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

[TheSword]

More than obsessing with lore is that I find hard to believe someone is willing to pay 60 dollars for a couple of adventures they can improvise for free at home.

The idea of playing in a pre-made setting, at least for me, is that you were buying that fictional narrative. If I have to make the narrative myself, then I prefer to make my homebrew world or play with the Greyhawk example in the DMG. It'll save me a lot of money.

I definitely don’t expect a narrative. I want interesting locations, NPCs, factions, spells, magic items and creatures along with the plot hooks (or adventure outlines) that can link them.

I don’t need to know who has ruled Mistledale for the last 150 years. It’s enough for me to know that Haresk Melorn does now and that he was selected from a council of six and that he’s worried about the ruins of Galeth’s Roost. I just need an enough details about interesting NPCs with a couple of ideas for what to do if the players visit Ashabenford and want to speak to the boss

Now if your campaign is set in Ashabenford and has been for the last ten years then you’re probably gonna want more details but that’s over to you. Otherwise give me a snapshot of a moment in time and I’ll work with that.

 

[TheSword]

I also think FR would do better to really lean into the Unrelliable Narrator more and move away from Canon when it comes to events that can’t be certified.

For instance it could be canon that the city of shade was seen in the air above the high forest 1372. However I don’t think we need a definite answer about whether this was because Galaeron Nihmedu cast a spell, or because the Arcanists of Shade enacted a ritual, or it was the will of Shar. Or perhaps all three.

Another good example would be saying a book is inaccurate because it says Fzoul is dead. Fzoul did die, but according to some sources he was brought back from the dead. Did he die again soon after… or was that a myth.

Give me details and a degree of uncertainty and mystery rather than constraining facts and a need to have the last word on everything.

 

[Zeromaru X]

Give me details and a degree of uncertainty and mystery rather than constraining facts and a need to have the last word on everything.

The thing is that these books barely give you a few hard facts, and there is no mystery either. So, you have nothing to work with but vague details. And if I have to determine which stuff is, then, again, I'll prefer to do homebrew.

So, 60 bucks for scarce details and a few NPCs seems like a lot.

 

[GarrettKP]

The thing is that these books barely give you a few hard facts, and there is no mystery either. So, you have nothing to work with but vague details. And if I have to determine which stuff is, then, again, I'll prefer to do homebrew.

So, 60 bucks for scarce details and a few NPCs seems like a lot.

We must be reading different books. Seems like plenty of hard facts throughout both volumes to me.

 

[Weiley31]

The FRwiki is hella solid.

 

[Zeromaru X]

We must be reading different books. Seems like plenty of hard facts throughout both volumes to me.

Going to give you an example with the place that affects my campaign specifically.

Djerad Thymar. The fortress-city called Djerad Thymar was the capital of Tymanchebar, an empire of dragonborn that was transported from its home world of Abeir to Toril during the Spellplague and fused with Unther to form the new realm of Tymanther. With Unther's return in the Second Sundering, the armies of Unther have shattered the power of Tymanther, but Djerad Thymar still stands. With its awe-inspiring stone architecture (the city is carved into the face of a mountain) and its vast arts districts, Djerad Thymar is a bastion for draconic culture and a mark of great pride for dragonborn.

Messemprar. The large city of Messemprar is by far the finest and most hospitable settlement in Unther. Not coincidentally, it is also the only city not presently under the thumb of Gilgeam. Instead...

Hard facts:
Tymanther is no more
Djerad Thymar still stands (and for some reason that it has art district is relevant)
Messemprar is the only city independent from Gilgeam.

Things that remain vague and that clarity would be more useful for a campaign (than to know the dragonborn have art districts):

-What happened to the dragonborn? How they lost the war? How big is their remaining population in the city?
-If Messemprar is "currently the only city not under the thumb of Gilgeam", does that mean the dragonborn living in Djerad Thymar are slaves or are independent? Why they have art galleries when they live as slaves/lost their country to a genocidal extremist?

If I have to define this on my own, I feel is stupid to pay 60 dollars to be told "you have to define that on your own".

And the book is full of stuff like that. I only used this example because it affects my campaign, but I can search more vague stuff if necessary.

 

[Zeromaru X]

As for me, I certainly don’t expect the setting to provide a narrative. My players and I do that. I’m just looking for the setting to provide a bit of background fluff. I could, and have in the past, done that myself. But frankly, it’s boring and I would rather pay someone else to do it.

If the fake stories are irrelevant, then why do you get the new books? The old books also have fluff and NPCs and that.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

If I have to define this on my own, I feel is stupid to pay 60 dollars to be told "you have to define that on your own".

Sure, the book isn’t aimed at you, so buying it would be silly. It’s still an excellent book, not every product has to be for you.