D&D 5E Why FR Is "Hated"

[Demetrios1453]

And those were more interesting times in the Realms. I do think, and you can correct me on this, but there is a bizarre obsession sometimes in Forgotten Realms deific soap opera with "portfolios." I don't know how we even were saddled with this cringeworthy term "portfolio" when talking about theological associations, roles, and spheres of influence. And while the idea of deities having shrinking and expanding influences over aspects of the world has basis in the history of religions (and Greyhawk), it's taken to such an incredibly inorganic extreme in the fiction of Forgotten Realms, almost to the point of farce. I half expect that the deities of Faerun do exchange manilla envelopes containing legal paperwork regarding their theological domains. "Here you go, Malar. Here is my divine portfolio containing 'crazy stray cats,' as you have rightfully seized, but I will keep my portfolios containing 'cute Internet cat memes' for the time being. The paperwork checks out all fine with the heavenly legal office and Ao. Pleasure doing business with you.

Actually, using "portfolio" for godly area of influence was standard 2e and 3e nomenclature; all D&D deities had them, from Greyhawk to Greek. I assume the original 2e general deity book Legends and Lore would have been the culprit here for introducing the term.



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[valarmorgulis]

My big problems with FR's gods are:

1. There's very little reason to worship some of them, and they are in a world where their number of followers directly affects their power.
2. The goddess of magic is good and not neutral. This wasn't always the case, she was orginally neutral, but even then her Chosen were 90% good. Thus, it doesn't matter how much of a badass evil wizard you are, the good guys are still the ones with the real super powers.

There's a passage in one of the novels saying something to the effect that Elminster has had a hand in every major defeat of evil in the past 400 years. For all the might of the Realms' BBEGs, the BBGGs are even stronger.

 

[Satyrn]

"Here you go, Malar. Here is my divine portfolio containing 'crazy stray cats,' as you have rightfully seized, but I will keep my portfolios containing 'cute Internet cat memes' for the time being. The paperwork checks out all fine with the heavenly legal office and Ao. Pleasure doing business with you."

Okay. That tells me Malar is not the god I need to pray to. But who's the speaker? Who do I pray to for my daily fix of cuteness?

 

[Caliban]

Okay. That tells me Malar is not the god I need to pray to. But who's the speaker? Who do I pray to for my daily fix of cuteness?

Bastet?

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[MechaPilot]

MechaPilot is a she... ( [MENTION=5100]Mercule[/MENTION] take note)

Thank you for remembering and pointing it out.

I don't really take offense when people assume I'm male here: gaming is still a very largely male hobby, and it's not as if we have gender symbols in the info section under our names (like the stat blocks from some Planescape books did). That said, it's always nice when someone remembers.

 

[Caliban]

Thank you for remembering and pointing it out.

I don't really take offense when people assume I'm male here: gaming is still a very largely male hobby, and it's not as if we have gender symbols in the info section under our names (like the stat blocks from some Planescape books did). That said, it's always nice when someone remembers.

Sorry. I usually try to use gender neutral terms on here when I don't know for sure. Of course one of the few times I forget to do it, it's when I'm replying to a woman.

 

[MechaPilot]

Sorry. I usually try to use gender neutral terms on here when I don't know for sure. Of course one of the few times I forget to do it, it's when I'm replying to a woman.

Gotta love Murphy's law.

It's fine though. I might have some days where it really irritates me, but on average (as well as today, specifically) it doesn't bother me because I realize there's no way of knowing apart from checking my profile page before replying to me. And, to be frank, I don't expect anyone to put in that additional work. Lord knows I don't.

 

[ccs]

There's a passage in one of the novels saying something to the effect that Elminster has had a hand in every major defeat of evil in the past 400 years. For all the might of the Realms' BBEGs, the BBGGs are even stronger.

Hmm. That's not how it's ever occurred at any game I've ever played in/run. Elminister must've been off saving your campaigns & making your PCs feel small.

 

[ccs]

Gotta love Murphy's law.

It's fine though. I might have some days where it really irritates me, but on average (as well as today, specifically) it doesn't bother me because I realize there's no way of knowing apart from checking my profile page before replying to me. And, to be frank, I don't expect anyone to put in that additional work. Lord knows I don't.

I've found that just paying attention to what people say in their posts works.

 

[valarmorgulis]

Or your defeats of evil never qualified as 'major'.

Joking aside, no of course that's not what happened in my games. But when such things are mentioned in canon material, it can be hard for people to ignore.