What do you think about the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting Book

[Primal]

I didn't think Loudwater was very good, either.

It was horrible, in my opinion. The saddest things was that Curuvar the Brazen with his "Quest Card"-comments was probably the best thing in the chapter... *SIGH*

This brought a chuckle.

What, you haven't heard the tale of Bane's Mighty Fish? Well, arm, it started when Bhaal, Myrkul and Bane all had a day off, and headed to the Lake of Boiling Mud...

It's been a hundred years. Stuff changed in that time, especially because of all the cosmological and god changes. Gods change their symbols because of changes to them and all that.

I wish there had been a some kind of logical explanation for that -- Bane's Fist crushing the green rays of light was pretty self-explatory to me, but this one doesn't just make sense. I guess it's the "Core Bane's" symbol, right?

The Player's Guide would likely have info on the gods, too, since the players will need that information. We'll likely see more symbols there.

Maybe -- I certainly hope so. I was just disappointed that they didn't bother to explain the events in some kind of timeline. What happened to Eldath? Mask? How did some Intermediate deities transformed into Exarchs? And so on. The fact that the WoTC staffers have some kind of "secret document" which reveals every god's fate during (and after) the Spellplague doesn't really help all the Joe DMs -- especially if you've got inquisitive players (especially if they are veterans of all the editions, and don't want to shrug it all away with just "this is how it is now -- deal with it!").

The "sphere" seems to be a one word summary of their basic outlook and description. The entries have more complexity than the reference table.

Yet what's the point of this "sphere"-thing? AFAIK it doesn't have any mechanical impact on the cleric class, so why couldn't they include all their "areas of influence", i.e. portfolios, in the list? Besides, some deities can hardly be "summarized" by one word only, so the effect is just... odd.

It's slightly different than Cyric's, but since most Zhents are Cyricists now, it's not surprising.

But why that 'yellow-brown-dark brown'-color scheme? It looks far from intimidating... the effect is quite the opposite, IMO.

Because they didn't fight the gods, like the other primordials, and weren't sent to Abeir with the others. Primordials function like gods in terms of worshipers and power-granting, it seems.

I saw some mention of Kezef which indicated that he wasn't sent to Abeir, either, but I can't bring it directly to mind. I'll take a look when I get home tonight.

Was this info in FRCG? Maybe I missed it in the hurry...

 

[knightofround]

Ok so the disappointment with fluff notwithstanding...hows the crunch? How did the swordmage/warlock pact come out? (power creepage?)

 

[Phaezen]

Ok so the disappointment with fluff notwithstanding...hows the crunch? How did the swordmage/warlock pact come out? (power creepage?)

We still have a month to wait on that, as they will only be in the Forgotten Realms Players Guide, this seperation of fluff and crunch into two book may or may not have something to do with peoples dissapointment in the campaign setting.

Phaezen

 

[SSquirrel]

Setting should be mostly fluff so I'm happy about that. Loudwater is less than mentally stimulating and I hate the perforated, tear out map. How much mroe does it really cost to just gummy it in? No torn maps, much better.

 

[Wyrmshadows]

Big, big disappointment if you were a fan of the 2e/3.5e Realms. This book is mostly fluff, but IMO there is nothing stand out about the fluff. Oooohh earthmotes, flying squid, Asmodeus kills Azuth, eladrin elf retcon, Imaskar and Netheril come back, etc. I have seen as good and better backstory in friends' homebrews. The 3e FRCS book was great, full of personality and information. The new book is a dim shadow of the 3e FR sourcebook.

Its not unusable, but it also isn't IMO a book that grabs you and makes you say "I must play/DM here!" Not at all. It has a far more generic, undeveloped feel than I thought it would. The Spellplague and its aftermath might have been more interesting if the current book had a greater amount of detail. There is nothing about this book that would make me more likely to play/DM in FR that I would in Paizo's Golarion or Goodman's Aereth if I wanted to do good old fashioned D&D fantasy.

4e FR is barebones FR. It feels like someone's high quality homebrew before an actual capaign was run on it. It has all the necessary details, but it doesn't seem alive. I see some basic history, some individuals, some groups, and some names on a map but I don't see a living setting YMMV.

Sure the production values are good but I expected that much. I would prefer a good, hardback black and white book overflowing with good content than a prettier book with less content. IMO content is king.


Wyrmshadows

 

[Lord Xtheth]

Forgotten realms has completely and unmercifully replaced my DMG. The DMG has gone the only place it should have ever gone (IMO), into the trash can.
Just kidding. I can use the extra paper for somthing... some day...

 

[Keefe the Thief]

4e FR is barebones FR. It feels like someone's high quality homebrew before an actual capaign was run on it.

Yeah, i agree. In other words, it´s the successor of the Grey Box: a new realm, a framework for adventure, open for the changes your group is going to bring into it. If you want to see the old fluff continued unchanged, this is not the book for you. But if you want something smaller than the 3e book, describing a world that really needs heroes: Buy this.

 

[ProfessorCirno]

Yeah, i agree. In other words, it´s the successor of the Grey Box: a new realm, a framework for adventure, open for the changes your group is going to bring into it. If you want to see the old fluff continued unchanged, this is not the book for you. But if you want something smaller than the 3e book, describing a world that really needs heroes: Buy this.

I think the question on everyone's mind is "So why do this to FR instead of making your own setting? Why destroy a pre-existing one if you weren't going to USE any of it?"

 

[Keefe the Thief]

I think the question on everyone's mind is "So why do this to FR instead of making your own setting? Why destroy a pre-existing one if you weren't going to USE any of it?"

First, thats not on everyones mind.

Second, for me, this does not differ a shred from the "Arcane Age" supplements for 2e. So, in Wotcs opinion, there is enough fluff out there for the current age FR. Well, then let´s detail FR 100 years from now. That´s it.
I admit it: I like setting changes. I liked the Zhentil Keep boxed set, because the city was significantly different from what had come before. I like change. It allows me to run a Grey Box campaign, and then have my players visit the Realms of the "future."

 

[Obergnom]

First, thats not on everyones mind.

Second, for me, this does not differ a shred from the "Arcane Age" supplements for 2e. So, in Wotcs opinion, there is enough fluff out there for the current age FR. Well, then let´s detail FR 100 years from now. That´s it.
I admit it: I like setting changes. I liked the Zhentil Keep boxed set, because the city was significantly different from what had come before. I like change. It allows me to run a Grey Box campaign, and then have my players visit the Realms of the "future."

I agree. It's not like there is anything standing in your way using the old setting, which IMO was kind of finished at the end of 3e.