerûn to keepvalorous heroes occupied for quite some time. Thayan enclaves canseem innocuous, but in most cases it’s certain that enclave profits go to researching powerful and dangerous spells that the RedWizards will test in battles against Aglarond and Rashemen (and ifsuccessful, the rest of the world). The new church of Bane is thedriving force behind the Zhentarim and their leader is Bane’schosen. A dozen other evil gods try to carve pieces out of the mapor from the fl esh of living mortals. Thieves guilds put achokehold on trade in and out of a crucial port city, cutting offsupplies needed to help win a foreign war against an orc horde,while an assassins guild literally strangles the life from a city’sprestigious families to settle an old rivalry. Bandits declarethemselves kings and take over peaceful towns, putting anyresistors to the sword and claiming the spoils of blood andinnocence. Pirates attack pilgrim’s vessels in the Sea of FallenStars and merchant vessels on the Sword Coast. Yuan-ti threatencivilization in the Chultan peninsula. The Shades loom over Cormyrand the Dalelands. The People of the Black Blood conspire to murdertravelers or infect them with lycanthropy and turn them loose inlarge cities where they can do the most harm. Phaerimms, mind flayers, and drow conspire and scheme in the Underdark, sometimesreaching upward to crush the lives and spirits of people on thesurface world. Priestesses of Loviatar open roadside inns, thentorture to death anyone who accepts their hospitality. The point isthat real evil exists in Faerûn, meaning plenty of work for trueheroes to do. If players want to roleplay as valorous heroes, thereis no excuse not to give them the opportunity. While not everyadventure has to pit absolute good against absolute evil
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or thwarting the machinations of yet another villain who wantsto rule all of Faerûn (after saving the world day after day, onestarts to wonder why it hasn’t fallen apart due to some hero’sfailure), a valorous campaign should have regular episodes wherevalor is the expected norm.
Valiant Hero
ArchetypesIt’s easy to fi nd archetypical valorous charactersfor each of the eleven standard classes in the Player’s Handbook.Though many of the early archetypes can seem to be cliches, that’sonly because these characters defi ned the archetype, and thewriters who followed based their sample heroes on these archetypes.Not every valiant hero has to be something new and unique in theworld; there’s a place in the game for the simple courageouspaladin or thief with a heart of gold. The following characters arearchetypical examples of valiant heroes of their class. Barbarian:The valorous barbarian archetype is the “noble savage,” a man orwoman from uncivilized lands who confronts evil when he or she seesit, even though his or her actions might be mocked or unappreciatedby others. Robert E. Howard’s most famous character, Conan, hasremarkable prowess in battle and instincts for survival; thoughhardly a man of virtue, Conan did his share of battling evilwizards and horrible monsters when such things needed to be done.Elements of the berserker aspect of the barbarian class are commonin Norse tales; the greatest warriors slain in battle go toValhalla to await Ragnarok when their strength will be needed to fight the frost giants at the end of the world. The Celt hero CúChulainn is also a barbarian, though while some consider him a bardbecause of his Celtic origins, he was actually mighty warrior inbattle, and his warp-spasm (rage) physically transformed him intosomething strange and terrifying. In Faerûn, the berserkers ofRashemen who pay for the freedom of their land with blood spilledin battle with the Red Wizards of Thay are sometimes valorousbarbarians. Bard: The D&D bard derives almost completely fromthe Celtic bards: those musicians who spread wisdom, recordedknowledge and story in the form of song, and used their music toblur the line between the natural and the supernatural. The Greeksand Norse also had a strong bardic tradition, with the Iliad, theOdyssey, and poetic and prose eddas passed down orally forgenerations by bards (thus, Homer and Snorri Stur-luson should beconsidered bards). The infl uence of Celtic bard culture on theFORGOTTEN REALMS setting is clear: Oghma is the Celtic god ofbards, Silvanus is the Celtic god of nature, and one of the mostomnipresent good-aligned groups is the Harpers. In Faerûn, theHarpers and the elves are common sources of valorous bards.
