Thread: Have the Realms been ruined?

I think they have, and while I know I am not alone, I'm sure there are those who disagree with me. Since I am prohibited from using the "F" word here (Fanboy), I won't go there. Anyway its been months since a new question was created, and its time.

I don't mind questions but your answers are weighted. Why could you not put a simple yes or no?

The choices in this poll are rather pointed. I put No, basically because I didn't like how bloated the Realms had become in 3.x. While the new Realms is definitely different, I would feel better about actually running a game in the new Realms because the players at my table won't know more about the setting than I. I am saddened though that they had to actually implement ways for the magic system to change and didn't simply handwave it. I guess the precedent was set during the release of AD&D 2nd Edition.

The "Two books and done" method of putting out campaign settings is definitely different than the 6 books a year that the Realms got in previous editions, and I would like to see WotC continue to put out Realms books on a somewhat regular basis, especially since they did change the world so dramatically.

I don't like the Spellplague and think it could have been handled better.

As a side note, their new model includes the DDI subscription. This is where you will find all the additional content, instead of sourcebooks like the past. Great points AA.

Actually, I have been enjoying the Realms content in DDI. Just this past week, Sarah was asking what happened to the Bedine in Anauroch, and I looked, found just a small sidebar, then got the bright idea that I could just write an article that elaborated on what had happened since the Netheril Empire had reclaimed that region. Not something I could have considered in the previous edition.

Awesome

The question and answers are definitely out-to-lunch. So I will just answer the question.

No, IMO, the Forgotten Realms has not been ruined. I started playing in the Realms with the Gray Box Set. In that product, not everything was defined. It had a ton of little ideas that only appeared, in many cases, as a small blurb within the main text.

The new campaign set has a similar style. It paints in very broad strokes and leaves a lot of the setting for the DM to fill in. It gives little nuggets that a DM can use as seeds to adventures or entire campaigns. It includes a short adventure to get a group started, and a region the Gray Vale to start your campaign.

I particularly like this approach.

The only thing that I totally dislike about the current campaign setting is that they did not include a map of Faerûn inside the book.

There are things here and there that I don't like but I don't think they rise to the level of "ruining" the Forgotten Realms.

Originally Posted by Dkarr

The only thing that I totally dislike about the current campaign setting is that they did not include a map of Faerûn inside the book.

I found a hi-res image of the map on the internet here that I use rather extensively.

I was a big fan of FR in 3e and still am for 4e. The places I am unhappy with in FR are with some of the choices made within the world itself (getting rid of the big named characters, losing Thay to the lich king, wiping out parts and replacing them with parts of abeir, etc). But those are storyline changes that just didn't appeal to me. The mechanics and structure of FR is still great. If anything, they could provide some more background details on regions (it gets really light in some areas).

So my vote would be No.

Hell Yes! I ruined them! Oh wait, you don't mean the Witch Realms, my campaign setting from 76 to 81? You mean some other setting? The Forgotten Realms? Oh, I see. No opinion, never played in the old Forgotten Realms, I enjoy the setting in Living Forgotten Realms, but if you are comparing that to a home campaign I think it suffers. Still a ton of fun, but a fully done home setting is still the way for me. As for the Witch Realms, I ruined them when I had its sun go nova in 81. Setting has sucked since then.