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Enchanted Trinkets Complete--a hardcover book containing over 500 magic items for your D&D games!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="JeffB" data-source="post: 2008451" data-attributes="member: 518">I must admit, I'm an oddity among most gamers: I tend to be a fence-sitter(though not purposefully so).  Gamers tend to be some of, if not THE, most opinionated & stubborn people I know. On matters game related, they tend to the extremes of like & dislike. Such is the way when topics such as rules-systems and campaign settings are discussed. Perhaps no other D&D setting has led to more arguments than the Forgotten Realms. No matter what you might find as a strength or weakness of the setting, the next guy has the completely opposite feeling. Greyhawkers complain of "borrowed" ideas, poor novels, and uber-NPC's who steal the show. Mystaran explorers complain of too much detail w/ no room left to inject any "personal" flavor. Ravenlofters, Spelljammers, Berks, and Dark Sun converts speak of the "evils' of such a "generic" fantasy setting. However, there are just as many who praise the Realms for all these things..it's just plain NUTS!!  The Forgotten Realms has for the past 12 or so years been the best selling line of campaign materials for the D&D game. Over those 12+ years we have seen numerous boxed sets, a hardcover, and countless other softcover books for  both updating and expanding the ever-changing Realms. This latest "core" book for the Realms updates it into the wildly successful D&D 3rd edition rules, and for many folks has brought either a fresh new perspective to the Realms, or has even made the most devout  "realms-basher" sit up and take notice.THE BOOKThe new FRCS is a BIG hardcover book, w/ a hefty price tag of $40 U.S for it's 320 pages. A far as looks go, I would say this is as nice as it has ever been for a D&D product, and perhaps ANY rpg product. Full color, and most of the art is quite good (though I still cannot stand 3E halflings..hee hee). The pages are made out to look like an ancient tome with dirt, tears and other marks..quite cool to look at. Of course looks are not everything. Personally, I would prefer a more utilitarian B&W book w/ less art for perhaps 10-15 bucks cheaper, however WOTC has said that The Realms are going to be it's premiere line of gaming products, and I cannot argue with that regarding amount of content, and how it looks. This book is PACKED with info, due it's hefty page count and small typeface (but still comfy to read size-wise). It also includes a full-color pull out map of the continent of Faerun (which is the heart of the FR campaign).The first 2 chapters deal with Characters options and Magic "exclusive" to the Realms. This includes the various demi-human subraces (yes I still use the 1&2E term), new feats based on a PC's home region, Prestige Classes,and spells. Pretty much "rules-stuff". I'm not a "rules guy" and generally abhor extra complexity added to my games, but I find most of this stuff useful without adding complexity, and enjoyable to read regardless. Since 3E lends itself to lots of extra "power ups", this will be the players fave section. I would also note that most of this stuff is quite ueable in a non-FR campaign.The rest of the book is the "meat" of the FRCS, and as a DM the parts I find most useful. We have chapters dealing with everyday life in Faerun,commerce, climate, religion & magic in society,technology(or lack thereof),regional decriptions(interspersed w/ a few of the realms (in)famous NPC's as well as some new ones),Deities, history, power groups, A DM's section, and some monsters and a couple of scenarios. All of this text is full of adventure hooks, and crunchy bits...just the kind of gaming stuff I like to read. I liken these parts of the book to a "Realms Construction Set", providing enuff detail for a DM to work with, without so much to constrain him. The FRCS is a great starting over point for Realms fans who have become a bit burned-out on the setting due to its' prior volumes of overwhelming detail, or for others who may have shyed away from the Realms because of it.As I said before this book is packed with info, and will not dissapoint most folks. I have heard complaints that perhaps the scope of this product was too great, and that a more narrow but better detailed book should have been written. Perhaps for the current Realms fan this would be a good way to go, but as a draw for new players, or folks who have for one reason or another ignored the setting, I think the way the FRCS is presented works. It gives enough detail for a DM to get the ball rolling in the "most popular" areas of Faerun, while still providing at least a kickstart for people who would startup a campaign eleswehere in the Realms. This has always been an argument among Realms fans: Some want more detail on geographic areas of the Realms that could  result or have resulted in poor sales figures. Others are happy w/ the focus WOTC has kept on the "heartlands" of Faerun (since they are the most popular and well-used geographic regions). I personally am a member of the latter camp, though as  a GH fan who has begged and pleaded for more GH products, I can certainly sympathize. Be that as it may, I think the FRCS hit's its mark as the "core" book,. much moreso than previous FR "core" boxed sets. I hate to say that, because I really do love that tattered "old grey box" on my shelf, but I will refrain from taking us on a nostalgia trip."BUT DOES IT ...?"IMO, The FRCS does a marvelous job of "fixing" many of the percieved problems with FR materials of the past. Rules-wise the new 3E system has helped tremendously of course to balance some of the more questionable rules glitches that plagued the previous incarnations of D&D & FR in particular,such as power levels of specialty priests, different forms of magic & spells, and magic items. Many FR fans have voiced that past products contained too much background without enough meat and crunchy bits for gaming. Other Realms fans disagree, stating that the lengthy prose of past products is what gave the Realms it's unique feel, and provided their inspiration. The new FRCS is definitely written in the "crunchy bits" gaming style. While I prefer a mix of both styles, If I had to choose one, I defenitely would go w/ crunchy bits. I think this new "direct" approach really adds some extra appeal to the setting, especially for those new to the setting, or those who have been skeptical. While previous FR products might have been more fun to read, there's no doubt in my mind that the dry,matter of fact, style of the new FRCS is much more useful to this DM. And I do believe that with this new empahasis WOTC has put on "making the realms your own" & "lots o' crunchy bits", it will start to appeal to many who have not given FR the time of day in the past. It certainly has changed my own perspective of the setting, and though I've never been a "realms basher" , I find the things that used to annoy me about FR much easier to deal with either in game or out of game. Much less emphasis has been put on the major NPC's of the Realms which until recently have been the biggest bane of the setting for most fans and non-fans alike. I have to say that this book has taken me from a love-hate relationship w/ the Realms to a considerably more positive one (and this is coming from a dyed-in-the-wool Greyhawk fan!).CONCLUSIONIt is this reviewers opinion that the FRCS is quite possibly the best RPG camapign setting book ever published as far as production values, and amount of useful gaming l material is concerned. I have played, and owned many various RPG's  and gravitate towards games that have very well designed campaign settings...Middle-Earth, Glorantha, Tekumel, etc. While I'm not sure that FR will ever touch those three in creativity, and originality, I will say the the new FRCS holds great promise, and might just suprise some people like myself who have sat on the fence, or for folks who might not have given the Realms a fair shake. I would gladly pay twice the admission price of the FRCS for a setting book done in similar style for the abovementioned worlds or Greyhawk. The FRCS has defenitely raised the bar, both for quality of FR products, and as a standard other companies should strive for in their own products.</blockquote>

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