Post/Author/DateTime	Post
tollickd 06-29-04, 03:30 PM	now i want a little advice here i am wanting to know if you can use forgotten realms campaing settings and make like a more modern forgotten reamls with guns computers etc??? can it be done??? the only forgotten realms book i own is the campaing settings would i need any other book help me do this!! all the best daniel
MetalGemini 06-29-04, 04:07 PM	i dont see why not. Most of the history is easy enough to convert. Civil wars and conflicts between groups are the same in past and present. You'll just need to decide if you want magic in your modern version. If not, then you will be missing a lot of the flavor FR offers. I've never read it, but the Modern d20 book might help.
Damador 06-29-04, 04:08 PM	i own all FR 1 . 2 . 3 .3,5 :) and no one describe it maybe d20 modern will help
Xante Flatnose 06-29-04, 04:10 PM	It will not be great as classic realms and it will be a very big deal. Why you want to do something like that?
Cunning Linguist 06-29-04, 04:36 PM	What you do it get yourself D20 Modern, and D20 Urban Arcana, and go from there. There will be alot of work, but after all that is done, you will have a great game going.
tollickd 06-29-04, 04:40 PM	thank you you see i don't have a group but i want to see if i can be done and if i do it i hope if it is legal to upload a guide how to change it. daniel
Cunning Linguist 06-29-04, 05:00 PM	The problem is that this is a huge overhaul to do. Could we forsee the Cold War from relations between England and Polan in 1373 AD? No.. we would have to make it up as we go along. If you copy real world history into FR then it will just be a shamble. You have to make up what long term plans each powergroup has, do they make it? Do they fail? What happens? Who gets to live the next 700 years? Does Elminister still live? Do the rest of the chosen live? Does Mystra survive the next 700 years? Does she consume Shar and become TN? Does Shar consume Mystra and bring on a new dark age where magic is limited to a few? Do the Shades revitalise there home? Do the Red Wizards make it, and take over the entire eastern realms? And even when this overhaul was done, there would be several thousand questions for each and every point. How did the Simbul die? How did Szass Tam survive? Does Thay still have Enclaves? Do they use magical cars/planes instead of boats now? Does the church of Cyric use Teleevangalisem? Does do the same Bane? Does Sharess do postorder bride services? Or is that Sune? Did Waterdeep have a problems laying that fiberline past Anuaroch? Did they ever find the Vally of the Gods, and do they do live shows from there now? Did the followers of Sylvanus start to protest when they started to cut the jungle of the Cult down? Did Halruaa take up the trade war with the Red Wizards? Did they ever drain the Trollmoore? And who lives there now? Who invented the Radio? Where was the first transmission sent from? What did the Wizards do about it? These are all things you have to sit down and write out if you want to update the world. You might be seeing yourself writting a whole book about it. The size of FRCS, or perhaps dubble that.
Gotrex 06-29-04, 05:07 PM	There would be some major changes in godly status aswell Gond would probably be a greater deity and be of very high divine rank in a modern type world also more industrial races like gnomes and dwarves will probably be much more prominant than they are now
Cunning Linguist 06-29-04, 05:11 PM	Originally posted by Gotrex There would be some major changes in godly status aswell Gond would probably be a greater deity and be of very high devine rank in a modern type world also more industrial races like gnomes and dwarves will probably be much more prominant than they are now Yousee? Thats not what I would do, I would lessen the "small" races, and let the other races come in.. Illithid selling and producing stuff, with gnomes and dwarves as slaves. If there is one thing thats sure, that there will never be One way to change FR into a modern day world.
Gotrex 06-29-04, 05:17 PM	How would that make sense? why would the lilithids sudden become powerful enough to enslave the whole dwarven or gnome race?
