Races of Faerun (Forgotten Realms Campaign Option) (Hardcover)

The section I found most interesting is that, unlike what you'd expect, humans are looked at too. Now humans are normally given the smallest sections in books, since we all "know" what humans are... not in this book. The author's have taken laborious time and effort to really express the fact that a Chondathan human (e.g. from Amn, Cormyr or the Sword Coast) is very different in his manner, education, outlook, personality and physique from a Mulhorandi human. It tells you everything about them, from a physical description, clothing habbits, to how their society is structured and their mentality (e.g. that the Mulhorandi have great respect for any Assimar's and Divine Spellcasters, but thanks to the Red Wizards distrust and fear Arcane Spellcasters). All the main "regions" are covered - Chondathan, Damarian, Rashemi, Mulhorandi, etc...

Illustrations are good, and every racial entry includes details on habbits, physical appearance and physique and society. Many races even include specific prestige classes, equipment and feats.

As I said, not essential to have in order to play, you can find much of the information scattered around the Core Rulebooks, Monsters of Faerun, Forgotten Realms, Silver Marches, Forgotten East, etc... but this book puts them all together in a perfect bundle in a quality manner consistent with what you'd expect from Wizards of the Coast.

I, for one, am very glad I bought it.

One good thing this book did was to discuss the Human kingdoms, (not just the fantasy races), something most D&D books don't do,which can be pretty useful for campaigns set in Faerun. It also contains some interesting new races, such as Avariel (Winged Elves!) and subraces, (such as arctic dwarves), but much of this information is already contained in the other, more useful sourcebooks. Most of this book is taken up by page upon page of pointless detail, which could easily be summed up in a few paragraphs.

Some of the new races are good (avariel, tanarukk), either as possible PCs but mostly as potential NPCs/villains, and some of the racial feats (especially those for aasimar and tieflings) and racial prestige classes are fun. Some of the more distinctive aspects of the established races in this setting, such as the half-elves of Aglarond, were brought out nicely. Also, the different human sub-races are clearly described, which is useful for role-playing purposes, as is a lot of the back history of the various kingdoms and empires, which someone new to the setting (like me - I only took up the FR setting post-3E) will find interesting and useful.

And yet.... I have to say that some of the content seemed a bit superfluous. Did we really need details on the Urdinnir, since all they get is a passing mention in Monsters of Faerun? I personally was hardly gagging for that.

However, with any book like this, there will be some bits which please more than others, and these may be different for different people. Overall, the book is good, but I would say not essential for your enjoyment of D&D and FR. Probably a must-have if you are a Realms nut, but for the uncommitted it is a more marginal case. Also, it ain't cheap - why hardback, when the Silver Marches (which I like a lot and seems to have more longer term uses than Races, which is more of a reference work) is softback?