| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Gray Richardson |
Posted - 27 Jul 2005 : 00:46:19
What could this be I wonder? 
Power of Faerūn |
| 30 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Sanishiver |
Posted - 31 Aug 2006 : 02:52:34
I'm pleased to say this book came in very useful at just the right moment.
This last Monday I shot home from work to do a quick re-read of my .pdf copy of Ruins of Myth Drannor before heading out to game later that night. As play was due to resume with my players moving through the Polyandrium near Myth Drannor on their way to the Tomb of Orbakh, I needed to bone up on the city and its dangers.
Very quickly I realized that, were I to follow RoMDs suggestion of using other adventuring parties as foes in the environs surrounding Myth Drannor, Id need a group of stated out NPCs of suitable levels to challenge the Epic group of characters my players run. Of course I had zero time for such a time consuming task.
What to do?
A little light went off in my head and I started leafing through PoF...and wala! --instant NPC adventuring party in the form of the Company of the Cloak (PoF, page 123-127).
Once the PCs found and entered the tomb and engaged the creatures inside in battle, I had Mhair Gulzrabban spy them out with Prying Eyes and target stragglers with Cloudkill and other spells.
The PCs never fully engaged Mhair and his group, choosing instead to move deeper into Orbakhs tomb. Yet the effect I wanted (to begin the typical up-tempo Myth Drannor adventure where PCs start to get hit from multiple angles by multiple foes) was achieved.
So thanks to Eric or Ed or whomever thought to include the Company of the Cloak. Very useful make things easy on the DM crunch, that.
J. Grenemyer |
| Foxhelm |
Posted - 10 Jul 2006 : 02:37:08
Just think of the Simbul as a mother and epic spellcaster, defeating Red Wizards while taking care of baby. Forcing them to sing lullabies for their lives, nursing will shooting with a staff.
Just some thoughts from a twisted mind. |
| GothicDan |
Posted - 10 Jul 2006 : 02:21:22
Be a housewife with a wand of magic missiles? ;) |
| Rinonalyrna Fathomlin |
Posted - 10 Jul 2006 : 01:28:17
It can't be done via marriage, it has to be done independantly.  It's about being a woman who gets things done herself. |
| GothicDan |
Posted - 09 Jul 2006 : 22:42:31
.... Marry LARLOCH. Rule over a whole city of undead. ;) |
| Kajehase |
Posted - 09 Jul 2006 : 09:50:27
Marry Szass Tam? |
| Rinonalyrna Fathomlin |
Posted - 09 Jul 2006 : 03:58:24
In retrospect, I think what might have killed my enthusiasum was the limited number of pages.
And, I have to be honest--I was hoping for some detail about how to become an all-powerful wizard-queen. |
| The Sage |
Posted - 07 Jul 2006 : 17:00:04
quote:
Originally posted by Trace_Coburn
Maybe it's because I thought PoF would be one tome I'd never actually buy because it was/would be loaded with esoterica I'd never once reference/use.
If you happened to note my (very) earlier hesitation with regarding to purchasing this tome, you'll have seen I felt much the same, though I feared a tome chock-full of epic rules and such.
I love the esoterica however. That, and the more mundane Realms details that received treatment.
I'm so glad I was wrong about this book.
|
| The Sage |
Posted - 07 Jul 2006 : 15:49:18
Yes, a couple of us noted that previously in this scroll.
I know it was a positive hoot! for me when I first noticed it  . |
| Trace_Coburn |
Posted - 07 Jul 2006 : 15:43:28
Observation for the "Huh. Well, that's cool..." file: in searching the archived "Ed Greenwood's Q&A" files for data in Westgate, I kept coming across this or that answer-post which seemed oddly familiar... then I opened PoF for another detail, and realised why.
A goodly bit of the lore which is found between the covers of Power of Faerūn seems to have appeared in those Q&A threads - virtually word for word, in some cases. Nomenclature for the coinage of various nations? Check. Format of heraldry, and enforcement of same? Yeppers. The vocabulary on p.66? You bet'cha (though the list in print is rather shorter than the one we got in bytes).
Not sure if it'd been spotted/mentioned before, but possibly one of interest to my fellow scribes. I know I got a charge out of it. And 'repeated' or not, having it in one place, in print, is no bad thing (especially during power-cuts).
