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Chosen of Asmodeus
Master of Realmslore
1221 Posts |
 Posted - 01 May 2011 : 09:34:39
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I'd make my hellfire wyrm chosen of Asmodeus a canon character and major player. The church of Asmodeus and the nine hells in general would recieve a lot more attention as villain protaganists. I'd also make my half-orc paladin and his rag-tag band of misfits a canon group, turn Many-Arrows into a hotbed of activity, including the Luskan invasion story I've been tossing around, as well as inciting slave revolts in Menzo and other drow cities.
Warforged and minotars would probably recieve a bit more attention, as well.
There are a few elements I want to import from other settings, or at least something vaguely reminiscent enough that I wouldn't get sued. |
"Then I saw there was a way to Hell even from the gates of Heaven"
- John Bunyan, Pilgrim's Progress
Fatum Iustum Stultorum. Righteous is the destiny of fools.
The Roleplayer's Gazebo;
http://theroleplayersgazebo.yuku.com/directory#.Ub4hvvlJOAY |
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MalariaMoon
Learned Scribe
324 Posts |
Posted - 01 May 2011 : 17:13:20
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| I'd love to tell the stories of those briefly mentioned adventuring parties in the sourcebooks in a series of beautifully drawn graphic novels; The Company of the Firestar, the Bright Blade Held High, one many examples of adventuring bands name dropped in Realms products, usually in relation to entering such-and-such a dungeon and never coming out again ... |
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Seethyr
Master of Realmslore
USA
1151 Posts |
Posted - 01 May 2011 : 23:02:24
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I would have certainly kept the sense of exploration that was alive and kicking with the 2e box sets. I wish more had been done to discuss Maztica, the Horde, Zakhara and even places that were mentioned but hardly (i.e. the Utter East, the Sea of Corynactis, Lopango, Katashaka, Osse, etc.)
I know not everyone was the biggest fans but I really enjoyed the RW clones when |
Follow the Maztica (Aztec/Maya) and Anchorome (Indigenous North America) Campaigns on DMsGuild!
The Maztica Campaign
The Anchorome Campaign |
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Nicolai Withander
Master of Realmslore
Denmark
1093 Posts |
Posted - 03 May 2011 : 00:16:30
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I would make some of my spells official, if not all of them, the players in our party would also be a nice ad of NPCs, and well perhaps some items aswell.
Mostly I would just ad some of the things that "make" our campaign. |
Edited by - Nicolai Withander on 03 May 2011 00:17:25 |
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Quale
Master of Realmslore
1757 Posts |
Posted - 06 May 2011 : 21:49:05
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| I can't think of anything big from my Realms that wouldn't break canon. Maybe a city called Sarf, built by the Imaskari. It's an artificial island that travels the sea between Var and Ulgarth, following a puzzling pattern. I took a lot from PF's Absalom for it, except the magitech in the city is not just theory. The politics depend on the shifts of planar manifest zones, with factions losing or gaining influence. |
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Crennen FaerieBane
Master of Realmslore
USA
1378 Posts |
Posted - 06 May 2011 : 22:01:42
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I would allow the Fey'ri to be more than a generic type of evil. There were plenty that would have been smart enough to go off and find a niche where they could collect a little power. I actually dislike the "rebirth" of Myth Drannor as well.
I would have banished Sarya along with Malkazid, as they worked well as a hateful tandem. I'd also like Thay to expand a bit more through pure economics rather than military conquest. I thought they made a good start with making enclaves in towns that would allow them and selling nominal magic stuffs.
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Still rockin' the Fey'ri style. |
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Lord Karsus
Great Reader
USA
3743 Posts |
Posted - 07 May 2011 : 08:39:06
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quote:
Originally posted by Seethyr
I would have certainly kept the sense of exploration that was alive and kicking with the 2e box sets. I wish more had been done to discuss Maztica, the Horde, Zakhara and even places that were mentioned but hardly (i.e. the Utter East, the Sea of Corynactis, Lopango, Katashaka, Osse, etc.)
I know not everyone was the biggest fans but I really enjoyed the RW clones when
-Regarding the Hordelands and Kara-Tur, see the Kara-Tur Re-Dux (and, the Utter East Project, to a lesser degree). |
(A Tri-Partite Arcanist Who Has Forgotten More Than Most Will Ever Know)
Elves of Faerûn
Vol I- The Elves of Faerûn
Vol. III- Spells of the Elves
Vol. VI- Mechanical Compendium |
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RedneckBadgerLord
Acolyte
USA
32 Posts |
Posted - 10 May 2011 : 14:32:36
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Really the anti-revision sentiment has always been there. When AD&D came out, I'd bet the farm there were a few OD&D dissenters, same with AD&D:Revised AD&D and RAD&D:3e. There are always traditionalists, and there are always people who believe tradition should change. Myself I'm a traditionalist, but I'd at least try to correct some things that make little sense.
