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ElfBane
Learned Scribe
USA
285 Posts |
 Posted - 18 Jun 2010 : 11:43:32
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Why was it considered neccessary to make the Spellplague essentially a second Sundering? I can understand why WoTC may have wanted to get rid of the awkward "memorizing of spells requires rest" mechanic in order to make magic more innate and/or mana-like, but destroying most of the FR to get there is a bit like throwing out the baby with the bathwater. Mystra could have been murdered, the Weave distorted/destroyed, and magic changed without sundering the FR again. Now it seems they have to start all over when there were still vast lands virtually unused. Anchorome, Katashaka, and Osse are basically unexplored and open to all sorts of creative DM'ing. Now they are gone, I presume, since WoTC doesn't ever seem to tell us much.
In the past WoTC has handled perceived game problems well. Dual-classing was always an awkward game mechanic, IMO. Did I Dual too soon? Too late? And you can't go back from Dualing. So WoTC brought in "A La Carte" multi-classing, essentially rendering dual-classing pointless. WoTC did the same with magic system, they brought in the Sorcerer class and made magic 'somewhat' innate, but they did leave in the 'resting to recharge' mechanic.
Does anyone here know why Eberron and the old Dragonlance worlds were put on different planets and/or planes? There were vast unexplored areas of Toril were these settings could have been put. Does WoTC have a vision, a direction they want to go with D&D? If so, would someone on this board tell me what it is?
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jun 2010 : 12:54:28
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Dragonlance predates the Forgotten Realms, at least in print. Keeping the worlds separate avoids issues like "why didn't the Cataclysm affect the Heartlands?"
Other than the stuff that's been added to Toril (Kara-Tur, Zakhara, etc), TSR kept their campaign settings on entirely different worlds/planes of existence. It simply kept everything neater that way. It also worked well for intro'ing new settings -- Eber-whatsit's cosmology doesn't fit the cosmology of any other published campaign setting. |
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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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jun 2010 : 13:33:49
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| I'll tackle this scroll more thoroughly a little later. I'm on the train at the moment and it's difficult to concentrate with all the surrounding noise and fellow travellers and such. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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ElfBane
Learned Scribe
USA
285 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jul 2010 : 10:54:49
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@ The Sage,
You mentioned you were going to comment on this post. Your erudition is still desired. Thanks. |
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althen artren
Senior Scribe
USA
780 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jul 2010 : 21:05:41
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Careful, your dealing with Sagetime here, it could be months
before he gets back ;p |
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Brimstone
Great Reader
USA
3287 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jul 2010 : 21:48:21
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quote:
Originally posted by althen artren
Careful, your dealing with Sagetime here, it could be months
before he gets back ;p
Right.... |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2010 : 02:22:53
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quote:
Originally posted by ElfBane
@ The Sage,
You mentioned you were going to comment on this post. Your erudition is still desired. Thanks.
Ah. As usual, Sage-brand absent-mindedness has struck me hard. I'd completely forgotten about this.
I'll add a few further thoughts later today.  |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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The Red Walker
Great Reader
USA
3567 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2010 : 04:21:10
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
quote:
Originally posted by ElfBane
@ The Sage,
You mentioned you were going to comment on this post. Your erudition is still desired. Thanks.
Ah. As usual, Sage-brand absent-mindedness has struck me hard. I'd completely forgotten about this.
I'll add a few further thoughts later today.
I've got 50 gp that says that will be next week |
A little nonsense now and then, relished by the wisest men - Willy Wonka
"We need men who can dream of things that never were." -
John F. Kennedy, speech in Dublin, Ireland, June 28, 1963
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
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Ashe Ravenheart
Great Reader
USA
3243 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2010 : 05:53:55
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
There's a betting pool for my performance now? 
It's kinda like the deadpool. But with deadlines dying instead of people. |
I actually DO know everything. I just have a very poor index of my knowledge.
Ashe's Character Sheet
Alphabetized Index of Realms NPCs |
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Thauramarth
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
729 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2010 : 11:50:51
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quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
There's a betting pool for my performance now?
It's kinda like the deadpool. But with deadlines dying instead of people.
And it's a long term investment, too (no sense on betting on any time soon) |
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The Red Walker
Great Reader
USA
3567 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2010 : 12:50:52
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
There's a betting pool for my performance now?
And I'm thinking that when I finally get a pm reply from you, you can bet that my reply will take 2x your response time |
A little nonsense now and then, relished by the wisest men - Willy Wonka
"We need men who can dream of things that never were." -
John F. Kennedy, speech in Dublin, Ireland, June 28, 1963
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2010 : 14:59:10
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quote:
Originally posted by The Red Walker
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
There's a betting pool for my performance now?
