Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Dargoth 04-08-04, 10:38 PM	As some of you know WOTC will be selling a Leather Bound players hand book later this year and someone on the Candlekeep board suggested something that got me interested (Thanks Rad) In 2006 the FR will turn 20 (Im pretty sure that dates right) so I was thinking.. how about doing a a Leather bound revised and updated FRC? How many of you would buy a such a book? By Revised and updated Id suggest the following 1) Remove Chapter 1 from the book most of that material has been superceded by Races of Faerun and the PGTF (that creates 52 blank pages for us to insert new stuff) 2) cut out the deitys section which is pretty much superceded by Faithes and Pantheons (this gives us another 27 pages) 3) the monster section perhaps remove or maybe enhance see below 4) Go through the Geography section and update it for example by 2006 when this Revised FRC would come out the WOSQ series will have been completed so in the Underdark section there would be revised write ups for the Drow cites ie Ched Nesad being destroyed other areas will also need updating ie Evereska the Silver Marches as RAS latest Drizzt trilogy will have come to an end in short this is another opertunity in 2 years time to advance the timeline. 5) the NPCs stats could be revised to 3.5 and updated to the epic rules if applicable 6) We have 79 blank pages 85 if we remove the Monster chapter to. Here are my suggestions for that space a) Drop an updated Monsters of Faerun into those 79 pages so all the FRC specfic monsters are all in one place if the Monster of Faerun has already appeared in another another product do more FR monster in this space b) Use the 79-85 pages to do a heap of mini adventures if use the Silver Marches format you could get 21 mini adventures in those 75 pages which could be spread out all over Faerun. c) Grab all the magic items sections from all the prvious books and reprint them in one chapter in the FRC d) Perhaps use the 85 pages do a mixture of a and b I like the idea and would buy it, my FRCs starting to look a little worn now and would probably be in pretty bad shap in 2 years time Coments? Suggestions?
AvengedMutablegenus 04-08-04, 11:00 PM	i wouldn't. too expensive
Taelohn 04-08-04, 11:09 PM	Oooh, that would be pretty nice. The more stuff in there, the better. Updating the timelines is a given, and the character stats would be great too. Keep the deity information... heck, redo all their stats from F&P using v.3.5 and epic rules (maxing out at 20 levels in any given class makes no sense - Khelben or Elminster have more wizard levels than Azuth or Mystra?) Going into more detail would be good, too. The 3E books are nice, but even the FRCS goes into very little detail on any given place when compared to a Volo's Guide or the like (which is still quite handy now). Adding stuff from Races of Faerun, Monsters of Faerun, Magic of Faerun, etc. would be good. Heck, stick everything in there. Make it some enormous, biblical tome. It's going to be expensive anyway, go all out. :angel:
Dargoth 04-08-04, 11:11 PM	Originally posted by AvengedMutablegenus i wouldn't. too expensive Did you read my entire post ie all the changes that would be in it?
Ssussunriyh 04-08-04, 11:16 PM	I'd buy it. But you can't delete the stuff in Chapter 1, that would be like writing a guidebook about New York City and not informing (warning?) the reader about New Yorkers!
Dargoth 04-08-04, 11:20 PM	Originally posted by Ssussunriyh I'd buy it. But you can't delete the stuff in Chapter 1, that would be like writing a guidebook about New York City and not informing (warning?) the reader about New Yorkers! The book would assumed that you would have the other books which pretty much have all the material in C1 of the FRC ie Races, Regions (which have been completely rewritten) classes etc
Ssussunriyh 04-09-04, 01:10 AM	Then make the chapter a revised and updated edition. But no need to include every little subrace of humanoids. The standard races and classes will be plenty. BTW, I don't have RoF or the PGtF, and I don't intend to buy them, since I don't need or use all the superfluous crunch in them.
smashthedean 04-09-04, 01:35 AM	I think instead of putting all-new information in it, the best approach would be to put in more art of the realms and of different NPCs. If all-new material was put in a book like this, which is essentially a just-for-asthetics re-release, it would be out of place. The average realms-buyer would be put in a "buy this expensive book or no new info for you" sort of position. Also, all of the updated NPC info should be put up as a web-enhancement coinciding with this book's release so that the average realms buyer who couldn't afford to fork over $50-100 wouldn't be missing out on the updates. And, of note to Ssussunriyh, RoF is full of a lot of great info about the different races. It is one of the least crunch-oriented realms books out there. PGtF on the other hand is very crunchy, but it does have good stuff on the planes.
