D&D 5E Why FR Is "Hated"

[Derren]

Yep. At low to mid levels, the PCs shouldn't be encountering any named NPCs other than as roleplaying props. Elminster isn't going to bother to go run off to save a town from 2 giants. He's too busy dealing with Zhentil Keep or Thay.

It doesnt need to be Elminster.
If it is a town detailed in a FR product there are almost certainly several named lvl 10+ characters living in or near it or otherwise have an interest in saving the town.
Why do they need the PCs to fight off 2 giants?

 

[JeffB]

I know what you mean: Ox ford, Cam bridge, New York, Victoria what a lot of crap names people come up with.

Hey if you want boring real world names for your Fantasy games, be my guest. I"ll go with something else,thanks.

 

[Shasarak]

Hey if you want boring real world names for your Fantasy games, be my guest. I"ll go with something else,thanks.

Dont even get me started on the "real world"! What a hodge podge of everything just mixed together with no rhyme or reason like some kind of bland kitchen sink setting. No thank you!

 

[Derren]

Dont even get me started on the "real world"! What a hodge podge of everything just mixed together with no rhyme or reason like some kind of bland kitchen sink setting. No thank you!

Right, because in the real world nations with vastly different cultures and technological levels sat right next to each other for hundreds of years without influencing each other in any way...

 

[Shasarak]

Right, because in the real world nations with vastly different cultures and technological levels sat right next to each other for hundreds of years without influencing each other in any way...

Take USA and Mexico - vastly different cultures and tech levels sitting beside each other for hundreds of years - they must be essentially the same right? There is no way they would be able to keep separate cultures over that many years.

 

[Shasarak]

So, why would I go out and research all this mountain of material for a setting that I'm not going to use more than a tiny amount of my gaming time? The bar to entry is just so high that I wouldn't even know where to start. And, because I know there's that mountain of material, I have zero interest in finding out where to start.

Excellent question, why would you research a mountain of material when you only are using a tiny amount?

 

[Derren]

Take USA and Mexico - vastly different cultures and tech levels sitting beside each other for hundreds of years - they must be essentially the same right? There is no way they would be able to keep separate cultures over that many years.

What?
Up until after WW2 the tech level was rather close together and with all the traffic and immigration between those two nation they of course also influence each other culturally. And fighting wars against each other also counts as influence.

 

[Shasarak]

What?
Up until after WW2 the tech level was rather close together and with all the traffic and immigration between those two nation they of course also influence each other culturally. And fighting wars against each other also counts as influence.

So which countries dont influence each other then?

 

[Maxperson]

Ah, the prime reason why Elminster et al can't ever be plausibly proclaimed not to be Mary Sues. They're doing something as vital as saving the world, off-screen, and succeeding every single time.

Unless they die. I can walk into my game at any time and Elminster can fail. He might also be sitting on his ass somewhere oblivious to the world ending danger the party is taking on. He's not a god. He doesn't know everything.

The point is, the PCs will ALWAYS(assuming a halfway decent DM) be the center of things in a D&D campaign set in the Realms. No amount of Elminsters will ever be able to stop that.

 

[Maxperson]

It doesnt need to be Elminster.
If it is a town detailed in a FR product there are almost certainly several named lvl 10+ characters living in or near it or otherwise have an interest in saving the town.
Why do they need the PCs to fight off 2 giants?

That's false. Most towns don't detail NPCs like that. Cities do, but not the vast majority of towns. Of course a city isn't going to be threatened by a couple of giants. A town will be, though.