D&D 5E Rage of Demons more details.

[Psikerlord#]

If they were that close, they would be fighting, and the world would truly be in peril. Every high level organization would be there instantly.

This is the key problem with FR. PCs arent necessary when Elminster, Drizzt etc are around. Those characters are awesome for novels, very enjoyable.

But they are very bad for RPG game worlds.

 

[Prism]

This is the key problem with FR. PCs arent necessary when Elminster, Drizzt etc are around. Those characters are awesome for novels, very enjoyable.

But they are very bad for RPG game worlds.

Except they aren't high level organizations, just a couple of high level characters who probably have no wish to get involved. We have a long term campaign where we are 20+ level on the Sword Coast and have absolutely no time or desire to get stuck into in any of these adventure paths or their related stories - we have our own fish to fry and looking at the current novels so do those two guys. Let someone else deal with it. The Realms is big enough to handle hundreds of high level characters without it being an issue

The organisations are getting involved - the Harpers, Lords Alliance etc.

Note: it does seem in this case Drizzt has an interest in at least one of the demons but its not like he can deal with all

 

[Shadowdweller00]

A "spell" gone wrong:

Demo's two heads stop fighting just long enough to notice the dirty dishes.

Hethradiah: "Wait, WHERE is our butler?"
Aameul: "WHAT!!??!? TWICE in a millennium?"
Hethradiah: "The maggots of the spider bitch have summoned him."
Aameul: "Those vermin must be taught respect."
Hethradiah: "The genocide shall amuse...for a time."

******
Elsewhere...

Wide-eyed quasit in a greasy apron: "No, really... let me go. Your immortal soul isn't worth it this time!"
Drow mage: "You WILL obey me, or I shall call...."

 

[Psikerlord#]

Except they aren't high level organizations, just a couple of high level characters who probably have no wish to get involved. We have a long term campaign where we are 20+ level on the Sword Coast and have absolutely no time or desire to get stuck into in any of these adventure paths or their related stories - we have our own fish to fry and looking at the current novels so do those two guys. Let someone else deal with it. The Realms is big enough to handle hundreds of high level characters without it being an issue

The organisations are getting involved - the Harpers, Lords Alliance etc.

Note: it does seem in this case Drizzt has an interest in at least one of the demons but its not like he can deal with all

If the world is facing destruction, it makes no sense for the most capable to ignore it.

 

[Wednesday Boy]

This is the key problem with FR. PCs arent necessary when Elminster, Drizzt etc are around. Those characters are awesome for novels, very enjoyable.

But they are very bad for RPG game worlds.

Out of curiosity, do you find all RPG with strong NPCs (like Star Wars, Greyhawk, LotR, Dragonlance, Star Trek, Dresden Files, L5R, etc.) have the same problem? If PCs aren't necessary when Elminster and Drizzt are around, are PCs necessary when Luke Skywalker, Gandalf, and the Enterprise are around? I'm curious because I see this argument frequently against Forgotten Realms but I very rarely see it brought up for any other setting.

 

[Wednesday Boy]

Are the NPCs from this thread in Out of the Abyss? I really want to see what they do with Glabbagool, the awakened gelatinous cube.

 

[Prism]

If the world is facing destruction, it makes no sense for the most capable to ignore it.

I agree but see that's where the module descriptions are being over dramatic. I very much doubt the world is remotely facing destruction. There have been many demon and devil incursions into the Realms and most of them count as local issues. Now not knowing the details of this adventure I'm not sure how bad it could really get but I assume that it will all be dealt with as it has been countless times before - a bunch of local heroes will go and destroy the bad guys and seal the gate. The only reason Drizzt is even part of this one is because of the novel tie in, but he tends to busy himself fighting orcs, giants and drow. Hardly the world saving type really.

In the Dragon Queen story line the outcome could have been a problem for the Realms considering she is a Goddess but the party and their army became the best prepared to deal with it by the time it became an issue. The princes of elemental evil are relatively weak and pose no more than a local threat, even with the cults

The high level Realms characters aren't all powerful and do not adventure as such. A bunch of mid to high level player characters are just as capable of dealing with some demons as Elminster is - probably more so. Elminster just knows lots of things and many secrets. He isn't anything particularly anything special in combat. At leas that's how the novels tend to portray those characters. He's much busier trying to influence nations and repair the weave.

The DMG tells us that at 11th level characters are masters of the realm and at 17th masters of the world. This isn't true for the Forgotten Realms - its too big for that. I would say you would be known in your region but not much beyond that. So there are lots of high level characters in the Realms - both PC''s and NPC's. There is still plenty of space for the lower level heroes to do their bit

 

[Nebulous]

Chris also confirmed that not all of their Adventure Paths will go for that Level Range.

All of the Demon Lords will be doing their own thing during the Adventure as well.

Demogorgon is rampaging around Menzobaranzan for example, Orcus as revealed by Chris Perkins ended up in the middle of a Mind Flayer community that recently lost it's Elder Brain. Orcus proceeds raise the Elder Brain as an undead. (No clue whats going to happen there.) Zuggtmoy is appearntly going to go through a sort of marriage ceremony with a City sized Fungus.

So yes this will be weird and cool.

Everything you just said sounds awesome.

 

[Nebulous]

I agree but see that's where the module descriptions are being over dramatic. I very much doubt the world is remotely facing destruction. There have been many demon and devil incursions into the Realms and most of them count as local issues. Now not knowing the details of this adventure I'm not sure how bad it could really get but I assume that it will all be dealt with as it has been countless times before - a bunch of local heroes will go and destroy the bad guys and seal the gate. The only reason Drizzt is even part of this one is because of the novel tie in, but he tends to busy himself fighting orcs, giants and drow. Hardly the world saving type really.

In the Dragon Queen story line the outcome could have been a problem for the Realms considering she is a Goddess but the party and their army became the best prepared to deal with it by the time it became an issue. The princes of elemental evil are relatively weak and pose no more than a local threat, even with the cults

The high level Realms characters aren't all powerful and do not adventure as such. A bunch of mid to high level player characters are just as capable of dealing with some demons as Elminster is - probably more so. Elminster just knows lots of things and many secrets. He isn't anything particularly anything special in combat. At leas that's how the novels tend to portray those characters. He's much busier trying to influence nations and repair the weave.

The DMG tells us that at 11th level characters are masters of the realm and at 17th masters of the world. This isn't true for the Forgotten Realms - its too big for that. I would say you would be known in your region but not much beyond that. So there are lots of high level characters in the Realms - both PC''s and NPC's. There is still plenty of space for the lower level heroes to do their bit

Personally, in my FR games, I greatly, greatly tone down the NPC badasses in the world. I don't follow the canon so it's easy to do.

 

[Prism]

Personally, in my FR games, I greatly, greatly tone down the NPC badasses in the world. I don't follow the canon so it's easy to do.

I kind of go the other way

'When everyone's super, no one is!'