What is the Sundering?

[YRUSirius]

So anyone got news from the seminar?

-YRUSirius

 

[Ahwe Yahzhe]

It wasn't a Who-Shot-Jr reference. It was a reference to the season of Dallas that was a dream.

That's right; but my point was that Bobby died and then at the end of the season he was suddenly taking a shower, so I just thought Mystra's death was the bigger- oh, never mind.

(I tried to XP you, but I didn't have the juice.)

 

[Henry]

Where did Mearls agree that high-level NPC do this? Because it's the most tired fallacy perpetuated by anyone looking for an excuse to hate on the Realms.

@Ahwe Yahzhe It's near the end of the interview I think, after they introduce the Sundering and Pirate mentions the downside of realms-shaking events, high-level NPCs, and the players feeling second fiddle.

Actually, I don't think he was talking about high level pcs in rpg adventures - he was mentioning how the central npcs (not just high level ones) were the ones steering all the canon-level events, which is complete fact, it's just the way things were done. Greenwood and Mearls are talking about a major shift in policy similar to the way Pathfinder Society is doing things - as Pour mentioned, depending on an aggregate outcome, reporting fans will be steering major canon level events, instead of a writers' meeting saying, "OK, this year Drizzt will kill the Orc king, but causes half of Neverwinter to fall into a sink hole through inaction." or "Elminster will save Waterdeep, but at great personal cost." it sounded like that was his focus in the keynote, not "high level NPCs make it difficult to have great adventures."

 

[JeffB]

I dont feel that they can do anything to just totally erase all BS that has been filtered through the setting since FR6 or so..RSEs,. the overabundance of piss poor RPG products written by wannabe novelists, novelists shaping the setting, or the game designers since 3e who just keep trying to keep it on life support but who did not seem to be fans, but rather were just assigned to write some product. I liked the fact they tried to reboot the setting in 4e, and I liked the format of the setting book, but for every good idea we got 3 meh ones. Its done and over for me..I cannot ignore 20+ years of wank. Just can't.

So I am particularly looking forward to Ed's Realms book. Maybe that will bring me some peace of mind as regards to the Realms. That or just play some gold box games

 

[Sonny]

This is from a thread in the Candlekeep forums.

Official news:

No retcons, no reboots.

Gods are coming back.

The worlds are coming apart again.

The Spellplague is being solved.

Lore support for multiple eras is on the table.

Other news: Haunted Halls of Eveningstar may get a rewordked/directors's cut (it was essentially a 96 page book that got cut into a 32 page one)


Candlekeep Forum - Live! Updates from Gencon 2012

 

[Ahwe Yahzhe]

Actually, I don't think he was talking about high level pcs in rpg adventures - he was mentioning how the central npcs (not just high level ones) were the ones steering all the canon-level events, which is complete fact, it's just the way things were done. Greenwood and Mearls are talking about a major shift in policy similar to the way Pathfinder Society is doing things - as Pour mentioned, depending on an aggregate outcome, reporting fans will be steering major canon level events, instead of a writers' meeting saying, "OK, this year Drizzt will kill the Orc king, but causes half of Neverwinter to fall into a sink hole through inaction." or "Elminster will save Waterdeep, but at great personal cost." it sounded like that was his focus in the keynote, not "high level NPCs make it difficult to have great adventures."

It's really a shame that I had to miss the keynote because it started late and then the archived version wouldn't play; it sounds like a lot was in there. Thanks for the insights, Pour et alia…

It sounds like WotC is talking about doing what LFR has been doing for the past 2-3 years, despite all of its efforts being "non-canon": Run a major adventure with a few key decision points and/or success milestones, and based on aggregate feedback results within a certain time period, THAT becomes the official outcome of events in FR. With WotC now supporting this model with two adventures, these events will at least be considered canon. I agree this is a much more interesting approach. Designers and authors get to tee the ball up, but the user community as a whole decides the direction of the Realms.

 

[Someone]

This is from a thread in the Candlekeep forums.

Official news:

No retcons, no reboots.

Gods are coming back.

The worlds are coming apart again.

The Spellplague is being solved.

So, in other words, someone says "I'll set things as they were a century and a half ago and no one will ever mention it again, under penalty of torture”

 

[Sonny]

It's really a shame that I had to miss the keynote because it started late and then the archived version wouldn't play; it sounds like a lot was in there. Thanks for the insights, Pour et alia…

It sounds like WotC is talking about doing what LFR has been doing for the past 2-3 years, despite all of its efforts being "non-canon": Run a major adventure with a few key decision points and/or success milestones, and based on aggregate feedback results within a certain time period, THAT becomes the official outcome of events in FR. With WotC now supporting this model with two adventures, these events will at least be considered canon. I agree this is a much more interesting approach. Designers and authors get to tee the ball up, but the user community as a whole decides the direction of the Realms.

The youtube version is up as well. That one should play alright.

 

[Baileyborough]

For those of us who never got into the realms (I've read the first two Drizzt novels, don't think I've the energy for the rest of it), can anyone recommend a good resource for the Realms so I can bring myself up to date without spending months doing so?

 

[Yora]

Up to date on what?