Why the hatred towards FRCS?

[Geoffrey]

Recipe for a good Forgotten Realms campaign:

1. Go to ebay and buy the original 1987 boxed set.

2. Ignore the sections on NPCs, Damara, Vaasa, and the Moonshae Islands.

3. Consider getting the Dragon Magazine CD, and read all the pre-1988 articles by Ed Greenwood.

4. Ignore everything else published under the name of Forgotten Realms.

 

[d20Gurus.com]

You do realize that by stripping all of these things from the Realms, it becomes Greyhawk with a different map, right?

I personally think that FR added alot of good ideas to the genre. The Phaerimm are actually fairly cool. The shade Enclave is one of the better villainous groups I have seen in a while. The depth and originality (not countil the Mulhorandic set) of the pantheon is great.


If you feel like the only way to enjoy Forgotten Realms is to strip it to a barebones map and write your own stuff in it, then you arent playing in the realms.

 

[Lothaire]

I wouldn't say I hate the realms. I just don't think a game setting should be subordinate to cheesy novels (and you have to admit some of those novels just plain suck).

Other than that I think FR is okay. Defintely not a place I want to play a multiyear campaign in (No place other than a homebrew is suitable for such IMHO). But I think FR is great for a few month midsized story arc. FR is good because its something everyone has at least passing familarity with, so its often a fall back compromise setting of sorts.

One minor pet peeve of mine is the rabid, unbathed FR fanboys munchkins. It is probably just me, but I seem to run into far too many who love to tell me about their Drow Rangers that are so much better than Drizzit.

But other than the whole $40 for the campaign setting, I'd love to play a short game or two in FR.

 

[praetorian]

I think the whole thing about FR is your style of gaming. I know people don't like that NPCs seem to control all the epic level events, and some DMs hate how much info there is and players who exploit it.

However, I personally don't like epic gaming that much. When you think about it, most adventurers don't live to see level 3-5 let alone level 15+. For me having character die, and to humbly fight of non-continent shattering events is better than standing toe to toe with the greatest evils ever imagined.

Also along the lines of the vast amount of FR information, I think DMs NEED to choose what they want, what sources to use, and what to ignore. FR in my mind is a solid setting that allows a DM to focus on plot rather than world building. I think too many DMs look at FR and say: 'wow if I change anything or screw up on some detail everything will be ruined!' Rather I think you take however much you want of the setting, and make the rest yourself. I know I could never make a setting as detailed as FR, but I can use FR as a base for making a great campaign as long as I make it MY game, and MY world, and don't let the players or WoTC dictate to me how it must be done.

 

[Ravellion]

First, I do want to say that I;m much more of a Lankhmar fan than a Relams fan---prefer a low-magic setting & a bit more nitty-gritty than epic settings like the Realms or Krynn.

Krynn has always been a very nitty gritty setting in my (and my players') view. A world ignoring evil. Evil almost wins. As soon as evil is defeated it gets ignored again. Evil wins. Chaos destroyed by evil. End of all romance and magic in the world. (remember: fifth age doesn't exist in D&D - I hope War of Souls will get rid of it entirely)

So, each worlds perceptions can be altered to or altered towards a certain taste, or vice versa.

I don't like FR, because of most reasons mentioned in this thread. Too dependent on Epic Level Characters, the Archmage class, illogical organizations (Zhents p.e.), illogical places of cities and development (waterdeep grew too big, too fast IMO), but most important is the munchkin preconceptions of my group towards it. You just walk into a temple and get people raised. No biggie.

Custom is the way to go!

Rav

 

[Ravellion]

If any of you have read the new Troy Denning Books (Archwizard trilogy), then you would know that most of the Chosen of Mystra have either dissapeared or have gone into hiding.

<SNIP!>

You probably just summed up why I didn't like to DM for a true FR enthusiast. He was actually very cool about me altering things, not spoiling anything for the other playes. I just could see the agnony on his face as he noticed that it wasn't the FR he knew and loved.

Oh, and something else I don't like: Too player friendly: There is an elf for every class (I just don't ever see a wild elf mage, or sun elf Paladin etc.), and a god for every bloody concept. (I believe there is one or waterfalls and still forest glades, right?) so you can have just the right character, who also just happens to be an elf or a cleric... though that is entirely unimportant, really.

Rav

 

[Eye Tyrant]

I have played in the Realms exclusively since about '94. To me all the information and detail is great, seeing as though I don't have as much time to spend on that kind of stuff as I would like. I must agree that the big-wigs of FR are rather annoying. In the game that I've been a part of they have never been encountered, much less sought out (except for once when we tried to get some info from Elminster in Shadowdale, of course he wasn't home). I don't like having all those super-hero types running around. I think FR is better off without them. Otherwise, what would PCs do?

That said, I can understand all the resoning behind the FR hatred. My advice? Get over it! Adjust the setting to suit you, or play in another one!

 

[JacktheRabbit]

I enjoy the FR but there are a couple small things that bother me:

1. Too many Gods. I prefer a smaller group of maybe 20-30 Gods. In FR there are probably over 100 if you counted every god ever mentioned.

2. Very little areas of Wild Unknown. Even if you search the maps carefully you will never really find any regions that are truly unknown. Cities exist everywhere.

I do like some parts of the FR though and I solve the powerful NPc problem my own way. I called it MAD. Elminster doesnt dare jump out of his tower on a whim and save the day. To do so would be to drain some of his power even for a short while and leave himself vulnerable to sudden counterattack. The same can be said for powerful evil NPC's. The two sides kind of balance each other and force a truce between them so to speak.

I also make some small changes to my campaigns there. I make the Gods a little more aloof from FR. They do not interceed nearly as often. At the same time I also limit divination much more then normal. Sure the spells all work but Elminster is not going to know every major plot that is going on like he seems to normally in FR books and novels.

 

[Furn_Darkside]

Salutations,

I dislike the stupidity of FR- so many powerful individuals/organizations in such a relativly small area and they all just check and balance each other?

Please.

As for being well written or quality products- I have yet to purchase a 3rd edition FR product, but the 2nd edition ones were poor and the novels worse. Why waste my money on such a setting?

FD

 

[Imperialus]

One thing I will say for FR. If you ever wanted to play a pollitical campaign it would cirtanly shine in that aspect. They bazillion societies, nations, factions and everything else would give a DM lots to work with. I just don't think it's very good as a traditional adventure/dungon hack game.