There are numerous pages elsewhere on the web, which detail (in varying depths) published books for D&D games. I thought however I'd restrict myself to the books I've bought and their relevance to my Sword Coast campaign setting.
I'll make an entry for each book (with notations covering edition, purpose and inserts), detailing the content and usefulness to a campaign on the Sword Coast.
The first entry will cover the range of books created by Ed Greenwood (1992-5) to be narratives written by Realms explorer 'Volothamp Geddarm'. These books - I think 6 in total - are a great resource for campaigns set in the western coastal areas, covering from Amn in the south, to the Northern mountains round Icewind Dale.
Volo's guide to the North:
The book has six sections which cover the major geographical areas - the Dessarin & Surbin river vallies, the Coast to Luskan, Icewind Dale & Mirabar, the Delimbyr river valley & the central region covering the cities of Everlund, Sundabad & Silverymoon. The last section covers smaller towns over the whole region.
The sections covering towns detail notable taverns & inns, a selection of the shops and businesses to be found in the town and some other notable buildings such as temples; many entries include owners names
and details of their trade. Each introduction details a brief history of the location and some of its current notable features & people.
Small maps are interspersed throughout the book, some of the town being described and others of the region being covered, showing the positions of the various towns & structures.
Volo's guide to Waterdeep:
Maps are perhaps too specific and so cover only small street sections of the city, but the detail is excellent and adds much background material to bring any campaign visit to this city into full life. Couple this book with any incarnation of the D&D Waterdeep city pack and a GM has sufficient material to run a long term campaign inside this city.
This is probably the best of these books and covers the city to a satisfying degree.
This tome covers the Sword Coast below Waterdeep down to the Cloud Peaks above Amn; south of the rivers Delimbyr & Grayflow and west of Evereska & the Sunset mountains. It includes some detail on the city of Baldur's Gate, a city map and the main inns & taverns to be found in its walls.
The five sections cover the Coast lands, detailing the towns and villages between Waterdeep & Baldurs Gate, including an entry on Candelkeep; the High Moor including the town of Secomber and then covering the eastern areas - the Fields of the Dead, the Backlands including the Marsh of Chelimber and in the south, Sunset Vale. Details vary from site to site, though there is much to interest a GM, however maps are scarcer and the section on Baldur's Gate itself is disappointingly short.
The five sections cover the Coast lands, detailing the towns and villages between Waterdeep & Baldurs Gate, including an entry on Candelkeep; the High Moor including the town of Secomber and then covering the eastern areas - the Fields of the Dead, the Backlands including the Marsh of Chelimber and in the south, Sunset Vale. Details vary from site to site, though there is much to interest a GM, however maps are scarcer and the section on Baldur's Gate itself is disappointingly short.
Volo's guide to Baldurs Gate II:
Despite its title this slim tome covers the land of Amn and the Nethlanter Isles. The Amnish capital, Athkatla, is nicely detailed, with a city map and smaller district maps through the chapter. The chapter on the Nethlanter Isles is brief and merely an overview, the rest of the tome details specific areas of Amn, mainly in the south and west of the country. Maps are more basic in this booklet and though inns & temples are detailed, they are patchy for the region covered and more for flavour than as a specific guide to the region.
Volo's guide to Cormyr:
Volo's guide to the Dalelands:
This tome covers the Dales north east of Cormyr.
(NB. not a volume I own as my campaign will not stretch here).
The Forgotten Realms Atlas (1990):
This is a handy tome for extra detail in some regional areas. Split into four parts, the first details the whole Faerun continent with nice geographic detail, before the following pages describe the regions of Faerun from a geographical point of view, including nearly ten more detailed maps of the continent.
The second section covers the Moonshae Isles in some detail, including maps of the isles & area, notable cities and fortresses, some historical background to the conflict between the Ffolk & the Northmen and a number of other interesting features and places to be found in the Moonshaes.