Cleric and Druid: Whether serving the gods or nature itself,priests are a staple of fi ction and history. Friar Tuck was avalorous priest, and though in most modern stories he plays secondfi ddle to Robin Hood, he was Robin’s equal in sword and bow. For aBiblical example, consider Moses; turning against his adopted royalfamily, he risks death by taking up the cause of the slave class,using divine magic to coerce and battle the enemies of his people.Cathbad is a druid from the tales of Cú Chulainn, father of a kingand speaker of the prophecy that convinced Cú Chulainn to take uparms and become a great hero. Faerûn has many examples of valorouspriests, Cadderly (the Chosen of Deneir) being one of the mostpowerful. Fighter: Scotland’s William Wallace (“Braveheart”) was avalorous fi ghter; the son of a low knight, he united the clans ofhis people to throw off the oppressive rule of a foreign leader,came back from apparent death, and was captured and executed forhis actions. Col. Robert Gould Shaw (a real person upon whom themovie Glory is based) is a more recent valorous fi ghter; he foughtfor the North in the Civil War because he believed in the abolitionof slavery, fought prejudice in his own army because of thosebeliefs, and gave his life on the battlefi eld. The Purple Dragonsof Cormyr often produce valorous fi ghters. Monk: Unarmed combathas many styles, and dates back over a thousand years. The16th-century Chinese general and author Qi Jiguang is a criticallyimportant martial artist; he taught his soldiers unarmed fi ghtingtechniques and mental training to build courage, allowing them todefeat armored Japanese pirates attacking the eastern provinces. LiMu Bai in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a retired honorablemartial artist who must take up his sword again to stop amysterious thief and the evil woman who murdered his master. (Manycharacters from the “Jiang Hu” mythical period of Chinese historywould be valorous monks in the D&D sense.) Members of severalFaerûnian monk orders (see page 25 of the FORGOTTEN REALMS CampaignSetting) are archetypal valorous monks. Paladin: The valorouspaladin archetype primarily comes from the stories of King Arthurand the Knights of the Round Table, though some of these knightswere less than perfect. Other examples of the “warrior chosen bythe gods” are Joan of Arc, samurai in service to a good anhonorable lord, and Hiawatha, who spread peace and law among theNative American tribes, facing a strange snake-haired wizard andeventually founding the Five Nations of the Iroquois. As members ofthe only D&D standard class with a good alignment requirement,many paladins are valorous characters. Valorous paladins are likelyto appear in any Faerûnian paladin order, though Torm’s and Tyr’sfollowers seem to be driven to valor. Ranger: Tolkien’s rangers,particularly Aragorn, are the model for D&D rangers—woods-wise,sword-strong, and protect-ing their fallen homeland from ancientevil as best they can (it’s
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telling to note that in previous editions of the game, rangershad to be good). In more recent sources, Prince Gwydion of LloydAlexander’s Prydain Chronicles is clearly a noble ranger (though asa secondary character he gets fewer pages than the commonerprotagonist), a leader of men, skilled in woods magic, and brave inbattle. Tarzan is another valorous ranger archetype; thoughuncivilized, he lacks a barbarian’s battle lust, and his love ofnature and bond with animals mark him as a ranger. Since thefounding of the Silver Marches, that land has seen a markedincrease in the number of valorous rangers patrolling its forests.Rogue: Robin Hood, though born an aristocrat and trained in war, isa good example of a valorous rogue; willing to risk death tochallenge a usurper to the throne, stealing from the wealthy togive to the poor, and using trickery to defeat his enemies andescape trouble. A more modern example is Indiana Jones, awell-educated man who unearths long-lost treasures not to sellthem, but to display them for all to see, fi ghting the Nazis andother evildoers in the process. Valorous rogues can turn up almostanywhere in Faerûn, fi ghting tyrants in Westgate or on theMoonsea, working to destroy the evils of Undermountain. Sorcererand Wizard: Again using Tolkien’s writings as an example, Gandalfis a valorous wizard. In the body of an old man, a powerful spiritguides a team of heroes on a quest to save
the world, gives his own life to help them escape, and facesdown other evils to defend innocents. Harry Potter is a valorouswizard even though he is just a boy when his quests begin; he facesthe lingering spirit of the man who killed his parents, fi ghtshorrible monsters that would panic and devour an ordinary boy, andrisks himself to save his friends. Aglarond’s many battles withThay have produced a disproportionate number of valorous sorcerersin that country, and Waterdeep’s place as the center of Faerûniantrade and culture means that valorous wizards pass through itsgates almost daily.
The Imperfect
Champion of GoodEven among valorous heroes, nobody is perfect.Characters are heroic because they overcome obstacles, whetherthose obstacles are external or internal. Internal obstacles, or flaws, help defi ne a valorous character, and such a hero’ssuccessful adventures set an example to others that they shouldn’tlet their own failings prevent them from doing greatthings—overcoming one’s own shortfalls is a quest in itself. Anumber of personality fl aws are discussed below. An indi-vidualhero might have one or more of these fl aws to a greater or lesserdegree; each entry includes reasons why the hero might act thatway, and what races, nationalities, or faiths of heroes
A valorous wizard confronts her darkest foes
Illustration by Lucio Parrillo
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might commonly have this fl aw. When creating a valorous hero,use these traits to help guide your character development but notconfi ne it; as with alignment, these traits are a tool for fleshing out a character, not stereotyping. Bigoted: Bigoted heroesconsider themselves better than an-other group, race, nationality,profession, or religion. They might feel this way because they wereborn in a culture of intolerance and never had the opportunity tointeract with members of the “inferior” group, or because they seethemselves as the cham-pion of their position and don’t have timeto deal with “lesser concerns.” Elves are often considered bigoted.Some long-lived races consider humans arrogant if not bigoted intheir sense of superiority, and genasi think most other beings areless special than the planetouched. As citizens of an ancientempire that still stands to this day, the people of Mulhorand canbe bigoted toward foreigners, as can Chessentans, Sembians, orWaterdhavians, who feel their city is the center of human trade andcivilization. Spellcasters look down on warriors for lacking brainsand arcane talent, and warriors curse spellcasters for theircowardly magic. For a time shortly before the Godswar, the churchof Torm in Tantras persecuted “unbelievers” (members