another WotC article: How to add (X) to Forgotten Realms

[Henry]

...not one covers any part of the Heartlands, the subject of most of Ed's massive lore backlog. The Inner Sea lands, which are the core setting of Faerûn, have not been described in any detail since the mid-1990s or, in the case of Sembia and the Dragon Coast, ever.

In truth, thanks to both new material and all the old TSR PDFs, players have access to enough backlogged material to run a vibrant and constantly-changing weekly Realms campaign for 50 years straight, if they chose to.

 

[SteveC]

Also, I wouldn't exactly count out the Realms. Eberron's cool, but people still need their ktichen-sink D&D with the norsemen fighting alongside their Egyptian soldiers against their Turkish Mamluks and Mongol Hordes.

Isn't that the truth. Thanks for giving me a laugh on a very long Friday.

--Steve

 

[crazy_cat]

I'd like to see FR sourcebooks for the Moonshaes and the Western Heartlands. Please.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

However, I still see people on the web who say things like, "Shadowcasters? There aren't any shadowcasters in the FR, why would I use them?" and not devote an ounce of thought to how there CAN be such in the Realms (or Psionics, or Incarnum-users, or Swordsages, or what have you). It's nice to remind people that ANY concept can be ported, and showing those who don't want to devote the resources just HOW one can do this.

Very good point. There enough people with an exclusive mindset instead of an inclusive one. Show them that even stuff that is branded "Non-FR" (Core D&D) can be used in the Realms, and not just as something that looks like it was put there with duct tape.

Shadowcasters were always easy for me, I used them a lot for Shadow Weave Users. Scared the bejeezus out of the players a couple of times.

Also, I wouldn't exactly count out the Realms. Eberron's cool, but people still need their ktichen-sink D&D

Exactly. All this "Extreme D&D with fantasy robots and ACTION points and new and different stuff" (I know, I know, the warforged aren't really robots, yada yada yada, but that's what they'd seem to everyone who'll first see one of those pictures) might be extremely cool, and I have no problem with those who like it (I'm not among those, though), but the creators of D&D should have a turnkey ready Vanilla Fantasy setting - and if that's the very world where the most successful D&D novels play in (That would be Drizzt's stories. I have no hard evidence that they're #1, except for the fact that there are no about a million different edition of those books around, while other D&D novels can be happy to have two), much the better.

with the norsemen fighting alongside their Egyptian soldiers against their Turkish Mamluks and Mongol Hordes.

I have no idea what you're talking about

 

[Kae'Yoss]

They would better find it in Mystara, since the Earth analogues are appendages bolted on to the Realms by TSR.

Myswhat?

Mystara didn't make the cut. I guess FR has the larger fanbase, and more novels, so when they decided on one Vanilla D&D settings, FR had the most things going for it.

Plus, unless I'm mistaken, the connections to earth were Ed's own idea. He named the Forgotten Realms thus because they're supposed to be realms forgotten by us earthlings - there used to be countless portals and people would often travel between the two, but that's a thing of the past.

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

On the contrary, of about six regional sourcebooks pubished for 3E, not one covers any part of the Heartlands, the subject of most of Ed's massive lore backlog. The Inner Sea lands, which are the core setting of Faerûn, have not been described in any detail since the mid-1990s or, in the case of Sembia and the Dragon Coast, ever.

Hmmm.. I guess you're right, I guess it's a case of a bad first impression. I thumbed through the 3rd edition source book when it first came out and saw the small and, fairly dismissive, "Beyond Faerûn" section, and the rules for drow PCs and put it back on the shelf. :\

 

[Kae'Yoss]

I thumbed through the 3rd edition source book when it first came out and saw the small and, fairly dismissive, "Beyond Faerûn" section

I think the general negligence of Toril's other continents is due to the course that was set during 2e, when the number of campaign settings was narrowed down. Since many of those continents were almost like different campaign settings, they were given the also ran treatment when they concentrated on the core of the Forgotten Realms - Faerûn.

, and the rules for drow PCs and put it back on the shelf. :\

Was that one of the special edition prints that had that extra text reading: "You are required by affirmative action law to have at least one drow PC in the party, or else the party will receive XP pentalties until the situation is resolved"?

Seriously, it always astounds me when people reject games because of an option. Several people I know refused to convert to 3e because you could play elven paladins and dwarven wizards. No matter how often I told them "You can play that stuff. You don't have to!" they refused to even consider it.

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

Seriously, it always astounds me when people reject games because of an option. Several people I know refused to convert to 3e because you could play elven paladins and dwarven wizards. No matter how often I told them "You can play that stuff. You don't have to!" they refused to even consider it.

It's not so much that it was in the book, but where it was in the book. If it had been an optional rule in the monster section, I probably wouldn't have given it a second thought. That carries a different expectation of availability than the character creation section. YMMV.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

It's not so much that it was in the book, but where it was in the book. If it had been an optional rule in the monster section, I probably wouldn't have given it a second thought. That carries a different expectation of availability than the character creation section. YMMV.

All rules are optional. They're a PC race, so they belong in the PC race section, with all the information that provides. After that, the DM just has to make sure to tell any player who says he wants to play a drow that those guys, even more so than tieflings (which are another choice for players), will have to deal with prejudice, hate and fear, even when they're from the surface dancing nudist section.

Or you just let people play one. I never had problems with that, but then again, I never came across a single Drizzt clone. Might be because I have a group of great players.

 

[SPoD]

However, I still see people on the web who say things like, "Shadowcasters? There aren't any shadowcasters in the FR, why would I use them?" and not devote an ounce of thought to how there CAN be such in the Realms (or Psionics, or Incarnum-users, or Swordsages, or what have you). It's nice to remind people that ANY concept can be ported, and showing those who don't want to devote the resources just HOW one can do this.

Not only can an article like this show how to port shadowcasters to Forgotten Realms, it can give a novice DM the idea that any X can be ported into any Y campaign setting. Remember, as has been said many times, WOTC writes its material for middle-of-the-bell-curve DMs, not master DMs. And the mediocre DM isn't going to be hurt by a reminder that hey, it's OK to say "yes" to your players even if the setting doesn't explicitly support what they're asking for.