4e has some great ideas , but they are very poorly executed in places.
Besides It isn't really FR who needs saving from Wizards, it's they who need saving from Hasbro. But I digress.
I'd try to make the newer stuff coincide with the older stuff.
For Instance:
Why not make the World tree perpendicular to the great wheel in the cosmology? That way, the places like Sigil, Greyhawk, etc. would still be around to fill in some of the 3e plotholes (i.e. Khelben the younger).
Why not say that Mystra is comatose, but that all but a select few believe her dead. This way, she'll bounce right back in a few hundered years, and this explains why people are beginning to be able to do magic after the timeskip. Speaking of ...
Why the timeskip? I mean, chaos is realms standard 
As for the books, why kill off so many interesting characters? I mean Ryld Argith, Qilue, KHELBEN, Sammaster, Simbul; to say nothing of what happened to Cadderly, Regism and Catti-brie.
For which, I won't be reading another Bob Salvatore book for a while.
I have nothing against 4e as a system (I mean, there are hundereds out there, ever try running the realms in Fuzion anyone ?), but the story element could stand to be fleshed out. |
Redwall. Drizzt. Kentucky. Enough said.
I was weaned on 2E Baldur's Gate. Learned 3.5E, and can't stand 4E WoF. (Though I try not to mess up canon too badly). |
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Firestorm
Senior Scribe
Canada
826 Posts |
Posted - 10 May 2011 : 15:23:36
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quote:
Originally posted by RedneckBadgerLord
Really the anti-revision sentiment has always been there. When AD&D came out, I'd bet the farm there were a few OD&D dissenters, same with AD&D:Revised AD&D and RAD&D:3e. There are always traditionalists, and there are always people who believe tradition should change. Myself I'm a traditionalist, but I'd at least try to correct some things that make little sense.
4e has some great ideas, but they are very poorly executed in places.
Besides It isn't really FR who needs saving from Wizards, it's they who need saving from Hasbro. But I digress.
I'd try to make the newer stuff coincide with the older stuff.
For Instance:
Why not make the World tree perpendicular to the great wheel in the cosmology? That way, the places like Sigil, Greyhawk, etc. would still be around to fill in some of the 3e plotholes (i.e. Khelben the younger).
Why not say that Mystra is comatose, but that all but a select few believe her dead. This way, she'll bounce right back in a few hundered years, and this explains why people are beginning to be able to do magic after the timeskip. Speaking of ...
Why the timeskip? I mean, chaos is realms standard
As for the books, why kill off so many interesting characters? I mean Ryld Argith, Qilue, KHELBEN, Sammaster, Simbul; to say nothing of what happened to Cadderly, Regism and Catti-brie.
For which, I won't be reading another Bob Salvatore book for a while.
I have nothing against 4e as a system (I mean, there are hundereds out there, ever try running the realms in Fuzion anyone?), but the story element could stand to be fleshed out.
Well, you are missing out then. Gauntlegrym was Salvatore's best work in a while.
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Chosen of Asmodeus
Master of Realmslore
1221 Posts |
Posted - 10 May 2011 : 15:42:43
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quote:
Originally posted by Firestorm
quote:
Originally posted by RedneckBadgerLord
Really the anti-revision sentiment has always been there. When AD&D came out, I'd bet the farm there were a few OD&D dissenters, same with AD&D:Revised AD&D and RAD&D:3e. There are always traditionalists, and there are always people who believe tradition should change. Myself I'm a traditionalist, but I'd at least try to correct some things that make little sense.
4e has some great ideas, but they are very poorly executed in places.
Besides It isn't really FR who needs saving from Wizards, it's they who need saving from Hasbro. But I digress.
I'd try to make the newer stuff coincide with the older stuff.
For Instance:
Why not make the World tree perpendicular to the great wheel in the cosmology? That way, the places like Sigil, Greyhawk, etc. would still be around to fill in some of the 3e plotholes (i.e. Khelben the younger).
Why not say that Mystra is comatose, but that all but a select few believe her dead. This way, she'll bounce right back in a few hundered years, and this explains why people are beginning to be able to do magic after the timeskip. Speaking of ...