of otherfaiths) as directed by its heretical high priest, which certainlyis a form of religious bigotry, as are the cross-elemental biasesof Grumbar and Akadi, or Kossuth and Istishia. Brave: Brave heroesalways try to appear fearless in the face of danger. Some make ashow of bravery to strengthen the hearts of those around them;others do it to keep their inner fear from breaking the surface andbecoming known, while still others know no fear because they arefools. Elves and dwarves are known for their stoic bravery in theface of death. Halfl ing heroes act brave to bolster the commonfolk of their lands in times of danger. Humans often use bravado inthe same way as halfl ings, but just as often it’s a cover for thecold terror within. Cormyr’s soldiers are inspired to courage bytheir Purple Dragon Knights, while heroes of Calimshan must lookfearless in order to save face in front of their family, servants,and slaves—no matter what they feel inside. The religions ofTempus, Tymora, and Tyr are three faiths that greatly valuecourage. Cautious: Cautious heroes refuse to let themselves get tooupset or too enthusiastic about anything. Such a hero might haveacted rashly in the past to the detriment of others, or he mightfear that if he shows too much interest in vanquishing somethingevil, spies might take note and go out of their way to protect thatthing. Some dwarves are cautious (except in the face of immediatebattle), remembering too many friends and kin at home lost to adisastrous decision. Svirfneblin and drow fear enemy spies (usuallydrow) who would use their actions to fi nd the location of theirhome city or the identity of secret allegiances. Citizens ofa*glarond fear Thayan spies, Cormyreans recall friends lost infoolish charges against the Devil Dragon,
and Sembians worry that showing too much interest can spoil adeal or reveal a business contact better kept private. Rememberingthe atrocities of Maztica, followers of Helm can be very cautiousin their actions. Many heroes serving good deities worry thatspending too much time at a particular church, town, or home candraw their enemies’ attention to that place. Fanatic: Fanaticheroes are willing to take on nearly impossible odds at great riskto themselves if they think they can succeed. Such a hero might becompensating for a past loss or failure to act at the right time,or might be a veteran of many battles, with many lost friends overthe years, and who now places little value in his own life anylonger. For many years, dwarves fi t this mindset, while their raceseemed on the verge of extinction, but the Thunder Blessing haschanged this for most of them. Valor-ous half-orcs can be fanaticin their attempts to prove to others that they are truly heroesdespite their orc heritage. Any nation such as Cormyr, Tethyr, orUnther that has suffered terrible war losses in recent years isprone to have fanatic heroes. Many paladins of Helm, Torm, and Tyrbecome fanatics in the hopes of repaying various debts to the worldfor the Time of Troubles, and old heroes of Tempus or the RedKnight may be ready to leave Faerûn and join their deity in theafterlife, hoping to die in battle rather than aged and infi rmedin a bed. Forgiving: Forgiving heroes are willing to overlook pastslights, welcome old enemies as new friends, and accept that evenmonsters can repent their evil ways and become good. Perhaps theyexperienced prejudice in the past (whether for something innatelike their race, or perhaps because of an act they com-mitted) orsaw a friend turn to evil but crawl back to the light again.Humans, even with their insatiable appetite for power, still tendto be forgiving; the good-hearted gnomes and halfl ings tend to beas well. Aasimar and tiefl ings approach forgiveness from oppositeends, but understand the need to accept those who are different orwho have turned away from darkness. Tethyrians and Damarans havelearned to put aside old hurts in the interest of peace, and thepeople of Unther know that living under a tyrant doesn’t mean youenjoy tyranny. Ilmater’s faith is best known for its acceptance ofold enemies and healing of old hurts; some say Ilmater wouldforgive Loviatar herself if she repented her cruelty. Followers ofHelm understand that those who have done wrong can regret theirdeeds, and in the long term, Silvanus’s worshipers are verytolerant of those who once hurt the forest but now try to protectit. Observant: Observant heroes are always on the lookout forproblems and frequently give suggestions and corrections to alliesand strangers. Perhaps they are forcing themselves to be vigilantto make up for failing to notice the early signs of a great tragedyor trying to prove themselves to a well-respected superior, ally,or family member. Dwarves, elves, or deep gnomes might remember asurprise attack on their community that occurred while they
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were on duty. Members of every race are subject to hero worshipand its consequences. Surviving warriors of Untheric border townsmight very well regret not mentioning the eastern dust clouds thatheralded the approaching Mulhorandi army, just as Aglarondanborder-watchers think back on every trick the Red Wizards used tocross their border. Clerics of Torm wonder why they didn’t speakout against the offenses caused by their Tantran high priest.Followers of Selûne and Mystra wonder why it took them so long tonotice the existence of the Shadow Weave.
Overbearing: Overbearing heroes are vocal about their qualifications and involvement. This behavior can be due to ar-rogance, adesire to be in the spotlight, or a change from a meek perspective.Elves and dwarves tend to be overbearing, especially when younger,smaller, or weaker races are involved. Humans have a gift forarrogance, remembering their race’s victories and none of its manyfailures. Halfl ing heroes often brag or boast in order to makesure they’re noticed or to show they’re not just jumped-up farmers.Calish*tes, Sembians, and Thayan wizards tend to be overbearing,all believing they know how to handle a situation the best.Followers of Tyr tend to assume they should be in charge and actaccordingly, and Lathander’s faithful tend to be exuberant,especially the recent converts.
Reserved: More than just exhibiting a tendency toward silence,reserved heroes are usually content to go along with whatever thegroup decides; they are reluctant to give their input, especiallywhen it contradicts the group leader or anyone of equal status.Some quiet heroes do this because they’re agonizing over a past
mistake, while others save their input for the few topics theythink are really important. Halfl ings are used to beingoverlooked, and may remain quiet out of anger, letting it simmeruntil they reach a point where they must speak their mind. Despitetheir frequent jokes, many gnomes are actually quiet heroes, savingtheir strong opinions for important discussions. Heroes of Tethyroften remain silent because they understand what happens when agroup turns on itself due to confl icting opinions, while Moonseaheroes still remember the people killed for opposing theZhentarim.
