Alternate Realms? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Alternate Realms? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Polygon
07-05-04, 12:47 AM I was just wondering if anybody had written up an alternate take on the Forgotten Realms setting. I love some of the mechanical and aesthetic/world related things, but I HATE the cosmology, especially since it directly affects character mechanics with some of the details (Druids are especially boned, for example). That said, I was thinking about getting into FRCS games, but there are some reservations I have about it. On that note, I wanted to know if WotC had ever printed alternate Forgotten Realms material, sort of like how Marvel Comics is always doing "second looks" on the X-Men/etc. Being able to look through something like that might change my opinion a bit.

To be honest, the biggest attraction the FRCS has for me is that the FR books clarify some things much better than the normal 3e books do, and as such WotC sort of made the FR books as a psuedo-neccessary reference for certain corners of the rules, esp. with things like ECL/monster races and Lycanthropy. By the same token, though, a lot of my reservations may be because my dips into the FR setting have been with very inflexible GMs.

While you're answering that, I'd also like to know what the official word was on Psionics in FR. I've heard people talking about "No psionics in the FR game", but I was under the impression that the Mind Flayer monster had originally been designed for the Realms. :confused:

Thanks in advance.

<i> Edit for spelling. It turns out that "reseverations" is not a real word. <i>
Decepticons
07-05-04, 12:57 AM I've never heard that psionics were not allowed in FR, but I may be wrong as I don't read many of the novels that come out for it. I don't allow psionics in my campaigns, but thats a personal dislike for them. I just convert all psionic abilities into spell-like abilites, usually with a number of uses per day.

As far as an alternatve version of the realms, I don't think that's ever been done. If the cosmology bothers you, simply use the core book cosmology or create your own. This wouldn't require much effort, especially if you don't plan to involve Gods in your campaign on a regular basis.
warlockco
07-05-04, 02:03 AM Psionics is an "Alternative" magic, the uses a Personal Weave that interacts with the Weave, so it still won't function in a Dead Magic Zone.

Get the Player's Guide to Faerun, it introduces options on Book of Vile Darkness, Book of Exalted Deeds, and Expanded Psionics Handbook, along with stuff for Epic Handbook.

As to the cosmology, I use the cosmology from Planescape still. And just move the godly realms to be part of their respective planes.
For example, the House of the Triad is part of Seven Heavens. Arvandor is part of Arborea.
Polygon
07-05-04, 02:51 AM Psionics is an "Alternative" magic, the uses a Personal Weave that interacts with the Weave, so it still won't function in a Dead Magic Zone.

Uh, yeah... I never understood how the "scientific" explanation FR has for magic using The Weave was supposed to work. In fact, that's one of the things about the cosmology that bothers me: no magic apart from dieties. Kinda tears apart the whole essence of the Druid class, for starters. The actual dieties that they designed are pretty interesting.

I understand that you can "just make up/use Oerth stuff" for a campaign, but I need something that I can show to my friends, as this isn't entirely my decision. Hence me asking about actual printed stuff. Thanks anyway.
Polygon
07-05-04, 02:55 AM Get the Player's Guide to Faerun, it introduces options on Book of Vile Darkness, Book of Exalted Deeds, and Expanded Psionics Handbook, along with stuff for Epic Handbook.

Only problem with that is that I'm trying as hard as I can to not "upgrade" to 3.5, or even support the edition by buying the books. Hell, I wouldn't even buy Savage Species, and I'm a total freak for powerful/monstrous races. Anything similar for 3e?
Jaxian Redleaf
07-05-04, 06:16 AM posted by Polygon
Only problem with that is that I'm trying as hard as I can to not "upgrade" to 3.5, or even support the edition by buying the books. Hell, I wouldn't even buy Savage Species, and I'm a total freak for powerful/monstrous races. Anything similar for 3e?

They don't do 3.0 anymore, but you can use most of the 3.5 things with 3.0 so it's not a problem.
Cunning Linguist
07-05-04, 06:24 AM I don't see a problem with the Druid class using the weave. Ever cleric uses the weave aswell, so there is no diety magic out there. If you cast spells, you use the Weave, even if your a blackguard, bard, assassin, druid, cleric, ranger, wizard or sorcerer.

As for Alternate FR, there has never been anything like that, and I don't think there ever will be. FR fans are where much into having things in stone. The Time of Troubles was in 1359, the Year of the Shadow. If someone said it was not, we'd be calling them liers.

Now, if your not going to upgrade to 3.5, your not going to get much new stuff. In 3ed there was this rule that every book should stand on it's own, and since FR is so dependent on the world, they mostly made fluff books, so no, there is no 3.0 books that can help you there.

In 3.5 you could use the Unearthed Arcane book to modify almost everything. You could use the Players Handbook to Faerun to fit in alternate books.. but since you don't want to use them.. no there is nothing.
Lord Zeb
07-07-04, 10:42 PM While WOTC as far as I know hasn't ever published "What If...the Realms", I highly recommend you make FR your own.

