Tattoo

Thayan tattoos were possibly the most infamous across the Realms.

Tattoos were common bodily decorations that varied wildly in appearance and use. Some were used to accentuate one's beauty according to the local custom, while others indicated one's rank and served as a form of identification. Tattoos could hold religious significance or could be used to imbue one's body with magic. The art of tattooing was a valued skill. The process consisted of using a sharp utensil to inject ink underneath the skin's surface, forming permanent intricate decorations. Colorful tattoos were treated with oils to keep them bright and vibrant. Some experts in subterfuge and disguise created skin-glued press-on fake gauze tattoos.

Mundane tattoos commonly adorned the skin of sailors, pirates, and mariners, including seafaring elves of Evermeet. Criminal underbellies of big cities like Waterdeep often decorated their skin with gang insignias, tattoos, and scars. Many "Zurchins", as Zazesspur's street urchins were called, had their faces tattooed or branded after incarceration for ease of identification, as they were not actually children, but adult halfling thieves.

Decorative henna bodypainting was commonplace south and east from the Vilhon Reach as an alternative to permanent tattoos.

Cultural Significance

• Bedine: Some Bedine women chose to decorate their cheeks and hands with permanent and temporary henna tattoos.
• Chultan: The criminals of the peaceful Chultan city of Mezro were tattooed with a single blue triangle on their foreheads when caught by the city's barae. This marking was shameful and caused the recipients to be ostracised and they often had to leave the Chultan Peninsula in order to survive.
• Dimensional warper: These strange humanoids tattooed their ranks in the form of ring designs along their heads and streaming down their backs.
• Frost giant: Some frost giant tribal shamans were known to decorate their bodies and heads with yellow tattoo patterns.
• Halruaan: Some clerics who entered Halruaa were branded with magical tattoos that glowed with red radiance. This was the condition of entry into the country. This glow indicated the priests as worshipers of distrusted and strange gods, stopping them from spreading their unwanted beliefs.
• Iulutiun: The human folk of the frozen north received tattoos when they reached puberty. Men had their wrists tattooed, while women their lips and chin. Both men's and women's tattoos were simple patterns of thin parallel lines. These tattoos were fine and almost imperceptible. Iulutiuns prided themselves on these markings of adulthood.

  

  A male jungle giant and his tattooed skin.

• Jungle giant: These Zakharan giants participated in ritualistic tattooing of their bodies.
• Merfolk: Tattooing was a major cultural distinction for the merfolk of Serôs. The Sea of Fallen Stars merfolk considered tattooing to be a respected form of art and every merfolk received a unique tattoo as they reached adulthood. During the course of their lives, they accumulated additional tattoos that signified their rank, status, military distinctions, and images that celebrated significant life events. It was common for the mourning survivors to take on unique individual tattoos of the merfolk who died. Warriors sometimes tattooed their bodies with a scale pattern to intimidate their opponents. Sages believed that the rich tattoo culture among the merfolk of Serôs was inherited from their past relationship with elves.
• Merrow and scrag: Both races often lived mingled together and culturally decorated their bodies with tattoos and scars that indicated their age, power, and social status.
• Nar: Humans of Narfell were known to routinely decorate their arms with numerous and crowded tattoo designs.
• Neogi: All neogi covered their bodies and the bodies of their slaves in intricate and flashy tattoos. These decorations typically indicated the individual's name, status, and number of slaves owned.
• Rashemaar: Berserkers of Rashemen had their bodies decorated with traditional distinct runic tattoos.
• Saurial: Many members of the saurial race of the Hidden Vale decorated themselves with complex tattoos and carvings. The tattoos were most common among individuals who were proficient in spellcasting. These tattoos were applied to their scales and bone plates.
• Uthgardt: The barbarian folk of north Faerûn who worshiped Uthgar belonged to different animal-totem tribes. Males of these tribes were known to tattoo themselves with the images of their tribes' totems.
• Veldorn and the Shaar tattooists developed red-hued substances including red ink made out of cinnabar with its harmful effects neutralized.

