D&D 4E An Alternate Story for Changing FR to 4E

Brian Compton

First Post
I was thinking about this while looking at the various FR threads, and especially Rich Baker's comments yesterday. I understand his feelings about the criticism to FR, but if he thinks the issue is that fans don't want 4E rules imposed on the setting, he's not listening. No one (or, at least, very few) has a problem with a new rule set; the problem is how it's being implemented.

I know it's too late to bring changes to how things are going to happen, but here's an alternative that I've batted around in my head. Thoughts and flames welcome.

Mask tumbles to Shar and Cyric's plans to kill Mystra. Looking to hurt both of them (Shar to see if he could take part of her power, Cyric because he still hasn't given up his hatred of him), Mask lets the information get to Mystra. She decides that it is time to take on Shar and her Shadow Weave directly, but in order to do it, she needs to gather her strength. First, she strengthens her ties with Lathander, who sees the threat that Shar poses. Then she goes into seclusion, temporarily weakening the Weave (those things which magic preserves she allows to still work, not wanting a repeat of Karsus' Folly or to leave mages defenseless). She sends dream messages to the Magister and her Chosen, as well as a few high-ranking clergy, to let them know what is happening and to trust her decision.

Lathander meanwhile sees the direction his church is going with the Aumanator "heresy" spreading, and he knows his followers must be united for the coming strife. He also knows that, if he takes on Aumanator's role as the full light of the sun, he will be in a much better position to take on the Dark Maiden. He too departs from his followers for a time, but lets all his high priests know of signs to watch for in the coming days that will mark his return.

While Mystra is away, the followers of the Shadow Weave move to strike at their weakened Weave-using counterparts, and many mages are killed. Some instead choose to convert to Shadow Magic, feeling that Mystra has abandoned them altogether. (This would also help explain the events in the Shadowdale adventure).

Cyric and Shar make their move, only to find that Mystra is no where to be found. Then, in a flash of blinding light, both Lathander (now Aumanator) and Mystra return from their self-imposed exiles and confront the two dark gods head-on. Cyric is captured and imprisoned, while Shar is weakened and loses some of her portfolio relating to the night- which Mask is only too willing to snatch up.

At the time of Aumanator's return, the sun shines over the desert of Anaroch for a tenday without setting, severely damaging the city of Shade. Likewise, anywhere there are hidden temples of Shar or Cyric, the sun shines to reveal these to the world. The clergy of Lathander recognize these as the signs they were to await, and begin crusades against the clergy of both Shar and Cyric. Not all of their followers are wiped out, but enough are that the two churches go into decline for some time.

Meanwhile, Mystra's return brings back magic, but it still is not at full strength. Only then does Mystra realize that her actions, while saving the Weave as a whole, have changed it in subtle and unforeseeable ways (others will say that Ao has intervened on the Weave to maintain balance between the Weave and Shadow Weave). She examines it and then relates through her followers how to now tap into the Weave. In time, all mages return to full strength.


It could be better, I know, but at least it doesn't require wholesale deicide and a full-century jump forward.
 

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Wholesale deicide GUUUUUD. Really, FR has too many useless gods. Also, uber-NPCicide would also be good. Elminister and the Seven Sisters must die. I'd say Drizz't too, as he gives all drow a bad name and inspires cheesy imitations, which are used to slander those who wish to play drow wizards as 'Drizz't fanboys'.

What?
 

Its ok. Though Id still like Mystra and a whole bunch more God dies as well as NPCs. Not because I dont like them, but because I tend to like whole scale destruction.
 


If I was going to introduce a new magic system into the Realms, I'd state that it's Midnight/Mystra changing the Weave to fit her new personality. She's just shaping things to her own desires, which means that magic is cast a little differently.

Why the change now, after she's been a goddess for 20 years? Well, deities take their time. A human generation is...what? Five seconds to a goddess?

That would explain the new magic system, as well as retroactively explain why sorcerers suddenly started popping up in the early 1370s. And if you want to dial back the number of high-level spellcasters in the setting, you could just have Mystra decide that some of the mages in the Realms have been abusing their gift (or not abusing it enough, as the case may be), and take the magic back, forcing certain mages to re-learn their art. You could also have her take some power back from the Chosen if you desired, as she decides that they aren't as necessary as they were under the old Mystra's reign.

That's how I'd do it, at least. It's simple and doesn't require taking a wrecking ball to the setting. However, for that very reason, it probably wouldn't sell as well as what WotC's planning.
 

Patlin said:
I've always thought mechanical changes and story changes should be completely unrelated to one another.

I agree with you. Unfortunately, with FR being novel-driven, we need to assume that stories of some sort will be used to explain the changes. I was just offering an alternative that could be used in place of the massively board-sweeping narrative that WotC is using.
 

I'd like to see Mask get a better deal. But I'm glad Mystra is gone. Any story of her return or victory is not for me!

I don't understand why some people are so obsessed with Lathander becoming Aumanator? Cyric has become OK to me. As the lord of murder and deception, I'd have him secretly giving out orders to a newly form clergy. Since I'd say his his imprisonment would have had his clergy destroy itself. His new clergy being based of the Thuggee. Heh, assassin core class ;-)

Maybe Mask is acting as Cyric regent. Azuth is the god of wizards, since magic is now all crazy and chaotic. Sorcorers are able to harness this chaotic energy themselves. Warlocks are able to with the assistance of Fiends or Elemental Lords. But wizards study magic, using rules to do so, making this study not chaotic. Azuth found how to, so he's the god of Wizards.

Bhaalspawn finds Myrukal's crown... Bhaal is reborn... kills Kelemov (because I can't stand him. Only Midnight was more annoying). New Dead god. Kills any undead/necromancer gods. Now faithless death is a one-way ticket to the undeath. People would sooner worship out of fear a bad god than let themselves be a soul destined to be undead.

Bane kills that stupid Kezzel dog! Mask swears loyalty to him (so now works for all the 3 big bad gods, Bane, Cyric, Shar).
 

Surprisingly the coming of 4th edition couldn't come at a better time for me. I've been running a campaign for a while (since before I heard 4th was coming out) and I've been doing some major worl-devistating things.
My campaign is based in the FR univerce, well because its my favorite, and a whole lot of upheval and other such chaos has been running amok as the PCs have been fighting the sinister plots of various gods who want to rise in power.
Ultimately in the end, there would be no way for the 3.whatever system to survive in my little storyline of events, so ultimately I can easily change whats going on in my little campaign to co-inside with the coming of 4th edition, with NO arbitrary "Role up new dudes for the new system" needed, my own background is in place...
Almost like I saw it coming :]
 

an_idol_mind said:
If I was going to introduce a new magic system into the Realms, I'd state that it's Midnight/Mystra changing the Weave to fit her new personality. She's just shaping things to her own desires, which means that magic is cast a little differently.

Why the change now, after she's been a goddess for 20 years? Well, deities take their time. A human generation is...what? Five seconds to a goddess?
I can already see it. Fiery letters appear in the sky above cities and wizards' towers: "Weave 3.0 - now even better than before!"
 

My own personal dislike of such an alternate storyline would be that once again in the Realms, the white hats, being one step ahead of the bad guys, swoop in to save the day, and all is right with the world. :) I don't think I like the idea of Mystra being totally gone either, but to have the forces of good so much more skilled than their adversaries just doesn't do anything for me in terms of good storytelling. There needs to be a sacrifice, other than a temporary one, in order for the good forces to stand for something.

I do feel bad that we're looking at some pretty sweeping changes, but I would be curious to see where they eventually lead.
 

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