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Author Topic: Forgotten Realms: Your Experiences & Thoughts  (Read 1776 times)

Zachary The First

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Forgotten Realms: Your Experiences & Thoughts
« on: June 09, 2014, 08:38:44 PM »
So, with another edition of Forgotten Realms soon to arrive, let's go back and talk about what's come before. I'm interesting in everyone's take on the Realms. I know we've had some people take the Gray Box and do some cool things, and the 3e setting has its share of fans, too. There was also the big departure and shake-up when it came to 4e.

So, for those of you who have played or run in the Forgotten Realms:

1) Which edition of the setting did you play most? How much did you change in the setting versus play as canon?

2) What was your favorite region or area of the Realms, and why?

3) What did you like about the Realms? What did you dislike most?

4) How many Chaotic Good drow with twin scimitars and a magic panther showed up at your table? :)

5) Finish this sentence...if I could change one thing about the Forgotten Realms, past or present, I.....

6) How many Forgotten Realms novels have you read?

7) Which Forgotten Realms sourcebook, if any, stood out to you as particularly well done, regardless of edition?
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jadrax

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Forgotten Realms: Your Experiences & Thoughts
« Reply #1 on: June 09, 2014, 10:24:49 PM »
Quote
1) Which edition of the setting did you play most?

3rd, although that's largely from player preference rather than my own.

Quote
How much did you change in the setting versus play as canon?
I did not change much on the world scale, but the meat of the game was all my own creation.

Quote
2) What was your favorite region or area of the Realms, and why?
Probably the Sword Coast, its pretty iconic due to Baldur's Gate and to me it feels a lot more open in scope than the Dales/Cormyr.

Quote
3) What did you like about the Realms?  
Probably the social clashes between the various religious movements.
Quote
What did you dislike most?
Some of the material can make the society feel very artificial. Some people refer to this as it feeling like 'Ren-Fair'. Although this principally only happens in the Dales/Cormyr.

Quote
4) How many Chaotic Good drow with twin scimitars and a magic panther showed up at your table?
0

Quote
5) Finish this sentence...if I could change one thing about the Forgotten Realms, past or present, I.....
would obliterate the changes made to accommodate 4th edition. Principally so I could go back to bitching about the Avatar crisis being the worst thing that happened in the history of the Realms.

Quote
6) How many Forgotten Realms novels have you read?
A scary amount, probably about 50 odd.

Quote
7) Which Forgotten Realms sourcebook, if any, stood out to you as particularly well done, regardless of edition?
The 3rd edition core setting book has a lot of very good stuff, hidden under a million feats and spells.

Old One Eye

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Forgotten Realms: Your Experiences & Thoughts
« Reply #2 on: June 09, 2014, 11:33:24 PM »
1.  The Grey Box.  Though admittedly, I have not run much in the realms.

2.  The Moonsea and Dales.  I like the Zhentarim and my interest in the Realms is heavily influenced by playing the first two SSI games.

3.  I really like the bad guys being a trade organization.  My least favorite portion is how ugly the Aunorach desert is sitting in the middle.

4.  None.

5.  Would not have lost my Grey Box.

6.  None.

7.  The only sourcebook I have would be The History of the Realms that a buddy gave as a present with page after page of historical entries.  It is the single shittiest rpg book in my collection.  So boring.

Omega

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Forgotten Realms: Your Experiences & Thoughts
« Reply #3 on: June 10, 2014, 12:54:21 AM »
Quote from: Zachary The First;756971

1) Which edition of the setting did you play most? How much did you change in the setting versus play as canon?

2) What was your favorite region or area of the Realms, and why?

3) What did you like about the Realms? What did you dislike most?

4) How many Chaotic Good drow with twin scimitars and a magic panther showed up at your table? :)

5) Finish this sentence...if I could change one thing about the Forgotten Realms, past or present, I.....

6) How many Forgotten Realms novels have you read?

7) Which Forgotten Realms sourcebook, if any, stood out to you as particularly well done, regardless of edition?


