I will admit up front that I was a fan of the 3E FRCS. I am not talking about the setting materiel here; I am actually talking about the format of all the crunchy information the book gave us.
That said here are a few thoughts on the new book.
- Loudwater
Since when do we put Adventures/towns/fully fleshed out cities at the beginning of a book? Not sure if I like this. It certainly was jarring. As an effort to introduce new players to a "stereotypical" Realms Hamlet I can understand the gesture but does it really even do that well? What the heck IS an average town in the Realms? Doesn't that depend on what region/country it is in? Part of the allure of the Realms if that Faerun is a sprawling expanse of diverse fantasy settings. Basically what it feels like we are given is a Random Fantasy Town. We are supposed to KNOW its an exemplar of the realms because its the first section of the FRCG. Personally I think WotC could have used the pages for something more substantial.
- Adventuring
All I will say about this section is that it might have made more sense to put the adventuring section after the regions section so you might know where you are adventuring and how that might be different thematically. Just a thought.
- Magic
YAY! the MAGIC section! Except..oh wait. we don't really talk about magic alot in this section do we? Granted we talk about the Spellplauge. You know that thing that happened 100 years ago that should probably go in a history section of the book. We aslo talk alot about magical travel and how its broken, magical terrain, basically the whole fantasitic features thing would have fit better in the region portion again.
What we DON"T have is a real discussion of how magic WORKS! The realms have always been good about having a internally consistent explantion of magic and its mechanics. Its one of the things I LIKED about the Realms. We are told how magic went wonky...BAD wonky. So bad wonky that it damn near destroyed the world. Then we are left to infer...INFER mind you...that its all cool now kthanx bye. Why is there a magic section at all if there is so little discussion of MAGIC in it.
Tip to WotC: When you have a section devoted to a topic in a book you should generally out actuall information on that subject in the section. Avoid filling said section with material that would better be sorted off into other sections in the hopes of fluffing the section up and hoping we won't notice.
- Cosmology
One of the better sections in the beginning. I do question the feywild having one single page considering it is the justification for the inclusion of an entire race from the players handbook.
- Pantheon
I really don't have any complaints about the presentation here. Gods are Gods and they are presented and explained. The new ones will be fleshed out later and the old ones will be well known to older players.
- Faerun and Beyond
Here is where WotC dropped the ball the worst in my eyes. We have no numbers on population making it harder for DM's to see where in this brave new Realms the races break down. Where the FRCS offered us useful information about the various regions of faerun the FRCG offers nothing but blurbs.
This setting is really about the Regions and Kingdoms. Therefore a books which claims to be a guide to the setting should give some clear looks and insights into those areas. This book carelessly glances over regions that have changed radically in the past 100 years with no real information for DMs.
This is my main critique of this book and primary question. Where is the information on the new Faerun? Where do the Teiflings live and in what population densities? How does magic work now. Has there been ANY technological advancement in a world where magic went mad and became untrustworthy?
I understand there will be a Players guide to the Realms. Will there also be a DM's guide to the Realms, becuase this book falls far short of meeting that criteria especially judged against last editions efforts.
Looking forward to hearing what everyone else thinks. Please though try and keep comments related to the book itself and the way the information was presented rather than making value judgements on the changes to the Realms.
Cheers!
Um...well, until next time. It just isn't going to be here.
Full page artwork (and it's all color) are plusses in my book.
Like you I would have preferred a bit more about magic, but I'll save my gripes (and DDI article requests) until after the FR Player's Guide comes out.
A small map on one of the pages showing the revised face of Toril would have been nice.
I like the font size, that's for sure.
Yes, its next time.
The font might be fine, but only due to its lack of content.
Full page artwork (and it's all color) are plusses in my book.
Where? On the chapter intro's that don't apply to anything meaningful?
Like you I would have preferred a bit more about magic, but I'll save my gripes (and DDI article requests) until after the FR Player's Guide comes out.
I would have preferred a lot more about everything. But then again, we couldn't shrink that font.
A small map on one of the pages showing the revised face of Toril would have been nice.
Totally agree. They had that in 3e and I was completely at a loss until I finally gave up and ripped the map out of the back. So much more to have a page with an overall view of things.
I would have preferred a lot more about everything. But then again, we couldn't shrink that font.
-Such a sticking point.
