| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
Ozreth
Learned Scribe
232 Posts |
 Posted - 09 Nov 2025 : 00:06:54
|
We all know about the shrinkage of the 3e map, the deleting of Evermeet, the elimination of "dead space" etc. in the name of fitting the whole map on a poster.
It has been a long time since that drama. At this point, especially if you are playing in the 1370s (or even late 1360s) and/or using 3e realms books for your campaign: have you come to use and appreciate the map over the 2e (or 1e) version?
|
|
|
Asharak
Learned Scribe
France
273 Posts |
Posted - 09 Nov 2025 : 13:16:46
|
| I always use the maps from the Forgotten Realms Atlas. |
"Soyez réalistes : demandez l'impossible"
Sorry for my English... it's not my native tongue. |
 |
|
|
Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
8040 Posts |
Posted - 11 Nov 2025 : 03:38:58
|
Depends on the region.
Everyone I played with was disinterested in Evermeet so nobody cared about that so-called "dead space", regardless of edition.
Some of the people I played with had much love for Shade and the Shadovar so we used 3.5-era maps for those areas, regardless of the other other setting/lore.
Certain 1E-era maps are simply the best available when it comes to the Moonsea, Vaasa, Damara, Tantras, and their surrounding areas.
Certain 2E-era maps are simply the best available when it comes to Icewind, the North, the Amauroch, and their surrounding areas.
Certain 3E-era maps are simply the best available when it comes to Cormanthyr, Sembia, the Dales, and their surrounding areas.
Each edition published better maps for individual cities, towns, settlements, dungeons.
Older maps are often better simply because they add a sense of history to the setting. They're outdated, obsolete, features and names have changed, things aren't always found in the world where they're shown on these maps. In a way, the D&D-edition-slash-FR-edition meta has provided a wealth of "old lore" which helps make the latest-and-greatest version of the setting feel like a living and lived-in thing.
And then of course some gaming groups get satellite-view interactive and accurate and photorealistic maps of their Realms ... as if the adventurers had mobile data and orbital GPS networks and pinch-zoom map scrolling features with click-here-for-the-detailed-wiki-article summaries.
While other gaming groups get hand-drawn scraps which only show a limited number of interesting features/locations and tend to show them in symbolic or approximate ways instead of in internet-perfect ways. Less about making an exact replica of the terrain which perfectly documented every feature, more about making an approximate representation of the terrain which was good enough to identify where things are located and how to get to them.
I personally prefer this version since it's a more "authentic" and immersive experience than a player-handout photocopy or pdf sheet. At my gaming table you just couldn't get professional-grade maps unless you paid professional-grade prices for a professional-grade cartographer. You'd also better hope that he is actually familiar with the region he's mapped out, and that his (firsthand) knowledge of the region is actually recent enough that things haven't changed. You need a map showing all the landmarks and bandits and traps on the way to the mountaintop dragon's lair that nobody's returned from since before the eldest villager's great-great-grandparents were small children? Good luck.
So in this context, the more-recent more-detailed more-pretty 3E-era/3.5E-era maps are not as good as their 1E-era/2E-era counterparts. |
[/Ayrik] |
Edited by - Ayrik on 11 Nov 2025 03:47:21 |
|
|
|
Gelcur
Senior Scribe
552 Posts |
Posted - 12 Nov 2025 : 02:49:57
|
I really like the 3e map of Faerun, always have. I find it reads very well, In my game most maps bare similarities to that map in game. So I can roll it out whenever. In reality my Faerun is shaped like the 2e Atlas, difference are chalked it up to poor cartography at that scale.
I noticed in a video where Ed gave a tour of his home he had the 3e map up in his game room. I have recently gotten an enlarged version of the poster to cover the wall above my computer desk so I can stare at it. |
The party come to a town befallen by hysteria
Rogue: So what's in the general store?
DM: What are you looking for?
Rogue: Whatevers in the store.
DM: Like what?
Rogue: Everything.
DM: There is a lot of stuff.
Rogue: Is there a cart outside?
DM: (rolls) Yes.
Rogue: We'll take it all, we may need it for the greater good. |
|
|
|
PattPlays
Senior Scribe
480 Posts |
Posted - 12 Nov 2025 : 03:19:33
|
| If you run the savage frontier with 3e maps, the mountains and rivers within will be in very much the wrong locations compared to 2e and 5e. |
:The world's greatest OOTA fan/critic: :"Powder kegs within powder kegs!": :Meta-Dimensional Cheese: :Why is the Wand of Orcus just back?: :The Bastion of Souls on the Positive Energy Plane!: :PC on profile, Aldritch Elpyptrat Maxinfield: :Helljumpers, Bungie.net: :Rock Hard Gladiator:
https://thisisstorytelling.wordpress.com
T_P_T |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
1370s/3e FR players - what map do you prefer?
