D&D General Forgotten Realms fans, what do you like most about the setting?

[Older Beholder]

I always liked the Forgotten Realms pantheon of Gods…
To the point that if the DM says we’re playing a realms campaign I‘ll usually play a cleric.

 

[Parmandur]

I always liked the Forgotten Realms pantheon of Gods…
To the point that if the DM says we’re playing a realms campaign I‘ll usually play a cleric.

This you?

 

[Older Beholder]

This you?

View attachment 296010

Yes, it was these specific artworks of various priests that has a lot to do with my love of the Realms deities.

 

[Voadam]

Since 1e I have liked the Conan style Stygian sorcerers that are the Red Wizards of Thay.

The gods are a close second though.

 

[Retros_x]

I am getting a bit annoyed.

One of the things I like about the organizations in the Realms is that they are rarely monolithic cookie cutters.

There are lots of different flavors of Zhentarim… Manshoon’s, Davil Starsongs, Fzoul Chembryl’s, Semmemon’s, Etc etc etc. You just had your own brand. Call them rogue, or make them the current dominant force.

Thats the stuff you only know if you are already deep in the lore. And you didn't get my point. I actually found a solution for the Zhentarim example in my game, actually quite similar to your "call them rogue"-example. My point was that I often stumble about these contradictions and than I need to decide on a solution. It expands mental load and prep time.

It sounds like you found the lore pressure. I say you can’t blame the lore for that.

I just did. And I compared it to a different setting, Eberron, where I don't have this problem. So it is definitely a problem of the lore/setting of FR for me, so I will blame it accordingly.

Just ignore what doesn’t fit your particular approach. If in hindsight you prefer a different way forward then change what you did.

Detail vs lack of detail. You can’t have it both ways.

I never claimed I want it both. I prefer lack of detail with openness, which is more easy to adapt. I thought I was clear about that, I don't understand why you wrote this.

If in hindsight you prefer a different way forward then change what you did.

Than I am betraying the internal consistency of my narrative, so exactly the thing you adviced me not to do in your previous answer. Please decide on your position of advice.

 

[Scribe]

I’m one of those weirdos who go deep into a game setting’s lore, and Forgotten Realms used to have incredible lore. BG3 really drives this home—(it so drives home how good the lore in Tome of Foes was, but I digress). I don’t expect WoTC to go all 3/3.5 on us again when it comes to FR lore and stuff, but I’d gladly buy more quality Forgotten Realms stuff.

One of the things I really hope Wizards picks up from BG3, is that the lore matters, but doesnt actually restrict the players at all.

It 100% reignited my interest in D&D, because it demonstrated exactly how everything being downplayed or outright removed, could actually be leaned into, to make a rich, immersive experience that you really cared about.

Look at the absolutely tiny area the game takes part in, and then look at all the call outs, all the history, depth, and relevance tiny details have on the entire experience...and then realize that all of that lore can also be 100% ignored, you can romp through the game without picking up a single book off a shelf, without caring about where Karlach came from, her back story, and just play through the adventure and have a good time.

All that lore is not shackling anyone. Its giving you something to dig into and enjoy above and beyond playing the game itself. Its a whole other avenue of 'monetization' of engagement, of interest and passion between fans of the genre, the game, or the setting.

Its the depth, and history, which 5e has hardly contributed to at all, yet has been called upon for book after book after book.

 

[Ogre Mage]

I always liked the Forgotten Realms pantheon of Gods…
To the point that if the DM says we’re playing a realms campaign I‘ll usually play a cleric.

I especially like the details of the relationships between the gods. For instance, one might superficially think the biggest enemy of Shar would be Lathander. But her biggest enemy is Selune; Shar and the moonmaiden contest over the same "territory." Another fun detail is Beshaba's eternal jealousy of her more well-liked "sister" Tymora.

 

[Andvari]

I like that you can usually pick a spot on the Realms map at random, look it up on the wiki and get plenty of inspiration for an adventure or even an entire campaign.

 

[Andvari]

And I like that for the longest time I thought Tyr was a little too obviously a ripoff of Tyr from Norse mythology for my liking until one day it dawned on me he literally is Tyr from Norse mythology. Don't ask.

 

[TheSword]

I am getting a bit annoyed.

Thats the stuff you only know if you are already deep in the lore. And you didn't get my point. I actually found a solution for the Zhentarim example in my game, actually quite similar to your "call them rogue"-example. My point was that I often stumble about these contradictions and than I need to decide on a solution. It expands mental load and prep time.

I just did. And I compared it to a different setting, Eberron, where I don't have this problem. So it is definitely a problem of the lore/setting of FR for me, so I will blame it accordingly.

I never claimed I want it both. I prefer lack of detail with openness, which is more easy to adapt. I thought I was clear about that, I don't understand why you wrote this.

Than I am betraying the internal consistency of my narrative, so exactly the thing you adviced me not to do in your previous answer. Please decide on your position of advice.

Definitely not worth getting annoyed over my opinion.

I just find the criticism of a setting for having a lot of detail strange. The only reason Eberron isn’t in this position is the relative lack of published work for the setting. There are plenty of parts of the realms that aren’t detailed. There are plenty of organisations that are barely touched upon. If that’s what you’re looking for.

Saying that the amount of detail in some areas of the realms is too much to handle is a bit like going into a bar, drinking wine by the bottle then complaining that it’s making you drunk. Drink a glass or switch to a different drink.