Tempus665 04-09-04, 02:37 AM	Originally posted by Dargoth b) Use the 79-85 pages to do a heap of mini adventures if use the Silver Marches format you could get 21 mini adventures in those 75 pages which could be spread out all over Faerun. :) This sounds like a really great idea :) I´d buy the book anyway, no matter what they did with any free pages.
Sammael_the_Chosen 04-09-04, 03:05 AM	The "special ed" PHB has no new content and is going to cost $75. What you are suggesting, Dargoth, would cost at least $100 because of added content. There is no way in Pandemonium that I am ever going to spend $100 on a single gaming product, unless its covers are made of pure gold that I can melt down and sell for a rebate. Besides, at the rate of 3 FR books per year, I want actual new FR sourcebooks, not stuff from three years ago rehashed. Player's Guide to Faerun is really pushing it, and I probably wouldn't have bought it at its MSRP (it's simply not worth the money).
Cunning Linguist 04-09-04, 08:14 AM	I'd save up cash to buy that thing.. a lether bound copy of FR is kinda what I always wanted.
RobTzu 04-11-04, 02:45 PM	I would buy it. I would like a massive tome though. Specificaly I would like a detailed forwarding of the timeline. I don't want any adventures, NPC updates or monsters. I want ALL the FR spells in one damn place. More Art would be great, but not any of the anime or cartoony style. The best Artist is Sam Wood. FRCS pg 204, 144, 136, 109. That kind of Art. I thought that PgtF was pretty hit and miss. The AD&D 2e had the best art. Full page paintings, specificaly the orc seige and the dragon hunters. This tome of lore should also include anecdotes from realms people, like Vodo or just made up people, giving a view of different places and peoples, perhaps a merchant warning people to watch their purse in Calimshan and their back in Amn for instance. Also stats on a hamster.
Banpai 04-11-04, 07:54 PM	I would buy it too but only if the art fits the realms (todd lockwood). Another interresting idea would be to the capters with mosters classes races and feats and write double that much about faerun.
Sariel Rahab 04-12-04, 06:34 AM	I would buy it. I'd prefer mini adventures to fill it up with, but I'd buy it any way. With new material it would come in at a nifty price though, but it would be great for the fans. As an aniversary book I hope it would be filled with mostly fluff, targeted at the FR fans, and not, like most other FR books, filled with crunch for all the other DD worlds to use. I don't really want statted out NPC's, just stating the levels will do (hm, wiz 18, arch 3 - that sort of thing), but I guess alot of people would look for updated stats for the iconic characters.
Mystery Man 04-12-04, 08:55 AM	There is a leather worker that I see every year at the Ren faire, he makes leather pouches, bracers, armor and the like. One of the really cool things he does is make leather book cover with an ornamental decor on the front. Really slick craftsmanship. Anyway, one of the book cover styles fits perfectly the size of the WoTC rpg book (any) so I think I'll be saving my pennies in preparation for this coming year. That is unless my wife wants a dress, then I'm screwed.
Dargoth 04-12-04, 08:43 PM	Just thought of another idea of how they could fill up the space Maps! Detailed maps of every region in Faerun ie to the same level of detail as the Dalelands map on page 116 of the FRC
Wren 04-12-04, 09:55 PM	I'd buy it regardless of its content... just the fact that it would not wear as much as other books is a plus... but if the info was updated... much kudos there... I like crunch ... and fluff and whatever other terms they use....
