Playable Classes The Time of Troubles & Era of Upheaval The current period of time for our Forgotten Realms campaigns are set during the 1st and 2nd edition era. Inspired By Ed Greenwood

• Arcane Bard
• Barbarian
• Bard
• Beast Master
• Cleric
• Drow
• Druid
• Dwarf
• Elf
• Fighter
• Gnome
• Half-Elf
• Halfling
• Illusionist
• Paladin
• Ranger
• Sorcerer
• Thief
• Wizard
• Wood Elf

About Our Game Rules The Time of Troubles & Era of Upheaval The current period of time for our Forgotten Realms campaigns are set during the 1st and 2nd edition era. Inspired By Ed Greenwood

I wanted to write up an article describing the game rules we will be using. We are using a "modified" Old-School Essentials Advanced Fantasy system but I guess you can say that we lean way more towards AD&D 1st edition than Old-School Essentials. Basically we are using Old-School Essentials Advanced Fantasy with "some" house rules and some "slight" adjustments to the classes to bring them up to scale with 1st edition since most of the adventures I plan to run are from 1st edition anyways.

The new Old-School Essentials books have released but, I feel the original Advanced Fantasy is just fine, I'll just import a few house rules in from the new books. We are going with the class system, not the race/class system from 1st edition & we will also be using the racial classes as well "like Elf, Dwarf, Halfling to name a few", basically the same as what is in the Old-School Essentials books but with a lot more choices to choose from since classes were pulled from other sources like the Carcass Crawler zine.

All magical items that are used in our games will come directly from the Old-School Essentials core books. All playable classes will have levels caps kept in place as they are listed in the books. All spells used in our campaigns will come straight out of the Old-School Essentials core books. I just found it exhausting to keep up with all the rules in 1st edition and you don't realize just how unorganized those rules are until you read the Old-School Essentials books. The reasoning behind me using this modified version of B/X classes is because for some reason, I seriously love the old style gameplay & I also wanted to expand on the core playable classes.

Old-School Essentials classes are not anywhere near as powerful as new edition classes, even AD&D classes so players can't simply have characters charge in and run through all the enemies that they face. It's a mix and match of materials that we use, but it is very easy to understand and gives players a classic feel to the type of gameplay they will experience.

The goal is to keep the core of our system Old-School Essentials Advanced Fantasy but with a few 1st edition house rules and some slight adjustments to the class sheets. As I said earlier, the bulk of our rules will be straight from the Old-School Essentials books but we do have a few minor adjustments that we made. I am sure we will encounter bugs that will need to be ironed out and fixed but overall I think I have it pretty well hammered out. I want to run my games as classic as I can but give my players a little more expansive style of play at the same time.

Constable Tren Noemfor The Time of Troubles & Era of Upheaval The current period of time for our Forgotten Realms campaigns are set during the 1st and 2nd edition era. Inspired By Ed Greenwood

In 1367 DR, Tren Noemfor serves as the constable of Dagger Falls and the recognized ruler of Daggerdale under the authority of Zhentil Keep. A native Dalesman and former adventurer, Tren was placed in power by the Zhentish garrison after proving that his loyalty could be purchased with authority, wealth, and military support. He governs from behind the town’s formidable stone walls, presenting himself as the lawful protector of Dagger Falls while acting as the principal instrument of the Zhentarim occupation.

To the people of the dale, he is not truly a lord but a collaborator who rules only because foreign soldiers keep him in power. Tren is a lean, hard-featured man approaching his fiftieth year, with short dark hair touched by gray and a closely trimmed beard.

His cold eyes rarely betray anger or fear, for he prefers to maintain the controlled expression of a man who believes he already holds the advantage. He wears blackened steel armor beneath a heavy dark cloak, favoring practical protection over elaborate finery. A longsword remains at his side even within his own residence, and one gloved hand often rests upon its pommel when he questions strangers or delivers an order.

Years spent as an adventurer made Tren an experienced fighter, but his greatest weapon is his ability to recognize and exploit weakness. He seldom makes threats openly when a quiet implication will suffice, and he is skilled at turning fear, greed, and desperation against his enemies. Tren surrounds himself with Zhentilar officers, hired mercenaries, informants, and Dalesmen whose loyalty depends upon coin or protection. He trusts none of them completely, encouraging rivalries among his subordinates so that they remain too suspicious of one another to unite against him.

As constable, Tren administers a harsh and deeply unequal form of justice. Merchants who cooperate with the occupation receive protection and favorable treatment, while suspected supporters of Randal Morn disappear into the town’s cells or face execution as traitors. Tren is willing to imprison innocent travelers and use their freedom as leverage, forcing companions or relatives to undertake dangerous tasks on his behalf. His punishments are intended not merely to remove enemies but to frighten witnesses, reminding everyone in Dagger Falls that resistance carries consequences for families, neighbors, and entire communities. Despite his power within Dagger Falls, Tren knows that his authority is dangerously limited beyond the town walls.

