Covers Preview for Elemental Evil Adventurer's Handbook and Princes of the Apocalypse!

So, it's official now. The Elder Elemental Eye has been somehow released from The World of Greyhawk to unleash havoc in the Realms. No fantasy world was described in more detail than the Forgotten Realms, and they still manage to produce not one, but two storylines in a row with themes and antagonists that have nothing to do with the Realms. Good job, Wizards.

 

[Derren]

the gods apparently are now supposed to be more distant and no longer running rampant across Faerun mucking things up.

Except for Tiamat being physically summoned to run rampant across Faerun...
AOs laws don't seem to do much.

 

[Goemoe]

I hope it works for Wizards, but I didn't see the appeal with the Dragon Queen stuff, and I'm just not seeing the appeal here either. If I want Realms action, I'm busting out the Zhentarim; Manshoon; Halaster Blackcloak; Karsus and the Netherese Shades; Orcus; Moander or Tyranthraxus. I don't care about Tiamat (belongs to Krynn, really) or Tharizdun (belongs to Oerth in my mind). I kind of share Giltonio_Santos' sentiments in that respect.

Same here. I don't care for any but the core books currently. Normally I would buy more. Mixing realms does not look promising to me. I am waiting for generic stuff, stuff with real psionics or Eberron. A big YEAH to Eberron

 

[I'm A Banana]

As I've mentioned before, I can basically understand the fundamental reasoning behind tossing everything into FR (BRAND, BRAND, BRAND, BABY!), and I don't think it's automatically flawed or wrong. Tiamat appears in FR because Tiamat in FR will sell more books than Tiamat on Krynn. They do it in a way that doesn't wreck FR, it works fine.

It is a bit of a missed opportunity w/regards to their other settings, but I also think it's unreasonable to expect WotC to choose to sell less books to use the most thematically appropriate setting when they can stick it in FR and it'll be fine. Maybe not as good as it could've been, but fine. A sensible business decision.

I think the reason we aren't seeing more FR-branded threats is, again, the same reason Tharizdun is showing up in Faerun: FR is the Generic D&D World where All D&D Happens at the moment.

I'm not personally one for generic, and I'd like them to focus more on what each setting is actually good at (FR isn't "generic", everything is specific), but if this approach gives 5e greater longevity and means that more niche weirdness (liken Al Quadim setting!) might be published, it's hard to knock it too hard. It does little actual harm, which is a far cry from 4e's sacred cow bar-b-que.

 

[Derren]

As I've mentioned before, I can basically understand the fundamental reasoning behind tossing everything into FR (BRAND, BRAND, BRAND, BABY!), and I don't think it's automatically flawed or wrong. Tiamat appears in FR because Tiamat in FR will sell more books than Tiamat on Krynn. They do it in a way that doesn't wreck FR, it works fine.

They could of course also spend more effort and create scenarios that fit to the FR instead of breaching lore.

 

[RichGreen]

Hi,

Tiamat has been part of the Realms since the Old Grey Box - although I don't think she's been linked to the Cult of the Dragon previously. She's in the 1e MM too (and the D&D cartoon) so she's not really linked to a particular D&D world.

Takhisis is the five-headed chromatic dragon in Dragonlance/Krynn, although the similarities with Tiamat are uncanny

Cheers


Rich

 

[Sailor Moon]

Hi,

Tiamat has been part of the Realms since the Old Grey Box - although I don't think she's been linked to the Cult of the Dragon previously. She's in the 1e MM too (and the D&D cartoon) so she's not really linked to a particular D&D world.

Takhisis is the five-headed chromatic dragon in Dragonlance/Krynn, although the similarities with Tiamat are uncanny

Cheers


Rich

Tiamat actually came from another world. When the Imaskari kidnapped people from another dimension and enslaved them, their gods followed. During 2nd edition, Tiamat took an interest in the Cult but was never successful in taking them over. You had a few of the younger members that were interested but nothing more. Her actual imprisonment had no lead up, she was declared imprisoned just for the sake of the module. Tiamat's existence was barely known outside of the Old Empires.

It's one of those situations where you have Lolth from Greyhawk and Lolth from FR.

 

[pukunui]

Out of curiosity, what is the source for these covers? How do we know they're official?

 

[Wolfskin]

Out of curiosity, what is the source for these covers? How do we know they're official?

I found them on the FantasyWelt.de online shop while looking for other stuff. I don't think they'd put fake covers for the products they sell.

 

[pukunui]

I found them on the FantasyWelt.de online shop while looking for other stuff. I don't think they'd put fake covers for the products they sell.

Cool. Thanks. On a related note, anyone know where the original scoop about these (titles, prices, descriptions, etc) came from?

 

[HobbitFan]

It seems to me that people's reaction to the notion that WOTC might be using a Greyhawk baddie in the Realms are really about two (related things): artistic integrity and creativity. As in people are concerned that ripping off Greyhawk doesn't show a whole lot of either.

Given the wholesale destruction, etc. of 4E, I think some skepticism in regards to WOTC' stewardship is fair.