Excerpts: Life in the Realms

Wizards of the Coast · Sep 20, 2012

"So what's it like, living in the Realms? The flippant answer is "More exciting than you would like." Given the prevalence of wars, casual daily violence, and widespread natural or magical disasters, it's hard to see things otherwiseâ?¦"

Read Excerpts: Life in the Realms on D&D Insider here!

D'karr · Sep 20, 2012

This excerpt didn't even pique my interest.

I would have expected the "exciting" parts like it mentions on the blurb, not the most absolutely boring parts.

Who cares if gnomes are excellent glass blowers? Everything in here is the stereotypical. Tell me about the exciting parts. Why should I buy this book, based on the "strength" of this 2 page excerpt?

Derren · Sep 20, 2012

D'karr said:
This excerpt didn't even pique my interest.

I would have expected the "exciting" parts like it mentions on the blurb, not the most absolutely boring parts.

Who cares if gnomes are excellent glass blowers? Everything in here is the stereotypical. Tell me about the exciting parts. Why should I buy this book, based on the "strength" of this 2 page excerpt?

Not everyone wants more and more words spend on "exciting" hack & slash fantasy combat. D&D already has enough of that. Instead they want some books about things which make their game world feel more real instead of a Diablo like battleground for mass murderer adventurers.

D'karr · Sep 20, 2012

Derren said:
Not everyone wants more and more words spend on "exciting" hack & slash fantasy combat. D&D already has enough of that. Instead they want some books about things which make their game world feel more real instead of a Diablo like battleground for mass murderer adventurers.

Who said anything about hack and slash fantasy combat, or Diablo?

That might be your definition of exciting, not mine.

If the blurb talks about how "exciting" this world is supposed to be, the excerpt totally fails to provide anything even remotely exciting.

S'mon · Sep 20, 2012

It was very... Greenwoodian.

It kinda reminds me of the notes I make for my own benefit about a setting that interests me, except I tend to concentrate on power-politics stuff more than daily life. But clearly the book does what it says on the tin - it's Greenwood's Realms, by Greenwood, concerning stuff that interests Greenwood (except the sex, I expect). If what interests Greenwood interests you, then you'll like it.

Derren · Sep 20, 2012

D'karr said:
Who said anything about hack and slash fantasy combat, or Diablo?

That might be your definition of exciting, not mine.

If the blurb talks about how "exciting" this world is supposed to be, the excerpt totally fails to provide anything even remotely exciting.

You are the one who complains that this stuff is not "exiting", which the text defines as "War, casual daily violence, natural and magical disaster and diseases".

But guess what, life for the most part is not that kind of "exciting". Also there are quite a lot of books and other resources detailing exactly that kind of excitement. Time for the other 95% of life to get some details.

If they really manage to break up all those racial stereotypes like they hint at the end of the excerpt the book would be worth it even if you do not use the Realms.

slobster · Sep 20, 2012

Love the cover, though.

D'karr · Sep 20, 2012

Derren said:
Time for the other 95% of life to get some details.

So the most exciting thing that people can expect of this book is this? Give me a break.

With so many potentially exciting vistas, and locations in FR this is what they are going to put up as "exciting"?

Day to day life is not exciting, that is exactly why it is day-to-day. It is monotonous and hum-drum. Look!!! How exciting, gnomes "blow"... glass that is.

Gray Box FR paraphrased said:
Raurin
The near mythical desert of Raurin is a massive, sandy waste which could swallow entire nations of the North.
Notes: Unlike Anauroch, Raurin is a great sandy waste dotted by rare oases and dead kingdoms. It is also known as the Dust Desert and the Stone Desert. Great and magical kingdoms were said to rule this land and it may be their fall that first drove men into the lands of the Inner Sea.

The Laughing Hollow
Located upriver from daggerford the hollow is an ancient dwarven quarry, now overgrown and green with the passage of the centuries. The area is considered a fey and treacherous place by mortals, but is the home of wild elves, pixies, and other fairy creatures.

Glacier of the White Worm
The glacier is home to a wide variety of polar creatures, giving rise to the idea that it was once a part of a larger sheet of ice to the north; some dweomercraft may be involved. The area takes its name from the pale albino remorarhazes that inhabit the region

Those 3 small "quotes" with the highlighted sections show more flavor, and more possible excitement than the excerpt provided.

Right now I have seen nothing from that excerpt that would make me excited to go buy this book.

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Derren · Sep 20, 2012

D'karr said:
Those 3 small "quotes" with the highlighted sections show more flavor, and more possible excitement than the excerpt provided.

You might want to read the title of the book again. Its "Life in the Realms" not "Adventuring in the Realms".
There have already been enough books out describing places to go for some dungeoneering to kill monsters and pick up loot. The intent for this book is to breath life into the Realms for those times when you are out of the dungeon and interact with "normal" people simply living their lives.

Personally I think it enhances the game much more when, between orc invasions, ravaging dragons and necromancers trying to take over the world, you can present a normal world to the players which feels believable and alive instead of having to resort to the most basic Tolkien stereotypes because you have no idea how "normal" looks rather than a few more locations to put dungeons at.

D'karr · Sep 20, 2012

Derren said:
You might want to read the title of the book again. Its "Life in the Realms" not "Adventuring in the Realms".

You might want to read the title of the book again. It's Ed Greenwood Presents: Elminster's Forgotten Realms.

There have already been enough books out describing places to go for some dungeoneering to kill monsters and pick up loot. The intent for this book is to breath life into the Realms for those times when you are out of the dungeon and interact with "normal" people simply living their lives.

Personally I think it enhances the game much more when, between orc invasions, ravaging dragons and necromancers trying to take over the world, you can present a normal world to the players which feels believable and alive instead of having to resort to the most basic Tolkien stereotypes because you have no idea how "normal" looks rather than a few more locations to put dungeons at.

If you think that your description of the book is a sell for many, I'd be surprised. That would be the biggest bait and switch in history.

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