-As an aside, I checked, and my map is still in my FRCS, folded up and doing well. :P
2) I would have liked a few pages describing the changes with the gods - like what happened to the missing ones.
3) Awful glossary
I give it a 6 out of 10 - mostly due to the formatting of the book.
I believe the Loudwater adventure would have been a more suitable DDi/Web Enhancement type of feature than to have been placed in the book. It would have allowed for a bit more fleshing out of areas of the book that could have used just a bit more detail.
Aye - it should have been a Web article.
After the first read-through, most folks are going to be using it as a reference, turning to the description of this realm, or that change, or this divinity, and IMO it's organized reasonably well for that type of use. I'm betting that on the fly, if I needed to check something during a game, I could find it fast enough that it wouldn't disrupt play.
In some past accessories, that wasn't always the case.
THat said, I'd like a longer/more detailed "history" section, but they have their reasons for holding it back, one of them no doubt being space. And given a choice between a longer chapter on the history of the last hundred years and more detail on places as they are now, I'd chose the later, which is what they did.
Fair enough.
THat said, I'd like a longer/more detailed "history" section, but they have their reasons for holding it back, one of them no doubt being space. And given a choice between a longer chapter on the history of the last hundred years and more detail on places as they are now, I'd chose the later, which is what they did.
Fair enough.
Font size.
And I don't know where you are finding the detail on the "places as they are now." There is simply bare bones text there.
Did they hide things that I need a black light to see or something?
-The FRCS had a cheap adventure in it as well.
The FRCS had 2 cheap adventures in it. ;)
The FRCS had 2 cheap adventures in it. ;)
So did the gray box (though the beast tamers one had some great links they developed later).
So did the gray box (though the beast tamers one had some great links they developed later).
Halls of the Beast tamers was a pretty cool adventure.
The 2nd edition boxed set had a whole book about Shadowdale with a cheap adventure. He he...this is fun.
Halls of the Beast tamers was a pretty cool adventure.
The 2nd edition boxed set had a whole book about Shadowdale with a cheap adventure. He he...this is fun.
So, nothing new (except it's in the front rather than the back), just an old tradition being carried on... One could almost say it's cannon. :P
So, nothing new (except it's in the front rather than the back), just an old tradition being carried on... One could almost say it's cannon. :P
Indeed. I would feel cheated as a gamer if an adventure wasn't included. But, please. Stick it in the back, alright? No need what-so-ever for it to be up front where the real info should be.
Stick it in the back, alright?
Nahh, too easy :P
or
isn't that what a lot of the anti 4e'ers feel they did...
Then they can read the rest of the book. Find out about Najara and the slave trade, and move on from there.
I think it's a great idea.
Hlethvagi
Nahh, too easy :P
or
isn't that what a lot of the anti 4e'ers feel they did...
It didn't happen--I didn't feel it!!
Back off before I break Bejebuz out, you ....uuuuggh...
(shivers)
I like the adventure and starting area in the front. It lets new DMs get right into the game. No need to read the whole book, just the first 37 pages. Read those pages, and get right in! Woot! Woot! Woot!
Then they can read the rest of the book. Find out about Najara and the slave trade, and move on from there.
I think it's a great idea.
Hlethvagi
And, as I have stated the difference in the past, that makes you more of a gamer than a Realmser. If you are a Realmser, then you want to know as much about the setting before you play in it. If you are a gamer, well...give me my adventure.
Woot! Woot! Woot!
And, as I have stated the difference in the past, that makes you more of a gamer than a Realmser. If you are a Realmser, then you want to know as much about the setting before you play in it. If you are a gamer, well...give me my adventure.
Woot! Woot! Woot!
I haven't really considered myself much of a Realmser lately, but the new FRCG has brought me back.
I have all of the 2nd edition Boxes and Accessories. All of the 3rd edition books through Unapproachable East, then I quit buying realms stuff. I felt I already had the fluff, the cannon, the crunch was worthless to me. I didn't need a gang of new races, feats, and prestige classes. I wanted updated info on those areas, and I didn't feel like I was getting much bang for my buck.
I like the new book because it has new stuff.
Hlethvagi
Well, welcome back and I hope there is something better for ya in the days ahead.
Thanks! I'm glad to be back!
Hlethvagi
The FRCS had 2 cheap adventures in it. ;)
-One, two, five, it's all the same.