Kara-Tur and Shou Lung

Intricate tattoos of Kara-Tur.

Tattoos were commonly used as a form of identification across many regions of Kara-Tur. Members of various factions could be distinguished by the symbols tattooed on their arms. Warriors of Shin So Tang's clan in the Ausa Province bore an image of a green dragon on their left arms.

Sprawling intricate tattoos that covered significant parts of bodies were a staple among members of yakuza clans in Kara-Tur. These tattoos covered the arms, chests, and backs of the yakuza and usually were hidden from sight, only showing small glimpses when surrounded by family. Among the heavily tattooed yakuza clans were the Bakshi of Ojy-do, while the yakuza family from Pan marked their affiliates with a small tattoo of a blue feather on the person's heel. Ninja clans of Kara-Tur used identifying tattoos as well: the Yamaguchi clan's symbol was a small flaming knife, while the Amida Butsu clan's symbol were linked red circles under their left arms.

In Shou Lung, members of the pirate organization called the Yellow Lizards of Keeling were rewarded with a tattoo of a yellow crane on their right arm upon joining. This was due to tattoos being considered a lower-class marking, often worn by servants. Even though many Shou secret organizations used tattoos to indicate membership, most citizens kept them hidden.

Stout Folk

Exiled duergar criminals with bright yellow tattoos identifying them with ease.

Tattoos had a place in dwarven society. Messengers of the Stout Folk bore a small tattoo of a circle inside a circle on the bottom of their throats. Tattoos also had a practical use. Both male and female dwarves had significant amounts of body hair. Some chose to treat unwanted hair with a special paste concocted out of secret ingredients, followed by searing the area with flames in order to inhibit the growth. Tattoos were used for a similar purpose.

Among the gray dwarves, bright yellow tattoos in Dethek were placed on the foreheads of criminals, who were exiled from duergar communities under the threat of execution. These tattoos were more permanent than others. The Dethek runes were carved deep into their faces, so the scars were almost impossible to cover up by makeup, face masks of ash, or disguise kit paints.

A colorfully tattooed albino wild dwarf of Chult.

Tattoos were believed to be common among the wild dwarves, reputed to be bloodthirsty savages, even though that reputation was likely an exaggeration. The Chultan wild dwarves tattooed their bodies in extensive brightly colored patterns.

The diminutive korobokuru from Kara-Tur were considered to be dirty and unsightly. Korobokuru females decorated their faces and hands with beautiful blue tattoos. Other races and cultures often considered these tattoos quite hideous.

Tel-Quessir

An elven Akh'Faerna spellcaster and her rank tattoos.

Among the elves, tattooing was most commonly seen among wild elves, or Sy'Tel'Quessir, the least organized and most primitive nomadic elven culture. These tattoos often included images of their totem animals and spirit guides. Elven society, however, mastered arts and that included the art of tattooing. Among all cultures, elven tattoos were considered the most intricate, delicate, and precise, with the wild elves' being the most proficient among the Tel-Quessir. Elven designs varied greatly and were only limited by the available space. Clan markings, magic glyphs, and even camouflage patterns were common. The most impressive tattoos were imbued with magics that allowed images of animals to move and appear alive on the recipient's skin. Curiously enough, elves, especially those of ancient Myth Drannor, preferred to use skin for their art instead of canvas due to elven longevity and the relatively quick decay of paintings and other similar types of art.

The Akh'Velahr of the City of Song used tattooing to indicate an individual's rank. Unlike members of other races, elves believed that military service was forever and the height of dedication to the Tel-Quessir. Hence the marks were permanent tattoos that were applied to the skin of armathors, akh'faern, and akh'velahrn. These designs were small and simple black tattoos on the backs of their hands. As they progressed up along the service titles, designs were added to the tattoos. The variety of the rank tattoos was great to reflect the complexity and a sheer number of elven military ranks. The simplest and lowest rank tattoo was a sword sigil. Officers received blue detailing on the sword tattoo with additional rings added to the officer's palm to indicate various rank permutations. For the kérym rank, additional green detailed outlines were added, and palm rings received silvery ink details. The rank of the Arms-Major was indicated by the sword tattoo receiving additional silver detailing. Akh'Faerna received tattoos of black lightning, and as they rose in ranks, azure lines wrapped around their forearms. Armathors received large black seven-pointed star tattoos. Furthermore, "medals" of service among the elves were another form of a tattoo. Bladesingers, an elite elven group of wizards who used ancient magics and blades in battle, often tattooed their bodies with ancient arcane runes.