Why the timeskip? I mean, chaos is realms standard
As for the books, why kill off so many interesting characters? I mean Ryld Argith, Qilue, KHELBEN, Sammaster, Simbul; to say nothing of what happened to Cadderly, Regism and Catti-brie.
For which, I won't be reading another Bob Salvatore book for a while.
I have nothing against 4e as a system (I mean, there are hundereds out there, ever try running the realms in Fuzion anyone?), but the story element could stand to be fleshed out.
Well, you are missing out then. Gauntlegrym was Salvatore's best work in a while.
I don't necessarily disagree with that, but would hardly call it a compliment.
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"Then I saw there was a way to Hell even from the gates of Heaven"
- John Bunyan, Pilgrim's Progress
Fatum Iustum Stultorum. Righteous is the destiny of fools.
The Roleplayer's Gazebo;
http://theroleplayersgazebo.yuku.com/directory#.Ub4hvvlJOAY |
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Diffan
Great Reader
USA
4441 Posts |
Posted - 04 Apr 2012 : 21:56:29
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| So I've been reading up on various other RPG systems and as I watch Record of Lodoss War, I see that they used Fuzion. This entices me to read further sources on Fuzion and download a crap ton of PDFs for the system. I generally like it as I've always done Level/class based systems and its someithing new. But then I read Atomik Magick and my excitement dropped. Multiple-Phase (or turn) casting *blech*. I understand this was normal back in the day, especially in 2nd D&D but I've been spoiled and if I ever want to get my group to try this, its got togo. So how unbalanced would it be to make the spells with a casting time of 1-phase (1-turn)? |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 05 Apr 2012 : 23:38:59
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I'd say any spell with a casting time of less then 3 days is "munchkinized'.
Have I mentioned I dislike spellcasters? 
Almost as much as elves...
Anyhow, multi-phase spells are an integral part of D&D for me - I think mages are far too over-powered as it is, and need a little nerfing. My own system I am working-on has combat rounds but no turns (which is proving to be a bear), and if I ever get it right it should balance spellcasters with fighters nicely (since fighters get multiple strikes, each should land in a separate round).
Right now I have chart I place down the side of my gaming-table, which I put tokens on (representing the PCs), and move these along the chart to denote the passage of rounds (which roughly equal about 3 seconds). Everyone gets the same number of (level-dependent) actions, and how they use them - spellcasting or swinging a sword - depends on their class (I'm also moving away from classes, but that's another discussion). Ergo, using my system, a higher level mage should be able to fire-off multiple spells in a single 'turn' (which becomes a fairly meaningless concept, when certain actions carry-over into the next set of rounds - its more like real-time combat).
The first thing I have to do after I finish my system is write an APP for that - it would be so much smoother if i didn't have to have a physical chart on the side (I've even tried pegs and a pegboard, which gets rather cumbersome with more then four players). Imagine a phone-app that keeps track of when each thing 'goes off' in a combat - spells, strikes, effects wear-off, etc... neat, huh?
Initiative becomes simplicity itself - you just roll a die and thats the point at which you start on the chart (other options, like weapon speed, can also be folded-in).
What this mans is that as a mage gets more powerful, he become faster, which means he can get-off more spells quicker. this also solves the problem of 'bigger is better' - mages spell don't really increase in power all that much - they just get to use them more often. A 5th level mage casting one fireball isn't going to stand a chance against a 15th level mage casting the same fireball three times in the same turn.
I've been saying this for some time now - the logic behind D&D is faulty. PCs should advance in ability by giving them more options, not more raw power. This is why we wind-up with a 'sweet spot' in our campaigns. Under my system, people of every level can adventure together (which is a lot more useful, IMO, then their model of "people using different rules can play together").
The codename for my system is 'Sexy', BTW, which is really just a play on '6e' (which has the meaning that my system is already better then 5e). 
C'mon - you can see it now - everyone down at the LGS asking, "who wants to play the sexy system?" The thing practically sells itself!  |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 05 Apr 2012 23:42:40 |
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Eilserus
Master of Realmslore
USA
1446 Posts |
Posted - 06 Apr 2012 : 02:15:54
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| Wait a minute. You could cast more than one spell per round as a caster in 2nd edition? Man we were playing wrong, hah. We only allowed 1 spell per round. Considering how nasty wizards got at around 8 or 9th level, I can't imagine blasting off like 3 fireballs per round. Was this multiple spells per round tied to spellcasting segments? I always thought they were like weapon speeds, basically only useful for finding out who won initiative. |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7989 Posts |
Posted - 06 Apr 2012 : 03:24:54
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I agree that mages and fighters are often unbalanced at higher levels. When looking over all the High-And-Mighty-NPCs-of-the-Realms, people immediately appraise power and levels as a spellcaster - while fighter levels are only a secondary consideration, and only when the NPC is packing tons of magical firepower or is leading armies with the same.
