D&D 5E How will the Forgotten Realms be handled?

[Tush Hog]

I haven't followed the setting stuff for 5e that closely. How will the realms be presented? Is it a continuation of the 4e material or does it get a reboot from previous editions?

 

[Falling Icicle]

There's going to be another apocalypse called the Sundering that's supposed to end up making the FR more like how it was before 4e.

 

[doctorhook]

There's going to be another apocalypse called the Sundering that's supposed to end up making the FR more like how it was before 4e.

But only mostly, if I understand correctly. It's late in the 1400s DR now, Abeir and Toril switch their continents back to pre-4E configuration (but some creatures might remain), and a bunch of the dead gods are back (Bhaal, who died between 1E and 2E, for example). I'm not a Realmslore expert by any stretch, but this is what I've gathered.

 

[Scrivener of Doom]

But only mostly, if I understand correctly. It's late in the 1400s DR now, Abeir and Toril switch their continents back to pre-4E configuration (but some creatures might remain), and a bunch of the dead gods are back (Bhaal, who died between 1E and 2E, for example). I'm not a Realmslore expert by any stretch, but this is what I've gathered.

This is basically right.

Ed's very excited by it and that's a good sign, but R A Salvatore is heavily involved which for many - like me - is a bad sign. And while The Sundering is being spun as the last RSE ever, I suspect there will be at least two more before the end of 2015 because of the need to keep spamming trilogies of novels.

 

[Evenglare]

This is basically right.

Ed's very excited by it and that's a good sign, but R A Salvatore is heavily involved which for many - like me - is a bad sign. And while The Sundering is being spun as the last RSE ever, I suspect there will be at least two more before the end of 2015 because of the need to keep spamming trilogies of novels.

What do you guys have against salvatore? Like.. so many people HATE him. I can understand not particularly caring for his writing style or something, but I mean... the hate is completely extreme in some cases and I just don't get it. I enjoy his novels. Sure they aren't Patrick Rothfuss, but they are a fun read, and I generally enjoy his character and his writing for combat.

 

[Scrivener of Doom]

What do you guys have against salvatore? Like.. so many people HATE him. I can understand not particularly caring for his writing style or something, but I mean... the hate is completely extreme in some cases and I just don't get it. I enjoy his novels. Sure they aren't Patrick Rothfuss, but they are a fun read, and I generally enjoy his character and his writing for combat.

Because I don't enjoy his characters or writing for combat.

He's basically a poor man's George Lucas who, instead of gungans, has brain-damaged dwarves with speech impediments. He's the king of the superfluous apostrophe and his overwritten combats feel like parodies of his earlier work.

All that aside, a lot of what he writes doesn't feel like the Realms. Now that's horribly subjective and thus clearly a matter of personal opinion but, for me, I don't like what he adds to FR. It feels more like a tumour than an existing body part.

 

[Jiggawatts]

So the "current" timeline is going to stay in the 1400's and not revert back to the 1300's?

Thats a bummer, I really want the awesome Khelben alive again, and Halaster as well, roaming the halls of his sinister dungeon and playing with his magical cheesboard. For Piergeiron to be the Open Lord of Waterdeep, for Randal Morn as the lord of Daggerdale, and a slew of etceteras.

 

[Scrivener of Doom]

So the "current" timeline is going to stay in the 1400's and not revert back to the 1300's?

Thats a bummer, I really want the awesome Khelben alive again, and Halaster as well, roaming the halls of his sinister dungeon and playing with his magical cheesboard. For Piergeiron to be the Open Lord of Waterdeep, for Randal Morn as the lord of Daggerdale, and a slew of etceteras.

Yes, the timeline is going to advance a decade or so.

I thought it actually made more sense to reset to the OGB which almost everyone, fans and haters alike, seems to love but the simple fact is that R A Salvatore, in particular, is too important to the FR brand to reset in a way that "invalidates" the novels, particularly his.

And that is truly the reason the timeline is being advanced.

 

[Evenglare]

To be fair, I would say Salvatore is one of, if not THE person that has made forgotten realms what it is today. At least novel wise, he has 44 by my count, while Greenwood only has ~30 not counting novellas. I understand the creation of the realms came from greenwood, but to say salvatore is a tumor on the series, that just.. eh... it's so damn extreme to say something like that. I just don't get how someone can hate something that much. But eh, i'm clearly not going to convince those who hate salvatore to like him, so I'll just stop here to circumvent diminishing returns on the conversation.

 

[Scrivener of Doom]

To be fair, I would say Salvatore is one of, if not THE person that has made forgotten realms what it is today. At least novel wise, he has 44 by my count, while Greenwood only has ~30 not counting novellas. I understand the creation of the realms came from greenwood, but to say salvatore is a tumor on the series, that just.. eh... it's so damn extreme to say something like that. I just don't get how someone can hate something that much. But eh, i'm clearly not going to convince those who hate salvatore to like him, so I'll just stop here to circumvent diminishing returns on the conversation.

RAS certainly kept FR alive financially, and the returns on his books also kept TSR alive longer than it would have otherwise lasted. He's played a big part in keeping D&D alive.

Anyway, my comments are aimed at his post-Crystal Shard work (I still enjoy that) but not him personally. He strikes me as a great guy who clearly treats his fans well.