D&D (2024) Wargamer Takes Shot At WotC for Not Respecting Forgotten Realms Canon.

[DarkCrisis]

Meh, the Forgotten Realms were ruined with the Time of Troubles. This is small potatoes.

I’d say it was ruined with the Spellplague. The 100 year leap (killing 90% of the iconics) into 4th ed broke the hell out of it.

 

[Azzy]

I’d say it was ruined with the Spellplague. The 100 year leap (killing 90% of the iconics) into 4th ed broke the hell out of it.

I think the FR jumped the shark with the Time of Troubles and the FR Adventures book.

 

[Cergorach]

@DEFCON 1 We already had the 4e FR campaign guide for the 100 year leap, 5e book would update another ~15 year after that.

But regarding a 100 year leap... Sure things happened... But were they that earth shattering? Let's take 1900 to 2000: Two world wars, cold war, atomics, flight, automobile in general use, coastlines have changed, large pandemics... OK, nevermind!

No the issue isn't that things change in a 100+ years, the issue is the 100 year leap in the first place imho.

1987 - FR1 boxed set [DR1357]
1993 - FR2 boxed set [DR1367] 6 years RL => 10 years in game
2001 - FR3 campaign book [DR1372] 8 years RL => 5 years in game
2008 - FR4 campaign book [DR1479] 7 years RL => 107 years in game
2025 - FR5 campaign book [DR1494?] 17 years RL => 15? years in game

Honestly, the progress from 2e to 3e was best for me.

 

[TiQuinn]

I think the FR jumped the shark with the Time of Troubles and the FR Adventures book.

I used to think it jumped the shark there but I realized it just crystallized for me that canon is effectively nonsense. Use what appeals to you and discard what doesn’t and create your own timeline of events. My Forgotten Realms is a mish mash of 2e and 3e with maybe a smattering of 5e lore.

 

[ECMO3]

You being "into something" doesn't mean businesses are obliged to provide it for you. D&D is a game for playing.

Of course. And further we can ban it, modify it or whatever to meet our personal preferences.

That said it makes no sense at all thematically to fans of the Forgotten Realms and in that respect it is out of place and disappointing to people that play games heavily tied to that setting.

There are a lot of threads on this forum talking about Rangers and many people on this that can't stand spells on Rangers. This is for thematic reasons based on how those people see Rangers. WOTC does not have to provide that for them either, but that does not mean their opinions have no value.

It is a similar situation here.

 

[DarkCrisis]

I used to think it jumped the shark there but I realized it just crystallized for me that canon is effectively nonsense. Use what appeals to you and discard what doesn’t and create your own timeline of events. My Forgotten Realms is a mish mash of 2e and 3e with maybe a smattering of 5e lore.

My Faerun games are always in the 2E era despite what ed I’m playing.

It’s funny how much WotC had to fix things after 4th. Oh eh Volo is still alive because if magic. And so is Minsc. And eh, Drizzts friends are all alive again!

Caderly still gone though

 

[TiQuinn]

My Faerun games are always in the 2E era despite what ed I’m playing.

It’s funny how much WotC had to fix things after 4th. Oh eh Volo is still alive because if magic. And so is Minsc. And eh, Drizzts friends are all alive again!

Caderly still gone though

Right? I’ve seen no real purpose to advancing timelines in settings. Let DMs do that.

 

[Azzy]

My Faerun games are always in the 2E era despite what ed I’m playing.

That's the way to do it—choose whatever timeline/lore you like and just go with that.

 

[Demetrios1453]

Anyone who complains about retconning FR canon doesn't really know much about the setting.

WotC has often retconned FR canon.

TSR often retconned FR canon.

Heck, even Ed Greenwood often retconned FR canon.

 

[TiQuinn]

Anyone who complains about retconning FR canon doesn't really know much about the setting.

WotC has often retconned FR canon.

TSR often retconned FR canon.

Heck, even Ed Greenwood often retconned FR canon.

Technicallllllllllllly, FR was retconned before it even became a product!