10 things about Forgotten Realms Setting [Archive] - Wizards Community

10 things about Forgotten Realms Setting [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Majorapat
12-03-04, 04:52 PM Having just read the Eberron campaign setting book, it has a good section on 10 things you need to know about the Campaign setting.

For Example it states:

"1. If it exists in D&D it can exist in Eberron.

2. Tone & Attitude: Eberron combines the tone of traditional Medieval D&D fantasy with swashbuckling action and dark adventure. Alignments are a relative gauge of a characters or creatures viewpoint and not absolute barometers of character affiliation and action. Alignments are blurred, so it is possible that there could be a good Vampire or an evil Silver Dragon.

3. A world of magic: The setting Supposes a world that developed not through the advance of science but through the mastery of the arcane. This concept allows for certain conveniences that aren't in other fantasy settings, such as lightning rails and flying ships. There is a minor class of mage that exists in Eberron that provides services such as providing power or creating minor magic items. Advances in magic have lead to self propelled farming implements to free willed sentient constructs."

I was wondering if anyone has done anything like this for the Forgotten Realms setting?

:confused:
Kid SixXx
12-03-04, 05:12 PM Having just read the Eberron campaign setting book, it has a good section on 10 things you need to know about the Campaign setting.

For Example it states:

"1. If it exists in D&D it can exist in Eberron.

2. Tone & Attitude: Eberron combines the tone of traditional Medieval D&D fantasy with swashbuckling action and dark adventure. Alignments are a relative gauge of a characters or creatures viewpoint and not absolute barometers of character affiliation and action. Alignments are blurred, so it is possible that there could be a good Vampire or an evil Silver Dragon.

3. A world of magic: The setting Supposes a world that developed not through the advance of science but through the mastery of the arcane. This concept allows for certain conveniences that aren't in other fantasy settings, such as lightning rails and flying ships. There is a minor class of mage that exists in Eberron that provides services such as providing power or creating minor magic items. Advances in magic have lead to self propelled farming implements to free willed sentient constructs."

I was wondering if anyone has done anything like this for the Forgotten Realms setting?

:confused:

Not really, which is why you should play more Eberron... :smirk:

Seriously, though, I don't really think the FR needs such guidelines because it's been around for over 20 years. Even people who have never played D&D are often familiar with the setting via the novels, or other media.

The assumption is that if you're picking up the FRCS, you pretty much know what you're getting into.

While I think that a set of basic guidelines would be a useful tool for the FR, I am at a loss as to what points I would place on such a list.
Mystrasdance
12-03-04, 05:13 PM I think Netheril tried doing things like that and it ended up sucking so much power from the weave that the Pharium(spelling) started starving and it also created the Anauroch(sp?) desert....i think the writers and such want the Realms to be a high magic world but not one where magic is just another form of technology like spelljammer and such....just my humble opinion ;)
Faraer
12-03-04, 05:16 PM There is a lot about the Realms' nature that the current published sources do not bring transparently to the surface, that only becomes evident between the lines, and I hear enough misconceptions that I'm sure a document of this kind would be worthwhile.

It would be a fair task asking for quite a bit of nuance and sophistication. For now, the Realms introduction (http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Castle/2566/wellmet.htm) published in the 1996 'conspectus' serves a similar role -- most of the Realms' equivalent ten points are implicit in that. For those without the Eberron book, this section can be viewed on amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0786932740/).

Point one, by the way, is 'The Realms includes aspects of D&D, but is not defined by D&D.'

Eberron is able to cite nine movies that inspired its tone; the Realms' influences are overwhelmingly literary and I can only think of a couple of films it would be representative to list (The Princess Bride and Excalibur).
Aznar Thrul
12-03-04, 05:47 PM 2. Tone & Attitude: Eberron combines the tone of traditional Medieval D&D fantasy with swashbuckling action and dark adventure. Alignments are a relative gauge of a characters or creatures viewpoint and not absolute barometers of character affiliation and action. Alignments are blurred, so it is possible that there could be a good Vampire or an evil Silver Dragon.

well evil silver dragon or good vampire can be found in FR

i will take example on a vampire: a paladin become a vampire and gain his free will by killin his creator, soo what would you think he do;

1) become evil cause hes a vampire

2) or serve what he always serve in the undead

and another exemple i got a minotaur lawful good, he was raised by cleric of Thorm who killed his parents. he is a farmer now.

