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.

 

[the Jester]

I think there is more than that.
After 4E WotC tries to play it as save as possible. That includes:

• FR as single and only setting. No splitting the playerbase and as FR is still the most well known setting (and sells the most books) it is the default.

Given the fact that other campaign settings are mentioned extensively throughout the books, even to the point that some of their pantheons are detailed, I disagree with this point- outside of the context of organized play.

In the context of organized play, though, I'll go along with you on this. Which, frankly, is too bad, IMHO. I mean, I see the business sense side of it, I just find it very disappointing.

 

[Hutchimus Prime]

Sounds like it could be fun but will inspire a lot of Highlander references and Queen impressions.

Good to see the sturm and drang and endless baseless criticisms of WOTC continues unabated.

 

[pming]

Hiya!

As I said in another ToEE --> FR thread...

Being a DM with a more or less 'constant' running of GH campaigns since I picked up the Folio way back when...I must admit I did get that sharp little pin-prick of nerd-rage when I heard this. Then I took a deep breath and thought about it a bit. I came to the conclusion that, yes, I'll just have to deal with being a bit annoyed at WotC's missed opportunity to introduce GH to a whole group of new players...and also to *maybe* convince some old 1e Greyhawk Grognard (mostly over at the Canonfire! site) to give 5e at least a little bit of a cursory glance.

At the end, I suggested a compromise: Set up this ToEE as a sort of "ToEE : The Resurgence". I suggested that if the writers took it as gospel that the "first" ToEE started in GH, and was eventually laid low by heroes there, sending the "big-bad guys/girls" (no spoilers) and the "nodes"....not straight to the Abyss/Oblivion...but to the FR! Slowly acclimating to this "new world", said BBEG/G start up their shenanigans in this "new and unsuspecting Prime Material Plane". So, *this* ToEE, the Forgotten Realms 'version', is basically a new base of operations for the Elder Elemental Forces. The writers could more or less keep the core tone, deadliness, etc. of the original GH version, but with new maps (based on the old), new NPC's (inspiration from the old), etc, etc, etc.

This would keep the "original ToEE" free from any FR-tint, and allow all of us who have already played or DM'ed the original to be surprised and excited about a new "version". The outright stating (probably in the background) that "The First Temple was on another world. A world called Oerth". I guess you could equate it to the original 70's Battle Star Galactica with the newer 00's Battle Star Galactica. Same overall base and whatnot, but just a 're-telling in a different way'.

I'd be totally down with that.

^_^

Paul L. Ming

 

[Scrivener of Doom]

While I am not a big fan of Tiamat in the Realms - and, after Dragonlance, Red Hand of Doom, and Scales of War, I think we have seen enough of her as a BBEG - I rather like the idea of the Temple of Elemental Evil in FR.

For me it's a way to free the imprisoned Cyric rather than Tharizdun. I've got a 5E game running now around Phandalin and levels 1-5 are going to be a mix of Tombstone the movie (with the Zhentarim as the bad guys) and Keep on the Borderlands, but I expect levels 6-10 or so will involved the Temple of Elemental Evil and a plot to free Cyric.

The original Temple of Elemental Evil was so lacking in detail that it really feels generic rather than Greyhawk-specific. It was only Monte's Return to in 3E that made it feel like Greyhawk or even elemental. It's also already played a part in both Scourge of the Sword Coast and Dead in Thay just prior to 5E's release.

So, yeah, not a fan of Tiamat being used for the umpteenth time using a plot idea that sounds like it was cobbled together from Dragons of Eberron but I'm happy to see elemental evil getting a guernsey in FR.

IMO. YMMV.

 

[kettite]

The catalog listing for Adventurer's Handbook is showing as cancelled: http://edelweiss.abovethetreeline.c...roupID=0&catalogID=407200&org=&sku=0786965770

Pure hyperbolic speculation: they've merged the two, justifying the $50 price point on Princes of the Apocalypse.

I hope that this encourages further rampant speculation and mass hysteria. Mass Hysteria I say.

 

[Morrus]

The catalog listing for Adventurer's Handbook is showing as cancelled: http://edelweiss.abovethetreeline.c...roupID=0&catalogID=407200&org=&sku=0786965770

Pure hyperbolic speculation: they've merged the two, justifying the $50 price point on Princes of the Apocalypse.

I hope that this encourages further rampant speculation and mass hysteria. Mass Hysteria I say.

Odd. PotA is still there, so it's not a case of them removing info that wasn't supposed to be there yet.

 

[SkidAce]

Out of touch, out of reach yeah ...

Mass Hysteria when you're near...

 

[Sailor Moon]

Dogs and cats living together........

Mass Hysteria.

 

[Staffan]

Sounds like it could be fun but will inspire a lot of Highlander references and Queen impressions.

That's a feature, not a bug.

 

[BrockBallingdark]

Out of touch, out of reach yeah ...

Mass Hysteria when you're near...

Def Leppard! lol