Aldarc
Legend
And those were more interesting times in the Realms. I do think, and you can correct me on this, but there is a bizarre obsession sometimes in Forgotten Realms deific soap opera with "portfolios." I don't know how we even were saddled with this cringeworthy term "portfolio" when talking about theological associations, roles, and spheres of influence. And while the idea of deities having shrinking and expanding influences over aspects of the world has basis in the history of religions (and Greyhawk), it's taken to such an incredibly inorganic extreme in the fiction of Forgotten Realms, almost to the point of farce. I half expect that the deities of Faerun do exchange manilla envelopes containing legal paperwork regarding their theological domains. "Here you go, Malar. Here is my divine portfolio containing 'crazy stray cats,' as you have rightfully seized, but I will keep my portfolios containing 'cute Internet cat memes' for the time being. The paperwork checks out all fine with the heavenly legal office and Ao. Pleasure doing business with you."
Okay. But I think in attempting to refute Caliburn101's personal observation, you are perhaps missing the point. I don't think that these sort of statements are necessarily meant to be understood as hardwired rules or canon law, nor does Caliburn101 claim that this is a rule. That is appears to be a non-existent argument of your own making. It's a pithy observation based on their personal experience, one that you clearly don't share. Sometimes though it is just a subjective feeling that settings, worlds, and campaigns impart on the psyche of players (or even GMs).
In some settings, you can have the feeling of being A hero, but you will never be THE hero(es) of the setting. It's about like how at the end of the day, it's Frodo, Sam, and (arguably) Smaegol who succeed in destroying the One Ring and not you. It's Luke Skywalker who confronts Vader and the Emperor, while his closest rebel friends destroy the shields on Endor's moon and not you. It's Harry Potter who is the Chosen One that will defeat Lord Voldemort and not you. It is why I don't run RPGs set in Middle Earth, Star Wars, the Potterverse, or other settings. At best, I may run a campaign "inspired by" setting X but as a GM the idea of running a campaign in these settings sometimes comes with the feeling of dancing on tip toes to avoid treading on feet, while the idea of being a player in these settings leaves me feeling like I'm having to design my character around these characters. Let me be clear here. I am not saying that people cannot run RPGs set in these settings, as that is demonstrably false, but, rather, that this can be the case for some people. This is not an experience or feeling that can be invalidated, as people clearly do experience this problem. If you have never experienced this, then bully for you, but this is not some isolated experience people have had in regards to Forgotten Realms and other settings so I don't think that this is something that one should be callously dismissive about.
This perception, feeling, sense of immersive alienation can be stumbling block for some players when playing a well-tread setting. It's a bizarre spectre at the back of your mind, whispering into your ear, reminding you that your characters will play second fiddle to "more important" and permanent characters attached to the setting. While this is true for all settings to an extent, as the world is inhabited by NPCs with varying degrees of import and clout above your characters, sometimes the scope of this problem is magnified by the fiction and its media representation. This setting may exist as the world of these characters who are found in these novels, movies, television series, comic books, video games, and whatever else. Middle Earth is not just Middle Earth; it's the world of the War of the Ring and its associated characters. The Potterverse is not just an isolated wizarding universe in the popular imagination, but the world where Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and association company exist.
The Forgotten Realms presents a similar issue, particularly for some people familiar with the settings. It's the D&D setting where the 90 percent of fiction described by Sturgeon's Law applies, as their novels have persistently cluttered the Sci-Fi/Fantasy section of book stores before I even knew what Forgotten Realms or D&D was. I personally have not had the problem with high powered NPCs running around Forgotten Realms. But it is still the world where these prominent characters frolic and play and the world of their associated shallow fiction. They are the unwanted burger toppings that forever flavors this world. I dislike the lingering taste they leave in my mouth, that lingering taste that persists even when I discard them like the unwanted sour pickles and relish that comes by default on my burger.
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