D&D 5E 5E Forgotten Realms: what will it look like?

[Nivenus]

I'm pretty firmly against hitting the reset button. I don't see how it can help, accept by appealing to those people who didn't like 4e, who may not be invested in buying 5e to begin with.

I think the best solution would to, as many people say, follow the Star Wars model and use the FRCG to provide a general outlook of the Realms in general, with perhaps a chapter devoted to describing the different periods of Realms history (roughly 1e, 2e-3e, and 4e). Then, later on, they can release supplements (either through D&DI or print) that describe in more detail how to play for each era.

That's a bit ambitious, but it's hardly impossible and it seems like it would have the greatest chance of appealing to nearly everyone. Yes, there will of course be some people who will just want to pretend 4e never happened, but that's up to them on their own time: there's plenty of good material from 4e and those who like it shouldn't be discounted as "true" FR fans.

 

[Wormwood]

I think we're one more Realms Changing Event from seeing a wholesale novel-writers revolt.

 

[Alzrius]

I personally don't think WotC will turn back the setting's timeline...but it should be noted that they did do that with Dark Sun, so it's not like it's unheard of.

 

[Therise]

Whatever happens for 5E, it does seem they have some "big" Realms-sweeping events in mind for upcoming novels:

Will they be like Realms-Shatttering Events of the past? Good or bad for the Realms? Thoughts? Opinions?

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Spinner-Lies-Forgotten-Realms-ebook/dp/B005C5QS90/ref=pd_sim_b_7"]Spinner of Lies[/ame] novel, due Apr 2012

"a sequel to Sword of the Gods, and is also tied to the Rise of the Underdark, an event that will have bold, sweeping ramifications across (and under) the Forgotten Realms."
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[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Demon-Weave-Forgotten-Realms-ebook/dp/B0067AZG1A/ref=pd_sim_kinc_33?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2"]Demon Weave[/ame] novel, due Sept 2012

"A 'prophet' moves among the drow. A fallen priest, a scoundrel, a seductress, and if history is any guide, an avatar of Lolth herself. There are whispers to the leaders of the great drow Houses, communicating Lolth's desire: The Spider Queen will spin a new Weave and take Mystra's vacant seat as god of magic.

To engender Lolth's apotheosis into the goddess of arcane magic, the drow must gather ancient power: primordial relics, remains of great wizards, artifacts once sacred to Mystra (the dead goddess of magic), and gain control of magical locations on the world's surface.

Drow society is strained to the breaking point by this revelation. The female-dominated priesthood doesn't care to hear her message, a message that would dilute their own importance and raise male wizards as equals, or worse. They invent reasons to doubt the provenance of the message. Many reject her and her message, and try to banish proponents as frauds and heretics.

But wizards among the drow, and the priestesses of wizard-friendly Houses (including House Barrison Del'Armgo the Second House of Menzoberranzan, and House Xolorrin the Third House of Menzoberranzan, among others) set about carrying out Lolth's plan. They desire to lay the foundation for a new Weave . . . and bring about the everlasting darkness that will cover the world above. "


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[Therise]

I foresee a core campaign setting book (or boxed set) that allows for all eras of play for the Realms. Think like the 3E Dragonlance setting book but bigger and bolder.

The Forgotten Realms has become an iconic setting, and it isn't hard to imagine FR fans going ga-ga over a newly revised set that allows them to pick the timeline they want their campaign to be set in.