In high school, so back in the 2e Stone Age (it is getting further & further back) I had a very modified Faerun, including such highlights as the Krynnish Minotaur empire on an island btw the Moonshaes & Evermeet and a little ole city at the edge of the Anaroch by the name of Greyhawk ;) .

I like using a little bit of everything....and now with d20 it's even easier (*rubs hands in glee*).
HVulpes
07-07-04, 11:18 PM Well, it's like this....

It is unlikely that there will be an offical Alternative Realms, but in most comments on the realms of the different people...all of them are different, alternative realms.

You make up things for your realms and that is okay. It's your version of the main world. In the Player's guide it offers hooks to compliment the events of the current novels that would create an alternative realms. (Examples: Shade still trapped in the Shadow Plane, but has scouts out in Faerun. Or Lathander goes silent instead of Lolth.)

I'm think I'm a little confusing but I hope I am helping.

It's okay to create a realms that is hooked up to the Great Wheel of Greyhawk, as an alternative realms...but don't expect an assesorcy based on it.
warlockco
07-07-04, 11:51 PM I'm doing an alternative Menzoberranzan.
Where Drizzt is still stuck in there with Zak still being Weapon Master, Dinin got himself killed after trying to take Drizzt out and failed.
House Do'Urden is the 7th house.

Lolth hasn't fallen silent yet, still waiting to find out what truly happens before I do that.

But basically all the novels that R.A. Salvatore did that pertain to Drizzt and Menzoberranzan never happened.
Polygon
07-08-04, 02:14 AM Thanks for the comments everyone. i really wasn't looking for an actual accessory, just maybe a fansite or something. I just wanted to have something more to show to my friends than "I made all this up."

Anyhow, I finally bought an actual me-owned copy of OA, so I'd really enjoy a 3e Kara-tur campaign. Good-aligned Weretiger OA Monk will live forever. :P Are there any good fansites or online WotC material for 3.0 Kara-Tur? And is Unapproachable East 3.5 or 3.0?
warlockco
07-08-04, 02:18 AM Unapproachable East and Underdark are both 3.5 and both roughly match to the PGtF also, they came out basically at the time feats were being revised for the PGtF for Regions.
Polygon
07-08-04, 03:15 AM Originally posted by warlockco
Unapproachable East and Underdark are both 3.5

