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Alaundo
Head Moderator
United Kingdom
5695 Posts |
Posted - 17 Sep 2007 : 12:25:44
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Well met
With the announcement of D&D 4th Edition, and therefore Forgotten Realms 4th edition, and the events which have been picked up from A Grand History of the Realms and The Ork King, Ed (courtesy of the lovely Hooded One), posted the following in his Q&A thread, in response to some of the upset and concerns of these changes.
I think there are some very wise words to be heeded and would like to bring this to the attention of all here at Candlekeep. I hope this helps and that it brings things back into perspective a little more
quote: Originally posted by The Hooded One (on behalf of Ed Greenwood)
Sage and Arkhaedun, indulge us for a moment, please. Ed will return to lore replies forthwith, but folks are upset and he wants to address that. So . . .
Hi again, everyone. Ed is remaining true to his promise to “be here” for scribes, but warns that he just can’t answer as freely as he might, not just because of NDAs and not wanting to damage the process of unfolding the Realms, but because so much just isn’t known yet (by him, and presumably by most others) about specifics of the 4e Realms. However, without further jabber from me, heeeeere’s Ed:
Hello, all. I continue to receive e-mails, phone calls, snail mail letters, and in-person queries, beefs, and pleas for reassurance from longtime Realms fans - - and continue to be humbled by the depth of your feeling for the Realms. Thank you, everyone. Though I am frantically busy trying to get things done before flying off to Australia (during which trip I will almost certainly fall e-silent, BTW) I will try to respond to scribes who have posted in this thread, as I come to your posts in the e-mails THO forwards me.
Red Walker, you’re welcome, thanks for the love, and you are very, very right to say: “Fear of change is natural, and greater fear of Big changes is too!” The reactions of Realms fans were expected for this very reason. Of COURSE everyone will be upset, or at least anxious, in some way, whether eager for change or hating its possible/probable consequences. Wooly Rupert and others are correct to say we haven’t seen enough yet to really judge the so-called “new” Realms, and I agree. None of which doesn’t make opinions on it, based on the little we have seen, perfectly valid. Zandilar isn’t the only one to decide that the changes she’s heard about thus far seem “so... well... dumb, to put it bluntly.” Please, please, all of you: respect each other’s opinions. Disagree with them as heatedly as you want, but please bend over backwards not to disrespect each other for holding them. As it happens, the way the “peekaboo” revelations have thus far appeared (I’m guessing so as to foment maximum “buzz” and therefore unpaid publicity), I agree with Zandilar. Those don’t sound like MY gods. :} However, Chosen of Moradin quite rightly points out that “a timeline is not an explanation of what happens. It's only a summary. And a summary cannot explain clearly anything. The summary of the Fall of Myth Drannor don't explain the Fall of Myth Drannor. So, to see exactly what happened, we will have to wait until the next FRCS.” Correct. As I’ve always said, mortals in the Realms can never know the “truth” about divine deeds and intentions, only what’s reported to them. By deities, priests, soothsayers, “possessed” madwits, and in dream-visions - - and ALL of those sources can be mistaken or misinterpreted, or can lie and distort or slant to further their own agendas. Yes, even the gods themselves. So what appears in THE GRAND HISTORY OF THE REALMS is what “the loudest reports say” happened, not what every being in the Realms personally saw and therefore “knows” (and agrees) happened. It should be obvious to everyone by now that there are major changes in magic and the deities underway, and that the Spellplague is part of that. We now know that it begins in the Year of Blue Fire, in a dramatic way, and that part of Bob’s newest novel takes place a hundred years in the future (at a time when almost all human characters alive in the Realms of “today,” if they haven’t found some magical means of prolonging their lifespans - - in a “magic unstable and unreliable” situation - - will have perished of old age). Which brings us to eiglos, who posts: “My only current played character in the Realms is a Priestess of Lurue. Her future must be uncertain, unless Lurue returns to her original role in the Realms.” Passing over the obvious points that everyone’s future is always uncertain, and that the particular priestess will almost certainly have died of old age by