| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Dargoth |
Posted - 17 Jul 2004 : 06:17:31
But Saurials where not forgotten
SK Web Enhancement
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20040717a |
| 17 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Faraer |
Posted - 21 Jul 2004 : 12:48:01
Sarelle, I've often talked about the work of others that I like; I'm really a pushover to win over, all you have to do is love the Realms too and write in their spirit. But Ed's work is naturally the basis of what I like the Realms for; the difference between work in your own world and in someone else's is inevitable.
Some of the add-ons I have mixed feelings for. Of those I mentioned, I think Shade and the Shadow Weave are ways to the undesirable ends of making Netheril more immediate and the Weave less all-important; Saurials a minor part of the Grubb/Novak novels that I like a lot; Kara-Tur a perfectly fine setting that was attached to the Realms when TSR was selectively ignoring the no-Earth-analogues principle and that now contributes little but harms the Realms' cohesion; tieflings are a nice option for NPCs but their DiTerlizzi-based image grates a little; Menzoberranzan part of Bob Salvatore's enclave that I enjoy and has been of great aid to the Realms overall, despite some of his readers. |
| The Sage |
Posted - 20 Jul 2004 : 07:28:33
quote:
Originally posted by Faraer
There's a category of Realms fan that seems to fixate on add-ons and gimmicks -- Shade, Saurials, Kara-Tur, tieflings, Menzoberranzan -- anything at all except yr actual core Realms. For those people the Saurials would be less interesting if they were an organic part of the setting.
That's is an interesting point. I've met gamers who campaign in the Realms exlusively because of these add-on elements. They almost never reference any of the original core Greenwood works, and pay only the slightest attention possible to references that may include details of elements that are standard to the Realms -- mostly the demihuman races.
One particular player I know of, felt that I was being "untrue" to the spirit of the Realms because I didn't heavily incorporate the Shades and their impact on Faerunian history into my campaigns. Mind you, the only exposure he'd had of the Realms before the Return of the Archwizards Trilogy, was the Netheril: Empire of Magic boxed set. I think that in a lot of ways, the Archwizards trilogy started a trend (which is still going) that saw a shift of the focus on the Realms, to what is "new" and "different"...
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| Sarelle |
Posted - 19 Jul 2004 : 21:46:01
Faraer: Whilst in some respects I agree with you, do you actually have any respect for non-Greenwood Realms stuff? Part fo what makes the Realms great is the contributions all its authors make. There are mistakes sure, but in the end the Realms is richer, rather than worse off, for it.
Please don't take offence at this, its just MO. |
| Faraer |
Posted - 19 Jul 2004 : 15:17:21
There's a category of Realms fan that seems to fixate on add-ons and gimmicks -- Shade, Saurials, Kara-Tur, tieflings, Menzoberranzan -- anything at all except yr actual core Realms. For those people the Saurials would be less interesting if they were an organic part of the setting. |
| The Sage |
Posted - 19 Jul 2004 : 14:15:41
It's an easy mistake to make, I guess...
Afterall, those Slann mage-priests do look a lot like the common garden-variety D&D Green Slaad... don't they? 
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| Sarelle |
Posted - 19 Jul 2004 : 14:09:18
Y'See? That is why I always end up editing my posts! 
I always get those two mixed up - but I WAS talking about Slann, not Slaadi. |
| The Sage |
Posted - 19 Jul 2004 : 03:14:49
Err... I'm talking about the Slann, the Lizardmen from the world of Warhammer. You appear (if I'm reading you're post correctly) to be talking about the living embodiments of chaos, that are the Slaad...??? 
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| Derulbaskul |
Posted - 19 Jul 2004 : 03:13:12
quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos (snip) IMHO they are a slightly extraneous addition to the FR firmament engineered by a piece of prose that while a good read, always made me wonder why the saurials had to come from some other "where". (snip)
I agree. They seemed to be one of those bits that were thrown into the Realms without any real thought and thus became one of the arguments that are used by non-FR fans to claim that FR is a "grab bag" setting.
