D&D 5E Why FR Is "Hated"

[Yaarel]

The merging of the "Dungeons & Dragons" pop-culture name recognition with the "Forgotten Realms campaign setting" intellectual property, seems to create the following trending.

D&D = FR

Any other setting ≠ D&D

Either one plays "D&D" using the Forgotten Realms setting, or else one must use the non-D&D "Open Gaming License" using the 5e System Reference Document. We see this trend already in play in the DMs Guild, where indy-publishers must either cohere with the FR setting, or else cannot use the name "D&D", and must use the OGL to create their own product from scratch.

In other words, to play D&D, a player must use the Forgotten Realms setting (or something identical to the FR setting with its serial numbers filed off), or else use OGL.

It is instructive, that indy companies whose settings disresemble FR, must create their own products from scratch. For example, it is impossible for Adventures in Middle-Earth to consult the baked-in flavor of the FR-flavor Players Handbook, and still be able to evoke the ambiance of the Lord of the Rings setting. Cubicle 7 has no choice but to create its own players handbook entirely from scratch, from the ground up, and to never consult the official D&D Players Handbook.

It is either Forgotten Realms or the non-D&D 5e SRD.

 

[Sadras]

Good post [MENTION=58172]Yaarel[/MENTION]

I'm in the 10% and recently have also become part of the 35%. I just do not have the time to re-create a whole new setting for my players (history, cosmology...etc). It doesn't appeal to me. I'm content tinkering with the rules, updating our Obsidian Portal page and researching the std D&D settings' lore than creating a homebrew setting. I just don't have that much free time and I find adventures these days demand all of my creative energy.
Others prefer to leave the rules as is or disregard established settings with volumes of lore and rather utilise their creativity creating a homebew world for their table. All good

 

[Yaarel]

It seems to me, if WotC plans to publish the Dark Sun setting, the Eberron setting, Dragon Lance, Greyhawk, or any other setting, it is better to create a new non-D&D label.

In other words, create the "Dark Sun Players Handbook" using the Dark Sun brand name but say it is "compatible with D&D". The Dark Sun Players Handbook is a stand-alone gaming book, that includes all the rules necessary to play, and only mentions Races and Subraces and Classes and Archetypes that are pertinent to the unique Dark Sun campaign setting. There would be no need to consult the defacto Forgotten Realms Players Handbook that goes by the name "D&D" but that bakes in Forgotten Realms assumptions.



Edit: For this "Dark Sun Players Handbook", rewrite every spell − even the standard ones − so that its description resonates with the Dark Sun ambiance. And of course, publish entirely new spells that emphasize Dark Sun them.

Do the same for the "Eberron Players Handbook".

 

[jasper]

Chaosmancer….. I understand things like Undermountain are supposed to be too big to fully explore, but we've got hundreds of years of hundreds of people looting tombsYet there are always ruins and tombs nearby the major population centers filled with stuff….
HAS YOUR TOMB BEEN LOOTED BY MURDERHOBOS. IS YOUR GREAT GREAT GREAT GRANPAPA ANGRY SOME PARTY STOLE HIS +1 MELON BALLER FROM HIS COFFIN AND YOU’RE A HIGH ELF. DID YOU JUST REACH ARCHLICH LEVEL ONLY TO BE DEFEATED BY FIRST LEVEL NEWBIES WITH A +12 WARHOG. COME ON DOWN TO JAZZY JASPER JOLLY RECOVERY SERVICE. FOR A SMALL FEE WE WILL RECOVER YOUR ITEMS AND MAKE IT APPEAR IT NEVER HAPPEN.
OR
" DOH! I should use Tom Stranger Interdimensional Insurance" Acererak Demilich!

 

[Davelozzi]

He probably wanted to use magichlorians, but was told no.

Mystrachlorians?

 

[ccs]

The merging of the "Dungeons & Dragons" pop-culture name recognition with the "Forgotten Realms campaign setting" intellectual property, seems to create the following trending.