the time of THE ORC KING anyway, we know that gods can and have been subsumed by other gods, and that “dead” or fallen gods are still worshipped fervently, just as before, because other deities adopt their followers, still grant spells, and so on - - so mortals may or may not know the true fate of the deity they worship. This MIGHT be one future for this specific priestess. Lurue (or any other deity, for that matter) could of course survive “unchanged,” or change in divine power but keep the same looks, portfolios, aims, and credos. Deities tend to shift subtly all the time in these things, however. And IF we are talking a century of time, that’s a lot of roleplaying (in terms of real-world duration). So for now, eiglos, roleplaying “life” for your priestess can be very much “business as usual.” I personally would welcome the separation of, say, The Living Realms and the “history” RPGA play therein develops, from my own home campaign. If characters played in an RPGA adventure slay a wizard and blow up his tower, and I’m using both wizard and tower extensively in my home campaign, the potential conflict vanishes; the destruction won’t occur until the future (if mage and/or structure “go down” in my campaign, there’s plenty of in-Realms time for the one to be brought back to life somehow and the other rebuilt, to “explain away” the conflict). A gamer can play in their own current campaign just as before, peek at eventual 4e Realms releases in hobby shops, at conventions, and via online discussion, and either decide never to go to 4e, or (if the new material at some point seems really exciting) “jump” the characters from one Realmsdate to the other by some magical means (even if it’s “caught in a portal for a century,” and I set just such weirdness up with some comments in SWORDS OF DRAGONFIRE that also “start to” explain the 2e to 3e “map changes” in the Realms without being too explicit, for those who didn’t make the change). Or, if a DM and player group collectively decide to move to the “new” Realms, they can even try to arrange cached treasure and PC breeding so as to “set up” descendants of their favourite characters as adventurers in the future Realms. So, eiglos, your priestess can have a long and rewarding life and career, regardless. However, this leads to another important point Zandilar raised: “If I run my campaign prior to the Year of Blue Fire, then I don't need the 4e products. Since I don't need them, I don't buy them. Since I don't buy them, WotC doesn't get my money. WotC doesn't get my money, and it is starting to look like a lot of the "old guard" are going down this path... So WotC starts to loose money, and eventually the line will get cut.” This is indeed the Big Risk in all of this, the “roll of the dice” that I wish someone had never decided to make (because I personally value the ongoing development of a shared and unbroken imaginary Grand History of a fictional fantasy setting as something magnificent in itself, an achievement we should all continue to contribute to). Yet it’s happening regardless of my personal wants, and I choose to be onboard trying to paddle and steer, rather than left behind swimming in the water, calling out that perhaps we should have set a different course. Zandilar is perfectly correct to post: “I've never ever had problems with a business wanting to make a profit. That is, after all, the purpose of a business. But what they're doing here is taking a HUGE risk with a known quantity. They're risking the entire Realms product line with this move, and they seem to have gone to great lengths to rub us old guard up the wrong way with the changes they're making. (Just my perception, I'm sure they haven't deliberately set out to slight us.)” I don’t think anyone at Wizards set out to deliberately upset or slight anyone. I do think it has been decided to make these changes swiftly, and that very “brutal rapidity” is increasing some of the upset along with the “buzz.” However, there’s no reason at all to move your own campaign if you don’t want to. IF there’s a hundred-year jump, that’s a LOT of time to roleplay through; most FR campaigns I hear about don’t cover more than ten to twelve years in the Realms unless they incorporate “down time” jumps of their own, before they “run down” and the folks involved start anew. Yes, the Spellplague is going to shift the flavour of the Realms (if wizards are dying or their magic is going wild or failing, and priests are all upset, too, it follows that the “tone” of daily life and therefore of roleplaying will change a bit), but the Realms is a big place, and there’s no reason yet to suspect that “all civilization will fall.” Waterdeep, Silverymoon, Cormyr - - I don’t think a century will