Hey all....
I'm sticking to my guns- WotC has just taking the Forgotten Realms in a direction that has just left a bad taste in my mouth (if anyone read a copy of the GRAND HISTORY OF THE REALMS, then they know what I mean) and I am still not happy about the 4th edition.
Anyway, I'm done with the "official D&D message boards over at the main WotC site. What I'm not done with, is chatting about my favorite hobby- Forgotten Realms to be specific. Any FR fans out there? Start posting. I've been out of the "official" loop for a bit over a month now, and the FR webpage on the site looks like it has not been updated for a looooong time.
I have so many questions for other fans, and I also need to rant & rave about my likes & dislikes of the setting.
C'mon people!
The only thing I've heard of is "Living Forgotten Realms" from someone online who was all excited about it.
Personally, I look at all of that material as a buffet line. If the art is good, if some of the ideas are good, then I'll sample from here or there and create my own world. Otherwise, I don't follow story-lines of other creators - they often drive down roads that I don't even care to travel.
Sci-Fi/Futuristic Mod
I really like the setting, I just don't like playing any games in the setting (except for video games) because its too over-the-top. Everything seems to be super powered and while fun in a video game its not how I like my RPGs.
But I do think it is an awesome setting.
"I'm afraid it is you who are mistaken. About a great, many things."
"It is not the rules that make or break a game, it's the GM and the players."
Once I was done with "World Building", I got lazy and decided to switch to the Forgotten Realms, my friends (players) used to ask to many questions, and since FR had it all ready I became a Fan of the Realms.
We started our campaign in Cormyr with a "Battle" to hold a bridge against the fleeing Orc/goblin army who was escaping from Arabel after being re-taken by the Purple Dragons.
With the King dead, they found a scroll written by Azoun himself (according to the rogue failed check, hehehe) naming a baby as the rightful heir to the throne, but the disgraced mother of Cormyr's future king was casted out by her family and ended in a very very very far land known as the "Land of Fate" (Which again due to another failed check, they thought it was Maztica)
I liked the idea of Helm being Lawful Neutral, one of the PCs was a Paladin of Helm and I decided to create a LE Cleric 15 Cardinal Richelieu type, who was "converting" natives in Maztica. The Paladin could not grasp the fact of such an evil person being in Helm's high regard.
So after several levels they finally arrived to Al-Qadim , but then I left the city and the campaign ended there.
My second baby-girl was born Saturday, so it will be a long time before I go back to playing (must likely will be 4th edition).
Still, there is one FR book (Silver Marches) in my Amazon wish list, and even if I get the core books for 4th Ed, must likely will use the 3.0 FR Campaign to run a game (If nobody minds playing in High Elven/Spanish).
Saluti
Carlos
Silver Marches was one of the first FR books I got, and it is still my favorite. Excellent stuff in there!
Some people argue the bad points of the setting; and it does have bad points, but the good FAR outweigh the bad.
I don't like the direction the setting is heading, but its still great.
Administrator
I am a confirmed Forgotten Realms fan, and I think I have been for a long, long time. Although I had dabbled in the setting before, it was after I read R.A. Salvatore's books that I really started getting interested in the Realms. One "Avatar" trilogy later, and that really nailed it.
I've got to admit though that I like this idea of a cataclysmic event striking Fearun and leaving it in ruins. In a way it will be new and fresh, but at the same time grounded in something familiar. There's something appealing about the idea of the characters exploring the ruins of a city that the players have known and loved.
On the other hand, I have always been liberal with taking what I like of the Realms and ignoring what I don't. If I don't like the changes Wizards makes to the setting, there is more material than I would ever need to draw on as the Realms stand now.
For my two cents worth (and since I'm in Canada, our money - even cents - now go further!), so-called "canon" material is intended only as a guideline.
If I don't like a direction taken in an "official" game product, I change it. The way I look at it (and to quote that Willy S. guy from 16th century England), "the play's the thing".
Of course, my campaign is happily set in 2nd edition, and I usually set them years before the Time of Troubles. Why? 'cuz I think that Bane, Bhaal and Myrkul are total badass, and that Cyric is a complete lameass...
Don't treat the rules as a crutch - use what you want, shape the rest. If you think the game rules aren't flexible enough, make your own. Besides, homebrew settings can be as much fun (if not more so) than the "canned" settings that are out there - for one, the players don't know what to expect in this world, and the issue of player knowledge vs character knowledge generally won't be a problem.
Bruce, aka "Findor Tallwillow" and "Llwch Eidolon"
Community Supporter Like Farcaster, I am an avid fan of the Realms. Mostly, I avoid playing in the setting but I own the sourcebooks and every novel out so far because it is the most fascinating and entertaining world I've come across.
I'm looking forward to reading about New Netheril, Shade, and the Spellplague. This might be a great way to bring in players who feel like the Inquisitor. It would seem they have taken a lot of the power out of the setting. I wonder if Elminster survives and what shape the weave is in.
