| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Jeremy Grenemyer |
Posted - 30 Apr 2012 : 19:58:45
Just curious how many of you as Realms DMs have players in your current game that have read at least one Realms novel?
How about in past games?
For older Realms DMs: over time, assuming you’ve switched from running games for one group to running games for others as you’ve moved around and gotten older, would you say the trend of reading novels amongst your players (and fellow players, for those times when you were a player and not a DM) has increased or decreased?
For all Realms DMs: would you say nowadays that you’re less likely or more likely to run into players who’ve read a Realms novel?
Or has it been pretty consistent over time?
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| 26 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| DestroyYouAlot |
Posted - 04 May 2012 : 17:15:36
IMC, three players have read some of the 80s-90s novels, one of those has read the whole RAS Drizzt line, and the rest haven't touched a one. Which works about right for me. None of the events of any novels past those have even occurred in my campaign, anyway (nor are they likely to), and even the early novels are pretty disconnected with the actual campaign / gaming material (which, from where I sit, is the important part of the equation). I can't see where it'd matter, in any case - it's not like anyone's going to notice that (for example) I'm using the original Hosttower wizard names (rather than RAS's versions). Although I will admit that the novels becoming the focus over the gaming material (and then seeping into the campaign setting proper, without sufficient support to actually use the material without reading the damn novel anyway) is a good part of what killed my interest in 3e Realms material. |
| Erik Scott de Bie |
Posted - 02 May 2012 : 05:25:09
I have gamed FR with players who've read the books and who have no interest in reading the books, and never had a problem with it. Generally, having lots of FR knowledge is a perk for the group.
My latest FR campaign, I've explicitly forbidden some of my players to read MY Realms novels for a while, because I've been using some of those characters/plots in the campaign. That restriction has since lapsed.
I would totally do audiobooks for my Realms work. I hope to look into that one of these days. 
Cheers |
| Sightless |
Posted - 02 May 2012 : 04:46:42
Dalor, what I kind of meant, and I’m posting this here, because it occurred to me what I was talking about might be misconstrued. Was more a hope that WOTC might, or does, offer such books electronically in that format. That way people, that are blind and dyslexic could buy them. Your sending me stuff, while I would be grateful, might put the both of us in an awkward situation, like this one might be turning into…
*points off vaguely in one direction*
Look over there.
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| Dalor Darden |
Posted - 02 May 2012 : 01:01:03
quote:
Originally posted by Sightless
quote:
Originally posted by Dalor Darden
Well Sightless, I would be glad to offer you any text documents I come across! Just let me know how to send them to ya mate!
Did the player say that, or his character? I hope it's the latter, and not the former.
It was the player...but it just struck me as funny because he was playing a Paladin. He meant it innocently...I think! |
| Sightless |
Posted - 02 May 2012 : 00:43:58
quote:
Originally posted by Dalor Darden
Well Sightless, I would be glad to offer you any text documents I come across! Just let me know how to send them to ya mate!
Did the player say that, or his character? I hope it's the latter, and not the former. |
| Dalor Darden |
Posted - 02 May 2012 : 00:22:04
Well Sightless, I would be glad to offer you any text documents I come across! Just let me know how to send them to ya mate! |
| Sightless |
Posted - 01 May 2012 : 23:23:34
I now, perhaps unfortunately, feel that I kind of have to defend my interest in them. So.
Why do I want to read the novels?
Because, to my knowledge there’s no place I can go to get my hands on electronic versions of the game books that’s not image files. By the way, for those of you that doesn’t know, if it’s an image file as a PDF, no screen-reader can read it. You’ve got nothing, zilch. So, until the SRD came out, folks I and a few friends of mine had to pretty much have other create their characters for them, or play whatever the GM needed somebody to play. I pretty much played NPCs for a couple of years now, until I discovered the SRD. Sure I get some info from of the internet, but it’s often pretty vague, or assumes that you actually have one of the books in front of you, or close to hand. That’s been my experience at least. So the novels, when I can get them, are my chance to step into that world, and get an idea of what’s it like. It’s the setting and the culture that I’m after, not so much what epic thing the characters have done next.
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| Jeremy Grenemyer |
Posted - 01 May 2012 : 18:09:24
quote:
Originally posted by Mapolq
I think it could be a good move to use their M:tG resources to translate their novels. M:tG cards are regularly translated to Portuguese, and they do a good job at it. The novels are certainly not going to be popular around here unless they are written in Portuguese, as there are very, very few people who would bother reading a novel in English, even if they could, unless they were already a fan of the setting.
