Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Baptor 01-14-07, 05:35 PM	Hello there. Of late, I have become a strictly Core DM, but I still run in the Realms (I have since the bygone days of second edition). I am trying to figure out how I want to do races now that I have abolished all other material. When I look at what's out there, clearly there is no black and white answer. There are new subraces right in the FRCS (gold dwarves, wild elves, etc). Most DMs I know play with those subraces. I suppose I could break my own rules and allow those, but then I consider that when probing further, even more subraces appear in other material (artic dwarves, avariel, etc) and even completley new races. Clearly, as a Core DM, I want nothing to do with those. It would be some sort of slippery slope I'd have to re-escape from. But where is a line drawn? I sometimes fear doing away with Sun Elves and Strongheart Haflings may at some point take away some vital element to a good FR game. One idea I have entertained is ethnic diversity, not racial divisions. Basically, a sun elf possess the same stats as a moon elf (both essentially elves from the PHB) but they look different and have different cultural backgrounds. It is very similar as to how a man from Canada and a man from China are in fact both homosapiens, but look different and have very different backgrounds. I was wondering what you guys and gals thought of all this, and what you do in your campaigns. Do you allow every published race? Only the FRCS? Or are you like me, and Core?
Lord Karsus 01-14-07, 08:58 PM	-All of the races presented in official FR books exist in the Realms. Therefore, they are all game. I'm not that great of a DM, though, so if I were DMing, I would limit my players to the more "basic" subraces- but I would include the other races as NPCs and such. -That I think is the crux of the issue. Talk to the PCs about "drawing the line", but have those forbidden subraces in your games, for flavor purposes.
Zevox 01-14-07, 09:59 PM	When I look at what's out there, clearly there is no black and white answer. There are new subraces right in the FRCS (gold dwarves, wild elves, etc). Actually, Wild Elves are not a new subrace if you're using Core books (presuming 3.5, I don't know about 3.0). They're in the MM. The only Elven subrace in the FRCS that isn't in Core are Sun Elves, who are in truth little different statistically from the Core Gray Elves (Gray Elves have +2 dex and -2 str compared to Sun Elves, which balances out anyway in my opinion). In fact, one of the FRCS races, the Wood Elves, has an additional drawback in the FRCS version (-2 charisma which the MM version doesn't have). I was wondering what you guys and gals thought of all this, and what you do in your campaigns. Do you allow every published race? Only the FRCS? Or are you like me, and Core? I pretty much allow anything my players want. Nobody has ever tried to make some insanely over-powergamed or unrealistic highly-templated character, so theres been no reason for me to restrict anything. The weirdest thing I've ever had played in my games was a (Human) Half-Vampire, which was actually quite fun to see. Zevox
Baptor 01-14-07, 11:52 PM	Wow Zevox, I did not know that. Here I've been running FR forever and did not notice the subrace entries in the MM. However, I went to the dwarf, and did not find anything comparable to the Gold Dwarf there. I also did not find comparable versions of the strongheart halfling or ghostwise halfling, so in the end, we are still looking at the FR subraces clashing with an all-core game.
Dark_Rhapsody 01-15-07, 12:47 AM	Yeah...I truthfully love the racial diversity that FR gives, and I even sometimes get bored with those. Alot of my players actually go into their past and have like quarter-human/quarter-elf/quarter halfling. I don't mind much, because it is realistic that their are variations in their blood. It is very possible for a halfing to fall in love with a half-elf. I also allow them to play just about any template as long as it makes sense and isn't overpowering. I myself have played like this too, because I have had many half-fiend characters, at least one half-dragon, a half-vampire, and a lyncanthrope. But, anyways, I guess if you want to be a core DM, then I would stick with subraces in the FR book. I mean, it really doesn't make it that strange to alow subraces, because as Zevok said, most of the subraces are in the core books. This allows your players to get plenty of choices, while still sticking fairly close to your rules.
BrianCritchley 01-15-07, 01:13 AM	if you're using a core book only policy you should for the realms also include the FRCS. as the FRCS is basicly the core forgotten realms book. look at all FR products and they essentially say that
GothicDan 01-16-07, 04:06 PM	People are what make a setting. If you take out all of the people of FR and replace them with different people, it's effectively a different setting.
DreamStalker 01-16-07, 09:05 PM	I agree. I would say the FRCS is a Core book as far as realms games are considered. I like how in Races of Faerun the different elf sub-races have different weapon proficiencies that reflet their cutlures. However you do have to draw the line somewhere. I say draw the line at the FRCS. The other races are in general localized or rarities. Extra cream on the pie. Sometimes too much extra cream;) I think sticking with the basic racial divisions in the FRCS should manage the available material just fine and keep the racial differences accute. The idea of running the sub-races as different ethnicities yet the same stats also works well. I have done such games. People who wish to play powerful drow or duergar tend to complain, but oh well. Cannot please everyone.