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T O P I C    R E V I E W
Derulbaskul Posted - 27 Sep 2013 : 15:51:08
Now that 13th Age is well and truly published in both hardcover and PDF form, I was wondering if anyone is using it or planning to use it to run the Realms?

If so, how are you planning to handle Icons? Will they be deities? Groups or factions? Various chosen?
30   L A T E S T    R E P L I E S    (Newest First)
Diffan Posted - 08 Feb 2020 : 14:12:31
quote:
Originally posted by Derulbaskul

Now that 13th Age is well and truly published in both hardcover and PDF form, I was wondering if anyone is using it or planning to use it to run the Realms?

If so, how are you planning to handle Icons? Will they be deities? Groups or factions? Various chosen?



So I FINALLY got my hands on the 13th Age Core Rulebook and....wow I'm such a dummy for not checking this out in-depth sooner. It really does a LOT of things I wished 4E did (and 5E for that matter) and now I'm going to delve fully into the supplements and core design. But with my knowledge expanded on the elements of the setting/book/lore I think I can better answer the question here:

Icons in the 13A setting take place for various NPCs that are sort of movers and shakers of the area. The area in-itself is relatively small if we're looking at the map in the book. While it doesn't give a distance marker in the Key, one might assume it's not terribly huge in terms of the world.

So to switch it over to the Realms, a setting with LOADS of high/epic level NPCs one has to be more forgiving in terms of how familiar a Player Character is going to get with their respective Icon. So for me, I'd think of Icons as more Organizations than singular entities. Also, I certainly think the concept can and should change depending on the region you're in. For example I tend to think of the "Crusader" in 13A as a tyrant and thus, the Zhentarim works really well for his goals. What if the area doesn't really have that large (or any) Zhent presence? You should be able to swap what's more available in that area to suit your needs.

So here it goes:

Archmage: To me, this has to be an organization in the Realms, probably the Arcane Brotherhood works well, especially in the Western Heartlands and Sword Coast. Other alternatives, The Moonstars and the Harpers.

Crusader: Like I said, the Zhentarim works really well here. They also span significant areas of the Realms and can be found in a lot of places pushing their tyranny.

Diabolist: Devils and those of the occult are known in the Realms, probably worshipers of Asmodeus

Dwarf King: This, for me, would be mostly regional and go towards the largest dwarf settlement. Or maybe even just the Dwarf Pantheon.

Elf Queen: I've seen the suggestion that Queen Amlaruil works well here and I agree. If there's a chance that the PCs are in/around Myth Drannor (pre events of the Herald) then I'd also suggest Coronal Ilsevele Miritar.

Emperor: This guy rules the last Human kingdom of the Dragon Empire, and to keep it pretty close I'd say this fits exactly with the nation of Cormyr and the Purple Dragons. Other organizations might be the Lords Alliance along the Sword Coast.

Great Gold Wyrm: This is similar to Bahamut of D&D lore but, I think the analogy is too boring (and not as broad, especially in FR). I'd suggest the Order of the Gauntlet or the Triad (Bahamut, Torm, Ilmater - or Tyr). One could also easily supplant the great gold wyrm with Bahamut and call it a day.

High Druid: Going along with organizations, I think the Emerald Enclave works well here as they're spreading pretty far throughout Faerûn. Other suggestions here was Turlang and that works well too. As does Silvanus as a deity.

Lich King: This, to me, basically writes itself in the Realms as either Szass Tam (because he's literally got plans everywhere), Asperus the king in Copper of the Moonsea region, or Larloch of the Sword Coast. You could also play this up as a church to Velsharoon or worshippers of the Crown of Thorns, OR even Acererak as he's now FR canon.

Orc Lord: The Kingdom of Obould works well here, in The North and the Western Heartlands. Otherwise, I'd just use the Worshiping of Gruumsh.

Priestess: This is, for me, the hardest one to do. FR has LOTS of priestesses and many of them are high level. This doesn't pertain to any one singular deity but to a worship of all of them. I think, at best, this one translates well to the Worship of Mystra or the Seven Sisters or even a connection of the Weave.

