D&D 5E With the release of each new setting book, the SCAG looks worse and worse...

[gyor]

Once you add the SCAG, and the Waterdeep and Baldur's Gate Gazetteers, and the Chult Gazzetteer, there's actually quite a bit of setting information for Forgotten Realms in 5E. It just isn't in one book.

It's all for the Swordcoast or Chult, that isn't enough.

 

[gyor]

I'd be fine with a continuations of the ToA approach to cover other areas in the Realms. A full Setting Book would be cool, but I don't care enough about it to want to push back either Dark Sun or Planescape.

Dark Sun won't come either way until the Psion class is ready, whether or not we get a 5e FRCG style book, it won't push Darksun back.

And I have a feeling Planescape will be released as an AP based on Sigil, but with a Manuel of the planes style book for multiple settings at a later date. Let's be honest Sigil really is the Planescape setting, with the planes themselves being shared between settings. Think something between the Curse of Strahd/Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus/Waterdeep: Dragon Heist, but for Sigil.

 

[gyor]

If the DMs Guild is sufficient for Greyhawk, it's sufficient for the Forgotten Realms as well. Look at old stuff and write it up for 5e, then publish it on the site.

I never suggested that Greyhawk had sufficient material on DMsguild for 5e, eventually it needs an update for 5e, my point was the it has support back in the day, so your suggesting that FR was more popular only because it got lots of lore and support is wrong, they both got support, it's just that because it was more popular FR got increasing support over time.

 

[teitan]

It's complicated: they have produced a book that does cover all of that, the 3E FRCS which is great. However, that book exists and is 95% 5E compatible, except for NPC statblocks and some Feats, and is readily available in print or on the DMsGuild. What's more, now there is a Forgotten Realms Wikia that has the "barebones bullet points" approach mastered. A book can't compete.

There is definitely room for FR Adventure generation material and monsters (plenty of FR specific monster still not reprinted)...

All valid points but the average Joe is not going to want to buy a PDF, I don't want to buy a pdf or POD because of the middling quality reputation of such productions. I know DTRPG is a pretty good quality myself but I still am reticent to buy them. I have plenty of PDF I have purchased but... I don't think I will be purchasing anymore because they get purchased and forgotten, I don't read them. I have all of AIME in pdf, I am repurchasing the Hardcovers instead because it's just not convenient to use at the table. ANd while the 3e FRCS is available in used book markets it is a twenty year old book and most new players are going to want a 5e book. Yeah yeah we can keep sending people to Wiki sites but ultimately that is a failure not just for the people who want a new book but for WOTC in not producing it. 5E has brought in a lot of new players and with the adventures being largely Forgotten Realms adventures it would be wise to see a book produced that gives a better overview and includes the Dalelands, Thay etc. WIkis are not the answer and telling people to buy old stuff and pdfs is just another example of Gatekeeping. It is stupid for WOTC to not release a new book. At least a series of region guides.

 

[teitan]

I never suggested that Greyhawk had sufficient material on DMsguild for 5e, eventually it needs an update for 5e, my point was the it has support back in the day, so your suggesting that FR was more popular only because it got lots of lore and support is wrong, they both got support, it's just that because it was more popular FR got increasing support over time.

Gyor is 100% right. Greyhawk was cancelled 3x and the Forgotten Realms sold reams of novels and video games, comic books and continues to be the featured setting in the scant few novels we see from the new publisher, the Baldur's Gate comics and video games, the mobile game is set in the Realms. I love Greyhawk and it's strength was that it was very much a toolkit setting for the DM to make his own. The Realms was very much a living world that grew and changed and a precursor to, for better or worse, things like the metaplots of various other RPGs like the WOD, Shadowrun etc. It was popular because it was good and remains a great setting because it is understandable. It doesn't need in depth articles on why elves, for example, are different from the core book Elves because the core book Elves are Forgotten Realms elves. Sure so are the GH elves but that setting hasn't seen support in 20 years when 3e ended and it was replaced with Nentir Vale (the one setting I'd like to see come back not called Planescape)

 

[Parmandur]

All valid points but the average Joe is not going to want to buy a PDF, I don't want to buy a pdf or POD because of the middling quality reputation of such productions. I know DTRPG is a pretty good quality myself but I still am reticent to buy them. I have plenty of PDF I have purchased but... I don't think I will be purchasing anymore because they get purchased and forgotten, I don't read them. I have all of AIME in pdf, I am repurchasing the Hardcovers instead because it's just not convenient to use at the table. ANd while the 3e FRCS is available in used book markets it is a twenty year old book and most new players are going to want a 5e book. Yeah yeah we can keep sending people to Wiki sites but ultimately that is a failure not just for the people who want a new book but for WOTC in not producing it. 5E has brought in a lot of new players and with the adventures being largely Forgotten Realms adventures it would be wise to see a book produced that gives a better overview and includes the Dalelands, Thay etc. WIkis are not the answer and telling people to buy old stuff and pdfs is just another example of Gatekeeping. It is stupid for WOTC to not release a new book. At least a series of region guides.

But the Average Joe is satisfied with the SCAG.

 

[The Green Hermit]

But the Average Joe is satisfied with the SCAG.

Wrong.

 

[teitan]

But the Average Joe is satisfied with the SCAG.

Eh you could be right but a proper Eberron or Wildemount style FR book is a license for money. I figure we will see it around the time Baldur's Gate III is released personally. At least something to tie in with it.

 

[Parmandur]

Wrong.

Not if we don't move the goal post on what an "Average Joe" is: SCAG still sells like hotcakes, and has good average reviews on aggravator services. The people who are dissatisfied with SCAG are going to have a high Venn diagram overlap with the target audience for old Edition POD reprints.

 

[Parmandur]

Eh you could be right but a proper Eberron or Wildemount style FR book is a license for money. I figure we will see it around the time Baldur's Gate III is released personally. At least something to tie in with it.

But SCAG is already actively printing money right now.

I'm not saying you are wrong it could be great, bit SCAG is an active huge success as an ongoing, in-print product.