D&D 4E Do you think WotC rebooting Forgotten Realms for 4e would be a good idea?

[Neil Bishop]

I have no problem with the idea of a reboot but it's the execution that is worrying me. A "bizarre love triangle" is no way, IMO, to provide a backstory for a major campaign change. It's inconsistent with what has gone before and just adds a touch more of the "oh, it's that campaign setting" to the various points of view that get debated from time to time.

 

[Wanderer20]

I just remembered when D&D passed from 2E to 3E.

To explain the changes, the Wizards'guys created the Time of Troubles.

The fanbase asked -some angrily, some in their knees- not to repeat such mess/nonsense, 'cause it screwed the majority of FR campaigns -mine included- in terms of logic and playability.

If you are not familiar with this, just look at some forum archive with posts dated 2000-2001.

...and don't ever say WotC listens to its customers, please!

 

[stonegod]

Time of Troubles was AD&D->2E, not 2E->3E. 2E->3E was just a retcon (Elminster had *always* been like that).

 

[crazy_cat]

I have no problem with the idea of a reboot but it's the execution that is worrying me.

Agreed.

 

[Wanderer20]

Now that I read your link, I must say I confused a revision for another.

I am sorry, it was long time ago -ToT must have been a real trauma-

 

[Kae'Yoss]

(Elminster had *always* been like that).

That worked out beautifully. Same character, different stats, and they made sense.

It worked even better for Drizzt: He started as a pure fighter in Menzo, ran around in the Underdark surviving on his own, becomeing feral, and finally being "apprenticed" to a Ranger. In 2e, because non-humans couldn't change their class, he was just a Ranger. In 3e, they made it Fighter/Barbarian/Ranger. They didn't have to write a novel about how Drizzt fought the God Of Human Supremacy to be allowed to change class careers like only humans could normally.

 

[jdrakeh]

I just remembered when D&D passed from 2E to 3E.

You mis-remember

To explain the changes, the Wizards'guys created the Time of Troubles.

The Time of Troubles occurred in the early 1980s when TSR needed to justify the 2nd edition rule changes (e.g., no more Assassin core class, no more Half-Orcs, etc) in their flagship setting of the time (FR). Your timeline is off by about 20 years.

 

[freyar]

Actually, I suspect that they're trying to appeal to the legions of truly old FR fans (like myself) who are still playing with loving dog-eared FR 1e books. There were a huge number of people who jumped ship from FR during the ToT and later, when the 2e novels started to impede upon the setting to an absurd degree.

Just curious because I've seen this kind of comment before that 4e FR seems (since we obviously don't know enough yet to say really) like it will be more like the 1e FR gray box. I'm curious, though, since I haven't read (much) 1e stuff: how was 1e FR like a points-of-light, most good civilizations destroyed, major evil empire around, aboleth-infested world? I just don't quite understand... Was it just because they hadn't published all the details yet?

 

[grimslade]

Just curious because I've seen this kind of comment before that 4e FR seems (since we obviously don't know enough yet to say really) like it will be more like the 1e FR gray box. I'm curious, though, since I haven't read (much) 1e stuff: how was 1e FR like a points-of-light, most good civilizations destroyed, major evil empire around, aboleth-infested world? I just don't quite understand... Was it just because they hadn't published all the details yet?

Most good civilizations destroyed? What good civilizations are destroyed? Where are you seeing this? Luskan is destroyed and Sembia was never a 'good' civilization.
Major Evil Empire around? You mean like Thay? Mulhorand? Calimshan? A Zhent influenced Moonsea?
Aboleth infested? The 'coming of the aboleths' doesn't sound infested, just another foe to the mix. Most likely a bigger player in the Underdark than the surface.

The 1E Realms were very Points of light-ish. Lots of fantastic and beautiful cities and city states with very viable monster populations, evil cults and bandits existing all around them and sometimes in them. You needed caravan guards to protect trade. You needed adventurers to go to the Mere of Dead Men because no one else would. The Silver Marches were a dangerous place where travel between Silverymoon and Everlund was risky and dwarves rarely left their mountain citadels. PoL would never be a big change for my campaigns because the Realms fit that frame work already.

 

[stonegod]

It worked even better for Drizzt... They didn't have to write a novel about how Drizzt fought the God Of Human Supremacy to be allowed to change class careers like only humans could normally.

Not complaining, only clarifying. Me, I haven't played FR forever, so I have no pony in this show.