Differences between normal D&D and Forgotten Realms [Archive] - Wizards Community

Differences between normal D&D and Forgotten Realms [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Alyss
07-18-07, 10:28 AM I do core D&D currently, and am wondering how different Forgotten Realms is. Can you sell it to me?
Faraer
07-18-07, 01:21 PM There isn't really a normal D&D: every campaign is different, and every campaign has its own setting, even if just a sketchy one. The Forgotten Realms is a detailed, substantial fantasy world, created by Ed Greenwood 40 years ago and developed since by many hands. The advantage to that kind of setting is that a vivid, believable background and context to the player characters and their adventures gives the whole thing far more textural and emotional weight. Your characters aren't just isolated personas, but part of a bustling world that goes on around them.

Using an already existing setting means you don't have to go through the lengthy process of creating your own. There are lots to choose from. Read this (http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Castle/2566/wellmet.htm), and if you'd like to play in a world like that, the Realms may be for you.
Alyss
07-19-07, 06:37 AM Sold! I went and bought the setting yesterday. And you're sure right about the setting, the geography section is huge.
BrennonGoldeye
07-19-07, 10:46 AM Now use the Search function here or go to Candlekeep and look into any parts that you have deeper questions about. It's a beautiful, if chaotic, world. At least I like to think it is, otherwise all these years of trying to make canon make sense were in vain. :D
Faraer
07-20-07, 08:27 PM Alyss, please let us know how it goes.

The FRCS is actually a concise summary of a much larger body of lore, which you can choose to dip into, or not, depending on your curiosity.

Let us know, too, if you want clarification or further information on anything.
Ezram
07-24-07, 01:27 AM Reason being? The Forgotten Realms has a lot of love put into it, as well as having neat spins on familiar aspects of our history and mythology.
DrowBattlemind
07-24-07, 11:26 PM The main problem with pre-3rd/3.5 Greyhawk was that other than the general geography setting, deities, weather patterns, etc, (and the Free City of Greyhawk itself,) very little was more than roughly sketched out "in order to leave development to individual DM's".

The Living Greyhawk campaign setting booklet simply took the old World Of Greyhawk (and From the Ashes) boxed sets and revised the information and time-line to modern 3.0/3.5.

Unfortunately, when it got published, it eliminated a lot of the flavor text and feel that Roger E. Moore (and Carl Sargent, but mostly Moore) gave to the setting, in favor of Gygax's original dry-and-plain-as-freshly-laid-drywall writing style. (So help me, Gygax had an incredible world setting, but his writing style could bore librarians!)

If you could dig up a copy of Roger E. Moore's Greyhawk: the Adventure Begins together with the Living Greyhawk book, it would be good reading (on par with some of Greenwood's original Waterdeep boxed set stuff).

'Core D&D' is a watered-down, stripped of all flavor version of Greyhawk. It's no wonder a LOT of folks prefer the Forgotten Realms (that, and Ed Greenwood's writing IS classic)

I'm not trying to dissuade you or ANYONE not to try the Realms, I gamed there for a good 75% of 2nd Ed AD&D, but 'Core' is no more a setting than a toy poodle is a great dane. If nothing else, the research will give you a good gander at where the game can be taken from many different points of view.
fw190a8
07-26-07, 12:12 PM The FRCS is actually a concise summary of a much larger body of lore
There's an understatement. ;) I know you're probably well and truly convinced by now Alyss, but nevertheless, I am constantly encountering claims that the Forgotten Realms is the most detailed fantasy setting. Although I don't know how one might measure that, I find it quite believable. When I first got into the Realms a long time ago, I found it quite difficult, from staring at the substantial boxed set, to get a feel for the scale of the setting.

