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bmc5063
Acolyte
USA
1 Posts |
 Posted - 26 Dec 2020 : 12:32:34
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In the past, I used to read all the FR novels to keep up with the changing landscape and all the lore that surrounded the realms and the main characters you might run into or hear about. Without the novels, how do you all keep up with the stories and lore?
Does anyone else read the adventures and sourcebooks simply for the story and lore? Are there any "story summaries" of the adventures that give the plotline, characters, etc., without going into detail on sidequests and dungeon maps/combat, playing tips?
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7989 Posts |
Posted - 26 Dec 2020 : 13:32:14
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Is it necessary to keep your Realms constantly synced with the very latest updates, as if it were a piece of software?
There's a mountain of Realmslore available, over 30 years of it (as measured by our calendar). Any of the edition-specific Realms settings is detailed richly enough to support more places, more people, and more events than any single campaign could possibly keep up with. The newer Realmslore always has new ideas and new things and newer details - including some good ones - but there's really no reason these must occur on some sort of fixed schedule (or at all) in your version of the Realms.
If your plan is to let published "canon" determine how your Realms develops then you've basically got to subscribe to every new product as it rolls out. You're letting WotC do all the world-building work. And you're forced to keep things in line whenever they issue changes or retcons to what's happened in your Realms, otherwise things will diverge.
If your plan is to use what you like when and where you like then following all the latest-and-greatest new stuff becomes entirely optional. You've got to do some or all of the world-building work yourself.
If you're just keeping up with Realmslore as a completionist or a collector, so you have a library of reading and reference materials then, again, you don't have any real need to work at keeping everything consistent and updated with published "canon". |
[/Ayrik] |
Edited by - Ayrik on 26 Dec 2020 13:42:52 |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11827 Posts |
Posted - 26 Dec 2020 : 18:05:11
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| Personally, I haven't DM'd a full on campaign (versus one shot adventures here and there) in so long, that I spend more time just thinking about how to flesh out other parts of the world now that never got touched. I actually end up playing now more than DM'ing, but even that is never more than once a month. For me, the constantly changing "canon" nature of the realms actually has me a little twisted around, because everything is like three card monte... it's this way... now it's not and it's back to the original. I consider myself a knowledgeable sage of realmslore, possibly more than many at WotC, and I can't give you a solid answer of where things stand anymore. Of course, it doesn't help that I'm almost fifty now with failing eyes and working in an industry (IT) that changes everything every five years. I swear I'll develop alzheimer's by the time I'm 60 at this rate with the constant need to memorize things. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Lord Karsus
Great Reader
USA
3740 Posts |
Posted - 26 Dec 2020 : 23:18:20
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| -The flow of information dried up to a trickle. Without novels, a semi-regular Gazetteer-style web release doing exactly what you are saying would be a kind of cool way to turn that little trickle into a slightly stronger stream, but I doubt something like that is on the WotC docket. |
(A Tri-Partite Arcanist Who Has Forgotten More Than Most Will Ever Know)
Elves of Faerūn
Vol I- The Elves of Faerūn
Vol. III- Spells of the Elves
Vol. VI- Mechanical Compendium |
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The Arcanamach
Master of Realmslore
1847 Posts |
Posted - 27 Dec 2020 : 04:42:09
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Personally, I'd look to some of the work offered at the DMs Guild that have Ed's personal stamp on them (M.T. Black put out a pretty decent product for Darkhold, for instance, with input from Ed). Other than that, the only lore we really get now is whatever happens to be in the modules and much of that is...irregular (Acerak suddenly being in the Realms when he was originally in Greyhawk, for instance).
Despite my dislike of Realmslore drying up, it does offer us all an opportunity to make our own without the need to adjust things according to new published material. |
I have a dream that one day, all game worlds will exist as one. |
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Renin
Learned Scribe
USA
290 Posts |
Posted - 29 Dec 2020 : 03:02:38
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The best advice has always been 'make the Realms yours.'
I've yet to run an adventure in every single country-let alone use all the info, rumors, and history present in a nation like Cormyr, or even plumb every depth of Waterdeep.
I don't even see a need for updated lore. Stories? Yes I'd love some stories that gave me lore, but I've been playing for 29 years, so I'm good with what's been published. |
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Seethyr
Master of Realmslore
USA
1151 Posts |
Posted - 31 Dec 2020 : 04:27:01
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| The game has always been about the lore for me, so I feel your pain on this. I wish GhotR2 were on the horizon, heralding a sudden surge in new lore (minus any new RSEs). Thats just a pipe dream though... |
Follow the Maztica (Aztec/Maya) and Anchorome (Indigenous North America) Campaigns on DMsGuild!
The Maztica Campaign
The Anchorome Campaign |
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Returnip
Learned Scribe
222 Posts |
Posted - 31 Dec 2020 : 21:00:39
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quote:
Originally posted by The Arcanamach
Personally, I'd look to some of the work offered at the DMs Guild that have Ed's personal stamp on them (M.T. Black put out a pretty decent product for Darkhold, for instance, with input from Ed).
I've been meaning to check it out. Does it have maps of Darkhold Castle with interiors? |
On the other hand you have different fingers. |
Edited by - Returnip on 31 Dec 2020 21:08:31 |
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Keeping up with ongoing lore?