sweep any of them away. CHANGE them, yes, but they’re all changing constantly, anyway; we just usually live with the changes as they’re happening rather than seeing a “big jump-cut.” Nor is there any reason, based on what we’ve seen thus far, to believe that the Spellplague is a single big event, over in a short time; the very name implies something of longer duration, with almost certainly (if real-world “plagues” are anything to go by) varying results from place to place and person to person (this city or region largely unaffected, that wizard untouched, this one over here driven mad; that allows DMs plenty of “elbow room” to preserve the “heart locations” of a beloved campaign, and favourite PCs and NPCs, too; it’s “the rest of the Realms” where the BIG changes occur . . . something that a lot of DMs have already been doing for two decades, as they steer their own campaigns around events in the published Realms). None of which means my arguments should be seen as quelling, denying, or belittling the personal anger and upset longtime Realms fans are feeling over this. Believe me, I know how you feel. :} Neriandal Freit, your queries don’t come off as offensive, at all (and I’m glad you loved that little scene in EL’S DAUGHTER; one of my favourite moments, out of everything I’ve written). I hear you and I sympathize, deeply. (And yes, I’ll check out “Redeemers of Dawn,” and let you know; somebody please give THO a heads up when the new Compendium is released, okay?) My answer begins: Although I know the Realms is intended as “a place to play,” and therefore should be something of a haven from the unpleasantnesses of real life, so we can hold on to elements in it we love and hold most precious, even in the Realms everything changes. I hate changing anything in the published Realms before I finish the (admittedly endless) task of detailing every corner of it (we still aren’t really off the first continent, are we?), but the alternative is static boredom . . . dust settling on statues in silence. Everything changes; eventually, everyone (even deities, as they are conceived of in the Realms, with power tied to worshippers) dies. So with that said, my "answer direct" to you becomes another question: In real life, and in the Realms, do you NOT fall in love with someone, or befriend them, or work with them on something that interests you both and that you can both be proud of, because someday both of you will die? I don’t think so. Despite yourself, even if you know we’re all rushing to oblivion, you do it anyway. In the end, that’s what “living” is all about. We know we’re all doomed (as the song goes: “We’re here for a good time/Not a long time”), but we go ahead and love, laugh, climb mountains, read books, and fall in love with the Realms anyway. At least I did. :} If it helps you decide, I intend to go on exploring the Realms, bringing us all more detail. Some of it in the “now” Realms, and some of it in the “new” Realms. I strongly suspect the published Realms will shortly become “new Realms only” in terms of the time-setting of products - - and that many fans may step back from that new Realms. That’s an individual choice I certainly don’t want to try to (further than by setting forth my views here) influence for everyone. It’s going to have to be your call. I hope you’ll join with Xysma and others in “clinging to the merest sliver of hope that Ed, Eric, and the rest can salvage what at first glance is going to be a nightmare for those of us who love the Realms so dearly,” and therefore at least give the new Realms a look. I’m going to go right on exploring the Realms, and if that means finding some way to paint in bits of the “Lost Years” in the time-jump, I’ll try to find some way to do that. We MIGHT end up with a Realms of the novels that’s far “ahead in time” of where you or other gamers might be roleplaying, and therefore not conflicting much with your unfolding play. Lovely smell over here, steak sizzling over there, so to speak. I KNOW it hurts when you’ve come to love and cherish a fictional place and characters, that you can enjoy in your imagination, and someone goes and stomps on what you hold precious. Yet what lies your imagination can be only be hurt if you let it be. In the Realms, this has all happened before; the Mystra you loved that scene about is Mystra Number 2 (Number 3 if you count Mystryl). The Realms you love grew out of previous planet-shaking debacles. and you may come to like the post-Spellplague Realms. Or not. I understand and respect both your love for the Realms, and that you feel the way you do right now. Kuje expressed his dismay early on in this, and many other scribes have cried out between him and you; I understand and sympathize with