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

[Maxperson]

Those were all pdfs of officially published Greyhawk products. You buy them off DMGUILD, because it absorbed the site that used to sell PDFs of older published official books, but they aren't DMSGUILD products, Greyhawk isn't an allowed setting for DMSGUILD authors in fact.

Me: The reason why they aren't as popular as FR is because they didn't have support in 2e and 3e and it's too late now.

You: But support now!!

Your argument is irrelevant.

 

[Doc_Klueless]

Whenever these thread pop up ragging on the SCAG, it just cements in my head that WotC went the right way in that:

A) There is no pleasing everyone,
2) I thoroughly enjoyed the SCAG so yay for me!
and
iii) There is no C, 3, iii.

 

[dave2008]

What is that supposed to mean, I know you are teasing from the emoji, I just don't get it.

You listed so many areas that need updating that it seems so overwhelming to think about doing it! It made me think that because of the vast number of different areas, it doesn't lend itself to a Eberron or Theros style of book very well. I just don't know where to begin.

 

[Maxperson]

Whenever these thread pop up ragging on the SCAG, it just cements in my head that WotC went the right way in that:

A) There is no pleasing everyone,
2) I thoroughly enjoyed the SCAG so yay for me!
and
iii) There is no C, 3, iii.

But there IS a C-3PO

 

[Guest 6801328]

The first commandment you learn when training to be a professional writer is: THOU SHALT NOT PLAGERISE.

This means, whist people are willing to write for the FR, they are not willing to write WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN WRITTEN.

Which means they are left with these options:

1) A complete rewrite, blowing up the previous stuff, as per 4e. And we all know how popular that was.

2) Pick something to focus on in more depth that has been done previously, as seen in ToA (Chult), Waterdeep: Dragonheist, The Boarder Kingdoms etc.

3) Take a different approach, e.g. parody, as in Acquisitions Inc.

Uh, when a publisher holds the copyright to a work, and gives that work to a writer as a starting point for a project, it's not plagiarism.

 

[CleverNickName]

At 159 pages, the SCAG is the shortest setting book released for 5E so far. Out of all the 5E setting books (Ravnica, Eberron, Wildemount), the SCAG has the least amount of lore, the fewest player options, the fewest monsters (zero), the fewest magic items (zero), and the fewest adventures (zero). I really want to like it, but it's just so... slight. And... inadequate. It needs about 100 more pages to be really good.

I know it will never happen, but I wish Wizards would release an updated and revised version of the SCAG. Failing that, I wouldn't mind another Forgotten Realms setting book that matched the quality of Eberron and Wildemount. Because as it is, despite getting a lot of attention this edition, FR definitely got shafted in the setting-guide department.

To be fair, all campaign setting books are going to look pale in comparison to Wildemount. That campaign setting set the bar pretty high, in my opinion. The quality and level of detail is just amazing.

 

[gyor]

You listed so many areas that need updating that it seems so overwhelming to think about doing it! It made me think that because of the vast number of different areas, it doesn't lend itself to a Eberron or Theros style of book very well. I just don't know where to begin.

It's not nearly as much as it sounds. You just figure out what are the key details, locations, and Sundering changes for each region. It's really not that different then Eberron's book really. Maybe each region is is slightly bigger in page count because there are multiple nations in each region. And instead of the after the last war segment you have a after the Sundering segment.

A lot of key info can also be tied to a well designed map with a well made map key.

Later I will show you want I mean.

 

[gyor]

Me: The reason why they aren't as popular as FR is because they didn't have support in 2e and 3e and it's too late now.

You: But support now!!

Your argument is irrelevant.

No my arguement is that they did in fact have support in 2e especially. Look at the link I provided, much of those books were for 2e.

And FR was more popular then Greyhawk long before 3e. 3e used Greyhawk as default, but that didn't help it's popularity enough to do much more with it, people still prefered FR.

 

[Maxperson]

No my arguement is that they did in fact have support in 2e especially. Look at the link I provided, much of those books were for 2e.

And FR was more popular then Greyhawk long before 3e. 3e used Greyhawk as default, but that didn't help it's popularity enough to do much more with it, people still prefered FR.

I was around during 2e. The support was crap. Mostly tiny supplements and what they did provide were things like magic item books and adventures. Nothing like the 2e FR support. Not even remotely close.

 

[gyor]

It could be structured something this.

Old Empires Region

Brief regional over view

Nations:

Mulhorand:

Basic Overview of Mulhorand and it's themes.

Capital City (population, major imports/exports), a less detailed list of other important cities/locations in Mulhorand for adventurers.

Religion/Government/Demographics.

After the Sundering detailing how the Sundering changed things.

Plot hooks

Unther

Capital City (population, major imports/exports), a less detailed list of other important cities/locations in Mulhorand for adventurers.

Religion/Government/Demographics.

After the Sundering detailing how the Sundering changed things.

Plot hook

Chessenta

Capital City (population, major imports/exports), a less detailed list of other important cities/locations in Mulhorand for adventurers.

Religion/Government/Demographics.

After the Sundering detailing how the Sundering changed things.

Plot hook

Tymanther

Capital City (population, major imports/exports), a less detailed list of other important cities/locations in Mulhorand for adventurers.

Religion/Government/Demographics.

After the Sundering detailing how the Sundering changed things.

Plot hook

Akanul

Capital City (population, major imports/exports), a less detailed list of other important cities/locations in Mulhorand for adventurers.

Religion/Government/Demographics. Side table for Mulhorand Pantheon listing it's Gods and key details for their clerics (worshippers).

After the Sundering detailing how the Sundering changed things.

Plot hook

Minor powers.

Then rinse and repeat with the Cold Lands, Shining South, Lands of Intrigue, Heartlands, Shaar, Chult, Lake of Steam, Sea of Fallen Stars, Turmish, Halruua, Unapproachable East, ect...

It's actually pretty easy, most of the work is figuring out how has this region changed by the Sundering a the events thay followed it, and adding fresh new plot hooks.

Later in the book they can put whatever Player options, DM rules, and Monsters they want in it, even very optionally an intro adventure, although in FRs case with all the APs and other adventures, I'd focus on the rest instead.