Forgotten Realms Lore - The Jungles of Chult

Episode 19 - The Jungles of Chult! A penisula that was an island, full of dinosaurs, primative men, and cat people! The Yuan-Ti make a home here too. Made famous in 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons with the adventure module "Tomb of Annihilation!" Explore the world of the Forgotten Realms!
More info on Chult from the DnD Podcast Dragon Talk:
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[@ArtyFartyBart]

"Cat men do exist in Chult." No, Kathmandu exist in Nepal

[@tinnitusthenight5545]

zing!

[@SlocumJoe7740]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rZWWfqduf6d1eMk

[@lucase.crusader1196]

Lol

[@sangheilijedi]

my player made a history check on chult got a nat 20 so i just pulled up this video

[@bluereptileproductions]

Nice

[@nps86]

😂

[@itzybitzyspyder]

Or you can do your own research.

[@dorianmorales]

Nice. Good advice

[@nicholassucre4834]

Lazy dm

[@andrewgendreau2207]

One of the players in my D&D game, the bard charged into the Jungle by himself last session. He basically just said to me "DM, I'm going to hand you this big knife and paint a target on myself, please don't stab me."

[@sorcerermemesupreme]

Tomb of Annihilation is an excellent 5e campaign centered in the island of Chult

[@PrinceIMC]

So one probably already told you this but if you love Chult read Ring of Winter. That's what made me fall in love with Chult.

[@guidonasini9733]

Binge watching your channel as today the DM gave us homework: Chult, Elemental planes, 9 Hells and Shadowfell. I can't imagine what he has in mind.

[@Jorphdan]

all I can say is good luck O.o'

[@guidonasini9733]

I wrote down some bullet points that I think will be vital for survival. I'm quite excited honestly, hope it ends up being a nicely planned story instead of a random one. Thanks for the video Jorphdan, you rock.

[@SeedlingNL]

Greetings from the future. How brutal was your party slain by the wicked DM? :P

[@GozMaster]

Wow! JORPHDAN, you have no idea how helpful this video was. I built an adventure in chult back in the mid 90s... ....rich with dinos and an acient dungeon of snake worshippers. Lead by a tragic storyed Death knight but after watching this I can now tie all of these settings to Ub-Tao and serpent that eats the sun. Thanks man.

[@PyroX792]

"Ubtao, lemme up!" -the famous duelist Ishi Snaggletooth 1492 DR

[@lmaozedong6364]

This gave me flashbacks to artificer who was eaten by a flower in the jungles of Chult

[@lordphoenix316]

So fun fact There is actually an adventure (Adventurers League) where it's legit Predator but d&d You fight an invisible monster that is stalking the party and trying to kill them DDHC-TOA-11 "Hunter" One of the chapters is legit called "If it Bleeds, We Can Kill It" Heres the cover art XD cf.geekdo-images.com/large/img/Bq0ypJlJzZzjP7DXg_hYcXu6zrk=/fit-in/1024x1024/filters:no_upscale()/pic4077660.png

[@christhiancosta1844]

so, chult is kinda forgotten realms' skull island

[@gorvarhadgarson5227]

Closest thing, no big apes tho.

[@kota86]

If I'm not mistaken, Tabaxi is supposed to be pronounced "tah-bah-shee." They're inspired quite heavily by the Aztec, and the "X" in Nahuatl is pronounced as "SH." I could be wrong however!

[@EmeraldTG]

I think different Tabaxi tribes around Toril pronounce it differently.

[@seantr1]

@@EmeraldTG ~p00pppp~~llppp~pp~~p~~~~ppp~p000~~~ppppppl00p-p0pp-pppp0

[@ChurchillGeoff]

having bought Tomb of anhialation I can't help but think that Chult was inspired by the Mystara module Isle of Dread

[@niamhf5978]

THANK YOU FOR THIS! I read a bunch of Forgotten Realms wikis to try and answer questions I still had after reading the ToA campaign book, and finished that even more confused than I started... This cleared all of that up, and some!! I think I can now flesh out my campaign notes without it being total half-understood fanfic haha. Cheers!

[@mikecif4123]

See beautiful Chult! "Wish you were beer!"

[@Jorphdan]

+Mike Cif haha exactly!