D&D = FR

Any other setting ≠ D&D

Either one plays "D&D" using the Forgotten Realms setting, or else one must use the non-D&D "Open Gaming License" using the 5e System Reference Document. We see this trend already in play in the DMs Guild, where indy-publishers must either cohere with the FR setting, or else cannot use the name "D&D", and must use the OGL to create their own product from scratch.

In other words, to play D&D, a player must use the Forgotten Realms setting (or something identical to the FR setting with its serial numbers filed off), or else use OGL.

It is instructive, that indy companies whose settings disresemble FR, must create their own products from scratch. For example, it is impossible for Adventures in Middle-Earth to consult the baked-in flavor of the FR-flavor Players Handbook, and still be able to evoke the ambiance of the Lord of the Rings setting. Cubicle 7 has no choice but to create its own players handbook entirely from scratch, from the ground up, and to never consult the official D&D Players Handbook.

It is either Forgotten Realms or the non-D&D 5e SRD.

Are you confusing the word play with the word sell?

 

[Yaarel]

I myself am unable to "play" using the 5e Players Handbook because its unwanted polytheistic flavor is too ubiquitous and more trouble than it is worth.

I have resorted to referencing the 5e SRD, that I customized by manually deleting all of the (many) references to gods.

If I find an indy OGL setting that meets my needs, fine.

As far as I can tell, I will probably migrate over to the (highly customizable) Cortex Prime gaming system when it comes out next year. I am enthusiastic about this game and cant wait to see what it looks like.

As it is now, the baked-in FR polytheism flavor has killed my enthusiasm for D&D. Despite that I have loved D&D for many years. Previous editions confined polytheism to splatbooks or innocuous options. But the 5e defacto-FR Players Handbook, is too much too much.

 

[ccs]

Quote Originally Posted by KahlessNestor View Post

He spends part of The Temptation of Elminster doing that, yes. And he wasn't the only one. Mystra has her Chosen do that frequently to keep magic from becoming monopolized by the powerful and selfish, to spread it more widely.

Oh crap. I thought you folks were kidding. This is actually a thing??!?!?

unfortunately yes. Although i am not sure whether Ed put this in the novels just to troll us

Well yeah, of course it's to troll you.

This does give me an idea for a silly adventure though....

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Demetrios1453]

It seems to me, if WotC plans to publish the Dark Sun setting, the Eberron setting, Dragon Lance, Greyhawk, or any other setting, it is better to create a new non-D&D label.

In other words, create the "Dark Sun Players Handbook" using the Dark Sun brand name but say it is "compatible with D&D". The Dark Sun Players Handbook is a stand-alone gaming book, that includes all the rules necessary to play, and only mentions Races and Subraces and Classes and Archetypes that are pertinent to the unique Dark Sun campaign setting. There would be no need to consult the defacto Forgotten Realms Players Handbook that goes by the name "D&D" but that bakes in Forgotten Realms assumptions.



Edit: For this "Dark Sun Players Handbook", rewrite every spell − even the standard ones − so that its description resonates with the Dark Sun ambiance. And of course, publish entirely new spells that emphasize Dark Sun them.

Do the same for the "Eberron Players Handbook".

While I do sympathize with much of what you said in your two posts, especially when it comes to the DMs Guild, stating that the PHB has the Forgotten Realms "baked in" is pretty off the mark. The PHB is useful for any "generic" D&D setting (like Greyhawk and Mystara) with no changes necessary, and useful for other settings with minor changes (a set-up that has been the case for every other PHB from previous editions as well). While the PHB does have FR examples, it always balances this with examples from other settings as well (the Artemis - Tika comparison on player backgrounds for example). Even more telling is the fact that the spell list has quite a few spells named after various Greyhawk characters, while not one is named after a Forgotten Realms character. The MM is similar in that it spreads the examples among many settings. I do agree, however, concerning at least one part of the DMG, as the part on factions is regrettably rather FR-exclusive. But thats only one small section in the three core books; as for the rest, the rules and examples are conspicuously setting-neutral.



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