D&D 5E The case for (and against) a new Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting book

[Ruin Explorer]

I have to say, I re-read SCAG recently and I wow... I didn't even notice how incredibly bare-bones it was before, because I didn't read the setting stuff before, figuring I knew it.

It''s not good. It's not at all good. It's downright sad. It's not even "sketchy" in it presentation of the FR, it's far less than a sketch. I'm kind of scared actually looking back at it, because it looks like the extremely half-arsed way Greyhawk got treated in 3E, before basically vanishing beneath the wave like Atlantis.

I feel like it's only stuff like Waterdeep and Baldur's Gate potentially keeping the FR "afloat" at this point.

Why? The 3e book is 320 pages. Why do people automatically think an FRCS book would be so huge or have to cover Maztica, Kara-tur, Al Qadim etc? It never has in the past and no reason to in the future.

100% agree. Just cover the actual main FR and give a bit more detail on the other areas.

I'm reading Greenwood's Border Kingdoms book right now, and I have to admit, compared to the old FR Adventures book from 1990, it makes me sad. You have all these cool places being described, but it's in some haste, and you don't get the amazing run-downs FRA and other, older FR stuff had, with a map, population amount and breakdown, major figures and places and so on. Does it make me want to run a campaign in the Border Kingdoms? Hell yes. I haven't wanted to run the FR for years, but this does the job! But detail of the FR is the joy of the FR, for me, it's what makes it such a peculiar and wonderful setting, and I feel like with a budget, Greenwood would have had all that stuff, but he clearly didn't have much of a budget, and its a real pity (still going to find a way to run it, by hook or by crook though).

 

[Fenris447]

I would buy it, because I'm a sucker and I make no bones about that.

But I don't need it at all. I've run LMOP and the FR parts of BGDIA. For the former, I expanded out a lot of backstory, information, and external influences to include other parts of the Sword Coast and beyond. I still mine the Forgotten Realms wiki at least once a week for information I can incorporate into those ongoing campaigns. We're saturated on Forgotten Realms lore, so the only new information a 5e FR setting book could add is clarification on the present state of things in the 1490's. And even that is barely useful to me.

I'd much rather they spend the same resources on a different setting or book, one that doesn't already have plenty of resources available on the internet or in previous editions.

 

[atanakar]

If they can sell thousands of copies why not.
But I have no use for it, so won't buy it.

 

[Mecheon]

I'm gonna pick on another point:

• "Enough of the Realms, already!"

The glacial pace of books being released this time around necessitates that a FR book would come at the cost of say, a Spelljammer book. Or a Dark Sun book.

I will gladly argue that FR does not deserve another setting book before they get something. Maybe once all of that is over and done with we can look at it, but when Dark Sun and Spelljammer fans are still without any sort of update? Absolutely against more being done for FR.

 

[eyeheartawk]

I'm gonna pick on another point:


The glacial pace of books being released this time around necessitates that a FR book would come at the cost of say, a Spelljammer book. Or a Dark Sun book.

I will gladly argue that FR does not deserve another setting book before they get something. Maybe once all of that is over and done with we can look at it, but when Dark Sun and Spelljammer fans are still without any sort of update? Absolutely against more being done for FR.

I mean, yeah, I agree there. But what if the choice is between an actual FR book, and say another Magic book, or some homebrew esque celebrity adjacent Wildemount type stuff or yet another adventure path?

Given the publication history this edition, I find that to be a more likely scenario WOTC finds itself deciding between.

 

[Mecheon]

I mean, yeah, I agree there. But what if the choice is between an actual FR book, and say another Magic book, or some homebrew esque celebrity adjacent Wildemount type stuff or yet another adventure path?

I vote for whatever gives me, someone who doesn't play in FR, more stuff to use in my own stuff

Something like Border Kingdoms gives me nothing on the non-FR side of things, whereas the homebrew and MTG stuff gives me stuff I can use elsewhere

 

[Xenonnonex]

The release of books by Wizards should continue to follow themes. And would I wager. Another FR book simply because will not even be considered by Wizards. It needs to bring something new to 5e.

 

[Parmandur]

There should now be overwhelming evidence that a great many also would rather have actual campaign settings.

Well, they have just done three big ones in a row, and are putting out FR mini-Settings constantly.

 

[Parmandur]

Not a big Realms fan, but SCAG was a joke. For a default setting they don't tell you much about anywhere other than 3 cities in the Sword Coast area and virtually nothing about anywhere else.

Plus, you know, it would be nice if actual D&D settings outnumber Magic The Gathering setting books in D&D.

Magic Settings are now D&D Settings.

 

[eyeheartawk]

Magic Settings are now D&D Settings.

Technically, yes.

Technically, they're also cross platform promotions.

Neither of which fills me with the sweet warm fuzzies, of say, Spelljammer, Planescape etc.