Magical Apocalypse: destroying the Forgotten Realms

[Maitre Du Donjon]

Clerics will rapidly gain total dominion over the world, since in them will reside all the power. IMO, if such a thing were to happen, the religious organization would become huge, and terrible wars would break between them.

What happens to bards (and other "minor" users of arcane magic)?

some thoughts.

Maitre D

 

[Praeco]

Then one day...the supply wagons fail to arrive. And all the zombies drop to the ground like sacks of cabbages, without explanation.

An interesting premise.
With all those suddenly non-magical dead bodies around, disease will certainly be a threat....

 

[kengar]

Though it is neither FR -or even D&D- if you get a chance, check out Pinnacle's new "Savage Worlds" setting/campaign Evernight.

It starts in a shiny happy fantasy world (your typical "D&D" type setting; elves, dwarves, half-orcs, etc. etc.). Then, partway through the first adventure or so...

WHAMMO!

Mind Flayer-like invaders (the "Masters") destroy the kingdom and enslave the population. The campaign outlines how the party slowly discovers the truth about the invaders and their plans and attempts to combat them and lead the Resistance against the Masters.

I highly recommend the Savage Worlds game (In one SW session, my group dropped d20 after three years of play), but even if you wanted to stick with 3.Xe, there's a lot of neat ideas in Evernight to mine regardless of system.

 

[Lucius Foxhound]

No magic at all? How am I supposed to create a min/maxed character with no magic?

Seriously, sounds like a fun good idea. The Dalelands, Waterdeep, Thay and the like would all fall (although places like Tethyr wouldn't change much!). Powerful fighters aka Warlords would begin to take control over most places.

Well, I agree that Clerics will become much more powerful in Faerun.. would a religious state exist in some parts? (sorta like the USA is right now).

What about Druids? I think it might be cool for all the druids to get together and form their own nation to protect themselves. Perhaps they take over the Dalelands, creating huge barriers of thorns and tons of Treants that create a gigantic border around the area.

And Bards... as they say in the PHB, "A bard's magic comes from the heart." I'd think that they still be able to cast spells... making them the scorn of all who see them. Instead of welcoming bards, they get lynched. Consequently, bards find themselves locked in towers of former wizards ... sad and without anyone to play for.

Can't wait to play in this campaign!

 

[wolff96]

If you plan to do this, I would recommend hunting down a copy of Midnight.

Not only is it a wonderful setting, the system of magic and prestige classes is incredibly good.

Untangle the mechanics from the setting, transplant to the Forgotten Realms, and go!

 

[Darrin Drader]

You may want to take a look at Andy Collins' world of Umber. Right now its little more than a slightly fleshed out idea on his website, but the themes are very similar and he's worked out some interesting rules tweaks to make the rules fit the setting. He has an interesting way of working magic. Here's the URL: http://www.andycollins.net/Campaigns/Umber/Umber.htm

 

[Sejs]

I like the idea very much. The shockwave tearing through the planes, killing gods, etc would give a handy opportunity to thin out the normally expansive FR collection of gods. Love the idea of the neutral merging of Mystra and Shar.

Probably make interplanar travel to planes that don't directly overlap the prime (ie planes other than the border etherial) much more difficult, maybe near-impossible. Could help nip any 'giant tide of demons, flowing in' ideas in the bud. Outsiders that were present on the prime when the apocalypse happened could be stranded there.

If you want to cut down on the divine casters overtaking all, thing - maybe make most lay clergy in the years following the apocalypse be members of the Expert class, rather than Clerics - and the ability to actually channel divine magics a rare gift. Druids would be comparably powerful, as their spellcasting doens't stem from an extraplanar source.. but druids are normally pretty secretive anyway. Possibly even moreso after the events that fried the weave - they've got much bigger and more important things to take care of than Joe Dirtfarm's broken leg. They're busy watchdogging the world, making sure the things certain gods took care of before.. mountains.. the sea.. animal life.. don't just crap out on their own.