Greenwood on FR npcs

[Banshee16]

The actual games I ran in the Realms went fine, so the PCs being associated with the NPCs wasn't a problem per se. The problem was that every player seemed to want to tie himself to one of the world's major NPCs, which sort of tied them to the big guys' apron strings. It's like they thought that they weren't good enough to be heroes in the world unless they had some association to characters from the novel line.

I'm not listing that as a problem with the Realms. I ran some of my best adventures in the Realms, and enjoyed the years that I used it as my setting. At the same time, I've enjoyed my homebrew game more, but that's almost always going to be the case when comparing a homebrew campaign versus a published setting.

Hey, big guys have big enemies. Maybe the players will think twice about wanting to be Elminster's apprentice when they're 2nd lvl, and Manshoon or Fzoul decide to get some leverage on Elminster by sending some 10th lvl goons to kidnap the apprentice and hold him hostage, to keep Elminster from interfering with some other plan....and possibly sending the apprentice back to Elminster in pieces.

Just like how the PCs friends and families can make good targets for villains, and good sources of storylines for the DM, a PC who is friends with a mover and shaker might find that being friends with such a famous person can attract the wrong attention, when he's not high enough level to deal with the kinds of threats that NPC generates through his enemies.

Just some ideas...

Banshee

 

[DeadlyUematsu]

http://www.candlekeep.com/library/articles/zirta.htm

Interesting story. It really did have a strong REH influence. I also found Elminister's entrance with Alustriel and Storm hilarious.

 

[Paka]

As much as I generally avoid the Realms these days, Ed Greenwood seems to be the type of guy who I'd like to game with.

Jeff and I said the same thing when we were done interviewing him.

 

[Ghostwind]

Ed is a hoot to game with. I wish I got the chance more often.

 

[Paka]

Ed is a hoot to game with. I wish I got the chance more often.

C'mon, do tell.

 

[Mystery Man]

Ed is a hoot to game with. I wish I got the chance more often.

The slight pangs I'm feeling right now are not jealousy. They're not. I mean it....

 

[KaosDevice]

(just tossing in my .02$)

I've ran several FR games since the late 80's where the Uber-NPCs weren't even mentioned. It really isn't all that difficult imho.

 

[Ghostwind]

The slight pangs I'm feeling right now are not jealousy. They're not. I mean it....

All I can say is Ed really knows how to get into character. And female NPCs are definitely fair game for seduction depending on his mood and the character he's playing.

 

[Ghostwind]

By the way, when Elminster makes an appearance, it's more to remind the group how incredibly stupid they were and how likely they are going to die. Elminster does not go around saving PCs. You get yourself into a mess, you had better figure out how to get out, even if you were hired by Elminster. I like Ed's version of El. He's a real bastard.

 

[The Forsaken One]

Most "powerfull" FR NPCs are severely underpowered for their CR. I can't imagine not totally destroying any of the powerfull NPCS a load of levels under their stated CR. They are severely undergeared, far from optimal spells, items, feats, skills, about everything. Not even to mention most of them have rediculously low hitpoints.

And those CR 40 Dragons dont even come close to being CR 40 :/. Ah well the CR system goes down the drain over level 20 anyway .

And my players dont love nothing more then rinsing powerfull / famous FR nps hehe.