FR - details on the spellplague

[StarFyre]

I got this from Grand History of the Realms...I haven't seen it posted here, unless it was within a huge thread that I missed...

(paraphrased as to not type word for word what it says)

***
Cyruic with aid from Shar, kill Mystra within Dweomerheart, which causes the plane to collapse on itself and get destroyed, wuich destroys Savras and sends the Azuth and Velsharoon reeling into the endless Astral Plane. Without Mystra to govern the weave, magic bursts all bonds across faerun and the surrounding planes, and the magical energy goes wild. This is known as the Spellplague.

It causes 1000s of mages to go insane and/or die, and the substance of the world becomes mutable beneath veils of azure fire that dance in the skies at night or even day (yay! northern lights!!!) hehe

Many planes are shifted or destroyed. Only Greater Gods are strong enough to maintain their reallms against this chaos. Tyr, Lathander, Sune imprison Cyric in his Supreme Throne, under house arrest for 1000 years.
***

Hmm..interesting.

If this is new info...comments? discussion?

How will people use this? or will they change certain aspects for their own maybe house ruled FR campaigns, 4E universe, Planescape version universe, or amalgamate everything as you see fit? (what I will be doing).

Sanjay

 

[BlackMoria]

This had a thread when GHotR came out. Still discussed at Candlekeep.com.

Bottom line - mixed reaction from the FR community. Some like, a greater number do not, based on my observances on both ENWorld, WotC and Candlekeep forums.

Confirmed by Rich Baker on Ask the Realms Designers forums. They got a plan, a new vision for the Realms and they are going ahead with it. In response to the ton of negative reactions, the response was that this was discussed in house, a large multi-year plan was developed and it is far too late into the process to reverse course.

In August, when the 4e FRCG comes out, the Realms will look very different from what they are now, due to the Spellplague and a timeline jump. Just how much a jump isn't known right now but it between 10 and 100 years, with the latter the more likely scenario based on inferences from Realms designers. Rich Baker stated that in early 2008 (Jan / Feb time frame), articles introducing the re-imaged Realms will start coming out, including what the 4e FRCG start year will be.

Justification for the very wide and sweeping changes is to bring the FR campaign setting firmly in line with the 4e rules and to address perceived negatives of the campaign setting that are an impediment to new fans, namely uber NPCs everywhere (majority will be gone), a over burdened pathelon (hence the strange events which kack a number of gods as reveled in the GHotR), and the level of detail and history (with a large timeline jump, history becomes less relevant and everyone has a new start point - after all, why worry about what nobililty and merchant interest currently control Neverwinter when in 100 years, Neverwinter (if it exists at all) will have greatly changed in 100 years).

My opinion - given the large negative outpouring in reaction to the GHotR, I think WotC risks alienating their existing fanbase at the expense of trying to have broader appeal. It is a gamble and I wish them well at it but only time will tell if the sweeping changes will pay off.

What will I do? - I am going to wait and see. I will look at the new FRCG and the FR Player Guide and determine if it is something I can use. Then and only then will I decide what effect it will have on my long time running FR campaigns.

 

[mhensley]

I've always liked FR, but the immense amount of material available for it has kept me from embracing it. My setting OCD kicks in and I feel the need to know all the background info and with the FR, it's just too much for me to handle. A fresh start is what I need. I'm looking forward to getting in on the new ground floor.

 

[StarFyre]

hmmm

I actually don't mind it too much..

only a few time periods, locations, and a couple characters I like a lot...so for those, if they are totally whipped off the planet..hehe, I'll house rule them back into the setting but in the new timeline.

Since time travel is a large part of our campaigns, that will also allow a couple places to be visited if needed.

Sanjay

 

[FourthBear]

The Spellplague and assorted changes do bug me a bit, but not nearly as much as the Avatar Trilogy at the changeover to 2nd edition did. I stopped using strict Realms canon right at the Time of Troubles and have just mined all subsequent Realms works at grist for the personal campaign mill. I figure if the Realms can get through the ToT, it can survive the Spellplague.

 

[catsclaw227]

I've always liked FR, but the immense amount of material available for it has kept me from embracing it. My setting OCD kicks in and I feel the need to know all the background info and with the FR, it's just too much for me to handle. A fresh start is what I need. I'm looking forward to getting in on the new ground floor.

This is exactly how I feel about it. I am looking forward to 4e FR.

 

[Wormwood]

This is exactly how I feel about it. I am looking forward to 4e FR.

Thirded.

 

[Khairn]

Justification for the very wide and sweeping changes is to bring the FR campaign setting firmly in line with the 4e rules and to address perceived negatives of the campaign setting that are an impediment to new fans, namely uber NPCs everywhere (majority will be gone), a over burdened pathelon (hence the strange events which kack a number of gods as reveled in the GHotR), and the level of detail and history (with a large timeline jump, history becomes less relevant and everyone has a new start point - after all, why worry about what nobililty and merchant interest currently control Neverwinter when in 100 years, Neverwinter (if it exists at all) will have greatly changed in 100 years).

My opinion - given the large negative outpouring in reaction to the GHotR, I think WotC risks alienating their existing fanbase at the expense of trying to have broader appeal. It is a gamble and I wish them well at it but only time will tell if the sweeping changes will pay off.

Agreed.

What will I do? As the new FR will effectively force the archiving of all my existing FR material as none of it will have any usefullness, I'll pass on the new FR. I really enjoy the existing Realms and the level of detail in its current state. I might take another look at it after there is a decent amount of new material published, or if the reviews are overwhelmingly positive, but I'm not anticipating either happening in 2008.

 

[ZombieRoboNinja]

The new Salvatore book has a prologue and epilogue that take place 100 years in the future. The prologue is available as a free sample chapter:

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/frnovel/959867200

Sounds like they're trying to carry the "Points of Light" thing into FR, too.

 

[Voss]

Yes, yes. This has come up before, here and elsewhere.