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Why FR Is "Hated"
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<blockquote data-quote="Demetrios1453" data-source="post: 7126711" data-attributes="member: 6801060"><p>So, I'm seeing two particular objections to the Realms as a setting that I do feel the need to rebut...</p><p></p><p></p><p>1. That the setting is <em>too</em> detailed, which eliminates DM flexibility and forces a prospective DM to follow precisely what is detailed in print. </p><p></p><p>Recently, when I have been running FR-based games, including my current TftYP campaign, I've been using a homebrew town as the campaign's home base. It's located on the River Chinonthar, about halfway between Elturel and Baldur's Gate. It's right where a town servicing the river trade would reasonably located, and in an area that is relatively less detailed. And there are plenty of such areas across the entire setting - interstices between detailed regions where a DM can plop down a home base/dungeon/creepy forest/howling wasteland to his or her heart's content. But, while detailing that location, I still have the background of the rest of the setting to utilize: if I or my players want to visit or get involved in the intrigues of a big city, well Baldur's Gate is a couple of days journey downstream. The Fields of the Dead to the north gives ample opportunity for haunted ruins and humanoid tribe. Want to include a dark and mysterious forest? The Wood of Sharp Teeth is just to the south! Since all these have been detailed, I can use all that detail once the game moves outside the home base. Basically, with a highly-detailed setting, I have the luxury of being able to create my own detailed regions/sites, but don't have to do all the work once the story moves to a more detailed location (and even then, I can add or subtract what I feel necessary, although I don't tend to do so too much since it can ruin the verisimilitude of the setting).</p><p></p><p></p><p>2. That there are too many powerful NPCs who steal the spotlight from the characters.</p><p></p><p>Um... why in the world would Elminster, or Drizzt, or any of the other major NPCs be doing in a river town in the Western Heartlands? Surely they are busy keeping the world safe from other threats closer to home, and not worried about the most recent goblin attack on outlying villages in my town's area! At most, I could see a "celebrity sighting" type deal if the players were to visit Candlekeep and Elminster is there on business, but he's not going to interact with the party in any meaningful sense other than background color for the setting. Heck, I've even run games in Shadowdale itself, with both Elminster there to give a quest or two, but usually with Elminster not available and out of town for whatever inscrutable reason. Powerful NPCs are a tool like any other in the DM's armory, and I don't see any reason to feel obliged to use them if the DM doesn't want to. If I may ask those who are bringing up this objection - why do you feel that a DM running a Realms campaign is <em>obliged</em> to have powerful NPCs be a significant part of a game?</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Demetrios1453, post: 7126711, member: 6801060"] So, I'm seeing two particular objections to the Realms as a setting that I do feel the need to rebut... 1. That the setting is [I]too[/I] detailed, which eliminates DM flexibility and forces a prospective DM to follow precisely what is detailed in print. Recently, when I have been running FR-based games, including my current TftYP campaign, I've been using a homebrew town as the campaign's home base. It's located on the River Chinonthar, about halfway between Elturel and Baldur's Gate. It's right where a town servicing the river trade would reasonably located, and in an area that is relatively less detailed. And there are plenty of such areas across the entire setting - interstices between detailed regions where a DM can plop down a home base/dungeon/creepy forest/howling wasteland to his or her heart's content. But, while detailing that location, I still have the background of the rest of the setting to utilize: if I or my players want to visit or get involved in the intrigues of a big city, well Baldur's Gate is a couple of days journey downstream. The Fields of the Dead to the north gives ample opportunity for haunted ruins and humanoid tribe. Want to include a dark and mysterious forest? The Wood of Sharp Teeth is just to the south! Since all these have been detailed, I can use all that detail once the game moves outside the home base. Basically, with a highly-detailed setting, I have the luxury of being able to create my own detailed regions/sites, but don't have to do all the work once the story moves to a more detailed location (and even then, I can add or subtract what I feel necessary, although I don't tend to do so too much since it can ruin the verisimilitude of the setting). 2. That there are too many powerful NPCs who steal the spotlight from the characters. Um... why in the world would Elminster, or Drizzt, or any of the other major NPCs be doing in a river town in the Western Heartlands? Surely they are busy keeping the world safe from other threats closer to home, and not worried about the most recent goblin attack on outlying villages in my town's area! At most, I could see a "celebrity sighting" type deal if the players were to visit Candlekeep and Elminster is there on business, but he's not going to interact with the party in any meaningful sense other than background color for the setting. Heck, I've even run games in Shadowdale itself, with both Elminster there to give a quest or two, but usually with Elminster not available and out of town for whatever inscrutable reason. Powerful NPCs are a tool like any other in the DM's armory, and I don't see any reason to feel obliged to use them if the DM doesn't want to. If I may ask those who are bringing up this objection - why do you feel that a DM running a Realms campaign is [I]obliged[/I] to have powerful NPCs be a significant part of a game? [/QUOTE]
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