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Fellfire
Master of Realmslore
1965 Posts |
 Posted - 05 Nov 2016 : 04:05:40
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| It seems as if the regular version has hit the shelves (or at least certain shady parts of the 'net) earlier than expected. Will have to call the LGS tomorrow to see about the special edition. |
Misanthorpe
Love is a lie. Only hate endures. Light is blinding. Only in darkness do we see clearly.
"Oh, you think darkness is your ally? You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, molded by it. I didn't see the light until I was already a man, by then it was nothing to me but.. blinding. The shadows betray you because they belong to me." - Bane The Dark Knight Rises
Green Dragonscale Dice Bag by Crystalsidyll - check it out
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Edited by - Fellfire on 05 Nov 2016 04:08:26 |
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Gyor
Master of Realmslore
1628 Posts |
Posted - 05 Nov 2016 : 11:56:05
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| Its also out on Roll20 and Fantasy Grounds right now. |
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Gyor
Master of Realmslore
1628 Posts |
Posted - 05 Nov 2016 : 12:20:41
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| Tabaxi section confirms that Tabaxi are from Maztica, but it says they worship the Cat Lord now, not the Maztican Gods, and that they're not isolationist any more, tabaxi won't say what happened, but rumour say strange things have been happening there rescently that changed things. |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
12024 Posts |
Posted - 05 Nov 2016 : 15:01:31
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quote:
Originally posted by Gyor
Tabaxi section confirms that Tabaxi are from Maztica, but it says they worship the Cat Lord now, not the Maztican Gods, and that they're not isolationist any more, tabaxi won't say what happened, but rumour say strange things have been happening there rescently that changed things.
Color me intrigued. A lot of what I've been writing up involves "The Eastern and Western Pridelands of Katashaka", and it involved various different types of cat folk (not just tabaxi and wemics). |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Fellfire
Master of Realmslore
1965 Posts |
Posted - 05 Nov 2016 : 17:34:47
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| That is a Very slender tome for 50 smacks. Pretty though. |
Misanthorpe
Love is a lie. Only hate endures. Light is blinding. Only in darkness do we see clearly.
"Oh, you think darkness is your ally? You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, molded by it. I didn't see the light until I was already a man, by then it was nothing to me but.. blinding. The shadows betray you because they belong to me." - Bane The Dark Knight Rises
Green Dragonscale Dice Bag by Crystalsidyll - check it out
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Gyor
Master of Realmslore
1628 Posts |
Posted - 06 Nov 2016 : 11:30:41
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quote:
Originally posted by Fellfire
That is a Very slender tome for 50 smacks. Pretty though.
You can get it cheaper from Chapters.ca or Amazon. I spent $36 Canadian with tax on mine, normally its $65 Canadian with tax. Because it was thru Chapters, they are sending it to the local Chapters, no shipping costs. |
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chibi_grazzt
Acolyte
USA
11 Posts |
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Gyor
Master of Realmslore
1628 Posts |
Posted - 14 Nov 2016 : 19:18:31
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quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
quote:
Originally posted by Gyor
Tabaxi section confirms that Tabaxi are from Maztica, but it says they worship the Cat Lord now, not the Maztican Gods, and that they're not isolationist any more, tabaxi won't say what happened, but rumour say strange things have been happening there rescently that changed things.
Color me intrigued. A lot of what I've been writing up involves "The Eastern and Western Pridelands of Katashaka", and it involved various different types of cat folk (not just tabaxi and wemics).
I talked to Matt Sernett who confirmed this Cat Lord is the same Cat Lord from the original MM II, the guy from the Beastlands.
I also just listened to the Gamehole panel. Races in the book were designed to be very distint racial stereotypes.
Novel line hasn't been officially ended, but they have nothing to announce at this time.
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6680 Posts |
Posted - 15 Nov 2016 : 06:10:15
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Just got this and all it does for me is reinforce that FR is the 5E equivalent of Greyhawk in 3E - a placeholder to drop stuff in and give just a touch of flavour/context. Fine as a monster book. Poor as a Realms product. I feel like a band member on the Titanic.
-- George Krashos |
"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6383 Posts |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 15 Nov 2016 : 08:43:20
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Because FR IS D&D now.
