D&D 5E Public Gaming: Home brew setting vs Forgotten Realms

[Chuckthe Painter]

Do you have players showing up thinking it is Adventure League which can cause a whole host of issues. Could call it something else.

 

[Wulffolk]

Stay homebrew, but if you go FR, fast forward it a thousand years which is probably equivalent to a couple dozen cataclysms... this way nobody ca tell you that you're doing it wrong

Imagine the sheer number of catclysms/apocalypses/divine deaths and rebirths/spell-plagues/Weave disruptions/RetCon's/etc. that happens in the Forgotten Realms during an Elf's lifetime. No wonder they prefer to remain isolated.

The Forgotten Realms are ANYTHING but forgotten when it comes to over the top disruptions to the daily lives of it's inhabitants.

 

[redrick]

Do you have players showing up thinking it is Adventure League which can cause a whole host of issues. Could call it something else.

No, I don't think anybody has confused us with AL, and there are other places in Brooklyn that do that, though they can be a little intense and charge a cover fee. Maybe that's something that will happen in this store eventually — but not for now.

Don't name the setting, and use whatever is easiest and funnest. I've never had a problem with anyone ever stepping in and saying something from FR, Greyhawk or anything else I'm doing isn't canon or official or anything else. If anyone ever did, all I would say is "This is my version. What you know from any source other than what you learned at my table doesn't apply and is probably wrong at my table."

Well, my thought for doing Forgotten Realms is that maybe the recognizability is a benefit. It let's people come in and connect with something familiar, buy a book, learn more, etc, etc, FR sales pitch. Personally, I find a homebrew setting much easier.

Anyway, thanks for the thoughts all. I guess it's not my job to worry about WoTC brand recognition for them. Let them figure out how to sell these suckers on their setting. These aren't Adventurer's League games and they don't have to pretend to be.

 

[aco175]

I would say use what is easier. I used to use home made, but now use the FR since it has so much history. I can just focus on syory and the small part of the world where the PCs are. I have not had a problem with players, but I am also the one that know the most about FR.

 

[guachi]

I use Mystara/Known World. No one knows anything about Mystara and yet it has piles of stuff for it and the fan material is fantastic.

Win/win!