Forgotten Realms The Forgotten Realms is a fictional alternate world that has been published as a campaign setting for " Advanced Dungeon & Dragons " ( " AD & D " ) , " Dungeons & Dragons " ( D & D ) , 3 Edition " Dungeons & Dragons " ( 3e ) , and 4 Edition " Dungeons and Dragons " ( 4e ) , by TSR , Inc . and Wizards of the Coast ( WotC ) . The setting is also referenced in the 5 edition " Dungeons and Dragons " core books , though it has not yet been published as its own separate setting . It was originally created in 1967 as a setting for short stories by Ed Greenwood , but it has since become one of the most enduring campaign settings for " D & D " . The primary focus of the setting is the continent of Faerûn , part of the world of Abeir - Toril , an Earth - like planet with certain obvious influences and similarities from the real world and fantasy fiction . The Forgotten Realms setting owes a lot of its popularity to the many novels using the setting , like R . A . Salvatore ' s works detailing the life and adventures of the famed drow Drizzt Do ' Urden , as well as computer games like Pool of Radiance , Baldur ' s Gate , Icewind Dale and Neverwinter Nights . History . Time of Troubles . The Time of Troubles was a cataclysmic time period in the history of the Faerûn . Taking place during 1358 DR , the Year of Shadows , the Time of Troubles was a period during which the deities of Faerûn were forced to walk the earth in their mortal avatar forms . Several major deities died during the Time of Troubles ( see deaths , ascensions , and resurrections ) and a handful of mortals rose to divinity . Present day . The interpretation of the term " present day " in the Forgotten Realms depends entirely upon the context in which it is used . Dungeon Masters are free to use the first edition , second edition , third edition or fourth edition sourcebooks to form a setting for their games of D & D . Alternatively , they may set their games at any point during the Realms ' past or future . The set in the Realms cover a wide variety of time periods too . This wiki does not focus on one specific time as being the " present day " - instead , it endeavours to provide specific date references where possible . Geography . The planet of Abeir - Toril consists of several large continents , including Faerûn , the focus of the setting , which was first detailed in the original " Forgotten Realms Campaign Set " , published in 1987 by TSR . The other continents include Kara - Tur , Zakhara , Maztica , Anchorome , and other as - yet unspecified landmasses . Kara - Tur , roughly corresponding to ancient East Asia , was later the focus of its own publication , " " , released in 1988 . Various products detailing specific areas of Faerûn have been released , and much of the continent has been heavily detailed and documented to create a highly developed setting . See the for an extensive list of products . In early publications about the setting , " The Realms " shared a unified cosmology with various other campaign settings . In this way each of the " Dungeons & Dragons " campaign settings were linked together to form one interwoven world connected by various planes of existence . With the release of the 2001 " Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting " , the setting was given its own distinct and separate cosmological arrangement , with unique planes not explicitly connected to those of the other settings . Realmspace . The Forgotten Realms world of Abeir - Toril is but one of several other worlds in the Realmspace crystal sphere . To the natives of Faerûn , the wildspace above their heads is known as the Sea of Night . The two closest worlds to the sun in the middle of Realmspace are known as the Dawn Heralds , and they are barely visible only at sunset or sunrise . Beyond Abeir - Toril further out in the crystal sphere are the Five Wanderers , five worlds which flow through star - rivers in an uneven course through wildspace . Some of these worlds are inhabited by humans , dwarves , and orcs , but also more sinister races such as illithids and beholders . Official material . 1st edition . The first Forgotten Realms resource for Dungeon Masters was the " Bloodstone Pass " module , released in 1985 . This was followed by the full - blown boxed set named the " Forgotten Realms Campaign Set " , released in 1987 and affectionately known to this day as the " Grey Box . " It placed the Realms timeline near the end of 1357 DR 1st edition D & D did not have a great deal of official materials compared to the amount that would follow with 2nd edition . 2nd edition . The campaign setting was rewritten for 2nd edition D & D and released in 1993 as the " Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting " , but later revised in 1996 . 2nd edition advanced the Realms timeline by a decade , and the campaign setting puts the timeline near to the end of 1367 DR . It is set after the cataclysmic events of the Time of Troubles in 1358 DR in which deities were killed , new deities were created and many places in the Realms were altered . 2nd edition saw the advent of the popular Living City organized play project in which players could shape the fate and face of an entire city - Raven ' s Bluff . 3rd edition . The third edition of Dungeons & Dragons was launched in 2000 . The " Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting " for 3rd edition D & D was a book rather than a boxed set like the two previous editions . It advanced the timeline to 1372 DR and progressed at a steady rate of approximately one month for every two real - world months that passed , up until early 1376 DR . 3 . 5 edition . Because the 2003 edition of D & D was not wholly new and merely altered the 3rd edition rules , no campaign setting was released to coincide with the adoption of 3 . 5 edition . Instead , the " Player ' s Guide to Faerûn " provided an update to the campaign setting to bring it in line with 3 . 5 rules . The Living City project was moved to Loudwater in a campaign called the Legacy of the Green Regent which unfortunately suffered many problems with release schedules and unfinished modules and was prematurely dropped in favor of a focus on the dungeon of Undermountain . 4th Edition . Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide • Forgotten Realms Player ' s Guide • Scepter Tower of Spellgard 4th Edition was released in 2008 and launched a new official organized play program , Living Forgotten Realms ( LFR ) , replacing all previous RPGA programs . In 2010 the DnD Encounters store - based organized program was launched , concurrent with LFR . Many of the Encounters seasons were set in the Realms . 4th edition also saw the Neverwinter Campaign Setting , an ambitious multimedia project involving novels , a sourcebook , modules and an officially licensed MMORPG . 4th edition began in the Year of Blue Fire ( 1385 DR ) when the Spellplague begins , but 4th edition play was set in 1479 DR when the Spellplague had stabilized . 5th Edition . The 5th edition of Dungeons and Dragons was a landmark one for the Forgotten Realms as it featured as the core setting for the entire game . Four adventures were released for the Second Sundering during the playtest period leading up to the 2014 edition launch , as well as interactive multi - table adventures such as Vault of the Dracolich and Confrontation at Candlekeep . The first The Sundering series novel is set in 1484 DR . The Tyranny of Dragons story line and accompanying adventures began with the release of the 5th edition Player ' s Handbook . The Adventurers League was launched as a new organized play program set in the Realms and beginning play in the year 1489 DR . Sourcebooks . The " Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting " has seen three complete revisions of the core setting over three editions of " Dungeons & Dragons " rules : Various campaign accessories , including : A number of older , out of print sourcebooks are available for free on the Wizards website and provide a good way to discover more about the Forgotten Realms before deciding to spend money on the more modern products . Website . A website with realmslore made up of articles by Ed Greenwood and other " Realms " authors , with weekly updates . Video games . A large number of computer role - playing games have been released since the inception of the " Forgotten Realms " . Notable titles include :