Many people I play with know who Elminster and Drizzt are, though. I think they learn mostly from computer games and by reading stuff on the internet, just as I did myself.
Good to know. Thanks Mapolq. |
| Mapolq |
Posted - 01 May 2012 : 18:03:09
quote:
Originally posted by Dalor Darden
Even my VERY POOR Brazilian Dialect of Portugese has noticed that quite literally there is just something lost in translation with software when using even Google Translator (which I have to rely on since my Portugese is very poor).
Indeed. I don't know any virtual translators that can do a good enough job so that I'd read a novel translated in that way. I'm not familiar with the world of e-books and related apps, though, so maybe they're getting better. Your greeting in Portuguese was spotless, though. Google Translator works best when you do know at least a bit of the language you're trying to write in.
I think it could be a good move to use their M:tG resources to translate their novels. M:tG cards are regularly translated to Portuguese, and they do a good job at it. The novels are certainly not going to be popular around here unless they are written in Portuguese, as there are very, very few people who would bother reading a novel in English, even if they could, unless they were already a fan of the setting.
Many people I play with know who Elminster and Drizzt are, though. I think they learn mostly from computer games and by reading stuff on the internet, just as I did myself. |
| Markustay |
Posted - 01 May 2012 : 16:36:50
*Gah*
Forgot about that (RAS's naming-conventions leave much to be desired).
Anyhow, now that I've read the rest of this thread, I will 3rd Entreri3478's whole-hearted agreement with Ayrik. Reading the novels was a must once - now its like, "you STILL read them?!" |
| Veritas |
Posted - 01 May 2012 : 16:17:06
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
My original groups go even further back, way before Drizzt was a twinkle in Zacknafian's eye. D&D was just getting started in 1e, and most people in my group read the choices-of-the-month form the SciFi book club.
I can't resist. Since when has Drizzt's scimitar, Twinkle, been lodged in Zacknafein's eye? |
| Artemas Entreri |
Posted - 01 May 2012 : 15:04:23
quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
I followed the 1E/2E completionist attitude as well. I went out of my way to obtain and read D&D and FR novels - even when I didn't like them - so that I would "know" all the details and all the tricks available for the settings during gameplay. Back then it was a reasonable goal, there weren't as many novels and players took turns buying and trading them around.
I personally feel the authors were more interested in the characters, stories, and exploring/defining the Realms setting back then. I'm not saying more recent novels are "bad", but their focus has shifted more towards the powers and abilities of the characters, and how they are applied towards causing/preventing awesome events of global (or cosmic) proportions. Faerûn just used to be a smaller world with smaller interests - not an ever-escalating damaged playground filled with spoiled servants of the gods, insane lich vandalism, and always those poor, poor misunderstood drow struggling for acceptance.
In short - there came a point where I observed that I wasn't enjoying or agreeing with much of anything written in the novels. So I simply stopped buying and stopped reading them ... as did all my D&D buddies, on their own terms.
Couldn't have said it better myself. I loved the way the "old" Realms novels felt local and not global. And even when there were Realmswide events taking place, as in the Avatar trilogy, it still felt like I could transplant my D&D characters for the characters in the books. Miss those days! |
| Markustay |
Posted - 01 May 2012 : 06:02:48
I had one, once. A LONG time ago. I think some of the other players from that group went on to read some of the novels, but I lost contact with most of them (I handed the group over to my bro-in-law after showing them the ropes).
Since then, I have met only one Drizzt reader, who's interest in Drizzt lead him to read other FR novels. He has never played D&D, and when he expressed an interest, his girlfriend (my niece) told him NO!
My original groups go even further back, way before Drizzt was a twinkle in Zacknafian's eye. D&D was just getting started in 1e, and most people in my group read the choices-of-the-month form the SciFi book club.
In the past couple of years I have gotten involved with a group of gamers from Kentucky, but since I don't get there very often, I have no idea about their reading habits (I have other things keeping me busy so I simply haven't asked). The one gamer who's room I've been in (from there) had a collection of gaming books that made mine look tiny by comparison - I was in awe. He had several thousand minis as well... at least I had him beat there. 
I know he heard of Drizzt, but he wasn't a regular FR player, so I am not sure if he ever read an FR novel. Just about every book I saw was a sourcebook - very little in the way of entertainment-reading. Still, he had a working knowledge of FR, so he may have read some.
