What are the pros and cons of the different campaign settings?

[MerakSpielman]

Has it been said yet that the scorched sands and heat are only present due to the machinations and spells of the Pharimm, powerful beings living beneath Anauroch? If so, sorry to repeat.

Yes, it has been said that this geographical anomoly is due to magical interferance. There is a further question for people to whom illogical geography is an issue: Which came first? Was the the map drawn, and the magical explanation thought of after the fact when somebody pointed out the inconsistancy? Or was the map drawn with this reason in mind?

Does it matter? Obviously for some people it does, and for some it doesn't.

 

[RenoOfTheTurks]

Which came first? Was the the map drawn, and the magical explanation thought of after the fact when somebody pointed out the inconsistancy? Or was the map drawn with this reason in mind?

Faerun has pretty good consistency with its northern climes being cold, a bit less so near the Sword Coast, etc. This one glaring exception of high temperatures in the North has a magical explanation. Simple as that.

 

[Brennin Magalus]

Yes, it has been said that this geographical anomoly is due to magical interferance. There is a further question for people to whom illogical geography is an issue: Which came first? Was the the map drawn, and the magical explanation thought of after the fact when somebody pointed out the inconsistancy? Or was the map drawn with this reason in mind?

Does it matter? Obviously for some people it does, and for some it doesn't.

The former. Although I do not have my 1e books with me, there is no mention of the phaerimm that I recall. They suggest magic is behind the expansion of Anauroch, but that's it.

 

[Desdichado]

Note that this dosen't decribe everyone who prefers Greyhawk over Forgotten Realms. I'm only referring to the people who constantly need to tell everyone how great Greyhawk is and how much FR sucks.

I should probably point out that I also know a lot of Realms bashers who don't particularly care for Greyhawk either. I think the problem (or not, depending on your perspective) is that FR takes a lot of the D&D-isms to extremes. I'm sure there's a loud group of bitter Old Oerthers around, but I think most people who don't like the Realms are those who are uncomfortable about the D&D-isms and the way they aren't well integrated into the setting.

Let's face it; the Realms has every D&D stereotype around, high powered wizards are almost a dime a dozen, high powered subraces are hiding on the other side of every ridge and forest, and yet, the setting still tries to convince folks that it's pseudo-Medieval D&D at its core.

That's both it's greatest strength for those who prefer it that way and its greatest weakness for those who don't.

 

[Hypersmurf]

They suggest magic is behind the expansion of Anauroch, but that's it.

Why do I have a memory of a Sorcerer's Apprentice-style story where a wizard ordered a golem to shovel some sand into the Anauroch Forest, and then forgot to tell it to stop?

-Hyp.

 

[Psion]

One thing to consider here that bugs many people who don't dig the realms as a whole: that certain events are expained by magic is for naught, because in order for magic to explain it, it has to occur on a fantastic scale, and for some (like me) magic is a deliberate and costly force. This leave the magic explanation a little empty when it is applied too casually.

 

[Nightfall]

Only thing I'm going to add folks is PLEASE let's keep it civil. I know I can be a little...exuberant but I hope most see that I don't DIS a setting just because it's not my cup of tea.

(Btw Merek you getting closer or not to a choice?)

 

[Dark Jezter]

Let's face it; the Realms has every D&D stereotype around, high powered wizards are almost a dime a dozen, high powered subraces are hiding on the other side of every ridge and forest, and yet, the setting still tries to convince folks that it's pseudo-Medieval D&D at its core.

That may be true, but you've got to take into consideration that the Forgotten Realms (and, to a lesser extent, Dragonlance) invented a lot of the D&D stereotypes that exist to this day. Saying that the Forgotten Realms is full of D&D sterotypes is like saying that Star Trek is full of science-fiction stereotypes.

And I think that the high-powered wizards stereotype was around long before D&D. In fact, I heard that Ed Greenwood designed Elminster to be a "generic powerful wizard" in the vein of Gandalf, Merlin, et cetera.

 

[Desdichado]

And yet that only adds to my point; if you're not a fan of D&D-isms, you're not likely to be a fan of FR, regardless of what you think of Greyhawk.

I'm not a particular fan of a lot of the more blatant D&D-isms, and I'm therefore politely uninterested in both FR and Greyhawk.

 

[Dark Jezter]

And I enjoy many of the more established D&D-isms. I enjoy clearing out a dungeon and raking in the dough. I enjoy being able to buy magic items in a store. I enjoy a dwarf fighter being able to absorb damage that would drop a tyranosaurus rex.

Different strokes for different folks, I guess.