Reverent: Reverent heroes are very common among the faithful;they frequently quote scripture, pray at every shrine and temple,and lecture others about their moral failings. Among the lay folk,reverent heroes are meticulous about following the law, unwillingto trespass on an enemy’s castle grounds without announcingthemselves. These heroes might have violated some importantreligious or legal code and don’t want it to happen again, or mighthave recently found new faith or love of the law and want to make agood impression among like-minded folk. Normally, this is alawful-minded behavior. Humans are the most likely to becomeoverzealous in this regard, though drow living in exile often stillcling to bits of religious doctrine (such as never killing spiders,not looking women in the eye, and so on). Uthgardt barbarians andhalf-orcs raised by orc tribes often adhere to strict taboos ofbehavior for fear of offending the spirits or bringing shame totheir family. Grumbar’s faith is meticulous in maintaining itsancient practices, and the lawful Mulhorandi deities are similarlystrict. Followers of the Triad
Even valiant champions have their fl aws
Illustration by Ralph H
orsley
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can annoy friends and strangers with frequent talk of morals,laws, and following church directives. Suspicious: Suspiciousheroes scrutinize everyone, even their friends and allies. Perhapsthey are dealing with an unfamiliar race or culture, or weretricked by a doppelganger or mind-controlled ally, or fooled by askilled enemy spy. Many dwarves are suspicious by nature, as aredrow raised in the Underdark. Heroes of Amn and Calimshan are oftensuspicious given the near omnipresence of thieves, spies, andassassins in their home-lands. Selûne’s faithful can be suspiciousof others despite their general good nature, because Sharconstantly plots to destroy them. Many of Mystra’s followers haverecently become more suspicious of other spellcasters as rumors ofthe Shadow Weave have become more prevalent. Temperamental: Moodyand often irritable, temperamental heroes often have a shady pastor a secret shame. Reluctant heroes are often temperamental.Dwarves are often tempera-mental because of concern over their homeclans. Humans and half-orcs can be moody because of old fl aws orsecrets. A hero from Hlondeth might worry that his friends willlearn his family is tainted with the blood of yuan-ti. A Thayanwizard might brood over things he had to do as an apprentice to anevil Red Wizard. A reluctant champion of Tymora, prodded togreatness by coincidence and circ*mstance, might regret abandoninghis family and worry about their welfare. Followers of Kelemvor aretaught that their god was a lycanthrope in his mortal life, cursedto harm those he loved, so they understand how a dark secret canpoison the laughter in an otherwise decent person. Trusting:Trusting heroes can be trying to lull a suspected enemy into afalse sense of security, rebounding from a bout of paranoidsuspicion that got an innocent person hurt, or perhaps are simplynaive. Some drow heroes pretend to be trusting to see ifsurface-dwellers intend to take advantage of them. People fromisolated communities often sincerely trust what others tell them,no matter the source. Of all the Faerûnian deities, Eldath andLliira are the most likely to have extremely trusting followers,confi dent in their ethos that the world is a safe place.
How Do You Atone?Sometimes a fl awed hero stumbles, andsometimes that stumble causes a fall. Fortunately, most goodsocieties understand the concepts of penance, forgiveness, andredemption; a valorous game without these concepts becomes a gameof attrition, as one by one the heroes fail and cannotcontinue.
USING THE ATONEMENT SPELLWhen a hero falls morally, that herocan avail himself of a chance to prove himself over again to thosewho have come to
doubt his commitment, strength, and ability. In stories, theseare usually special tasks, quests, or rituals. In the D&D game,the obvious method is the atonement spell, which could require somesort of quest. However, it is important to note that the atonementspell isn’t always required. A suitably remorseful hero can atonefor a misdeed without the intervention of a spellcasting priest;there is nothing particularly special about a 9th-levelspellcaster’s ability to forgive transgressions other than hisaccess to the spell, and a lower-level priest could use the spellfrom a scroll or a wand, so clearly the priest and the spell aren’tthe key factors. The D&D game simplifi es many things forDungeon Masters who don’t have the time or inclination to requireextended roleplaying for a character’s penance, and the atonementspell serves that purpose. In campaigns where magic is more thanwhat spells you have prepared and faith is more than what deity iswritten on your character sheet, any sincerely penitent personshould be able to atone for a transgression on his own throughappropriate acts. Whether this act is a self-imposed exile in thedesert for a year or a divinely inspired task that carries greatrisk, in a world where the gods walked in mortal form less than ageneration ago, those gods and nameless powers of good canrecognize sincere atonement whether or not a priest is there tocast a spell. Of course, many strict religions still require thespell even after a true atonement, just to make it offi cial in thechurch records, but other than ostracism from the church, a herowho truly absolves his sins needs no other proof of it than whatlies in his own heart. That said, in many cases a hero wants theatonement spell not because he wants a shortcut, but because hewants or needs some sort of offi cial recognition that histransgression is forgiven. A righteous paladin of Torm who isdominated by a vampire and terrorizes a town for a month wants tomake sure that not only does his church believe he is worthy ofabsolution, but the townsfolk know that the church believes this(and hopefully the paladin has made reparations to the town as partof his atonement).