1: 2nd Ed hardbound. Cannon? What cannon? There are novels out and Ive NEVER considered those cannon.

2: Sword Coast and Waterdeep. Fairly wild area and fairly civilized area. Good contrast of crazy.

3: The high fantasy feel and the mix of horror and comedy the setting plays with. Didnt like later editions over civilized feel, same for Karameikos for BECMI. Also didnt like the later overuse of the setting.

4: None.

5: "would roll things back to the original boxed set."

6: So far only the Azure Bonds/Finder series. Ive read the first book of the Moonsea and have somewhere the Halflings Gem series unread. The Azure Bonds books were ok. But deteriorated in the final book severely. Moonsea was too abrupt.
Also have Paul's Council of Blades book whose name eludes me at the moment. Bemusing romp.

7: I only have one and thus cannot comment.

Akrasia

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Forgotten Realms: Your Experiences & Thoughts
« Reply #4 on: June 10, 2014, 01:28:11 AM »
Quote from: Zachary The First;756971

1) Which edition of the setting did you play most? How much did you change in the setting versus play as canon?

Edition: 1e Greybox.

Changes: mainly ignoring stuff I don't care for (e.g., Elminster).

Quote from: Zachary The First;756971

2) What was your favorite region or area of the Realms, and why?

My favourite area probably is the Moonshae Islands.

I like its 'Vikings-versus-Celts' ethos (it reminds my of 9th and 10th Century Ireland and Scotland).  Also, I interpret the region to resemble Jack Vance's Lyonesse.

I'm also fond of the Sword Coast (Baldur's Gate region) and the Savage North (Luskan, Icewind Dale, the Spine of the World).

I don't know that much about other areas.

Quote from: Zachary The First;756971

3) What did you like about the Realms? What did you dislike most?

Like: the regions with which I am familiar (Moonshae Isles, Savage North) lend themselves quite nicely to 'classic' AD&D campaigns (at least as I run them).

I also like some of the villains and evil organizations (e.g., the Zhentarim).  In the Realms, I cheer for the bad guys!

Dislike: the endless 'world-changing' upheavals (Time of Troubles, Spellplague).  Enough!

Quote from: Zachary The First;756971

4) How many Chaotic Good drow with twin scimitars and a magic panther showed up at your table? :)

None.

I would be okay with including Jarlaxle as an NPC at some point, however...

Quote from: Zachary The First;756971

5) Finish this sentence...if I could change one thing about the Forgotten Realms, past or present, I.....

If I could change one thing about the Forgotten Realms, I would erase the Time of Troubles and the Spellplague. In other words, I would go back to the Greybox era (which I do in my own game anyway!).

Quote from: Zachary The First;756971

6) How many Forgotten Realms novels have you read?

I confess that I've read a number of Salvatore's books.  Not high literature, I know, but they helped me get my AD&D 'fix' when I wasn't gaming.  I actually much prefer his stories about 'non-good' characters like Jarlaxle and Entreri over those about his famous ranger.

I also read the original Moonshae trilogy because I was interested in the region.  The books were mediocre.  I prefer to interpret the Moonshaes along the lines of Vance's Lyonesse.

Quote from: Zachary The First;756971

7) Which Forgotten Realms sourcebook, if any, stood out to you as particularly well done, regardless of edition?

Jacquay's Savage North (1e) is quite good.

I've used the Moonshae (1e) sourcebook most of all, but I don't think it's as good as SN.
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ostap bender

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Forgotten Realms: Your Experiences & Thoughts
« Reply #5 on: June 10, 2014, 08:29:35 AM »
Quote from: Zachary The First;756971
So, with another edition of Forgotten Realms soon to arrive, let's go back and talk about what's come before. I'm interesting in everyone's take on the Realms. I know we've had some people take the Gray Box and do some cool things, and the 3e setting has its share of fans, too. There was also the big departure and shake-up when it came to 4e.