In the drow society of the Underdark, it was almost unheard of for women to bear tattoos, while males, especially male warriors, were known to have decorative and enchanted facial tattoos. Namely, the Dragon's Hoard, a mercenary group that worshiped Vhaeraun.

Thay

A Red Wizard, displaying common Thayan scalp tattoos.

The passion for the art of tattooing was extremely widespread, especially among the Red Wizards of Thay. These spellcasters bore both mundane decorative and magical tattoos. Mulan humans were the primary ethnic group ruling Thay, and they most often had shaved heads decorated with intricate designs. Rashemaar inhabitants of Thay often imitated that custom. Shaved scalps was what differentiated Thayans from the slaves, who wore their hair long. Red Wizards, and those who were pretending to be Red Wizards, always had shaved heads unless on a mission outside the country. Their shaved heads were tattooed with elaborate designs that sometimes included symbols of their favorite gods and incorporated the preferred symbol of the Red Wizards—red flames. Thayans of poorer standing used paints and makeup to draw temporary designs on their shaved heads. However, it was more common among Thayan women to avoid permanent tattoos on their heads. Instead, they frequented shops to have their scalps painted with new fashionable symbols, The same also applied to some men. Some powerful Thayan Red Wizards and Zulkirs liked to tattoo their servants; these brands could be as simple as an image of a thorny vine around their necks, which was the symbol of Zulkir Maligor.

The Thayan port city of Bezantur reportedly had the best tattoo artists in all the Realms. The popularity of the art of tattooing was so widespread in Bezantur that many of its inns had talented tattooists on staff. Popular designs included visually complex knotworks inspired by the Ffolk, intricate geometries from Semphar, and depictions of dragons, phoenixes, and creatures of Kara-Tur. Others also decorated their scalps to indicate the deities they worshiped. Some of these designs were imbued with minor magics allowing the designs to move.

Zakhara, the Land of Fate

A variety of Zakharan mamluk ranks and design variations.

Purity was a virtue of great value in the Land of Fate. Many human and non-human Zakharan women wore veils, exposing little of their bodies to casual observers. As such, eyes, hands, and feet were objects of beauty in Zakhara, to be decorated. Women sometimes chose to tattoo their foreheads with simple designs appealing to the eye. Tribeswomen of Al-Badia valued vanity with tattooing being the height of bodily decoration. They often tattooed not just their foreheads but also cheeks, chest, calves, hands, and feet. Tattoos were visually pleasing patterns of lines, cross marks, and dots, with each tribe preferring a design unique to them.

Mamluks of Zakhara wore their military ranks and organization affiliations tattooed on their faces. They often consisted of lines, patterns on their cheeks, and circles. The more status and power they had, the more sophisticated the tattoos were. Imitating or faking these tattoos was a grave offense in the mamluk society. Mamluks who were disgraced or committed severe crimes had their facial tattoos forcefully and painfully removed with pumice brushes. Veils were not allowed in the Mamluk slave-soldier society as they obscured the facial tattoos. Recently created undead Zakharan crypt servants often wore their mamluk face tattoos.