And by slapping 'Volo' on it they hope to get the last few remaining setting fans left to buy it. Maybe if they just stopped and thought about WHY they have fewer fans with each product release they'd have been able to steer-clear of that iceberg.
On the flipside, I - and by extension, 'we' - can have all the fun with the setting we want now. I'm happily doing maps again, knowing damn well they'll never be anything to contradict them (like how 4e and the Spellplague made all my maps 'null & void'). Anything THEY say or do is irrelevant. In death, they've set it free.
As setting fans, we have everything we'll ever need. You only need the D&D products if you plan to play D&D. I don't think they're even doing novels anymore, are they? Its like doing novels in the SW universe - completely pointless now. Everything's apocryphal. |
"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 15 Nov 2016 08:44:10 |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6383 Posts |
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Eilserus
Master of Realmslore
USA
1446 Posts |
Posted - 16 Nov 2016 : 00:23:24
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quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
Just got this and all it does for me is reinforce that FR is the 5E equivalent of Greyhawk in 3E - a placeholder to drop stuff in and give just a touch of flavour/context. Fine as a monster book. Poor as a Realms product. I feel like a band member on the Titanic.
-- George Krashos
I hear that. I'm thinking of getting this, but I've more or less written off WotC and to wait for Ed to hit up the DM Guild with some goodness we've all wanted for years now. |
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Gelcur
Senior Scribe
536 Posts |
Posted - 18 Nov 2016 : 05:28:00
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And here I hoped we were going to get an excerpt from Volo's Complete Guide to the Behaviour of Nymphs.
Silly question, do they explain how Volo survived so many years? |
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. |
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6680 Posts |
Posted - 18 Nov 2016 : 06:16:50
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Ed has told me that he did a web piece explaining how Volo survived the Spellplague etc, but WotC never put it up on the website.
-- George Krashos |
"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
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moonbeast
Senior Scribe
USA
522 Posts |
Posted - 18 Nov 2016 : 07:25:04
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quote:
Originally posted by Gelcur
Silly question, do they explain how Volo survived so many years?
Maybe Volo had been eating magical rutabagas, which prolonged his lifespan immensely.
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 18 Nov 2016 : 08:20:16
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In Game of Thrones, no one lives.
In the Forgotten Realms, no-one ever dies.
VERY comic-bookish, IMO.
"Come, play in the Forgotten Realms! Where the only characters who don't matter are YOURS!"
Thats should be their new ad campaign.  |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36880 Posts |
Posted - 18 Nov 2016 : 10:17:12
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| Pretty sure it's been mentioned that Volo spent some time either magically imprisoned and/or in an unaging form like a statue, for his own protection. |
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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shades of eternity
Learned Scribe
288 Posts |
Posted - 18 Nov 2016 : 22:50:34
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ha I remember that spell from 2nd edition.
that's absolutely hilarious if true. :D |
check out my post-post apocalyptic world at www.drevrpg.com |
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Irennan
Great Reader
Italy
3811 Posts |
Posted - 18 Nov 2016 : 23:06:39
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quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
Ed has told me that he did a web piece explaining how Volo survived the Spellplague etc, but WotC never put it up on the website.
-- George Krashos
He put at least part of it in Death Masks. Mystra made him a chosen. She did that as a contingency (since she had foreseen the Spellplague) and hid parts of her essence in the most unsuspectable people, Volo among them. |
Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things. |
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Irennan
Great Reader
Italy
3811 Posts |
Posted - 18 Nov 2016 : 23:15:29
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quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
In Game of Thrones, no one lives.
In the Forgotten Realms, no-one ever dies.
VERY comic-bookish, IMO.
"Come, play in the Forgotten Realms! Where the only characters who don't matter are YOURS!"
Thats should be their new ad campaign.
After all the random "kill, kill, kill" of end 3e and 4e, I don't mind it a bit honestly. |
Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things. |
Edited by - Irennan on 19 Nov 2016 01:23:33 |
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ZeshinX
Learned Scribe
Canada
210 Posts |
Posted - 22 Nov 2016 : 14:32:41
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| Well just got this. It's nifty, I'd say a solid 6/10. I would have preferred a more traditional monster manual. I won't buy another one like this. |
"...because despite the best advice of those who know what they are talking about, other people insist on doing the most massively stupid things."