THE ACT OF ATONINGA sin or other spiritual failure is really akind of debt, whether a debt to a deity, an oath, or one’sprinciples—whether or not the act was intentional. The goddess Heraonce drove Heracles temporarily insane, and while so mad he killedhis own children; as penance for the crime against his family, heserved ten years as a slave of his cousin Eurystheus (Silvanusmight do this to a hero who destroys a natural treasure or kills arare animal). These acts of penance are a metaphysical coin forpaying the hero’s debt. Atoning is a ritualistic or spiritual wayto repay that debt, usually in a way related to the offense. A herowho deliberately kills an innocent man could be directed to raisethe orphans as
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his own children; a hero who offends a goddess might have tobuild her a temple with his own hands. Having the quest suit thenature of the failure is thematically stronger than (for example) aquest to kill a monster that has nothing to do with the failure,and players are more likely to remember the stories of theirheroes’ adventures if their punishment fi ts the crime.Fortunately, Faerûn has many evil cults, guilds, and monsters thatare suitable for such quests, and dozens of ancient items of powersto be restored to the proper hands—in other words, many currenciesuseful for paying metaphysical debt. Of course, many times heroesgain great fame for performing their atonement quests, relegatingtheir misdeeds into compara-tive obscurity. For example, the TwelveLabors of Heracles were actually dictated to him by Eurystheus aspart of his punish-ment, but few remember that, focusing on theTwelve Labors as acts of heroism destined for a hero to accomplish.The gods (and other agents of atonement) are aware of this and candecide that a more humbling or debilitating punishment is in order.When Hera drove Heracles mad at a later time and again caused himto strike down his children, Zeus made him the slave of a Greekqueen, forced to wear women’s clothes and sew for a year. In theFORGOTTEN REALMS high-magic setting, even stranger punishments arepossible. A paladin of Ilmater who rebuffs a frightened old man’srequest for help might be tasked to take on the fl oggings of anentire prison full of murderers; a greedy priest of Chauntea who fills her belly while her constituents go hungry might be required tolive on bread and water for a year, using her skill and spells toprovide food for a village during that time. Heroes who commithorrible acts can be banished to one of the Nine Hells to betortured by devils for a month, or imprisoned on the Plane ofShadow for a like amount of time, surrounded by half-real illusionsof the victims of their acts. These tasks absolve the heroes’failings without rewarding them with fame in the process. Valorousheroes who are “repeat offenders” should get successively morediffi cult quests or tasks to atone for their failings. Atonementshould always cost the hero something signifi cant. Sometimes thecost is a risk, as when he is sent to fi ght a horrible monster.Sometimes it’s the hero’s time, as with the temple-build-ingexample. Rarely is the cost simply money, since the D&Dtreasure system expects that heroes have a certain amount of wealthat each character level, and even large amounts of donated treasureare usually just a temporary setback. In a few cases (particularlywith lawful individuals) the omission of action is the cost; heroescan be required to swear oaths to abstain from certain things (sex,particular foods, and so on) or certain acts (cursing, talk tononbelievers, and so on). Of course, after multiple failings a heromight be so constrained by his oaths that he can hardly take actionwithout careful consideration beforehand to make sure he doesn’tbreak his word.
Vengeance versus CompassionVengeance in Faerûn is an interestingsubject. Many stories talk of heroic vengeance, but gaining revengeoften comes at a great cost in life, magic, or damage to the land.It’s interesting to examine vengeance from a divine perspective aswell. Horus-Re is a god of vengeance and is good, but Hoar andShevarash are both neutral (and Shevarash’s vengeance is onlyagainst evil drow, not indiscriminate vengeance) and Kiaransalee isevil. Clearly, according to the gods revenge has its place and canbe done in the name of good, but it is just as likely to originatein evil or be divorced from good and evil entirely. This is alesson to valorous characters who tread the path of revenge, andshould be a caution to them. Are their motivations good, or lesspure? What are the consequences of this vengeance? Is there a moreconstructive way to right the wrongs you are avenging? Is thetarget of your vengeance redeemable, or so vile that the world isbetter off with it dead? That last point is especially important.Book of Exalted Deeds talks about mercy and forgiveness as keyelements of a truly good character. Extending mercy to a defeatedopponent is something an evil character would never do, nor wouldan evil opponent truly forgive someone who wronged him, and as suchthose two acts defi ne what is good behavior (the willingness to dosomething no evil creature would consider the right response).Again, looking at the deities, Ilmater is a powerful deity whoembodies persever-ance and suffering; he more than any other knowswhat horrors evil can perform, but he endures by holding onto thehope that eventually evil hearts will turn to good, or, if need be,destroyed outright. While he is allied with Torm, a martial god ofpaladins, Ilmater’s superior is Tyr, god of justice, and part oftrue justice is knowing when a punishment is appropriate orexcessive and when clemency is merited. In a world where truly evilgods walk the earth, the leader of the Harpers makes a peaceagreement with the Zhentarim, and one of the land’s most famousheroes is a good-aligned dark elf, the desire to slay an enemy forrevenge must always be questioned.
Kill or Capture?Good characters throughout Toril face the samedilemma that good characters elsewhere deal with: What to do withcaptured enemies? In a world where magic is much more common,deal-ing with captives can be much easier, especially with the useof portals, teleport spells, and other magic that lets youtransport many creatures to other locations in a short period oftime. Adventurers are common enough that most places have lawsspecifying what adventurers can and cannot do (Cormyr requires themto register, for example, making it easier to identify and trackadventurers who take the law into their own hands), and
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good-aligned adventurers should not feel they can disregardlocal laws just because they’re out of earshot of a town. Mostcountries have laws about killing prisoners without a trial or atleast make arrangements to ransom them back to their comrades inthe hope that enemies will respect a similar agreement—so heroeswho put captured opponents to the sword are little better thancommon murderers. Good heroes should prepare for the necessity ofbinding subdued opponents or be willing to let their captives gofree with a promise of better behavior (and prob-ably stripped oftheir weapons and armor so they can’t easily harm other people). Ofcourse, it is a different situation when the heroes are acting asagents of the law—killing a wanted murderer in open combat iscompletely legal, for example—but even those acting with approvalof the law must obey these same laws; a Waterdhavian priest of Tyracting under orders of his temple to root out a thieves guildshould try to capture some of the thieves if possible so they canbe questioned, tried, and sentenced.