Tattoo Variations

Religion

• Bane: Chosen priests of Bane often tattooed their cheeks and chins with blood-colored diamond-shaped tattoos and had a single round ruby affixed to their foreheads.
• Beshaba: Female priests of the Lady of Misfortune bore tattoos of her holy symbol—black antlers—on their insteps and a tattoo that signified their rank on the thigh. Males received tattoos of Beshaba's antlers on one of their cheeks.
• Calim: Worship of Calim, the moon, and the ancestors was the state religion in the city-state of Cursrah of the ancient Calim Empire. As part of their ascendance in the church's ranks, clerics were disfigured, making it almost impossible to identify their gender, branded with arcane symbols, and given tattoos, and lastly, by some accounts, their genitalia were removed.
• Ilmater: Members of the Church of Ilmater who distinguished themselves from others via unusual powers and dedication to the Crying God were given a small facial tattoo: a small gray tear under their left eye.
• Talona: Facial tattoos were popular among the worshipers of the Mother of all Plagues. Her worshipers imitated the goddess's tattooed face by covering their own with ritual tattoos and scarification.
• Thard Harr: The dwarven god's favorite avatar appeared as a naked dusk-skinned shaggy dwarf with a fat belly and covered in tattoos. Harr's priests decorated their scalps or shoulders with the god's holy symbol of crossed gauntlets. This tattoo functioned as a cleric's holy symbol that allowed them to cast divine spells.

Organizations

• Bloodthorn Mercenaries wore tattoos on their right cheeks, depicting a thorn with a single dripping droplet of blood.
• The Chill, a militaristic hobgoblin mercenary company active in the North Faerûn, had its symbol tattooed on members' right upper arms. The brand was in the image of a fist surrounded by a tattooed white nimbus.
• Clan Ironeater, an ancient dwarven clan that dated back to the glory days of Illefarn. The smiths of the clan learned to work metals into ink, which produced glistening shiny metal tattoos when injected. By the late 14^th century DR, the secret of these tattoos was known only to Derval Ironeater of Daggerford and his daughter Veiti Ironeater.
• Disciples of the Salamander, an evil monastic order that worshiped Kossuth, sometimes decorated their bodies with images of red flames and magical symbols.
• The Fallen Temple, a cult that emerged from a corrupted branch of the Church of Tyr in the Utter East, decorated their faces with tattoos.
• Harpers, some agents of the meddlesome secret society received magical tattoos to allow for easy identification in times of need. While these tattoos appeared completely mundane most of the time, they transformed into the group's harp-and-moon symbol when the proper activation word was spoken.
• Hatori, an assassins' guild that took the name of hatori, crocodiles of the desert, and emulated their fearsome behavior. The guild members had a bracelet-like tattoo that depicted hatori teeth that encircled their wrists. The guild originated in the ancient Calim Caliphates.
• Knights of the Hawk of Ravens Bluff were awarded a Hawk Tattoo as one of the highest honors of the Order. The tattoo was of a hawk in flight and could be placed anywhere on the knight's body. Only bearers of Hawk Tattoos were allowed to petition to join the elite knightly order known as the the Hawk Brotherhood.
• The Kraken Society tattooed its agents' chests with an image of a purple squid on a red background. These tattoos were created using squid ink.
• The Nine Golden Swords was a secret criminal society from Thesk, identifiable by a small tattoo displayed in a clearly visible patch of skin.

Tattoos & Magic

The sigils of the second incarnation of the azure bonds.

