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

[Oofta]

I need a tome so large it’s steel reinforced so as not to sag. I want a book so massive I can drive fence posts with it

This is the 21st century. We just need a wikipedia sized website, no need to kill that many trees! Oh wait ... Forgotten Realms Wiki.

P.S. I think a true campaign setting book would be fine, just not sure it's necessary especially for FR.

 

[MadArkitekt]

Not a fan of lore. Some is needed but I regard lore an enemy of new players and especially DM, particularly if given the impression that they need lore knowledge to play.
I especially despise "canonical" lore, It is the source of much argument and bile and kind of meaninglessness. Since any given groups FR or Greyhawk is bound to be different to another's in some or many details. We do not have canonical history so why should be have canonical lore.
So I am pretty happy as there is enough to act as scaffolding and I can add what I need.
I bought a few lore books in the 3.x era and for the most part never used them.

For people that like lore, I would honestly recommend going back to the TSR era and adapt what you like.

I completely agree. Don’t ram dogma down someone’s throat during their first one shot. If they ask, I tell them where Illithid come from. If it’s a campaign, only include the lore necessary. I believe knowing the lore allows the party to tell a richer and more meaningful story.

 

[MadArkitekt]

This is the 21st century. We just need a wikipedia sized website, no need to kill that many trees! Oh wait ... Forgotten Realms Wiki.

P.S. I think a true campaign setting book would be fine, just not sure it's necessary especially for FR.

You’ve exposed my secret weapon, damn u!!! Well, at least I still have my miniature giant space hamster to guide me

 

[Oofta]

You’ve exposed my secret weapon, damn u!!! Well, at least I still have my miniature giant space hamster to guide me

Apparently giant miniature crocodiles are (or at least were) a real thing so I don't think a miniature giant space hamster is that far fetched. I hear they tend to GO FOR THE EYES!!!

 

[MadArkitekt]

“STEEEENKING EVIL!”

 

[MadArkitekt]

Apparently giant miniature crocodiles are (or at least were) a real thing so I don't think a miniature giant space hamster is that far fetched. I hear they tend to GO FOR THE EYES!!!

“Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, watch it! ...”

 

[Parmandur]

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.

I actually find SCAG extremely useful as a game reaource.

 

[MadArkitekt]

I actually find SCAG extremely useful as a game reaource.

SCAG?

 

[MadArkitekt]

SCAG?

I actually find SCAG extremely useful as a game reaource.

My god, that’s no research.

 

[MadArkitekt]

Who killed Gorion?