Prince of Shadows: For these guys, I'd say anyone tapped into the Shadow Weave, anyone who follows Shar, allies of Netheril and the Princes of Shade, or even those who are apart of the Shadow Thieves of Amn or the Telflamm Shadowlords.

The Three: In 13A, these are three large dragons of chaotic (and evil) desires. In the Realms there's no lack of such evil doers but to make the connection more unique, the Cult of the Dragon works well, as does Tiamat-cultists.

So who else has done 13th Age using the Forgotten Realms? How did it work out? Any suggestions for those who are looking to merge the two together?
Derulbaskul Posted - 21 Jan 2014 : 11:35:49
@Markustay: Thanks also for the link. I'll check that out.

@Dark Wizard: I would never run 4E without minis. I know I could but I find the (minis + grid + tactics + set-piece combat) combination one of the real attractions of the ruleset (and I am also conscious the same thing turns others off).

And I also think that 4E is the best version of D&D yet published. However, I don't do edition wars and I can say genuinely nice things about every edition and mean every word I say. Life is too short to do edition wars... and there is too much you can steal from the other editions to simply dismiss them entirely.

But my dependence on 4E's electronic tools means I don't feel the same urge to tinker with 4E as I do with other editions. 13th Age is different in that respect: it's made to be tinkered with. Damn, I really have to get a game going....
Dark Wizard Posted - 20 Jan 2014 : 23:30:12
Thanks for the link, Markus. I'm more tied into G+. Unfortunately, the Forgotten Realms Community there is small and not very active. However, the communities for other settings and games are fantastic.

As for mini-less 4E. I'm sure that's fine, as 3E is nice with minis but doesn't need them. I've talked to players who think 4E is the best rendition of D&D, nay, RPGs evah!

Many more will point out lots of important (tactically relevant, else some powers get wonky) details are lost if no minis are used. I have limited experience with the system, but I've see much more of the latter discussion than the former, and that's from people who played 4E for several years exclusively when it first came out (and play 4E less often now).

Not going to knock 4E fans, but one has to question how much of it is hand-waved and house-ruled based on their own style and experiences (just like any system really).

I've seen the 4E skill challenges adapted for 3E/Pathfinder in a professionally published source. So really, what's to separate that determination of 4E has good and slick rules, 3E/PF has bad and clunky rules (a common criticism of 3E/PF by 4E fans). Nothing really.

Despite my extensive collection of 3E and PF stuff, the only games I'm playing are 2E. With some houserules, older systems trounce newer systems in terms of ease of play. That's the whole point of the OSR's revamp of older rules sets. There are a lot of people who will balk at THAC0 or attack matrices and tables. There are people who think feats ruined the game and others who feel Powers ruined the game. Some can't imagine playing without Powers and wonder why anyone would stick with the archaic systems of older edition D&D.
Markustay Posted - 20 Jan 2014 : 17:17:12
You know whats weird? On other sites (see below) I have seen that some 4e players do not use the minis, and are even a little miffed about the belief that you HAVE TO use them in 4e. Apparently, a fair number of folks have been playing the game without them. One guy (a 4e fan) completely blamed 4e's lack of true success on the poor way the rule books were written - that because combat ALWAYS used minis in the examples, people assumed you had to use them. He also said that they used an unnecessary amount of new terminology, which turned everyone off. He went on to say that D&Dnext looks like 4e with a lot of the old terminology being used again, which he likes. Now, I am not saying thats either here-nor-there, knowing very little about either system, but I find it interesting because it was a post by a 4e player who really likes the system, who points-out its faults; we don't see that very often (so I can take him at his word).

quote:
Originally posted by Dark Wizard

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

Right after this thread came around, I started seeing some threads popping up on other sites, and some interesting discussion. Until then I had no interest, but now I'll be looking into this system.