I'm part-way through The Orc King and then its on to the Lady Penitant series, the Dungeons series, and the Haunted Lands trilogy.
The Forgotten Realms source material makes for some great research tombs!
Skunk
a.k.a. Johnprime
yes yes yes... I know what everyone is saying... What I'm saying is that they're taking the most detailed fantasy role playing world, and turning it into another" scorched earth" campaign- the cliche fantasy world that lay in ruins after the great cataclysm. BORING!!!
Community Supporter I have not heard anything about a scorched earth in FR. Netheril rose again and there was a plague that affected magic users. That's like 1 in 1000 being affected.
The current year is somewhere in the 1370's DR and the only glimpse into the future I've seen comes from the Prologue in the Orc King. What have you been reading?
Ok, we can only try some educated guesses on what would happen in the Forgotten Realms if the "Magic Users" (Arcane I suppose) commit "Sepuku".
1) There are specific "Nations" affected such as Calmishan, Halrua or Thay where Mages are part of the Political Ruling Class. Non-Magic Factions will take this opportunity to de-throne the Magocracies. Somehow sounds similar as when Lloth went silent and in some cities (Like in City of the Spider Queen) the ruling class was overthrown.
2) For Cormyr or other "Nations" who rely on Wizards as part of their army it will also debilitate their position.
3) I suppose New Netheril (Shade) emerges because they use the shadow-weave.
4) Spell plague should have some influence in the natural world, maybe flood, drought, disease (No more magical healing?), blame the wizards! (Dragonlance?)
What will happen to the Magic Items? If they are still functioning during the Crisis, that may help the mages survive.
Earlier in this Forum there was a "Thread" in regards to a WotC designer acknowledging that most of the magic items in the D&D world were merely printing junk.
Do you think WotC will try somehow to fix their concept of Magic by means of the Spell-Plague?
Forgotten Realms already have "Wild Magic", "Dead Magic Zone", "Spellfire", so what exactly are they trying to accomplish? Reduce the Magic presence? IMHO, no need for modifying a complete setting.
Sometimes I used to introduce some flavor to my FR campaign by using Ravenloft Conjunctions and have the PC's spend a weekend in hell once in a while, actually while traveling to Maztica it seemed to me appropriate to strand them in "Saragoss" for a while.
Saluti
Carlos
Community Supporter Well let's take a look at this. From what little information presented thus far, it would seem that both the Shadow Weave and Mystra's Weave are affected, as evidenced by the fall of this new Netheril nation just before the announcement of this Spell Plague. I think its safe to say that all arcane casters are affected. Now, from the Prince of Lies book, we find out that divine magic flows from each god, however, Mystra can cut of most if not all of the weave from all deities except Ao. Logically, if Mystra is incapacitated then so will all of the other gods, hence divine magic may will not function anymore but divine casters will not go mad from the plague.
The plague, as described so far, causes unpredictable magical results as well causing casters to go insane. So far, there is no indication that there will be any physical feedback like volcanoes or floods. Unlike most fantasy, the natural world does not rely on magical creatures to continue on.
I see the utter devastation of places like Evermeet, Silverymoon, Shadowdale, Waterdeep, Evereska, Zhentil Keep, and Thay since there physical structure as well as political relies on magic users.
So far, magical items or spells in place are not affected because only casters can catch this plague. I have not seen any proof to the contrary presented thus far.
Nations like Sembia, Cormyr, Calisham, Turmish, and Aglarond will see serious ramifications but will not be destroyed. I also see halfling, dwarven, and human settlements surviving relatively unscathed as the majority of their inhabitants are non-magical in nature.
I do see this next chapter as a way for WotC to tone down the role of magic in the Realms. Currently its like living in Metropolis where 1 in 5 people are Superman when it should be 1 in 1M.
We already know what will happen in the Underdark so I won't discuss it.
Bare in mind that I have yet to get my hands on A Grand History of the Realms and RealmsDM has not replied to this thread yet. I don't have all the facts yet, if there are any new ones. This is just an exercise in logic based on all the source books and novels in print to date.
well, for one they kill of mystra just for kicks. The hints from The Orc King point towards massive power shifts in FR, and the fact that its being hinted that FR will be the flagship of 4th edition, and that they want 4e to be "simpler", I think that they're doing some massive editing of the campaign world just to meet marketing demands.
Just on a novel standpoint, and for the sake of good stories & the labor of love so many writers put into the world... I give WotC a big thumbs down
Community Supporter I doubt the Realms will be the flagship of 4th edition. If they are choosing a setting then I would place my bet on Eberron.
Personally I think their generic setting will be the flagship. There are too many of us out there tolerate such an editing of our most beloved stomping grounds. My first D&D game took place in Cormyr and I can hope my last will be in the Realms.
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