Countdown to the Realms: Magic in the Forgotten Realms

[vagabundo]

That was Lord Manshoon, the most powerful mage in the Zhentarim. And I do like that plot, I think it may have started at the tail end of 2e. I'm hoping that the rules for rituals allow for this sort of plot-device magic that encourages dramatic, interesting magic with more fantastic requirements. For example, perhaps Stasis Clone requires a wicked sacrifice to create a clone. This reinforces Manshoon's evil, keeps Stasis Clone out of goodly heroes' hands and presents the theme about shortcuts to power and evil deeds.

I'm really all for this. I really hope they expand on ritual magic give lots of juicy stuff in the PHB/DMG/MM.

I would also like the FR Setting to have some of it's own rituals, nice fluffy ones. For me, 4e rituals are a selling point.

 

[FabioMilitoPagliara]

On reading I wondered whether it was going to be a re-concepted spellfire rather than dragonmarks.

thought the same

all that blue fire made me think of spellfire

 

[FourthBear]

BTW, while I was thinking about the plot with Manshoon's clones waking up and creating all sorts of havoc, I occurred to me that I would have missed that entirely if I had decided to do as I intended after the Avatar Trilogy and never buy another Realms supplement again. I still hate the Time of Troubles and I could never run a Realms campaign with Kelemvor, Cyric and Midnight as gods, but I have gotten some good inspiration from the various 2e and 3e Realms' work since then. I now always wait a bit more than I would to see if a new Realms product is worth buying, but I don't think cutting off my nose to spite my face makes much sense.

 

[zacharythefirst]

I'm a little disappointed with all the terraforming/geographic changes. I wish they could have worked the changes into the existing world without perhaps changing the geography, but I'm sure plenty of folks will be enthusiastic about it all.

But, again, Greyhawk's my #1, so I guess this won't affect me too much.

 

[Storminator]

I'm pretty excited about 4e in general, and I've been dreaming up my own PoL setting for about a month now... and I realized I just don't care about FR anymore. I think most of the changes will make for good gaming, and I don't hate anything I'm seeing but I'm much more interested in making my own setting again than I am in published settings. I played a few FR games in 3e, and ran one. They were all pretty good. But I don't think I'm going down that road again.

PS

 

[ObsidianCrane]

In the early 90's I was able to talk to Ed Greenwood a bit about the Realms, one of the questions asked while I was chatting with him related to Kara-Tur, Maztica, and Al-Qadim; his reply was to the effect that none of them were in his Realms, but he liked Al-Qadim and thought it fit the Realms. Of course maybe his opinion has changed and maybe the Realms is now radically different to how it was back when he first sold it to TSR, such that the comment is irrelevant. What I do know is I'm hoping Maztica is gone, really gone, I'd be glad to see it never get ink wasted on it again.

I also know that I'm seeing Warhammer/Morcock Chaos and Chaos wastes, I'm seeing fancier Dragonmarks, I'm also seeing the Spellplague = Demogorgan's plan from the Savage Tides campaign, Plaguemarked = Savage Creatures from Savage Tides as well.

There really is a lack of "new" ideas, but I see a lot of what I can easily imagine the WotC designers calling a "cool" idea. To which my thought is, just because its cool the first time doesn't make it cool for you to rehash it and put it out under a new label.

Yet despite the cynical comments, I might yet be tempted back to the Realms, for the first time since 2E, it sounds like the WotC folks are trying hard to make it so that the PCs really will matter and that there is a lot of scope to run campaigns where all those famous places/people are off in the background and irrelevant. Sadly that position is not likely to last long

(Yes I hate the preponderance of FR novels, and think its a shame the "revitalized" setting will be taken over by the endless tide of novels...kami I hope most of the named characters die...yes Drizzt I'm looking at you.)

 

[kennew142]

yeah sorry for the filter thing kinda forgot. no disrepect to any one here really.and i dont drink cafine of any type good thing huh . and yeah i called it the forsaken realm$ with $ becase there just useing the name of the realms with out USEING the realms. this is not a 4e issue in itself . i dont care if its 4e 4.4 6e 9.925e its not the editions fault the FR team took it out back shot it and made a flesh golem of it. thats on then not 4e itself . its really just a bad day coupled with the fact that as a old school FR fan,player and dm i find it well wrong to dump all that history just to sell more books to folks who hate the realms anyhow.
so yeah i guess i came off a little hash

Or alternately, they could be trying to sell FR books to all of us old timers (fans from way back before the Gray Box) who like what they are doing.

 

[The Ubbergeek]

I am dissapointed. I've followed the FR since there has been one. I have the old books in storage still, and the newest one sits not too far from me. I have nearly every novel, adventure, and Dragon article. This is a huge slap in the face, no seriously. I am amazed they bother, or even Dare, to call this brand new creation the FR. It should have it's own name and the FR line dropped instead of this tavesty.

Entire areas just wiped? I enjoyed Maztica a little, coffee in the realsm heh, but I had a special place for Halruua. Just gone, poof. Forget it, too much to type.

Calling this new place the Forgotten Realms is silly. Just start a new line. This is not come knee jerk response. This is a response from someone who has played in and DM's the Realms in every incarnation to date. I imagine a few FR authors are like, "Hey screw you! Just gonna pretend I never wrote this? Nice!" Not to mention those who have worked on FR products, and of course, the creators themselves. Freakin nice WOTC.

It's still the Realms. battered, hit, recovering, but still the same world at the base.

 

[catsclaw227]

Wow... I like this.

I am starting to lean toward FR as my choice for a published 4e campaign setting (in case I don't decide to homebrew) instead of converting Scarred Lands or Golarion from Pathfinder.

 

[sckeener]

I've 4 years of games tied to Unther, Mulhorand, Chessenta, Thay, Chondath, and Aglarond.

I'm disappointed to know I won't be able to buy more material to use in these regions. My game will continue.