Shining South regional sup for FR end of 2004

[Mystery Man]

However: I, too, would like Baldur's Gate treated the same way as Silverymoon was in The Silver Marches.

I second that, but I would like to see the Western Heartlands included in that book in some small way like a regional updated timeline with some quick updated fluff. That all that's needed, then the rest could be filler with more PRC's, FEATS, and SPELLS!!!<---that was tongue in cheek btw.

As far as this shining south thing, I'm as giddy as a school boy.

 

[Faraer]

IMO, there's only so much one can say about this particular (sparsely populated) region.

Arnwyn, I assume you know that Ed most likely has boxes of unpublished lore on this region. There isn't any area of the Heartlands for which the published lore isn't just a sampling of what's been developed by Ed in paper and in his head.

Doesn't Silver Marches demonstrate that new Heartlands/Sword Coast North sourcebooks don't have to be rehashes?

 

[Faraer]

We do know what areas Serpent Kingdoms covered, at least as of July 2003, because Eric Boyd told us.

The North boxed set is one of the rare examples of Realms material being repeated verbatim (from FR5 and Volo's Guide to the North, with some new stuff added).

In the home Realms campaigns, the Heartlands (though the term is Jeff Grubb's) are the 'here' and the far southern and eastern reaches are distant 'here be dragons' lands encountered mostly through travelling merchants. That doesn't mean those places shouldn't be detailed, but it would distort the setting to treat them as equivalent to the Dragonreach and Sword Coast lands.

 

[Arnwyn]

Arnwyn, I assume you know that Ed most likely has boxes of unpublished lore on this region. There isn't any area of the Heartlands for which the published lore isn't just a sampling of what's been developed by Ed in paper and in his head.

Indeed, I do suspect that. However, there is only so much that can be realistically published. I've never said "no" to more details, though - but not at the expense of completely undetailed regions. (And never if regurgitation is involved.) And, in any case, I also get the feeling that for the most part Ed has been pretty much pushed right out of the Realms in terms of WotC game publishing (with only Eric Boyd keeping the old flame alive, to badly mix some metaphors).

After the untouched regions are covered, though, I'll be there asking for a Western Heartlands book with the rest of 'em.

Doesn't Silver Marches demonstrate that new Heartlands/Sword Coast North sourcebooks don't have to be rehashes?

Nope, it doesn't all that much (though it's definitely in the right direction compared to previous rehash books).

We do know what areas Serpent Kingdoms covered, at least as of July 2003, because Eric Boyd told us.

Yeah, I've seen that - and it's a pretty weak description that's very much out of date. So, I think I'll still stick with "we don't know what, if any, areas will be covered (and how much)".

That doesn't mean those places shouldn't be detailed, but it would distort the setting to treat them as equivalent to the Dragonreach and Sword Coast lands.

I have no idea what this means... but whatever it does mean, it sure doesn't seem like it's particularly helpful to DMs. (Besides, books like Unapproachable East and especially Underdark show that it can be done, and done reasonably well. Unapproachable East was worth it just to get the details on the Great Dale and Thesk.)

Ah, well. We'll just have to wait and see as the announcements of new FR products slowly trickle out. Hella fun speculating, though.