What do you think about the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting Book

[Keefe the Thief]

The book sounds pretty cool to me... Definitely my style... An overview of a setting, with lots of wiggle room...

One thing that IS NOT my style though... A map bound into the book you have to tear out. LAME! I HATE that. With a passion.

I'm one of those people who can't stand the thought of even doggy earing a page in a book. Tear something oput of it? YUCK YUCK YUCK YUCK YUCK.

I don't even like it when they're glued in with those gummy glue strip things.

Btw, now that the map is up for download, i don´t get all the take about how ugly it is. Sure, it cannot compete with the old Dragonlance maps or even the 3e FRCS one. But its clear and concise. I like it, though they could have done better.

 

[JohnRTroy]

I was okay with this book, but it does feel like it's lacking something.

In other words, if you want the timeline for the last 94 years, YOU HAVE TO PAY EXTRA FOR IT. You have to get a DDI subscription to have access to what should already be in the book you just paid $39.95 for!

Well, to be fair, it seems like most of the current novels now are or will be taking place in this hundred-year gap, so I think they don't want to provide details because (a) the Novels aren't all finished and they don't want to spoil them and (b) there is enough of the "unknown" that they don't want to be tied into a fixed and detail 100-year plot.

 

[Fenes]

Well, to be fair, it seems like most of the current novels now are or will be taking place in this hundred-year gap, so I think they don't want to provide details because (a) the Novels aren't all finished and they don't want to spoil them and (b) there is enough of the "unknown" that they don't want to be tied into a fixed and detail 100-year plot.

So, instead of having the history defined now, they'll let/force DMs to fill in their own history, then let the novel authors loose to redefine the history (with more RSEs), causing DMs to either retcon their campaigns or ignore canon, but risk the very "But that's not how it is" arguments with fans they wanted to avoid in the first place?

Fresh start indeed.

 

[sckeener]

What the heck happened to Mulhorand? What is this High Imaskar doing there? Why is Skuld in ruins?

Messempar and Unthalass in ruins I get...I had heard that dragons-kin had taken over...I'm sure Tiamat is pleased.....

But out of the trio of old empires, Chessenta (greek), Unther (Sumerian), and Mulhorand (Egyptian), Chessenta is the only one to survive? Half-orc/Sparta Chessenta?

 

[Steely Dan]

So, instead of having the history defined now, they'll let/force DMs to fill in their own history, then let the novel authors loose to redefine the history (with more RSEs), causing DMs to either retcon their campaigns or ignore canon, but risk the very "But that's not how it is" arguments with fans they wanted to avoid in the first place?

Yeah, I hate authors of novels or modules crapping all over settings…Dark Sun…Ravenloft…Planescape, need I say more?

 

[Achan hiArusa]

Double Post

 

[Achan hiArusa]

I accuse the makers of this book of Racism. It seems that the marketing people that forced Redgar to be one of the Iconics has won. Except for the Tuigan barbarians (who cares if the darkies are barbarians after all) every interesting nonwestern culture in the realms has been devastated or destroyed. Fair Calimshan with its 13th century Moorish culture has been overrun with Genasi and mostly reduced to a desert. Maztica, with its Amerindian cultures and a platform to deal with the weighty issues of colonialism has been replaced with Abeir which is just a "cool" place to kill more monsters. Of Kara-Tur we hear nothing except the dragon in the Dragonwall was set free and presumably went on a rampage. The Bedine tribes of the Anauroch with their Bedouin culture have been assimilated by Netheril. Thay, though not devastated, is now simply a 30th level capstone encounter with Szass Tam when it used to be a rich Ottoman type magocracy. They have completed the destruction of the Old Empires, which themselves were an incredibly rich set of cultures that were a refreshing break from the pseudo-Western medieval standard D&D fare. The beautiful Egyptian style Mulhorandi have been displaced by the culturally ambigious Imaskari, the Untherics by Genasi again, and the Chessentans, though still there, are now just a warlike culture instead of the Golden Age Greeks that they were.

Its rare that I ever take back a book, but this one is going back as soon as I have the time.

 

[Fenes]

What the heck happened to Mulhorand? What is this High Imaskar doing there? Why is Skuld in ruins?

Messempar and Unthalass in ruins I get...I had heard that dragons-kin had taken over...I'm sure Tiamat is pleased.....

But out of the trio of old empires, Chessenta (greek), Unther (Sumerian), and Mulhorand (Egyptian), Chessenta is the only one to survive? Half-orc/Sparta Chessenta?

Hm... that's something the book may be good for: Running a 3E adventure where my current high-level party in Mulhorand/Unther can foil such events. Unless of course those events are not detailed in the book...

 

[Fenes]

I accuse the makers of this book of Racism. It seems that the marketing people that forced Redgar to be one of the Iconics has won. Except for the Tuigan barbarians (who cares if the darkies are barbarians after all) every interesting nonwestern culture in the realms has been devastated or destroyed. Fair Calimshan with its 13th century Moorish culture has been overrun with Genasi and mostly reduced to a desert. Maztica, with its Amerindian cultures and a platform to deal with the weighty issues of colonialism has been replaced with Abeir which is just a "cool" place to kill more monsters. Of Kara-Tur we hear nothing except the dragon in the Dragonwall was set free and presumably went on a rampage. The Bedine tribes of the Anauroch with their Bedouin culture have been assimilated by Netheril. Thay, though not devastated, is now simply a 30th level capstone encounter with Szass Tam when it used to be a rich Ottoman type magocracy. They have completed the destruction of the Old Empires, which themselves were an incredibly rich set of cultures that were a refreshing break from the pseudo-Western medieval standard D&D fare. The beautiful Egyptian style Mulhorandi have been displaced by the culturally ambigious Imaskari, the Untherics by Genasi again, and the Chessentans, though still there, are now just a warlike culture instead of the Golden Age Greeks that they were.

Its rare that I ever take back a book, but this one is going back as soon as I have the time.

I am usually sceptical when claims of racism in books are made, but it is very strange how every non-european culture was destroyed/changed while the medieval european setting parts were left in place.

For someone who prefers those "exotic" parts to the western medieval setting, that's another strike against the setting.

 

[Steely Dan]

I accuse the makers of this book of Racism. It seems that the marketing people that forced Redgar to be one of the Iconics has won. Except for the Tuigan barbarians (who cares if the darkies are barbarians after all) every interesting nonwestern culture in the realms has been devastated or destroyed. Fair Calimshan with its 13th century Moorish culture has been overrun with Genasi and mostly reduced to a desert. Maztica, with its Amerindian cultures and a platform to deal with the weighty issues of colonialism has been replaced with Abeir which is just a "cool" place to kill more monsters. Of Kara-Tur we hear nothing except the dragon in the Dragonwall was set free and presumably went on a rampage. The Bedine tribes of the Anauroch with their Bedouin culture have been assimilated by Netheril. Thay, though not devastated, is now simply a 30th level capstone encounter with Szass Tam when it used to be a rich Ottoman type magocracy. They have completed the destruction of the Old Empires, which themselves were an incredibly rich set of cultures that were a refreshing break from the pseudo-Western medieval standard D&D fare. The beautiful Egyptian style Mulhorandi have been displaced by the culturally ambigious Imaskari, the Untherics by Genasi again. And the Chessentans, though still there, are now just a warlike culture instead of the Golden Age Greeks that they were.

I'm sad to hear all of that, as the non-western parts of the Realms were my favourite bits!

…But if they manage to slip in a hot, drow, shemale society I could be happy.