Maybe I ask what other sites? Reason I ask is I'm trying to delve into 13th Age myself.
It was on social media (Facebook) - I belong to several gamer groups there. Here's the page - Tabletop Roleplaying Games, but you'll have to scroll-down a bit to find it (no search feature or way to link directly on FB). It was a post by someone named Caoimhe Snow.

I've seen it mentioned elsewhere, but can't recall where - I am all over the place when I am 'surfing'. Its just that I've seen the name pop-up several times now, which sparked my interest. Thats a good group to belong to, BTW - mostly well-behaved, with lots of great input and ideas.
Derulbaskul Posted - 20 Jan 2014 : 16:34:22
The Google Plus group is full of really decent people and a fair bit of content is being posted (although not FR).

@Markustay: I'm still addicted to 4E but I would go with 13th Age if I wanted something lighter and mini-free. It has so much potential.
Dark Wizard Posted - 19 Jan 2014 : 04:38:41
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

Right after this thread came around, I started seeing some threads popping up on other sites, and some interesting discussion. Until then I had no interest, but now I'll be looking into this system.



Maybe I ask what other sites? Reason I ask is I'm trying to delve into 13th Age myself.
Markustay Posted - 18 Jan 2014 : 17:59:53
Right after this thread came around, I started seeing some threads popping up on other sites, and some interesting discussion. Until then I had no interest, but now I'll be looking into this system.
Derulbaskul Posted - 18 Jan 2014 : 05:52:48
Yeah, I wanted to be Scrivener of Doom here also but the sign-up process got screwed up and I simply couldn't get it to work.

Anyway, Derulbaskul was my first BBEG. He was a 1E "prismatic lich". In order to be defeated you had to first cast the same seven spells in the correct order that would bring down a prismatic sphere. What can I say? I was 12 at the time. ;)
Dark Wizard Posted - 17 Jan 2014 : 20:28:48
quote:
Originally posted by Derulbaskul

quote:
Originally posted by Dark Wizard(snip) Not so coincidentally, he used the same quote from Paul Kemp as a premise starter. A good blurb is a good blurb.



No, that's not a coincidence as this thread largely spawned those posts. :)



"Oh, hi, ScrivenerOfDoom" ::jolly wave::

Didn't make the connection until now. Was sort of hoping we had more people trying FR with 13th Age and sharing their experiences and adaptations.

Either way, any discussion gets the ball rolling and you've put quite a bit of work into your blog. Very nice.
Derulbaskul Posted - 17 Jan 2014 : 16:24:37
I've posted a brief and very rough outline of a campaign arc for 13th Age.

And I stress that it really is an outline.

http://my-realms.blogspot.com/2014/01/age-of-upheaval-3-campaign-arc-first.html
Derulbaskul Posted - 16 Jan 2014 : 05:53:06
quote:
Originally posted by Dark Wizard

Thanks, Steven. If you get a chance to play or GM in the Realms using 13th Age, please drop in to tell us how you adapted the rules to the setting. I would be very interested in hearing your thoughts.



I would love to read Steven's input as well.

Frankly, if Ed wasn't so busy I would love to ask him how he feels about it. I can imagine it's the sort of game that would suit how I think he and his group runs their games.

Who knows? Maybe Ed, THO, et al will drop 2E for 13th Age? :)
Derulbaskul Posted - 16 Jan 2014 : 05:38:07
quote:
Originally posted by Dark Wizard(snip) Not so coincidentally, he used the same quote from Paul Kemp as a premise starter. A good blurb is a good blurb.



No, that's not a coincidence as this thread largely spawned those posts. :)
Dark Wizard Posted - 14 Jan 2014 : 21:41:17
Thanks, Steven. If you get a chance to play or GM in the Realms using 13th Age, please drop in to tell us how you adapted the rules to the setting. I would be very interested in hearing your thoughts.
Steven Schend Posted - 14 Jan 2014 : 00:07:06
Just had to pop in and say great work to Dark Wizard. Marvelous run-down and ideas on the Icons and the whys and wherefores of them. As little as I've worked through 13th Age, this all sounds great to me!

