The Sundering Begins - "The Companions" by R.A. Salvatore (spoilers)

[the Jester]

That about sums it up for me. I was glad that a few of the original characters were still around (e.g. Artemis Entreri), but reincarnating all of Drizzt's old friends? I'm sorry but that's either laziness, greed, or the author having fallen so completely in love with his own characters that he can't let them go, none of which are a compelling reason. Blah.

I know, right? Kill your darlings, authors, kill your darlings.

 

[TerraDave]

Instead of coming up with new characters, the author reincarnates dead ones?

I think it embodies what the sundering is all about.

 

[Raunalyn]

Drizzt is simply the most blatant Mary-Sue character I've ever seen. I read the Icewind Dale trilogy and actually enjoyed it. Every book that featured Drizzt after that was just plain old twaddle.

I have no idea what happened after Starless Night...I couldn't read it anymore.

Some of the Realms novels were quite good; Azure Bonds, Spellfire, the Avatar Trilogy, Prince of Lies. What's happened to them?

 

[JeffB]

Well this is why I ignore all the novels: They ruin a fine original campaign setting for gaming

 

[TwoSix]

The amount of metaplot in the Forgotten Realms now would make a mid-90s White Wolf writer weep with envy. Seriously, WotC just did one of the best campaign setting reboots ever three years ago with Dark Sun, they can't just reboot FR into some pre-Spellplague timeline and explain away the Spellplague as a dream or something, a la Bobby Ewing in the shower?

 

[Raunalyn]

The amount of metaplot in the Forgotten Realms now would make a mid-90s White Wolf writer weep with envy. Seriously, WotC just did one of the best campaign setting reboots ever three years ago with Dark Sun, they can't just reboot FR into some pre-Spellplague timeline and explain away the Spellplague as a dream or something, a la Bobby Ewing in the shower?

I think it would be absolutely awesome if they did the same thing to Dragonlance as they did to Dark Sun. 2E Dark Sun was really difficult for me to get into because of the metaplot. Sure, I could have ignored it, but it just didn't have enough hooks for me to really develop an interesting story. 4e DS, however, is my favorite 4e setting. No metaplot, lots of neat little hints that are easy to make into interesting ideas.

I'm all for continuing game worlds, keeping history running. But for some of the game worlds where the metaplot has become too ingrained in the setting?

FR tried to do something different with the Spell Plague and advancing the timeline 100 years. I actually liked that. But the rest of it was too much of a mess for me...

 

[Kinak]

The people of Toril must really hate it when Wizards of the Coast decide to launch a new edition: every time, their world is subjected to some kind of cataclysm!

"We hate you, Mel Brooks!"

 

[Derren]

Is there are least a semi-"logical" explanation why they are all resurrected or just "Uhm, we need those characters so they are reborn by this ine time event never hinted at before and never referenced again"?

 

[Alzrius]

Is there are least a semi-"logical" explanation why they are all resurrected or just "Uhm, we need those characters so they are reborn by this ine time event never hinted at before and never referenced again"?

From what I understand, the goddess Mielikki asks them to accept reincarnation, because "Drizzt needs them," and all but Wulfgar agree.

 

[Derren]

From what I understand, the goddess Mielikki asks them to accept reincarnation, because "Drizzt needs them," and all but Wulfgar agree.

A literal Deus Ex Machina then...