How Would You Have Handled the Forgotten Realms?

[dmccoy1693]

Some aren't happy with what we've been hearing about WotC's treatment of FRCS. So, here's your chance to say what you would have done. This assumes you are incharge of FR fluff writing and the company higherups said, "Write a FRCS book. We want to make it easy for new players to jump in and has to work with the PoL base assumption of 4E. Oh incorporate Tieflings and Dragonborn." Here are the options in slightly more detail:

Advance the Timeline - This is the way WotC went.

Reset Button - Redesign the whole of the Realms, keep some of the history there, but throwout what gets in the way.

Choose a Different Continent - The Forgotten Realms has more then just Faerun. Opt for a different continent.

Go into the Past - Faerun has alot of history. Choose a different point in time, one where big great change happened, civilizations were relatively new, and races were different. Let the players play there.

Reduce the Fluff - Make the argument that you're 'thinning' existing canon, esp if it is from an adventure where the PCs were just there to see how great the major NPCs were so much better then them.

Other - Describe below.

 

[delericho]

Honestly?

If the powers-that-be were absolutely determined to make the changes to the game that they are making, then I would retire the Realms. Make a whole new setting built from the ground up for the new environment, and sell people on that.

However, if that were declared to not be an option, for whatever reason, then I would use the Reset Button, and do "Ultimate Realms" or a BSG-esque reboot.

 

[dmccoy1693]

However, if that were declared to not be an option, for whatever reason

Simple reason: The name "Forgotten Realms" sells. Retirement is not an option.

 

[delericho]

Simple reason: The name "Forgotten Realms" sells. Retirement is not an option.

Well, you did ask.

 

[dmccoy1693]

Well, you did ask.

Oh, I'm right there with you. FR, as we know it, doesn't assume 4E's base assumptions (at least from what we've heard of 4E's base assumptions). I'd sooner see it retire then shoehorned.

But reality is that the name is a moneymaker. There's no denying that. It would be a bad business decision to ignore that reality and not capitalize on that.

 

[Uzzy]

Alrighty. I picked Other.

Firstly, I'd create a FRCS that concentrates heavily on a few of the key areas in the Realms, namely The Sword Coast, Cormyr, The Dalelands and the Silver Marches (Drizzt sells, and allowing people to adventure in the same areas as he does, if not with him, would probably help sell the setting). It's clear from reading some other posts on these forums that the FRCS doesn't go into enough detail about those areas. So I'd fix that. The other areas would be featured in regional sourcebooks.

Secondly, I'd not stick Elminster at the front of the FRCS. While he is meant to be a retired Sage and background character, it's easy to see why people would get the wrong impression of him when he's stuck right at the front, given a more active look (Sean Connery type look) a sword and he's featured in several novels. Sure, he's not active that much in those novels when you get down to it, but it is clearly giving the wrong impression. Not everyone goes and reads Ed's responses over at Candlekeep. So I'd change the presentation. Concentrate on the smaller characters, the ones who can actively be there helping the PC's, giving them quests and advice.

I'd keep the timeline at 1375 DR too. Easy enough to do, just ignore the last two pages of Grand History of the Realms. Tieflings have always been in the Realms, so they are easy to fit in as long as you change the fluff. Dragonborn can easily be from the mass of eggs that fell to Toril after the Rage of Dragons.

The rest is more to do with what I'd do in general with the Realms.

The novels bit leads me onto my next point. I'd stop the Realms Shaking Events, known as RSE's (The fact we have an acronym for them rather suggests they turn up too often). Well, not stop exactly, but slow them down greatly. An RSE would need to be discussed and properly supported, with not just novels but entire sourcebooks dedicated to it. For instance, I'd have a sourcebook detailing the Elven Crusade into the Cormanthor that gives more details and ideas on running a campaign relating to that, complete with maps, battle rosters etc etc. They would be limited to one every three to five years, to keep them special.

Furthermore on novels, I'd keep them as canon. I'd just make it so it doesn't matter if they are canon or not. If a novel goes and kills Manshoon or Elminster or the King of Cormyr, that would naturally have an effect on lots of people's campaigns. If, however, the novels built on existing canon and expanded it in a constructive manner, then there's no problem really. People are free to use it or ignore it as they will. Examples of Novels I'd support would be the Sembia Series, Songs and Swords, the Knights of Myth Drannor. Songs and Swords in particular really allowed people to see Waterdeep from the view of a character in the Realms, in addition to being a good read.

Finally, I'd release a small sourcebook at the end of every year, detailing the changes that have occurred in the metaplot up till then. Volo's Almanac, as I'd call it, would allow DM's and Players to find out what's changed in the setting without having to purchase and read a lot of novels and sourcebooks. It could even be expanded to contain Realms related errata, short stories, artwork, whatever. I'm sure it would be a nice little earner.

P.s. I'd rather have it retired too. It's quite depressing to see what WoTC are doing to it. Sigh.

 

[Khairn]

Honestly?

If the powers-that-be were absolutely determined to make the changes to the game that they are making, then I would retire the Realms. Make a whole new setting built from the ground up for the new environment, and sell people on that.

Agreed. Having made the decision that the FR had to promote PoL, had to prominently include dragonborn & tieflings and had to conform to the new magic system, I can't seem to see an option that would allow FR to retain its existing flavor. And since retaining that flavor is important to me, I would retire the setting and begin 4E with a brand new setting that didn't include the "fluff-baggage" that FR has. This would have enabled WotC to create a setting that really showcases 4E's strengths without having players constantly compare the new FR to the old.

However, if that were declared to not be an option, for whatever reason, then I would use the Reset Button, and do "Ultimate Realms" or a BSG-esque reboot.

Agreed once again. Bite the bullet and completely reset the entire campaign setting. Or, look at Uzzy's option, which is pretty good.

 

[The Lost Muse]

I would advance the timeline by approximately 5,000 years during which the following changes take place:

1) A cataclysmic flood destroys much of what was, and many of the higher level NPC's are killed outright.

2) Re-organize the pantheons into a tighter knit, smaller group. Play up the dualistic Selune/Shar, Weave/Shadow-weave nature of the realms by hinting that Selune and Shar may be aspects of one (greatly troubled) divine being.

3) Create a massive desert empire ruled over by Kobolds 1/8th the scale of ancient Egypt.

4) Make two main novel lines, one in an anthology style which is non-canon, and the other(s) a set of serials which are canon. Release a free *.pdf each year with the updated timeline and summaries of key events in whichever regions are detailed. Call the timeline detailed in the novels FR-Prime to distinguish it from home campaigns, and the Living FR campaign.

Edit: Perhaps I should add that I used to run a 3e FR campaign but was frustrated by two factors:

1) The vast amount of lore which was spelled out rather than hinted at.

2) The vast knowledge possessed by my players who had read many of the novels.

 

[Wormwood]

Ultimate™ Forgotten Realms

Complete reset, essentially a new Grey Box which is 4e compatible from the ground up---with all the NPCs and existing canon reimagined---Ron Moore style.

 

[dmccoy1693]

Odd, I figured someone else would have voted for Different Continent by now. That was the one I voted for.

My idea behind it is is that they could cherry pick signature NPCs (Drizzt got on a ship and it got blown off course) and they wouldn't have had a major impact yet, have a place where Tieflings and Dragonborn and PoL are native and normal without any shoehorning issues. The magic system and lack of weave would be the only shoehorning issues I can see. They could explain that as, "Magic just works differently here."

Of course, I'd be like, "Yea, whatever," but it wouldn't be as big of a pill to swallow.

EDIT: for accuracy's sake, 2 others voted for different continent between the time I started writing this post and when it got posted.