| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| questing gm |
Posted - 20 Nov 2025 : 08:32:40
Anyone bought these?
Any insights or new Realmslore for the current timeline of old favorite regions?
Did no one knew about these coming out? |
| 5 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Athreeren |
Posted - 21 Nov 2025 : 18:25:13
quote:
Originally posted by deserk
I haven't gotten the books yet but based on the lore examples I've seen from reviews it doesn't seem too bad. It's refreshing if anything to see lands covered that isn't solely the Sword Coast.
Though I must admit one thing I really dislike is the removal of half-elves and half-orcs (which is technically more an issue with the current iteration of D&D). The consequences in terms of the lore is they lump together elves and orcs in instances which would technically be half-elves and half-orcs in previous editions. For example, the Dalelands, which has been emphasised many times in previous books as being a particularly hostile place to goblinoids (and that term would be including orcs) due to many periodic invasions launched by monstrous demihumans marching down from Thar (same with the hordes marching from the Spine of the World down to the Savage Frontier). Yet in these new books the orcs are described as somehow living a peaceful and tranquil existence with elves and humans in this region, yet simultaneously goblins are still the same marauding menace of mindless murderers of yore. That is quite a bit jarring to reconcile with previous lore, and also something that feels like a very arbitrary and artificial change.
One thing I quite liked with previous editions is that many regions had quite different attitudes towards different races. In Thesk for instance, orcs (full-blooded ones even) were largely tolerated, due to lack of historical conflict. Same with orcs in Calimshan or the Shining Lands, or gnolls and other monstrous beings in Thay, or Drow and others in the Dragon Coast (Westgate in particular), etc.
I really don't see the issue with that one. There are so many novels with characters who are not "half", but have ancestry of a different race (now species) which expresses itself through a few traits, and from what I understand, this is how things are presented now: a choice of one species, plus potentially a different ancestry. I haven't tried the new edition yet, but is it so hard to create an elf with human ancestry or a human with elven ancestry that works like a half-elf? Of course, half-elves and half-orcs were a thing in the lore too, with characters introducing themselves as such. Well, we just have to accept that those terms have fallen out of fashion, and those same people who used to be half-orcs will now introduce themselves either as orcs or humans depending who they are talking to. |
| deserk |
Posted - 21 Nov 2025 : 00:43:31
I haven't gotten the books yet but based on the lore examples I've seen from reviews it doesn't seem too bad. It's refreshing if anything to see lands covered that isn't solely the Sword Coast.
Though I must admit one thing I really dislike is the removal of half-elves and half-orcs (which is technically more an issue with the current iteration of D&D). The consequences in terms of the lore is they lump together elves and orcs in instances which would technically be half-elves and half-orcs in previous editions. For example, the Dalelands, which has been emphasised many times in previous books as being a particularly hostile place to goblinoids (and that term would be including orcs) due to many periodic invasions launched by monstrous demihumans marching down from Thar (same with the hordes marching from the Spine of the World down to the Savage Frontier). Yet in these new books the orcs are described as somehow living a peaceful and tranquil existence with elves and humans in this region, yet simultaneously goblins are still the same marauding menace of mindless murderers of yore. That is quite a bit jarring to reconcile with previous lore, and also something that feels like a very arbitrary and artificial change.
One thing I quite liked with previous editions is that many regions had quite different attitudes towards different races. In Thesk for instance, orcs (full-blooded ones even) were largely tolerated, due to lack of historical conflict. Same with orcs in Calimshan or the Shining Lands, or gnolls and other monstrous beings in Thay, or Drow and others in the Dragon Coast (Westgate in particular), etc. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 21 Nov 2025 : 00:07:22
I've got both, though I've barely cracked into Heroes. I've seen some minor things I didn't like, so far, but nothing overly objectionable. The lore is lighter than I like, but on the flip side, they seemed to be making an effort to mention things for potential adventures, which is something I do dig.
Overall, I am thus far not wowed, but neither have I found anything to complain about overly much.
I do not share Gary's opinion. |
| Gary Dallison |
Posted - 20 Nov 2025 : 19:58:31
I have nothing good to say about the books (probably of no surprise to anyone), but the quality of lore in the books is even worse than recent years. Arbitrary changes that dont fit, inconsistencies with previous editions and even the current edition.
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| HighOne |
Posted - 20 Nov 2025 : 18:46:28
I was aware, but WotC's vision for D&D and the Forgotten Realms is so far off the mark for me that I can only muster up a mild interest. |
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