-Galen, technomage |
Edited by - ZeshinX on 22 Nov 2016 14:34:56 |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 22 Nov 2016 : 18:38:12
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I think - considering their current customer base - that a regular Monster Manual would have served better. Calling it 'Volos' and trying to appease the Grognards just agitated them more, and will annoy the gamers who were only looking for the stats.
Give up on the Grognards, WotC - you just can't make us happy. We thrive on angst. |
"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 22 Nov 2016 18:38:27 |
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ZeshinX
Learned Scribe
Canada
210 Posts |
Posted - 22 Nov 2016 : 19:03:12
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quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
I think - considering their current customer base - that a regular Monster Manual would have served better. Calling it 'Volos' and trying to appease the Grognards just agitated them more, and will annoy the gamers who were only looking for the stats.
Give up on the Grognards, WotC - you just can't make us happy. We thrive on angst.
I have no particular distaste for the ecology approach they do with the approx. first 2/3 of this. It's interesting, and certainly valuable to those who might need/want a little inspiration in their critters.
I was happy to give it a look and give WotC another chance to make something worth buying. It is, but only just (not at that insane suggested price though...hell no, get it on Amazon for about half that).
Ultimately, I found the ecology section would be best served as recurring web feature akin to Unearthed Arcana. I most certainly won't pay for another tome like this. A proper monster manual, certainly, but not this.
D&D is a game before it's a brand, WotC. Try again. |
"...because despite the best advice of those who know what they are talking about, other people insist on doing the most massively stupid things."
-Galen, technomage |
Edited by - ZeshinX on 22 Nov 2016 19:04:40 |
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Faraer
Great Reader
3308 Posts |
Posted - 23 Nov 2016 : 01:26:15
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| Two things I wonder about this book: Who is it by? Are its contents Realmslore? The impression I get is: only marginally. |
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chibi_grazzt
Acolyte
USA
11 Posts |
Posted - 24 Nov 2016 : 05:48:46
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quote:
Originally posted by Fellfire
quote:
Originally posted by farinal
I found some previews from the book online! Enjoy!
http://imgur.com/a/z9SuU
Boy, it really annoys me to see recycled Illithiad art in there.
I have both, am I missing something because I don't see recycled art |
My Realms Drow Campaign for D&D 5e:
https://doomofthedrow.obsidianportal.com |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
12024 Posts |
Posted - 24 Nov 2016 : 14:10:40
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| Well, I got mine at a reduced price on Amazon, still pretty high... but I find it really interesting that its got many things that I myself was looking to develop, so it saves me some time. I was thinking about creating some poisonous frog people like Grippli... they now have Grung (they're small, instead of medium, but whatever). I was looking for the girallon. Froghemoth. Firenewts (were they maybe in the elemental evil adventure path?). More dinosaurs. Choldrith/Chitines. I had found Wood Woads in DM's Guild, but I'm glad to see an official version. HMMMM, Vegepygmies... I forgot about them, but damned if I'm not glad to see them. I see T'lincalli. Neogi (no plans yet for them, but always liked them). MORE HAGS!! (even though I created my own version of the Bheur Hag for DM's Guild). Everything I listed above, I was planning on using 90% of it. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 24 Nov 2016 : 16:32:15
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You're almost making me want to buy this, Sleyvas...  |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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farinal
Learned Scribe
Turkey
270 Posts |
Posted - 28 Nov 2016 : 07:28:17
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My copy arrived this weekend. The book is gorgeous artwise. Quality is top. The lore is very nice and also the volo/elminster commentary is entertaining and immersive. The choice of monsters are good and all of them are really useful/interesting. The book really gets your DM juices flow. I love hags and I was planning to use a coven in my game so it is perfect for me they included detailed hags in the book.
The monsters by location tables are also quite useful. I think along with the monster manual this book is the best 5E product. |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31799 Posts |
Posted - 28 Nov 2016 : 14:13:11
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'Tis a curious tome.
I'm happy with its content, overall, but it's a little lite on purely Realms-specific lore. It's largely generic, in fact... though this opinion only comes from the slight skimming I've given is book. Maybe there's deeper Realms content that I've yet to discover... |
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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Volo's Guide to Monsters