And I'm thinking that when I finally get a pm reply from you, you can bet that my reply will take 2x your response time
I haven't forgotten. I'm just looking for the information in order to fulfil your request. It's stored on an external archive somewhere. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Kyrene
Senior Scribe
South Africa
757 Posts |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jul 2010 : 02:09:48
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The sage lives in the Feywild, and we all know how time works there. 
Fall asleep under a tree there, and wake-up a hundred years later.  |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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The Red Walker
Great Reader
USA
3567 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jul 2010 : 03:34:06
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quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
The sage lives in the Feywild, and we all know how time works there.
Fall asleep under a tree there, and wake-up a hundred years later.
You must have appreciated the "pic of Sage" that I posted a few replies ago! |
A little nonsense now and then, relished by the wisest men - Willy Wonka
"We need men who can dream of things that never were." -
John F. Kennedy, speech in Dublin, Ireland, June 28, 1963
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Alystra Illianniis
Great Reader
USA
3750 Posts |
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althen artren
Senior Scribe
USA
780 Posts |
Posted - 31 Jul 2010 : 21:26:13
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Well, 2 weeks have passed and still no answer. Anybody want
to bet it got sucked into the Sage-hole?
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Dalor Darden
Great Reader
USA
4211 Posts |
Posted - 31 Jul 2010 : 21:53:28
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| He got side-tracked by all the betting...and promptly forgot a second time that he had intended to answer this scroll. |
The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me! |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
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Dalor Darden
Great Reader
USA
4211 Posts |
Posted - 01 Aug 2010 : 06:29:57
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| Ok...I win, hand over the coins fellas! |
The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me! |
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Nicolai Withander
Master of Realmslore
Denmark
1093 Posts |
Posted - 10 Aug 2010 : 23:15:47
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quote:
Originally posted by ElfBane
WDoes WoTC have a vision, a direction they want to go with D&D? If so, would someone on this board tell me what it is?
First of all I dont want to be punned for what I am about to say, but im going to anyway!!
WoTC are experiencing a huge snowstorm at the momment... It's called: Blizzard
IMO they are trying to make it just like World Of Warcraft. No lore, no thinking and age is not a factor because its all hack and slash. I actually bought the new 4ed PHB, and boy my initial thoughts were correct.
They want to attract a younger audience, and young kids for some reason do not like an absolutely fantastic setting, where so much great lore excist. They obviously just want to roll some dice in a never ending Hack & Slash game. So ofc. thats what WoTC gives them!
God forbid they should cater to the real fans!!!!!
Ive said enough!!! |
Edited by - Nicolai Withander on 10 Aug 2010 23:17:50 |
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Jakk
Great Reader
Canada
2165 Posts |
Posted - 26 Aug 2010 : 02:17:58
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I just found this scroll... and I see it's still waiting for Sage's reply.
I hadn't really thought of the Spellplague as a second Sundering, but it does have that feel to it, in retrospect... and I totally agree with the OP's comment about shifting the focus to one of the undetailed continents. It would have been the perfect way to introduce the new races, put the Chosen on the sidelines, and do everything else they wanted to do with the Realms... without blowing anything up. But the Realms appear to have gone Hollywood, where blowing things up is cool, and not blowing things up is definitely not cool.
I could go on at length, but I've said it before, and others have also said it. Besides, I've recently decided that my alternative Spellplague isn't fixing everything that I want to fix, so I'm rebooting my Realms to 1356 (yes, two years before the OGB), cherry-picking from the canon timeline, adding some things that I think should have been developed further (such as, eventually, more detail on the Realms' Clone Wars a la Manshoon), and assembling two big adventures for my old 2E epic-level party (who have been updated to Pathfinder stats) that involve helping Halaster and Szass Tam succeed in their big magical rituals and prevent the Spellplague. Yes, the PCs are going to help Szass Tam become the Autarch of Thay... because if they don't, magic in the Realms will die.
Anyway, that's where I'm going with my Realms, and while I miss the monthly infusion of new Realmslore that I had prior to 2008, I don't miss it enough to buy into the new stuff. I have almost every single FR product that was published before 4E, except for the novels. I wish I'd bought Ed's Cormyr and Elminster novels in hardcover now, because then I could now go back and re-read them to hopefully figure out this big secret regarding Elminster and Cormyr (see the recent pages in the Questions for Ed scroll for more info on this). |
Playing in the Realms since the Old Grey Box (1987)... and *still* having fun with material published before 2008, despite the NDA'd lore.
If it's comparable in power with non-magical abilities, it's not magic. |
Edited by - Jakk on 26 Aug 2010 02:20:16 |
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A second Sundering?
