Villains' Lorebook.pdf - Department of Political Science

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Sources
Most of the information regarding the characters,
creatures, and organizations in this book is taken
from some 80 novels, game products, and a few short
stories. The principal sources for each entry are
listed within the entry, but in the interest of saving
space, only the titles of the sources are given. A
complete listing of the sources follows, arranged alphabetically
by title. The title, the series to which
the source belongs (if any), the author, and the characters
to whom the source pertains are all included.
We’ve used the phrase “principal sources” since
the Realms is such a dynamic, active setting that
many of these characters are mentioned in passing in
numerous other sources, but these minor references
contribute little vital or new information. Listing
every occurrence of Manshoon’s name in FR material
would consume much time and space, yet add
little to the character himself.
This bibliography is useful to readers and
Dungeon Masters alike for two reasons. First, it can
be called upon when you’re trying to remember the
title of a story about a particular villain so you can
read it again. Second, those who really want to get
inside a villain’s head, for roleplaying reasons or
simply for character study, should consider reading
about the character in the stories from which he or
she comes. You can see how and why they employ
their special items and spells, and you can pick up
lots of ideas from observing the character’s motivations
and actions. The most interesting villains
aren’t evil just because they commit evil acts, and
the stories about them often explain much about
how they came to be who they are.
One principal source that isn’t listed below is
the 1989 product, Hall of Heroes. This book (and a
few other FR game products) has been out of print
for several years, and as such is not included in the
list of available sources below. Nevertheless, Hall of
Heroes (and the others) certainly contributed to
the construction of this book and can be useful to
those lucky enough to have copies. That said, here
are the primary sources to seek out should you want
more details on any of the entries presented in this
book.