Volo's Guide [Archive] - Wizards Community

Volo's Guide [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Quachie
08-07-03, 05:33 PM I would just like to know if WotC was planning on releasing a Volo's Guide for FR 3.5. I know when I played in 2E it helped a lot with the details of the areas our group visited or adventured. I really like the descriptions of the taverns, magic shops, people, and such of the different areas. I'd just like to see something like that for 3.5 and was wondering if WotC ever planned on creating one again. Does anyone know??

Quachie
Lashan
08-08-03, 07:17 AM I don't think so. The Powers that Be have stated that they are not going to put out fluff, but put out crunch rules stuff. That means monsters and NPCs and prestige classes and spells. The one thing that they mock all the time is that there was a product that came out about all the different kinds of cheeses of the FR. Of course, that is exactly the type of stuff that some of us want. I mean, just how many prestige classes can you make?

Most of the Volo's Guide stuff doesn't change. I mean, the NPCs are kept in the back and can be converted with minor fuss. The locations and descriptions don't change per version of DnD, though. If you are wanting more Volo's Guide, then I think you will not see them. Personally, I think they are one of the best products for FR there are, but that is just me.
Faraer
08-08-03, 07:57 AM I don't think there's anyone who likes the Realms who doesn't like the Volo's Guides. But these days, Realms products are partly written for people who don't like the Realms. Everyone should be plainly aware of this compromise.

I just failed to locate the infamous anti-cheese comment. But my vote is for the cheeses, every gods-bedamned time, and a world treated as if it's real and not a paper-thin contrivance to give 'flavor' to D&D.
Jack in the Green
08-08-03, 08:28 AM Originally posted by Faraer
I just failed to locate the infamous anti-cheese comment. But my vote is for the cheeses, every gods-bedamned time, and a world treated as if it's real and not a paper-thin contrivance to give 'flavor' to D&D.

You can say that again!

!
Quachie
08-08-03, 11:07 AM Thanks for the info people. I was never sure if they were or weren't gonna put one out. I never heard of the anti-cheese comment either, that's the reason I thought that there might still be a possibility of it being made. And about the the whole prestige class thing, there are too many already. I also heard that a prestige class creation book was in the works also.

Thanks again for clarifying the whole Volo's thing for me :) , though i'm still :( that it ain't gonna be made.
Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
08-08-03, 05:17 PM Originally posted by Faraer

I just failed to locate the infamous anti-cheese comment. But my vote is for the cheeses, every gods-bedamned time, and a world treated as if it's real and not a paper-thin contrivance to give 'flavor' to D&D.

Hear hear!

I also liked the Volo's Guides--they will be sorely missed.
Kuje31
08-08-03, 05:40 PM Me to :(. Sigh really wish they would make another Aurora's Catalog. Even though a lot of that material is now in the 3e's arms and eq guide. However the realms version is still the best of the two.
Israfel666
08-08-03, 06:27 PM I must say I appreciate the fact that they do not publish more non-rule stuff. If they did, we'd feel almost compelled to go and buy them, to get in return almost nothing but a quick revision of what was already published under 2e, which every man without a copper piece can download from the WotC site (bless them) and convert what they need to 3e with minimum hassle.

Just to make an example, I absolutely love the Netheril: Empire of Magic boxset and plan on running a Netheril campaign sooner or later, but if a 3e edition came out, I wouldn't buy that. I'd stick with my 2e edition and home-write my 3e Arcanist core class and 10- and 11-level Netherese spells.

On the other side, it's true that we are already STUFFED with prestige classes, feats, spells and magic items. I mean, take a look at Magic of Faerun... there are a hundred wonderful additions in there (eg gems as wand boosts, mageduels, lots of cool spells) which almost no DM will ever use because their minds are so filled that they can't even remember some add-ons EXISTED, never mind when and how to put them into their campaigns.

My opinion is that WotC should publish further adventuring material regarding not-yet-explored lands. Faerun is a very diverse continent, and containts entire "virtual settings" within it... I mean, nobody has ever required a Great Glacier sourcebook? Arctic dwarves, the church of Auril, survival in the snow...these are the things FR fans want. Or me, at least :D
Amoun
08-08-03, 07:01 PM While they may not re-release stuff like volo's guide and what not... it would be very interesting if they added some fluff to the books they were going to publish... I mean they are rather dull at some points. Hmm, My comments here wont change much, and even if a bunch of us complained it wouldnt change much... So what am I saying? While we may not like the books and lack of "fluff" perhaps we just have to suck it up and be thankful that D&D is still around and stuff is still being published... So there is no point in complaining (unless it releases some anger :P) hence we have to just accept... :( *Sobs* LACK OF FLUFF.... GIVE ME FLUFF, at least fluff was amusing to read as a DM... even as a player... err doh! I contradicted myself :angel:
Faraer
08-08-03, 07:06 PM OK, usual rejoinder to that idea:

There's no reason to think future sourcebooks on Heartlands regions will be 'nothing but a quick revision of what was already published'. Was Volo's Guide to the Dalelands a retread of FRS1 The Dalelands? Does Silver Marches not contain much new lore? There are, once more, millions of words of Realmslore in Ed's basement moldering away, mostly on the Heartlands.

And obviously, the more spurious roolz content a sourcebook has, the less room for new information. On the other hand, new magic items and spells have always been an important part of the Realms -- not without limit, but to show the enormous magical variety of the Realms and to prevent players knowing about everything in advance (which purpose the single player-targeted Magic of Faerūn rather defeats).

