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In other words, most of the egregious examples are long dead-and-gone, between the effects of the Spellplague and a century's shift in the timeline. So if you want to put in your own exceptional NPC's--a high-level lord-in-waiting or a rogue wizard--they won't be jostling with anyone else's in...

Elminster is an NPC in the FR campaign world setting line who has been used to introduce people to X, Y, Z, Current Clack, on a few occasions lead players into an an adventure, and what not. Elminster is also a character in the FR novel series, and yes, he is effectively the PC in those...

This is why I take the novel characters of FR and see the books, etc., as the perception of those around them. I would not expect to see hide or hair, nor an utterance, in a regular game campaign. There are other characters who would have more impact and usefulness by the very fact they aren't...

The novels depict him as doing so, although since 4E/5E the Old Farte is generally hiding from enemies and keeping lower-than-low in the process of doing so. But Elminster is portrayed as working schemes within schemes, wheels within wheels, for the betterment of whatever high-minded goal it may...

The Forgotten Realms, novels, included have been around long enough that not only are Ed's favorite characters there but the ones dreamt of by other authors. So I get that. But I tend to take them as stories, mostly. And while some names may show up in gossip, really, what I imagine...is that in...

The game just simulates this aspect of gaining experience because it moves the game forward. Of course no one's going to set aside time in their lives to a game session where their character is serving in a military, working their way slowly up the ranks, or a cleric kneeling for hours in...

A) Agreed. Mordenkainen is the dude. A lot of character, and depending on your campaign level play, within a reasonable level range. In fact I pretty much like the whole Circle of Eight thing. B) They kind of tossed the uber-power thing in FR after 3.*. They toned them down a bit--or what's...

Each god has an 'only what you need to know' main entry--the Cliff Notes version/overview. If you want to dig deeper you will find more information elsewhere but it isn't necessary. In other words, not a problem.

Not sure how big of a deal that really is. If one's campaign is slower than the official one it just means some material officially occurred during year X. Doesn't have much of a practical effect.

Exactly! Even starting back in 1st Edition, only the popular or most prominent gods were introduced. The rest only mattered in the game if they were relevant to your campaign. It just seems like people feel/felt compelled to know or keep track of additional material in general in order for their...

I don't think it's that they're "stuck", more like they've disliked various changes: A) The map change where certain parts were resized as if the Realms needed a 'tummy tuck' (the Shaar, etc., pre-4th Edition); B) The effort to make the Realms more 'palatable' to the non-Realms gamers in 4th...

"There's too much info!"---Don't use it. If all you need are the maps and some general ideas on what's what, boom. You're in. "There's too many high-level characters!"--Easily remedied. You may still dislike the ones published in 'canon' but, again, it's easily ignored. I think we get it...

The problem, then, is with that player.

My response was for those who are interested in delving into the Realm and looking for somewhere to start. Was that somehow missed? If you aren't then that post does not apply. If you are, then the previous post applies. As for the rest of the Realms material that isn't referenced in my...

Right now there is no one all-encompassing book to start with. I suppose for 5th Edition I'd go with Ed Greenwood Presents: Elminster's Forgotten Realms and Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. For background on the past I'd go with the 1st Edition grey boxed FR set. If you're looking for information...

The classic modules came out late 70's through mid-80's, then Greyhawk started slipping. That was also when the Forgotten Realms arrived on the scene. I guess my question is...Which adventurers were you trying? Was this when AD&D 2.0 came on the scene, or earlier, or later? With regard to early...

People are bringing up the classic AD&D module series for comparison, really I think it's apples & oranges. The classic AD&D modules are iconic for a reason, the fact that most are set in the World of Greyhawk is, for the most part, incidental. They're iconic, it's another kind of nostalgia--and...

Double-post. My bad! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

One's strengths will also be its weaknesses. Some random bits thrown together: Forgotten Realms has a richness, a depth, that few other campaign settings possess. A lot of history, etc., which then gave rise to the need for Realms scholars who could look at manuscripts for authors and...

Flaws should be reasonable/logical, not punitive. I've seen in previous editions a +2 to abilities needed to be 'balanced' with -4 worth of penalties. Not +2/-2 but +2/-4. Can't find something justifiable? Ram it in. Because the game designers dictated it. They fought so hard for zero-sum game...