The so-called sweet spot is a bit higher for mages, since (in older D&D gaming, at least) these guys had pathetic hit points at low levels, could be cut down quickly in melee, and not enough spells to wear an arsenal of defensive magics. It seems like most people select a mage and immediately expect they'll be level 20 in no time, forgetting that they'll be at the mercy of a lot of rats and kobolds before ever casting their first stoneskin.
For me what broke the game, and thus quickly broke the Realms setting evolving through the game, are the everybody-and-anything unrestricted super-multiclass builds and templates*. I see this as changing the nature of the game away from characters with roles ... towards characters as brightly colourful but interchangeable play tokens. To me a Realms setting filled with all these characters is like a chessboard filled with nothing but queens, nobody wants to play the knights and bishops and rooks which actually define the game with complexity - it's still played on the same board and even looks like chess at a glance ... but it's not, it's only a cartoony parody of chess. To me the Realms aren't a D&D setting anymore, they're a circus freakshow. My changes to the Realms would drastically remove all the multiclassed powerbuilds, lowly PCs and great NPCs alike would all have very real strengths and weaknesses imposed by their classes, they wouldn't be very great at all unless they work together.
* A vampiric moon-elf/abyssal-genasi ranger/warlock/diviner/spellsniper as a PC? Why sure of course, she'll make a fine ally for the gold-dwarf/half-golem crusader/berserker/ironballs/samurai, along with their half-halfling and double-wookie squires (actually, squire/acrobat/bard/wildmage and squire/ninja/slayer/alchemist).
Not even deities in early D&D had this many race and class bonuses going for them. |
[/Ayrik] |
Edited by - Ayrik on 06 Apr 2012 03:51:43 |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 06 Apr 2012 : 04:18:49
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quote:
Originally posted by Eilserus
Wait a minute. You could cast more than one spell per round as a caster in 2nd edition? Man we were playing wrong, hah. We only allowed 1 spell per round. Considering how nasty wizards got at around 8 or 9th level, I can't imagine blasting off like 3 fireballs per round. Was this multiple spells per round tied to spellcasting segments? I always thought they were like weapon speeds, basically only useful for finding out who won initiative.
No - most spells took multiple rounds.
That was my point; the D&D system doesn't make mages faster - shouldn't they be just like fighters? getting off more 'shots' quicker as they level? Isn't that what 'experienced' means? D&D just keeps making them cast stronger spells. This is a LOT of unnecessary baggage, and leads to an 'arms race' mentality of bigger-is-better. At the same time, HP must scale to ridiculous levels to account for the stronger spells and what-not being flung around.
If everything is scaling to account for everything else, doesn't this fall under the purview of 'diminishing returns'? I f you use ratio and proportion, a 1st level fighter can do an instant-kill on a 1st level mage, but a 20th level fighter (usually) can't do an instant-kill on a 20th level mage. The same thing works the other way around, with the mage casting a spell. Doesn't that mean that a 1st level mage or fighter is proportionately more powerful then a 20th level mage or fighter? Isn't a rule system odd if you are at your deadliest the moment you start playing, and then it goes down hill from there?
D&D focuses on the escalating math, when it should be focusing on experience - an experienced gunslinger outshoots a 'greenhorn' every time, because he is more experienced. But the bullets - and the men's 'health' (HP) - remain the same for both... D&D has it all wrong.
A 5th level mage should be killed by a 10th level mage not because he was hit with a bigger fireball, but rather, because the 10th level mage shot his fireball before the other mage ever finished his spell. Exponentially increasing numbers just makes the system 'top heavy', IMHO.
But this is supposed to be an FR thread, not a D&D thread. Earlier when I read the title of this thread, the first thing that sprung to mind was that song, "If I had a rocket launcher..." (you know the rest)
But seriously, if I somehow gained control, I would simply give the whole thing a 'soft' reset back to the 1350's, WITHOUT invalidating anything. Not because thats the best thing for the Realms, but rather, I think that would be the least-damaging compromise (great word, compromise) moving forward. Everyone restarts (with 5e rules) on equal footing.
