Is Forgotten Realms the Default Campaign Setting for 5e?

[Azzy]

I mean... there are quite a few options in the books outside of PHB that assume the Realms or at least previous Realms Lore/publishings:

• Uthgardt tribes (background & lore)
• Bladesinger (wizard school)
• Battleragers (barbarian path)
• Waterdhavian Noble (background)
• Faction Agent (background)

I guess you could argue that those were in a Realm's Specific book, and that's true. But it was also the first supplement published I think.

So, Realms-specific options were presented in a Realms-specific campaign guide. Most telling.

Also, neither baladesingers or battleragers (IIRC) are Realms-specific (they appeared in the Complete Book of Elves/Dwarves, respectively).

• The Seldarine from Mordenkainen's is a FR specific concept/name for the elven gods.

I don't know about that, it's been used in other settings. I can't remember if it was used in the original Roger Moore article that introduced the elven gods (other than Correlon, who originates in Deities & Demigods), which was a setting-nonspecific article.

 

[Salthorae]

Also, neither baladesingers or battleragers (IIRC) are Realms-specific (they appeared in the Complete Book of Elves/Dwarves, respectively).

From a mechanics perspective perhaps, but not a lore one.

Where have you seen them in the Lore/Fiction outside the fiction of the Realms?

To me the Lore/Fiction is more important to what defines a setting than the mechanics with certain exceptions, defiling in Dark Sun for instance. But even defiling is fiction first and mechanics second.

And in that way, the default setting of D&D in 5e has Realms lore all over the place.

I was just trying to point to some places that had Realms lore in the mechanics/rules.

 

[Demetrios1453]

• The Seldarine from Mordenkainen's is a FR specific concept/name for the elven gods.

shrug

.

The Seldarine first appeared by that name in Dragon Magazine #60, back in 1982, long before FR was published by TSR.

Edit, that's the Roger Moore article that Azzy mentions a few posts up.


It's interesting to see two misunderstandings at play here - that if it's in VGtM or MToF, it must be FR-specific (no, it's mostly setting-neutral, and some of it actually contradicts previous FR canon), and if it's part of FR lore, it must have originated in the setting (no, both TSR and Ed Greenwood adopted a lot of generic early D&D stuff to the setting).

 

[Parmandur]

It is sadly the default setting when it comes to the adventures, and it does seem to be the same for the books outside of the Big Three (phb, dmg, mm). SCAG is 100% FR, Mordy and Volo's books are 50% FR (all the lore BS shoved into them to pad out that 256 pages...). I think Xan's book doesn't have FR shoved into it. Also, of course, the Ravnica guide isn't FR. I didn't touch Stranger Things or Rick and Morty as they are of no interest to me. Acq Inc is also 100% FR apparently. Don't know as I had 0 interest in that as well. Even Curse of Strahd has Forgotten Realms shoved into it as how the game is recommended to start. Of course, you could ignore that part, so... shrug

As for the Big Three, no. Forgotten Realms isn't shoved into it. I mean, it is, but so are many others. There's mention of Tika from Dragonlance, gods from multiple settings (faerun, grayhawk, dragonlance, numerous real world pantheons). I think Mearls is the correct one on this. Faerun isn't as intertwined with the Big Three as Greyhawk was in 3e (they only had the GH deities listed). Of course, I haven't read any of the lore fluff stuff they include in the MM for 5e, as that doesn't interest me. I run my own setting. Which is why Volo and Mordenkainen's books aren't worth the $50, and honestly aren't worth the $30-something that Amazon charges for them.

None of the lore from Volo's Guide is actually FR related: the Yuan-Ti lore actually eschews the FR Yuan-Ti entirely in favor of the more traditional Greyhawk approach.

From the core book lore and the add-on books like Volo's and Mordenkein's, there is an official setting that emerges, but it ain't the FR. It's the Prime Material Plane in the Planescape setting (the only Setting to actually get serious detail beyond names in all three Core books). As such, Crawford very accurately describes the state of affairs.

The Forgotten Realms is neither the official nor the default Setting: it's the example Setting. The APs are designed with Homebrew world compatibility in mind, across the board. Just scratch off the serial numbers and go with your own world. Or, use the FR material from the past thirty years, whatever floats your boat.

 

[Parmandur]

and gnome paladins... don't forget them.



I mean... there are quite a few options in the books outside of PHB that assume the Realms or at least previous Realms Lore/publishings:

• Uthgardt tribes (background & lore)
• Bladesinger (wizard school)
• Battleragers (barbarian path)
• Waterdhavian Noble (background)
• Faction Agent (background)

I guess you could argue that those were in a Realm's Specific book, and that's true. But it was also the first supplement published I think.

• The Seldarine from Mordenkainen's is a FR specific concept/name for the elven gods.

shrug

There are more I can't think of right now I'm sure.

I dont' think it's official, but I do agree it's default.

The Seldarine are originally Greyhawk, I'm pretty sure, and nothing in Mordenkein's is remotely FR specific.

Materials Ron a FR Setting book is hardly indicative of the while edition. The example Human names in the PHB, however, do use FR ethnicities, and the faction rules in the DMG present FR examples intended for AL play (FR is the official Setting for most AL official play).

 

[Oofta]

The Seldarine are originally Greyhawk, I'm pretty sure, and nothing in Mordenkein's is remotely FR specific.

IIRC quite a few non-human FR deities were taken from Greyhawk.

 

[Parmandur]

I don't think contradicting or changing past FR lore without calling out FR lore as different can be said to suggestive that this isn't treating FR as the default. FR lore changes every edition, and retcons and apparent contradictions of previous lore are a constant.

Other than the name "Volo", there is nothing Realms specific in Volo's Guide. It really doesn't reference or acknowledge anything Setting specific, other than the Orderinn (which 5E has expanded to other Settings anyways). The Yuan-Ti are rather glaring, as it ignores everything about the FR Yuan-Ti and just gives the Greyhawk version.

 

[Parmandur]

IIRC quite a few non-human FR deities were taken from Greyhawk.

Basically all of them, IIRC.

 

[Oofta]

Basically all of them, IIRC.

Yeah, I seem to remember they left a few out but otherwise they were originally just copies.

 

[Demetrios1453]

Other than the name "Volo", there is nothing Realms specific in Volo's Guide. It really doesn't reference or acknowledge anything Setting specific, other than the Orderinn (which 5E has expanded to other Settings anyways). The Yuan-Ti are rather glaring, as it ignores everything about the FR Yuan-Ti and just gives the Greyhawk version.

Gnolls are the same way. The old FR canon (found in various Shining South accrssories which followed old D&D gnoll lore in general) is that they were relatively typical humanoids who worshiped Gorrelik and were later suborned by Yeenoghu. The VGtM version is of course completely different.