So what else is in Dragon 334?

[IronWolf]

It looks like the pendulum is swinging back toward the Forgotten Realms with issues 334 and 335. Sigh... :\

I was so happy with Dragon over the past year, but quite frankly I don't see anything in either issue that has me wanting to use it.
NOTE: this is not a Dragon/Dungeon/Erik Mona bashing. I think Eric has improved both mags 100% since he took over. I just don't have a use for the Forgotten Realms setting. I hate drow. I hate Waterdeep. It's just my opinion. Leave it at that.

I think the swing back to FR is fantastic! The Crimmor article by Greenwood in the current issue was great. I always look forward to anything written by Elaine Cunningham.

I think a lot of the things in the FR articles of late could easily be adapted into a different setting or homebrew. Lots of bits and pieces could be lifted from the Crimmor article and fit into many existing cities. Bard school information could easily be applied to similar schools in other settings. And that's not just any moon elf, that's Elaith Craulnober!

 

[Erik Mona]

The Crimmor article could _easily_ be used for another campaign setting. At the very least, it's got a nice full-page map that could do double duty for just about any fantasy city in any world.

--Erik Mona
Editor-in-Chief
Dragon & Dungeon

 

[Kobold Avenger]

I want there to be more Eberron articles, especially after the articles on the Umbragen and Cults of the Dragon Below, there's actually uses for things Warlocks, Soulknives and other things from Complete series. Eberron actually lives up to presenting various aspects and things in D&D in some more interesting ways.

I really have no use for FR as there's so many things about it that I despise. Hell I'd even find an article on obscure cultural practices of Oeridians, Sueloise and other GH ethnic groups (considering it's probably been done already) to be more interesting than most of the FR stuff that gets thrown around.

 

[derbacher]

posted by Brakkart Don't get me wrong, I can find a use for almost anything, but I do like articles that I don't have to convert and can just plug straight into my campaign.

What he said, but apply it to Greyhawk or Eberron. Yes, anything can be pulled and converted, but it saves a lot of time when it matches up with "your" favorite setting(s).

posted by Erik Mona The Crimmor article could _easily_ be used for another campaign setting. At the very least, it's got a nice full-page map that could do double duty for just about any fantasy city in any world.

See above.

posted by Whizbang Dustyboots
Er, there's no drow mentioned in either issue, though, are there?

The referrence was to my dislike of the FR setting, not Dragon in particular. Don't quote me out of context when I'm ragging on something!

posted by Ironwolf
And that's not just any moon elf, that's Elaith Craulnober!

Which to anyone who doesn't read, play or have anything to do with the Forgotten Realms, means what, exactly?

 

[freebfrost]

The Crimmor article could _easily_ be used for another campaign setting. At the very least, it's got a nice full-page map that could do double duty for just about any fantasy city in any world.

Agreed. Very nicely done!

However, it seems to be missing some of the place numbers that are listed. I can't find #27 anywhere on the map, for example.

In fact, I just now counted 72 place numbers on the map, but there are 81 entries in the map key.

 

[Razz]

I am glad they're turning back to Forgotten Realms too. I love that setting, it has everything even though not all of it has been brought back to 3E, only very slightly (thanks to Dragon's issue of "Campaign Classics"). It has all sorts of real-world-like ancient cultures set in a fantasy game that, I am surprised it doesn't, appeal to everyone. You run Arabian Nights setting? Go to Zhakara. Like ancient Aztecs and Mayan culture? Maztica. Love an oriental setting, or even specific ones like China, Japan, or even India and Thailand? Kara-tur. Ancient Russia, there's Rashemen. Egyptian? Have a wonderful time in Mulhorand. Barbarian/viking/Conan-like/tribal settings? Shoot, you got The Savage North, Chult, and The Endless Wastes. Let's not forget it has plenty of areas to run specific flavored campaigns: intrigue&politics, business&trade, criminal, city, wilderness, traditional dungeon-delving, epic play, etc. And it's criss-crossed with many portals to other planes of existence for a planar campaign, areas far off in the world, and even other campaign settings.

Unfortunately, I wish the out-of-print settings received more and more 3.5 material, Kara-Tur being the first to come back. And I do wish FR had more of a psionic presence, actually a psionic nation would've fit well. And just when they did create a psionic nation and a FR psionic deity (finally) they go and throw it in Lost Empires of Faerun because it was wiped out centuries ago by elven high mages (damn elves!). And I wish Unther in FR (based off of the Babylonians) wasn't annihilated. Should've been a return of Gilgeam and the other Untheric gods, that'd be great.

Other than such flaws in the current FR setting, it's still a great setting compared to "super-weird-appealing-to-Generation X" Eberron and "boring-want-to-fall-asleep" Greyhawk.

Have Ed Greenwood touch up on Kara-Tur, Maztica, or better yet, those Terra Incognita lands would be great.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

It has all sorts of real-world-like ancient cultures set in a fantasy game that, I am surprised it doesn't, appeal to everyone. You run Arabian Nights setting? Go to Zhakara. Like ancient Aztecs and Mayan culture? Maztica. Love an oriental setting, or even specific ones like China, Japan, or even India and Thailand? Kara-tur. Ancient Russia, there's Rashemen. Egyptian? Have a wonderful time in Mulhorand. Barbarian/viking/Conan-like/tribal settings? Shoot, you got The Savage North, Chult, and The Endless Wastes. Let's not forget it has plenty of areas to run specific flavored campaigns: intrigue&politics, business&trade, criminal, city, wilderness, traditional dungeon-delving, epic play, etc. And it's criss-crossed with many portals to other planes of existence for a planar campaign, areas far off in the world, and even other campaign settings.

There's lots of other threads where people will explain to you, in detail, why they do not like the setting despite this stuff or, indeed, because of it.

It's probably best not to turn this thread into yet another one of those, though. Heck, a lot of time could likely be saved by stickying a "I love/hate FR" thread up top.

 

[freebfrost]

So, nothing on a corrected map?

 

[Erik Mona]

We'll have a corrected map on the Paizo site tomorrow.

--Erik

 

[freebfrost]

Fantastic!

Thanks Erik!