[@wasteomana]

So I just found this channel and I am binge watching it. I've run in the realms for a long time and I wrote for Living Forgotten Realms. You mentioned wanting to play in a Predator one-shot in Chult. Sounds cool, I'd run it if you were game.

[@wasteomana]

Not joking at all :-P. Would be cool to run a game with ya. Just say the word and I'll light the beacons.

[@macc.1132]

Thank you for the geography and cultural lesson. It should be noted that Chult is dominated by dark-skinned humans resembling West or Central Africans with a similar culture (unlike the European flavor of The Sword Coast, for instance). Of course there are other races of humans, but the dominant variety have deep skin tones. A suggestion: If you happen to update this video, your images should reflect these people as described in the litany of D&D literature that is out there. Be that as it may, this is still an informative document! Kudos.

[@TheGuidermichael]

I remember those old dragon magazine articles for 'african themed' campaigns.

[@fanatiiqshinobi5737]

I agree. I loved the video but It really left out a chunk of the people. I wonder why?

[@AWW8472]

The sleeping serpent who wakes to end the world, Jormungandr has a more prominent role in Ragnarok than Nidhogg. Nidhogg chews at the roots of Yggdrasil, hastening the end.

[@Sarnican]

The best game I ran was a 3.5 game that started in Chult. I wanted to do something different with ancient empires, and it eventually led to Anuaroch and the re-emergence of the Netheril as a major power. The adventures in Chult were some of mine and my player's favorite.

[@captcorajus]

Its a very 'pulpish' setting. Think of Tarzan, The lost World by Sir Author Conan Doyle, and even some Conan/ Hyborian age style fantasy. I'm getting ready to run Tomb of Annihilation, so great job on subject selection!! Thanks!

[@truth7921]

How did it go? Any advice?

[@Greyorn]

P

[@bitty_beastly47]

I like to imagine the forgotten realms as magical as they are, but as violent and mysterious as a conan novel

[@ralorock1991]

Hey Jorphden. I have really enjoyed all of your videos so far, and I look forward to all your future episodes. Would love to see more content from you. Keep up the good work, and thank you!

[@Jorphdan]

Thanks man! Glad you're enjoying the channel!

[@ItsJackDolan]

Ras Nsi hasn't had the powers of a Barae (Ubtao's Chosen) since the beginning of the spellplague. He is however the de facto leader of the Yuan Ti that live in the ruins of Omu. Although I'm sure you knew that

[@TopaT0pa]

I'm playing the tomb of annihilation adventure with a group at the moment and it's a Lvl. 1 - 11 story in Chult. It's absolutely fantastic!

[@subcitizen2012]

I know this is ancient history being posted 5 years ago, but I wanted to share that this helped subliminally inspire a short predatorish campaign. A friend o mine had an idea for it as well and so I ran with it. I needed to create an origin setting for his character, and so went with Borneo in 1941, and the Japanese empire was after an artifact, the episode also included heavy references for Indiana Jones. The Predator ended up being an avatar of a defeated/fallen demigod that was trying to make a come back with the divine artifact. And the cast of the predator helped in the assault of the imperial Japanese excavation camp. Was a pretty fun and random mishmash of movie romps.

[@PentragonCosplay]

My cirlce of spores goblin-druid comes from Chult (her tribe lives there) so it´s a very helpful video. I am more than sure we will travel there one day and I can´t wait to see what our DM has in mind for it

[@a.j.2796]

I'd love a video about the Tabaxi (cat people) and their homeland of Maztica.

[@michaeless8834]

Episode 1 pressed play and my work shift was much more tolerable for 8 hours thanks for your work!

[@Jorphdan]

Awesome! Welcome 😊

[@orvilpym]

At the Dungeon Master's Guild there's a pretty dope "Predator" module by Will Doyle and James Introcaso simply called "Hunter". The PDF sells for $4, so definitely check it out. I played it as a side quest of "Tomb of Annihilation" recently and it was great fun.

[@dyce3008]

I found the Second Sundering video in this series first and ended up watching all of these videos in one night. Great work man! You've shown some parts of the dnd universe that I didn't know about and have become quite endeared to. Keep up the good work!

[@Jorphdan]

+TonyCook wow not many binge watch all my videos. Thanks for watching glad you enjoy them. 😀

[@portlandbluewizard2520]

You had a couple of useful tidbits for me, thanks!