Steven
Dark Wizard Posted - 12 Jan 2014 : 18:04:33
ScrivenerofDoom (I believe he visits the Wotc FR forums) already has a jump start on an "Age of Upheaval" campaign posted on his blog.

Part 1 Intro: http://my-realms.blogspot.com/2014/01/age-of-upheaval-1-introduction-fr-13th.html

Part 2 Icons: http://my-realms.blogspot.com/2014/01/age-of-upheaval-2-icons-of-realms-fr.html

Not so coincidentally, he used the same quote from Paul Kemp as a premise starter. A good blurb is a good blurb.
Derulbaskul Posted - 12 Jan 2014 : 07:50:07
Thanks. I've been catching up on those discussions.

As I was thinking about a 13th Age version of the Realms, I came across this quote by Paul S Kemp:

quote:
The gods know that Lord Ao will rewrite the Tablets of Fate at or near the end of The Sundering, and many of Faerun’s powerful know that as well, or speculate that it might be so, or least know that something is afoot. They do not, however, know what that might mean for them. As a result, lots of forces are put in motion during this time: armies, Chosen of the Gods, powerful clerics and archmages, all of them trying to figure out what is going on and how best they can weather it and/or turn it to their advantage, etc.


The Age of Upheaval, and particularly the end of the Age of Upheaval, seems perfect for an 13th Age-based Forgotten Realms campaign. We've seen in the two published Sundering adventures that there are new Chosen and it feels like the deities are jockeying for position so that when the Tablets of Fate are rewritten they will receive a boost to their power and status. In such a context, too, the deities themselves are rather suitable as Icons and each PC would need to have at least one positive or conflicted Icon relationship with a deity and at least one negative Icon relationship with a deity. There wouldn't be much need for a plot: start them in Waterdeep and see what the Icon dice reveal!

And you could even call the campaign "Age of Upheaval" in a nod both to the FR lore and the 13th Age game.

Hmmm....
Dark Wizard Posted - 10 Jan 2014 : 04:37:08
There are some discussions or articles on how Icons come into effect on the Pelgrane site and forums, but you may have to dig back a little to the playtest days.

The backgrounds as skills is a versatile concept. It's interesting to see it applied now to a D&D-like game since Jonathan Tweet implemented (and probably pioneered) versions of the freeform skills concept way back in the early 90s for games like Over the Edge. I wonder why some form of it wasn't originally used for 3E seeing as Tweet was one of the trio of lead designers for the system. Perhaps the directive was to hew closer to the prior D&D editions.
Derulbaskul Posted - 09 Jan 2014 : 03:24:09
Thanks for an on-topic reply, Dark Wizard, and for your great ideas.

The Icons give me the most problems in terms of trying to work out how they fit into the whole scheme of things. It's easy enough to simply make certain NPCs and organisations into Icons - and I love your write-ups, Dark Wizard :) - but I still wonder about how I would make them work in play. I am probably overthinking it and, no doubt, I will read someone's actual play write-up soon and it will all click. It just hasn't clicked yet.

I really love the concept of backgrounds and this is where the well-detailed Realms is a perfect match for 13th Age. It makes skills so much more interesting and flavoursome - much better both from a crunch and fluff perspective than simply choosing from a list of skills (and a list that is typically limited by class).
Jeremy Grenemyer Posted - 08 Jan 2014 : 07:04:19
Never played 13th Age, but after reading Dark Wizard's posts I'm certainly open to giving it a try if the chance comes up.
Dark Wizard Posted - 08 Jan 2014 : 06:10:33
Indeed, continuing thoughts on Realms Icons.

Using the 3E era Realms I would short list the following as Icons of the Realms with the intent of treating them as "universal" setting-wide Icons, rather than more regional Icons. Overall I tried to avoid actual deities (as both 13th Age and Midgard have avoided) or most of the traditional Chosen, given their unusual roles in the setting.

