FR Update at WotC-Year of the Ageless One

[PeterWeller]

I actually like a lot of this. Baldur's Gate's growth is pretty logical, and it's cool to see it become really important. The Shade Netheril puts a Big, Evil Country smack dab in the middle of things, instead of floating off on the edges like the BECs of yore. I have no problem with the Vilhon becoming a land of crazy magic and death. Thay lost its charm with the Enclaves, and even though it's sad to see it get messed up so much, at least it remains as a source of Evil. Even the Dragonborn shoe-horning works. There are multiple instances of wham, bang, new race and culture show up wholesale through magical-planar shenanigans, but all these prior instances happened "way back when." Now, we have a case of this old Realms trope as part of the immediate past. It's also nice to see Amn being more important.

 

[The Ubbergeek]

The fandom rage is starting high on the WOTC forum. Expect bans and an 'Holy fandom jihad', and Candlekeep become the Paizo + Canonfire.

 

[Lonely Tylenol]

'Changing Lands' seem directly analogous (because 'blatant copy' is such an uncharitable term!) to the Mournlands from Eberron. Were the Mournlands that popular? They always seemed nearly impossible to use in a game, from my Eberron readthrough.

I was thinking more like the Cacotopic Stain from China Mieville's books.

 

[The Eternal GM]

I've already seen a lot of major negative response to the changes on rpg.net (most seem to be concerned with the name of one minor background character... But rpg.net is weird like that) and undoubtably a lot more is to follow once the real setting loyal fans see what has been done to their setting.

"Like someone breaking into your house, taking your good furniture and replacing it all with something tacky. And swapping out all your old music of 20+ years for Britney!" Was basically how I summed it up, not for myself, but for some readers and players certainly.

To me, and I have played FR in a few editions, ran a short campaign in 3.5 and enjoyed a few novels and crpg's set there too... No, I welcome it all. Really.

Realms is post-great war and second world war... For us now I mean. Over a lifetime has passed since all the tragedy happened, and sure the political landscape has changed. We've got more migrants from other worlds (c'mon, the dragonborn arrival is no less lazy than all the other demi-humans really) and a much changed pantheon.

Ultimately, I think it fulfills its purpose though. New fans or casual fans (me included) can enjoy a setting with key elements still intact. The places are recognizable, but we don't need to have a whole library of knowledge regarding it all. It's that 'old is new again' sorta approach.

I'm not saying it was absolutely the best way to handle everything. Maybe comparisons to a DC Comics 'Crisis' (which I regard as the height of shoddy, lazy and pathetic gimmick writing by the way) isn't too far off the mark if you're very invested in the game already... But then again, I really don't think a 4th Edition that continues on from 3rd Edition made much sense either.

With 4th Edition the slate is clean for FR. Will it draw in new readers and players? Dunno. Maybe it is more of an 'Ultimate FR' than 'Crisis FR' and will really work well.

It does mean that new supplements have one tidy kick off point. All the setting information as it comes out will be easy to associate with the new FR world, and not lost amid the details of the last. I know that somewhere along the line you could ask "Why make it realms at all then?" but we all know that the reason is the marketable name, setting and particularly novels.

So ultimately, I WILL be getting it, and likely enjoying it as much as I did 3rd Edition or any other. A fair chunk of fans will stick to what they know and like, whether that means swapping editions or not.

After all, I don't think Ed Greenwood's own game will be based upon it. He and his players decided against the Time of Troubles last interview I ever read with him. Don't imagine he'll be following WotC's canon for the setting, heh.

 

[Mighty Veil]

I hope the Zhents are still there in the Moonsea in Zhental Keep. I'm hoping they've taken control of that northern region to form the Zhent Republic. Also hope Thay still exists. I wouldn't be surprised to hear the Thay wizards made pacts with devils and some of them became tieflings....

Hopefully Thay took over the Symbul's (or whatever her name is) land and killed her.

Hope Amn survived. I did a long campaign there so I learn to like the place.

 

[Lonely Tylenol]

It would have been post-apocolyptic if it had been set 80 years prior, but a 94 year (or 104) year advance in the timeline is a long time. Things would be fairly settled back to normal after such a long time.

Think about the difference between 2008 and 1904. Not only have we recovered from disasters from back then, but we've had many other disasters in the mean time.

I doubt folks in 4E FR would even much think about the Spellplague anymore. It would be ancient history.

Well, among humans anyway. There are probably lots of demihumans all over the place who lived through it.

"You kids today, you've got it easy with your static laws of physics. Back in my day, I had to get up every day and walk through a blizzard of the dreams of stillborn dragons to get to the only well that drew water that didn't scream when you boiled it. And when I got there, if my bucket hadn't turned into a Klein bottle, I'd have to rush the water back home before the Dry People found me."

"Sure, whatever Grandpa."

 

[The Ubbergeek]

You know... it sounds awesome.

Playing an old fuddled demihuman who was THERE.... and nobody believe his outragrous - yet real - tales.

 

[The Eternal GM]

You know... it sounds awesome.

Playing an old fuddled demihuman who was THERE.... and nobody believe his outragrous - yet real - tales.

It does amuse doesn't it... Saying being one of the thunder twin dwarves or something, and all the shoter-lived races just thinking you're a bit 'eccentric' when you go on about the old gods, weird magic and all those magical treasures you had in your adventuring days.

 

[The Human Target]

Well, among humans anyway. There are probably lots of demihumans all over the place who lived through it.

"You kids today, you've got it easy with your static laws of physics. Back in my day, I had to get up every day and walk through a blizzard of the dreams of stillborn dragons to get to the only well that drew water that didn't scream when you boiled it. And when I got there, if my bucket hadn't turned into a Klein bottle, I'd have to rush the water back home before the Dry People found me."

"Sure, whatever Grandpa."

Thats fantastic.

 

[Voss]

What would the rationalization been had they destroyed Waterdeep and left Thay alone?

Why did Thay suddenly sprout a giant mountain of writer fiat, again? I wasn't clear on that. I guess 'the Spellplague did it' is the answer, but really...

Speaking of which, there were two things that really bothered me

First, the dragonborn just popping in. Literally. Granted, a lot of the barely-fleshed-out-copies-of-real-world-nations needed to go, but this was just like watching the authors bring in the industrial eraser and just hack out part of the background, and crudely drop the new PC race in.

Second, the spellplague doesn't affect extremely magical areas. It stemmed directly from Mystra's destruction, but, somehow, where her influence is strongest (mythals and whatnot) isn't affected. That seems completely and utterly backwards.

I also can't see Cormyr surviving between a conquered Sembia and the might of the archwizards. Send some humanoid hordes in, while armies from Sembia attack, and then just gate some extra armies into the unprotected cities. Crunch.

Anyway, uninspired and sad. I was amused by the mention of the Moonshaes (and the inevitable Feywild), but confused as to why Amn would bother with them. But mostly I'm just glad I don't have an emotional investment in FR.

Snerk. 'Changing lands'. Heh. At least they aren't called Realms of Chaos...