Starting in the 4e+ era just means the 4e people already have a leg up on the old guard, which only exacerbates an existing problem. [sarcasm]I'd have to pour through tons and TONS of 4e lore to be able to run the damn thing, and we all know how much we hate to read and do research.[/sarcasm]
The only way it could possibly be fair (moving the timeline forward even further) would be if they set it so far into the future that no-one even recognizes it.* Otherwise, its not fair. A rebooted setting (according to the 4e manifesto) should not leave anyone knowing more about the setting then anyone else, so all of the 4e lore either needs to be gotten rid of, or outdated by even newer, funkier lore. Anything less then a TOTAL wipe = the 4.5e setting, leaving one group with far more knowledge then the other. That makes it a complete unplayable mess (those 4e players now have "feelings of entitlement") for anyone without all that information. How can your run a game without going out and buying dozens of old-edition sourcebooks? I can't be bothered learning all that! 4e is just TOO HARD!
*Now, if time is circular, then the 1350's still work. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 06 Apr 2012 04:22:28 |
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Dalor Darden
Great Reader
USA
4211 Posts |
Posted - 06 Apr 2012 : 05:47:17
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Give me the Realms?
Restart...from the get-go.
If they don't think it works...maybe they should look at all those wonderful movies like Star Trek, Batman, Spider-Man...and even comics like the Marvel Ultimates.
A complete re-boot also allows them to move forward again with all new products...not reprints, not expansions on...but all new ideas.
At the same time, I would continue on with the 4e onward line for those who enjoy that.
This would allow anyone to play any edition they wanted really. My plan would also continue sales of earlier editions of the games, with Advanced Dungeons and Dragons first (which they are already doing) and then 2nd Advanced Dungeons and Dragons the next year, then 3.5 the next year...with a cycle going back and re-printing special books from each rules set that sold best before. Leather-bound does fairly well; but I would print them as simple hard-backs.
Just my way. |
The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me! |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7989 Posts |
Posted - 06 Apr 2012 : 06:18:31
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Casting time for most spells in AD&D 2E are given in Segments, the usual assumption is one spell can be cast per Round. There are some spells with casting times given as full Rounds or longer time units (these usually aren't cast during combat). There are a few (high-powered) spells and artifacts which could allow a wizard or priest to cast two or more spells in the same Round, presumably resolved in combat much like a warrior's multiple attacks. It is possible for contingency and similar magics to release or trigger precast spells, effectively allowing multiple spells to be cast in the same Round under certain conditions. A variant rules system from the "2.5E" Options books could allow 0-level spells (cantrips, cantras, orisons) to be cast as a "free action" in addition to a character's normal actions, which might include casting a normal spell.
But why argue? The basics are all in the AD&D 2E PHB. And it's off-topic anyhow ... aside from noting that other spellcasting rules (from other D&D games) do exist and have sometimes been forcibly impressed into Realmslore. So perhaps I'll revoke my earlier statement ... I actually think the most important change in the Realms involves the attitude that it's always possible to blow up some gods and reformat the setting to make it more compatible with the current D&D game cognate. This should be reversed: when there are incompatibilities it is the game rules which need to be reformatted to fit within a consistent setting (any setting, not just the Realms). We don't reformat our own universe every time a newer and better physics is developed to describe it. |
[/Ayrik] |
Edited by - Ayrik on 06 Apr 2012 06:25:54 |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36805 Posts |
Posted - 06 Apr 2012 : 14:34:45
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Okay, bringing up the original post...
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
First of all, this is not a discussion about the 4E Realms. We've all aired our opinions of the post-1375 events, and we don't need to get into that yet again. It's already become monotonous, and I don't want to see another thread follow that well-trod path. I'll remove those posts, if I have to.
That out of the way... A while back, I created a thread asking What have you imported into the Realms?. The point of the thread (which was recently and briefly resurrected) was to discuss what people had brought into the Realms from other settings and other fiction. This obviously referred to people's own versions of the Realms.
This thread is a bit different... In this thread, I'd like to discuss people's own creations, and what of those creations they would -- if possible -- make official. In other words, if you created your own official Realmslore, what would it include?
Again, I don't want this to become another pro-/anti-4E discussion. This is an edition-neutral, entirely hypothetical chance to play in the official sandbox. 
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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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gomez
Learned Scribe
Netherlands
254 Posts |
Posted - 06 Apr 2012 : 16:03:49
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| If I had a say, I would carefully go over a number of things written for LFR and incorporate that, in addition to adding a few minor fixes to the current setting. |
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Dalor Darden
Great Reader
USA
4211 Posts |
Posted - 06 Apr 2012 : 16:39:08
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If I could make anything Canon:
I would place my version of Ixinos as the official.
The Shaar would officially be my "African Savannah"...I did so because to me Halruaa made a hard to miss South Africa. Some people say "The Realms has no racial stereotypes" and then I simply snicker and say words like "Kara-Tur" or "Hordelands" or "Mulhorand" or "Cormyr" or "Damara" and so on...