There are a multitude of rulers, archmages, mega-liches, and clergy leaders to choose from. With some archetypes lacking an equivalent in the Realms, I choose a best fit group or figure with explanation. I held the obvious 'Icon-ability' of Realms figures or groups above their suitability as a direct match to an existing 13th Age Icons (as the Midgard Icons played loose with the direct matching). Also, I gave an attempt to spread the Icon allotment out amongst the different alignments.

The Lords of Waterdeep: Few cities are as indicative of the Realms as the setting's preeminent city and a hallmark of Waterdeep is its council of masked rulers. The city is a setting unto itself, but even then, the city's reach of trade is long and its influence relatively widespread. Plus the Lords have a board game themed around them. The Lords of Waterdeep also stand in for the machinations of the Khelben, Laeral, and the Moonstars.

King Azoun IV (or later the Steel Regent Alusair): After the events of the the Tuigan Horde, Azoun had expended and reacquired a considerable amount of political capital and fame. He is the leader of one of the most stable longstanding kingdoms in the Realms, and is a central figureheads for law and order, but also good. After his death, Alusair is a capable successor for the role.

Queen Amlaruil: The archetypal Elf Queen. Though she is aloof and isolated in Evermeet, she has agents promoting the elven agenda throughout the Realms. She is technically/nominally the ruler of all the elves. She is also the chosen of the Seldarine, making her something of a proxy or demigod, right at the boundary between mortal and deity.

The Black Network: As opposed to Manshoon or Fzoul since leadership is shared, split, or exchanged between them at various times. The one constant through the different renditions of the Realms is the Zhentarim itself in one form or another.

The Princes of Shade: Though we could easily single out Telamont Thanthul. Love them or hate them, there's no denying the Shades are striving to be a major power in the setting (with the capability to accomplish that goal) and the princes are suitable iconic faces for the Shadovar.

Sammaster: He IS the Cult of the Dragon and through the cult, he is everywhere. Cult leaders have the proper cult of personality for Iconhood. Plus he holds great personal power and finds a way to return every time he's destroyed. He's been a mainstay villain of the setting since the beginning.

Szass Tam: The Red Wizards are a logical choice, but they're still an unwieldy and disparate lot. Tam, on the other hand, is the most powerful Zulkir and supposed true ruler of Thay and thus the de facto leader of the Red Wizards (whether the other Zulkirs realize or admit it). Stately and surprisingly cordial, he is also the only overt lich to rule a powerful nation. There are liches more powerful than Tam, such as Larloch, Aumvor, and Ioulaum, but they are withdrawn and unknown to most of the world. Others like Shoon VII and the Twisted Rune prefer working from the shadows or have still yet to make their presence known to the wider world.

The Magister: Ideally Azuth is the Archmage Icon role, but we're drawing the line between icons and deities. The various chosen could work, some better than others, but their actual role in the setting is controversial. The next logical choice is the office of the Magister, sort of the poor man's Chosen. The Magister has been sort of ignored in all the hubbub revolving around the monolithic Chosen, which is good for gaming flexibility, plus it's an official title with rules of succession rather than the more freewheeling Chosen. In this Icon role, the Magister would be responsible for promoting and protecting magic, possibly to the exclusion to traditional 'goodly' notions. We can substitute in the Blackstaff here, but his role is more limited than the Magister's general focus on promoting magic, even if he is a more manipulative and interventionist figure.

Tchazzar: Hand waving this one a bit. There are many powerful dragons in the Realms, but few with a noticeable influence beyond a small local region. While that holds true for Tchazzar, he is one of the most historically active dragons in the setting and one with actual skin in the game amongst mortal nations. In this Icon role, Tchazzar would take on something of a more active draconic and nation-building agenda. Doesn't matter that he's dead through much of the 3E era. Magic can fix that. He also doesn't need to be the absolute ruler of Chessenta.