[@ProjectRedfoot]

I have heard whispers from the outcasts among the woods. They all tell me, *"Beware!!* for the *PH* is *SILENT!"*

[@skullsquad900]

Omg this is awsome, can't believe I never heard of this before. Makes me want to build a Tabaxi city built on the ruins of an ancient clockwork civilization, and every day the city reshapes itself. Which is why the culture there is obsessed with Labrinths and Patterns.

[@adamholcomb200]

Other races that are in Chult are Firenewt, Pterafolk, Sarrukh, Lycathrope wereserpents, and muckdwellers

[@antwan1357]

I have a novel called FANGED CROWN it is quite literally the best jungle nightmare book i have ever read this book almost everything in the novel happens in Chult

[@Jorphdan]

+antwan1357 sweet. I'll have to check it out. :D

[@Scrombo2]

Thanks for the recommendation m8

[@MinscFromBaldursGate92]

Jurassic Park is frightening in the dark all the dinosaurs are running wiiiild 🎵

[@markismiller6484]

Keep it up dont have the lore books and when i dm i am a sandboxer so i use cool ideas from lore from other places so i love hearing these ideas and tweakong them to fit my world.

[@crimfan]

Ratmen being obsessed with mazes? That I would believe. Cats and mazes is mixing metaphors.

[@Nickz666]

I finished Tyranny of Dragons with my group. One of the players, a warlock of Dendar, waited untill the last moment to betray the party and steal the dragon mask. His ultimate goal is to release Dendar from her prison. I'm going to use the Tomb of annihilation book as a resource and have my group roll a squad of Chult denizens to help Ub'Tao stop this mad warlock from completing his diabolical plan.

[@Jorphdan]

muwahahaha! :D

[@saravelasco5807]

My first dnd group in a long time wants to start a game near the Jungles of Chult. I am using the Legend of Tarzan as a reference and inspiration while I try to figure out how to write the creatures and create at least a somewhat decent adventure arc. It’s no Jurassic Park adventure, but I’m sure I can throw in a few dinosaur here and there if things seem too dull. It’s a shame that I most likely won’t be using much of my medieval ideas, but hey, I didn’t choose to play a dm just to play by myself.

[@repillager]

Yes!!! I have an adventure ready in every camp. named MurderHoboAdvanced Edition waiting for them!

[@gmacwizard8890]

So chult really is "the place the gods abandoned"

[@Jeromy1986]

I think Wizards may have jumped on Chult when they did partly connecting with Jumanji.

[@thechaotimagnet]

we're you in on this? that was less than a minute after the announcement when this video came up.

[@Jorphdan]

No, I had a hunch and made the video last night XD #FingersCrossed it paid off :)

[@blugobln85]

NICE.

[@kyubii972]

Most of this is not the setting it is today. So while good for ideas, its not how chult is RIGHT now. Or perhaps our group hasn't asked the right questions, but so far no mention of Ubtao, the only gods we notice the Chultans pray to are Havros and Sune. One for visions of the future and one for beauty.

[@WargaminginMiniature]

keep playing

[@danboud8135]

Watching this vid I can't help but feel that Chult was a nod to Mystara's Isle of Dread

[@VII_Spiritual]

Thanks for your content, I picked up Baldurs Gate 3, and I'm digging the lore of the setting.

[@Judgefudge9111]

You're timing in incredible. Have a like

[@Jorphdan]

+Daniel Franks thanks!

[@axebyte9748]

funny how Chult is an island now, as it use to be a pennisula. i didnt even recognize that as the jungles of Chult.

[@-Siculus-Hort-]

My warlock now "worships" Dendar.

[@sirdoge361]

Nice

[@kimjensen4977]

Chult is awesome - The Lost World meets the jungles of Cambodia!

[@digunder14]

gotta love them dinosaurs, I wish they also had the homebrew dinosaur humanoid race called the Saurians

[@reapersritehand]

Reskinned lizardmen

[@gmilare0]

5:57 I had no idea that communists were in Chult xD. I love your content, keep up with the good work.

[@Jorphdan]

Chult communists were a brief inhabitant before being devoured by dinosaurs :P

[@cameroncook653]

Me: what is ub-Tao? Ub-Tao: not much sup with you?

[@cmdrklaasmetzel9160]

That was really fascinating 😮 Wish to know more about that cat folk.

