D&D 5E Forgotten Realms

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

I thought Menzoberanzen was a systemless book with no real crunch.

I strongly suspect 4e FR sold poorly, just wouldn't use that one book as an example. The Spellplague fixed one major problem (Mystra) but after reading it over I realized I hardly recognized the setting anymore. Yes it had problems that needed fixing, but they just needed to be excised.

So now in 5e, FR has Mystra again. I see nothing to recommend it over 3e or earlier Realms.

 

[Herschel]

When I'm running Realms I either use pre-Time Of Troubles or Post-Spellplague as I prefer the ...."less developed" periods of the Realms. I'm not saying others don't prefer the "more populated" periods, but for me those were less interesting and felt more constrained.

Mystra should have stayed kaput the first time though.

 

[Herschel]

The Menzoberranzen book was system-neutral and could be used easily in any edition.

 

[delericho]

I strongly suspect 4e FR sold poorly...

That would be suspicion, too. Depressingly, though, it would appear it still outsold both 4e Eberron and 4e Dark Sun. Hence the need for WotC to return to the Realms with the Neverwinter book, breaking both their earlier intention to eventually cover all the old settings (as stated by the Rouse), and also their strategy of producing three books for a setting and then getting out.

So, if 4e Realms really did flop, what does that say about the other settings?

So now in 5e, FR has Mystra again. I see nothing to recommend it over 3e or earlier Realms.

I doubt there is anything. They're going backwards because they believe (rightly or wrongly) that that is the Realms that most people prefer. At a guess, 5e Realms will be mostly 3e Realms + some Grey Box Realms + a little new stuff.

But the big advantage that it will have over those older versions is simply that it will actually be in print.

 

[dd.stevenson]

That would be suspicion, too. Depressingly, though, it would appear it still outsold both 4e Eberron and 4e Dark Sun. Hence the need for WotC to return to the Realms with the Neverwinter book, breaking both their earlier intention to eventually cover all the old settings (as stated by the Rouse), and also their strategy of producing three books for a setting and then getting out.

So, if 4e Realms really did flop, what does that say about the other settings?

My understanding (based mainly on reports that PHB1 sold really well, but 4E in general did not) is that the 4E line experienced a sharp drop-off in sales after the first year. If that's correct, then it might be unreasonable to read too much into a comparison between 4E Realms, which was released in the first year, and other settings, which were not.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

I doubt there is anything. They're going backwards because they believe (rightly or wrongly) that that is the Realms that most people prefer. At a guess, 5e Realms will be mostly 3e Realms + some Grey Box Realms + a little new stuff.
.

I wonder if they'll un-blow-up Tilverton. That little change in 3E particularly bothered me.

 

[Scrivener of Doom]

Sadly, almost every time FR is brought up on these boards it quickly degenerates into slagging off at Ed or the Realms themselves.

That's not particularly constructive.

Again, he sold the rights to TSR, nobody forced him to. He made some coin from the deal, good for him. However, selling the rights also relinquishes the ability to dictate what happens.

Actually, Herschel, it's not as simple as that.

The deal Ed struck with TSR included some important conditions:

1. Ed is supposed to be consulted about FR products. Note the word is "consulted": I am not implying that he has any sort of power of approval (he does not).
2. If a year (I think it's a year) goes by with no FR products being published, the rights to the Realms revert back to Ed.

With these sorts of residual rights it makes a fair bit of sense that Ed hasn't simply walked away. After all, he could be left holding the IP at some point in the future.

I've been a fan of FR since the original Dragon articles and I've been running FR since the OGB. I actually like the 4E version and all the "white space" it effectively provides but I also understand why others despise it. Frankly, the biggest problem with FR4E is that horrible map by Rob Lazaretti. If the history of published campaign worlds is ever written, the 4E world map for FR will be identified as the single worst world map ever produced, notable for minimal detail (and what detail there is is typically inaccurate), uselessness in play and a colour palette based on the contents of my son's nappy/daiper when he was around four months.

First rule of world design: make sure the map doesn't suck.

 

[Shemeska]

Frankly, the biggest problem with FR4E is that horrible map by Rob Lazaretti.

Rob was credited in the FRCG as one of two map makers. Was the world map actually his?

Let me first say that he's a fantastic cartographer, hands down my first choice for making the maps of any product I might ever work on. If he did indeed create the 4e FR world map, it doesn't really look at all like his work prior to or after that point IMO. It's quite possible that if it was his, he was directed to make the map that way, in which case I wouldn't fault him but rather whoever wanted that style.

 

[Scrivener of Doom]

Rob was credited in the FRCG as one of two map makers. Was the world map actually his?

Let me first say that he's a fantastic cartographer, hands down my first choice for making the maps of any product I might ever work on. If he did indeed create the 4e FR world map, it doesn't really look at all like his work prior to or after that point IMO. It's quite possible that if it was his, he was directed to make the map that way, in which case I wouldn't fault him but rather whoever wanted that style.

Perhaps I should have clarified that point.

Rob's work is normally superb... which made the FR4E map such a shock.

 

[Kaodi]

I would venture that there is good reason to listen to the creators of your content whether they own it or not. After all, if breathing life into a much beloved game world were just a matter of snapping ones fingers then there would have been no reason to buy a setting in the first place: one could have created one for oneself.