The New Forgotten Realms - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

The New Forgotten Realms

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
divine_hammer
Sep 18, 2008 16:49:43 I've never been a big 'Realms fan. This has largely been because the Realms seemed to be mapped down to the square foot with little room left for the undiscovered. Okay, and 17th level bartenders. And high-level immortal NPC's who need a noob's help for some reason.

So, what about the new version, which is presumably more in line with the PoL theme? Does it appear that they've backed off on super-powered NPC's and the like? Is there actually some darkness between the points of light these days?

I'd like a ready-made setting with some history to it, if the FR wonkiness (as I see it--I'm not running down anyone else's preferences) from editions past is toned down. What do you guys think?
#2
Loki5654
Sep 18, 2008 17:15:55 Try your question here.
#3
affabledoomwalker
Sep 18, 2008 18:11:22
I've never been a big 'Realms fan. This has largely been because the Realms seemed to be mapped down to the square foot with little room left for the undiscovered. Okay, and 17th level bartenders. And high-level immortal NPC's who need a noob's help for some reason.

So, what about the new version, which is presumably more in line with the PoL theme? Does it appear that they've backed off on super-powered NPC's and the like? Is there actually some darkness between the points of light these days?

I'd like a ready-made setting with some history to it, if the FR wonkiness (as I see it--I'm not running down anyone else's preferences) from editions past is toned down. What do you guys think?

I love the new realms, and I hate them. FR was my first D&D experience, and in many cases, host to some of my best D&D experiences.

We'll start with why I hate them: I've been playing in them since 1997, and a lot of changes don't make me happy - my favorite Deity is dead, one of my most hated deities is also gone, but in a convoluted way, (incidentally, they were both offed by another of my favorite deities), some of the mish-mashes and retcons have gone way off the deep end, and the world as I knew it is completely changed. Essentially, Old Guard rage.

Why do I love it? Well now (and hopefully this answers a few of your questions):
In my mind the good outweighs the bad, all of the uber-powered "Good Guy" NPCs hold no place outside of legends and stories... they're sitting on farms, dead, or a combination of the two.
A majority of the over-sized powerhouse nations of the realms have taken huge hits, and very few of them have fared well (with a few exceptions), opening up a that has yet to be filled.
The uber-powered baddies of old are now targets, instead of insurmountable threats that you couldn't touch with a +10 epic stick, these guys are made to be killed, by YOU - and the world is a lot meaner and darker come the spellplague, the darkness between the points of light isn't just a presence, sometimes it threatens to snuff the light out.

Overall, the sense that I get from the new realms is that Faerun needs new heroes to meet its new threats. Overall I'd give it a 7/10 for at least trying its hand at removing several of the inherent problems. It's a good ready-made setting to get into, and I recommend it.
#4
kerym_ammath
Sep 18, 2008 19:59:21 I really like the new realms, and even considered running a game there. As it stands I will probably just borrow stuff. The FR was one of my favorite places until the Time of Troubles, after that I kind of skipped out for a long time. I picked up the FRCS when it came out for third and liked it, but only ran one game in it. For the most part I avoided it because the printed material had a way of thinking useful = Uber NPC's, and Realm Shaking Events, needless to say I did not think the conversion to my FR would be worth it. The new FRCG, is actually a bare bones approach, however with what will probably be frequent Dragon Articles it promises to be fleshed out but on a small scale. Since 4th edition NPC's can be just a short blurb (read; plot device) instead of a fully defined item begging to get its ass kicked by your PC's (i.e. road bump), I don't see the new FR ever obtaining that canon feel. It should remain a reasonable and easy place to set a campaign, with ample background material.

Also the FRPG is an incredible piece of crunch, of which a good 85% is usable for any campaign with some minor flavor change.
#5
temukaalietchfield
Sep 18, 2008 20:48:35 I over dosed on 2nd ed Realms.

Buying anything Realms today will be no better than falling off the wagon for me.

If you're in my game, it won't have been published anywhere.
#6
Artifact
Sep 18, 2008 21:26:09 I'd best start out by stating clearly that I'm no fan of the 4e incarnation of the Realms.

That being said, the latest version accomplishes it's objectives quite well IMHO. Check out "Your Campaign in 1479 DR" (pages 40-43) of the new Campaign Setting for an idea of how things have changed in 4e.

The Realms are now truly a "points of light" setting. Check out Chapter 9 of the DMG for an idea of what this actually means ;).

Taken as an entirely new setting, I don't mind it but that's as much of a compliment I can muster right now.
#7
fodigg
Sep 19, 2008 11:29:10 Love it or hate it, it's very fun and playable, right from the start.
#8
zombie_babies
Sep 19, 2008 14:02:48 I'm playing in it now. It just doesn't feel right. Too many loved things gone. It's not the Realms anymore. It's not a bad setting, mind, it's just not the Realms. It feels generic. But, if that's what you're looking for - a generic FR - this should be the one for you to buy. It's like the sleeper muscle cars of old. They'd take a normal car with all the fixin's and take out the AC, radio, power windows, etc and give you a stripped-down, hopped-up version of the car. They did that with FR, too, but they forgot to hop-up the engine. ;)
#9
Seeker95
Sep 19, 2008 14:32:43 I do not like the new Forgotten Realms any more than I liked the old Forgotten Realms. I have disliked the Realms since I first encountered them. Too much detail. Too much NPC-dependency. Too much much.

However, I really like the new FR supplements. The Campaign Guide gives me just enough detail to steal for my own world, without making it so interconnected that I have to take it all. And the Player's Guide is almost all crunch, with so little interconnectedness that I can't think of anything in it that can't fit in my world as written (changing only the names of regionally-named stuff).

