Ed Greenwoods Castlemorn

[BrooklynKnight]

Well, Ed is coming out with this new setting to be published by FFE.

The front page has a link to a map of the new setting and comments made by James Ward who says that FR Fans will love this setting.

Does anyone else get the feeling that Castlemorn might be what ForgottenRealms could have been if Ed Greenwood had complete Creative Controle?

Or maybe its just a setting done by all the compiled notes Ed has and wasnt able/unallowed to use on FR.

I for one am anxiously waiting for this setting. I'm gonna buy it and keep it right next to my FR books :-D

 

[BiggusGeekus@Work]

Does anyone else get the feeling that Castlemorn might be what ForgottenRealms could have been if Ed Greenwood had complete Creative Controle?

My understanding is that E.G. did have a lot of creative control under 2e.

Or maybe its just a setting done by all the compiled notes Ed has and wasnt able/unallowed to use on FR.

I think this is more likely. E.G. is a very, very prolific writer and has often stated that he has an entire filing cabinet of notes.

 

[Oaken25]

I know this is a bunch of products, I am looking forward to. I miss Ed's FR material, since all we get now in FR material is half a book filled with MORE spells, prestige classes, magical items, monsters, etc.

 

[BrooklynKnight]

I can bet a lot of FR fans are going to intergrate Castlemorn into their FR campaigns.

I wouldnt be suprised if intergration will be "seamless".

Change a few names, alter a few dates, and poof! Its realms!

 

[hunter1828]

You're probably right. I think I'll be checking it out.

hunter1828

 

[Mouseferatu]

I'm intrigued.

When I first heard "Fans of the Realms will love this," I actually prepared to give the whole thing a miss. I am not a huge fan of FR, and I certainly didn't think we needed a second setting of the same sort.

But looking at what's written, I really like most of the ideas put forth. It doesn't appear to be FR revised, which is what I was worried about. I'll be following this with more than a little interest.

 

[Mystery Man]

I can bet a lot of FR fans are going to intergrate Castlemorn into their FR campaigns.

I wouldnt be suprised if intergration will be "seamless".

Change a few names, alter a few dates, and poof! Its realms!

I dont think so. From what I've read it seems to be quite a bit different. Neat, but different. I'd take it on its own merits and keep it separate, personally.

I wonder if there will be a prestige class for nude wood splitters?

 

[trancejeremy]

I'm curious about those long, ancient races.

 

[Aaron L]

heh.

 

[Faraer]

Looking at the history, the map and the place names, I can see clear continuity with the Realms mode and also a difference of theme and register -- as Darsar (the setting of his Band of Four novels) also has.

Ed's said he 'want to do more in-close detailing of Realms settings (cities, individual realms) than the current schedule allows'. Since he keeps on writing novels, bits of sourcebooks, web articles, and other lore for the Realms, I don't think he's going to denude his most-developed setting by stealing from it. But I'm sure the Castlemorn books will give insight into (and material useable in) the Realms as well, the ruins book in particular.

E.G. is a very, very prolific writer and has often stated that he has an entire filing cabinet of notes.

Many dozens of large, full cardboard boxes.

You only need look at Geanavue for Kalamar or Secrets of the Magister to see the kind of inventive, densely atmospheric but light-on-its-feet sourcebook Ed writes when given his head. Ed's Realms has little to do with some online ideas of what the Realms are, of course. We have to hope that Castlemorn material by other authors gels with Ed's writing, or we could see repeated history.