all of your misgivings and raw emotions. I went through the same thing at a secret summit meeting at GenCon some years ago; believe me, heavy-hitter novelists and game designers who love the Realms have argued about this “change” over and over heatedly. There’s always a strong streak in gamers and game designers of what I said onstage at the Killer Breakfast this year, when Tracy asked me what my character was going to do, and I replied: “Being a game designer, I go for the bright shiny object.” We always feel the lure of what’s exciting and new. Yet I deliberately left the ever-busier city where I grew up (“home”) to go and live in the country, to try to cling to some of the good things of the past that were slipping away in the big city. So I’m going through this struggle, too. Lose Syluné? Hell, lose ALL the human NPCs I spent forty years bringing to life? This had BETTER be good! Wizards of the Coast obviously believes it will be. I’m going to do my best to help them make it so. I hope Candlekeep continues to be the friendly forum of fellow Realms-lovers that it has always been, as we all go through this together. If you don’t want to move to the “new” Realms, that doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with either you or the “old” Realms. Goodness knows Candlekeep, and the hearts of its scribes, are both big enough to accommodate both. If we want them to be. (Strikes dramatic pose, raises sword to gleam in the sunset, and hopes breeches won’t fall down.) Enough for now. The Realms lives! I have spoken! Ale and light wines half price, served by a smiling Storm Silverhand fetchingly clad in thigh-high boots and naught else! Ahem . . .
So saith Ed. <snip> love to all, THO
I'd like to thank Ed for taking the time to respond to the situation and to THO, of course, for bringing this to us
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Alaundo Candlekeep Forums Head Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
An Introduction to Candlekeep - by Ed Greenwood The Candlekeep Compendium - Tomes of Realmslore penned by Scribes of Candlekeep
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Mumadar Ibn Huzal
Master of Realmslore
1338 Posts |
Posted - 17 Sep 2007 : 14:20:46
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Thanks Alaunod for posting this here.
It is humbling in a way to read Ed's response to us here at the keep. Indeed when our emotions run high because of what will happen to 'OUR' Realms, did anyone think of how the man himself feels? After all, he did create this world we're all sharing in... If anyone would have a right to be upet, it'll be Ed of the Greenwood. Yet he, like a famous scribe down-under, take the approach that sees the tallglas of Zzar still filled up halfway and looking forward to that remaining half, never knowing when or if the refill will come. |
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JEThetford
Acolyte
USA
44 Posts |
Posted - 17 Sep 2007 : 22:58:09
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Thanks Ed (and Alaundo and Tho). I hope this helps everyone take a deep breath, clear their minds, and begin making the Realms better and more glorious than before!
I'll take that half price Ale and a shot at making Storm blush a bit...or I can keep me 'ead and drink a second pint and dream. :) |
The only good Drow, is a dead Drow.
Aaomas Balkrim, Drow Hunter
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 17 Sep 2007 : 23:49:05
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I agree that making Ed's words a sticky was a great idea. |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams." --Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
Edited by - Rinonalyrna Fathomlin on 17 Sep 2007 23:49:23 |
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Erik Scott de Bie
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
4598 Posts |
Posted - 17 Sep 2007 : 23:50:31
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quote: Originally posted by JEThetford
Thanks Ed (and Alaundo and Tho). I hope this helps everyone take a deep breath, clear their minds, and begin making the Realms better and more glorious than before!
True that, Jeff--true that.
I understand how much people love this setting. So do I--clearly. It'd take a lot to change that--more than a few rumors and speculation.
Things change. Things *have* to change, for the setting to stay alive. I'm ok with that.
"Wait and see" is my motto.
And if Ed's in on it, as we know he is, I'm staying confident.
quote: I'll take that half price Ale and a shot at making Storm blush a bit...or I can keep me 'ead and drink a second pint and dream. :)
And true that, too.
Cheers |
Erik Scott de Bie
'Tis easier to destroy than to create.
