D&D 5E (2014) What's so great about Elminster?

[Ymdar]

I tried reading some of the books but those were tiring; wiki suggests he is more low profile now? Only saves the universe from Thanos in secret?

 

[gyor]

I tried reading some of the books but those were tiring; wiki suggests he is more low profile now? Only saves the universe from Thanos in secret?

In 4e the Spellplague largely shattered him and the other chosen. It's only with the Sundering that he's really began pulling the pieces of himself back together. Even his reborn Goddess is much weaker.

So power wise Elminister is a shadow of himself, same with the other Chosen of Mysteria, so when possibly they use their old Rep to flex their muscles, otherwise they use magic items yo make up for their diminished power.

 

[Coroc]

Elminster is, according to FR haters, the reason why - logically reasoned - adventurers should not be necessary in the realms, because everything they can do to fight off an evil , Elminster could do faster and better and with less personal risk.

 

[Gwarok]

Everyone in the realms has heard of Elminster and his legendary adventures but what I'm wondering is: what are those legendary adventures? What would the common man on the street know about Elminster? (I haven't read any of those books by the way so I don't know what those adventures were).

I bonestly don't know. I saw his stats once, was impressed even though FR seems riddled with max level casters, and bought a fantasy book that was supposedly the story of Elminster and frankly can't remember a thing about it. Apparently at one point he turned into a female godess or something but really nothing in the story was all that intriguing.

Side note, how with like a million archmages has that world not just been turned into a handful of empires ruled by demigods of magic? I don't see how mere mortals could never hope to establish anything on their own.

 

[Richards]

So, as a thought experiment: what would happen if Elminster and Chuck Norris got into a fight?

Johnathan

 

[Al'Kelhar]

So, as a thought experiment: what would happen if Elminster and Chuck Norris got into a fight?

Johnathan

Ladies in multiple realties would go weak at the knees?

 

[schnee]

A gentleman never tells.

OK, fair enough; Gygax never published fan fiction of Mordenkainen schtuppig the goddess of magic.

If he wrote it any? I'm gonna try to forget I even had that thought.

I mean, the purple prose...

 

[gyor]

Elminster is, according to FR haters, the reason why - logically reasoned - adventurers should not be necessary in the realms, because everything they can do to fight off an evil , Elminster could do faster and better and with less personal risk.

Those people are silly and never understood the character or Elminister's function in FR.

 

[Ancalagon]

Those people are silly and never understood the character or Elminister's function in FR.

A Mary Sue?

 

[gyor]

A Mary Sue?

He was powerful yes, but fair from the only powerful being in FR, and not even close to the most powerful, and at least point he's far from his peak of power.

Spoilers from Elminister from Hell below




Elminister got owned by an archfiend in Elminister in Hell, at least until the archfiend went too far. He had to be bailed out by Mystra, who basicly mind blasted predivinity Asmodeus.

Seriously Elminister has gotten he arse kicked and been in need of rescue before, suffered unspeakable torture in he'll,
much of it horrifically disguisting, had his body blown up, turned to ash, he most have top shelf PTSD.

Seriously no Mary Sue goes through a 10th of the torments that Elminister goes through, seriously it seems almost more divine punish then reward.

Even uber powerful Gods like Mystera and Shar lose big time in FR, and if any character has a right to be a Mary Sue it'd be Goddesses, but even they lose too.

Honestly most of the high rank heroes and villians function like Gods in the sense that they prefer to use minions then fight direct battles most of the time.

I find it funny that people are worried that Drizzt and the Chosen of Mystera was Mary Sues, when an angry God can send an avatar the weakest of which and beat Szazz Tam who is, who way more powerful then Elminister.

In 2e an Avatar of Sharess (5e terms Zandilar/Bast) was a 18th level Wizard/23rd level Rogue/18th level spellsinger/16th level cleric/10th level fighter with nine lives, could look like anyone via illusion at will, at will version of limited wish, and so on. This was back when they actually knew how to stat up gods like gods, instead of powerful monsters.

An avatar like the one above could have slaughtered the Chosen of Mystera and Drizzt and his Companions and an assortment of other FR heroes and Gillian's without breaking a, sweat. And Sharess was a simple Demigod, image what an Avatar of Sune or Bane could do. But people worried about Elminister. It's funny.