Where do I found content about Forggoten Realms?

[Alph]

I'm new to D&D and want to start running a new D&D 5 campaign on The Realms, but I don't know what to read / watch to get enough context about the world to master an adventure. I read a lot about it on the Internet, but it is all so superficial and does not give me enough base to build an adventure.
How should I know who the existing deities are, the political relations between races and kingdoms (which I don't even know what they are), etc. So if anyone can give me a starting point in my readings, I would be grateful.

PS: I'm not a native English speaker and I'm still learning the language so I'm sorry if I wrote something grammatically wrong or if it was hard to understand.

[Millstone85]

A good start would be D&D 5e's Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide.

The Sword Coast is the west side of Faerûn, a continent on the planet Toril.

The book is way too thin, but I still found it inspiring.

[Zhorn]

1: Start small. Pick a single town and look it up on https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com.
This will give you some basics for the area and what official details there are (population, races, relations to other areas, leaders, etc)

2: Pick a villain. If it's a level 1 adventure keep it simple.
Examples: Goblins raided the local temple as stole a holy relic. Orcs pillaged a farm on the outskirts of town. A travelling merchant lost their horses to a gnoll attack. Some townsfolk were taken in the night by drow slavers.

3: When you players are done, ask them where they plan to go next, using what you learned about in step 1 to set up a hook to some place connected.

4: Look up the next locations the same way as in step 1.

Each town will give you a few more details, and set you up to learn slowly without overwhelming yourself. the Realms are BIG, and it's easy to get lost in a mountain of details.
Do this a few times and you'll have a bit of knowledge about a region. Pick a villain that threatens an area of that size.
This is the basic layout that modules will have you follow. Locations > Threat > Resolution > Story Hook.

[BruceLeeroy]

https://realmshelps.net/

A better site than fandom, less ads, more content.

[Adar]

Even though it’s written for 3e, I still think the hardback Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting book is very informative. It has a ton of history, geography and lore. Using that as a base it’s not hard to figure out what has changed for 5e.

[QuickLyRaiNbow]

Ask specific questions here or on the 3.5 boards. There are a whole bunch of knowledgeable people. We're maybe not as good with big general stuff like 'tell me everything about Neverwinter' but if you're interested in details about specific things we can provide those.

[Bjarkmundur]

Volo's Waterdeep Enchiridion from Waterdeep: Dragon Heist is what inspired me to start my campaign in Forgotten Realms. And, aren't the Baldurs Gate video games also canon?

[Randomthom]

Volo's Waterdeep Enchiridion from Waterdeep: Dragon Heist is what inspired me to start my campaign in Forgotten Realms. And, aren't the Baldurs Gate video games also canon?

There is a specific canon version of them (main char was a NE human fighter iirc) but essentially yes, they're canon.

SCAG has plenty of good information or if you're a reader, there's lots of good novels set in the forgotten realms.

[Millstone85]

There is a specific canon version of them (main char was a NE human fighter iirc) but essentially yes, they're canon.To elaborate...

TvTropes claims that WotC eventually declared that the novelization was non-canon, due to fan protest over things like Khalid, of all people, being portrayed as an abusive husband.

But some of that filth stuck. Notably, the late-4e module Murder in Baldur's Gate confirmed Gorion's ward as a human fighter named Abdel Adrian. Unlike in the games, he was never given a choice between ascending to godhood or having Bhaal's essence locked away on Mount Celestia. Instead, he had to become a mortal seal for said essence. This meant that it was only a matter of time before Bhaal got another chance to return, which is exactly what happened in that module, and Bhaal is now alive in 5e.

I wonder what canon the upcoming Baldur's Gate 3 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcP0WdH7rTs) will follow, if it even has anything to do with the Bhaalspawn.

[LibraryOgre]

Ask specific questions here or on the 3.5 boards. There are a whole bunch of knowledgeable people. We're maybe not as good with big general stuff like 'tell me everything about Neverwinter' but if you're interested in details about specific things we can provide those.

And the general role-playing forum. Since Forgotten Realms is a cross-edition experience, lots of folks with familiarity with it can be found there.