I'm glad they're in the Web Enhancement where they can be safely ignored. ;) |
| Sarelle |
Posted - 17 Jul 2004 : 20:00:18
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
From which edition of the WH game did you convert the Slann information? The most recent edition appears to be the most informative, but I'm not sure I like the fact that the writers have heavily emphasised the Mayan/Aztec undertones...
[/quote]
I never got around to buying the army books for the new edition before my interest in WH waned, and I never owned the Lizardfolk book for the previous edition either. My conversion - lost somewhere in the vaults of my earliest 3e monster creations - was simply by my own knowledge of Slaad and of the Realms, and I actually did place them in Maztica (as it has more unnexplored depths to it). |
| The Wanderer |
Posted - 17 Jul 2004 : 19:22:31
I've read (and own) the latest Lizardmen's handbook from WH and I think they can make an excelent addition to anyone's campaign. Their heavily aztec/mayan influenced background makes them sound like they would be easily incorporated into the Maztica region, although placing them in Chult sounds just as good. |
| The Sage |
Posted - 17 Jul 2004 : 15:09:06
quote:
Originally posted by Sarelle
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
At the time, I was converting the Slann from WH for inclusion into the jungles of Chult.
 I did that too!
From which edition of the WH game did you convert the Slann information? The most recent edition appears to be the most informative, but I'm not sure I like the fact that the writers have heavily emphasised the Mayan/Aztec undertones...
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| Sarelle |
Posted - 17 Jul 2004 : 13:22:18
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
At the time, I was converting the Slann from WH for inclusion into the jungles of Chult.
I did that too!
Of Saurials: I was actually hoping for more lore with the Web Enhancement  , as I don't have the book yet. This information IS already up on the website, afterall. |
| The Sage |
Posted - 17 Jul 2004 : 11:10:00
quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
IMHO they are a slightly extraneous addition to the FR firmament engineered by a piece of prose that while a good read, always made me wonder why the saurials had to come from some other "where". I probably would have been more receptive to them if they'd been discovered in some long, lost part of Chult or the Mhair Jungle.
-- George Krashos
I'd considered that. When I was reworking the region of Chult in my FR campaign (in an attempt to remove the fact that dinosaurs exist there), the original notes on the Saurials came across my desk.
At the time, I was converting the Slann from WH for inclusion into the jungles of Chult. I thought to myself that adding another lizard-like race would likely be as bad for Chult as the idea of having dinosaurs running around the jungle.
Still, thinking about this again, it's an idea that might still be worth considering.
I'll think about it, when I've printed the WE out...
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| George Krashos |
Posted - 17 Jul 2004 : 10:57:43
Personally, I've never been that interested or fascinated in the saurials as, quite simply, they are upright dinosaurs that smell when they talk to you.
IMHO they are a slightly extraneous addition to the FR firmament engineered by a piece of prose that while a good read, always made me wonder why the saurials had to come from some other "where". I probably would have been more receptive to them if they'd been discovered in some long, lost part of Chult or the Mhair Jungle.
-- George Krashos
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| The Sage |
Posted - 17 Jul 2004 : 09:22:06
Indeed...
Thanks for the link Dargoth . I fully intend to print this web enchancement out, and bind it into my copy of Serpent Kingdoms.
Can't get much more complete than dat...
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| Dargoth |
Posted - 17 Jul 2004 : 06:27:24
quote:
Originally posted by SiriusBlack
Glad to see they took the information cut from SK and made it into a web enhancement as I hoped.
Thanks for the link Dargoth.
Yeah they even used the Saurial art that was cut from SK |
| SiriusBlack |
Posted - 17 Jul 2004 : 06:24:12
Glad to see they took the information cut from SK and made it into a web enhancement as I hoped.
Thanks for the link Dargoth. |