one thing that you should know is the DM can do whatever he want, includin deleting//creating rules.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Majorapat 12-03-04, 04:52 PM	Having just read the Eberron campaign setting book, it has a good section on 10 things you need to know about the Campaign setting. For Example it states: "1. If it exists in D&D it can exist in Eberron. 2. Tone & Attitude: Eberron combines the tone of traditional Medieval D&D fantasy with swashbuckling action and dark adventure. Alignments are a relative gauge of a characters or creatures viewpoint and not absolute barometers of character affiliation and action. Alignments are blurred, so it is possible that there could be a good Vampire or an evil Silver Dragon. 3. A world of magic: The setting Supposes a world that developed not through the advance of science but through the mastery of the arcane. This concept allows for certain conveniences that aren't in other fantasy settings, such as lightning rails and flying ships. There is a minor class of mage that exists in Eberron that provides services such as providing power or creating minor magic items. Advances in magic have lead to self propelled farming implements to free willed sentient constructs." I was wondering if anyone has done anything like this for the Forgotten Realms setting? :confused:
Kid SixXx 12-03-04, 05:12 PM	Having just read the Eberron campaign setting book, it has a good section on 10 things you need to know about the Campaign setting. For Example it states: "1. If it exists in D&D it can exist in Eberron. 2. Tone & Attitude: Eberron combines the tone of traditional Medieval D&D fantasy with swashbuckling action and dark adventure. Alignments are a relative gauge of a characters or creatures viewpoint and not absolute barometers of character affiliation and action. Alignments are blurred, so it is possible that there could be a good Vampire or an evil Silver Dragon. 3. A world of magic: The setting Supposes a world that developed not through the advance of science but through the mastery of the arcane. This concept allows for certain conveniences that aren't in other fantasy settings, such as lightning rails and flying ships. There is a minor class of mage that exists in Eberron that provides services such as providing power or creating minor magic items. Advances in magic have lead to self propelled farming implements to free willed sentient constructs." I was wondering if anyone has done anything like this for the Forgotten Realms setting? :confused: Not really, which is why you should play more Eberron... :smirk: Seriously, though, I don't really think the FR needs such guidelines because it's been around for over 20 years. Even people who have never played D&D are often familiar with the setting via the novels, or other media. The assumption is that if you're picking up the FRCS, you pretty much know what you're getting into. While I think that a set of basic guidelines would be a useful tool for the FR, I am at a loss as to what points I would place on such a list.
Mystrasdance 12-03-04, 05:13 PM	I think Netheril tried doing things like that and it ended up sucking so much power from the weave that the Pharium(spelling) started starving and it also created the Anauroch(sp?) desert....i think the writers and such want the Realms to be a high magic world but not one where magic is just another form of technology like spelljammer and such....just my humble opinion ;)
Faraer 12-03-04, 05:16 PM	There is a lot about the Realms' nature that the current published sources do not bring transparently to the surface, that only becomes evident between the lines, and I hear enough misconceptions that I'm sure a document of this kind would be worthwhile. It would be a fair task asking for quite a bit of nuance and sophistication. For now, the Realms introduction (http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Castle/2566/wellmet.htm) published in the 1996 'conspectus' serves a similar role -- most of the Realms' equivalent ten points are implicit in that. For those without the Eberron book, this section can be viewed on amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0786932740/). Point one, by the way, is 'The Realms includes aspects of D&D, but is not defined by D&D.' Eberron is able to cite nine movies that inspired its tone; the Realms' influences are overwhelmingly literary and I can only think of a couple of films it would be representative to list (The Princess Bride and Excalibur).
Aznar Thrul 12-03-04, 05:47 PM	2. Tone & Attitude: Eberron combines the tone of traditional Medieval D&D fantasy with swashbuckling action and dark adventure. Alignments are a relative gauge of a characters or creatures viewpoint and not absolute barometers of character affiliation and action. Alignments are blurred, so it is possible that there could be a good Vampire or an evil Silver Dragon. well evil silver dragon or good vampire can be found in FR i will take example on a vampire: a paladin become a vampire and gain his free will by killin his creator, soo what would you think he do; 1) become evil cause hes a vampire 2) or serve what he always serve in the undead and another exemple i got a minotaur lawful good, he was raised by cleric of Thorm who killed his parents. he is a farmer now. one thing that you should know is the DM can do whatever he want, includin deleting//creating rules.