The High Harpers: Few groups have their meddlesome hands in the affairs and secrets of the world like the Harpers. This is a good compromise between the Harper semi-secret organization as a whole and the few Chosen who take up the inordinate amount of spotlight within said secret society. If one likes, the remaining Chosen (El, Dove, and Storm) can be rotated out (not a new concept seeing as Khelben, Laeral and Alustriel departed) and replaced with new members, or the non-Chosen members can be emphasized. Pre-schism, the Chosen are mostly accounted for here.

The Emerald Enclave: Also another hand waving bit. There are localized druid orders throughout the Realms and the Emerald Enclave is one such sect, but they're probably the most powerful. Their influence is also spreading beyond their traditional turf as they've enforced their presence in the Realm of the Purple Staff along the Dragon Coast and much of the Vilhon Reach/Chondalwood area.

The Demon Lord: Here we'll go with Eltab, being one of the better established Realms-specific demon lords with a long history in the east between the time of the Nar Demonbinders and his activities in Thay and beyond. His presence in the Citadel of Conjurers revitalizes the Narfell as an ever active threat to neighboring kingdoms of which there are many (Impiltur, Rasheman, perhaps Damara, Narfell itself, even Thay and the Endless Waste/Raumviran/Yaimunahar).

We could go with Malkizid, but he seems more concerned with elven affairs (likewise Wendonai). Many of the other elder evils mentioned in Champions of Ruin are not quite as coherent as Eltab (some are closer to forces of nature than sentient antagonists). Alternatively we could exchange Eltab with a version of Errtu if we're looking for someone with roots in the North. Another alternative is a return of the Trio Nefarious (but elf focused again).

The High Lady: Alustriel is not only the leader of the Silver Marches, she holds sway over the complex alliance necessary to keep such a confederation together. She also maintains a network of consorts, lovers, relatives, friends, children, and apprentices. She can also stand in for the interests of the Chosen and the Seven Sisters, giving those concepts a focal point rather than having them seem to meddle overmuch across the entire setting.

***

The above makes 13 Icons. Here's my rough break down of where they fit on the Heroic/Ambiguous/Villainous spectrum:

Heroic: Usually the Lords of Waterdeep, King Azoun IV, Queen Amlaruil, the High Lady; possibly the Magister, and the High Harpers

Ambiguous: Usually the Magister, the High Harpers, the Emerald Enclave; possibly the Lords of Waterdeep, Queen Amlaruil, and Szass Tam

Villainous: Usually the Black Network, the Princes of Shade, Sammaster, Szass Tam, Tchazzar, the Demon Lord; possibly the Emerald Enclave

***

The list is not comprehensive, but attempts to serve as a quick snapshot or summary of what the Realms has to offer in terms of power groups and movers-and-shakers (without letting deities and Chosen dominate the list).

There are some major holes in my list:

- There is no Dwarf King icon equivalent, but that sort of holds true for Midgard (and they have Dwarves up the wazoo), so they resorted to a dwarven secret society.

- There is no Orc Lord icon (who takes on a more ambiguous role), but Obould or Sythilis/Sothilis don't quite have enough far-reaching influence.

- The lack of a good CN ambiguous Icon (or generally more neutral Icons), which the Simbul is suited for as mentioned below.

- There is a Northern bias as most of the Icons have their power base north of the Sea of Fallen Stars.

***

The following few can work in the Icon role, but I feel are a bit more limited for the various position.

The Blackstaff: Easy to slot into several Icons roles, but I covered above why I would select others over him/her.

The Witch-Queen: The Simbul has a reputation, the power to back it up along with the resources of a nation, but is restrained by the interests of the very nation she protects. She is somewhat less influential than Alustriel, in my opinion, even if I think she's a more interesting character than her sister.

The Sunmaster: Daelegoth Orndeir is basically a cult leader as fanatical as Sammaster after casting the Eternal Sun over Elversult, just with less dracolichdom and murder (maybe not by much, depending on who's on the receiving end).

