D&D General Does anyone else starting to feel like FR: HoF & FR: AiF were starved of resources because of the Core Books

[Amphytrion]

I agree that the books are somewhat sloppy, but I’m not sure I agree that lack of public playtesting was the issue. You can’t really playtest narrative or research, even if the team was just strapped for time.

I’m making my way through Adventures of Faerûn, and there’s still quite a lot to read, but I did notice some slip ups in research, as you say. For example, they mention Fzoul Chembryl died. This is true, he did die, but he was promptly resurrected in what I think was the exact same product, maybe even the same paragraph (the 4e FR campaign book). Somehow the designers clearly missed this, which I imagine must be because they checked his murky FR wiki page rather than the actual 4e book. (This is particularly amusing because Justice Arman worked on a DMs Guild product that prominently featured a living Fzoul, following 4e’s history, so he would have known this if they had asked him!). I’ve bumped into a few other bits of these snafus thus far. These don’t bother me too much except to wish they relied more on their internal archive (and possibly hire someone to manage it!).

What does bother me is that the books seem like a step down from prior 5e entries, as if it’s actively unlearning design lessons honed from Ravnica to Theros to Fizban’s to Bigby’s. Stuff like solid DM support for running FR factions, DM advice on incorporating the FR gods, using one map to describe multiple possible adventures, etc. I’m quite disappointed so far, especially since I am very fond of Jason Trondo’s other project, the Book of Many Things, and I do run FR all the time. I’ve posted on HoF on its respective thread, and I’ll reserve a fuller rundown for the AoF book after I’m done reading it, but thus far I only like bits of it (like the introduction) and don’t see myself using it much at all.

All that aside, they fixed Hank’s haircut! Praise Bahamut!

 

[Henadic Theologian]

It doesn't look "broken" just potentially annoying (like Wild magic).

Wild Magic is good, but not broken, it is the target that many of the weak feats failed to meet. It's less broken and more good vs bad feats.

Edit: my brain confused Wild Magic for Genie Magic, the basic point remains, the core problem is weak feats, not broken feats. There are a bunch of great feats still.

 

[Zeromaru X]

They are interested in locations that lean in to certain types of adventure, not interested in writing fake-histories of places the PCs are never likely to visit.

But I was here for the fake stories too, not only the adventures. I think they are losing a part of the customers base by doing that.

WotC don't pay its staff enough for them to read through the vast pile of largely terrible novels.

They don't have to, though. A lot of people is already doing that for free, and updating the Wiki. They can read the Wiki and get their conclusions from it. They do know about the Wiki, because they pointed people searching for more to it.

They obviously don't want to that, but the excuse of "it's a lot of novels, they are awfully bad, and they don't pay enough" is a poor excuse.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

But I was here for the fake stories too, not only the adventures. I think they are losing a part of the customers base by doing that.



They don't have to, though. A lot of people is already doing that for free, and updating the Wiki. They can read the Wiki and get their conclusions from it. They do know about the Wiki, because they pointed people searching for more to it.

They obviously don't want to that, but the excuse of "it's a lot of novels, they are awfully bad, and they don't pay enough" is a poor excuse.

Perhaps the best post in the thread from someone who gets it.

But I don't buy into the places PC won't visit thing, because they entire setting is designed as being filled with interesting locations to visit from North to South, From East to West.

I will admitted they liked segmenting areas into particular themes or themes within themes. So like the Lands of Intrigue with its politics themes and Calimshan with its steam punk, Arabian Nights subtheme within that broader theme.

Honestly the Guide To Faerun Chapter was good enough, but really should have been bigger, they show have cut the items chapter and the factions chapters to expand it.

And Icewind Dale and BG chapters should have been replaced with newer places, like Frostmaiden does Icewind Dale Gazeteer better as BG: DitA does BG better anyways.

I personally think Unther and Aglarond made for better choices and fresher themes instead of two retreats that 5e has already done better.

 

[Parmandur]

And Icewind Dale and BG chapters should have been replaced with newer places, like Frostmaiden does Icewind Dale Gazeteer better as BG: DitA does BG better anyways.

I personally think Unther and Aglarond made for better choices and fresher themes instead of two retreats that 5e has already done better.

I do agree with that, I think a couple places further afield would have been good: the Sword Coazt material on the Campaigns is pretty great, just pointing to those is solid.