Hmm. Is there any fan material for 3.0 Kara-tur?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Polygon 07-05-04, 12:47 AM	I was just wondering if anybody had written up an alternate take on the Forgotten Realms setting. I love some of the mechanical and aesthetic/world related things, but I HATE the cosmology, especially since it directly affects character mechanics with some of the details (Druids are especially boned, for example). That said, I was thinking about getting into FRCS games, but there are some reservations I have about it. On that note, I wanted to know if WotC had ever printed alternate Forgotten Realms material, sort of like how Marvel Comics is always doing "second looks" on the X-Men/etc. Being able to look through something like that might change my opinion a bit. To be honest, the biggest attraction the FRCS has for me is that the FR books clarify some things much better than the normal 3e books do, and as such WotC sort of made the FR books as a psuedo-neccessary reference for certain corners of the rules, esp. with things like ECL/monster races and Lycanthropy. By the same token, though, a lot of my reservations may be because my dips into the FR setting have been with very inflexible GMs. While you're answering that, I'd also like to know what the official word was on Psionics in FR. I've heard people talking about "No psionics in the FR game", but I was under the impression that the Mind Flayer monster had originally been designed for the Realms. :confused: Thanks in advance. <i> Edit for spelling. It turns out that "reseverations" is not a real word. <i>
Decepticons 07-05-04, 12:57 AM	I've never heard that psionics were not allowed in FR, but I may be wrong as I don't read many of the novels that come out for it. I don't allow psionics in my campaigns, but thats a personal dislike for them. I just convert all psionic abilities into spell-like abilites, usually with a number of uses per day. As far as an alternatve version of the realms, I don't think that's ever been done. If the cosmology bothers you, simply use the core book cosmology or create your own. This wouldn't require much effort, especially if you don't plan to involve Gods in your campaign on a regular basis.
warlockco 07-05-04, 02:03 AM	Psionics is an "Alternative" magic, the uses a Personal Weave that interacts with the Weave, so it still won't function in a Dead Magic Zone. Get the Player's Guide to Faerun, it introduces options on Book of Vile Darkness, Book of Exalted Deeds, and Expanded Psionics Handbook, along with stuff for Epic Handbook. As to the cosmology, I use the cosmology from Planescape still. And just move the godly realms to be part of their respective planes. For example, the House of the Triad is part of Seven Heavens. Arvandor is part of Arborea.
Polygon 07-05-04, 02:51 AM	Psionics is an "Alternative" magic, the uses a Personal Weave that interacts with the Weave, so it still won't function in a Dead Magic Zone. Uh, yeah... I never understood how the "scientific" explanation FR has for magic using The Weave was supposed to work. In fact, that's one of the things about the cosmology that bothers me: no magic apart from dieties. Kinda tears apart the whole essence of the Druid class, for starters. The actual dieties that they designed are pretty interesting. I understand that you can "just make up/use Oerth stuff" for a campaign, but I need something that I can show to my friends, as this isn't entirely my decision. Hence me asking about actual printed stuff. Thanks anyway.
Polygon 07-05-04, 02:55 AM	Get the Player's Guide to Faerun, it introduces options on Book of Vile Darkness, Book of Exalted Deeds, and Expanded Psionics Handbook, along with stuff for Epic Handbook. Only problem with that is that I'm trying as hard as I can to not "upgrade" to 3.5, or even support the edition by buying the books. Hell, I wouldn't even buy Savage Species, and I'm a total freak for powerful/monstrous races. Anything similar for 3e?
Jaxian Redleaf 07-05-04, 06:16 AM	posted by Polygon Only problem with that is that I'm trying as hard as I can to not "upgrade" to 3.5, or even support the edition by buying the books. Hell, I wouldn't even buy Savage Species, and I'm a total freak for powerful/monstrous races. Anything similar for 3e? They don't do 3.0 anymore, but you can use most of the 3.5 things with 3.0 so it's not a problem.
Cunning Linguist 07-05-04, 06:24 AM	I don't see a problem with the Druid class using the weave. Ever cleric uses the weave aswell, so there is no diety magic out there. If you cast spells, you use the Weave, even if your a blackguard, bard, assassin, druid, cleric, ranger, wizard or sorcerer. As for Alternate FR, there has never been anything like that, and I don't think there ever will be. FR fans are where much into having things in stone. The Time of Troubles was in 1359, the Year of the Shadow. If someone said it was not, we'd be calling them liers. Now, if your not going to upgrade to 3.5, your not going to get much new stuff. In 3ed there was this rule that every book should stand on it's own, and since FR is so dependent on the world, they mostly made fluff books, so no, there is no 3.0 books that can help you there. In 3.5 you could use the Unearthed Arcane book to modify almost everything. You could use the Players Handbook to Faerun to fit in alternate books.. but since you don't want to use them.. no there is nothing.
Lord Zeb 07-07-04, 10:42 PM	While WOTC as far as I know hasn't ever published "What If...the Realms", I highly recommend you make FR your own. In high school, so back in the 2e Stone Age (it is getting further & further back) I had a very modified Faerun, including such highlights as the Krynnish Minotaur empire on an island btw the Moonshaes & Evermeet and a little ole city at the edge of the Anaroch by the name of Greyhawk ;) . I like using a little bit of everything....and now with d20 it's even easier (rubs hands in glee).
HVulpes 07-07-04, 11:18 PM	Well, it's like this.... It is unlikely that there will be an offical Alternative Realms, but in most comments on the realms of the different people...all of them are different, alternative realms. You make up things for your realms and that is okay. It's your version of the main world. In the Player's guide it offers hooks to compliment the events of the current novels that would create an alternative realms. (Examples: Shade still trapped in the Shadow Plane, but has scouts out in Faerun. Or Lathander goes silent instead of Lolth.) I'm think I'm a little confusing but I hope I am helping. It's okay to create a realms that is hooked up to the Great Wheel of Greyhawk, as an alternative realms...but don't expect an assesorcy based on it.
warlockco 07-07-04, 11:51 PM	I'm doing an alternative Menzoberranzan. Where Drizzt is still stuck in there with Zak still being Weapon Master, Dinin got himself killed after trying to take Drizzt out and failed. House Do'Urden is the 7th house. Lolth hasn't fallen silent yet, still waiting to find out what truly happens before I do that. But basically all the novels that R.A. Salvatore did that pertain to Drizzt and Menzoberranzan never happened.
Polygon 07-08-04, 02:14 AM	Thanks for the comments everyone. i really wasn't looking for an actual accessory, just maybe a fansite or something. I just wanted to have something more to show to my friends than "I made all this up." Anyhow, I finally bought an actual me-owned copy of OA, so I'd really enjoy a 3e Kara-tur campaign. Good-aligned Weretiger OA Monk will live forever. :P Are there any good fansites or online WotC material for 3.0 Kara-Tur? And is Unapproachable East 3.5 or 3.0?
warlockco 07-08-04, 02:18 AM	Unapproachable East and Underdark are both 3.5 and both roughly match to the PGtF also, they came out basically at the time feats were being revised for the PGtF for Regions.
Polygon 07-08-04, 03:15 AM	Originally posted by warlockco Unapproachable East and Underdark are both 3.5 Hmm. Is there any fan material for 3.0 Kara-tur?