| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Guennarr |
Posted - 13 May 2006 : 22:27:19
Hi everyone,
I know that it is up to every DM's personal taste which core supplements, core monsters, spells etc. he uses in the realms. Nevertheless I would like to know: is there any official guideline, something like Eberron's "Everything core is part of the world"?
There is something that confused me most: There were tips on the use of certain monsters in the realms MM III - on some but not all of them. What does that mean? Are only these specified monsters "official FR monsters"? Or are their environments in the realms that much off standard that they got a paragraph of their own?
My reasoning is: in contrast to Eberron FR is an old campaign world with a rich history. You can only squeeze in so much new information without neglecting other parts of the world or just discontinuing part of it. Is this the way things are to develop onward? Or do I have to always keep in mind some free spot for some new monsters that may be placed there by future WotC FR products?
e realms?
Thanks for your input,
Günther |
| 6 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Guennarr |
Posted - 15 May 2006 : 22:16:37
Thanks again for your replies!
I feared that your answers would be like that. ;-) Nevertheless I thought that maybe someone already had done this kind of work. I already resarched my monster books - odd that there are listings by CR, listings by monster kind, but no listing by the most obvious category - the area they live in. ;-)
Maybe someone is interested in the result of my research. ;-) I guess I will start by listing all the "official" 3rd edition FR monsters, followed by the core rule monsters, maybe later some different sources (like tome of horrors which sports many 1st and 2nd edition favourites). That could take some time, but I am seriously looking for a good overview that helps me in preparing my adventures.
Greetings from Germany,
Günther |
| Mace Hammerhand |
Posted - 15 May 2006 : 16:05:52
A small guideline, in form of random encounter tables, is in the FR DM-Screen.
As for which monsters are where... that is a tough one. My guideline is to actually check the area/climate and cross-reference them to the monster stats. A tropic monster in Icewind Dale would be quite ... err..unusal. Common sense helps a great deal. |
| Eremite |
Posted - 15 May 2006 : 14:13:08
The wandering monster tables that came with the DM's Guide for 3rd Edition might be your best bet for a comprehensive set of lists of monsters by regions. Shining South, Unapproachable East and Silver Marches (IIRC) also have tables for their respective regions. |
| Guennarr |
Posted - 14 May 2006 : 20:48:24
P.S.
Following your path of thought:
There were pretty many products lately that incorporate and build upon core supplements, weren't there?
You mentioned Powers of Faerûn. I remember Champions of Valor and Champions of Ruin. Lately less and less FR products seem to centre on FR regions, but on incorporating core supplements. ;-) The next product will be comparable to War of the Spider Queen in that it combines setting info with a campaign plot. Let's think: the next one would have to incorporate the new PH II classes, would it not? My guess is: "Heroes of Faerûn"!? ;-)
I'd be very thankful if there was any information, some kind of list which informed on which core monsters to find in which region... |
| Guennarr |
Posted - 14 May 2006 : 20:39:26
Thanks for your answer!
It is still pretty hard to imagine by now four monster manuals of monsters being released on adventurers... but I guess, you are right. Nevertheless Warforged ones will not make it into my FR, even though they appeared in MM III!
And I still wonder: MM III and MM IV, too, according to what I read, sport tips on how to incorporate monsters to FR and Eberron. But not about all of them (and at least subjectively more often about Eberron). So the ones with tips are part, and the other ones may be part of the realms?
Ok. Maybe I am too strict and look for answers that don't exist, but I would like to be prepared for future releases (thanks again for the tip about DM II being connected to FR). I am still surprised that WotC seems to be unable to state their opinion on this topic. Where do the FR start and where do they end in WotC products?
Greetings from Germany,
Günther |
| KnightErrantJR |
Posted - 14 May 2006 : 03:36:56
I would say that anything Core has the potential to be used in Forgotten Realms, but may not be. I know it doesn't sound definative, but the point is, the second you say "never" someone will write an adventure or what have you that uses a given source.
For example, while they don't require that they be used, Power of Faerun references a lot of rules from Heroes of Battle, and recent FR releases have utilized a few concepts introduced in the DMG II.
I think the main thing is to never say never, but not everything "has" to be in evidence in the Realms.
BTW, in 2nd edition, the rule was, "everything in D&D has a home in Forgotten Realms" so we basically passed the buck to the new kid on the block. |
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