I've recently considered a variation of my own spell plague; but it only afflicts those who are highly powerful. I thought about the fact that it would allow me to save the ones I want...and the armies of Arch-Mages I didn't want would have "missed their saving throw" so to speak. While I like the high magic of the Realms, I always thought that it was magic rich from thousands of years of magic being created/worked and it didn't mean there was a magic shop on every corner of major cities.
There are other things, but those stick out to me right now. |
The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me! |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36805 Posts |
Posted - 17 Apr 2021 : 19:29:26
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
First of all, this is not a discussion about the 4E Realms. We've all aired our opinions of the post-1375 events, and we don't need to get into that yet again. It's already become monotonous, and I don't want to see another thread follow that well-trod path. I'll remove those posts, if I have to.
That out of the way... A while back, I created a thread asking What have you imported into the Realms?. The point of the thread (which was recently and briefly resurrected) was to discuss what people had brought into the Realms from other settings and other fiction. This obviously referred to people's own versions of the Realms.
This thread is a bit different... In this thread, I'd like to discuss people's own creations, and what of those creations they would -- if possible -- make official. In other words, if you created your own official Realmslore, what would it include?
Again, I don't want this to become another pro-/anti-4E discussion. This is an edition-neutral, entirely hypothetical chance to play in the official sandbox.
I was looking for something else, and stumbled on this discussion... I thought I would try to revive it, with the same basic parameters: No bashing editions or saying give it back to Ed or anything like that -- just a discussion on Realmslore created by us, the fans, that we would make official if given the chance. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6666 Posts |
Posted - 18 Apr 2021 : 02:07:36
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Anything by me!
-- George Krashos |
"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36805 Posts |
Posted - 18 Apr 2021 : 02:42:33
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quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
Anything by me!
-- George Krashos
Your stuff is canon in Wooly's Realms. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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keftiu
Senior Scribe
656 Posts |
Posted - 18 Apr 2021 : 02:44:41
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I think the Alamber Sea circa 4e is a really rich, diverse corner of the world, and I’d love to see how those politics shook out. Can High Imaskar prove they’re any better than their ancient predecessors? Does the military strength of Tymanther trump the economic power of Akanûl - or can they bury the hatchet? Can Aglarond - divided by elf/human, spellcaster/mundane, and native/immigrant tensions - survive what sure seems like an apocalyptic offensive from Thay? To say nothing of zooming out slightly and looking at places like Turmish, Impiltur, Thesk, and Rashemen, or digging into abolethic threats or the local Underdark.
It’s a glorious, messy powder keg, at the crossroads of ancient history and alien visitors, and I want to see what all of that playing out actually looks like. |
4e fangirl. Here to queer up the Realms. |
Edited by - keftiu on 18 Apr 2021 02:45:26 |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36805 Posts |
Posted - 18 Apr 2021 : 05:20:03
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quote:
Originally posted by keftiu
I think the Alamber Sea circa 4e is a really rich, diverse corner of the world, and I’d love to see how those politics shook out. Can High Imaskar prove they’re any better than their ancient predecessors? Does the military strength of Tymanther trump the economic power of Akanûl - or can they bury the hatchet? Can Aglarond - divided by elf/human, spellcaster/mundane, and native/immigrant tensions - survive what sure seems like an apocalyptic offensive from Thay? To say nothing of zooming out slightly and looking at places like Turmish, Impiltur, Thesk, and Rashemen, or digging into abolethic threats or the local Underdark.
It’s a glorious, messy powder keg, at the crossroads of ancient history and alien visitors, and I want to see what all of that playing out actually looks like.
So if you were spinning out the official storyline of the Realms, how would you play all this out? |
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keftiu
Senior Scribe
656 Posts |
Posted - 18 Apr 2021 : 06:00:28
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by keftiu
I think the Alamber Sea circa 4e is a really rich, diverse corner of the world, and I’d love to see how those politics shook out. Can High Imaskar prove they’re any better than their ancient predecessors? Does the military strength of Tymanther trump the economic power of Akanûl - or can they bury the hatchet? Can Aglarond - divided by elf/human, spellcaster/mundane, and native/immigrant tensions - survive what sure seems like an apocalyptic offensive from Thay? To say nothing of zooming out slightly and looking at places like Turmish, Impiltur, Thesk, and Rashemen, or digging into abolethic threats or the local Underdark.
It’s a glorious, messy powder keg, at the crossroads of ancient history and alien visitors, and I want to see what all of that playing out actually looks like.
