How is FR changing with 4E?

[Zaukrie]

Since I don't own the book yet, it is hard to say how much has changed for better or worse.

However, I've been very impressed with the excerpts on the WotC site as previews for the book. I'm looking forward to browsing it, and am about 75% likely to buy it.

I understand many people are heavily invested in the Realms, but so many of the comments over the last few months have been snarky and meanspirited. I'm willing to see the book before I judge it. I'm pretty sure some of the changes will not go over well with me, but as DM, I can undo anything I want. I've never played in a FR campaign that was by the book anyway. It is just great inspiration to me.

 

[Keefe the Thief]

I wonder what would happen if this gets asked over at Candlekeep...

What happens pretty much since the changes have been announced: Whining over every little detail, by the same people, again and again and again.

I run a White Box campaign currently, and like nearly all the changes.

Not the nerd rage, though.

Edit: And gating in is one of the hallmarks of FR. I´m glad they went with tradition on this one.

 

[Caliber]

Mostly, I don't think anyone knows entirely for sure what is going to happen. A large number of the gods apparently bite the big one, and the setting is jumping 100 years forward. Some nasty stuff is going down and large portions of the world are totally getting screwed (totally in a in-game sense). Dragonborn are showing up and the metaphorical poop is being flung at even more metaphorical Blade Barriers.

I think this month's Dragon has an article about FR coming out that will be talking about the time jump, and some of the design intentions with the new take on the setting. The Campaign Setting comes out this month too, doesn't it?

 

[Keefe the Thief]

There´s also a pretty good article about Comyr after the Spellplague.

 

[Mercule]

In addition to the changes themselves, there is also the storyline that WotC created to justify them. Some people have no problem with it, while others, me included, found it to be poorly written and generally forced.

This is one of the things that really concerns me. I've never really cared for FR, so a big change couldn't be anything but good, right? Well, if I'm going to use a published setting, I want a fair stab at a history, too. If FR ends up somewhere I like, but the history is unusable (a what-if, I have no info on the new FR), then the setting is still of no benefit.

Sure, the GM can hack the history. But, if I wanted to do that, I'd just home-brew to begin with.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Edit: And gating in is one of the hallmarks of FR. I´m glad they went with tradition on this one.

Yep. We'd be Saurial-less without the tactic.

 

[Mkhaiwati]

let me see...

1) they change the pantheon.. many deities are killed for no sane reason, others are nerfed into some subservient role, and others are discovered to always be aspects of others (Sehanine was really Selune, Gond was Moradin, etc)
2) This massive backlash from killing Mystra (again!) destroys the planar structure, kills gods, blows up whole nations for being too magical (the Shining South), yet.... leaves intact Waterdeep and mythals (designer pet projects).
3) They kill many iconic characters (the Chosen, Halaster, Alusair, possibly Mirt and others) yet keep the ones that sell novels (Elminster and Drizzt).
4) the 100 year jump is to allow new players a chance to get into the setting, which nullifies much lore and books from previous editions. Yet, and I cannot produce a post for this, one designer said that previous lore won't be wasted for use with the new edition. Which is it? They are trying to please everyone, yet might end up pleasing no one.
5) Not sure where these "facts" came from, but it has often been mentioned that FR is the most popular setting (where this comes from, I dunno. Novels? RPGs?). If this is the case, why mess with it? I would think they would the setting intact instead of listening to complaints on why people don't play the setting. They have run a real risk of losing many current players in this new Realms, thereby making it a less popular setting.
6) most excerpts from the new setting book have been less than good. The warlock knights of vaasa are a good example. Instead of tying it to the Witch Lord Zhengy with existing lore, they make their own story of a near-god falling from the sky. The Cormyr article is good, but was in Dragon, not the new setting book. We have yet to see what the book is like, but most good tidbits seem to be saved for the eventual DDI.

I hope the OP's original question is answered on the setting being gutted and good or bad.

If you are thinking about the setting, read the book when it comes out and decide for yourself. You have the advantage of having no previous ties to the setting, so judge it own it's own merits.

and questing gm.. it has been debated a lot over at Candlekeep.

 

[dm4hire]

Double post

 

[dm4hire]

My understanding, having read the various articles over the last 12 months on WotC's site, is that the reason for the time jump is to separate the novels from the game. Throughout it's history just about every book written was viewed as cannon and therefore had an impact on the game. The problem was that a lot of DMs and Players didn't like the way that NPCs dominated the world so they didn't play it. The time jump allows WotC to continue novels without impacting the world as they will (and have already started) write the novels to fill in the time gap while allowing DMs and players to play within the world and not feel obligated to follow cannon since it no longer applies.

There is nothing stopping player groups from using the older material with the new rules or for that matter accepting WotC's explanation for what happened. The new Realms is meant to be totally the realm of the players. Even in the new RPGA Living Realms project everything will be determined by the players and not WotC for that given campaign.

WotC has also announced that there will only be three books for each campaign (whether they uphold it is another story) which will include the campaign guide, player's guide, and a module that will take you through several levels. This book template is suppose to be the same for all campaigns in the future, including Eberron.

The various changes to the Realms, such as changes in deities is meant to give the game a more universal feel as well as further simplifying the game. I personally disagree since they are supposedly only doing three books for each campaign; why should it matter if the gods are the same or not? Another reason for the changes is to allow for anything new to D&D to be allowed within the campaign without having to change anything or leaving it to the DM to figure out. Again they should have left that up to the DM and players instead of forcing it, but they have to look at overall sales and future players who might not be savvy to adjusting a campaign.

So as it stands right now the biggest changes to the world per your request is that the deities have changed, the world has changed physically as well as the moon, and a new race has been allowed as stated above. A lot of the changes can be found in the Countdown to the Realms articles on WotC's website as well as a small time line and some history explaining the Spellplague mentioned. Just check the archives for the articles.

As a DM who always adjusted the Realms to my own designs I'm looking forward to seeing the changes. I may alter WotC's explanations or even expand them to some extent, regardless it will be my final decision as pertaining to my home campaign. Since your group and you have never played within the Realms I recommend taking a look at the new edition and if anything you might find something you could use from it in your own campaign. If you're after the new races and classes I'd just wait for the PHB II and pass on it as they are being reprinted within that book.

 

[Vancian Magic]

I've given up trying to keep track of the Realms over the years... I'm just going to play with the original campaign setting (I picked it up again on the weekend) and ignore all of TSR's and WotC's meddling. Seems the easiest way to keep myself from getting confused, and it prevents any player-bitching about that CG Drow Ranger...