Forgotten Realms - What happened to Tilverton in DR 1372?

[AFGNCAAP]

I can understand the need to have something massive occur in a game/setting, but seriously, FR seems to have had so many shocks to its system that it needs to go on life support.

Then again, there's just so much stuff that's been done to the Realms that any initial appeal the setting had for me (back in the original grey box days) was just lost.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

I just started a FR campaign in Tilverton, but since I have a lot of the old 1st/2nd Ed campaign material, decided to set the campaign start date a few years back than the one recommended in the FR campaign setting. I thought it would be a little bit more fun that way, since I already had a timeline of future events to turn to.

Although I don't plan to keep the campaign in Tilverton, unless the PCs want to stick around longer than they have to, the first couple of adventures are taking place around that area. Imagine my surprise when I discover that it had gone and gotten blown up in 3rd Edition.

Never let Canon get in the way of your game and of fun. If you base a game in Tilverton, and then see that it gets blown up in Canon (which would disrupt the running campaign), just ignore that piece of Canon.

 

[Neo]

How did Troy Denning's version of Shadow Weave magic and the stories differ?

Shadow Weave Magic in the book gives an increase to the save DC's of foes to resist spells from some schools a shadow weave mage uses, and also reduces the caster level of some other school spells when used by a shadow weave user. also spells with the light descriptor are banned for them.

In the novels Troy has Shadow Weave seem far more potent, Shadow Weave Magic seems to affect creatures normally unaffected by magic (ignore spell resistance and damage reduction/magic?),

Troy also has those who use it risk a struggle (almost like an EGO type struggle with an intelligent weapon) with thier Shadow Selves, that are paranoid, suspicious and cruel. The more shadow magic is used, the more they risk thier shadow self taking over.

Using Shadow Weave Magic also seems to numb the caster with cold almost like a risk of fatigue for spellcasting that gets worse the more that is cast...

Finally as was noted Shadow Weave magic and Weave magic seems to react badly together (overlapping area affects and for purposes of counterspelling only i'd say from a gameplay perspective) and tends to result in an almost matter - Anti matter type collision, but without an explosion. Instead a wild magic type affect occurs.

 

[KenM]

Never let Canon get in the way of your game and of fun. If you base a game in Tilverton, and then see that it gets blown up in Canon (which would disrupt the running campaign), just ignore that piece of Canon.

I agree, I ran a game in FR once. Some of the players were like "well, its not like that in the FR book". I told them "well, its my game, my world, don't assume everything you read in FR books are right"

 

[The Grumpy Celt]

Troy's novels and the game mechanic books are a place were the two are very seperate. Over the last few years WotC has tried to keep the two more close than that.

Troy's version is more interesting than the game mechanics version, but is not detailed in those terms and is possibly unweildly.

That said, the Realm seem to be going through - and have been for several years now - a "comic books in the summer' scenario. Namely, some disaster boots the heroes around, knocks some stuff down - all in an attempt to boost sales.

Nor does all of it seem terribly well though out.

 

[Aaron L]

Dennigs version of shadow weave magic is pretty lame. I wonder, did he read anything about it at all when he began writing the novels?

"Here is this new baaaaad magic, it's like regular magic but badder and more powerful!"

How many times does he have to blow up the world, anyway? I got these books hoping for something interesting to read, and was sadly dissappointed. I was so confused about the mixed up plot and so apathetic towards the characters I had a large headache by the time I got to the end.

We've had a MUCH more interesting set of events happen in our game

 

[Neo]

Actually in that series of novels he doesn't introduce one new Baaad A** magic type he introduces two As there was also the Hard Magic that exists only around the Karsus stone that was pure magic, the kind of magic that was wielded before Karsus fell when the Weave and Shadow Weave were one thing or some such... That magic was even more potent that the Shadow Weave magic or Weave magic alone, and was needed to bring the Shade Enclave back to the prime material.

When all is said and done though I liked the Denning books, I idea mined the bits I liked for my campaign I gnored or altered the rest...
Really just because something happens in a novel and gets the briefest of mentions in one of the RPG sourcebooks doesn't necessarily have to have any bearing whatsoever on anyones games unless they want it too as was mentioend by a previous poster.

I do however hope the Shade Enclave gets its own sourcebook at some point as I find the Shadovar really intriguing.

 

[The Grumpy Celt]

Actually in that series of novels he doesn't introduce one new Baaad A** magic type he introduces two As there was also the Hard Magic that exists only around the Karsus stone that was pure magic...

I do however hope the Shade Enclave gets its own sourcebook at some point as I find the Shadovar really intriguing.

I thought Denning handled Shadow Magic and Hard Magic rather well. I also liked the way he resolved the issue of the two Wulgreth (sp?) lichs living near the Karse Stone. He also effectively moved the Karse Stone off stage, letting Shar steal it.

That said I felt much of the material in the book was rather arbitrary – including the destruction of Tilverton. However, that may have been handed to Denning rather than have been his own idea.

These days it seems like a strong gust of wind would finish off Cormyr.

The city of Shade receives a good, solid write up in Lords of Darkness I believe.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

I agree, I ran a game in FR once. Some of the players were like "well, its not like that in the FR book". I told them "well, its my game, my world, don't assume everything you read in FR books are right"

Well, it always pays off to be informed, so not to unintentionally rewrite the recent history of Faerûn (say, the last 3000 years or so ;-)).

I know you players' side: I read a lot of FR-novels, and all 3e-Rulebooks (except Serpent Kingdoms, which I am reading at the moment), so I know a good deal more about the Realms than my DM's. Whenever something is handled differently, I want to tell the DM "that's not how it's supposed to run". But of course I don't. After all, it's our world now, and the details aren't that important (especially if they don't have anything to do with the current plot.)

The only time I mention something is when they screw something up big time, but then usually only like "that isn't actually like that" more for the DM's information than as a request to change it.

The only time I was really peed off was in an an AD&D-Group (but I generally didn't like the guys' attitude towards several concepts): I entered the group, and (since it was an evil game set in the FR), I wanted to play the arrogant arcane supremist elf. So of course I chose gold elf as the race. And the following occured:
DM: "You're an elf, right, what sort?"
Me: "Gold elf, of course - I want to play the arrogant bastard after all"
DM: "What elf?"
Me: "Gold elf. You know, the Realms' answer to the grey elf"
DM: "Never heard of them, no, I only use the normal kinds of elves as in the complete book of elves"

Even after I showed them the passage about "Elves in the Forgotten Realms", he just said: "No, I won't have *that*! You're a grey elf" In the tone like: "I won't put up with your garbage". He didn't even consider it. The most annoying thing about it was that he didn't play it *wrong* because he never had the real book, or because he chose to keep the core races instead of using the FR ones. He just never bothered to read something actually titled "Elves in the FR".

 

[ruleslawyer]

sorry...