D&D 4E Things wrong with 4e: The Far Realm

[AbdulAlhazred]

I've never been a fan of the Far Realm. I don't much care for most aberrations, either. I have no problem with them being in the books. I just don't like that it's pretty much become written into the assumed setting.

I gotta admit, I'd rather play CoC or ToC or something for my Cthulhu fix.

 

[SkidAce]

Cheer up, the campaign setting I wrote up in around 1978 is so close to 4e's cosmology and basic concepts that you would have to assume I had a time machine. It just happens.

Yes, you're correct, and I'm only playing at being pissed.


But you know, between you and me it is amazing how many things we come up with in the creativity of our minds, consider them unique, and then the new people* yawn at the same old thing.

Actually, I know why it happens, we have a lot of shared background from our hobbies, our pastimes, our generation, etc. These influences naturally lead to us re-creating the "wheel" and thinking we are clever.

Back to self pity, it does get old after having it happen from red box to ad&d, to 2nd, etc ,etc to 4e, over and over again.

"No John, I did not copy that from the movie, it's been in my world since before you were born"


Re: new people. I know I experienced it more than most because the wonderful USAF decided I needed to change locations every 2 or 3 years for the past 26. And if I wasn't PCSing, the other members were.


Sorry about the tangent....

 

[avin]

I think 4E overdone Far Realm but, then again, 4E has a knack of leaving no much room for mystery... that said, Foulspawn (4E's version) were a lovely addition to the game.

 

[SkidAce]

I don't know, the Far Realms as "space" made sense the moment they added Star Pact Warlocks and associated them strongly with aberrerant stuff, Far Realm and Stars.

I think the other alternate idea for Far Realms I like is the idea t hat the Far Realms are the "Dreamscape". The Far Realms exist in our heads, and we may even go there in our dreams. And abberations don't just look like they fled our worst nightmares - they have fled our worst nightmares!

I like your dream idea...plays in with some of Lovecraft's theories.


Considering an update/revision to my cosmos (Moorcock/Lovecraft*) since Azathoth is the "chaos incarnate, dark void" at the center of creation. Madly piping away etc. I think he will be a mind twisting reality bending black hole type entity (like CoC/d20, Cook/Tynes pg 205)

Azathoth as the over deity that spawned all others from reality? Neat.
I used to have him drifting at the opposite end of reality and the center was a font of life and creation, but this might be better.

And if anyone yawns I don't care, its back story, rarely comes up until epic.


*these names sound odd combined.

 

[Klaus]

I think 4E overdone Far Realm but, then again, 4E has a knack of leaving no much room for mystery... that said, Foulspawn (4E's version) were a lovely addition to the game.

C'mon, we've been covering stuff to death since 2e. There sourcebooks on beholders, mind flayers, sahuagin, dragons, the entirety of the planes (via Planescape), each of the Crystal Spheres (via Spelljammer), long beofre 4e. 3e had Lords of Madness, Libris Mortis, Draconomicon (again), demons, devils, Elder Evils, etc. It's not like 4e invented the "cover everything" angle.

And 4e actually did leave more stuff uncovered, even in published settings.

 

[Doug McCrae]

I like the idea of outer space, or 'the outer dark' as I believe Robert E Howard calls it, as a weird Cthulhoid monster-haunted place. HR Giger, not shiny metal space robots.

The concept is in Clark Ashton Smith's work too. I assume he and REH got it from Lovecraft.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

C'mon, we've been covering stuff to death since 2e. There sourcebooks on beholders, mind flayers, sahuagin, dragons, the entirety of the planes (via Planescape), each of the Crystal Spheres (via Spelljammer), long beofre 4e. 3e had Lords of Madness, Libris Mortis, Draconomicon (again), demons, devils, Elder Evils, etc. It's not like 4e invented the "cover everything" angle.

And 4e actually did leave more stuff uncovered, even in published settings.

So true. I think 4e is actually rather less prone to categorical systematic defining of these kinds of things than 2e or 3e was. IMHO 4e's material is more oriented towards giving you a bunch of possibilities and leaving it more to the DM to work out how he wants to make it all fit together. At worst it sure isn't any more prescriptive than the last 2 editions were.

 

[Mattachine]

I like the Far Realm, both the 3e and 4e versions.

There is a good tradition of Lovecraftian creatures and themes in D&D, going all the way back to Blackmoor.

In literature, you can see it in Ron E Howard, of course, and sometimes in Fritz Leiber or Michael Moorcock.

 

[pemerton]

I like the idea of outer space, or 'the outer dark' as I believe Robert E Howard calls it, as a weird Cthulhoid monster-haunted place.

Agreed. Have you ever used this in a D&D campaign? If so, how did it go?

 

[Gold Roger]

I've never been to fond of the far realm, especially when in 4th edition every aberration was far realm spawned. I prefer a tad more variety.

In my setting I let Limbo kill it and take some of its stuff.

4e foulspawn are very cool though.