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.

 

[Queer Venger]

Can you say Aasimar?!?
Gorgeous covers, amazing how this artwork is really redefining D&D like no other edition.

One word: Epic.

 

[Queer Venger]

While the Realms has the Elder Elemental Evil in the form of Ghaunadar I don't understand why the four elemental gods (or primals, whatever you wanna call them now), Kossuth, Ishtishia, Grumbar, and Akadi, aren't involved in this somehow? There is so much Realms material to pull from, yet they insist on using the typical tropes (Tiamat and now Elemental Evil).

Instead of sticking these in the Realms, what was so wrong with making it a neutral setting and then releasing an online PDF for free that had campaign conversions? Like what they did with Dungeon Magazine's Adventure Paths for the FR and Eberron settings?

Because the Realms *IS* the quintessential setting now

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

Because the Realms *IS* the quintessential setting now

WE ARE THE REALMS. WE WILL ADD YOUR THEMATIC AND NARRATIVE DISTINCTIVENESS TO OUR OWN. YOUR SETTING WILL ADAPT TO SERVICE US. RESISTANCE IS FUTILE.

 

[pukunui]

WE ARE THE REALMS. WE WILL ADD YOUR THEMATIC AND NARRATIVE DISTINCTIVENESS TO OUR OWN. YOUR SETTING WILL ADAPT TO SERVICE US. RESISTANCE IS FUTILE.

What I find ironic is how everyone is acting like this is a new thing. Weren't the very first FR novels - the Moonshae books - originally meant to take place in their own world rather than the Realms?

 

[gyor]

Yes, heck its part of the theme of the realms from the beginning, Mulhorand was influenced by Conan, and I guess by extension Thay. Stygia to be specific. It ate the Moonshaes. It ate Kara-Tur from Oriental Adventures, Mazeteca, Al-Qadim. It connected to both the Nentir Vale and Athlas (Darksun) via the the Abyssal Plague books. I don't remember the older series, but there was a trilogy that connected the realms to Dragonlance and Planescape. Heck it even built another world for the purpose of eating, Abier. The Gloomwrought book was originally for the Nentir Vale setting, but it ate that too. Evermeet ate Spelljammers. There are domains in Ravenloft from the realms and now that the domains of dread are a default part of the Shadowfell, it ate Ravenloft in turn.

Heck its not even limited to D&D products. Kalamar's gods have a pact with the gods of FR to grant each others followers spells when they are in the other gods world. Sharess and the Vicelord for example aside from having very different moral positions have a deal to support the worshippers of the other other god.

Realms comics at one point I believe where written by DC comics, which connects it to the DC universe, which at one time was connected and united with the marvel universe, and marvel had a novel called Planet X that was a crossover between Star Trek and the Marvel Universe.


Mystara and Birthright should be afraid, the realms is still hunger, and they look so tasty, and protected. And Starwars and Stargate, well those would make a nice nearby galaxies that could be connected to the realms via Imaskari Portals, and the Wheel of Time world, well the Shadowfell could no doubt have a path straight to the darkones prison, sure it makes little sense and copyright and all that, but the realms is hungery and won't be denied. Actually there was that World of Darkness D&D book wasn't there and Ravenloft was published by White Wolf for a time. And the New World of Darkness and the Old World of Darkness has some connections I believe.

The realms is hungry and coming for an IP/Setting near you.

Mawahahahahahahahahaha. Resistance is futile in deed.

 

[gyor]

Can you say Aasimar?!?
Gorgeous covers, amazing how this artwork is really redefining D&D like no other edition.

One word: Epic.

How do you know either of the Characters are Aasimar? The one with wings looks like a Raptoran perhaps. It would still be cool to have Aasimar in official player book instead just trapped in the DMG.

 

[gyor]

Thanks to the Abyssal Plague Tharizdun already has servants in the Forgotten Realms and a Deva of the 4e kind fighting it, whose was first written about in another setting, Netar Vale or Oeth or something I'm not sure. Tharizdun's plots span worlds apparently.

 

[Scrivener of Doom]

Personally, I don't mind stealing stuff from other worlds for use in the Realms - I've been doing it for 20+ years - but I hope this one feels a lot more Realmsian than the Dragons of Eberron-inspired Tyranny of Dragons. (Seriously, read Dragons of Eberron. The whole Daughter of Khyber storyline seems to have been been adapted to FR.)

And I do think this will be much better than Tyranny of Dragons for at least a couple of reasons:

- Rich Baker is a much better adventure designer and has a good grasp of FR.
- This time the contracted designers won't be being treated like mushrooms - kept in the dark and fed "leftovers" - while WotC keeps revising the ruleset. At least Rich et al will have a stable set of rules to work from which, I imagine, will help a lot.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

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.

I'm sure it is somehow the fault of all the 5E Great Old One warlocks. Little do they know that every time they cast a spell, the Apocalypse draws nearer...

 

[Henry]

The realms is hungry and coming for an IP/Setting near you.

Mawahahahahahahahahaha. Resistance is futile in deed.

Lex Luthor: i have you now, Superman! My kryptonite death ray cannot be stopped! A-HAHAHAHA!
Superman: weakening... Can't stop... Must...
Lex: you have no hope!
**POP**
Elminster: well, Lad, he has me. *Power Word Stun*
Luthor: AGH!
Elminster: *Disintegrates the kryptonite* well met, Clark! Laddie, ye can'st let a piddle poor rock stand in yer way, boy! I've been to the Hells, and it didn't stop me!
Superman: what... Who ARE you?!? And how do you know...
Elminster: nothing a little Legend Lore couldn't solve, son! But no time now! Ye must come with me! 'Tis critical! *Teleport*
Supes: Wait! What -- where are we now?!
Picard: I'm Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Starship Enterprise. Welcome, Mr. Kent. It is truly an Honor.
Supes: What, did someone write my secret identity on a men's stall, or something??
Picard: Mr. Kent, I am from what you know as the 24th Century. Your great deeds are a matter of record.
Supes: then why have you taken me here??
Elminster: It's your CHILDREN, Clark! Something's to be done about your KIDS!


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