Just curious how many folks are planning on converting their current Forgotten Realms game to the NEXT ruleset and will you be playing out the Sundering with it? This, presumably, would only make sense for players already in 4e (jumping from 3.4 to the Sundering might be doable, though probably with some campaign canon issues).
Will you be converting, or simply starting a new campaign in the new setting?
I'm currently in a 4e Forgotten Realms campaign with my group and I'm actively trying to get as much info as I can on the Sundering to maybe start placing some foreshadowing in my sessions in preparation for the big event.
I converted one of my LFR groups to Next about a year ago. Their characters kept the same names and backgrounds, but were restarted at a lower level, making the transition very similar to starting a new campaign. The destruction of the campaign's home (and most of the NPC's, villians and PC's magic items) in ELTU4-4 The Fall of Elturgard made this easier.
The Sundering will mostly be a backdrop for this group. They got forwarning of it during Confrontation at Candlekeep, but they won't be going through Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle, Murder at Baldur's Gate, Legacy of the Crystal Shard, or Scourge of the Sword coast. Instead, after Vault of the Dracolich and Search for the Diamond Staff, they'll likely be go straight into Tyranny of Dragons.
fwiw: I disbanded my other LFR group 2 years ago (after almost a decade together) mainly because running epic 4e became just too cumbersome.
We started a new campaign to test the new rules but in a couple months my players will probably convert some of their favorite characters. Probably after the new rules books came out.
Unlikely, but after Mutants and Masterminds 3e, I don't think I could ever go back to a largely static, level-based system.
It's a toss up between Savage Worlds, Pathfinder, D&D Next, and FATE honestly. Since I've enjoyed running Next at WPN events, I'll probably use that for my Realms game. However, until I see more, I heavily doubt I'm using The Sundering. I'll probably use the 3.5 & More lore that my tables have played with for several years now (though, I might downplay the Iron Kingdoms and Eberron influence that all of us have brought over the years.) And while it's not quite a deal breaker, having rules at the start for guns would be nice. (My gunslinger/fighter needs some love too!)
*Converting* no. Building a Realms based game based around Next whole cloth. Yes.
I don't think I will convert my current campaigns to D&D Next.
If I adopt the new edition of D&D, I will most certainly begin a new campaign starting after the events of the Sundering (the Sundering is running in my current DD4 campagin).
mvincent wrote:
No.
4E is still my favourite version of D&D that I have run or played for the past 30+ years and I would never go back to a combat system free of meaningful tactics. That doesn't suit my group or me.
I'm also planning to continue running games in the 4E post-Spellplague and pre-Sundering timeline. I have plenty of material to keep me going for years and I'm not sure I will enjoy the post- Sundering version of the Realms if it has a strong R A Salvatore influence. While I am overjoyed that Ed is going to have a major role to play in the next version of FR, I suspect I will not enjoy RAS's influence. Of course, that's just a matter of personal taste/opinion and I can imagine a lot of people will be happy to know he is involved.
So I've got my novel-free version of FR that I have always wanted and I have a set of D&D rules that are the ones I have enjoyed the most since I took up this hobby 33+ years ago. It's a good time to be a gamer! 
Yeah, RAS isn't exactly a selling point with me either, though 4e went way too dark for my tastes. Probably why I stick with 2e most, Volo's Guides in particular for plothooks. Not using the 2e ruleset though, as I'm still convinced it was Of The Devil with its way too humanocentric focus. From what I've seen of Next though, it's not much more appealing to me either, though greatly improved from 2e, and especially 4e, which does not suit me in the slightest as a ruleset. Not really that fond of level based rules at all these days really.
My game group is not playing D&D right now, so we won't be converting a campaign to Next.
If everyone in the group is interested in trying Next once its released, I may try to start a new FR game using Next.
It really depends on the state of the rules.
I generally wait for the FR source material to come out first, so Im guessing my FR 5e experience will be sometime off yet. Is there even a FR sourcebook scheduled yet?
My Savage Worlds and FATE groups are either too busy or heading out to Grad schools in August, so that leaves a lot more time open for D&D Next! I'd rather see the final content in July before making a final decision, but I'll probably help convert the Forgotten Realms campaign-verse I've played in/ran. From what I've seen from modules and novels, I might just use the Sundering timeline instead! I'm not *quite* convinced yet, but I'm almost there... and I'm enjoying what I'm seeing.
Tyranthraxus wrote:
i was more referring to the base FR Setting book, but Im definetly looking to pick up the starter. Someone facebook'd me a link to a place that had the starter on presale but no price was listed.
I've been considering starting a FR campaign with the release of Next, using only the 3.0-3.5 books as canon.
Anyone have a good recommendation of an over arching campaign villian/threat? Something that will at least touch on the areas and some of the power groups from those books? Silver Marches, Waterdeep, Underdark, Lords of Darkness...