The Simbul 04-12-04, 10:24 PM	I wouldnt buy a book bound in Leather----thats just gross... Aside from that:5) the NPCs stats could be revised to 3.5 and updated to the epic rules if applicable Assuming they learn how to actually build a viable and worthwhile NPC Epic Character. The core rules iconic example of a Wizard; Mialee, at 18th level has an INT score higher than Elminster, despite the fact that she is 21 Challenge Rating points below him and is not accredited to being some mythical paragon of Wizardry.... IMO statistical NPC information should be left up to the DMs, since it takes up bookspace, and since the "official" stats which are presented in the existing sourcebooks have a strong tendency not to live up to the character's background and biographical information, and often times are grossly sub-par when compared to examples of PC's and NPC of a similar or even lesser CR. Furthermore, virtually every new sourcebook tosses an entire ensemble of new Feats, Spells, and Prestige Classes into the game system; many of which should be possessed by previously published NPC's, but are not since such game merchanics werent present when the original stat-blocks were introduced. They should give the race and class/level blocks of NPC's along with some fluff information (perhaps to guide DM's in their selections of feats, skills, equipment, etc), nothing more. The only real exception should be in the case of NPC's that have unique features or abiltiies which cannot be explained through the core rules, or for some reason need to be emphasised or elaborated upon by methods other than feats, skills, templates, etc.
realmprotector 04-12-04, 10:35 PM	I'd love to see a leather bound FRCS. I've got a leather Call of Cthulhu 20th and it was well worth the cost.
Yokinobu 04-12-04, 11:41 PM	I would buy it because it would be an update, but mostly because I don't have the FRCS, and wouldn't feel like I was wasting money as much. Their could be new things added in, like some of the adventures, characters, wyrms, and places on the Wizards website(namely places). I think the organizations could also be updated from Lords of Darkness because of the new products that added new PrCs. For example, how is it that a master in a Long Death monastery not going to have levels in Monk of the Long Death, and the head of the Shadow Thieves Guild not going to have any levels in Shadow Thief? I also think they should add in those parts in the Player's Guide to Faerun that they were originally looking to include, like Fire Knives Assassin spells, and rules on half breeds. I also wish they would revamp the genasi to be better, but it seems I will never have that wish granted.
Kezghan 04-13-04, 02:04 AM	I would purchase it in a heartbeat, and even faster if it had new material and worthy updates, a rad campaign journal type thing with detailed recent timeline would be killer.
Bleegh 04-13-04, 04:13 PM	Some people said that this book is too expensive, would be a rehash of old stuff, etc. I know this sounds very ambitious almost impossibly so, but I think it would be cool if they made this like a revised FRCS, but without racial stats, new feats, PrCs etc. (racial descriptions and PrCish organizations would be fine) The entire book would be like a revised FRCS, but with not so much room for taken up by stats, some amazing fluff could be put in there. I would like to see redone geography entries that are more extensive for many of people's favorite regions, diety descriptions with more fluff like customs of their church etc without the big ugly pantheon chart taking up more than half of every page. Also some information on races would be nice, but because of races of faerun probably just a summary of information already printed and new information taking the majority of the section. Unfortunately, I do realize that there would be very small demand for a book like this and that Wizards would probably never consider undertaking such a project because it would not be very profitable just something for the most extreme FR fans.
Kezghan 04-13-04, 05:30 PM	yes exactly like bleegh stated, a large volumous book with tonnes of great info. a limited print run, and charge us hopeless fools like 100 bucks a shot. id pay.
Straploknight 04-13-04, 06:10 PM	Originally posted by Ssussunriyh Then make the chapter a revised and updated edition. But no need to include every little subrace of humanoids. The standard races and classes will be plenty. Bah! Standard races and classes get to much coverage as it is. :smirk:
Straploknight 04-18-04, 10:59 PM	On the subject of a leather bound FRCS I would pay big bucks for an expanded (as in like 3 times its current size), revised, and updated FRCS employing as much info from the other supplements as possible. If I were organizing such a time I would... Have one artist do all the work for the book. Give each race its own chapter with each subrace and ethnic group recieving the same. These chapters would include; racial feats, equipment, classes, PrC's, spells, skills, and magic items. Do the same for geography. Each region getting its own chapter along with regional feats, equipment, classes, PrCs, spells, skills and magic items with complete maps and the major cities receiving the same detail. Include psionics in the premium FRCS as well as possibly revampinmg the magic system and classes into a more world specific style (maybe like the generic classes and prestigous classes from UA) and on that thought, maybe doing the same with the races. chop the mini adventures and monsters from the book. Then again maybe do a premium Forgotten Realms like standard D&D with three books totaling the information you need to play the game. FR Players Handbook, FR Dungeon Masters Guide, FR Monster Manual. All written to be FR specific.
