D&D 4E FR 4E SPOILER - Grand Histoy of the Realms info

[BlackMoria]

Hey, look! It's the Time of Troubles v2.0. A fantastic idea, because the first one was loved so much.

You would figure that WOTC would learn something from the Time of Troubles, given the large number of Realms fans that loathed that one.

Play it again, Sam

Yeah, all the Realms fans are going to love this <rolls eyes>

 

[Ian Demagi]

So D&D has found MTG

It sounds like at least for Forgotten Realms that WotC has spent one mana and tapped Nevinyrral's Disk.

Time to look at that Kalamar stuff maybe???


Ian

 

[delericho]

Chris Pramas mentioned that he was afraid 4E would be a "3.75" edition. A few changes to the system that were just there to make the new edition necessary. He felt that would be a big mistake. When he found out at GenCon that 4E was going to be a major break he was in favor of that. He felt that was the proper way to do a new edition. Perhaps the same thing applies to FR.

I agree with this approach, on both counts. However, it's a big risk.

 

[RangerWickett]

You would figure that WOTC would learn something from the Time of Troubles, given the large number of Realms fans that loathed that one.

Play it again, Sam

Yeah, all the Realms fans are going to love this <rolls eyes>

It's good for roleplaying, because I'm sure the natives didn't like it that much either.

Seriously, it's a setting, and they're making that setting have less chaff. I am in favor of this. I'm not a grognard and have little invested in The Way Things Ought To Be^tm, so a change that makes the setting more fun is a good one.

Who cares if they kill off Mystra, or any of the other gods. Gods are some of the least interesting elements of storytelling.

 

[masshysteria]

It seems like since the precedent has been set, FR must have a catastrophe to explain the rule changes. But honestly, I'd love for the timeline to be advanced 500-900 years, so as to allow a "starting over". Rebuild all that is great and lovable about the realms, axe what doesn't work, and not have to be handcuffed by previous events.

The time inbetween can be a dark ages for the FR. Knowledge is lost, cities are destroyed, gods rise and fall, etc. However, since this is all part of the dark age, very little history of it is known or understood (meaning don't explain it all away in novels, sourcebooks, etc.). Instead, 4E forgotten realms starts with the renaissance. Cities and towns are flourishing again, knowledge is being rediscovered, and there are plenty of dungeons and ruins from the dark age to explore. The world is thematically very similar to what veteran players know, but it has been parred down enough that new players can pick up the world and get lost in it just like we did when we first discovered it.

 

[Zaukrie]

I'm all for the changes. I think the Realms were bloated with deities and NPCs that didn't follow the rules (but, none of that mattered, as I think NPCs should be rampant in the world - it gives the world context. The heroes aren't the only people of power on a huge, huge continent). These changes look like they move the Realms in a direction that will make them more accessible to new DMs and players.

 

[Ashrem Bayle]

Big cataclysms also make the "points of light" thing work with the Realms a lot better.

 

[Andyr]

1427 the Shalarins Surfacing - I bet this is

Spoiler

the coming of the aboleths mentioned in the new Drizzt novel.

Not necessarily so--the Shalarins are a (nonevil) race of aquatic humanoids who live in the Sea of Fallen Stars. See Monsters of Faerun.

 

[Wormwood]

The changes sound interesting.

And wow---I'm posting in a FR thread? I haven't even thought about the Realms since 2003.

4e FR may be worth a look after all.

 

[Mean Eyed Cat]

I know I've been spoiling some information from the book, but I also wanted to tell people [especially FR fans] that they should buy the book [no, WotC didn't pay me to say that ]. It has a ton of fluff in it. And a lot of new stuff. There's new info on the creator races, the Sundering, the Crown Wars, ancient Ilythiir, Jhaamdath, Imaskar, Netheril, new lore on Katashaka (the ancient home of the Chultans), and even new stuff about Shou Lung and how the Tears of Selûne were formed.

It's especially helpful for people like me, who never read the novels. My games usually don't incorporate what's going on in the realms. However, from time to time, I like to throw in certain NPCs or events that add some flavor. This is a great book for that