Mr. Domino 06-29-04, 05:50 PM	Shop smart! Shop, Thay-Mart! :D
Cunning Linguist 06-29-04, 07:07 PM	Originally posted by Gotrex How would that make sense? why would the lilithids sudden become powerful enough to enslave the whole dwarven or gnome race? Mostly underdark gnomes and dwarves. (what Dwarves are not underdark ones.. hmm) either way, the reason is that Illithids start to take up trade, something they did not do before, and therefore gain more power. They take more slaves, make more cash and take even more slaves. Drow are also almost gone, seen how they did not make it after the great war they had.. The Gnomes and Dwarves might be good at what they do, but Slaves work harder, and Illithids are better at making new Tech, since there smarter, so this inturn makes the dwarves and gnomes who compete in this marked, fall short, and die off. Unless they take up a new trade. *this again proves my point that none of us will ever agree on how FR will be in a modern setting*
Alac Luin 06-29-04, 07:07 PM	"Now download up tp 5X faster with the new Zent On Line. Switch to the new ZOL 9.0 optimized." Legal proceedings are being held against the leaders of the “Energy Throne” to manipulating the energy trade in Amn. Agrolond is seeking membership into the new FU (Faerun Union)
Gotrex 06-29-04, 07:37 PM	an ilithid may be smarter than a dwarf or gnome in most ways but not when it comes to technology infact ilithids are positivly dumb as bricks when it comes to technology - they almost entirely depend on magic and dont use tech at all
Alac Luin 06-29-04, 08:13 PM	The thing is, we do NOT have to advance the time line at all. We can take the FR as it is presented in the FRCS, make a few adjustments and we have what it looks like the original poster wanted. Silverymoon is the ultimate college town. Mulhorand and Unthar are at war, but using AK-47s and tanks. Harpers active as a Hacker assembly of "robin hood" types. Kracken Society are trying to corner the market of information trade (magazines, newspapers, talk radio, and TV) The Lords alliance is something similar to NATO. The Ten Towns of Icewind Dale drill for oil instead of doing scrimshaw. Piracy still exists today, so the Captains of Luskan can still be a valid story. Clerics of Chauntea have Drive (tractor) as a class skill (I am unfamiliar with d20 modern skills and classes, but you get my point) Mirabar produces cars. True Waterhavins call motorcycles from Kara-Tur “Rice Burners” Uthgardt wear leather jackets with their totem animal spirit “colors” emblazoned on the back. etc, etc, etc....
Cunning Linguist 06-29-04, 08:25 PM	Originally posted by Gotrex an ilithid may be smarter than a dwarf or gnome in most ways but not when it comes to technology infact ilithids are positivly dumb as bricks when it comes to technology - they almost entirely depend on magic and dont use tech at all Why would Illithids use tech in a world where Tech is defined as a waterwheel or things that give of smoke and explodes 50% of the time? If Urban Arcana has Illithid Preachers, and Dragon Inc, there can be a Smooth running Illithid tech sweat shop.
badmojo 06-30-04, 12:24 AM	Originally posted by Alac Luin The thing is, we do NOT have to advance the time line at all. Silverymoon is the ultimate college town. Mulhorand and Unthar are at war, but using AK-47s and tanks. Harpers active as a Hacker assembly of "robin hood" types. Kracken Society are trying to corner the market of information trade (magazines, newspapers, talk radio, and TV) The Lords alliance is something similar to NATO. The Ten Towns of Icewind Dale drill for oil instead of doing scrimshaw. Piracy still exists today, so the Captains of Luskan can still be a valid story. Clerics of Chauntea have Drive (tractor) as a class skill Mirabar produces cars. True Waterhavins call motorcycles from Kara-Tur “Rice Burners” Uthgardt wear leather jackets with their totem animal spirit “colors” emblazoned on the back. I like this idea. I mean technology could grow in leaps and bounds if someone rounded up a few gnomes and beat the ideas out of them.
tollickd 06-30-04, 03:11 PM	by the responce i am guessing no one has even thought of trying it! i have the following books what else would i need D&D 3.5 players guide,dm guide, monsters D20 modern settings FRsettings daniel
Alac Luin 06-30-04, 06:16 PM	Originally posted by tollickd i have the following books what else would i need D&D 3.5 players guide,dm guide, monsters D20 modern settings FRsettings Um, a whole lot of time with nothing better to do?:) Like CL suggested earlier, D20 Urban Arcana may be helpful.
tollickd 06-30-04, 06:24 PM	cool i will get a copy of that as well and i hope to have loads of time soon so i will start then. daniel
Archangel 07-01-04, 08:01 AM	You don't need 3.5 PHB, DMG & MM, just d20 Modern and d20 Urban Arcana & FRCS. I suggest you use pure d20 modern rules for magic. Just remember, scrap the wealth sistem from d20 Modern, it's the worst thing I have ever seen!!