[@beejcarson]

Destiny befriends Bryan Cullen is one step closer to Destiny on The JRE

[@SpectreOfChar]

So it's basically Australia.

[@PrimeroAtreides]

I liked that Grim dawn wallpaper

[@6xlord907]

the ph is silent.... i'm on video 19 and i finally got that. was wondering, what a ph-assailant was supposed to be.

[@triratna1397]

Chult story about mezro can be read on Harper: ring of winter.

[@inbetweenthenovel3474]

I'd like to go to Chult now, please. Arimith likes adventures! And DInoSauuurs.

[@Jorphdan]

:D

[@ihategnomes6247]

I just started playing tomb of annihilation, and I made a warlock whose patron is dendar. Didn't really mean to find this video, but hey at least I know I didn't choose a patron that had nothing to do with the campaign, right?

[@haydenbsiegel]

Awww no mention of the Cult of Savras?

[@waltercarillo8916]

The wild dwarf looks like Gotrek from warhammer? He probably thought chult was lustria

[@xmpbutch1]

If you like Chult, you should check out the novel The Ring of Winter!

[@Jorphdan]

Thanks I will!

[@Mountain8ear]

No problem. Everyone pronounces Tiefling as tea fling, even though you don't say that for Tie Fighters. Teafling sounds weak, just like, "Look at Lord Vader coming towards us in his Tea Fighter," sounds super weak. You do you bro.

[@JoseAngelC]

I guess you won't comment on Acererak and his story given his origins but maybe it may be worth it if it's connected to this adventure and his presence in the Realms is canon now!

[@Jorphdan]

Totally worth exploring, by the time I made this Acererak hadn't been announced yet. It was only through hints we knew it would be Chult. An Acererak video should totally be in the works.

[@ryderma1]

Nice Vid!

[@squirrellordsgaming2772]

I think of the soundtrack to the N64 game: Turok Dinosaur Hunter.

[@kyubii972]

Haven't even heard of Mezro once in Tomb of Annihilation. In fact most of this video is not in Tomb of Annihilation. Pretty sure that the zombie army is a thing though, zombies are everywhere. Goblins are there too and they are fantastic comedy relief.

[@MrSeligas]

Mezro is on the map for Tomb of Annihilation(ToA), it was destroyed in the Spell Plague and its fate is currently sought by Artus Cimber. Ras Nsi (pronounced nuh-SEE, not en-SEE) is the only living barae, and he is also in Tomb of Annihilation, in cahoots with the final boss. Ubtao has pretty much abandoned Chult at the time of ToA, and has been split into multiple nature spirits. Literally all of this video is in the module of ToA in one form or another.

[@RigelOrionBeta]

It's mentioned a number of times, but Mezro has been teleported to the Astral Plane since Ras Nsi's attack, a defense mechanism of the city. The zombies that roam Chult are largely the remnants of Nsi's army during that attack.

[@digunder14]

an easy fix between telling the tabaxi apart is for the cat skin wearing human tribal people the "tabaxi tribe"

[@Falruk]

Funny how 3 months after this video, ToA was released.

[@Jorphdan]

I released it when ToA was announced ;)

[@wuzillah]

You should read the ring of winter. It's story takes place mostly in chult and is very indiana jonesey.

[@mon7600]

if your still down for a jungle adventure I'd be up for it, I'd rather play, but I'd be down to GM a oneshot. I play alot of cinimatic games and have been really liking the new aliens rpg game style

[@dmstantastic3653]

The Tabaxi thing is based on the Indian mistake of early settlers.

[@gorvarhadgarson5227]

Although Chult is Ubtao's domain, the dwarf god Thard Far is allowed in because he to thinks Dinosaurs are rad.

[@paulthomas935]

What is the source material or canon reference concerning Ubtao and people coming back if they can't draw their maze?

[@jeramiedavis6782]

I could see dendar the night serpent being what brings about 6e and i think id be ok with that.

[@thecoolcarhd4402]

Neverwinter has the same realm!

[@spensermurphy4928]

TheCoolCarhd what brought me here

[@er1cdoom]

I made stats for a Yutjia (The Predator).

[@roberthelmuth3004]

Volo's Guide to Monsters says that Tabaxi (cat humanoids) are from Maztica? Page 115 boxed text.

[@Jorphdan]

I'll check out, thanks for the page number!

[@roberthelmuth3004]

@@Jorphdan Cool, thanks for checking it out.