I hope the two-book approach to future campaign worlds is handled with similar crunch-fluff balance.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 divine_hammer Sep 18, 2008 16:49:43	I've never been a big 'Realms fan. This has largely been because the Realms seemed to be mapped down to the square foot with little room left for the undiscovered. Okay, and 17th level bartenders. And high-level immortal NPC's who need a noob's help for some reason. So, what about the new version, which is presumably more in line with the PoL theme? Does it appear that they've backed off on super-powered NPC's and the like? Is there actually some darkness between the points of light these days? I'd like a ready-made setting with some history to it, if the FR wonkiness (as I see it--I'm not running down anyone else's preferences) from editions past is toned down. What do you guys think?
#2 Loki5654 Sep 18, 2008 17:15:55	Try your question here.
#3 affabledoomwalker Sep 18, 2008 18:11:22	I've never been a big 'Realms fan. This has largely been because the Realms seemed to be mapped down to the square foot with little room left for the undiscovered. Okay, and 17th level bartenders. And high-level immortal NPC's who need a noob's help for some reason. So, what about the new version, which is presumably more in line with the PoL theme? Does it appear that they've backed off on super-powered NPC's and the like? Is there actually some darkness between the points of light these days? I'd like a ready-made setting with some history to it, if the FR wonkiness (as I see it--I'm not running down anyone else's preferences) from editions past is toned down. What do you guys think? I love the new realms, and I hate them. FR was my first D&D experience, and in many cases, host to some of my best D&D experiences. We'll start with why I hate them: I've been playing in them since 1997, and a lot of changes don't make me happy - my favorite Deity is dead, one of my most hated deities is also gone, but in a convoluted way, (incidentally, they were both offed by another of my favorite deities), some of the mish-mashes and retcons have gone way off the deep end, and the world as I knew it is completely changed. Essentially, Old Guard rage. Why do I love it? Well now (and hopefully this answers a few of your questions): In my mind the good outweighs the bad, all of the uber-powered "Good Guy" NPCs hold no place outside of legends and stories... they're sitting on farms, dead, or a combination of the two. A majority of the over-sized powerhouse nations of the realms have taken huge hits, and very few of them have fared well (with a few exceptions), opening up a that has yet to be filled. The uber-powered baddies of old are now *targets*, instead of insurmountable threats that you couldn't touch with a +10 epic stick, these guys are made to be killed, by YOU - and the world is a lot meaner and darker come the spellplague, the darkness between the points of light isn't just a presence, sometimes it threatens to snuff the light out. Overall, the sense that I get from the new realms is that Faerun needs new heroes to meet its new threats. Overall I'd give it a 7/10 for at least trying its hand at removing several of the inherent problems. It's a good ready-made setting to get into, and I recommend it.
#4 kerym_ammath Sep 18, 2008 19:59:21	I really like the new realms, and even considered running a game there. As it stands I will probably just borrow stuff. The FR was one of my favorite places until the Time of Troubles, after that I kind of skipped out for a long time. I picked up the FRCS when it came out for third and liked it, but only ran one game in it. For the most part I avoided it because the printed material had a way of thinking useful = Uber NPC's, and Realm Shaking Events, needless to say I did not think the conversion to my FR would be worth it. The new FRCG, is actually a bare bones approach, however with what will probably be frequent Dragon Articles it promises to be fleshed out but on a small scale. Since 4th edition NPC's can be just a short blurb (read; plot device) instead of a fully defined item begging to get its ass kicked by your PC's (i.e. road bump), I don't see the new FR ever obtaining that canon feel. It should remain a reasonable and easy place to set a campaign, with ample background material. Also the FRPG is an incredible piece of crunch, of which a good 85% is usable for any campaign with some minor flavor change.
#5 temukaalietchfield Sep 18, 2008 20:48:35	I over dosed on 2nd ed Realms. Buying anything Realms today will be no better than falling off the wagon for me. If you're in my game, it won't have been published anywhere.
#6 Artifact Sep 18, 2008 21:26:09	I'd best start out by stating clearly that I'm no fan of the 4e incarnation of the Realms. That being said, the latest version accomplishes it's objectives quite well IMHO. Check out "Your Campaign in 1479 DR" (pages 40-43) of the new Campaign Setting for an idea of how things have changed in 4e. The Realms are now truly a "points of light" setting. Check out Chapter 9 of the DMG for an idea of what this actually means ;). Taken as an entirely new setting, I don't mind it but that's as much of a compliment I can muster right now.
#7 fodigg Sep 19, 2008 11:29:10	Love it or hate it, it's very fun and playable, right from the start.
#8 zombie_babies Sep 19, 2008 14:02:48	I'm playing in it now. It just doesn't feel right. Too many loved things gone. It's not the Realms anymore. It's not a bad setting, mind, it's just not the Realms. It feels generic. But, if that's what you're looking for - a generic FR - this should be the one for you to buy. It's like the sleeper muscle cars of old. They'd take a normal car with all the fixin's and take out the AC, radio, power windows, etc and give you a stripped-down, hopped-up version of the car. They did that with FR, too, but they forgot to hop-up the engine. ;)
#9 Seeker95 Sep 19, 2008 14:32:43	I do not like the new Forgotten Realms any more than I liked the old Forgotten Realms. I have disliked the Realms since I first encountered them. Too much detail. Too much NPC-dependency. Too much much. However, I really like the new FR supplements. The Campaign Guide gives me just enough detail to steal for my own world, without making it so interconnected that I have to take it all. And the Player's Guide is almost all crunch, with so little interconnectedness that I can't think of anything in it that can't fit in my world as written (changing only the names of regionally-named stuff). I hope the two-book approach to future campaign worlds is handled with similar crunch-fluff balance.