Cunning Linguist 07-01-04, 08:57 AM	Originally posted by Archangel Just remember, scrap the wealth sistem from d20 Modern, it's the worst thing I have ever seen!! Scrap that comment, the wealth system in D20 Modern is one of the best RPG wealth systems I have seen. (and I have seen a few) In a modern setting, the D20 Modern wealth system is far better then the gp ($) system of normal gaming.
Crust 07-01-04, 09:48 AM	I have this theory that true fantasy and computerized technology cannot exist in the same world. If there are any pieces of literature out there that contain both powerful, epic-level magic users and an equal amount of computerized technology, please let me know. I asked this before, and I'll ask it again here: Why is it that after thousands and thousands of years have passed in the Realms that the longsword is still the stock weapon for a soldier? Where is the progression? Why are people still using wagons and sailboats and cattle to farm crops? Where is the progression? The same darn issue plagued me while I was experiencing the Dragonlance world. Thousands and thousands of years pass and the technology doesn't change even a little. I suggest it's because of magic. Magic stifles the advancement of technology. Perhaps it's simply because magic makes it so that technology doesn't need to advance. Two thousand years have passed since the birth of Christ. Four hundred years after Christ's death the legend of Arthur was born, and a short 16 centuries later we have skyscrapers, space stations, computers, the Internet, and we've landed on the Moon! It's 1373 (or perhaps 1374) DR in the Realms, and for those 14 centuries NOTHING has changed... except for, perhaps, the invention of new spells and magical items. Does anyone have an air-tight explanation for this lack of what should be a logical progression of technology in the Realms?
Cunning Linguist 07-01-04, 11:25 AM	If there are any pieces of literature out there that contain both powerful, epic-level magic users and an equal amount of computerized technology, please let me know. Yes there is, infact there is a whole RPG based on this idea. Its called Shadowrun.
Crust 07-01-04, 12:22 PM	Is Rifts also similar to that?
Cunning Linguist 07-01-04, 12:36 PM	Originally posted by Crust Is Rifts also similar to that? No, rift is more post-apocalyse style magic/tech, where Shadowrun is more Blade Runner with magic.
Faraer 07-01-04, 01:14 PM	Originally posted by Crust Does anyone have an air-tight explanation for this lack of what should be a logical progression of technology in the Realms?Things have changed: most notably increased urbanization and the rise of the mercantile middle class. Probably minor improvements have been made in shipbuilding, certain kinds of magic, etc. But your answer is quite simply that the Forgotten Realms is fictional, and works according to the rules of story -- specifically, those of sword-and-sorcery fiction -- and not according to realistic history or rather twentieth-century conceptions of history and 'progress'. Fundamentally, the Realms (and most other secondary worlds) are not real worlds that just happen to be fictional, they are phantasmic constructs that sometimes look, on the surface, like ours. The need is for a quasi-medieval storytelling environment that spans centuries, and thus it is. Logic has no dominion except when it's convenient (though in the Realms, this is quite often). Yes, you can have rationalizations involving magic, but that's all they are. Most 1400-year periods in most parts of the world, of course, have seen far less dramatic technological and sociological changes than Europe 600-2000; but that's not really relevant either. Originally posted by Cunning Linguist In a modern setting, the D20 Modern wealth system is far better then the gp ($) system of normal gaming.Or in most settings where you don't want to spend time on accountancy.
