D&D 5E 5e isn't a Golden Age of D&D Lorewise, it's Silver at best.

[MadArkitekt]

Yes, but no single book to read or point people to - the best source at the moment remains the 3e FRCS. With the significant changes that WotC introduced in the Realms with 4e and then mostly reverted with 5e, this is, IMO, a notable omission (especially given that Ed is still around and even publishing regional setting books for the Realms, so they could just hire him as a consultant and/or contributor for such a book).

I think I understand. To verify, you’re looking for reference materials (broad term, but it fits)

 

[MadArkitekt]

Yes, but no single book to read or point people to - the best source at the moment remains the 3e FRCS. With the significant changes that WotC introduced in the Realms with 4e and then mostly reverted with 5e, this is, IMO, a notable omission (especially given that Ed is still around and even publishing regional setting books for the Realms, so they could just hire him as a consultant and/or contributor for such a book).

Honestly, I went and found those by various means and read through them a little a day

 

[Mallus]

Ah, the classic “use-value” vs “splat books about Elven brunch customs-value”.

I don’t really have a blink dog in this fight since I mostly homebrew. That said, I like the 5e fiction-bits but have a great deal of fondness for the 2e-era splats & related supplements.

 

[MadArkitekt]

Ah, the classic “use-value” vs “splat books about Elven brunch customs-value”.

I don’t really have a blink dog in this fight since I mostly homebrew. That said, I like the 5e fiction-bits but have a great deal of fondness for the 2e-era splats & related supplements.

Mad slowly turns towards Mallus. He raises a hand, jaw opening unnaturally wide as he screams “Not one of us!!!”

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Yes, but no single book to read or point people to

To contain all the lore that was vomited up in previous editions that would be a single book the size of the Encyclopaedia Brittanica.

No one new to D&D could possibly learn the Forgotten Realms. You either know it because you grew up with it, or you don't.

 

[MadArkitekt]

To contain all the lore that was vomited up in previous editions that would be a single book the size of the Encyclopaedia Brittanica.

No one new to D&D could possibly learn the Forgotten Realms. You either know it because you grew up with it, or you don't.

I can sum Forgotten Realms pretty well:

No one trusts anyone. A maligned god attempted to conquer the land but faltered and spread his seed everywhere. One of them met up with Jahira, Minsc, Boo, and Imoen (the other guy dies). Jahira is a Harper. Minsc is deeply broken and his hamster is of the miniature giant space variety. A beholder named Xanathar runs the show in Waterdeep. Never played Neverwinter Nights or Icewind Dales so…they don’t exist to me. NAILED IT!

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Yes, but no single book to read or point people to - the best source at the moment remains the 3e FRCS. With the significant changes that WotC introduced in the Realms with 4e and then mostly reverted with 5e, this is, IMO, a notable omission (especially given that Ed is still around and even publishing regional setting books for the Realms, so they could just hire him as a consultant and/or contributor for such a book).

It's actually far more complicated then reverting to 3e, because nothing actually got retconned, 5e brought back a lot of things from 3e and even stuff from before 3e, but those things are different from how they used to be, and they kept more from 4e then folks realize, such as Tymanther's key most important locations, various NPCs, the Shadowfell, Feywild, 4e style Tieflings, and more. Plus 5e added a bunch of new things too. The SCAG gives you just enough detail to get a broad sense of the changes, but not enough to actually usable.

 

[Mort]

You know, people like to think of lore, origin stories etc. as some grand thing.

Then you get nuggets like this:

Creative origins​

On the Dragonsfoot forums, Gary Gygax wrote: "Rary was a low-level PC of Brian Blume. He wanted him to make "Medium," so he could be Medium Rary. That's how the character was played...if one can call it that."

 

[schneeland]

I think I understand. To verify, you’re looking for reference materials (broad term, but it fits)

Yes, I think that would be a fair description.
A place that establishes a reference point in terms of history, geography and political landscape of the Realms after the sundering (including things leading up to them where necessary), so I can built upon them for my own campaigns (for specific regions, I would be willing to buy stuff that includes adventure content).
I felt, the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide headed a bit that direction - it just wasn't a good book, and was too regionally limited (we don't need to go to Halruaa, but I would have like to see at least more coverage of Sword Coast-adjacent regions).

 

[schneeland]

It's actually far more complicated then reverting to 3e, because nothing actually got retconned, 5e brought back a lot of things from 3e and even stuff from before 3e, but those things are different from how they used to be, and they kept more from 4e then folks realize, such as Tymanther's key most important locations, various NPCs, the Shadowfell, Feywild, 4e style Tieflings, and more. Plus 5e added a bunch of new things too.

Yes, that's true - I was quite broad there. And I'd really like to see a book that saves me the hassle of having to piece it all together from various sources.