In a revised FR set I could see the following:

• A solid, durable box. Don't ever use the material from those flimsy 4E boxes ever again. Make the boxes durable. Use the design ideas you used for the D&D board game boxes. Make this FR boxed set a must have for all FR fans!
• DM's Sourcebook: Campaign design for any era and a Who's Who of the Realms. Includes a comprehensive Gazetteer of the world including an appendix for the various sub-settings.
• Player's Guide: All the iconic character options for the Realms. You know what they are. Don't skimp.
• History of the Realms: Like the hardcover they did, but designed more for the game and less for the coffee table.
• Monster Guide: A detailed listing of the appropriate monsters from the Monster Manual/Vault and any "required" monsters not already detailed. Since I'm making this a box, I'd add in monster tokens for the new monsters. Tokens are cool!
• An introductory adventure.
• Maps: Four full-sized maps that shows the classic vision of the setting. If people want to play in the post-Spellplague era, theyshould hang on to their 4E hardcover. The maps should be double-sided, however. On the other side, include maps of the most iconic cities or regions (Baldur's Gate, Shadowdale, Thay, Watedeep) Have more maps embedded throughout the DM's book with two key maps on the inside covers.
• An extra piece of coolness. Something that makes the box really worth the price it's going to cost. A CD, perhaps, that includes some of the best classic realms products on it as PDFs. Or a collectible art card like what was done with the D&D Silver Anniversary boxed set. Just don't fill the extra space with treasure cards.

I do think something like this might be what WotC ends up doing.

But honestly, I'm not sure it's enough to really bring me back as a customer. As a long-timer, I have pretty much all the 1E, 2E and 3E material. And I've heard enough, skimmed enough, of the 4E Realms to know that I really hate the 4E Realms.

Fancy maps alone just won't cut it... and everything from the past I pretty much have. It may be that there isn't a whole lot they could offer me, except for a re-set or alternate timeline that obliterates 4E.

 

[Knightfall]

I do think something like this might be what WotC ends up doing.

But honestly, I'm not sure it's enough to really bring me back as a customer. As a long-timer, I have pretty much all the 1E, 2E and 3E material. And I've heard enough, skimmed enough, of the 4E Realms to know that I really hate the 4E Realms.

Fancy maps alone just won't cut it... and everything from the past I pretty much have. It may be that there isn't a whole lot they could offer me, except for a re-set or alternate timeline that obliterates 4E.

Unfortunately, I don't think that's going to happen. They could surprise us, but as you noted with the upcoming novels, it looks like the post-Spellplague era is here to stay.

What if they followed up the box I came up with with a re-release of the classic version of the Realms, but revised and expanded for the new rules? Maybe not as another box, but as a hardcover.

 

[Nivenus]

I actually wouldn't be entirely opposed to a hard reset of the setting that gets rid of everything, but only if it was really a reboot and not just a "4e didn't happen" reset. The former puts everyone on equal ground and could try to incorporate the best of both, while the latter would alienate those who did like 4e FR (which is, despite many's assertions, not an insignificant number).

However, I feel that most fans of both types would not like a reboot so, as I said earlier, they're better off just moving forward.

 

[Therise]

Unfortunately, I don't think that's going to happen. They could surprise us, but as you noted with the upcoming novels, it looks like the post-Spellplague era is here to stay.

What if they followed up the box I came up with with a re-release of the classic version of the Realms, but revised and expanded for the new rules? Maybe not as another box, but as a hardcover.

It sounds good, sort of. But if it's mostly copying or reprinting information and lore that I already have in other supplements, I think I'd need something more to justify the purchase. Honestly, I don't really know what the best answer would be.

 

[Therise]

I actually wouldn't be entirely opposed to a hard reset of the setting that gets rid of everything, but only if it was really a reboot and not just a "4e didn't happen" reset. The former puts everyone on equal ground and could try to incorporate the best of both, while the latter would alienate those who did like 4e FR (which is, despite many's assertions, not an insignificant number).

However, I feel that most fans of both types would not like a reboot so, as I said earlier, they're better off just moving forward.

I could actually go for this. Sort of a Star Trek '09 reboot of the franchise.

Creating an alternate timeline, setting it back to old 1E, that might work for me.

 

[howandwhy99]

I've never understood why almost all history in campaign settings has happened before the assumed campaign starting point. Information about what will happen in the future (unless the PC's do something about it) is often more useful to me as a DM.

Knowing the future timeline is required for my game. But when it's in the setting book the catch is: so do the players. That may be your thing, but it has spawned any number of canon lawyers in the past. FR has been notorious for this.