D&D 5E What does Midgard do that Forgotten Realms and Wildemount don't?

[doctorbadwolf]

To me Midgard is the world that most makes sense for the kind of D&D that 5E is.

5E is too high magic for a sword and sorcery feel and has too many non human races to fit the high fantasy tolkienish feel of Forgotten Realms (especially if you're using the additional races). Also latter day additions such as the feywild have just never felt right to me.

The dark fairy tale tone of Midgard is I think the best fit for 5E. It may not really be what I want D&D to be, but it probably fits best with what D&D is.

I have found that if you use the Feywild stuff mostly as is, but make Feywild and Shadowfell each a type of wilderness one can stumble into, sometimes overlapping, it works a lot better. Although, Tyr Na Nog then loses any analogue unless you also have a separate Otherworld.

 

[Mercurius]

I think there's something fundamentally off about the idea of "doing" with regards to campaign settings. A setting is a vibe. It is a story, or a place in which stories and atmosphere emerges. It isn't about what a setting does, but how it feels, and whether that feeling is right for you and your group.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

They probably mean in like the darker Grim Fairy Tale aspect of it. The Shadow Fey have that kind air to them in Courts of The Shadow Fey.

Certain aspects, like the Gnomes and even Baba Yaga, gives off a kind of dark fairy tale aspect as well.

I dunno man, I just don't see any "Grimm's fairy tales" stuff there. It's not cautionary morality tales, it's weird scary far-out, and extremely dangerous fey-realm stuff which is more in line with particularly creepy unseelie stuff which isn't conventionally regarded as "fairy tales" (despite being stories that refer to what are, technically, fairies). The gnomes are a whole Faustian deal and I never regarded that as a "fairy story" but I guess it relates to folk tales of people selling their souls and so on.

Baby Yaga is more like it, though I'd personally put her down as "folk tale" than "fairy story", but perhaps that's semantics? Also I am so scared of Baby Yaga I can't think straight about the issue. Thanks, Call of Cthulhu!

 

[Zardnaar]

Oh one thing it has going for it.

A campaign setting book. FR hasn't had a consolidated one since 2001.

 

[Rellott]

No Drow either although a PDF has a sidebar if you want. They're ghoul food.

The very recently released Underworld Players Guide (published alongside the newly released Empire of the Ghouls adventure/campaign) has a drow write-up in it. They exist, but are much rarer than in regular campaign worlds. Like you mention, the ghouls have thinned them out a lot. They’re actually given a brand new full racial treatment there. They’re not a subrace of elf, they’re a full-blown race of their own now, with its own subraces.

 

[Zardnaar]

The very recently released Underworld Players Guide (published alongside the newly released Empire of the Ghouls adventure/campaign) has a drow write-up in it. They exist, but are much rarer than in regular campaign worlds. Like you mention, the ghouls have thinned them out a lot. They’re actually given a brand new full racial treatment there. They’re not a subrace of elf, they’re a full-blown race of their own now, with its own subraces.

That's new.

 

[Matrix Sorcica]

2. It's huge and detailed. Only the Realms and possibly Mystara have more content. Kobold has published over 230 adventures of varying length, from four-page oneshots to campaign-length epics. The Worldbook is only matched by the 3e Realms FRCS - plus there's the entire Southlands book as well (and from time to time they hint that there will be an Eastlands book eventually too!)

[nitpick] I'd say Golarion is (more than) a match for Midgard. [/nitpick]

 

[Ruin Explorer]

nitpick] I'd say Golarion is (more than) a match for Midgard. [/nitpick]

Did they recently (last two years) release an actual Golarion worldbook, or something? Because last I heard they had not, and the information was scattered around. Maybe PF2E has a lot of space dedicated to that? The comparison here is the 3E FRCS, not "every bit of material ever", because then the FR is still going to totally spank Golarion and send it home for supper. If they didn't release an actual worldbook that compares favourably to the 3E FRCS, then that's not a "nitpick", it's a random advert for Golarion.

Also, to be frank, the quality of lore in Midgard is a lot higher than the quality in Golarion.

 

[Matrix Sorcica]

Did they recently (last two years) release an actual Golarion worldbook, or something? Because last I heard they had not, and the information was scattered around.

They've just released a rather slim world book for PF2. And of course there's the World Guide from way back. But the post I'm qouting had the 230 adventures or so as evidence that only FR and Mystara could compete with Midgard. By that logic, Golarion is vastly detailed in APs, society play, modules etc.

The comparison here is the 3E FRCS, not "every bit of material ever", because then the FR is still going to totally spank Golarion and send it home for supper. If they didn't release an actual worldbook that compares favourably to the 3E FRCS, then that's not a "nitpick", it's a random advert for Golarion.

I have no idea what you mean? The post I quoted mentioned "every material ever" for Midgard. What does the 3E FRCS has to do with the Midgard-Golarion comparison? And they did release an actual worldbook that while not as good as FRCS is arguably really well done. And what the hell are you on about a random advert fo Golarion?

Also, to be frank, the quality of lore in Midgard is a lot higher than the quality in Golarion.

Also, to be frank, this is subjective and has nothing to do with whether there's a worldbook, adventures or any other material releashed for the various settings.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

But your own example had the 230 adventures or so as evidence that only FR and Mystara could compete with Midgard.

So how long have I been called @Zardnaar ?

You yourself mentioned "every material ever" for Midgard. What does the 3E FRCS has to do with the Midgard-Golarion comparioson?

Me? Are you still asserting that I'm @Zardnaar because buddy me and that dude have some pretty serious differences.

The FRCS is extremely relevant because it's how you do a worldbook. What's the title on the current Golarion equivalent? Midgard's worldbook is also extremely impressive.