Character against
CharacterIn a world where the gods of death are neutral andlawful good gods are a minority, alignment confl ict (and thusphilosophical confl ict) between characters occurs frequently. To agood character with neutral or evil friends, this confl ict can bevery frustrating, since he wants his friends to be the best theycan be and doesn’t want to compromise his own principles, butusually knows that morality lectures do little good. Thegood-aligned character in such a group should consider a differentway of showing his friends the benefi ts of being good, such as byoffering the good option in practical rather than moral terms. Ifthe others in the group agree to the good character’s choice, hecan later explain his moral reasons for the choice and how theysupport the practical reasons. Example: A good moon elf and hisdwarf and human companions have just dealt with the warriors of asmall tribe of Stonelands goblins raiding Cormyr farms. The dwarvesand humans want to kill the females and young because they believegoblins are incurably evil, and if they are left alive they’ll justwant revenge on the Cormyreans for their dead husbands and fathers.The moon elf points out that killing them just means that someother evil group is going to take over their territory and be aproblem for the farmers later. He suggests leaving them alive withsome of their treasure and weapons, arranging to have a team ofChauntean priests teach them rudimentary agriculture appropriatefor the area, and hoping that they change their ways in the future,since perhaps the raiding goblins were evil out of starvation orworship of evil
gods. If his allies accept this proposal (perhaps aftersuggesting that the treasure left behind comes out of the elf’sshare), the elf can later explain why he feels killing defenselesscreatures, even evil ones, is wrong, because killing an evilcreature just sends another soul to an evil deity, while giving ita chance to redeem itself not only steals a soul from the evilgods, it sends it to the good gods. Another more risky method is tospeak out against less moral choices the other characters make andpoint out when their poor choices come back to haunt them. Ofcourse, a good character shouldn’t allow his friends to commit evilacts, but he might choose to stand idly by during some minorinfrac-tions, so this is risky behavior. A crafty good character orone with a lot of contacts and resources even has the option of“cleaning up” the messes his allies make, then confront-ing themwith their mistakes and showing how his actions prevented seriousrepercussions. Unfortunately, the good character tends to comeacross as incredibly arrogant when doing this, so sometimes it isbest to only deal with major problems, letting the minor thingscome back to haunt the allies. When they grow annoyed with thedamage caused by these old problems, the good-aligned character canpoint out that he’s been fi xing things as best as he can but hecan’t fi x everything, and if they tried harder to make goodchoices they wouldn’t be suffering so. This option requires astrong roleplayer willing to spend time alone with the DMnegotiating resolutions to the party’s blunders.
Good versus Good:
When Beliefs CollideJust as it’s possible for an adventuringparty to have confl icts be-tween good and nongood characters, aparty of differently aligned good characters can disagree on moralissues. On a larger scale, two good churches or even countries cancome into confl ict about differing concepts of good. It isremarkable that in a world with actual, tangible evil, twodifferent good characters or countries are willing to engage inbloody confl ict about whose interpretation of good is correct, butit is the nature of humanoids to come to blows when even smalldisagreements get heated.
Law versus ChaosThis form of confl ict is a surprise to no one;independence and personal freedom opposed by obedience and duty.Chaotic good characters feel restricted by the rules of lawfulcharacters, and lawful characters feel that chaotic characters haveno discipline or respect for order. Followers of Tymora think thatTorm’s worshipers are too stiff, and Tyr’s faithful wish the churchof
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Selûne would get organized and fi ght evil in an effective,sys-tematic manner. As the Player’s Handbook states, lawful good isthe best alignment because it combines honor and compassion, whilechaotic good is the best alignment because it combines a good heartwith a free spirit. These ideas are not incompatible, and wisemembers of both alignments need to be willing to agree todisagree.
Neutral versus OthersThose who can afford the luxury of debatingthe merits of dif-ferent kinds of good sometimes say that neutralgood (true good) is the best kind of good because it focuses ondoing good without worrying about chaos or law. They say that ifthe combinations of law, chaos, good, and evil were drawn on agreat wheel, neutral good would occupy the highest position on thewheel, higher (relative to the ground) than either lawful good orchaotic good, “proving” that indifference to law and chaos allows aperson to do more good in the world. Whether this is true or theproof is even valid, neutral good heroes sometimes face criticismfrom both law and chaos. Lawful characters see a neutral good heroas falling short of her full potential, while chaotic charactersthink the neutral good character is willing to sacrifi ce a few toomany personal freedoms in the name of greater good. Neutral goodcharacters can see the merits of both sides of the law-versus-chaosargument and use these points to counter whoever criticizes theirmoral choices. Chauntea’s followers understand that supporting theprosperity of a community is often more important than followingall the rules of a sovereign settlement, but they know that withoutsome
kind of structure and agreement to aid each other, smallercom-munities might fall apart.
Law versus LawMuch like how the different branches ofChristianity disagree on what is the “true” religion and what actsare necessary to be accepted in the eyes of the divine, differentlawful churches, organizations, or governments can disagree oninterpretations of good. In Faerûn, most of the lawful goodchurches are closely allied by race or region (the Triad for theFaerûnian humans, Horus-Re and Osiris for the Mulhorandi humans,the dwarf pan-theon for the Stout Folk, the gnome pantheon for theForgotten Folk, and the halfl ing pantheon for the hin) and don’tcome into confl ict about doctrine because they have fewinteractions outside of world-spanning evil threats. Even followersof “rogue” lawful good entities such as Nobanion are so isolatedand specialized in their areas of concern that they seldom meetother lawful good creatures of radically different perspectives.The countries that have a signifi cant lawful good presence intheir citizens and government—Cormyr, some of the Dalelands, theGreat Rift, Halruaa, Impiltur, Luiren, Mulhorand, the SilverMarches, and Tethyr—are so geographically scattered that only twoof them share a common border, and therefore open confl icts arerare at best. For example, it is hard to imagine that Tethyr andthe Silver Marches could ever disagree so strongly as to declareeach other enemies, and the logistics of fi ghting a war betweenthose two countries would be impossible without the use of magicthat could be put to better use defending those countries againstimmediate threats.