Randal Morn and the Freedom Riders control much of the surrounding countryside, striking Zhentish patrols and undermining Tren’s influence among the Dalesfolk. Tren therefore rules like the commander of a fortress under siege, responding to rebel attacks with arrests, patrols, and reprisals against suspected sympathizers. He publicly dismisses Randal as an outlaw and failed noble, but privately regards him as the greatest threat to everything he has gained—and understands that without the soldiers of Zhentil Keep, the people of Daggerdale would quickly turn against him.

Dagger Falls The Time of Troubles & Era of Upheaval The current period of time for our Forgotten Realms campaigns are set during the 1st and 2nd edition era. Inspired By Ed Greenwood

Dagger Falls is a large, stone-walled town in the Daggerdale region of the Dalelands, standing along the River Tesh near the steep waterfall from which the settlement takes its name. The falls dominate the surrounding landscape, their constant roar carrying across much of the town and filling the nearby streets with a faint, cold mist.

Because river traffic cannot safely pass the falls, Dagger Falls occupies an important position along the trade routes through the dale and serves as its largest and most influential settlement. A strong stone wall surrounds the town, giving it the appearance of a small fortress rather than a simple frontier community. Two fortified gatehouses protect its primary entrances: the Forest Gate to the north and the River Gate to the east.

In 1367 DR, Dagger Falls remains firmly under the occupation of Zhentil Keep. Each gatehouse holds approximately thirty-five troops, while the town supports a garrison of roughly one hundred Zhentilar soldiers, two hundred mercenaries, and another one hundred and thirty Dalesmen held in reserve. Armed patrols regularly march through the streets, inspect incoming wagons, and question unfamiliar travelers. The gates are closely watched, weapons are sometimes confiscated from suspicious visitors, and anyone believed to support Randal Morn or his Freedom Riders risks imprisonment or execution. Though the walls offer protection from bandits and monsters, they also make Dagger Falls feel increasingly like a prison for the people living within them. The origins of Dagger Falls stretch back to the dwarves of the Desertsmouth Mountains to the east. The site first served as a storage and transfer point for dwarven metals brought down from the mountains before continuing westward.

Since cargo traveling along the River Tesh had to be unloaded before reaching the falls, carried around them, and placed aboard boats again, the location naturally became a gathering place for merchants, laborers, caravan masters, and travelers. As trade increased, dwarven fortifications rose around the storage yards to protect valuable shipments awaiting transport. Humans and other folk soon established homes, workshops, warehouses, inns, and trading posts around those defenses.

Notable Locations
• Teshford Arms
• Garrick’s Supply House
• Lathander's Light
• Constable's Tower
• Winston's Store
• Watch House
• Fulgath's Caravan Supplies
• Market Square
• Moneychanger's Shop
• Red Rock Tavern
• Patisserie Shoppe
• Smithy
• Stables
• Docks
• Old Dulwar's Leatherworks
• Thund's Warehouses
• Dagger Bridge
• Thieves Guild
• Broken Dagger Tavern
• Temple of Tyr

Notable People
• Constable Tren Noemfor
• Randal Morn
• Magister Vhalan Rusk
• Captain Eli Marshking
• Tharwin One-Eye

What began as little more than a fortified dwarven waystation gradually grew into a permanent settlement, and its position along the river ensured that Dagger Falls continued to prosper even as the surrounding dale suffered through war and hardship. The town became the traditional seat of power in Daggerdale because no other settlement rivaled its size, defenses, or economic importance. The Morn family ruled the dale from Dagger Falls for centuries, establishing the town as the political heart of the region. That rule came to an end in 1336 DR, when agents of the Zhentarim overthrew the Morns and brought Dagger Falls under the influence of Zhentil Keep.

Regional Locations
• Ruined Tower of Zenopus

The town is now governed by Constable Tren Noemfor, a Zhentilar-appointed ruler supported by soldiers, mercenaries, informants, and collaborators recruited from among the Dalesfolk. Beyond the town’s walls, Randal Morn and his Freedom Riders control much of the countryside and wage an ongoing campaign against the occupation. Tren answers their raids with arrests and brutal reprisals against suspected sympathizers, creating an atmosphere of fear and mistrust throughout Dagger Falls.

Nevertheless, merchants continue to conduct their business, laborers carry cargo around the falls, and travelers pass through on their way across the Dalelands. Beneath this appearance of ordinary life, however, the town stands divided between those who profit from Zhentil Keep, those too frightened to resist, and those secretly waiting for the day when the rightful lord of Daggerdale returns.