D&D 5E Campaign Settings 5e- Why I want to Forget the Realms

[Mirtek]

There's something close to 320 Forgotten Realms novels

281 actually (plus 3 that are scheduled but not yet released)

 

[GMforPowergamers]

I see where you're coming from with that but I wonder if that's just a natural outgrowth of any setting that becomes as popular as the Realms and has so many novels and supplement attached to it.

I know my own version of the Realms (in my mind) is vastly different than how Greenwood and most other people see it... I know that because when I try to read the novels, I start seeing things that are happening that would never happen in my own Realms setting. I guess that's why I could never get into the novels too much.

Yup... Every setting has the problem to so e extent, the more popular the harder it is...but I feel the realms was that perfect storm of Mary sues and popular to hit that you either love it or hate it..

 

[Mirtek]

Elminster is more powerful but as a chosen of Mystra is basically not interested in anything that doesn't involve damage to the magical weave or something that threatens Cormyr.

Ironically he once cited his daily schedule to Storm when she asked him why he can't do more to help out Shandril. As it turns out, his is actually teleporting all over the realms stopping minor plots, re-stocking dungeons, etc.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

I see where you're coming from with that but I wonder if that's just a natural outgrowth of any setting that becomes as popular as the Realms and has so many novels and supplement attached to it.

I know my own version of the Realms (in my mind) is vastly different than how Greenwood and most other people see it... I know that because when I try to read the novels, I start seeing things that are happening that would never happen in my own Realms setting. I guess that's why I could never get into the novels too much.

I think anysetting that gets big will hit that a bit. I walked from a farms in game that I felt was nothing like darksun, and I'm hard to please with DCU lore. But the realms was almost built on the Mary sues it feels to me

Well, the Brownstone was not always in Gotham. From what i understand, in the 2000's it is also not in Gotham, but in a city north of Central Park.
As for the Birds of Prey, if the game is set in a continuity based on writings prior to anything written 1995 or later, the Birds of Prey would not exist (which would be the case if I were running a game in the DC comics universe as I would focus on DC during the mid to late 1970's or the first two years after the first Crisis and ignore everything thereafter as I have no interest).


Why? Superman and Spider-man crossed over back in the 1976 (Superman vs. The AmazingSpider-Man #1). Batman and the Hulk crossed over in 1981 (DC Special Series v1 #27). The Teen Titans and X-men crossed over back in the 1980's as well.

You seem to have a good grasp of DCU history...and as such I would probably love a game with you gming

 

[Remathilis]

Yup... Every setting has the problem to so e extent, the more popular the harder it is...but I feel the realms was that perfect storm of Mary sues and popular to hit that you either love it or hate it..

For me, that's DragonLance.

For me, Dragonlance is tied to those characters so tightly that you can never escape them. Dragonlance is a setting for novels first and foremost, and I never felt you could shake off the metaplot. I never felt you could just play in DL the same way you can just play in Greyhawk, Eberron, or Forgotten Realms. It feels too small, too centrally focused on its own protagonists and antagonists. Its a story first, setting later.

FWIW: I have similar feelings about most licences RPGs like Middle Earth or Star Wars. Dragonlance to me is the licenced RPG of the D&D stable; just one they licence to themselves.

 

[graves3141]

For me, that's DragonLance.

For me, Dragonlance is tied to those characters so tightly that you can never escape them. Dragonlance is a setting for novels first and foremost, and I never felt you could shake off the metaplot. I never felt you could just play in DL the same way you can just play in Greyhawk, Eberron, or Forgotten Realms. It feels too small, too centrally focused on its own protagonists and antagonists. Its a story first, setting later.

I have to agree. DragonLance doesn't feel like an open world to me. Starting a campaign there would make me feel like I'm messing up or interfering with a preexisting story in some way. I'm sure not everyone feels that way but it's why I prefer other campaign settings.

 

[gyor]

To answer you first question because its the most reliably profitable.and.popular setting.

To answer your second question its because your Heathan blind to the beauty and grace of FR and in need of "reeducation". *pulls out blood soaked bag of tools and starts pulling out tools designed by a deranged mad man, including undescribable instuments of surgery encrusted with salt* So where should we begin your education (humour, mostly).

 

[epithet]

I've never wanted to play a Star Wars RPG set during the time period of the movies, but I love the Old Republic era. Never wanted to play in Middle Earth during the time of Bilbo or Frodo, but loved other time periods. I think the reason is pretty simple - it's less interesting to be doing what you're doing when you realise that there are much more important things going on, and you know how those things will turn out in the end. I think there's some of that going on in the Forgotten Realms.

 

[transtemporal]

2. This is more of a question, perhaps, to enlighten me- why do I hate FR so much? I love different campaign settings. Spelljammer and Planescape to connect them, home-brew, Greyhawk, Eberron, Krynn, Al-Qadim/Kara-Tur (yes, I know that they may be considered "part" of FR, but they are standalone), and so on. But ever since FR came out, I disliked everything about it. I hated Elminster. I hated the mythos and the world. I hated, hated, hated Drizzt.

I don't know why you hate FR so much but I can tell you why I hate it. It's a kitchen sink hodge-podge of settings all mashed together without a credible history or coherent theme. The other settings you mention all have consistency or a theme to them (maybe not Greyhawk, don't know much about Greyhawk).

And I just despised Elminster. Just a horrible, obnoxious, fanservice character.

Drizzt... I didn't mind. Maybe it was the quality of the writing or the fact that Drizzt had limits or he was just a more sympathetic character contrasted with Entreri. And there are certain parts of the realms I quite like. I've based a campaign or 2 in the savage north and the empire of the sands.

But the rest of it - ugh.

 

[bedir than]

I have to agree. DragonLance doesn't feel like an open world to me. Starting a campaign there would make me feel like I'm messing up or interfering with a preexisting story in some way. I'm sure not everyone feels that way but it's why I prefer other campaign settings.

We played DragonLance when it first emerged. We made certain to play in a time just prior to the the original books.