So, for those of you who have played or run in the Forgotten Realms:

Quote from: Zachary The First;756971

1) Which edition of the setting did you play most? How much did you change in the setting versus play as canon?


1e. still own 2e hardbound adventures book.


Quote from: Zachary The First;756971

2) What was your favorite region or area of the Realms, and why?


moonsea region and dales. don't know why. i suppose that i am a sucker for cheesy cookie-cutter names and places. or it could be that i really love pool of radiance and curse of azure bonds.

Quote from: Zachary The First;756971

3) What did you like about the Realms? What did you dislike most?


as a setting FR mirrors very well crazy bricolage that is D&D itself. and also as a kid i liked that realms seemed sexy (for the lack of the better word). i had a huge crush on alias and myrmeen lhal.

Quote from: Zachary The First;756971

4) How many Chaotic Good drow with twin scimitars and a magic panther showed up at your table? :)


to my shame i liked drow triology. but no cg drow rangers in my campaign.

Quote from: Zachary The First;756971

5) Finish this sentence...if I could change one thing about the Forgotten Realms, past or present, I.....


there are numerous small things that i changed but nothing spectacular. i stopped following realms with 2e so, you know, i don't really know much about latter stuff.

Quote from: Zachary The First;756971
6) How many Forgotten Realms novels have you read?


too much. i really liked elfshadow :facepalm:

Quote from: Zachary The First;756971

7) Which Forgotten Realms sourcebook, if any, stood out to you as particularly well done, regardless of edition?
[/B]


i have used a hell out of the 2e adventures hardcover

crkrueger

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Forgotten Realms: Your Experiences & Thoughts
« Reply #6 on: June 10, 2014, 09:41:44 AM »
Quote from: Zachary The First;756971
1) Which edition of the setting did you play most? How much did you change in the setting versus play as canon?
2) What was your favorite region or area of the Realms, and why?  
3) What did you like about the Realms? What did you dislike most?
4) How many Chaotic Good drow with twin scimitars and a magic panther showed up at your table? :)
5) Finish this sentence...if I could change one thing about the Forgotten Realms, past or present, I.....
6) How many Forgotten Realms novels have you read?
7) Which Forgotten Realms sourcebook, if any, stood out to you as particularly well done, regardless of edition?

1. Grey box.  No Time of Troubles.
2. The Savage North (from N1 up).  Wild and open, a huge area to do stuff in, also the idea of needing to find a place to "winter" was a nice touch.  The Moonsea also was pretty cool, gotta love Fzoul and Manshoon even though they later became stupid like everything else.
3. I liked the feel of a world that things were happening in, and there were other adventurers besides the PCs.  Metric tons of rumors.  I disliked the eventual overreliance on those NPCs and of course the upheaval and retconning crap.  Whoever came up with 4e realms should find another industry to work in, Exarchs?
4. None
5. I...would reboot and flush everything from Time of Troubles through 4e.
6. Moonshaes, the original Drizzt ones, Azure Bonds, Spellfire.  I didn't read another one after the Midnight debacle.
7. Moonshaes, Savage North, Old Empires, the Dwarf one.  I also like Forgotten Realms Adventures hardbound with all the specific priests complete with illustrations, even the "Dead Three".
« Last Edit: June 10, 2014, 09:44:07 AM by CRKrueger »
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Saplatt

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Forgotten Realms: Your Experiences & Thoughts
« Reply #7 on: June 10, 2014, 10:12:36 AM »
1) Which edition of the setting did you play most? How much did you change in the setting versus play as canon?

2e. Very few changes.

2) What was your favorite region or area of the Realms, and why?

90% of the time, we were running around in some generic backwater area, so we didn't experience much of a flavor for any particular region. The only exception I can think of was a long Undermountain adventure that kicked off in Waterdeep, which still felt pretty generic.

3) What did you like about the Realms? What did you dislike most?

The pantheon was fairly easy to remember. Nothing I really hated, but see above.

4) How many Chaotic Good drow with twin scimitars and a magic panther showed up at your table?