• Azure bonds, a curse that manifested in the form of a shimmering azure tattoo of thorn vines and waves that encircled glyphs that represented the individuals or organizations who created the azure bonds. The ritual was developed by evil the wizard Cassana and her dark alliance. After their defeat, the curse was recreated by the New Alliance of the Bonds and continued to be used by clandestine criminal organizations of the Moonsea. The azure bonds could not be removed by any means. Attempts to cast any divination magic on the bonds resulted in a violent blinding display of arcane pyrotechnics and attempts to dispel magic always failed and sent the branded individual into a murderous rage and forced them to slay the caster. The victims of the azure bonds were forced to fulfill the bonds' masters' tasks when meeting certain criteria. Upon the death or severing of the bond between the branded individual and the creators of the azure bonds, the sigil disappeared, leaving the shimmering magical tattoo of a rose flower and thorny vines. This remnant of the curse was just as permanent.
• Create enchanted tattoo was a popular Thayan spell that imprinted magics in the form of tattoos up the recipient's skin. The power and types of magics varied depending on the caster's skill and ability to use a tattooist needle. A single person could not bear more than three of these decorations at a time.
• Geomancy: Tisan Balshareska, the Sunderer of Dreams and the most powerful Zakharan geomancer, had her hands, arms, legs, neck, and face decorated with enchanted golden tattoos. These decorations were geoglyphs, magical tattoos that granted Tisan Balshareska permanent protections from several spells. These geoglyphs functioned as a combination of permanency and alacrity sells. Tisan's geoglyphs were imbued with protection from lifeproof, comprehend languages, detect invisibility, protection from normal missiles, read magic, tongues, and wizard sight. When in use, geoglyphs glowed with white, gold, or red radiance.
• The Needle of Fate, a small enchanted tattoo needle with an inexhaustible supply of multi-colored ink. Tattoos created with the needle came to life while the recipient slept and attempted to murder them.
• Neth tattoo was ancient magic created in the Empire of Netheril. Neth tattoos were enchanted drawings that were inscribed on the target's forearms or necks. These tattoos discharged their magical effect at the wearer's will. The tattoo was a living and flowing image that was determined by the recipient.
• A rune tattoo was a type of temporary enchanted tattoo that could be purchased and applied to one's skin. These tattoos glowed with arcane radiance but were nothing more than an impressive decoration, sometimes used by individuals who did business in Sembia.
• Spirit tattoos were created by the Nubari of the Malatran Plateau. At a price of painful application, these magic body decorations positively affected the recipient.
• Stamp of Tan Chin: A magical tattoo that was stamped onto its victims by the monstrous dowagu, foul creations of Raja Ambuchar Devayam in Shou Lung. These tattoos were placed on foreheads and could not be removed or even covered. Spells used to mask or remove these brands (including wish) failed, while mundane things like makeup or hats were removed and thrown off the branded people's heads. These brands remained on the heads of the dowagus' victims, reanimating them after death and forcing them into servitude under the necromancer Raja.
• Tattoo of power: This spell belonged to alteration and evocation schools of magic and found use in the land of Zakhara. This spell allowed the caster to implant spells onto the target's skin. The spell contained within the enchanted tattoo could be released with a simple touch and a command word. Once exhausted, the tattoo faded away. This type of magic tattoo had its limitations. The first was the skin surface—the more powerful the tattooed spell, the more space it needed on the target's body. The second limitation was the fact that a single creature could only carry up to four tattoos of power. The creation of tattoos of power was done via physical tattooing and the caster needed to be proficient in the art.

History

In the Year of the Prince, 1357 DR an evil cabal that included sorceress Cassana, lich Zrie Prakis, demonic creature Phalse, the ancient god of rot Moander, and the Fire Knives assassins created the first azure bonds and used them to control their tool, a construct who later became the hero known as Alias. The woman bore the curse of the azure bonds that forced her to attempt to murder King Azoun Obarskyr IV of Cormyr. Eventually, aided by a group of friends, Alias and her "brother" Dragonbait broke the curse, leaving a beautiful azure tattoo of a rose and thorn vines on her arm. Several months later, the magics creating the azure bonds were recovered and replicated by the New Alliance of the Bonds, financed by the dreaded Fire Knives, aided by the Survivors of Moander, the remnants of the rotting god's cult, the Zhentarim, the Red Wizard of Thay Dracandros the Mad, and Tyranthraxus the Possessing Spirit. As of late 14^th century DR, Zhentarim and possibly other criminal cabals used the azure bonds for their nefarious schemes.

In Hammer of the Year of the Shield, 1367 DR, Iriaebor in the Western Heartlands became afflicted by the Spotted Plague that took the lives of twenty people before being contained by the city's priests. The investigation concluded that the disease was of magical nature and likely was connected to heavily tattooed Talonite worshipers that passed the city shortly before the outbreak. An outbreak of featherlung eventually led to a panic in the city of Procampur. There, a woman who claimed to be a sailor with facial tattoos was accused of being a plague-spreading Talonite and was killed by a mob.