Sarta 04-19-04, 03:50 AM	The more important question is would you drop that 75 bucks on a leatherbound copy of FRC with the only change being to update the timelines and the crunch to 3.5? I think this is a much more likely future product release and am interested in hearing what people would think about it. Sarta
Arduin 04-19-04, 08:03 AM	I'd buy a leatherbound revised box set of three books, that compiles everything Faerûn v3.5 that you need (F&P, PGtF, RoF, MoF, etc. etc.)
Straploknight 04-19-04, 11:58 AM	Since I have an uncontrolable compulsion to purchase things until I complete a collection. Yeah I would drop the 75 for a leather bound FRCS with an updated timeline and I would also drop 75 to 100 on an expanded, revised and updated frcs if it came out a month later. However I really would like something a bit more than just the current FRCS covered in sacrificed moo flesh. 06 is a good while off, and thats a good amount of time to incorperate and update material into the FRCS even if they just updated all the 3.0 material there in to 3.5. If you chopped the mini-adventures and the monsters section that frees up like 20 or 30 pages. Monsters of Faerun deserves its own hardcover book anywho.
druid berrymore 04-19-04, 01:19 PM	Originally posted by Straploknight On the subject of a leather bound FRCS I would pay big bucks for an expanded (as in like 3 times its current size), revised, and updated FRCS employing as much info from the other supplements as possible. If I were organizing such a time I would... Have one artist do all the work for the book. :eek: 3 times the size, and only one artist! Yeah, right.
Purple Dragon Knight 04-19-04, 03:26 PM	There's no way I'm dropping circa $100 for another 3.X FRCS... I'm thinking that one Campaign Setting per edition should be the limit; anything above that is just plain insane or greedy for WotC (pick one). I'll buy another FRCS when the 4th edition rolls out (which shouldn't be too long down the road if you ask me, max 2007-2008).
Straploknight 04-19-04, 04:31 PM	Laugh not, I would find far more utility in a 1000 page FRCS than I would this (http://www.icv2.com/articles/home/4627.html) The Worlds Largest Dungeon is going to be 800 to 1000 pages and cost 99 to 100 bills. So give me an FRCS which is expanded, revised, and updated with 1,000 pages of 3.5ness and I will buy it. especially if your talking the definitive source for FR information upto that point.
Purple Dragon Knight 04-19-04, 06:28 PM	No way. Wait for 4th edition man... quality over quantity. It takes a lot of work to roll out a FRCS: what you're asking is a cheap ripoff with half of it cut and pasted from 3.0 FRCS. I'll have nothing to do with that.
JoyandSerenity 04-20-04, 12:43 AM	You have described my dream book... When I first saw a picture of the PHB on the internet (I am a relatively new D&D DM), I thought that it WAS leather bound. I was all excited, and then I found that it was....normal... /* shudder */ So yes, I wish I could get all the books leather bound.
Straploknight 04-20-04, 12:46 AM	Not interested in 4th ed right now, since that denotes as radical a change in rules over 3x as 3.0 was over 2nd and 1st ed. What I'm asking for is one book that contains almost all the 3.0 and 3.5 fluff with all the 3.5 crunch with all the 3.0 crunch updated to 3.5ness. Besides when 4.0 comes out, you'll just here me grumbling down the hall in the old timers forum about how there wasn't any need to do a 4th ed. The only way I want a 4th Ed FR is for it cut the D&D umbilical and become itw own game system (like D20 modern, Cuthulu, ect.)