I tried to encourage my sons to read FR novels, but they had no interest, which is a shame. They've all read Harry Potter, and now they are into The Hunger Games (even the 10-year-old is reading it). They also know who Drizzt is, but only because every other dark elf on the WoW servers is named some derivation of that.
Almost no-one ever knows who Elminster is. 
On the other hand, I find this a plus, because I can fudge whatever the heck I want. |
| Ayrik |
Posted - 01 May 2012 : 05:10:33
I followed the 1E/2E completionist attitude as well. I went out of my way to obtain and read D&D and FR novels - even when I didn't like them - so that I would "know" all the details and all the tricks available for the settings during gameplay. Back then it was a reasonable goal, there weren't as many novels and players took turns buying and trading them around.
I personally feel the authors were more interested in the characters, stories, and exploring/defining the Realms setting back then. I'm not saying more recent novels are "bad", but their focus has shifted more towards the powers and abilities of the characters, and how they are applied towards causing/preventing awesome events of global (or cosmic) proportions. Faerûn just used to be a smaller world with smaller interests - not an ever-escalating damaged playground filled with spoiled servants of the gods, insane lich vandalism, and always those poor, poor misunderstood drow struggling for acceptance.
In short - there came a point where I observed that I wasn't enjoying or agreeing with much of anything written in the novels. So I simply stopped buying and stopped reading them ... as did all my D&D buddies, on their own terms. |
| Sightless |
Posted - 01 May 2012 : 03:41:15
Well, some authors, or publishers allow a couple of their books to be denoted to the library of congress, there is a section under that for blind and dyslexic. That’s where I got the brail version of Ed Greenwood’s book. Unfortunately, most audio books are abridged, which is sometimes good, sometimes bad. I recently came across a distributor for most of R.A.’s stuff, so I can start reading/ listening up there. I do have access to OCR software, but scanning a book is a pain, and only possible for a novel, it’s impossible for game’s material, and it doesn’t always do so well, depending upon who the book is formatted. Paper backs scan better than hardcover, but scanning a single chapter takes days, and is something I reserve mostly for my graduate stuff. |
| Dalor Darden |
Posted - 01 May 2012 : 02:16:29
quote:
Originally posted by Jeremy Grenemyer
Well Met and welcome to the forums, Sightless. I hope your time at Candlekeep is long and enjoyable. :)
Sightless, how do you access books in braille format? Is there a provider? Do you listen to audio books of the Realms?
Dalor: I took an Arabic language class at the university where I work, but never finished it. As to translations: I wonder if Wizards of the Coast taps into its Magic the Gathering translation resources for novel translations? I know the Magic cards come in different languages, so I wonder if there is some crossover with their other product lines, like novels.
That would make most sense! I know many international corporations have a particular specialist who simply reviews documents for language problems...and I'm sure WotC also has such an individual. If they don't, it would be a total shock to me.
As an example, an engineering firm that has offices all around the Pacific might have a language specialist who verifies all Japanese/English documents, while another individual might be responsible for all Chinese/English documents.
A bit more back on topic...my first exposure to a foreign language speaking player of Dungeons and Dragons had actually read more novels based in the Realms than I had!
His english was magnificient though, so it was no surprise he was able to...I just hadn't realized that the Forgotten Realms was so well loved in Germany (at the time). |
| Jeremy Grenemyer |
Posted - 01 May 2012 : 02:00:50
Well Met and welcome to the forums, Sightless. I hope your time at Candlekeep is long and enjoyable. :)
Sightless, how do you access books in braille format? Is there a provider? Do you listen to audio books of the Realms?
Dalor: I took an Arabic language class at the university where I work, but never finished it. As to translations: I wonder if Wizards of the Coast taps into its Magic the Gathering translation resources for novel translations? I know the Magic cards come in different languages, so I wonder if there is some crossover with their other product lines, like novels. |
| Dalor Darden |
Posted - 01 May 2012 : 01:54:42
quote:
Originally posted by Jeremy Grenemyer
Would you say it's more necessary to re-write some parts to "fit a language" than to simply translate a book?
Absolutely.
The languages I'm familiar enough with to say this is true about are: Chinese, Arabic and Portugese (to a much lesser degree than the two former).
Simple sentence structure alone makes some languages difficult to translate directly. Modern "simple" Chinese is different from the older "Traditional" Chinese, and so it is a bit easier...but still things are lost in translation.
