D&D 5E How do you feel about the Forgotten Realms?

[Queer Venger]

I 'like it' mostly because it's the setting I'm most familiar with. Although I've decided to ignore all the changes made for 4e. Looking forward to seeing what 5e gives us.

 

[Plaguescarred]

I like FR, it has rich history and diversity!

 

[was]

I enjoy reading/playing the realms..pre 4e/spellplague. However, I don't like it when iconic characters pop up in campaigns.

 

[Mercurius]

Like it. I never use it for gaming, but I don't use any setting as I prefer homebrewing. But I enjoy reading about the Forgotten Realms, and nabbing ideas from it.

And I disagree that it has no flavor, no voice. It most certainly does. Yes, it is vanilla kitchen sink fantasy, but it has its own distinct vibe. Its been garbled a bit over the decades, but still managed to remain "Realmsian."

I wish the Realms had stayed Greenwood, though. I don't like how they pasted on other settings--Kara-Tur, Al-Qadim, Maztica, the Horde. I know it will never happen, but I'd love to see a purely Greenwoodian Realms. I suppose the grey box is the closest we'll ever get.

Oh yeah, the white book is still the best setting book ever produced (at least for D&D). Pathfinder's Inner Sea book is close, but the white book is just glorious.

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

And I disagree that it has no flavor, no voice. It most certainly does. Yes, it is vanilla kitchen sink fantasy, but it has its own distinct vibe.

How would you define it? What is the Realms' distinct vibe and in what way is it different from generic D&D's vibe, in your opinion?

 

[Mirtek]

, I want to read about areas, NPCs and organizations full of flavor and possibilities. The Realms offer me none of these things: .

Sorry but if anything FR has far too many of those. Too the point it's getting ridicolous how every one and his dog is actually a zhentarim/Harper/moonstar/shade/highknight/etc. in disguise

In Ed's latest novel about Candlekeep just about every supposed monk was a spy of one of the various organiztations. Makes the reader wonder if there are actually any monks left to spy on instead of a bunch of spies watching other spies pretending too be monks. With no one realizing that the last monk has been murdered and replaced by a magically disguised spy years ago.

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

Sorry but if anything FR has far too many of those. Too the point it's getting ridiculous how every one and his dog is actually a zhentarim/Harper/moonstar/shade/highknight/etc. in disguise

No offense meant but I don't find any of these groups exciting or compelling in the least. That they are everywhere only makes them less interesting for me, not more. Of course, YMMV.

 

[Lerysh]

I give the realms a resounding "Meh". Too many god like NPCs that want the PCs to just watch them be awesome.

 

[Lanefan]

When I first saw it back in the 1e days I loved it.

I wasn't as impressed with the 2e version.

I was even less impressed with the 3e version, and haven't even looked at what 4e did to it.

And why? Because each successive edition's version piled on more canon and developed more lands, leaving me less open space in between to stick my own stuff in and representing a whole lot of homework if one wants to run it according to canon.

Lan-"if converting FR to what I want is the same or more work than designing my own world, there's really no choice"-efan

 

[sgtscott658]

I like the Realms, then again I like all campaign settings, each one offers something unique in its own right. Plus I spend money on this stuff, so you can bet I'm gonna use it and get my monies worth.

Anyway, every campaign world is as good or as bad as you the DM run it.