NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Epic Meepo" data-source="post: 9432398" data-attributes="member: 57073">"TL;DR" as a Design PrincipalIn previous posts, I’ve mentioned the large amount of content I’m including in the sourcebook I'm writing. At the same time, I want the book to include something of value to players who don’t have the time or the inclination to do a deep dive into setting lore. Towards this end, I’ve divided the book into a few modular sections:(Edit: The sections I describe below were written before Wizards of the Coast announced it was releasing an official player's guide to the Forgotten Realms in late 2025. Knowing that guide will be available, I will probably be modifying the introductory sections described below. Much of the information they currently contain will be redundant once an official guide to the Realms is in print.)My book opens with a concise overview of the Realms. I’m aiming for less than one page of text, but final edits and page layout concerns might turn this section into a two-page spread. This section focuses on Faerun in particular and on a few prominent cultures native to Faerun. If you’re looking for a short introduction to the setting, this section is all you need.The initial overview directs readers to the next two sections, which look at the world immediately beyond Faerun. The first is a brief overview of Kara-Tur. The second is a brief overview of Zakhara. These sections mention trade routes which link Faerun to Kara-Tur and Zakhara, allowing travelers from different corners of the Realms to meet and adventure together.Currently, the opening sections are followed by a more in-depth overview of life in the Realms. I may end up moving this section to an appendix in the final draft, if doing so makes the book easier to navigate. If I don't move it, the text introducing this section will let readers know they can skip to next section, which is all about character creation, if they are so inclined.For players who don’t want any added complexity, the character creation guidelines provide some “quick build” options which eliminate most choices not already covered in the Player’s Handbook. For players who want more customization, the guidelines also list dozens of Realms cultures and provide optional rules for creating culture-specific custom Backgrounds.The remaining sections of the book are a deep dive into the many cultures and regions of Faerun, Kara-Tur, and Zakhara. Players and DMs can use as much or as little of this information as they see fit. This part of the book is much like an almanac or a Monster Manual. It contains information one can reference, but there’s no need to read it from front to back.TL;DR: My sourcebook includes a few short sections introducing readers to some of the cultures described in later chapters. Casual players can glean useful information from these short introductory sections. Later sections describe the Realms in much greater detail for players and DMs who want more information.</blockquote>

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