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Dungeons & Dragons, 4th Edition
Neverwinter Campaign Guide
Reduced to ruins by supernatural cataclysms, Neverwinter rises from the ashes to reclaim its title as the Jewel of the North. Yet even as its citizens return and rebuild, hidden forces pursue their own goals and vendettas, any one of which could tear the city apart.
Neverwinter has long been one of the most popular locations in the Forgotten Realms ® campaign world. This book presents a complete heroic-tier campaign setting that plunges players into the politics, skullduggery, and peril of a city on the brink of destruction or greatness. A wealth of information about Neverwinter and its environs is maps, quests, encounters, and statistics -- everything a Dungeon Master needs for his heroic tier adventures.
Neverwinter has long been one of the most popular locations in the Forgotten Realms ® campaign world. This book presents a complete heroic-tier campaign setting that plunges players into the politics, skullduggery, and peril of a city on the brink of destruction or greatness. A wealth of information about Neverwinter and its environs is maps, quests, encounters, and statistics -- everything a Dungeon Master needs for his heroic tier adventures.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published August 16, 2011
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76 people want to read
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Wizards of the Coast
432 books434 followersWizards of the Coast LLC (often referred to as WotC /ˈwɒtˌsiː/ or simply Wizards) is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games. Originally a basement-run role-playing game publisher, the company popularized the collectible card game genre with Magic: The Gathering in the mid-1990s, acquired the popular Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game by purchasing the failing company TSR, and experienced tremendous success by publishing the licensed Pokémon Trading Card Game. The company's corporate headquarters are located in Renton, Washington in the United States.[1]
Wizards of the Coast publishes role-playing games, board games, and collectible card games. They have received numerous awards, including several Origins Awards. The company has been a subsidiary of Hasbro since 1999. All Wizards of the Coast stores were closed in 2004.
Wizards of the Coast publishes role-playing games, board games, and collectible card games. They have received numerous awards, including several Origins Awards. The company has been a subsidiary of Hasbro since 1999. All Wizards of the Coast stores were closed in 2004.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 4, 2020
Good quest, main character and city info for anyone trying to get a back story for running a 5e campaign.
March 14, 2024
Neverwinter is a fascinating cornerstone of the tragedy that was D&D 4e.
As I’ve stated in other 4e book reviews, the entire edition was plagued by criticisms (fair but too harsh in most cases) that it was glorified board game with MMO roots that resulted in a lack of roleplaying and adventuring outside of a dungeon environment. The Essentials line was meant to change that perception, but ultimately failed as well.
In many ways, Neverwinter was/is a direct challenge to those criticisms. While it’s still D&D, combat takes a back seat to political intrigue, faction relationships, and the nonlinear effects the party has on the city of Neverwinter itself. The book is mainly focused on role playing and interactions among the PC group and three various entities that are driving the drama within Neverwinter. Further, the PCs are important right from the start as the setting only encompasses the heroic tier.
A major criticism of Forgotten Realms, and rightfully so, is that PCs have very little weight in the setting considering the power level of the NPCs. This is not the case here. Right from the start the characters are important people - there is even a theme that allows a PC to be the true heir of Neverwinter’s lost dynasty and all the story elements that brings.
Being essentially restricted to the heroic tier, there is a certain amount of groundedness that is frequently lacking from D&D; many complained that 4e was not capable of such a thing and yet here is an excellent example.
Overall, Neverwinter is really a display of what 4e was able to do. It took each long term criticism and showed why it was wrong and is a clear showcase of this edition’s strengths. In the end, it makes me wonder what 4e’s trajectory would have been if it began with Essentials and Neverwinter was the first book for Forgotten Realms. I suspect D&D’s history would have been very different.
Sadly, Neverwinter came at the very end of 4e’s life. Only a few books would be released after it. Still, like the book’s city’s namesake, Neverwinter is a shining jewel and is worthy of belonging in the library of any D&D fan.
As I’ve stated in other 4e book reviews, the entire edition was plagued by criticisms (fair but too harsh in most cases) that it was glorified board game with MMO roots that resulted in a lack of roleplaying and adventuring outside of a dungeon environment. The Essentials line was meant to change that perception, but ultimately failed as well.