Crust 07-01-04, 03:58 PM	Well said, Faraer.
ender 07-03-04, 04:40 PM	I've tinkered with the idea of a Modern campaign set in the Forgotten Realms (probably circa 1900 DR or so), because I really think it has a lot of potential. Of course, the amount of careful thought, creativity, and work that such a revision would require is staggering, so I haven't done much with it but open the old file every now and then, read the few notes I wrote down, and marvel at my own creativity. :smirk: For what its worth, these are my ideas on the subject. And, by the way, I agree whole-heartedly with Cunning that there is no way that anyone is going to agree with anyone else's vision of how the Realms would change over such a dramatic span of time. So consider this nothing but an amusing diversion that may or may not help spark some of your own ideas, tollickd. 1. Gnomes are the first citizens of the modern world, smaller in number but greater in prestige than any other race. They own the corporations and the patents, direct the flow of cash, and run financial empires from their miniature-sized in skyscrapers whose floors are all like the fractional floor from Being John Malkovich. I could make an argument for why I think this might be plausible, but really I just like gnomes and I want to see them get some respect for a change. :) 2. Battlehammer Industries produces the only non-magical firearms, as well as other machinery and equipment for heavy industry. Battlehammer Industries is a prestigious but relatively small company; your average dwarf is more likely an engineer for HPA Enterprises (an acronym for Hydraulics, Pneumatics, and Art--a gnome company whose name originates at the dawn of industrial technologies). Again, I just really like the idea that for every dwarven tough bouncing half-orcs out of clubs, there is another with a neatly trimmed beard, a short-sleeved white shirt, and a pocket protector. 3. The Anauroch desert has been partially reclaimed, terraformed by the unceasing efforts of the Shadovar. More floating cities now exist, along with many more populous settliments on the ground. 4. Just for the sake of tension, I would begin the campaign soon after a huge World War-like conflict. There is always the possibility that, like our own World War, the conflict was interrupted but is not resolved, and may soon break out into another war. Well, I'm beginning to reproduce my entire file, so I'll stop there. I like discussing this subject, though, simply because the idea of a Modern FR seems so pregnant with possibilities. And, for the record, Thay Mart is absolutely freaking brilliant. I can just imagine a first adventure where the PCs are in a Thay Mart when undead start to attack, forcing them to head over to Sporting Goods for the shotguns... :D
captainswift 07-06-04, 12:23 AM	I ran a very successful campaign set in a modern setting (full D&D, though, not Urban Arcana. Just D&D with modern tech). I actually thought about using the Realms as my setting, with heavy modification, until I finally decided to set it on Earth, but with lots o' extra races. I've actually toyed with a modern Realms since then, but am actually currently turning the Realms into a spelljammer setting instead.
warlockco 07-06-04, 12:51 AM	The reason that Technology has never progressed very much in any fantasy setting is because the GODS SUPPRESS IT!!!:twitch:
warlockco 07-06-04, 01:07 AM	Go here for D20 Modern System Reference Documents (http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/article/msrd) Go here for the System Reference Documents Homepage and also Open Game License Information (http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/article/20040121a) I still highly suggest anyone to buy the books though, since it is cheaper than printing it all. I had a friend do that, and boy did Kinko's get them good. I use the SRDs for handouts on things like the classes, skills, feats, and PrCs for the games I run. Especially if I do houserules changes to things.
diablos666 07-07-04, 10:18 AM	I LOVE this idea! I really like the modern D&D stuff, especially if it includes punk drow & gnoll pimps! :D
Jon the Smith 07-19-04, 06:41 AM	Originally posted by Crust Two thousand years have passed since the birth of Christ. Four hundred years after Christ's death the legend of Arthur was born, and a short 16 centuries later we have skyscrapers, space stations, computers, the Internet, and we've landed on the Moon! It's 1373 (or perhaps 1374) DR in the Realms, and for those 14 centuries NOTHING has changed... except for, perhaps, the invention of new spells and magical items. Does anyone have an air-tight explanation for this lack of what should be a logical progression of technology in the Realms? History didn't start with the birth of christ, but at least 3000 years before that. It is like saying the history of TORIL began with the founding of the standing stone.