Rumors & Legends

Sailors of the Inner Sea believed that tattooing open eyes on their eyelids could warn them of danger when asleep.

Notable Tattooed Individuals

Grypht, a saurial wizard with tattoed head bone plates.

• Alias, the unaging hero and an ally of Harpers, Elminster, and daughter of the god Finder Wyvernspur, who was branded with the azure bonds on her forearm.
• Dragonbait, a saurial hero "brother" of Alias who was branded with same azure bonds as her but located on his chest and hidden by a tunic.
• Eli yn Adnan el Beza, the Sultan of Calimport's Wizard Ward in the 14^th century DR. The politician was tattoed with both mundane and enchanted sigils from Thay. He had an image of a red wyvern on his shaved head.
• Hogley, a dwarven member of the Iron Throne whose thick mane of hair hid forcefully tattooed sigils of his old Thayan masters.
• Maligor, the Zulkir of Alteration in Thay until 1362 DR. His shaved scalp was decorated with the image of red flames on purple background and a white skull—the symbol of his deity, Myrkul.
• Orniiv Fandarfall, a Shadow Thieves operative known as "The Eclipse" for the partial tattoo of an eclipse on his cheek, active in the late 14^th century DR.
• Pharnth Aelorothi, the half-elf tiefling patriarch of House Aelorothi decorated his body with enchanted tattoos.
• Rhuna the Dark, was considered to be the best tattooist of Bezantur, whose art decorated the bodies of Aznar Thrul and Zulkir Mythrell'aa.
• Tee-a-nicknick, a half-qullan pirate from Luskan in the late 14^th century DR. The man was covered in tattoos, on virtually every part of his body, including his face.
• Tiennek, a barbarian of the White Worm who bore the mark of his tribe—the image of a polar worm—tattooed on his forehead in the mid–14^th century DR.
• Varbrace Zaalen, a muscular fighter who proudly wore his tattoo of Tempus's holy symbol on his left bicep and frequented the Dripping Dagger in Waterdeep in the late 14^th century DR.
• Xzar, a tattooed mad necromancer member of the Zhentarim and a one-time companion of Abdel Adrian in the mid–14^th century DR.
• Ziss al-Waran, a lizardfolk merchant of the city of Huzuz circa 1367 DR. Her green scaly skin was decorated with several geometric-shaped tattoos.

Notable Tattoo Parlors

Mad Xzar of the Zhentarim and his eccentric facial tattoos.

• Derf's Skin Art, a clean tattoo salon in the city of Daggerford that catered to everyone, from sailors to rich merchants.
• Ehaevaera's Beauty Rooms, a female-only beauty salon in the city of Scornubel, the Western Heartlands. The establishment offered its customers hairstyling, manicures, body painting, perfumed baths, massages, and tattoos.
• Elonia's Beauty Shoppe, a salon that offered a wide variety of beautician services, including tattooing. The parlor was a popular gossiping spot for folk of all genders.
• Goblin Two Stars, a tattoo and scarring parlor in the City of Grodd, in demiplane of Grodd in the late 14^th century DR.
• Living Tattoos, a popular masterful tattoo shop in Ravens Bluff that specialized in magical moving tattooed images.
• Orsborg's Adornments, a barber shop and a tattooist from the small city of the Eveningstar in Cormyr.
• Rusty Anchor, an inn that catered to sailors in the city of Bezantur. The establishment's own tattooist was named Xamik, a gentleman with his skin decorated with colorful designs. He also offered piercing services in the late 14^th century DR.
• Sea Wolf Inn, like other establishments in Bezantur, had a tattoo artist on staff. A human woman named Vedura was the tattooist in the late 14^th century DR.
• Skin-Deep Tattoos, a tattoo parlor located in the Dock Ward of Skullport, owned by Dwarnid Inkpeddler in the late 14^th century DR.
• Slain Sahuagin of Bezantur had a barkeep and barber/tattooist/piercer was named Nyrin Zaxim in the late 14^th century DR.
• Talon's Tattoo Parlor, a tattoo artist's shop in the city of Raven's Bluff, run by a half-ogre named Talon Darkoak. The parlor was popular among the sailors of the Inner Sea in the late 14^th century DR. Some whispered about Talon's remarkable skills in creating enchanted tattoos.