Chaos versus ChaosChaotic good characters are generally lessconcerned with what other people think about them than what theythink
A paladin and a cleric express their confl icting views
Illustration by William
O’Connor
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about themselves. This is not to say that they’re egomaniacs, itjust means that a chaotic good adventurer doesn’t care if the localpriest thinks he’s too independent and rebellious—he’s moreconcerned with doing good in the world than obeying some stuffy oldchurch laws, and this applies whether the priest is lawful orchaotic. Chaotic good churches and groups are usually focused ontheir own agendas and don’t fret about other chaotic good entitiesas long as they don’t get in the way of that agenda. For example,it unlikely you’d ever fi nd a priestess of Selûne arguing with aLliiran bard about who is doing more good in the world. Thepriestess isn’t going to demand that the bard stop dancing and helpher fi ght a werewolf any more than the bard is going to insistthat the priestess ignore the lycanthrope threat to deal with alocal lord who has banned dancing as immoral. They could ask eachother for help in their tasks, but (except in extreme cases)neither feels that his or her side is superior or that the opposingside is immoral. Likewise, you won’t see a follower of Sharess andone of Sune start a fi ght about whether love or pleasure is moreimportant (though such a fi ght would undoubt-ably attract acrowd). Being chaotic good is about recognizing that you can’t haveone set of rules that applies to everyone, each person has to beable to make his own choices about how to be good, and othersshould respect those choices.
Races from Other
SupplementsRecent D&D supplements have introduced three newraces: the goliaths (Races of Stone), illumians (Races of Destiny),and raptorans (Races of the Wild). If you have these books and wantto include these new races in your FORGOTTEN REALMS campaign, hereare some suggestions for where in Faerûn these races might callhome and ways to introduce them to Faerûn as a new race.
GoliathsThese stony humanoids prefer mountains; if you want themto already exist in Faerûn, consider placing them in the Azirrhator other northern mountains of Anauroch, where they compete withthe asabi for resources. The goliaths could live in Chult, unseenby the lowland peoples because of the rock-folk’s love for the highplaces. Their attitude and tribal nature is compatible with thefollowers of Uthgar, and while the cold climate of the Spine of theWorld doesn’t suit their tendency to wear little clothing, perhapsthey come from a volcanically warmed hidden valley amid the frostypeaks. If you want the goliaths to be a relatively new race, theycould be a cross between earth genasi and stone giants, creaturesbrought to Faerûn by Grumbar from another Material Plane to fi ghtAkadi’s infl uence, another Thayan failed
experiment in creating a servitor race, a creation by the sharnsor phaerimms in their long war, or humans newly altered by wizardsof Halruaa to deal with the monsters on the outer face of themountains that ring that land. Goliaths have a friendly rivalrywith earth genasi and enjoy commenting on the smaller stature oftheir “cousins.”
IllumiansThis race is made up of humans transformed by magic. Ifthe illumians in your campaign are an established race rather thannew arrivals, the archmage-ruled island of Nimbral is an idealplace for them. Nimbral’s illumians might populate much of theisland or live in only one part, a naturally magical faction amongthe Nimbral Lords. The illumians could also be an offshoot of theshades of old Netheril, bearing shadow sigils instead of lights.Perhaps a brilliant Red Wizard has discovered the Ritual of WordsMade Flesh, transformed herself and her apprentices to increase herown power, then fl ed Thay before her rivals discovered heradvantage; they now hold their cabal in a secret place in Murghômor the Hordelands. A Halruaan could have discovered the Ritual andwas banished for using it on others without permission of theCouncil of Elders, and now he and his followers are scatteredacross southern Faerûn searching for a place to call their own.Most illumians in Faerûn worship Azuth, Deneir, or Mystra, thoughgiven their obsession with mastering situations some choose tofollow the Red Knight.
RaptoransThese winged humanoids favor the same sort of terrainas aarakocras. In a FORGOTTEN REALMS campaign, perhaps theaarakocras made a pact with Akadi, transforming themselves intoraptorans and gaining increased fertility (similar to Moradin’sThunder Blessing) in exchange for service to the Lady of the Winds.In this situation, the raptorans would control one or more of thethree current aarakocra aeries (the Storm Horns in Cormyr, theCloven Mountains on the Vilhon Reach, and the Mistcliffs in Chult).Alternately, Akadi could have transported a raptoran fl ock fromanother plane to Faerûn, calling on them to obey their pact withthe air elementals to help her combat the forces of Grumbar; theseraptorans might live in the Wyrmbones (mountains southwest of Shar)due to this range’s proximity to the Mound of the First Shrine, anAkadian holy site in the ruins of Blaskaltar. Finally, if theaarakocras hail from Maztica, perhaps the raptorans do, too, and acontingent of them have arrived in western Faerûn (either in shipsor a long albatrosslike fl ight across the Trackless Sea) tocontinue an old feud with or pay a debt to the other birdfolk.These raptorans might worship Akadi or Eha, the Maztican god ofair.