Author of a number of Realms novels (GHOSTWALKER, DEPTHS OF MADNESS, and the SHADOWBANE series), contributor to the NEVERWINTER CAMPAIGN GUIDE and SHADOWFELL: GLOOMWROUGHT AND BEYOND, Twitch DM of the Dungeon Scrawlers, currently playing "The Westgate Irregulars" |
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Marquant Volker
Learned Scribe
Greece
273 Posts |
Posted - 18 Sep 2007 : 00:07:15
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Amazing post.
Thank you |
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Victor_ograygor
Master of Realmslore
Denmark
1075 Posts |
Posted - 18 Sep 2007 : 00:18:49
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Thanks Alaunod for posting this here thanks fore and thanks fore giving us this information, the hooded one.
Many of the same things coming up now were the same things that we talked about in 3 edition
I am maybe the first to say that I think you have gone too far Ed, these changes are more devastating then those made in 3 edition.
Vic
Ps I like changes but I don’t like changing Forgotten Realms into a Dragon Lance ore a strange kind of Ebberon. Forgotten Realms has its special side and events and those a taken from Forgotten Realms every time those “Pirates” wants to make something special out of Forgotten Realms just to get some more coins.
I really miss the old 2 edition books without strange prestige class’s ore events (modules) that haven’t anything to do with Forgotten Reams.
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Victor Ograygor The Assassin and Candel keeps cellar master
Everything I need to know about life I learned from killing smart people.
Links related to Forgotten Realms http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=9571
Adventuring / Mercenary Companies / Orders / The chosen from official sources http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=11047
Priests in Forgotten Realms. http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=9609&whichpage=1 |
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Wandering_mage
Senior Scribe
688 Posts |
Posted - 18 Sep 2007 : 00:31:55
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Trust in Ed! Here here! I am confident that no matter what all will be well. Forgotten Realms has been the leading campaign setting for a reason. That is thanks to Ed and his helpers. |
Illum The Wandering Mage |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 18 Sep 2007 : 05:24:33
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Thanks for this thread, its helps a great deal.
quote: Originally posted by Victor_ograygor
I am maybe the first to say that I think you have gone too far Ed, these changes are more devastating then those made in 3 edition.
I just want to point out that Ed didn't make the changes, WotC did, and Ed just said he wished they hadn't, and he too is 'nervous' about the future realms.
Don't blame the man who created that which we love, he's obviously on our side.
But he has hope, as do I.
They had better amaze us, and if not, oh well. My 1e, 2e, and 3e books aren't about to 'self destruct' anytime soon. |
"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 18 Sep 2007 05:25:19 |
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Victor_ograygor
Master of Realmslore
Denmark
1075 Posts |
Posted - 18 Sep 2007 : 07:05:33
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He is still working with them and is one the same team, but yes he didn’t “alone” make the changes.
I am sorry I am not trying to offend anybody, bud I think its time to draw the line, and one last thing I cant imagine any explanation that could satisfy me concerning the destruction of "all" the goods in FR. Ps: A man working on a pirate ship is either a slave ore a pirate
And a slave usually doesn’t have anything to say…
Vic.
We all have our right to an opinion – This is mine and many others on the net!
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Victor Ograygor The Assassin and Candel keeps cellar master
Everything I need to know about life I learned from killing smart people.
