Forgotten Realms Player's Guide?

[renau1g]

After Chapter 2, we move into the "Backgrounds" chapter, which details the regions of the Realms. This is really, really, really impressive. Each region (e.g. Aglarond, Cormyr, the Dalelands) is described in two pages, including...

* Regional Benefit which all characters from that culture have
* Common Knowledge the PC knows
* Regional Features - cities, terrain
* People of Aglarond - what races live there
* Adventurers - a number of motivations and backgrounds for possible PCs, including roleplaying tips.

Maybe I missed it, but there didn't seem to be something for many of the regions? I have a PC from Sembia, but didn't see something for that, nor for the area of Shade, or Iriabor. So all the PC's in the game I'm about to start are SOL?

 

[Zaukrie]

Shade was covered, I thought, and that was the only spot where Sembia was mentioned.... that I recall in my skimming.

 

[renau1g]

Oops.. sorry about that, Netheril is in there, but Sembia isn't...

 

[Jeremy757]

Maybe I missed it, but there didn't seem to be something for many of the regions? I have a PC from Sembia, but didn't see something for that, nor for the area of Shade, or Iriabor. So all the PC's in the game I'm about to start are SOL?

Nothing for Turmish or Chondath either, unless they consider them part of the Vilhon Wilds.

 

[Howndawg]

I noticed Tethyr was missing, too. Also that new theocracy whose name I can't recall right now.

 

[knightofround]

My first impression is: great crunch! If you're thinking about buying this but not running forgotten realms, you'll be happy. However the fluffy campaign-specific stuff is kinda meh, they could've gone into more detail.

The swordmage is *very* well done. I think it will fit the needs of people who want to have a viable fighter/wizard combo. There are a few powers that clearly need errata but on the whole the class is very balanced with other defenders while maintaining a unique feel. Props to WotC.

Drow are a bit...overpowered. Their racial feats are waaay better in comparison to other races. The Gensai are very well done, and have a neat feel to it.

The dark pact warlock is okay; nothing spectacular imho. The majority of paragon paths are fairly meh; however its nice that there's finally a paragon path built for warlocks. Theres an interesting "racial path" for flame gensai which was very interesting; I wish they would do that for other races.

 

[The Little Raven]

All in all, I think it's a great book. There are things I don't like at all (Backgrounds giving a free benefit, and some of them don't really seem balanced with others), and some things that made me puzzled (Thay is a region that players can be from, despite it being an undead haunted wasteland, but nothing on Evereska, one of the primary enemies of the Shadovar?).

 

[Howndawg]

All in all, I think it's a great book. There are things I don't like at all (Backgrounds giving a free benefit, and some of them don't really seem balanced with others), and some things that made me puzzled (Thay is a region that players can be from, despite it being an undead haunted wasteland, but nothing on Evereska, one of the primary enemies of the Shadovar?).

Personally, I love backgrounds. I think they allow players to play interesting concepts that are not easy to create using just the core rules. I particularly like the ones which add skills to your class list. However, I do see powergamers going for the backgrounds which offer combat benefits simply for the boost. Thus I think you'll see a lot of clerics and paladins hailing from Impiltur.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Personally, I love backgrounds. I think they allow players to play interesting concepts that are not easy to create using just the core rules. I particularly like the ones which add skills to your class list. However, I do see powergamers going for the backgrounds which offer combat benefits simply for the boost. Thus I think you'll see a lot of clerics and paladins hailing from Impiltur.

I don't mind that the backgrounds get some free benefits. It just creates a new baseline and it will not matter that much.

What I mind are bonuses that stack with everything else, because they "break" the math. I don't think there is anything inherently wrong with a character having three instead of two skills trained, or having a skill trained unusual for the class. But if your new skill bonus maximum changes from +10 to +13 at your current level, this risks breaking the game.

A "fix" I consider wherever this becomes apparant: Background bonuses are considered a mix of racial and feat bonus. If you just have one of these bonuses (either from race or from feat), the background bonus stacks freely. If you gain bonuses both from race and a feat, the background bonus replaces the lower bonus (if not lower itself). So, no stacking Racial Bonus +Skill Focus + Background Bonus.

 

[Jeremy757]

I like how under Elemental Tempest - Dual Manifestation it says "your appearance corresponds to one manifestation or the other (it is not a hybrid)", then right next to it is a picture of a Genasi who has a hybrid look. That made me laugh a little.