Appendix

Gallery

Holga Kilgore's Elk tribe markings.

Tattoos on the cover of Bloodwalk.

Elven tattoo design.

Facial tattoos of a cleric from Neverwinter.

Rasaad yn Bashir's face tattoos.

An example of a Mamluk from Zakhara with facial tattoos.

A Zakharan high-ranking Mamluk.

A heavily-tattoed hin shaman.

Appearances

Adventures

Curse of the Azure Bonds • Waterdeep • Night of the Seven Swords • Ronin Challenge • Ninja Wars • Ruined Kingdoms • Assassin Mountain • Caravans • Black Courser • Blood Charge • How the Mighty Are Fallen • Hellgate Keep • Shadowdale: The Scouring of the Land • Gates of Neverdeath • Keep on the Shadowfell • Search for the Diamond Staff • War of Everlasting Darkness • Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle • Legacy of the Crystal Shard • Scourge of the Sword Coast • Dead in Thay • Princes of the Apocalypse • Hoard of the Dragon Queen • The Rise of Tiamat • Storm King's Thunder • Tomb of Annihilation

Referenced only

Swords of the Iron Legion • Into the Dragon's Lair • Expedition to Undermountain • Murder in Baldur's Gate

Novels

Azure Bonds • Song of the Saurials • Pools of Darkness • Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor • Waterdeep • Prince of Lies • The Halfling's Gem • The Spine of the World • The Parched Sea • The Veiled Dragon • Red Magic • Soldiers of Ice • Finder's Bane • Tymora's Luck • Masquerades • Silver Shadows • Thornhold • Canticle • In Sylvan Shadows • Baldur's Gate • Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn • Throne of Bhaal • Star of Cursrah • The Lost Library of Cormanthyr • Escape from Undermountain • The Giant Among Us • Once Around the Realms • The Mage in the Iron Mask • The Simbul's Gift • Rising Tide • Lies of Light • Scream of Stone • The Mercenaries • Uneasy Alliances • Daughter of the Drow • Windwalker • The Shield of Weeping Ghosts • Sentinelspire • Blackstaff • The Alabaster Staff • The Black Bouquet • The Yellow Silk • The City of Ravens • The Jewel of Turmish • The City of Splendors: A Waterdeep Novel • The Halls of Stormweather • Shadow's Witness • The Shattered Mask • Heirs of Prophecy • Sands of the Soul • Maiden of Pain • The Rage • Hand of Fire • The Magehound • The Floodgate • The Wizardwar • Depths of Madness • Stardeep • Master of Chains • Dawn of Night • Sacrifice of the Widow • Elminster's Daughter • Plague of Spells • City of Torment • Key of Stars • Unclean • Undead • Unholy • The Adversary • Honor Among Thieves: The Road to Neverwinter

Referenced only

Shadowdale • Elminster: The Making of a Mage • The Nether Scroll • Whisper of Waves • Cloak of Shadows • Swords of Eveningstar • Twilight Falling • Midnight's Mask • The Sorcerer • Lord of Stormweather

Video Games

Curse of the Azure Bonds • Baldur's Gate series (Baldur's Gate • Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal • Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition) • Planescape: Torment • Neverwinter Nights series (Neverwinter Nights • Neverwinter Nights: Pirates of the Sword Coast • Neverwinter Nights: Darkness over Daggerford)

Card Games

AD&D Trading Cards • Spellfire: Master the Magic

Organized Play & Licensed Adventures

Mama Needs Her New Pair of Shu • Stirring the Embers • The Sun Never Rises • Breaking Umberlee’s Resolve • Uncertain Scrutiny • When the Lights Went Out in Candlekeep

Referenced only

Day of the Saru