In many ways, Neverwinter was/is a direct challenge to those criticisms. While it’s still D&D, combat takes a back seat to political intrigue, faction relationships, and the nonlinear effects the party has on the city of Neverwinter itself. The book is mainly focused on role playing and interactions among the PC group and three various entities that are driving the drama within Neverwinter. Further, the PCs are important right from the start as the setting only encompasses the heroic tier.
A major criticism of Forgotten Realms, and rightfully so, is that PCs have very little weight in the setting considering the power level of the NPCs. This is not the case here. Right from the start the characters are important people - there is even a theme that allows a PC to be the true heir of Neverwinter’s lost dynasty and all the story elements that brings.
Being essentially restricted to the heroic tier, there is a certain amount of groundedness that is frequently lacking from D&D; many complained that 4e was not capable of such a thing and yet here is an excellent example.
Overall, Neverwinter is really a display of what 4e was able to do. It took each long term criticism and showed why it was wrong and is a clear showcase of this edition’s strengths. In the end, it makes me wonder what 4e’s trajectory would have been if it began with Essentials and Neverwinter was the first book for Forgotten Realms. I suspect D&D’s history would have been very different.
Sadly, Neverwinter came at the very end of 4e’s life. Only a few books would be released after it. Still, like the book’s city’s namesake, Neverwinter is a shining jewel and is worthy of belonging in the library of any D&D fan.
February 18, 2014
Like most thing to do with D&D 4th Edition this book really can't seem to make up its mind about what it is. It has too much secret DM info to be a proper Player's Guide, yet it has PC "Themes" occupying a good chunk of it. That's potentially a good idea, but most of them turn out to fairly horrible - especially the Bladesinger, which instead of being a kick-ass swashbuckling elven Prestige Class is now a "Wizard sub-class" which basically means it's a poorly thought out magick user waving a sword around fairly uselessly. Whoever came up with that idea needs to be taken out and shot.
The book presents itself as a campaign setting for level 1-10 characters, yet the presentation assumes a LOT of previous knowledge on the DM's part, making it unsuitable for newer DMs. Even those who are used to Forgotten Realms in previous editions will be bamboozled, because so much as changed in 4th Edition. Without the 4th Edition Forgotten Realms Campaign book you'll be pretty much lost. I know Faerun (3rd Edition version) inside out and I was still pretty confused in places.
Oh, most of the NPCs and monsters listed don't have stats either - you are just directed to one of several Monster Manual/Vaults instead, so you are shit out of luck there too unless you buy a bunch of other books too.
The map is a broad stroke overview, there are very few actual buildings listed and little indication where to find them or what's in them, so as a gazeteer it less than stellar too.
It's sad, because Neverwinter is potentially a great setting (see the MMO, which is excellent). But this book is just lazy - badly presented and edited, and not really thought through properly at all. I will keep it and use it in building a campaign, but it could have been so much better.
The book presents itself as a campaign setting for level 1-10 characters, yet the presentation assumes a LOT of previous knowledge on the DM's part, making it unsuitable for newer DMs. Even those who are used to Forgotten Realms in previous editions will be bamboozled, because so much as changed in 4th Edition. Without the 4th Edition Forgotten Realms Campaign book you'll be pretty much lost. I know Faerun (3rd Edition version) inside out and I was still pretty confused in places.
Oh, most of the NPCs and monsters listed don't have stats either - you are just directed to one of several Monster Manual/Vaults instead, so you are shit out of luck there too unless you buy a bunch of other books too.
The map is a broad stroke overview, there are very few actual buildings listed and little indication where to find them or what's in them, so as a gazeteer it less than stellar too.
It's sad, because Neverwinter is potentially a great setting (see the MMO, which is excellent). But this book is just lazy - badly presented and edited, and not really thought through properly at all. I will keep it and use it in building a campaign, but it could have been so much better.
October 2, 2011
Really interesting material, but kind of condescendingly presented. And I'm clearly missing something with all the Drizzt and other people from the books, since I've never read them, but still interesting.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews