My question is this: Since I want to be "up to speed" on the details of 4E's Realms, is it worth buying "Grand History of the Realms" as a supplement? (For what it's worth, the only FR products I currently own are Baldur's Gate I and II, so no, I don't already have a big FR library.)
Thanks for the input!
- doctorhook
18DELTA
-The Grand History of the Realms is never a bad purchase. :D One of the if the best Realms books ever!
18DELTA
Seconded.
I want to make a minor point--the 4E Realms setting is not technically a "reboot".
I apologize for using the word "reboot". I had picked it up from some other posters who used the term in passing to describe what's happening in 4E's Realms. I didn't realize it was inaccurate. No hard feelings?
Thanks again for the advice, everyone!
- Kyle, aka "doctorhook"
UPDATE: Consider it ordered.
UPDATE: Consider it ordered.
-Good call. You really won't be disappointed.
Wow! A very quick and unanimous response from some highly respected posters, all in just the time it took for me to finish dinner! Thanks, team!
You're welcome.
I apologize for using the word "reboot".
No need to--I just wanted to clarify things.
As someone who’s been playing in the Realms for over twenty years, I strongly encourage you to purchase the Grand History of the Realms, because it’s loaded with adventure hooks.
Pretty much every historical entry in that book is a potential adventure hook you can use in your 4E Game, either as a direct reference or as a an idea for what to build adventures around.
Good luck to you, doctorhook.
But I agree with the other posters that GHotR is one of the top 5 FR RPG books in any edition.
Sounds like this book is a great (and relatively inexpensive) way to get the details!
Hearing all this pleases me. It makes me think that the ~$23 I just paid for it will be well spent. I honestly don't know if I'm ever even going to play the Realms, but I'm interested in learning about it and it's massive lore. The Realms are a major chunk of contemporary D&D, and it's D&D that really interests me.
Sounds like this book is a great (and relatively inexpensive) way to get the details!
-Damn. I paid $29.99 plus 8.38% tax...
-Damn. I paid $29.99 plus 8.38% tax...
I only use bookstores as libraries; I order everything from Amazon!
What can I say? They've got what I want for the price I want.
I only use bookstores as libraries; I order everything from Amazon!
What can I say? They've got what I want for the price I want.
-I guess I'm a stooge of the establishment...
But I absolutely freakin' love that book. If my copy somehow disappeared tomorrow, I'd replace it in a heartbeat.
Ta!
PS: What's the thing about the last couple of pages?
PS: What's the thing about the last couple of pages?
-Two things:
A) The current date (until the FRCG is released in a few days) in the Forgotten Realms is 1375 DR. AGHotR included information up until this point, and then went an extra ten years into the future.
B) Many of the events in those aforementioned extra ten years appear very much to be to set up many of the various changes to the setting in 4e. As such, many of the actions by individuals that are mentioned seem very much out-of-character. For example, Moradin never cast Deep Duerra or Laduguer out of the Dwarven Pantheon. They were not liked very much, but were still considered Dwarven deities, and "part of the family". For thousands of years, this was the status quo. According to AGHotR, giving no context information, in 1383 DR, Moradin leads a crusade against Deep Duerra and Laduguer, in which those two deities were actually killed. Given that there is no context as to why Moradin did this, and knowing how he previously treated those deities, it very much seems out-of-character.
18DELTA ;)
-According to the Gencon Seminar: Secrets of The Realms, Richard Baker's novel Swordmage put the Realms at 1479 DR The Year of the Ageless One. :P
18DELTA ;)
-Alright then. That was what, though? Two weeks ago? Three weeks ago?
so if one was interested in the Realms, then a good 'starter pack', particularly for fluff, would be Grand History of the Realms, and the 4E Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide?
-Yes, sure.
so if one was interested in the Realms, then a good 'starter pack', particularly for fluff, would be Grand History of the Realms, and the 4E Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide?
Yes and depending on the area you are playing in then maybe the previous edition source book for ideas for dungeons, adventure hooks, etc.
Bel
-Yes, sure.
Yes and depending on the area you are playing in then maybe the previous edition source book for ideas for dungeons, adventure hooks, etc.
Bel
Lost Empires is also a good buy, since most of the info in there is still valid as well, and it gives you a good feel for some of the ancient sites that can be explored.
Ok, thanks for all of that. You see, I'm more interested in reading and getting ideas rather than playing, so to learn more about how that world functions in terms of fluff, without the tiresome expense of reading EVERY sourcebook on FR, then the aforementioned two books would be good reads?
I don't have any money atm, but my next step may well be those two, and to get an in depth look at FR, would it be good to also purchase 3E FR Setting?
I'm creating my own world, so I'm trying to do as much research as I can. Playing it would be interesting, though.
Oh, one more thing, do you know if you would also recommend the Players Guide as well? It will stretch my wallet, but if it will definitely help...
Oh, one more thing, do you know if you would also recommend the Players Guide as well? It will stretch my wallet, but if it will definitely help...
-Don't know what's going to be in it. Obviously, it's inherently related to D&D players, and is going to have a lot of mechanical D&D stuff, but there's sure to be enough lore in there that players know the campaign world enough to play in it.
-I'm doing massive research, concerning Elves of Faerûn (What's that?), and I noticed that AGHotR is different from Brian's original PDF, which is different from Brian's website, which is different from LEoF. I have five different sources I'm browsing through (C:EotE is the other source).
I am surprised Iakhovas hasn't posted anything here yet...
Unless you've found an honest mistake, the Grand History should be the most "correct" of the sources you listed. When in the editing phase, we tried to reconcile most of the inconsistencies in the various timelines (though a few may have slipped through).
-Not inconsistencies, but omissions in AGHotR that are in, say, LEoF's, or C:EotE's timelines.
-I'm doing massive research, concerning Elves of Faerûn (What's that?),
don't know
-I'm doing massive research, concerning Elves of Faerûn (What's that?)
Its a an excellent sourcebook that's being put out by Paizo, but you got the name slightly wrong - its's called Elves of Golarion.
;) :P
don't know
-I knew you'd know.
Its a an excellent sourcebook that's being put out by Paizo, but you got the name slightly wrong - its's called Elves of Golarion.
;) :P
-I'm going to have to say that my finished product (whenever that is) is going to be better than theirs.
Oh, one more thing, do you know if you would also recommend the Players Guide as well? It will stretch my wallet, but if it will definitely help...
A lot of what's in FRPG will be useful for DMs and PCs in any world, and would be extra useful for new players of the Realms.
EXCELLENT attitude, my good man! :D
-Who starts off saying, "I'm going to make a crappy product?"
-Who starts off saying, "I'm going to make a crappy product?"
Microsoft :P
-Who starts off saying, "I'm going to make a crappy product?"
Any electronic or car manufacturer, it's called planned obsolescence, that a product will only last so long before requiring replacement or repair, so that the company continues to be able to make money off the same customers over and over again.
I remember reading somewhere that there would be online updates to aGHotR in DnDi. Basically all the history from where the aGHotR leaves off and the beginning of the officla campaign. However, I can't seem to find anything, anywhere.
Does anyone:
1. Remember reading this too, or am I just losing it in my old age?
2. Have any ideas where updates may be found?
Thanks in advance.
I haven't written another update since, but I would certainly like to. The only other place I know of that has new timeline events (post Spellplague) would be the few I added to the Spellplague: Wailing Years article found here: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/drfe/20080227a