New May WotC cover art

[Set]

Being a 'core' book, I wonder if there is going to be material in it that will be useful for Eberron-style Drow.

I actually wasn't planning on getting this, thinking it was going to be FR-centric, but Ari's name on the cover, and Greg's assurance that it's going to hew a little closer to the Erelhei-Cinlu-style of Drow just seals the purchase.

There are authors I just seem to end up 'following' from game company to game company, their writing is that good. Steve Kenson is one. Ari Marmell is another. I've got books by White Wolf, Green Ronin, WotC, etc. with this guys name on them. He's also fun to get in internet fights with. If we ever meet at a con, a fist-fight may well result.

I like Drow. I'm unhip enough to admit it. Can't stand Drizz't, but he's not really a Drow anyway, he's some surface-dwelling Ranger who uses surface-dweller weapons and happens to have dark skin and light hair. Eclavdra is a Drow.

I've loved the 'monster' books so far. Draconomicon and Libris Mortis in particular both rocked mightily.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

I like Drow. I'm unhip enough to admit it.

It's not unhip. The drow-haters think they're so cool, but in reality they're just a bunch of loud kids that manage, like so many minorities, to convince some that they are the majority.

 

[bastrak]

Can't stand Drizz't, but he's not really a Drow anyway, he's some surface-dwelling Ranger who uses surface-dweller weapons and happens to have dark skin and light hair. Eclavdra is a Drow.

Word.

 

[Greg V]

D00d, he asked...

Yeah, I know. I just couldn't resist the hankerin' for some Seuss.

 

[Mouseferatu]

He's also fun to get in internet fights with. If we ever meet at a con, a fist-fight may well result.

Bah. I've never gotten in an Internet fight in my life. Wasn't me. Can't prove a thing. Nobody saw me. I was in Ecuador at the time. It was my evil twin; you can tell, because he's got a goatee under his beard.

Ahem.

Can't stand Drizz't, but he's not really a Drow anyway, he's some surface-dwelling Ranger who uses surface-dweller weapons and happens to have dark skin and light hair. Eclavdra is a Drow.

Damn. I wish it wasn't too late to put that quote on the back cover of the book.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Bah. I've never gotten in an Internet fight in my life. Wasn't me. Can't prove a thing. Nobody saw me. I was in Ecuador at the time. It was my evil twin; you can tell, because he's got a goatee under his beard.

It was you. I saw you. That goatee was glued on! It was one of those cheap fake goatees from the "Pretend to be your own evil twin!" joke article they sell in those second-rate human shops. You can clearly see that they're made of plastic.

Teaches you only to buy joke articles from gnomes. They're the real deal! That fake evil aura they sell is hilarious: Slap it on someone's back, send them to deliver something to a bunch of paladins, and watch them chase him through the city!

 

[Gothmog]

I just don't like the setting, I dont like the players who have a slavish devotion to playing in canon and in a connected note I dont care for the NPC's who seem to be at the center of the action as opposed to the player characters. It's partially the same issue that I have whenever I want to run a Star Wars game, the players want to be directly involved in canon and I dont want to run an in canon game. And I like and know a hell of a lot more about Star Wars than I do about the Realms. That's just it in a nutshell.

Not everyone has to like a certain setting, and saying that if someone doesn't like a setting their dislike is irrational, or that its a player problem isn't valid.

I don't like FR either. As has been said before, its over-detailed and some players get way too wrapped up in the canon. The world isn't at fault for the canon thing, but the more that is put out as canon, the more likely is it some fanboy will snap it up and insist things are done that way. It occurs with enough frequency to be REALLY annoying, and FR is the setting its most often tied to, along with Star Wars.

I don't care for the magic levels- its too much assumed magic for my game.

The Avatar Trilogy stuff and the implications for the world completely turned me off. Very lame. In addition, there are just WAY too many gods and they are too active in the world for my tastes.

The tone of the world doesn't appeal to me- I prefer a darker, almost horrific approach to my fantasy- something like WHFRP or Midnight.

FR is too elf-happy. There are WAY too many elf subraces and they are all equally obnoxious.

All of these are valid reasons to dislike the setting. Some may respond "but you can change these things and make it something you like." But its much easier and more fulfilling to me to use another setting that does what I want, or to make up my own. So yes, I know about FR, I have read many of the books, and its not to my tastes.

 

[ShinHakkaider]

So they just don't interest you? Just say so.

But saying that you don't like something and then not giving any details always gives me the idea that it's really irrational and actually not the setting's problem, but the player's (or the problem of someone he knows)

Wow. You know what? I'm pretty certain that I DID say all of that earlier. Wait let me check:

Yeah, but like I said, I dislike the Realms, I understand that the dislike is irrational, but as long as my dislike is limited to me (as in me not spending any of my hard earned money on Realms related materials or not running in or playing in any Realms related games) as opposed to bashing anyone else who likes or plays in the Realms I don't see what the problem is or why I should get over it.

Yup pretty much right there.

So you coming in telling me to get over it, was kind of unessecary and well, obnoxious.
Like I said, I dont like it but as long as I'm not spewing FR hatred all of the place, I'm not entitled to explain myself you or anyone else on this board. I don't like it, my tastes are my own and once again not answerable to you.

Thanks for your time.

 

[Ranger REG]

Not everyone has to like a certain setting, and saying that if someone doesn't like a setting their dislike is irrational, or that its a player problem isn't valid.

I understand if it's not the right one for you. It doesn't mean it's bad for everyone.

 

[ShinHakkaider]

All of these are valid reasons to dislike the setting. Some may respond "but you can change these things and make it something you like." But its much easier and more fulfilling to me to use another setting that does what I want, or to make up my own. So yes, I know about FR, I have read many of the books, and its not to my tastes.

Which is exactly how I feel. Right now I'm running Age of Worms in the default D&D setting and honestly the players are so involved in actually playing that they could give a crap that theyre not playing in some named setting.

I read the first Avatar book way back when it first came out and never finished the series. That was also one of the things that led to my eventual distaste for the setting.

Another thing that is important to say to all of the FR defenders out there is something that I brought up earlier and that you mentioned again in your post. Our dislike doesnt come from not having read anything in the setting or just some blind hatred. I still have my FR materials from 1st ED, I have a copy of the 3rd Ed FR book and I've actually read it, there are elements of it that i'd extract for my game but I'd never use the setting as is. I've read The Icewind Dale Trilogy and the three Drow Trilogy books (or whatever they are called), I used to read the Elminster articles back in Dragon before there was even a published setting for FR. My point is, again for those who missed it or simply refuse to see it, my dislike comes not from unfamiliarity, but from having actually been exposed to the setting and simply NOT LIKING IT. Try how you might, you simply can't force someone or insult someone into liking what you do.