As well as a campaign setting for D&D, it is used as a setting for over 200 fantasy novels that, quite often, can be read individually. Combined with over 150+ sourcebooks (including adventures, and the books on Zakhara, Maztica and Kara-tur) there is a lot of detail. Still, I'm sure the Realms are different in every individual's mind because it's open enough that we can all invent or change details as we see fit.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Alyss 07-18-07, 10:28 AM	I do core D&D currently, and am wondering how different Forgotten Realms is. Can you sell it to me?
Faraer 07-18-07, 01:21 PM	There isn't really a normal D&D: every campaign is different, and every campaign has its own setting, even if just a sketchy one. The Forgotten Realms is a detailed, substantial fantasy world, created by Ed Greenwood 40 years ago and developed since by many hands. The advantage to that kind of setting is that a vivid, believable background and context to the player characters and their adventures gives the whole thing far more textural and emotional weight. Your characters aren't just isolated personas, but part of a bustling world that goes on around them. Using an already existing setting means you don't have to go through the lengthy process of creating your own. There are lots to choose from. Read this (http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Castle/2566/wellmet.htm), and if you'd like to play in a world like that, the Realms may be for you.
Alyss 07-19-07, 06:37 AM	Sold! I went and bought the setting yesterday. And you're sure right about the setting, the geography section is huge.
BrennonGoldeye 07-19-07, 10:46 AM	Now use the Search function here or go to Candlekeep and look into any parts that you have deeper questions about. It's a beautiful, if chaotic, world. At least I like to think it is, otherwise all these years of trying to make canon make sense were in vain. :D
Faraer 07-20-07, 08:27 PM	Alyss, please let us know how it goes. The FRCS is actually a concise summary of a much larger body of lore, which you can choose to dip into, or not, depending on your curiosity. Let us know, too, if you want clarification or further information on anything.
Ezram 07-24-07, 01:27 AM	Reason being? The Forgotten Realms has a lot of love put into it, as well as having neat spins on familiar aspects of our history and mythology.
DrowBattlemind 07-24-07, 11:26 PM	The main problem with pre-3rd/3.5 Greyhawk was that other than the general geography setting, deities, weather patterns, etc, (and the Free City of Greyhawk itself,) very little was more than roughly sketched out "in order to leave development to individual DM's". The Living Greyhawk campaign setting booklet simply took the old World Of Greyhawk (and From the Ashes) boxed sets and revised the information and time-line to modern 3.0/3.5. Unfortunately, when it got published, it eliminated a lot of the flavor text and feel that Roger E. Moore (and Carl Sargent, but mostly Moore) gave to the setting, in favor of Gygax's original dry-and-plain-as-freshly-laid-drywall writing style. (So help me, Gygax had an incredible world setting, but his writing style could bore librarians!) If you could dig up a copy of Roger E. Moore's Greyhawk: the Adventure Begins together with the Living Greyhawk book, it would be good reading (on par with some of Greenwood's original Waterdeep boxed set stuff). 'Core D&D' is a watered-down, stripped of all flavor version of Greyhawk. It's no wonder a LOT of folks prefer the Forgotten Realms (that, and Ed Greenwood's writing IS classic) I'm not trying to dissuade you or ANYONE not to try the Realms, I gamed there for a good 75% of 2nd Ed AD&D, but 'Core' is no more a setting than a toy poodle is a great dane. If nothing else, the research will give you a good gander at where the game can be taken from many different points of view.
fw190a8 07-26-07, 12:12 PM	The FRCS is actually a concise summary of a much larger body of lore There's an understatement. ;) I know you're probably well and truly convinced by now Alyss, but nevertheless, I am constantly encountering claims that the Forgotten Realms is the most detailed fantasy setting. Although I don't know how one might measure that, I find it quite believable. When I first got into the Realms a long time ago, I found it quite difficult, from staring at the substantial boxed set, to get a feel for the scale of the setting. As well as a campaign setting for D&D, it is used as a setting for over 200 fantasy novels that, quite often, can be read individually. Combined with over 150+ sourcebooks (including adventures, and the books on Zakhara, Maztica and Kara-tur) there is a lot of detail. Still, I'm sure the Realms are different in every individual's mind because it's open enough that we can all invent or change details as we see fit.