Links related to Forgotten Realms http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=9571
Adventuring / Mercenary Companies / Orders / The chosen from official sources http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=11047
Priests in Forgotten Realms. http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=9609&whichpage=1 |
Edited by - Victor_ograygor on 18 Sep 2007 07:06:58 |
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Jorkens
Great Reader
Norway
2950 Posts |
Posted - 18 Sep 2007 : 07:32:11
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A bit over the line with those comparisons Vic, but that's your choice. Ed's doing what he can best, keep the Realms together. Without him, this would look much, much darker. at least to me. With Ed on board I am at least curious to what his take on this situation is. |
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Alaundo
Head Moderator
United Kingdom
5695 Posts |
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Victor_ograygor
Master of Realmslore
Denmark
1075 Posts |
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Daviot
Senior Scribe
USA
372 Posts |
Posted - 18 Sep 2007 : 10:28:13
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Again, props to you Alaundo, for extracting and stickying this particular reply; it's been one of the most important Ed/THO replies of the year. Rather amazing what all he does when one considers how long everyone's favorite prophetic seer has been dead and in the dirt. |
One usually has far more to fear from the soft-spoken wizard with a blade and well-worn boots than from the boisterous one in the ivory tower. My Tabletop Writing CV. |
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Alisttair
Great Reader
Canada
3054 Posts |
Posted - 18 Sep 2007 : 13:43:53
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For the realms to stay active and dish out new products, it has to follow suit and go to 4E and have changes...else it ceases to be a "D&D" setting. |
Karsite Arcanar (Most Holy Servant of Karsus)
Anauria - Survivor State of Netheril as penned by me: http://www.dmsguild.com/m/product/172023 |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36798 Posts |
Posted - 18 Sep 2007 : 14:12:40
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quote: Originally posted by Alaundo
Well met
Hmmmm, that's two scribes who called me "Alaunod" in this thread. Now, what punishment can I devise?
Oh, take it easy, Big Nod. |
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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Alaundo
Head Moderator
United Kingdom
5695 Posts |
Posted - 18 Sep 2007 : 15:06:11
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quote: Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote: Originally posted by Alaundo
Well met
Hmmmm, that's two scribes who called me "Alaunod" in this thread. Now, what punishment can I devise?
Oh, take it easy, Big Nod.
Why I oughta...!! Don't ye have work be getting on with Matted Furry One? |
Alaundo Candlekeep Forums Head Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
An Introduction to Candlekeep - by Ed Greenwood The Candlekeep Compendium - Tomes of Realmslore penned by Scribes of Candlekeep
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Blueblade
Senior Scribe
USA
804 Posts |
Posted - 18 Sep 2007 : 15:44:34
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Victor, no offense, but I'm guessing you don't understand the situattion with Ed and Wizards of the Coast. Just like all the posters on the WotC boards who rag Ed for doing Elminster novels, and don't seem to "get it" that he's a freelancer, who only gets to do what he's assigned, or is approved (in other words, Wizards staffers decide, and he carries out). Simply put, Ed is a gamer like me or you. If he didn't stay onboard with the Realms, for "damage control," he'd have just as much direct influence on the published Realms products as you or I do, when we post comments and complaints here at Candlekeep. So his choices are to walk away or badmouth what's happening now (both of which would harm the Realms), or stay at work on what he's loved and worked on for forty years, and try to make it (and keep it) as good as possible, for us all. You seem to be believing that Ed has the power to make specific choices about, say, the bit at the end of Grand History with gods fighting and killing each other. Yet THO has posted that Ed hasn't even seen the printed Grand History book yet! All Ed can do is suggest things to staff designers and novelists, offer to help by providing them with his lore files or doing on-the-spot creative work for them, and "steer" the Realms in that way. He did not want this setting reboot, or decide on ANYTHING to do with it. All he could do was suggest and cajole and try to steer, like an anxious passenger in a car who thinks the driver is going too fast; he can't grab the wheel without wrecking everything. Please note: I'm not trying to be rude to you or attack you or anything of the sort. I just think you've got it wrong, and your pirate ship "you're part of the solution or the problem" argument for blaming Ed for this is just wrong when applied to this situation. So if pirates are getting rich by selling food they've plundered, you and I would be part of the problem because we have to eat or die, and therefore we're helping the pirates and directing them? Don't think so. Remember, most of the Wizards personnel have changed since the good old days of TSR; very few who are left have years of friendship with Ed, or feel that they "owe" him anything for favors done in the past. And they DO work in a company that protects its intellectual porperty and therefore doesn't share advance "secrets" with non-staffers (like you, me, or Ed). Ed has posted that a lot of them don't even know about the conditions of the Realms agreement, and that he's constantly "not being told" about stuff until it's published. I tend to believe people until I have evidence otherwise, so if Ed says this is what is happening, it probably is. So Ed is NOT "part of" this change. He's trying, as far as I can see, to be part of smoothing it over and keeping the Realms sailing. THO, can you confirm any of this? Again, I don't want to come across as slamming another scribe; I just think we should all clearly understand the situation here, to cut down on mistaken opinions and words better left unsaid. Thanks. Blueblade |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 18 Sep 2007 : 15:51:05
