D&D 5E The case for (and against) a new Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting book

[Parmandur]

Well, I was talking about the "5e is the current edition of Dungeons and Dragons and lots of new young players aren't intersted in old stuff" era, not the "Yet another big change and now everything is different again 5e Forgotten Realms era"....but your take on it is actually a very good (maybe even better) one as to one of the barriers of producing more 5e sourcebooks.

My headcannon FR usually post Time of Troubles and doesn't really incorporate the spellplague OR the moondrop. Having never read the SCAG i'm not even sure what changed for 5e other than the moondrop disappeared for some reason.

I'm interested in the semi-official DMGuild FR books released recently but i'm not willing to buy them without flipping through the entire book first. Its interesting they have barely been mentioned in this discussion.

*fixed the marketplace

I'd say that the new players who aren't familiar with the Realms are the precise demographic being well served by SCAG, as it is: it gives a rundown of the whole world, including other continents and the gods, then zooms in the area the official action is taking place in for a deep dive, and has sundry character options. It's a great "only book" other than Core or Xanathars for players who are in a Sword Coast campaign.

Essentially, they undid most of the Spellplague changes, and moved time forwards a little bit. In practice, for most of 5E, they have avoided addressing most elements of continuity that can't be changed by filing off some nameplates (there is a different Open Lord of Waterdeep than in 3E, but changing names and adopting Dragon Heist to a different timeframe is trivial). Perkins has said this is a very intentional strategy, given the splits in the FR fanbase, and the desire to not bring canon wars into the picture for newer folks.

 

[Parmandur]

If a book mentions something then leaves it out it cannot be a total sandbox mini-setting. You are giving them the choice of going somewhere where there is no information
You have to homebrew.
As was mentioned in another post the adventure needs extensive modification to be run without the Death Curse. Otherwise you are still running it with the Death Curse.

You can remove the Death Curse entirely, and provide other motivations, and literally nothing much changes.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

You seem to be missing the point if you think SCAG cannot receive similar treatment.
More importantly the point you also seem to be missing is that Wizards devoted attention to something that did not necessarily need to be released again.

I'm not saying it can't happen, I'm saying it won't happen. Especially since they're not the same thing, at all? You're asking for a re-release of a product with way more material. That's not the same as taking two books that honestly should have been together to begin with and merging them. And taking art they already had (it's all concept art) and throwing that in too.

The Tyranny of Dragons book is minimal effort. A SCAG update is not.

 

[Magister Ludorum]

5th Edition Horror, by Fat Goblin Games, is worth a look. As is Sandy' Petersen's 5E Cthulhu book.

I don't have the first book, but I use 5e Cthulhu more than any other 3rd party supplement.

 

[eyeheartawk]

I don't have the first book, but I use 5e Cthulhu more than any other 3rd party supplement.

This.

Most books that just bolt more stuff to the game leave me cold. But that's an excellent book.

 

[Magister Ludorum]

This.

Most books that just bolt more stuff to the game leave me cold. But that's an excellent book.

I have always included Lovecraftian awesomeness in my D&D games. That was the most used section in my old 1e Deities and Demigods.

 

[FlyingChihuahua]

I'm 99.99% sure that the reason the SCAG is still selling well is almost entirely because of the blade cantrips.

 

[Parmandur]

I'm 99.99% sure that the reason the SCAG is still selling well is almost entirely because of the blade cantrips.

What you talking about, obviously it's the weird Dwarf armored Barbarians.

Seriously, though, I think it is selling because people want it for the info, and as a general guide per it's stated purpose.

 

[JiffyPopTart]

You can remove the Death Curse entirely, and provide other motivations, and literally nothing much changes.

You could even leave in the Death Curse, lower the severity, not base your campaign on it,and use it as adventure hooks the players can follow in addition to the ones you create for your primary story.

 

[Parmandur]

You could even leave in the Death Curse, lower the severity, not base your campaign on it,and use it as adventure hooks the players can follow in addition to the ones you create for your primary story.

True. For most of the Chult material, it can be left out with minor adjustment.