Are You Using the 4E Forgotten Realms as a Setting?

[DandD]

Never was interested in the Forgotten Realms. There is nothing interesting in it, and the paste-copy-nations like Maztica and the Old Empires are a sign of low creativity for me. And nothing they would do to the Forgotten Realms is going to make it likeable for me, be it another Times of Troubles, Spellplague, or simply retconning.

 

[Primal]

Long term, I've got the Shadovar in the background, as well as the serpent people of Najara to the south (which I've already introduced partially due to the Zehir cult and the black dragon wyrmling).

Zehir is an FR deity, now?

I'm not playing or running 4E, but even if I were, I doubt any DM I know (myself included) would touch 4E FR. It's that bad, at least in the eyes of a long-time fan who loved the complexity and detail in the setting. And the chapter about Loudwater contains some of the worst FR stuff I've ever seen published (yes, even with all that Marco Volo-goodness included). The Loudwater map reminded me of the original Pool of Radiance-module (and *not* in a good way), and made me wonder how tightly those 9000+ people must be crammed in those 40+ buildings shown on the map.

Yeah, by "Mystra's Lost Spell" and all that, 4E FR made me weep with its lack of enthusiasm and quality. If I ran 4E, I'd stick to Nentir Vale (actually, I've stolen the map of Fallscrest for my PF playtest campaign).

 

[Lord Mhoram]

Nope.

But I have never run a published setting in my life (been GMing since '79 or so). So that does not reflect any on the 4E edition of FR.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

I don't really use any official settings besides Sigil and I may possibly try Eberron (never got a chance in 3.5 so gonna see about 4e).

However, 4e FR I have liked of all FRs so far. It has more of a focus and themes to it, not just anything and everything. I have also taken resources from 4e FR more then before (I think this is helped by trying to emphasize the "drag and drop" element).

 

[mhacdebhandia]

Zehir is an FR deity, now?

I thought it was clear from that post that they're using Forgotten Realms maps and locales for a Fourth Edition "core" game.

 

[Weregrognard]

I am and part of me wishes I wasn't. I'm lukewarm on 4E FR (I think the setting would have been better served by a reset), but that's not the reason. I somehow feel limited by having chosen a campaign setting at all instead of just going homebrew with the ability to borrow the parts of FR I liked.
On the other hand, I've been running some Living FR adventures and we're having a blast. I guess that's all that matters in the end.

 

[Chainsaw]

I'm curious as to how the 4E version of the Forgotten Realms is being used.

(There would have been a poll, but vBulletin has decided it was not meant to be.)

Specifically, I"m curious if you are using it as the setting for your 4E game, just borrowing elements, or not using it at all.

Back in my 2E-days, when I DM'd alot, we used my homebrew for campaigns. We all read alot of the FR books and I even owned the FR box set (and Dark Sun, which was really, really cool, but which I never ran for some reason - we hadn't worn out traditional fantasy yet?), but we never used it. Well, I did use the FR maps for a one-shot or two, but totally made up everything (other than names on the maps).

Now that I've picked up playing again with 4E (finally found time, nothing special to this edition), as a player in LFR game, I play in FR (naturally), but I haven't bought any books and don't plan to. Our rotating DMs run the RPGA mods so generically that they could be set anywhere. I don't feel immersed in any specific fantasy setting and no one ever makes setting specific comments (other than "I'm from the Dalelands, so I get to re-roll nature checks" and the occasional metagaming comment from our resident 'expert').

If I start DM'ing again, I'll use a homebrew again.

 

[Zsig]

Yes, after roughly 15 years of gaming, several attempts (all failed miserably), I'm finally running a Forgotten Realms campaign using the setting.

It's quite steady too, we're playing this one since 10/2008.

Guess I should say I'm satisfied with it.

 

[Khairn]

Nope. Nadda. Niente.

My setting of choice has always been FR. I have over 2 dozen 3E FR books, about the same number of 2E books and a plethora (Jes ... I 'ave a plethora) of GM notes. Unfortunately 4E FR came with so much baggage that I didn't have the energy or desire to re-work it all into a new campaign.

So I simply dropped buying anyhing new for FR and am looking for a new place to call home.

 

[Sammael]

No.

I do not play 4E. However, if they left FR more or less "as is" and continued publishing regional sourcebooks and such, I would have gladly bought them, just as I'm buying 1e and 2e FR books to this day. Unfortunately, they chose to completely mutilate the setting to make it more appealing to those who didn't like it in the first place. I am very happy that those people now like it, but it's no longer something I'm interested in.

BTW, I've been running (very) successful FR games for years. A lot of important NPCs have appeared in my games over the years - as information providers, background characters, and such. I never let any of them handle the job which the PCs had to do, and the reason for their absence (if anyone asked) was always logical; they had other threats to deal with.

I really don't know why anyone feels that a wealth of information on locales and people is constraining. I've always used all that stuff on a case-by-case basis, adding and subtracting as needed.

The only thing I had a problem with was the ever-changing metaplot, for which the novel writers are to blame. But it was very easy to ignore.