The third section covers the North & West of Faerun and starts with a detailed section covering Icewind Dale. The section continues with half page narratives & a map to various cities and notable sites in the region including: Neverwinter Wood, Silverymoon, Baldur's Gate, Mithril Hall and finally Calimport, which receives a few extra pages for its specifics.
Section four covers the Western Heartlands and starting with Shadowdale, covers many towns, cities and sites through Cormyr, the Moonsea and the High Moor, to end in Waterdeep. The sites and described with more historical detail as they relate to the Quest for the Tablets of Fate during the Time of Troubles and the eventual deification of Cyric & Midnight. Although of interest and with some uses for a campaign for regional detail, this section has less bearing as a resource than the rest of the book.
Forgotten Realms Adventures (1990):
An AD&D 2nd edition reference, this book was aimed at GM's with additional rule information, however there are also some useful background reference sections on the regions.
Chapter 1 covers character classes post Time of Troubles; Chapter 2 is a detailed section of Faerun Deities and the priests (including some nice illustrations of the priestly orders); Chapter 3 covers mages and their spells, presumably with new lists for game purposes; Chapter 4 is the prize covering cities of central west Faerun, from Baldur's Gate through Cormyr & Sembia to several independant cities to the southeast of the Moonsea.
Each city has a page describing its visible and invisible ruler's, the population, armed forces, major local trade resources, brief notes on temples, inns and trading establishments, as well as details of main characters and guilds present, together with a reasonable map of the city layout. Some of this information is historically specific, but much can be used in any generic campaign by ignoring the historical setting if irrelevant.
Chapter's 5 & 6 cover Secret Societies (the Harpers, Zhentarim & Red Wizards of Thay) and Treasure (primarily gemstones) in brief detail.
The Forgotten Realms Atlas (1990):
This is a handy tome for extra detail in some regional areas. Split into four parts, the first details the whole Faerun continent with nice geographic detail, before the following pages describe the regions of Faerun from a geographical point of view, including nearly ten more detailed maps of the continent.
The second section covers the Moonshae Isles in some detail, including maps of the isles & area, notable cities and fortresses, some historical background to the conflict between the Ffolk & the Northmen and a number of other interesting features and places to be found in the Moonshaes.
The third section covers the North & West of Faerun and starts with a detailed section covering Icewind Dale. The section continues with half page narratives & a map to various cities and notable sites in the region including: Neverwinter Wood, Silverymoon, Baldur's Gate, Mithril Hall and finally Calimport, which receives a few extra pages for its specifics.
Section four covers the Western Heartlands and starting with Shadowdale, covers many towns, cities and sites through Cormyr, the Moonsea and the High Moor, to end in Waterdeep. The sites and described with more historical detail as they relate to the Quest for the Tablets of Fate during the Time of Troubles and the eventual deification of Cyric & Midnight. Although of interest and with some uses for a campaign for regional detail, this section has less bearing as a resource than the rest of the book.
Forgotten Realms Adventures (1990):
An AD&D 2nd edition reference, this book was aimed at GM's with additional rule information, however there are also some useful background reference sections on the regions.
Chapter 1 covers character classes post Time of Troubles; Chapter 2 is a detailed section of Faerun Deities and the priests (including some nice illustrations of the priestly orders); Chapter 3 covers mages and their spells, presumably with new lists for game purposes; Chapter 4 is the prize covering cities of central west Faerun, from Baldur's Gate through Cormyr & Sembia to several independant cities to the southeast of the Moonsea.
Each city has a page describing its visible and invisible ruler's, the population, armed forces, major local trade resources, brief notes on temples, inns and trading establishments, as well as details of main characters and guilds present, together with a reasonable map of the city layout. Some of this information is historically specific, but much can be used in any generic campaign by ignoring the historical setting if irrelevant.
Chapter's 5 & 6 cover Secret Societies (the Harpers, Zhentarim & Red Wizards of Thay) and Treasure (primarily gemstones) in brief detail.
