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

[Mishihari Lord]

It's an extremely popular setting. Negative voices are always louder than the silent majority. I hate it, but I know - even though I don't understand it - that lots and lots of people enjoy it immensely.

Yah. At this moment like to dislike is about 3 to 1, yet most of the written posts seem to be negative.

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

Yah. At this moment like to dislike is about 3 to 1, yet most of the written posts seem to be negative.

Which, in its own way, is troubling. No one seems able to articulate why they like the setting. The only people who tried were very vague, talking about a "rich history" but not explaining whether said history is well-written or useful, alluding to a "tone" specific to the Realms but which, apparently, can't be defined, or expressing their nostalgia for old Realms-related books or video games.

So I'm asking again: why do you like the setting? What makes it good? Interesting? Unique?

 

[Wednesday Boy]

There's a strong impetus to use high level NPCs such as Elminster as the cavalry riding over the hill to save the PCs when they get into trouble. Players, in my experience, almost always hate that.

I often hear this sort of argument against FR. I have limited experience with FR (one 2E campaign and one 4E campaign) but we never crossed paths with the high level NPCs. If the high level NPCs have too much potential to steal the spotlight, is there a reason to simply not include them in your FR campaigns? If they overshadow the PCs too much I can't imagine requests for more of their involvement.

Do other settings (Star Wars, Marvel or DC games, L5R) that have high level NPCs suffer from similar issues? I've never heard a similar complaint about such settings but maybe I've missed them.

 

[amerigoV]

I'm curious about this part as several people have mentioned something along these lines. What exactly is saying that the Innkeeper has a magic crossbow and his daughter is a level 4 Ranger, or that the Blacksmith down the road can churn out a Longsword +1 for a modest fee? I'm very curious, and I'm not trying to cherry pick your post, just trying to zone in on the matter.

I am glad you asked. As I pondered it, it helped clarify something in my mind about worldbuilding.

First off, I have no problem with worlds that have a high level of magic items. Ye Olde Magik Shoppe concept is just fine by me. FR certainly has that concept, especially in 3e with the Thayan Enclaves. From my origin post, I mentioned I was seriously considering setting my flag in Eberron.

So what does quoted above imply about the world? That is a very good question that I feel FR has never fully answered. As I pondered it, when you make as setting there are a number of things that have to be considered. This is not an exhaustive list, but three that come to mind are:

Tech level - what can people make
Magic level - The level of power influencing the course of events by using mysterious or supernatural forces.
Mystic level - how do the gods interact with the world.

FR appears (to me anyway) to be:
Tech - Medieval
Magic - High
Mystic - High

What solidified in my mind when you asked the question was not about the Magic level, but the Tech level. When you say people can make magic items, commission them, and perhaps have enough traffic to even have a shop that buys/sells them - that is a Tech Level question. The source of the power might be magical or even mystical, but the process of being able to formulaically make and replicate an item is technological.

For example, I have little to know direct knowledge of how my smartphone works or even have the faintest idea how to make one, but I can easily use it to do what I want it to do. It might as well be a magic item to me. I am sure a farmer has no idea how a Decanter of Endless Water is created or works, but you tell him three words and he would have no problem using it. If Decanter of Endless Water can be reliably made in the world, that is technology IMO. It seems to me a farming community with a couple of retired adventurers would trade in a few +1 swords and daggers to get a reliable endless source of water.


So back to the quote: the fact that the barkeep has a magic weapon does not necessarily say much. The item could be from another time and place - perhaps like Hellfrost (from my post) that people cannot make them anymore. The fact that a blacksmith can make a magic sword implies to me that their should be a ton of "practical" magic in the world. The world should feel more like the late 1880s or later in our world, but perhaps "magic" is the driver vs. say electricity, steam or oil. How cheaply, easily, and "miniaturized" the creation process is will drive if it feels like 1880 vs. 1980 vs. 2080.

 

[amerigoV]

Which, in its own way, is troubling. No one seems able to articulate why they like the setting. The only people who tried were very vague, talking about a "rich history" but not explaining whether said history is well-written or useful, alluding to a "tone" specific to the Realms but which, apparently, can't be defined, or expressing their nostalgia for old Realms-related books or video games.

So I'm asking again: why do you like the setting? What makes it good? Interesting? Unique?

I'll say what I like about it:

• 3e FRCS - one of the best campaign setting books. In the gazetter section, each area/country has a short list of what is going on. It immediately brought out tons of adventure ideas. One could quickly get a feel of what issues impacted the region, and this brought the setting to life for me.
• Its a great polished homebrew. Many people do what FR does - fantasy up real world places and put them together. Its familiar yet unexplored
• Lots of organizations. As a GM, I can decide which ones come into play or if I want to make my own that fits somewhere in between the existing.
• If I have an idea, it fits in FR. If I want to have a vampiric were-badger gnome as an enemy, it first right in (that guy is actually in the Shining South book).
• It scratches the Epic/High Fantasy itch
• Baldur's Gate 1 and 2. They show you how you can pull FR together into something Epic.
• The Gods are a mix for me. But one thing a GM or player can always do is grab an obscure one and do something interesting with it. In a short run, I once justified having an assassin in the party using the minor god Hoar (I think it was). My PC brought vengeance for wrongs that ordinary people had no chance of righting.
• Its frickin huge. You could run 20 campaign in completely different places - no two campaigns need to "feel" the same.

Overall its generic enough that I can put in just about anything I want, detailed/flavorful enough to give me good ideas, and big enough to make my own.

(heh, to crib a line from Skyrim - "some might call this junk, but I call them treasures")

 

[Sigbjorn_86]

Which, in its own way, is troubling. No one seems able to articulate why they like the setting. The only people who tried were very vague, talking about a "rich history" but not explaining whether said history is well-written or useful, alluding to a "tone" specific to the Realms but which, apparently, can't be defined, or expressing their nostalgia for old Realms-related books or video games.

So I'm asking again: why do you like the setting? What makes it good? Interesting? Unique?

I like FR because of individual characters, settings, and storylines. Baldurs Gate, Icewind Dale, Never winter. The Crystal Shard or the Twilight War. Farideh or Minsc. The setting has attracted some talented creators over the years.

Taken as a whole the setting is underwhelming. It lacks aunifying theme or conceit, betraying its fantasy mishmash roots. But since I'm usually reading one novel or adventuring in a localized setting, this hasn't bothered me. I've never played at epic level in FR.

 

[sleypy]

I like many of the later authors (Erin Evan) and I think a lot of what Ed Greenwood does, other than his novels, are great.

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

Which, in its own way, is troubling. No one seems able to articulate why they like the setting. The only people who tried were very vague, talking about a "rich history" but not explaining whether said history is well-written or useful, alluding to a "tone" specific to the Realms but which, apparently, can't be defined, or expressing their nostalgia for old Realms-related books or video games.

So I'm asking again: why do you like the setting? What makes it good? Interesting? Unique?

You don't need to have specific reasons to like something. You just have to enjoy it. It's an emotional thing.

Now, if you want to discuss the elements that make up the best settings, then try to take an objective look at the Forgotten Realms to see how many it meets, that's cool. But that list will only have a passing resemblance to the reasons people might like it.

 

[Mirtek]

Which, in its own way, is troubling.

Not really. Satisfied people are always less likely to voice their opinion than dissatisfied people.

 

[Joe Liker]

Statement withdrawn -- the poll was displaying oddly in my browser.