D&D General Forgotten Realms Book preview from NYCC

[Parmandur]

Just being pedantic here (because that's how my brain works ), but the Forgotten Realms Adventure book wasn't a hybrid, it was fully 2e. You may be thinking of the Greyhawk Adventures book which had 1e trade dress but purported to be compatible with both editions on the cover. Inconsequential, I know.

Fair, here is how Shannon Applecline describes the situation on the DMsGuild labe:

"A Series of Setting Books. While AD&D was transitioning from 1st edition to 2nd edition, TSR changed over from publishing hardcover rule supplements to publishing hardcover setting supplements - probably in the hope that they'd sell well despite the transition. Forgotten Realms Adventures was the third, following Dragonlance Adventures (1987) and Greyhawk Adventures (1988) - or perhaps the fourth if you count Manual of the Planes (1987)."

"Amusingly, Dragonlance Adventures was pure 1st edition, Greyhawk Adventures was advertising as being compatible with both 1st and 2nd edition - which in truth meant it wasn't perfectly aligned with either - while Forgotten Realms Adventures was pure 2nd edition. Together, the three books offered a perfectly symmetrical history of AD&D's edition change."

 

[Demetrios1453]

Looks like Pool of Radiance? What location/Part of the game is that?

The original Pool of Radiance was in Phlan, which is just across the narrow Moonsea from the Dalelands. The Pool has been known to move, though...

 

[Demetrios1453]

As a fun comparison. Here is a slightly better view of the Dalelands map here, compared with the Eastern Heartlands map from the 1E/2E hybrid Foegotten Realms Advengures vook:

View attachment 420288View attachment 420289

I guess the Vast is now an honorary part of the Dalelands now. Otherwise, why waste almost a whole page on it, instead of showing, say, Cormyr or Sembia?

 

[TravDoc42]

The Shadovar have been in Limbo since the end of 4E, so just about anything that gets into what happened with the Shades is pretty new.

Sembia butting heads with the Dales is juat part of it's bread and butter.

That makes total sense! I knew that about Sembia, but the Shadovar aspect is neat!! Thank you, I'm excited to find out what they did with the Shadovar!

 

[Zaukrie]

Never loved the Shaovar.... But never hated then either. I just never was interested for some reason.

Definitely looking forward to these books.

 

[Parmandur]

I guess the Vast is now an honorary part of the Dalelands now. Otherwise, why waste almost a whole page on it, instead of showing, say, Cormyr or Sembia?

Well, having spent some time playing around with the older maps of the area, it is actually difficult to get the whole Dalelands in focus in an area thst is coincidentally a good fit for a modern computer screen ration without including the Vast, like so, which is pretty close to what we are seeing in the new book:

The actual text in the DM book might not really say too much about the Vast or Moonsea, even if theybare on the map.

 

[Parmandur]

That makes total sense! I knew that about Sembia, but the Shadovar aspect is neat!! Thank you, I'm excited to find out what they did with the Shadovar!

I know Sembia had collaborated with the Shadovar during the 4E era, before WotC just sort of quietly dropped the plot line there...

 

[TheSword]

The original Pool of Radiance was in Phlan, which is just across the narrow Moonsea from the Dalelands. The Pool has been known to move, though...

It did move, as described in the awful 3e era Computer game, the adventure book and novel. It was pretty dire.

 

[TheSword]

Never loved the Shaovar.... But never hated then either. I just never was interested for some reason.

Definitely looking forward to these books.

There is a really good trilogy about them, Evereska and Myth Drannor.

The Summoning, The Siege and The Sorcerer. It’s got some pretty epic moments. One of the best series in the FR. Worth a read or listen I think.