Zero. The only notable NPC we ever encountered was Blackstaff, and that was in a short patron sort of role.

5) Finish this sentence...if I could change one thing about the Forgotten Realms, past or present, I.....

... would have Elminster go insane and then die of syphilis.

6) How many Forgotten Realms novels have you read?

About a dozen. Maybe more, but few of them left much of an impression.

7) Which Forgotten Realms sourcebook, if any, stood out to you as particularly well done, regardless of edition?

The vast majority were all fairly good, but I can't think of any one in particular that really knocked my socks off.

Doughdee222

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Forgotten Realms: Your Experiences & Thoughts
« Reply #8 on: June 10, 2014, 02:21:56 PM »
I won't go through every question. Bought FR back when it first came out. I liked it as an alternative to Greyhawk but still prefer Greyhawk overall.

Yes, I've read a bunch (maybe 20?) of the novels but they were light fluff, like the Star Trek novels that come out each month. Nothing particularly memorable. Bubble gum reading. I read most of Salvatore's Drizzt novels and they were alright. (I went to his college and would see him around campus often enough, was friends with his cousin.) While the character is interesting and all he falls into the "special snowflake" category and I wouldn't allow players to run clones of him.

/shrug. A decent product I'd be willing to run a campaign in again.

Starglyte

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Forgotten Realms: Your Experiences & Thoughts
« Reply #9 on: June 10, 2014, 06:14:54 PM »
1) Which edition of the setting did you play most? How much did you change in the setting versus play as canon?

2e. Changed very little.

2) What was your favorite region or area of the Realms, and why?

The Dalelands. Because the very first realms novel I read was Spellfire.

3) What did you like about the Realms? What did you dislike most? The interesting characters and history of the world.

The Harpers falling apart. Not a huge fan of Blackstaff.

4) How many Chaotic Good drow with twin scimitars and a magic panther showed up at your table?

 None. Might have more to do with that I have never read any Drizzt books. The only Salvatore book I read was the first novel to the Cleric quintet.

5) Finish this sentence...if I could change one thing about the Forgotten Realms, past or present, I.....
 would bring Evermeet back to 4E FR instead of it being trapped in the Feywild.

6) How many Forgotten Realms novels have you read?

 Most of the early Ed Greenwood novels. Other than that, not very much. Maybe 8-9 novels total?

7) Which Forgotten Realms sourcebook, if any, stood out to you as particularly well done, regardless of edition?

 I will always have a soft spot for Faith and Avatars, with the 2nd edition Box set and Spellbound Box set being tied for second place.

YourSwordisMine

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Forgotten Realms: Your Experiences & Thoughts
« Reply #10 on: June 10, 2014, 06:45:59 PM »
The fiction ruined the setting as a playable world. IT became about the established characters (Elminister and Drzzzzzzzzzzzzzzziziziszt), to the point where the PCs were overshadowed and were no longer able to be the "heroes".

Anything written before the first novels was good setting material. The Grey Box was awesome.
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GameDaddy
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« Reply #11 on: June 10, 2014, 09:10:37 PM »
Quote from: Zachary The First;756971
So, with another edition of Forgotten Realms soon to arrive, let's go back and talk about what's come before. I'm interesting in everyone's take on the Realms. I know we've had some people take the Gray Box and do some cool things, and the 3e setting has its share of fans, too. There was also the big departure and shake-up when it came to 4e.

So, for those of you who have played or run in the Forgotten Realms:

1) Which edition of the setting did you play most? How much did you change in the setting versus play as canon?

2) What was your favorite region or area of the Realms, and why?

3) What did you like about the Realms? What did you dislike most?

4) How many Chaotic Good drow with twin scimitars and a magic panther showed up at your table? :)

5) Finish this sentence...if I could change one thing about the Forgotten Realms, past or present, I.....

6) How many Forgotten Realms novels have you read?

7) Which Forgotten Realms sourcebook, if any, stood out to you as particularly well done, regardless of edition?


1) 3e. Kept the setting right up until the great magical sundering.