EDIT:
@ The Sage - I just combed through the entire thread looking for those posts. Most of them were in the last couple of months, too, yet they didn't stick in my mind for some reason.  Maybe it's because I thought PoF would be one tome I'd never actually buy because it was/would be loaded with esoterica I'd never once reference/use. That (erroneous) initial perception notwithstanding, every single time I re-open the thing to verify a detail/subtlety (which is often), I'm once again blown away by the way its lore is so skillfully blended with RP (semi-IC?) guidelines that shade towards outright crunch only when truly needful.
Funny: an FR book I bought mainly on impulse has become one of my favourite reads/prime references.   I wonder what that bodes for my visit to my FLGS next week, as a copy of Mysteries of the Moonsea should have reached them by now? |
| Rinonalyrna Fathomlin |
Posted - 05 Jul 2006 : 03:08:27
quote:
Originally posted by ericlboyd
FWIW, I've always done game design that keeps consistent with the novels and ignores the computer games.
I didn't expect anything else. I'm not making condemnations, just observations. In any case, I have my opinions on things, and I'm not shy about expressing them. |
| ericlboyd |
Posted - 05 Jul 2006 : 03:04:08
quote:
Originally posted by Chyron
In the novel of BG,
S
P
O
I
L
E
R
S
Scar is killed and Grand Duke Eltan tries to have him ressurected, but the attempt fails. (pg 176)
Grand Duke Eltan later dies after falling ill under the care of a healer. (pg 223)
A Duke Angelo is mentioned as leading the force to assist Abdel in defeating the follwers of Sarevok.
I went back and reread Baldur's Gate (the novel) while writing Power of Faerun to make sure I kept consistent. I had both Scar and Eltan resurrected after the events of the novels to account for 3e sources that had them both alive (probably by mistake, but easily rectified as done in PoF).
FWIW, I've always done game design that keeps consistent with the novels and ignores the computer games. Even the novels I don't particularly like.
--Eric |
| Rinonalyrna Fathomlin |
Posted - 05 Jul 2006 : 02:57:25
Thanks for your comments, even though they've only reminded me of some reasons why I thought that novel was so stupid.
In the game, I recall Duke Eltan falling ill and being under the care of a phony healer (who is of course dispatched by the PC). As for Angelo, in the game he was a Flaming Fist soldier who was actually helping Sarevok--not a duke at all.
I didn't just dislike that novel because it didn't follow the events of the game, though--I also didn't find it to be all that well-written. |
| Chyron |
Posted - 05 Jul 2006 : 02:42:51
In the novel of BG,
S
P
O
I
L
E
R
S
Scar is killed and Grand Duke Eltan tries to have him ressurected, but the attempt fails. (pg 176)
Grand Duke Eltan later dies after falling ill under the care of a healer. (pg 223)
A Duke Angelo is mentioned as leading the force to assist Abdel in defeating the follwers of Sarevok. |
| Rinonalyrna Fathomlin |
Posted - 04 Jul 2006 : 23:17:38
I want to mention something I just realized.
PoF mentions that Duke Eltan and Scar got killed, then brought back.
I don't remember all the details of the first BG novel, as it's been so long since I read it. However, in the BG CRPG, it was Duke Entar Silvershield (an NPC the player never actually meets) who gets killed, and Scar. Duke Eltan didn't get killed at all in that game.
If someone remembers what happened in the novel, I'd appreciate some details. :) Yes, I know "the games aren't canon", blah blah blah, but take my factoid for what it's worth, here. |
| Rinonalyrna Fathomlin |
Posted - 03 Jul 2006 : 23:05:34
I know exactly what your point was, but I felt like venting about that section, because it really annoyed me. You don't need to remind me of that canon vs. not-canon argument--I remember it vividly.
A lot of stuff has annoyed me lately. Like I said, the only part of PoF that's gotten me excited so far is the BK section. |
| Kuje |
Posted - 03 Jul 2006 : 22:58:22
quote:
Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
...But they don't actually mention anything about the Bhaalspawn, and the fact that the Bhaalspawn was the one who helped solved the problems mentioned in that paragraph. That was kind of annoying. I just read this section today...didn't like it. Not too fond of the resurrected characters, either...CHEESY!
Overall, a very disappointing read. And to think, I've been pushing more for "fluffy" books like this for so long. I think the only thing about this sourcebook I've loved so far is the part about the Border Kingdoms...and even that leaves out too much info for my tastes.
Shrug. That wasn't my point but okay. :) My point is that many people continued, for years, to claim that the Bhaalspawn and the Bhaalspawn novels aren't canon and finally we have more 3/3.5e material that says differently even though we had 3 to 6 2e material that said that the Bhaalspawn were canon. |
| Rinonalyrna Fathomlin |
Posted - 03 Jul 2006 : 22:55:28
quote:
Originally posted by Kuje
Smirks at the mention of the events from the Bhaalspawn novels.
