D&D 5E Do you want a Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide?

[Corpsetaker]

However, it's not worth it to them.

Actually we don't know that nor do they. They don't know what new players would buy because they haven't provided anything outside of AP's other than SCAG. They are bottle feeding new players AP's because they want to keep them in that direction. The fear they have is if they start creating other setting books or more focus on regional books they will have people move away from their AP's.

I know loads of people who do not want to sit through an AP that goes from 1 to 15. Lots of people like to have their characters go from adventure to adventure during their career. Lots of people like to go from character to character during multiple adventures. I know I've heard people say the AP's are like mini adventures but that's stretching it. Also they follow along the same overall storyline.

 

[hawkeyefan]

Actually we don't know that nor do they. They don't know what new players would buy because they haven't provided anything outside of AP's other than SCAG. They are bottle feeding new players AP's because they want to keep them in that direction. The fear they have is if they start creating other setting books or more focus on regional books they will have people move away from their AP's.

I know loads of people who do not want to sit through an AP that goes from 1 to 15. Lots of people like to have their characters go from adventure to adventure during their career. Lots of people like to go from character to character during multiple adventures. I know I've heard people say the AP's are like mini adventures but that's stretching it. Also they follow along the same overall storyline.

The point people are making is that you can break up the components of the AP into smaller adventures however you want. Yes, they are connected by the same story....but you can abandon that story and insert your own.

For example, the different Haunted Keeps and Elemental Temples could easily be re-purposed to serve as a variety of threats that don't have to be based on the Princes of the Apocalypse story.

 

[Dorian_Grey]

They are bottle feeding new players AP's because they want to keep them in that direction. The fear they have is if they start creating other setting books or more focus on regional books they will have people move away from their AP's.

Sooooo it's not worth it to them

 

[Cyrinishad]

I voted Yes, not only because I play almost exclusively in the Realms, but also because I am anticipating that through the APs, slowly but surely all of the D&D settings will be subsumed by the Forgotten Realms... I think this is a good thing, since I have been operating as if the Realms is the nexus of realities for decades. However, I have zero interest in spending my gaming $$$ on APs. If WotC wants my gaming $$$ it will require a 5E-FRCG.

 

[Ilbranteloth]

Then subtract that amount from Curse of Strahd (though it is now officially in the realms and is NOT a separate campaign setting - hence why I included it).

I don't see how you get it being officially part of the Realms. The only Realms stuff there is the adventure hooks and I'm assuming that's simply because if you're playing official 5e adventurers right now, that's where you'll be.

Other than that it remains its own world.

Unless I'm missing something, which is quite possible. I've read through it but haven't run it.

 

[Dorian_Grey]

I don't see how you get it being officially part of the Realms. The only Realms stuff there is the adventure hooks and I'm assuming that's simply because if you're playing official 5e adventurers right now, that's where you'll be.

Other than that it remains its own world.

Unless I'm missing something, which is quite possible. I've read through it but haven't run it.

It went from a full campaign setting which it was in 2nd Edition, and I believe 3x, back to a demiplane - and the plot hooks tie it directly to the Realms - making it Realm-centric. In 2nd Edition, the only campaign setting cross over that was blatant was Lord Soth with DragonLance (both Hickman/Weis properties).

But as I said, I'm not trying to piss on anyone's cornflakes. I honestly don't think any setting should get a source book, including my favorites. Instead they should get UA material expansions. The old settings have such a glut of material that, honestly, having their limited staff (my understanding is that Hasbro is less then generous with the HR stick) and materials focused on publishing - for the 100th time - highly generic top level fluff for FR, DL, DS, PS, My, RL, GH or anything else is a waste of time. Take the APs and be happy.

Seriously, if you were a RL fan how would you feel knowing your favorite setting just got torpedoed to provide a gothic horror element to FR?

 

[ArchfiendBobbie]

I wouldn't mind a campaign guide. Perhaps one for each campaign, that covers a lot about the setting, and then just leave it up to the individual groups to flesh it out beyond there?

 

[Ilbranteloth]

It went from a full campaign setting which it was in 2nd Edition, and I believe 3x, back to a demiplane - and the plot hooks tie it directly to the Realms - making it Realm-centric. In 2nd Edition, the only campaign setting cross over that was blatant was Lord Soth with DragonLance (both Hickman/Weis properties).

But as I said, I'm not trying to piss on anyone's cornflakes. I honestly don't think any setting should get a source book, including my favorites. Instead they should get UA material expansions. The old settings have such a glut of material that, honestly, having their limited staff (my understanding is that Hasbro is less then generous with the HR stick) and materials focused on publishing - for the 100th time - highly generic top level fluff for FR, DL, DS, PS, My, RL, GH or anything else is a waste of time. Take the APs and be happy.

Seriously, if you were a RL fan how would you feel knowing your favorite setting just got torpedoed to provide a gothic horror element to FR?

Well, I still disagree with your assessment of adding a gothic horror element to FR. The only plot hooks I see are the "How to get into Ravenloft ones" and nothing else Realms-specific continues. All I see is here's how to get from the Official Campaign Setting to this new campaign setting.

Having said that, there was a 3rd and 3.5 editions of the campaign setting, licensed to White Wolf. They removed Lord Soth, Vecna and Kas, and renamed Bane if I recall, all of which came from other settings. I can't remember whether they were in the original Ravenloft CS box, or added later, to hook into the other major campaign settings.

I also seem to recall that after the license agreement ended that WotC planned a 4e one but it was never released. From my understanding, the 4e Dark Sun campaign was also well regarded. The licensed approach could be another option again, too.

Personally, I think that since CoS has done well, I wouldn't be surprised to see a campaign setting for Ravenloft. The reason being that they aren't releasing regular material as they are for the Realms in the APs and other products. It would make sense to me to release an AP like CoS to see if the market is there, then release a Campaign Setting, or at least a partial setting.

Incidentally, if it was to test the waters for other campaign setting material, it (along with Planescape (are the obvious first choices, since they are easy for characters in existing campaigns to access. Eberron is more difficult, as is Dark Sun, which really works best with characters made specifically for that campaign with their flavor and unique take on the standard races and classes (and then some)

The one I think is probably farthest down the list is Greyhawk. Since it's no longer the default for "generic" D&D, it's not different enough from the current Realms to stand out. I certainly wouldn't mind it, but it would need the right authors and approach. I think Eberron, Dark Sun, Planescape, and Ravenloft are the most likely to get a larger campaign setting treatment.

They've been releasing a lot of class expansion UA articles recently. I could see a hybrid product that is half PHB-style new rules, combined with a new campaign setting.

Another option would be to follow in Volo's footsteps and release a new take on Van Richten's guides, which were among my favorite supplements ever along with Ed Greenwood's original Volo's guides.

Still not sure that I'd need a FRCS anymore, although I'd happily buy it. It's the only setting I use at this point, and has always been my primary campaign since it was first released.

 

[MechaPilot]

Another option would be to follow in Volo's footsteps and release a new take on Van Richten's guides, which were among my favorite supplements ever along with Ed Greenwood's original Volo's guides.

I would love to see a 5e Van Richten's guide that details the followng:
1) all the Ravenloft darklords,
2) monsters specifically designed for a gothic horror setting,
3) ways to tailor monsters to a gothic horror setting,
4) optional rules for better enabling the gothic horror feel, and
5) a bunch of horrible curses that could befall PCs (or notable NPCs) and can only be lifted by in-story actions instead of simple spellcasting.

 

[The Human Target]

If I was new to D&D or to the Forgotten Realms with 5e, I'd certainly want one and be irritated with the lack of one.