- Hardcover: 192 pages
- Publisher: Wizards of the Coast (30 Sep 2004)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0786934921
- ISBN-13: 978-0786934928
- Product Dimensions: 28.2 x 21.3 x 1.5 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
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- #90 in Books > Fiction > Science Fiction > Gaming > Dungeons & Dragons
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is another of the FR supplements, this one dealing with the southern coast of Faerun comprising Dambrath (drow half-elves in charge of an oppressive kingdom, and answering their drow overlords), Halruaa (Netherese wizards in exile), the Shining Lands (generally benign trading states bordered by an evil, monstrous kingdom), Luiren (halflings) plus, inland from these, the Shaar (nomads) and the Great Rift (gold dwarves). It very much follows the format of the other books on a chapter by chapter basis, so there are new prestige classes, feats, spells and monsters, followed by chapters detailing the specific areas. The book benefits from the fact that the areas addressed are, by and large, barely mentioned in the FR Campaign Setting book, so most of the information is pretty fresh and unfamiliar. The book is also well written, and it also meshes in very well with the previous FR offering, Serpent Kingdoms (a definite plus for me, as I own and really like this book), as the latter deals with significant portions of Faerun (like Llapaliya and the Chultan penninsula) which border the areas considered in the Shining South. This gives a nice sense of continuity to the whole exercise as the separate bits begin to join up, and helps in planning campaigns if you can get a good feel for what is beyond the edge of the map. My only real quibble, which can be overcome by a DM who is happy to make changes to the source material, is that virtually every location detailed in this setting comprises an unfriendly, isolationist realm that doesn't welcome strangers (Great Rift, Halruaa, Dambrath, even the Shaar a bit) which makes it a slightly offputting place to set adventures in, since most characters will be outsiders. But this can be overcome to some extent with a bit of imagination, so overall it gets a pretty good thumbs up.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Anyone who has read any of the other regional Forgotten Realms books will know what to expect from this book which details the lands of Halruaa, Dambrath, Luiren, the Great Rift and the Shaar. This book includes everything that a DM will need to run a campaign in the lands of the Shining South, including Prestige Classes, spells, magic items and adventure sites appropriate to the region. The majority of the book is taken up with the entries for the major countries of the region each of which details, among other things, that countries history, economy, laws, political situation, religion and major geographical features and population centres. This book is nothing spectacular but has been competently put together and would be a decent addition to any DMs collection, especially if they are designing a campaign in the region.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4 reviews
19 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Fairly well written, but of very limited utility
29 Aug 2005
Format:Hardcover
I have to wonder why Wizards keeps publishing books about areas that almost no one has any interest in playing in. Shining South continues this trend. Wouldn't a book about the Old Empires, the Vilhon Reach, Chondath or the Tethyr/Amn/Calimsham region be far more interesting?
Shining South is fairly well done for what it is, but unless you plan on using Halruaa, Dambrath, or Luiren in a campaign, its not terribly useful. Dambrath is an interesting nation, run by half-drow priestesses of Loviatar, but it is so remote from the rest of Faerun, you'd have to set your campaign here to use this information.
I will also say that Wizards now provides far less detail on these new nations than the FRCS provides. There is no over-all national population breakdown and not every city receives a write-up, making the usefulness of the book even more questionable.
In summary, the book reads well, but its of almost no utility to the general FR player or DM.
Shining South is fairly well done for what it is, but unless you plan on using Halruaa, Dambrath, or Luiren in a campaign, its not terribly useful. Dambrath is an interesting nation, run by half-drow priestesses of Loviatar, but it is so remote from the rest of Faerun, you'd have to set your campaign here to use this information.
I will also say that Wizards now provides far less detail on these new nations than the FRCS provides. There is no over-all national population breakdown and not every city receives a write-up, making the usefulness of the book even more questionable.
In summary, the book reads well, but its of almost no utility to the general FR player or DM.
10 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Shining South worth buying
30 Jan 2005
Format:Hardcover
Beautifully drawn, mapped and written this is a fine addition to the sourcebooks on Faerun. The lands and peoples are a mix of mages, 1/2 drow, corsairs, halflings, thri keen, dwarves, elves (both civliized and wild) and a new race:the Loxo (basically bi-pedal elephants). The lands range from mtns, african savannahs, heavy woods, swamps, waste lands and a warm ocean. Their are ancient civilizations and sites that hide secrets and threats from the past, beast chieftains who control towns and cities along trade routes, hordes of gnollish tribes, yuan ti in neighboring jungles and a lizard king in a huge swamp kingdom to test PCs. Want to go chaotic? Play a 1/2 drow shadow marauder, loooking new type mage to play? how about Haluraan elder or magehound? New warriors include the Maquar Crusader, Drift Defender and the halfling Marchwarden. Pirate towns, mage cities, elven and halfling communites are mapped out nicely in the book. Their are plenty of new spells and monsters as well. This is a very nice looking and written book worth picking up and I highly recommend it
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Excellent
30 April 2007
Format:Hardcover
This book is excellent. It gives you all the information you need to flesh out a campaign set in the Shining South.
There is the usual classes, feats, spells, adventures etc. All at least to a reasonable standard.
I found the magic item chapter very good.
There's a chapter on organisation of the south. And included encounter tables. All good.
Six Chapters on the people and lands. All terrific information . Although The Shaar and the Great Rift gets one chapter together . And the Gold Dwarves get a bit short changes. The Half drow get more coverage than the Gold dwarves! Todd Gambles maps are great, one for each chapter as well.
Wayne Englands and Carl Franks, illustrations are also terific.
If your looking for information about the Shining South, this book is full of it. And well worth the price. And certainly on of the better region books, wizards have brought out.
There is the usual classes, feats, spells, adventures etc. All at least to a reasonable standard.
I found the magic item chapter very good.
There's a chapter on organisation of the south. And included encounter tables. All good.
Six Chapters on the people and lands. All terrific information . Although The Shaar and the Great Rift gets one chapter together . And the Gold Dwarves get a bit short changes. The Half drow get more coverage than the Gold dwarves! Todd Gambles maps are great, one for each chapter as well.
Wayne Englands and Carl Franks, illustrations are also terific.
If your looking for information about the Shining South, this book is full of it. And well worth the price. And certainly on of the better region books, wizards have brought out.
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