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And here's that very confirmation you asked for, Blueblade. Folks, Blueblade has said it EXACTLY right here. As far as I understand (and I've had extensive dealings with TSR and now WotC, on an in-the-publishing-industry level), Blueblade has stated the situation correctly. Ed knew that this big change to the Realms was planned, beforehand, but almost none of its specific details. These are NOT "his" changes. He's trying to find out more just as anxiously as any of us. Unlike us, he can try to use what little influence he has to be part of these changes, to try to (as Blueblade correctly puts it) "steer" the Realms - - but, yes, it's from a passenger seat, not the driver's seat. Right now, Ed is busy trying to get the last Knights novel written, not fiendishly planning ANY changes to the Realms. love to all, THO |
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Warrax
Learned Scribe
Canada
128 Posts |
Posted - 18 Sep 2007 : 15:55:42
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It's OK, THO; we've got Ed here and since he's been kind enough to answer our various questions, we can preserve the Realms as close to what they should be in our own campaigns instead of following what WotC/Hasbro does to the setting we love so much!
:D
Thanks to you and Ed both for giving us that ability! |
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Dewaint
Learned Scribe
Germany
148 Posts |
Posted - 18 Sep 2007 : 21:53:46
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Thanks a lot Alaundo, each time i stumble over this board (in the last days it's quite often ...) i read and re-read Ed's lines and i am now a bit more confident about the "new" Realms. It is not easy to see something you have learned to appreciate and love for about 20 years to drastically(as it seems) change. It will be different but maybe i will find this magic again. At least now i will try. Not for the 4e ... but for the wounderfull campaign setting called Forgotten Realms |
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Victor_ograygor
Master of Realmslore
Denmark
1075 Posts |
Posted - 18 Sep 2007 : 22:30:58
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No offences taken and no new things did I learn after reading your text. You have your opinion and I, and many more have ours.
First if you can see what’s happened in the realms after all the new things that are going to happen in 4 edition, and tell me that damage reduction has been a factor – I don’t agree… The Realms with the 4 edition changes are absolutely ruined…
Plz post this to Ed The Hooded One
Ed I hope that we one day are going to here your personally wives on the changes on Forgotten Realms, and not only that we have to take it easy and see what happens. Sorry if I offend you with my Pirate ship terrorises but these changes are absolutely ridicules. I have been a gamer since some of the first FR material came out and our group now (oldies) still gather and play FR, and we all agree that these changes a really not you at all. I really feel that a line should be drawn here, from both gamers and designers.
I am sorry to say that I (we) are not going to buy these 4 ed changes and I hope and think that many other gamers are going to follow these foot steps.
Ps: A man working on a pirate ship is either a slave ore a pirate And a slave usually doesn’t have anything to say…
Vic
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Victor Ograygor The Assassin and Candel keeps cellar master
Everything I need to know about life I learned from killing smart people.
Links related to Forgotten Realms http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=9571
Adventuring / Mercenary Companies / Orders / The chosen from official sources http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=11047
Priests in Forgotten Realms. http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=9609&whichpage=1 |
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Wandering_mage
Senior Scribe
688 Posts |
Posted - 19 Sep 2007 : 00:17:45
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I respect your view point Victor but Ed really doesn't need the pirate ship line. He is a proven entertainer that works hard to keep a campaign setting running and staying true to his fans. He is trying to do that last part now. We have yet to be exposed to all that has been hinted at. Give it time. Ed has worked magic with the Realms throughout his life, and I think the wily wizard still has some magic in him. Just a suggestion. |
Illum The Wandering Mage |
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 19 Sep 2007 : 01:28:59
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Remember, Vic, Ed is a freelancer, not a WotC employee. He didn't mastermind the changes, and in some cases he's not even privy to them! I don't like the 4E setting changes either--not one of them, as far as I've seen yet--but I while I understand your need to vent I do think that your pirate analogy is "off".