Netheril is one of the worst Realms products ever published: it ignores both published references to Netheril and the substantial set of notes Ed supplied, and the stuff it presents instead is uninspired. Rick Swan's FR14 The Great Glacier, with its transposed Inuits, is another of the worst -- no question, the bad older stuff is much worse than the current books.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Quachie 08-07-03, 05:33 PM	I would just like to know if WotC was planning on releasing a Volo's Guide for FR 3.5. I know when I played in 2E it helped a lot with the details of the areas our group visited or adventured. I really like the descriptions of the taverns, magic shops, people, and such of the different areas. I'd just like to see something like that for 3.5 and was wondering if WotC ever planned on creating one again. Does anyone know?? Quachie
Lashan 08-08-03, 07:17 AM	I don't think so. The Powers that Be have stated that they are not going to put out fluff, but put out crunch rules stuff. That means monsters and NPCs and prestige classes and spells. The one thing that they mock all the time is that there was a product that came out about all the different kinds of cheeses of the FR. Of course, that is exactly the type of stuff that some of us want. I mean, just how many prestige classes can you make? Most of the Volo's Guide stuff doesn't change. I mean, the NPCs are kept in the back and can be converted with minor fuss. The locations and descriptions don't change per version of DnD, though. If you are wanting more Volo's Guide, then I think you will not see them. Personally, I think they are one of the best products for FR there are, but that is just me.
Faraer 08-08-03, 07:57 AM	I don't think there's anyone who likes the Realms who doesn't like the Volo's Guides. But these days, Realms products are partly written for people who don't like the Realms. Everyone should be plainly aware of this compromise. I just failed to locate the infamous anti-cheese comment. But my vote is for the cheeses, every gods-bedamned time, and a world treated as if it's real and not a paper-thin contrivance to give 'flavor' to D&D.
Jack in the Green 08-08-03, 08:28 AM	Originally posted by Faraer I just failed to locate the infamous anti-cheese comment. But my vote is for the cheeses, every gods-bedamned time, and a world treated as if it's real and not a paper-thin contrivance to give 'flavor' to D&D. You can say that again! !
Quachie 08-08-03, 11:07 AM	Thanks for the info people. I was never sure if they were or weren't gonna put one out. I never heard of the anti-cheese comment either, that's the reason I thought that there might still be a possibility of it being made. And about the the whole prestige class thing, there are too many already. I also heard that a prestige class creation book was in the works also. Thanks again for clarifying the whole Volo's thing for me :) , though i'm still :( that it ain't gonna be made.
Rinonalyrna Fathomlin 08-08-03, 05:17 PM	Originally posted by Faraer I just failed to locate the infamous anti-cheese comment. But my vote is for the cheeses, every gods-bedamned time, and a world treated as if it's real and not a paper-thin contrivance to give 'flavor' to D&D. Hear hear! I also liked the Volo's Guides--they will be sorely missed.
Kuje31 08-08-03, 05:40 PM	Me to :(. Sigh really wish they would make another Aurora's Catalog. Even though a lot of that material is now in the 3e's arms and eq guide. However the realms version is still the best of the two.
Israfel666 08-08-03, 06:27 PM	I must say I appreciate the fact that they do not publish more non-rule stuff. If they did, we'd feel almost compelled to go and buy them, to get in return almost nothing but a quick revision of what was already published under 2e, which every man without a copper piece can download from the WotC site (bless them) and convert what they need to 3e with minimum hassle. Just to make an example, I absolutely love the Netheril: Empire of Magic boxset and plan on running a Netheril campaign sooner or later, but if a 3e edition came out, I wouldn't buy that. I'd stick with my 2e edition and home-write my 3e Arcanist core class and 10- and 11-level Netherese spells. On the other side, it's true that we are already STUFFED with prestige classes, feats, spells and magic items. I mean, take a look at Magic of Faerun... there are a hundred wonderful additions in there (eg gems as wand boosts, mageduels, lots of cool spells) which almost no DM will ever use because their minds are so filled that they can't even remember some add-ons EXISTED, never mind when and how to put them into their campaigns. My opinion is that WotC should publish further adventuring material regarding not-yet-explored lands. Faerun is a very diverse continent, and containts entire "virtual settings" within it... I mean, nobody has ever required a Great Glacier sourcebook? Arctic dwarves, the church of Auril, survival in the snow...these are the things FR fans want. Or me, at least :D
Amoun 08-08-03, 07:01 PM	While they may not re-release stuff like volo's guide and what not... it would be very interesting if they added some fluff to the books they were going to publish... I mean they are rather dull at some points. Hmm, My comments here wont change much, and even if a bunch of us complained it wouldnt change much... So what am I saying? While we may not like the books and lack of "fluff" perhaps we just have to suck it up and be thankful that D&D is still around and stuff is still being published... So there is no point in complaining (unless it releases some anger :P) hence we have to just accept... :( Sobs LACK OF FLUFF.... GIVE ME FLUFF, at least fluff was amusing to read as a DM... even as a player... err doh! I contradicted myself :angel:
Faraer 08-08-03, 07:06 PM	OK, usual rejoinder to that idea: There's no reason to think future sourcebooks on Heartlands regions will be 'nothing but a quick revision of what was already published'. Was Volo's Guide to the Dalelands a retread of FRS1 The Dalelands? Does Silver Marches not contain much new lore? There are, once more, millions of words of Realmslore in Ed's basement moldering away, mostly on the Heartlands. And obviously, the more spurious roolz content a sourcebook has, the less room for new information. On the other hand, new magic items and spells have always been an important part of the Realms -- not without limit, but to show the enormous magical variety of the Realms and to prevent players knowing about everything in advance (which purpose the single player-targeted Magic of Faerūn rather defeats). Netheril is one of the worst Realms products ever published: it ignores both published references to Netheril and the substantial set of notes Ed supplied, and the stuff it presents instead is uninspired. Rick Swan's FR14 The Great Glacier, with its transposed Inuits, is another of the worst -- no question, the bad older stuff is much worse than the current books.