So if you were spinning out the official storyline of the Realms, how would you play all this out?
I think it depends on which of the two threats you find more interesting, between Thay and the Abolethic Sovereignty. I'd be more willing to run the Thay war campaign at my home table (play as Aglarondan partisans and foreign do-gooders trying to recruit regional powers to rally to their defense), but it's a little flat for actual canon.
More likely, that war starts to go hot - because aboleth allies and agents are stoking the fires in the region, trying to inflame tensions across the Alamber Sea. If the mortals are busy killing each other - Thay and Aglarond, Tymanther and Akanul, Chessenta and other Chessentans (and everyone else in the region, but especially High Imaskar...) - then they make weak foes and easy puppets.
Aglarond probably gets stomped by Thay, but becomes a total mire for the necromancers; while the war is easy, the insurrection Aglarondan holdouts offer (aided by Simbarch magic and old star elf portals to Faerie) proves frustratingly hard to stamp out. The cities are contentiously occupied, disparate and feuding resistance factions (the humans don't like the elves and half-elves, the mundanes don't like the spellcasters, the Thayan refugees are hated by cruel locals) who all hate Thay more than they hate one another - for now. Aglarond is thus a place for stories of resistance against empire, where desperate heroes fight every day to prevent their homeland fueling an undead zulkir's second swing at godhood. (For Pathfinder nerds, it's like a much more interesting Cheliax - replace the Asmodean zeal for Banite tyrants and egomaniacal liches).
Chessentan civil war is likely, and I think you end up with distinct factions between devout traditionalists and those willing to compromise on their view of arcane magic in order to win; I'm willing to bet these become considered distinct nations to outsiders.
Tymanther is feisty; I think they steal some important city and manage to hold it and their current borders well, but there's probably significant unrest internally. I really like the tension established between the main Thymari atheist and the recent Bahamut converts, and that latter group likely becomes a societal scapegoat - maybe we see a diaspora of devout dragonborn nomads across the region?
Akanul probably blossoms into the dominant economic power in the region, and I bet some states ally with their rising star against the threat of further Thayan expansion. Maybe some of those nice folks down in East Rift import some Gondsman-made firearms, purchased with the overflowing coffers of the genasi? Life in Akanul is probably the rosiest of the bunch, because they're the state most aware of and vigilant for the threat the aboleths pose, so their provocateurs are almost always sniffed out. You probably make one of those four advisory governors (whose title I forget) subverted by them anyway.
I'm a little too fatigued to take a swing at the rest of the nations, but you get the gist; a lot of strife, internally and externally, for almost everyone around. That's a juicy enough place to leave the region in a hypothetical edition change, and if we really need some resolution, then a novel trilogy or hardcover adventure details the exploits of some heroes from around the region chasing this abolethic conspiracy and getting the various nations to stand against their shared foe together. You probably get some very fun images of Thymari knights uncomfortably fighting alongside undead Red Wizards and Chessentan paladins of Tchazzar against some gross alien horrors in the later acts.
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4e fangirl. Here to queer up the Realms. |
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keftiu
Senior Scribe
656 Posts |
Posted - 18 Apr 2021 : 06:11:30
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More broadly speaking about if they were fool enough to hand me the setting: no Second Sundering, no Mystra comes back, lean harder into gonzo weirdness (sky islands and spellscars aplenty), have firearms start to spread, the Chultan Peninsula is less devastated than it appears in 4e and 5e materials but still likely sees heavy revisions (though my pet idea that Samarach saw its populace transformed into Eberron-style changelings makes it in), cultural consultants and outside writers brought on to help with Shou, Chultan, Turami, Durpari, and Rashemi stuff (at the very least!), and more detail on Abeir, both pre-Spellplague and currently. I want a Realms that continues on from the things I like most about the edition I prefer, paired with more novelty and a better handle on diversity than I think the setting has ever had.
The 4e Realms were all about the fallout and aftershocks of a world-reshaping cataclysm, and the darkness that threatened the fragile things built on the ashes. I want to see more rebuilding and more new wonders, but also more terrible horrors imperiling them!