I actually hope to find a group of people in Jordan (I hope it is Jordan that I go to!) when I go to study Arabic to play D&D with. I think it will be frickin' awesome! At the same time, it makes me wonder if the books I like are as liked in the area.  |
| Sightless |
Posted - 01 May 2012 : 01:08:10
I don’t DM, but my DM says that most of the group I’m running with has read at last two of the novels. I’m the only one one that’s only read one. Well, I was fortunate that somebody brailed making of a mage or else I’d not know who Elmenster was.
I got more than one gasp when I didn’t know who Drizzz, I think I spelled that right, was. Good times.
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| Jeremy Grenemyer |
Posted - 01 May 2012 : 00:08:38
quote:
Originally posted by Dalor Darden
Even my VERY POOR Brazilian Dialect of Portugese has noticed that quite literally there is just something lost in translation with software when using even Google Translator (which I have to rely on since my Portugese is very poor).
That's a very interesting point.
Would you say it's more necessary to re-write some parts to "fit a language" than to simply translate a book?
What about any other non-native English speakers who read novels in both English and their native language: are partial re-writes necessary to fit a language?
That said, I can't believe there isn't a company in India or another country that WotC can outsource its translation needs too on the cheap, for reasonable quality work. |
| Dalor Darden |
Posted - 30 Apr 2012 : 23:53:34
quote:
Originally posted by Jeremy Grenemyer
I've never been to Brazil, but I have several friends who've gone and they just love the place. Lots of Portuguese speakers here in the Bay Area where I live too.
Isn't there like an app that can translate a fantasy book from English to Portuguese? You'd think WotC might be able to capitalize on some sort of not-too-expensive service to get their books into e-book format in other languages.
Even my VERY POOR Brazilian Dialect of Portugese has noticed that quite literally there is just something lost in translation with software when using even Google Translator (which I have to rely on since my Portugese is very poor). |
| Jeremy Grenemyer |
Posted - 30 Apr 2012 : 23:38:11
I've never been to Brazil, but I have several friends who've gone and they just love the place. Lots of Portuguese speakers here in the Bay Area where I live too.
Isn't there like an app that can translate a fantasy book from English to Portuguese? You'd think WotC might be able to capitalize on some sort of not-too-expensive service to get their books into e-book format in other languages.
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| Dalor Darden |
Posted - 30 Apr 2012 : 23:33:02
quote:
Originally posted by Mapolq
No one I ever met in real life has read a Realms novel, or if they have, I never learned about that fact. So I guess I can't say what the trend is, except that they're just not common here in Brazil... I've only read a handful of them myself, all of them in English, as there was no translation.
Viva o Brasil!
Eu amo o Brasil, mas nunca tive a oportunidade de visitar, infelizmente. 
Back to english...and the topic at hand!
I would love to say that the number of folks that have read Realms Novels in my immediate group of friends has increased, but sadly in truth it is the other way around. The only two friends I had that were as serious about the Realms as me no longer game with me.
Back about Brazil though...my nephew lived in Brazil for two years as a missionary, and his wife is from Brazil. I love her to pieces. |
| Mapolq |
Posted - 30 Apr 2012 : 22:36:55
No one I ever met in real life has read a Realms novel, or if they have, I never learned about that fact. So I guess I can't say what the trend is, except that they're just not common here in Brazil... I've only read a handful of them myself, all of them in English, as there was no translation. |
| Jeremy Grenemyer |
Posted - 30 Apr 2012 : 21:58:15
My current group has only one player who reads the novels. He used to read the Drizzt books as a kid and wants to read about Cormyr now that we're adventuring there, but hasn't quite gotten around to starting up reading again.
For me I'd say the likelihood of having players in my game that read or have read the novels is less now than it was fifteen or twenty years ago when most of my friends had read at least one Realms novel. |
| Artemas Entreri |
Posted - 30 Apr 2012 : 20:45:32
I would say that it has decreased steadily over time for my players...mostly because of the constant edition changes. We always played 2E and looked at all Realms events from that perspective. Also, I think the sheer number of Realms novels is a little intimidating to some people. Granted, most Realms novels are very light reading and easy to get through for fans of fantasy literature. (when compared to Game of Thrones, Malazan, Wheel of Time, etc) I personally have read almost 200 Realms novels and now only read the ones i am interested in. I was a completionist back in the day though. |
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