D&D 5E (2024) How excited are you for the 2 upcoming Forgotten Realms books?

[Corinnguard]

Tymanther suffered from being linked to the Spellplague for awhile, but I think the SCAG & The Brimstone Angels & Griffin Brotherhood Saga changed that and it really feels like it made a place for itself in FR. It wasn't the only major change to a location that survived the Sundering however

True. If WoTC ever decided to come out with a Heroes of Faerun 2 book for 5.5e, I would like to see Tymanther in its' pages.

 

[Amphytrion]

I thought it was Jason Tondro as well based on the first video that mentioned these books when they went by different names, but remember hearing somewhere that James Wyatt was the lead. I'll see if I can find my source tomorrow. I think the lead on the DMG was Chris Perkins, although I have no doubt Wyatt contributed.

I’ll be very happy with either.

James Wyatt led Theros, Fizban’s, and Bigby’s, all among my favorite 5e books. I use them all the time and they present wonderful DM toolboxes.

Jason Trondo led the Book of Many Things , and it was absolutely fantastic and an inspiring read.

If I could pick only 2 WotC designers, I’d pick these two. If they are sharing credit on this, I think it’s in very good hands.

If we are hypothesizing on calendar, Wyatt shared a co-lead spot with Amanda Harmon on Dragon Delves, right after sharing co-lead with Chris Perkins in the DMG, so I’m not sure there was time for him to lead FR. If James did do it, that might explain why Dragon Delves is so much blander and less inspiring than his usual work, as he would have been split across multiple projects.

 

[humble minion]

I'm not really going to base my opinion on the developer, personally. Not everyone 'gets' the Realms in a way that I envision them or that works for me. I mean, I love Rich Baker's Eberron stuff, but his fingerprints (and Wyatt's) were all over the catastrophically bad 4th ed FR lore changes. I'm legit looking forward to these books, but I've been burnt before. I'll be flicking through them in the FLGS before laying any money out...

 

[Bae'zel]

The SCAG was designed with Jeremy Crawford's mimimalist gamist setting philosophy in mind, abit by Green Ronin (hence why it has an ad for Green Ronin products in the back), these books are designed with James Wyatt's much more deep lore nerd, deep cuts design philosophy instead with Ray Winningers support (back when he was the boss). This will in many ways he a very different beast to the SCAG.

James Wyatt has a much, much better track

I sincerely hope so: the SCAG let me down. Tremendously.

I've mentioned before how could the writers go on about Neverwinter but not mention the FLOATING ISLANDS attached to the city via giant chains? Naw we gotta drawl on about politics and nobles vying for power over the town watch.

I got that book for juicy adventure hooks and "what makes Cormyr unique compared with Waterdeep" and "what cool places are there to visit in Baldur's Gate"?

I regret buying it. Bought some 2e and 3e PDFs about Faerun instead.

 

[Remathilis]

I sincerely hope so: the SCAG let me down. Tremendously.

I've mentioned before how could the writers go on about Neverwinter but not mention the FLOATING ISLANDS attached to the city via giant chains? Naw we gotta drawl on about politics and nobles vying for power over the town watch.

I got that book for juicy adventure hooks and "what makes Cormyr unique compared with Waterdeep" and "what cool places are there to visit in Baldur's Gate"?

I regret buying it. Bought some 2e and 3e PDFs about Faerun instead.

SCAG was the last of the farmed out books that were written by outside design teams (in this case, Green Ronin). I 100% blame this outsourcing for both the bland style of writing (they were tasked with summarizing the Realms after the Sundering, minimizing the 4e elements to make is timeless, and set a stage for the multiple APs. They weren't tasked with making new or interesting things nor do I think they had any knowledge of what was coming beyond SKT) and the very bad subclass design (overly conservative and weak, save a few probably designed by WotC themselves). GR is a great company, but I feel SCAG wasn't a top priority for either company involved.

 

[Amphytrion]

The SCAG reads like a desperate apology to older fans for the 4e timeskip. Every section presumes that you know the topic from 3e days, then just says “it’s back to that!”.

It reads horribly either as a campaign setting guide, as a book to mine adventure hooks, or as an introduction to Faerûn in general. Compare it to James Wyatt’s excellent Eberron book released soon afterwards and it’s night and day.

 

[THEMNGMNT]

That's going to require you to wait and read several reviews of the two books in order to get the idea of what you are not going to like what's in either one of them.

I enjoy doing that.

 

[THEMNGMNT]

Sounds like you don't need to change anything about the existing Forgotten Realms then because all DMs will already change things for their own campaign?

Maybe I'm weird but...I LIKE changing things. I NEVER run an adventure or setting as written. I ALWAYS tweak it.

Specific to the Forgotten Realms...I think there is a LOT of bad lore and content in the Realms. TONS. Going all the way to 1E. But there are also a lot of gems.

So I remove what I don't like and put the focus on the elements I do like. For me, that isn't work. It's fun.

 

[THEMNGMNT]

I got a little snarky earlier. Sorry about that. I didn't mean to criticize or attack anyone here.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

I’ll be very happy with either.

James Wyatt led Theros, Fizban’s, and Bigby’s, all among my favorite 5e books. I use them all the time and they present wonderful DM toolboxes.

Jason Trondo led the Book of Many Things , and it was absolutely fantastic and an inspiring read.

If I could pick only 2 WotC designers, I’d pick these two. If they are sharing credit on this, I think it’s in very good hands.

If we are hypothesizing on calendar, Wyatt shared a co-lead spot with Amanda Harmon on Dragon Delves, right after sharing co-lead with Chris Perkins in the DMG, so I’m not sure there was time for him to lead FR. If James did do it, that might explain why Dragon Delves is so much blander and less inspiring than his usual work, as he would have been split across multiple projects.

I'd pick Wyatt despite Fizbans & Bigby's not because of them, rather his history of success world building products.

Tondo doing Book of Many Things really has no relevance, it's not a setting book, it's support for an accessory, it tells us nothing about how Tondo approaches setting building.

The fact that HoF takes Faction Renown from GGtR & Piety/Divine Renown system from Theros suggests combines them while mixing in some new systems like Bastions & Dragon's Egg, has Wyatt finger prints all over it.