Villains' Lorebook is an accessory for the Forgotten Realms

Forgotten Realms

The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...

 campaign setting

Campaign setting

A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...

 for the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...

fantasy

Fantasy

Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...

 role-playing game

Role-playing game

A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...

. The book, with product code TSR 9552, was published in 1998, and was written by Dale Donovan, with cover art by Todd Lockwood

Todd Lockwood

Todd Wills Lockwood, born in Boulder, Colorado, is an American artist specializing in fantasy and science fiction illustration. He is best known for his work on the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, and for his covers for the books of R.A. Salvatore...

 and interior art by David Martin

David L. Martin

-Works:David Martin has produced interior illustrations for Dungeons & Dragons books since 1990, as well as cover art for Domains of Dread . He has also produced artwork for other games including Earthdawn and Shadowrun ....

, Fred Fields

Fred Fields

Fred Fields is an artist whose work has appeared largely in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game from TSR.-Biography:Fred Fields was born in northern Kentucky. He grew up in the small town of Burlington, Kentucky. Fields wanted to be an artist since childhood: "I don't know that...

, Keith Parkinson

Keith Parkinson

Keith Parkinson was an American fantasy artist and illustrator known for book cover and game artwork for games such as EverQuest, Guardians, Magic: The Gathering and Vanguard: Saga of Heroes.-Early life:...

, Jeff Easley

Jeff Easley

Jeff Easley is an oil painter who creates fantasy artwork in the tradition of Frank Frazetta.-Early life:...

, and Paul Jaquays

Paul Jaquays

Paul Jaquays is a game designer and artist of table-top role-playing games and video games.Some of his notable works include the Dungeons & Dragons modules "Dark Tower" and "Caverns of Thracia" for Judges Guild; development and design of conversions on games such as Pac-Man and Donkey Kong for...

.

The 160-page book features a two-page introduction, which explains that this book is companion volume to Heroes' Lorebook

Heroes' Lorebook

Heroes' Lorebook is an accessory for the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Contents:...

. The book compiles information from novels and other sources, as well as 1989's Hall of Heroes

Hall of Heroes (Forgotten Realms)

Hall of Heroes is an accessory for the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game...

. The book describes 29 characters, each including an illustration, game statistics, suggestions for campaign uses, and a list of the sources consulted for each character's entry. Character descriptions appear on pages 6-59, and include such notables as Artemis Entreri

Artemis Entreri

Artemis Entreri is a fictional character in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Entreri is depicted as a ruthless assassin and the arch-enemy of Drizzt Do'Urden, the protagonistic dark elf. He is the creation of author R. A...

, Elaith Craulnober

Elaith Craulnober

Elaith Craulnober is a fictional character in the Forgotten Realms fantasy campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Elaith is often used by author Elaine Cunningham and has appeared in many of her novels, namely, Elfshadow, Elfsong, Silver Shadows, Dream Spheres, and...

, Fzoul Chembryl, Halaster Blackcloak, Jarlaxle

Jarlaxle

Jarlaxle is a fictional character in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting based on the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. He first appeared in the 1990 novel, Exile, by R. A. Salvatore as the charismatic and opportunistic drow leader of the mercenary band, Bregan D'aerthe...

, Kymil Nimesin, Manshoon, and Szass Tam. The book's center 16-page section (pages 81-96) presents a series of color illustrations depicting many of the characters described in the book in a variety of scenes. Pages 60-106 provides game statistics and descriptions for several monsters, as well as notable individual creatures like Errtu

Errtu

Errtu is a balor, a true tanar'ri in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, chiefly in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting. Errtu was featured as a villain of the first book in the Icewind Dale trilogy, The Crystal Shard by R. A...

, Kazgaroth, and Tyranthraxus. A number of organizations are described on pages 107-126, such as the Cult of the Dragon

Cult of the Dragon

The Cult of the Dragon is a fictional, semi-religious, evil organization in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. The cult worships dragons, believing they will rule the world in the future and will keep them as monarchs next in line. Sammaster, a mage...

, the Drow of Menzoberranzan

Menzoberranzan

Menzoberranzan, the City of Spiders, is a fictional city-state in the world of the Forgotten Realms, a Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting. It is located in the Upper Northdark, about two miles below the Surbrin Vale, between the Moonwood and the Frost Hills...

, the Red Wizards

Red Wizards

The Red Wizards of Thay are a fictional organization and social class of evil aligned wizards in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting of Dungeons & Dragons and Advanced Dungeons & Dragons...

 of Thay, and the Zhentarim

Zhentarim

The Zhentarim is a fictional organization in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Also known as the Black Network, it is an evil organization based on the continent of Faerûn. One of its goals is to dominate the lands from the Moonsea to the...

. A number of magical items

Magic item (Dungeons & Dragons)

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, a magic item is any object that has magical powers inherent in it. These may act on their own or be the tools of the character in whose hands they fall into. Magic items have been prevalent in the game in every edition and setting, from the...

 and spells are described on pages 127-157. A list of sources mentioned throughout the book can be found on pages 159 and 160.