[@draugrhart121]

6:04... one of the paladins has an Ak.

[@Jorphdan]

Chult's really dangerous yo

[@maxcaysey2844]

It would be cool, if you did a video on artifacts. Ring of Winter

[@donaldmiller8727]

Isn't the night serpent in a cave in the realm of the dead? Prince of lies

[@tazyhazy5774]

That was a labyrinth not a maze !

[@charchuk7456]

tazy hazy Indeed! There's a distinct difference between the two concepts. Labyrinths have a spiritual, meditative meaning.

[@puckshriekstheim6114]

I'm using Ubtao for something, so this is great! thnx a lot!

[@Jorphdan]

Sweet!! You're welcome!

[@itzybitzyspyder]

Tabaxi or Tabashi are the cat people.

[@christophermorgan8703]

Eye of Gruumsh lore next

[@Jorphdan]

good idea! I'll add it to the list

[@ryanconrad2786]

here is the facebook group for the old Living Jungle setting (the Jungle of Malatra in Kara-Tur, as detailed in Polyhedron). Lots of old had players there, though they are fairly inactive. facebook.com/groups/MalatranSpirit/

[@boaboy8052]

General Tay-O chicken 😂😂😂

[@SirLucien]

Hey Jorphdan, please tell me you have some free time to join one of our Twitch D&D live shows, I would love to do some colab stuff if you have time.

[@Jorphdan]

yeah definitely could do some twitch stuff :) Just gotta fit it in my schedule, send me an email at [e-mail]

[@wikeff]

So its basically australia

[@speculart]

Please do WATERDEEP!

[@Jorphdan]

I'll add it to my potential list. In the meantime +Faerun History did a video on Waterdeep. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eoLIaoh7e66XnsU

[@vovasyhin7219]

So what really happens to living things in Chult when they die? I was under the impression that the faithless souls go to The Wall to be slowly devoured, and yet you say the gods don't touch Chult and its inhabitants and have their own afterlife? Gods claim dominion over all souls do they not? Furthermore Ub-Tao is not exactly a god!

[@ADHD_Devil]

Where did you get the info about Early Chult? Is there a book I can read? I want to learn more about the Barae.

[@Jorphdan]

Should be the 2nd edition book "Jungles of Chult" I think you can find it on drivethru rpg

[@tristanlapoint1798]

Tomb of Annihilation very clearly states (p.20 during the description of the Grand Souk) that elephants aren't found in Chult. Is this a discrepancy?

[@Jorphdan]

Must be, this video was created before Tomb of Annihilation was released.

[@tristanlapoint1798]

@@Jorphdan I find lore discrepancies to be great places to add to the history of a place as a DM. e.g. Maybe there used to be elephants and they were all hunted to extinction, maybe the were wiped out in the spellplague, maybe there are still zombie elephants in the jungle, etc.

[@sambro6657]

We need dendar to have his own module and try to stop forgotten realms ragnarok

[@Jorphdan]

That would be epic!

[@Dreadstealer]

so after dendra was let loose from the land of the dead after the time of troubles and during the cyric's madness incident she got imprisoned by ubtao ?

[@Jorphdan]

I believe Dendar was always imprisoned, but did have an uprising of cultist worshipers during the Time of Troubles. Do you have a citation for your information? I'd love to read it!

[@Dreadstealer]

i have read the pentalogy of the books known as the avatar series, the first 3 being shadowdale, tantras and waterdeep which say the tale of the time of troubles at which the gods lost their godhood till they bring back to ao the tablets of fate which myrkul and bane stole and at the end made midnight and cyric gods and the last 2 being the prince of lies and crucible : the trial of cyric the mad in which if i remember correctly dendar appeared in the last 2 books of the series together with kezef the chaos hound , the exact citation is lost to my memory as of now (mainly because some time had passed when i read the books) but i remember being freed from her lair in the land of the dead by mask to stop kezef from eating him ( i hope i helped a bit)

[@Jorphdan]

It does help. I'll do some searching myself :). Thanks!

[@Dreadstealer]

just to make clear for anyone who reads this : i speak for the transition from the second edition to the third

[@j-fallard5351]

Nice something I know nothing about!

[@AAron-gr3jk]

I still favour Xen'drik, but Chalt is cool too

[@jhj9296]

sounds like the south side of Chicago to me