EDIT: Expand on some obscure lore sources and make East Rift a hub of adventure, if I’m getting really indulgent; it’s a that uncomfortably hosts refugee dwarves, free drow, and the church of Gond, which just has to be the coolest, weirdest place in Faerun. It never got the detail it deserved, especially regarding that dark elven community! |
4e fangirl. Here to queer up the Realms. |
Edited by - keftiu on 18 Apr 2021 07:27:17 |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11830 Posts |
Posted - 18 Apr 2021 : 15:46:10
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quote:
Originally posted by keftiu
I think the Alamber Sea circa 4e is a really rich, diverse corner of the world, and I’d love to see how those politics shook out. Can High Imaskar prove they’re any better than their ancient predecessors? Does the military strength of Tymanther trump the economic power of Akanûl - or can they bury the hatchet? Can Aglarond - divided by elf/human, spellcaster/mundane, and native/immigrant tensions - survive what sure seems like an apocalyptic offensive from Thay? To say nothing of zooming out slightly and looking at places like Turmish, Impiltur, Thesk, and Rashemen, or digging into abolethic threats or the local Underdark.
It’s a glorious, messy powder keg, at the crossroads of ancient history and alien visitors, and I want to see what all of that playing out actually looks like.
I like the thoughts of it being a glorious messy powder keg, and my take on things would be to add more components and moving parts. In other words, less of a imperial type view of Thay, and more of a fractured Thay. For instance, the adventurer's league had some Zulkir who looked like a wrestler (yeah, odd picture, but..) who was seemingly building up power in Mulmaster. I'd have various high level spellcasters of Thay (and possibly fallen High Imaskar) joining together (possibly again with shadovar ex-patriots) to form new societies of arcanists. You also still had all these remote Thayan trade enclaves, but I'd bet half or more broke loyalty with Thay over the last century because just ten years prior they were still loyal to the rebels and the master of the guild of foreign trade. On top of all that, I would throw in my homebrew United Tharchs of Toril idea, but that might be overkill for some. Personally, I think it puts a great civil war front and center back in Thay, with the chance to unseat the person who basically turned a once flourishing land (from a purely plant growth perspective) into a wasteland. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36805 Posts |
Posted - 18 Apr 2021 : 17:30:02
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quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
quote:
Originally posted by keftiu
I think the Alamber Sea circa 4e is a really rich, diverse corner of the world, and I’d love to see how those politics shook out. Can High Imaskar prove they’re any better than their ancient predecessors? Does the military strength of Tymanther trump the economic power of Akanûl - or can they bury the hatchet? Can Aglarond - divided by elf/human, spellcaster/mundane, and native/immigrant tensions - survive what sure seems like an apocalyptic offensive from Thay? To say nothing of zooming out slightly and looking at places like Turmish, Impiltur, Thesk, and Rashemen, or digging into abolethic threats or the local Underdark.
It’s a glorious, messy powder keg, at the crossroads of ancient history and alien visitors, and I want to see what all of that playing out actually looks like.
I like the thoughts of it being a glorious messy powder keg, and my take on things would be to add more components and moving parts. In other words, less of a imperial type view of Thay, and more of a fractured Thay. For instance, the adventurer's league had some Zulkir who looked like a wrestler (yeah, odd picture, but..) who was seemingly building up power in Mulmaster. I'd have various high level spellcasters of Thay (and possibly fallen High Imaskar) joining together (possibly again with shadovar ex-patriots) to form new societies of arcanists. You also still had all these remote Thayan trade enclaves, but I'd bet half or more broke loyalty with Thay over the last century because just ten years prior they were still loyal to the rebels and the master of the guild of foreign trade. On top of all that, I would throw in my homebrew United Tharchs of Toril idea, but that might be overkill for some. Personally, I think it puts a great civil war front and center back in Thay, with the chance to unseat the person who basically turned a once flourishing land (from a purely plant growth perspective) into a wasteland.
Hmm. While I've promoted a longer-term Thayan civil war myself, your post does give me another idea: individuals or even whole enclaves that see what's going on at home, look at where they are now, and then decide they're done with the whole mess and just go independent.
Sure, an enclave that did that would lose its support and its status, but it still might be an interesting thing -- the expat Thayans simply set up shop elsewhere and find new supply sources. It could really be fun if this happened and then a new group was sent to re-establish the enclave.
That's not as likely as single expatriates, though. And even single ones aren't going to be that common, given that they'd likely face distrust from every angle, unless they moved elsewhere.
...Now I've got to figure out the Thayan expat NPC that just popped into my head. |
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Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
Edited by - Wooly Rupert on 18 Apr 2021 18:58:41 |
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keftiu
Senior Scribe
656 Posts |
Posted - 18 Apr 2021 : 19:21:06
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| I should note that 4e had expat Thayan enclaves, mostly of Red Wizards who preferred being magic item merchants to being servants of a cruel Bane-worshipping lich. |
4e fangirl. Here to queer up the Realms. |
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If the Realms were yours...
