D&D 4E The Realms being the first 4e setting

[Mokona]

The Realms aren't written off in the heads of Wizards.

The Forgotten Realms novels (especially R.A. Salvatore's drow) keep the setting alive ahead of any other option. I'm not a fan of the Realms but it could have had a 3.5 update so it's a logical first choice for 4th edition. Numerous attempts at Greyhawk and generic Dungeons & Dragons novels in recent years have failed.

For some reason, Dragonlance novel successes haven't translated into strong support for its campaign setting. Perhaps this is due to the fact that lots of women (who are outside the D&D RPG's typical demographic) account for the sales by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman.

Eberron is a fun setting. It doesn't need much more once it get's a campaign setting book of the quality and depth similar to the 3rd edition Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting.

I also look forward to the other two (2) campaign settings that were acquired at the same time as (what became known as ) Eberron.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

For some reason, Dragonlance novel successes haven't translated into strong support for its campaign setting. Perhaps this is due to the fact that lots of women (who are outside the D&D RPG's typical demographic) account for the sales by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman.

Haven't played any Dragonlance (except for some 3e converted, turned-into-Ravenloft campaign part the DM sicced at us but abandoned not too much later when he felt he could neither run DL nor RL properly) But I've heard people say that they think it's a great setting for novels, but a lousy one to actually be playing D&D in. Maybe that's why not so many people play DL.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

I share your dream ... yet I don't see the need for a Realms-shattering event to change editions. Just update the campaign setting to the new rules without acknowledging the change -- why have an in-campaign reason to explain something that is a metagaming concept: the rules of the game?

I guess RSEs sell novels, but in the camapaign setting they should leave those things to DMs.

I read that they don't want to do any "Spell Plague" novels. It will probably come up in many novels, but won't be the main theme in any, I guess.

It might actually just be what they claim it: An explanation why things change.

Personally, I liked 3e's approach better. So far, nothing I heard about 4e sounds like it needs explaining. There's no drow suddenly being able to use magic and items on the surface, no infravision going away and being replaced by low-light and dark vision, or anything like it.

There might be the part that wizards will never run out of magics again, but I don't think that this is that big a deal, or that it suddenly makes a lot of novels make no sense in the context of the new rules. I think darkvision was worse for that (though it never really bothered me).

 

[Nebulous]

Hmm... my FRCS is one of the most beautiful and well-done 3.0 books I've never used. Odds are I'll skip the 4.0 Realsms, as I stopped buying FR stuff after coming to the conculsion that I didn't like the setting enough to DM it, no matter how good the production values were, and that no one I played with was going to.

I have a love/hate relationship with FR. I cut my teeth on the first little gray box, and bought the supplements for each edition pretty religiously. I quit playing though and buying 3e stuff mostly because i didn't like how many high level characters populated the Realms. There was just too much chaos and anarchy going on, across multiple continents, that it seemed to de-emphasize the importance of anyone 1st-12th level. After that, maybe you were starting to become important, enough to get Elminster's and Drizzt's attention.

I'm not sure what to think of a 4e FR book. The 3e version is also one of the prettiest Wizards books i've only barely used. Basically, the 4e book isn't going to offer anything to the Realms that i don't already have: besides 4th edition statistics. I know about the countries, the politics, the NPC's, the various gods and organizations, the cosmology, etc etc.

If i had to vote for a 4e campaign setting, it would be unequivocally Dark Sun.

 

[Shadeydm]

I hope this doesn't mean that Greyhawk will remain in a state of permanent limbo. I can't think of another book that would get me more excited about the new edition than GHCS finally getting the treatment it deserves.

 

[Baby Samurai]

I hope this doesn't mean that Greyhawk will remain in a state of permanent limbo. I can't think of another book that would get me more excited about the new edition than GHCS finally getting the treatment it deserves.

Well we know it won't be the default setting.

 

[Baby Samurai]

If i had to vote for a 4e campaign setting, it would be unequivocally Dark Sun.

Al-Qadim for me.

I agree with everything you said about the Realms.

 

[Anti-Sean]

As for why the Forgotten Realms is being done before Eberron, I think it really comes down to one issue. Eberron's core book came out 4 years before the 4E release. Forgotten Realms, on the other hand, will have been out 7 years. Much better to do FR first, and a good reason to hold off an an Eberron setting close to FR.

QFT.

 

[The Grumpy Celt]

I wonder what "spell plague" will mean in terms of game mechanics and for that matter story telling.

It will be interesting to see what happens to the dangling story threads - Shade, Thayan civil war, Zhents war on the Dalelands - will play out with a 10-year jump forwards in the time line.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

I wonder what "spell plague" will mean in terms of game mechanics and for that matter story telling.

I can tell you teh game mechanics: It is the justification for the changes in 4e.