Critical Role [+] What does Wildemount do that Forgotten Realms doesn't?

[Ruin Explorer]

- I personally dislike most Ed Greenwood-style names (Jalantyr Mistgem, Sildar Hallwinter, Kelemvor Lyonsbane, etc.). If, like me, you feel these names are like nails on a chalkboard, then Wildemount is mercifully (mostly) free of them.

Interesting. Having basically been raised on the FR, this is practically a selling point for me, though I no longer run it. When we'd been playing there for like 3-4 years, we got to the point where we could just make up really "Realms-y" sounding names without even thinking about it.

And if I had to pick one thing it does better than FR, it's how so many of the various nations and city-states are at the edge of war with each other. If you're looking for large-scale conflicts, it'd be a better fit.

I do think the nigh-perpetual peace beyond "raids" and "spying" is a big part of what weakened the FR, and I notice no setting I've run since has been like that. Nations were often quite far from nations they were messing with, and always seemed to be using subterfuge and naughtiness rather than, y'know, sending an army or anything.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Yeah, if you wanted international conflict, depending on the edition you were mostly stuck with fighting either Thay or Zhentil Keep.

I do think the nigh-perpetual peace beyond "raids" and "spying" is a big part of what weakened the FR, and I notice no setting I've run since has been like that. Nations were often quite far from nations they were messing with, and always seemed to be using subterfuge and naughtiness rather than, y'know, sending an army or anything.

 

[gyor]

This is the catch with campaign settings as content: you really only need a couple and any overlap in tone makes them less desirable.

Okay, what does the Wildemount have that the Realms doesn't?

First is the open war. The two big nations in the book are either on the verge of war or actively at war. There's no comparable war in the Realms, as there are no massive empires. And other WotC settings (like Eberron) tend to be set after war.

Most importantly, this war is not good versus evil. The Dwendalian Empire will SAY they're the good guys with their traditional fantasy races against the drow and monstrous races of Xhorhas who are spreading a magical darkness across the land.
But the drow are actually civilized, decent and just making a home for themselves and other traditionally subterranean races on the surface without being blinded. And they view the humans of the west as xenophobes who practice religious persecution and arrest those who don't follow their narrow list of prescribed gods.

There's other features. The continent is smaller and full of fewer nations and less real world analogues. Modern D&D races like goliaths, firbolgs, and kenku have a role in the world. There's a much smaller pantheon of gods. And the world is lower power and magic, so the PCs can be the big damn heroes and not overshadowed by an Elminster or Drizzt.

There are both active wars and massive empires in the Forgotten Realms.

Tymanther and Unther are at war for example, Shou Lung, Tu Lung, Wa, Mulhorand, Amn, and some others are massive empires.

 

[Parmandur]

There are both active wars and massive empires in the Forgotten Realms.

Tymanther and Unther are at war for example, Shou Lung, Tu Lung, Wa, Mulhorand, Amn, and some others are massive empires.

But none of that is on the Sword Coast, other than Amn.

 

[jgsugden]

The Realms is massive and at different times, different politican issues have been there - so you can do almost anything in it. However, I find it too much. Smaller worlds suit me better, so most of my settings have three or four heavily populated areas (the size of a FR Kingdom) and then a lot of ruined spaces with sprce populations.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

Much less canon to trip over in Wildemount; unless your players are critters.

 

[Parmandur]

Much less canon to trip over in Wildemount; unless your players are critters.

Even if they are Critters, the book is actually ideally set up to avoid complications from the show, and actively discusses that topic.

 

[Weiley31]

Well for starters, it's gives Hexblades a much more legit Patron, in the form of The Arms of the Betrayers, that matches their fluff set up more than "Hey, let's mix in the Raven Queen Patron UA in fluff only with a Martial warlock" that the Hexblade got. And this is coming from somebody who loves both the Raven Queen Patron UA AND the Hexblade.

The Echo Knight is great if you wanted a Middle Earth: Shadow of War Ringwraith like opponent/character via Echo refluffing and the Hollow One Supernatural Gift.

If you wanted some Tharizdun monsters/Great Old Ones servants, then you have that covered via the Core Spawn monsters. There is also a neat Toad devil that you can probably use for a one shot villain and a sweet entry for Frost Giant Zombies. Which would be perfect for "Attack on Titan" style DND hijinxes.

It also offers rules for leveling up your weapons. If you wanted your character to use his dead sister's training blade instead of that shiny new shotgun or whip, you can keep up with that.

And then of course, if you didn't get the books they appeared in, it has a number of reprinted races like the Assimar, Tabaxi, and Tortles in the player options. Which for me is great as I don't own said books they appear in. The Tortle was DMguilds exclusive originally IIRC.

So even if you don't care or plan on running a Crit Roll campaign, it's VERY NICE for cherry picking stuff.

 

[gyor]

But none of that is on the Sword Coast, other than Amn.

Amn isn't concidered part of the Swordcoast even though it shares the same coast line, Amn is apart of the Lands of Intrigue, along with Tethyr and Calimshan.

And the question I was responding to did not specify the Swordcoast, it specified the Realms, your lucky because I could have pointed out the war between Lizardfolk and Aarokcora on islands inside of a massive gas giant (breathable) in Realmspace, or the plane sized Mindflayer empire on Glyph, or the Primordial Empire Shyr on Abeir, ect...

Instead I showed self restraint and kept it to Toril only.

 

[Parmandur]

Amn isn't concidered part of the Swordcoast even though it shares the same coast line, Amn is apart of the Lands of Intrigue, along with Tethyr and Calimshan.

And the question I was responding to did not specify the Swordcoast, it specified the Realms, your lucky because I could have pointed out the war between Lizardfolk and Aarokcora on islands inside of a massive gas giant (breathable) in Realmspace, or the plane sized Mindflayer empire on Glyph, or the Primordial Empire Shyr on Abeir, ect...

Instead I showed self restraint and kept it to Toril only.

Yeah, but practically, the Sword Coast is what people usually mean.