Well, well, well, there's two sourcebooks in 3/3.5e that mentions those events now plus the slew of 2e material.
But of course, those events aren't canon. Rolls eyes.
...But they don't actually mention anything about the Bhaalspawn, and the fact that the Bhaalspawn was the one who helped solved the problems mentioned in that paragraph. The star of the Baldur's Gate sage is danced around very coyly. That was kind of annoying. I just read this section today...didn't like it. Not too fond of the resurrected characters, either...CHEESY!
Overall, a very disappointing read. And to think, I've been pushing more for "fluffy" books like this for so long. I think the only thing about this sourcebook I've loved so far is the part about the Border Kingdoms...and even that leaves out too much info for my tastes. |
| Rinonalyrna Fathomlin |
Posted - 21 Jun 2006 : 01:42:09
quote:
Originally posted by Ergdusch
I read through some parts very briefly the other day and I have do agree with you Rinonalyrna. HTe reason for me was, that I find it very irritating to see "real characterplay" being trasfered into feats, DC checks and stats. Just some thoughts......
I agree. I KNOW this is a game, not just a setting (especially a 3E game, as GothicDan pointed out), and that transfering "intangibles" into numbers is all par for the course. But still...I feel that some things don't need to be all statted out.
It's weird...Power of Faerun is the book I've been most looking forward to, and I've always wanted to read Ed's thoughts about being a courtier and so forth...but when I finally read it, it just didn't do anything for me. I *do* like the Border Kingdoms, though...one of my PCs has a kingdom there. :) But as I recall, even the BK section didn't say much about actually interacting with the official places that are already there. I would have liked that. |
| GothicDan |
Posted - 20 Jun 2006 : 20:59:13
quote:
I find it very irritating to see "real characterplay" being trasfered into feats, DC checks and stats.
Well, that sort of started when 3E first came out. As much as Ed wanted to, I doubt WotC would have allowed him to print a statless supplement... |
| Chosen of Bane |
Posted - 20 Jun 2006 : 11:01:30
Heretic of the Faith made this book a must for me. My players and I have spent numerous hours coming up with different heresies. Some are pretty could, most are absolutely ridiculous, but still entertaining. |
| Ergdusch |
Posted - 20 Jun 2006 : 09:52:41
quote:
Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
To be honest...this book didn't do too much for me. And I hate to say it, but I can't fully explain why.
It just didn't grab me the way some of the other source books did. Oh well.
I read through some parts very briefly the other day and I have do agree with you Rinonalyrna. HTe reason for me was, that I find it very irritating to see "real characterplay" being trasfered into feats, DC checks and stats. Just some thoughts......
Ergdusch |
| Rinonalyrna Fathomlin |
Posted - 19 Jun 2006 : 04:24:36
To be honest...this book didn't do too much for me. And I hate to say it, but I can't fully explain why.
It just didn't grab me the way some of the other source books did. Oh well. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 31 May 2006 : 11:07:46
quote:
Originally posted by Mace Hammerhand
Ain't it sad that we get more and more "patches" to sourcebooks nowadays? Or maybe my old, cranky self just thinks way too brightly back to the olden days...
In the old days, it was harder to get patches. I remember having to have someone else get the errata for PHBR5 for me, since I wasn't online then and I knew nothing about computers... |
| Mace Hammerhand |
Posted - 31 May 2006 : 09:35:51
Sounded too much liky Syphilis... |
| martynq |
Posted - 31 May 2006 : 09:32:40
I've only just got round to reading this tome. One question that I don't know if anyone has answered yet, but why was Sythillis name changed?
Martyn |
| Mace Hammerhand |
Posted - 31 May 2006 : 08:21:50
Ain't it sad that we get more and more "patches" to sourcebooks nowadays? Or maybe my old, cranky self just thinks way too brightly back to the olden days... |
| Arivia |
Posted - 31 May 2006 : 05:45:13
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
We now have errata: Power of Faerūn errata. This errata is nothing more than the lost table 6-1.
Yay table 6-1! Just happy that thing's finally seeing print. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 31 May 2006 : 05:10:12
We now have errata: Power of Faerūn errata. This errata is nothing more than the lost table 6-1. |
| Mace Hammerhand |
Posted - 21 May 2006 : 21:08:48
I admit I didn't read through the entire scroll...but where can I find the missing table 6.1? If that was the number... |