PS: Alaundo: it's The ORC King, not The ORK King. This isn't Warhammer 40000. |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams." --Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 19 Sep 2007 : 01:48:38
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Victor, I sent your message to Ed, and have received a reply, which I'm posting in the Questions to Ed Greenwood thread. love, THO |
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Dalor Darden
Great Reader
USA
4211 Posts |
Posted - 19 Sep 2007 : 03:21:25
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At first I have to say that I wasn't happy with what I saw happening to the Forgotten Realms...but I've changed my mind completely.
What do we do when we find new "history" of the Realms? Clap our hands, simply because it won't really have any bearing on the game we are currently running.
But imagine we were given the Realms when it was in its earlier stages, say around the time of the founding of Dale Reckoning...what would we have said if later they (being the owners) decided to advance the years to say the time of Elminster moving to Shadowdale. Many would have been saying things like: "Who is this miscreant Elminster!? Gosh, just when I thought MY wizard was supposed to be the most powerful in the Realms!"
Many DMs are saying right this second: "My Realms are getting all messed up and my game is going to be ruined!" Well, what do the players say when that same DM sends an army of evil against the Wizard's tower? He can't defend himself and has to flee, his life's work destroyed...he has to adapt and move on.
I've only decided to consider that the GREAT DMs of WoTC have made my game change as a DM and as a player. Sure, things might not be going the way I want them to EXACTLY...but at least it is still going! The wondrous Forgotten Realms are just that: a place of adventure and excitement because of Kingdoms and Nations...even whole peoples vanishing from the face of Faerun.
With the coming of 4e, imagine playing an Elven Character now (for instance). You will REALLY be able to feel the loss that these people feel when they walk the land. You as the player will be able to know what it is like to walk in a Kingdom that was once vibrant but now fallen and know that grief. Many of us have played in the Forgotten Realms since its beginning...some even before it was published. Imagine the sense of near immortality you can feel when so close to a world that has endured decades of history and you the player still stands and looks on as the time of the world passes by and things come and go.
The news of a seemingly "new" Forgotten Realms for me is exciting news now that I have been able to explore the implications of what is to come. While I probably still won't play an Elf (I'm too much the lover of Dwarves and Humans)...it will be a great opportunity for me and my players (whether they agree with me or not is yet to be seen! LOL). |
The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me! |
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Purple Dragon Knight
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1796 Posts |
Posted - 19 Sep 2007 : 05:33:32
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quote: Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
PS: Alaundo: it's The ORC King, not The ORK King. This isn't Warhammer 40000.
Not yet, no... not yet... |
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Purple Dragon Knight
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1796 Posts |
Posted - 19 Sep 2007 : 05:38:18
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quote: Originally posted by dalor_darden
With the coming of 4e, imagine playing an Elven Character now (for instance). You will REALLY be able to feel the loss that these people feel when they walk the land. You as the player will be able to know what it is like to walk in a Kingdom that was once vibrant but now fallen and know that grief.
Pick your elf subrace carefully man: I hear not all subraces will survive to 4E. So... even playing an elf... you might not get that "immortal/highlander" feeling you're expecting (although you 'could' get a decent "Weekend at Bernie's" feel though...) |
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Jorkens
Great Reader
Norway
2950 Posts |
Posted - 19 Sep 2007 : 07:30:15
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quote: Originally posted by Purple Dragon Knight although you 'could' get a decent "Weekend at Bernie's" feel though...
Great, just as I thought I was in a nice negative mood, you had to make it all sound positive again. What would be the prestige class for Bernie I wonder |
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Victor_ograygor
Master of Realmslore
Denmark
1075 Posts |
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Swordsage
Learned Scribe
149 Posts |
Posted - 19 Sep 2007 : 09:06:46
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Ed Greenwood always makes me feel happier about the Realms no matter what is happening to them.
The Swordsage
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