2) For me, It's a tossup here. I always wanted to run a campaign in Anauroch. My best campaign as a tabletop player happened in Cormyr, and of course, Icewind Dale set in the Silver Marches, was my favorite PC game for quite a while.

3) I think Ed Greenwood did a phenomenal job detailing The Forgotten Realms. He had plenty of help of course, but most of the original notes for well... everything, came from his writing during the long cold Canadian winters. What I liked most was all the details. Made it easy to put together a game just about anywhere, for just about any gaming group. It was the first setting from TSR/WOTC I really liked.

4) 0 as in zero.

5) Wish the spellplague/sundering went away. Never was. never could be.

6) ..ummm two. Was never really much into Ed's stories. I much preferred to GM for groups of players who made their own stories in the forgotten realms, and we had some really goods ones too.

7) Unapproachable East, Silver Marches and Serpent Kingdoms. Probably some of the best supplements in gaming.
« Last Edit: June 10, 2014, 09:14:56 PM by GameDaddy »
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Jame Rowe

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Forgotten Realms: Your Experiences & Thoughts
« Reply #12 on: June 10, 2014, 09:29:49 PM »
Quote from: Zachary The First;756971
1) Which edition of the setting did you play most? How much did you change in the setting versus play as canon?

2) What was your favorite region or area of the Realms, and why?

3) What did you like about the Realms? What did you dislike most?

4) How many Chaotic Good drow with twin scimitars and a magic panther showed up at your table? :)

5) Finish this sentence...if I could change one thing about the Forgotten Realms, past or present, I.....

6) How many Forgotten Realms novels have you read?

7) Which Forgotten Realms sourcebook, if any, stood out to you as particularly well done, regardless of edition?


I've played 4E and a Pathfinderized (i.e. using the Pathfinder rules to build encounters but not actually converting anything official) version, plus Encounters. The Encounters were essentially unmodified, while the 4E was an undead-heavy mod and the Pathfinder was our GM taking what little she knows about the setting and going where her story needed as we were from a different plane/planet, so it got pretty modified. She was working from the 3.X version that I gave her as PDF.

My favorite regions are the Dalelands, Sembia/Sea of Fallen Stars and Aglarond/Yuirwood. But I'm not so familiar with most other areas aside from Waterdeep, which I'm not so fond of.

There's not too much I don't like about the Realms but it is somewhat high-magic for my tastes. But again, I'm not as familiar with the setting as I'd like.

None but the leader of this Drow merc group became a running joke during the 3 linked seasons of Encounters which were all Drow - "and we see JARLAXLE BAENRAE!" (or whatever his name was).

If I could change one thing about the Realms I'd keep Elistraee alive.

I've read the comic versions of R.A. Salvatore's first 7 Drizzt novels plus 20 pages of this one set in Waterdeep for 4E - which I returned to the library within a couple of days.

I liked the 3.X Campaign Setting, Races Of, Unapprochable East and Elves of Evermeet.
« Last Edit: June 10, 2014, 09:41:28 PM by Jame Rowe »
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Doughdee222

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Forgotten Realms: Your Experiences & Thoughts
« Reply #13 on: June 10, 2014, 09:50:45 PM »
You know, one thing that annoyed me about the Forgotten Realms is that the Zhentarim are described as powerful bad guys who can stand all comers and have proved they are tough enough to rule over a city and nearby land. Yet, in all the novels the Zhent agents we see are clumsy fools who lose, lose, lose. I don't think I've seen one depiction of a Zhentarim agent achieving anything substantial. The GM I played with noticed this too and tended to run them as easily defeated idiots.

Marleycat

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Forgotten Realms: Your Experiences & Thoughts
« Reply #14 on: June 11, 2014, 12:20:21 AM »
Was it wrong that we used FR as a Dragonlance sandbox setting in an unholy combination? Badwrongfun correct? Especially if you were using 2e FR with 3e Dragonlance.....
« Last Edit: June 11, 2014, 12:28:56 AM by Marleycat »
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