Points of Light and the Forgotten Realms

[freyar]

Wow, I'd been hoping that those spoiler pages were just someone's idea of a bad joke. I'm too tired to write clearly about it now, but I'd be very sad to see so much of Realmsian civilization collapse.

 

[Dire Bare]

Who's to say the contents of that book isn't just foreshadowing a possible future, rather than the official canon for the 4th edition Realms?

I'm pretty sure this is the answer. While the post-apocalyptic Realms described in the preview to "The Orc King" sounds very interesting and cool, I really doubt Wizards plans on "blowing" up the setting to this degree.

All of the RSEs (Realm Shaking Events) put forth so far in the novels and the books never changed the fundamental nature of the Realms, despite the "global" nature of the plots. When all the dust clears and the "Transitions" series is over, I expect no different. Sure, some minor gods might remain dead (drow pantheon excepting Lolth), and some borders might crawl around, and certain factions might become stronger or weaker (Shade, Kingdom of Many Arrows, Silver Marches), but the Realms will remain quite recognizably the Realms.

Don't worry Chicken Little, the sky is certainly not falling. But let's have a glimpse into an alternate future where it did!!!

 

[Jared Rascher]

I'm pretty sure this is the answer. While the post-apocalyptic Realms described in the preview to "The Orc King" sounds very interesting and cool, I really doubt Wizards plans on "blowing" up the setting to this degree.

All of the RSEs (Realm Shaking Events) put forth so far in the novels and the books never changed the fundamental nature of the Realms, despite the "global" nature of the plots. When all the dust clears and the "Transitions" series is over, I expect no different. Sure, some minor gods might remain dead (drow pantheon excepting Lolth), and some borders might crawl around, and certain factions might become stronger or weaker (Shade, Kingdom of Many Arrows, Silver Marches), but the Realms will remain quite recognizably the Realms.

Don't worry Chicken Little, the sky is certainly not falling. But let's have a glimpse into an alternate future where it did!!!

So to give us a glimpse at a possible future they spoil three ongoing trilogies? They pretty much spell out the Twilight War, Lady Penitent, and perhaps a bit of the Haunted Lands Trilogies.

I'd love to be wrong, but they have actually been saying since before they announced 4th edition that a big "preview" of the direction of the Realms would be seen in the new Drizzt novel.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

One thing I would like to see in the Realms are examples of characters from different classes, perhaps even a few who interact as an adventuring party or allies.

One might even say such heroes would become iconic in the new Realms ...

 

[mhacdebhandia]

with like 2 abilities to make it "dee dee dee" simpler for the retard gamers out there

Quoting Ned "Carlos Mencia" Holness? Wow, you really rule, man.

Where's that rolleyes smiley?

 

[William Ronald]

One might even say such heroes would become iconic in the new Realms ...

It would also give some hooks for player characters, who might be inspired by a cleric, a warlord, a wizard, or other hero, and realize that maybe they can work with each other and make their own history in the Realms. (As the first setting published by WotC, having a few heroes that can serve as examples might be useful -- especially for new players.)

Also, even if a lot of the Realms is in an uproar, the place is LARGE enough for some civilized areas to remain -- whether it is a city state like Waterdeep, the Silver Marches, or Cormyr. (Meanwhile, I suspect one thing we might have here and there would be pockets of civilization unaware of each other. For all Drizzt might think that all the good drow are dead, there may be a large community of them separated from him by about a thousand miles of territory.) Some of the changes might be for the better from the current setting. (For example, Cormyr could have strenthened to be an island of stability -- stable enough to wish the Silver Marches well and maybe even exchange ambassadors and have some trade but not near enough to help them with major problems.)

Mind you, I think this speculation will probably lead to more people anticipating the next FRCS book.

 

[Irda Ranger]

I suspect one thing we might have here and there would be pockets of civilization unaware of each other. For all Drizzt might think that all the good drow are dead, there may be a large community of them separated from him by about a thousand miles of territory.

Yes.

This is how they described the whole "points of light" feel in the first place. There can be villages just over "that line of hills" which no one has heard from in years. People don't travel much. "Once safe trails have given in to wilderness."

I got the feeling in recent FR materials that most civilized places were aware of the 'big events' going on in other areas. Merchants and travelers brought news far and wide. I think that will cease to be the case.

 

[phadeout]

Wow... I've been out of the FR loop since 3E came out... I've played in the realms from the Grey Box all the way through till just before 3E (basically when the Sharn/Shadovar stuff started to happen, read the first book on it).

Also, I post very little on ENworld, but have been lingering due to the 4E stuff (which doesn't interest me much btw).

What does interest me is to see what's happened in the Realms, and man... this is just crazy.

I've always liked the "darker" campaign settings, where the PCs NEED to be the heroes. It sounds like FR is going in this direction. But I also say this, I doesn't appeal to me AT ALL. A constant moving storyline in a campaign setting is why I stopped playing in the Realms. So what about when 5E comes out? There will be another major Realms event? This isn't anywhere near what the Avatar trilogy did to the Realms. I could live with that event. But this just isn't the Realms anymore from the sounds of it. They'd be better of Re-Releasing the Grey Box with 4E stats... (well, maybe not). I don't know how to feel about this but I do know one thing... If I want a Points of Light in a Dark World setting - I already have it.

Midnight by Fantasy Flight Games. Also, the best thing about this setting, I never have to worry about the Timeline moving. It's set at ONE spot, and WILL NEVER move. It's part of the design philosophy and it's the one reason I buy this setting. Every other setting I've ever known (including settings from other non-WOTC RPG publishers - cough cough - Coalition - cough) the moving target Timeline is the most annoying thing they can do to a setting.

If they want to redo the realms 100 years in the future... Great. I guess they need to do "something". So do it. But do yourselves a BIG favor. From now on, stop moving the Timeline. Else, you're going to loose all the new fans you get, eventually. That's why I'll not buy into a new setting like this, because that's what it is, a new setting.

I can already play in the 4E version of FR, I'll just pull out my FR Grey Box...

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

After reading the prelude, I'm even more excited for 4e FRCS. Seriously. If that hints at the state of affairs accurately, I'm jumping all in! I'm probably even going to jump back into the Realms novels again, starting with this one.

Suh-weeet . . .

 

[Dire Bare]

So to give us a glimpse at a possible future they spoil three ongoing trilogies? They pretty much spell out the Twilight War, Lady Penitent, and perhaps a bit of the Haunted Lands Trilogies.

I'd love to be wrong, but they have actually been saying since before they announced 4th edition that a big "preview" of the direction of the Realms would be seen in the new Drizzt novel.

I'm sure the "Transitions" series, of which "The Orc King" is the first, will "transition" the Realms from 3e to 4e just like the "Avatar" trilogy did for the 1e to 2e jump. A lot of stuff happened in that series, but at the end of the day things weren't all that different.

I also have no doubt that events that happened, will happen, and have been hinted at in various Realms novels (such as the Lady Penitent series, the Twilight War series, and more) are leading up to the "Spellplague".

I'm sure that that the events in "Transitions" will have this apocalpytic "alternate future" Realms as a possible endpoint, but at the very end of the series the heroes will save the day and save the Realms and we'll have our traditional setting back.

It will be different, maybe in some cool and fundamental ways. But in the end, not all that different, really.

That's my bet! We'll just have to wait and see!