n0x 04-20-04, 03:55 PM	leather bound as flappy (I geuss I could find a better term) leather? that would be kick ass
Avner 04-22-04, 05:50 PM	i would buy the book, leatherbound and all, depending on what was in it. What i basically dont want (but this is a biased view, me being a DM and not a player) is: MORE feats MORE equipment MORE prestige classes that stuff is all good, but i think WOTC have overdone it a little bit...id basically like something like Volo's guides again, all in one book...maybe not as specific... i want flavour,culture, i want to know the proverbs of the place, what the architecture looks like, what the lucky and unlucky numbers are, the national dish...basically, everything that makes faerun come alive...stats are cool, but enough for now...
WizO_BigSister 04-22-04, 07:46 PM	I tell you what I would buy as a anniversary book - a leatherbound, high quality print book of art work.It could have some of the art found in the various supplements over the years. I'd also love to see full page plates done by artists given more of a free rein - illustrations not designed to fit into a small part of a page, and match portions of text but but different artists visions of what different places and people look like. People like Stephanie Pui Mun Law, Brom ... well respected, high quality artists allowed full rein. I'd even buy a reprint of the FRCS with extra illustration plates like this.
Israfel666 04-24-04, 04:58 PM	Although I'd love to have a leatherbound FR book in my home, I don't think I'd pay 80 € or something for that. No, let me rephrase: unless I suddenly get rich, there's no way I'm going to buy that. It's far likely that I do something similar to what I have long had in mind of doing with the Silmarillion / Hobbit / Lord of the Rings 'trilogy' : printing them in an elegant fantasy font, adding Stephanie Pui-Mun Law or Alan Lee's illustrations (sending them a fee for copyrights, of course) and getting them leatherbound by some artisan. In the FR case, I'd cut the most interesting parts out of all my sourcebooks (2e and 3e) and have them put into a leather cover - I don't know if it's technically possible, but if it is, it would turn out lovely.
Gnarsh 04-25-04, 10:37 AM	If they did that, I think the book should be pure fluff. Screw the stats and such, just give us a book filled with art and story.
Duke Lenethar 05-04-04, 02:37 PM	I would buy it. But of course, I'm an FR devotee through and through, so I'd pick it up even if I didn't need it.
Another Gnome 05-04-04, 03:56 PM	I would never pay $100 (well, 100€) for anything I'd use in a game. I mean, that'd be like using a Picasso work to scribble down notes while talking on a phone, or plowing a field with a Ferrari. But a leather-bound art book? :drool: Hell, I'd sell my mother to afford one. Book, that is. I don't need to buy myself another mother. Uh... unless the one I have happens to be reading this...
Faraer 05-04-04, 04:06 PM	A little down the line, it's not out of the question that WotC might license a third party to publish limited-edition hardbacks of realmslore, as the fantasy-horror-SF small press does.In coverage, I think we’ve reached the stage of “Here are the United States, history, geography, economics, and current politics and events, all in ten pages.” I’m the sort of guy who instead wants a thick leatherbound volume for each state on my shelf...but so far I’ve somehow failed to fool Wizards of the Coast into publishing such a room full of epic tomes.Ed's dream may not be entirely out of reach. But that would be for new content.
Chronomage 05-04-04, 06:36 PM	I would buy the book if they updated the timeline, the npc stat blocks, and all rules and prestige classes. But they NEED to include in this FRCS all the PrCs related to Forgotten realms main stays, such as the Fang of Lolth (Lolth being more prominent in FR than in Greyhawk, after all). And as long as the book cost no more than 80 or so dollars, american money. Otherwise, I'll do the updating myself. With 80 bucks I could buy most of the related material to figure out whats what myself. Still, I'd much prefer they DIDN'T update the FRCS save through errata. WotC is getting too greedy, perhaps because of their "parent".
Chronomage 05-04-04, 10:19 PM	BTW, just noticed this: 2006? NVM about the price, I'll just start saving 2$ every month from now on. Course, if I did this for every product I want that might come out 2 years from now, I wouldn't have much money left. Oh well, was a good thought.