D&D 3E/3.5 5e Forgotten Realms - should it be closer to 3e or 4e?

[Olgar Shiverstone]

The 3E FRCS was extremely well done as gaming books go. I'd like something of that quality, but I'd prefer a reboot to the Grey Box of FR. Even the 3E FRCS introduced a bit too much goofiness (return of the Shades, [MENTION=2446]DonAdam[/MENTION]'s entire list, etc, etc).

Reset to Grey Box, ditch the RSE's and big-name NPCs, let the point of light be points of light, and put it in a quality book. Freeze the timeline and expand outward, not forward, and I think we have a winner.

I'm thinking "Like Greyhawk but with the map of Faerun" sort of thing.

 

[Alzrius]

I much prefer the 3E presentation of the Realms, which was large and expansive, which to my mind is exactly what the Realms should be.

I disagree with the idea that the Realms need to be reset to how they were in the 1E gray boxed set. From what I understand, this presented a little-detailed area, without much context of where it existed in a larger world, so that DM's could freely flesh out the world as they liked.

I say that's a bad thing, if for no other reason than we've already had a campaign setting that does that. Which one? ALL OF THEM!

Seriously, the descriptions of the 1E FR campaign setting sound like Greyhawk, like Mystara, like Birthright...hell, in terms of level of detail it even sounds like Dark Sun and Ravenloft!

The thing I liked most about the Realms was the vast amounts of detail it presented; so much detail that you could dig into it in a scholar-like fashion, the way Tolkien fans could for Middle Earth. I liked that D&D had a setting that rich, that developed, that expansive that you could learn so much about it.

For those who didn't like that level of detail, you can just ignore it or rule it out in your games. Is the fear of having some annoying "canon-lawyer" really so bad that you'd prefer the entire campaign line be reset rather than allowing for one D&D setting to be rich in depth?

[/rant]

 

[delericho]

True, but they didn't kill of all the character

No, but that was only because they kept wanting to use them as guest stars!

or change the groundrules of the world.

Well, Klingons went from being the big bad guys of the setting to being allies of the Federation. And, indeed, their entire physical appearance was retconned.

But, anyway, TNG was just my example of a well-received timeline advance. I wasn't really drawing any parallel to the FR advance.

 

[Mattachine]

I much prefer the 3E presentation of the Realms, which was large and expansive, which to my mind is exactly what the Realms should be.

[/rant]

Wasn't the 2e version the one with the most detail? That was the version with all the Volo guides, no?

 

[Alzrius]

Wasn't the 2e version the one with the most detail? That was the version with all the Volo guides, no?

You may be right. I was generalizing, but as is often the case when I generalize, I don't care.

 

[grimslade]

Grey box era 1E realms was great. But the WotC folks will be releasing a general timeline approach to the realms. I think the 3E book was gorgeous but we have seen the last of all encompassing realms books. The 4E Neverwinter limited campaign style will be the norm going forward I think. Maybe a little bigger in scope to cover all changes, so Waterdeep and the North, the Shining Sea, the Sword Coast, will be what we get. This can focus the release of adventures set in the splat of the month or quarter and go forever.

 

[Mokona]

I think the 3E book was gorgeous but we have seen the last of all encompassing realms books.

If we've seen the "last" of all encompassing realms setting books then I've seen the last realms book I'll ever buy.

I want my setting books to be all encompassing. That is what's worth my money.

 

[El Mahdi]

I choose none of the above. I'd like it closer to 2E.

 

[DaveMage]

I loved the realms in 1E and 2E.

3E was still solid, though, so any of the times 1E - 3E would work.

The 4E timeline was fanfic.

 

[MoxieFu]

To me this poll is like "both kinds of music, Country AND Western!"