D&D 5E (2014) Why Forgotten Realms is Loved

[Daern]

I like the place names. Sea of Swords, Icewind Dale, Everlund, Silverymoon, Moonshae Isles...
I like that its more combo-words than made up syllables. Very evocative.

 

[Jer]

While the Realms isn't my go-to setting, I've found a new appreciation of it as the setting that I'm using to teach D&D to kids. The kids I'm teaching love having the elaborate world built out with years of real-world development behind it that they can go spend hours reading about outside of the game. And the world is close enough to "generic D&D" that I can basically do whatever I want in it and it "feels" right. This does sometimes lead to them suggesting that I'm doing something "wrong" because that's not what they read in whatever sourcebook they borrowed, but that just lets us spend a bit of time on what I consider to be the number one rule of using a purchased game setting in an RPG - that once you've bought it it's yours and you can change whatever the heck you want in it.

 

[Corpsetaker]

I loved FR back before it was just a name being used to sell books.

 

[Shasarak]

There are so many things to love about the Realms.

The NPCs were great. I dont think it would be half as good without Drizzt and Elminster, Khelben and the Seven Sisters, Szass Tam and Manshoon, Alias and Dragonbait, Midnight and Cyric.

It felt like a living breathing world that lived and grew over time

It had some great cRPGs especially Curse of the Azure Bonds with the Mulmaster Beholder Corps and Pools of Radiance with Tyranthraxus.

It had a place for everything from Knights to Samurai, Jungle Tribes to Desert Warriors.

Man I really spent a lot of great times in the Realms.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Loved, maybe. Most accepted? Definitely. That is generally how it goes with a kitchen sink setting. It is a world where just about anything you want, you can find, or can easily find a place to add it. That is why Paizo created Golarion the way they did for Pathfinder.

 

[CapnZapp]

Loved, maybe. Most accepted? Definitely. That is generally how it goes with a kitchen sink setting. It is a world where just about anything you want, you can find, or can easily find a place to add it. That is why Paizo created Golarion the way they did for Pathfinder.

What do YOU love about the Realms, Enevhar?

 

[cbwjm]

The realms has some great ideas. I love the fallen city of Myth Drannor with its broken mythal. I thought the idea of the magister was cool and the cult of the dragon excellent. I loved the way they brought back the city of shade after reading through the arcane age supplement which, incidentally, is a really cool setting.

The way the main pantheon of gods have developed. Two of them come from a previous goddess that had been afflicted by the god of rot. Another gave up his portfolio to three mortals who divided it up, another was the 3rd to carry the title of goddess of the weave. I think the history of the gods is some good development of the pantheon and puts me in mind of real world pantheons which have stories behind the deities. It's some cool stuff.

 

[amerigoV]

How could I have forgotten?!?! - Minsc and Boo!

"Butt kicking -- for Goodness!"
"Magic is impressive but now Minsc leads. Swords for everyone!"

The Baldurs Gate party members are more memorable and meaningful to me than any of the NPCs that detractors tend to name. Ah, the adventures we had together.

I nearly fell out of my chair when I heard that voice again in the Clone Wars Animated Series (Hondo).

 

[darjr]

It has these wonderful characters like Xanathar.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

What do YOU love about the Realms, Enevhar?

I do not know if I truly love any of the TSR/WotC published worlds, since so much of my D&D experience has been in homebrewed worlds. But as I said, the Realms is the most acceptable and useful, as there is so much variety in that world, that it is easy to take pieces from it and drop them into a homebrew world with little modification needed.