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Valorous
Racial
ArchetypesWhile many of the nonhuman PC races tend toward a goodalignment, there is a difference between play-ing a good characterand playing a valorous character. Here are examples of valorousarchetypes of each race in the FORGOTTEN REALMS Campaign Setting aswell as goliaths, illumians, and raptorans if you’re using them inFaerûn. The Valorous Dwarf: Mountain dwarves and hill dwarves tendtoward good alignments, and valor-ous dwarves are the ones dwarfbards sing about for generations. Valorous dwarves are the greatestchampions of their com-munities, single-handedly hunting down thefl eeing members of enemy raiding par-ties if necessary. Given therelative security of the Great Rift compared to the many declin-ingshield dwarf communities (only reversed in this past generation bythe Thun-der Blessing), gold dwarves are less likely to becomevalorous heroes than shield dwarves, perhaps because there is lessof a need for them. Valorous duergar are exceed-ingly rare; thedreary life of most duergar quickly extinguishes the spark ofnobility and self-sacri-fi ce among the gray dwarves, and those whor*sist enough to remain good in their hearts often barely have thestrength to escape,
let alone champion any valorous cause.
The Valorous Elf: Each of the many races of elves
achieves valor in its own way. Sun elves are most often the
exalted heroes of the elf race, clearing the path to Evermeet,holding the line so that others make it safely to the Elven Court,and obliterating any
evil that threatens the elves that remain in Faerûn. The moonelves
are usually the protectors of the things elves love in theworld—things
that convinced them to ignore the Retreat. Valorous moon elvesare the
most accepting of other races, forging friendships with valoroushumans and dwarves, uniting against evils that would
harm indiscrimi-nately. Wild elves,
wood elves, and aquatic elves are generally
too reclusive to take up the mantle of great valor, content tolive in their hidden communities safe from
most large-scale danger. Like gray dwarves, few drow have thepotential to become valorous and even fewer ever meet that
potential, though some would say that Drizzt Do’Urden is anexample of a valorous
dark elf.The Valorous Gnome:
Gnomes are much like dwarves in that their most valorous heroesoften never appear on the surface world, so intent are they onsmashing
the enemies of the Forgot-ten Folk. Rock gnomes are more likelyto be valorous heroes than other gnomes,
since svirfneblin and forest gnomes generally tend not to berisk-takers
willing to make heroic sacrifi ces.
From top down:the valorous raptoran,goliath, and illumian
Illustration by Wayne R
eynolds
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The Valorous Goliath: The goliaths tend toward good overall, andtheir competitive and daring nature means that many good goliathsaspire to valorous heroics. Ironically, goliaths are so competitivethat if one member of a tribe becomes a valorous hero, others inthe tribe often try to outdo their rival’s great deeds, leadingfolk living nearby to assume that all goliaths are overly braveparagons of good. The Valorous Half-Elf: Because most half-elvesare descended from moon elves, it is not surprising that mostvalorous half-elves blend the tendencies of valorous humans andmoon elves, taking their valor to an extreme and watching overplaces that call to the elven heart. Good half-drow, like goodhalf-orcs, often throw themselves zealously into valorous quests,as if to prove that they are individuals and not slaves to the eviltendencies of their nonhuman ancestors. The Valorous Halfl ing:Because most strongheart halfl ings live in Luiren, many assumethey’re homebodies, but the stronghearts have a strong warriortradition, and many valorous strongheart halfl ings havedistinguished themselves in various battles defending theirhomeland from horrible monsters. Lightfoot halfl ings often haveextended families stretching across multiple frontiers, and as suchthey’re more likely to hear about evil and injustice and takeaction to defend their loved ones against desperate odds. Ghostwisehalfl ings are the least likely to become valorous heroes becausetheir nature and culture doesn’t reward attracting attention,though those who answer the call tend to become great liberators ofoppressed people—halfl ing or otherwise. The Valorous Half-Orc:Half-orcs are viewed with scorn and derision in most of Faerûn, andhalf-orc heroes are uncommon. Valorous half-orcs are not unheardof, however, and a signifi cant number of truly good half-orcs arevalorous, either to prove they are not crude orc-spawn or to atonefor evils caused by their orc (or human) ancestors. Thesk’spopulation of settled Zhentarim orcs has mixed well with thelocals, and their community is the home of at least one valoroushalf-orc. The Valorous Human: Some would argue that humans have thegreatest potential of all the races of Faerûn—the greatest good andthe greatest evil. Proponents of humanity point to Cormyr,Waterdeep, and Mulhorand as examples of the accom-plishments ofhuman civilization; those critical of humanity point to Netheril,Thay, and Zhentil Keep as humanity corrupted by power. Seeminglyignorant of the debates, humanity continues to spit out valorousheroes all over the world, toppling petty dictators, slayingmarauding dragons, and even saving the world and ascending togodhood. The Valorous Illumian: Valorous illumians are greatstrate-gists, planning far ahead and trying to anticipate theiropponents’ next moves. Because they enjoy showing their masteryover others, illumians have no diffi culty accepting an enemy’ssur-
render (an appropriate act for a valorous person). Because theyconstantly analyze social structures, valorous illumians are oftenthe fi rst to realize that something is amiss in an organizationthat is secretly corrupt. The Valorous Planetouched: Aasimar, likepaladins, are naturally drawn to valorous behavior, and a steadytrickle of part-celestial heroes comes from Mulhorand, where thatrace is much more common. The genasi do not often become valor-ousbecause their self-centered tendencies and affi nity for theneutral elements makes it diffi cult for them to take the big stepand act for the greater good. Tiefl ings have the same problem ashalf-orcs and drow: They’re perceived as inh
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