The Lord Who Watches: The Hidden Lord Gargauth represents the diabolical influence in the setting (replacing Asmodeus' role as given in the 4E Realms). This move magnifies his current status in the 3E Realms. As a demipower and former archdevil, he fits perfectly in that middle ground. However, we already have a LE Icon in the Black Network and their close association with Bane.

The outline given by Arivia in the other Candlekeep thread linked in my previous post provides good options (and more of them), some better tailored to games than my outline here attempting broad setting icons.

One idea would be to take at least the malleable 13th Icon role (occupied by the Prince of Shadows in 13th Age, who doesn't make it onto the d12 Icon die) and make it swappable with any of a number of alternative Icons to cater a game to a specific region. In this way, it's not the 13th Icon himself who is unknown, but the position of the 13th Icon that is fluid.
Dark Wizard Posted - 07 Jan 2014 : 22:35:16
From my understanding (I'm very slowly working my way through the book), the Icons (sort of) replace the traditional D&D alignment system with influential NPCs. The 13th Age Icons are by and large all singular individuals (with the exception of The Three, if I recall correctly).

I'm afraid I'm not much help in this regard as I haven't given much thought to a Forgotten Realms game using 13th Age, aside from thinking it would be an interesting game. I can point to another example of the Icon system applied to a setting other than the 13th Age default.

The Midgard setting from Kobold Press received full write ups for 10 Icons, with suggestions for three more, rounding out the expected number. For Midgard, KP did use a few more groups as Icons, though most remain individuals. Here's a link of the final web article: http://www.koboldpress.com/k/front-page16689.php

In summary they are:

- Baba Yaga: The infamous crone witch of Slavic folklore is active in the world of Midgard. Her influence is felt across the lands, but her presence is not often made immediately apparent (probably somewhere on the level of an archfey).

- The Ghoul Emperor: Who rules a subterranean nation of undead, intelligent or otherwise. Somewhat of a hidden superpower (like the Drow of the Realms would be, if they were united).

- The Glittering King: The decadent sorcerous-warrior (pirate) king of a kingdom founded and operated on slavery and oppression. With his fleet enhanced by demons and spirits bound into figureheads, he has the run of the Ruby Sea (a small sub-sea of the setting's inner sea equivalent) and often roams far in search of slaves.

- Oracle of Kammae: Oracular ruler of the city-state of Kammae, who with the blessing of her goddess (Hecate) bound the sea god Nethus with manacles procured from Baba Yaga. She uses Nethus to empower her city-state in rivalry with the other polities comprising the Seven Cities.

- The Queen of Night and Magic: The leader of the Shadowfey and fey queen of the Shadow Realm. She is everything beautiful and subtle, tempestuous and deadly about the darkness. Interestingly she is also listed as a deity for the setting. She likely fits in the nebulous area between god and archfey, though Midgard is purposely vague about these distinctions.

- The King of Bears: A lycanthrope ruler in the Northlands embodying the wild unspoken ways of the harsh north, fair and likeable but has a habit of settling things with fighting and trial by combat.

- Exarch Vermes II: Leader of the Ninemage Council presiding over the last Magocracy, Vermes is perhaps one of the most powerful mortal arcanists in the world (if he is indeed mortal still). He has been active since the Great Mage War that laid waste to the entire western flank of the continent by titanic otherworldly horrors. Though he is a practitioner of dark magic, along with other paths, he is one of the relatively benign figures of the world.

- The Free City Council: The leaders of the Free City of Zobeck since they overthrew the reign of the diabolical House Stross (and their shadowfey patrons). A relatively progressive if factious bunch.

- The Dragon Sultana: When the great draconic masters of the Dragon Empire united to forge their nation (at the expense of many other surrounding kingdoms), they decided to give the mundane task of running the day-to-day affairs to a dragon-blooded human (because they couldn't trust each other to the job, plus, why bother). With the backing of the dragons, the Sultan leads one of the most potent, energetic, and expansionist empires in the world.

- First Duke-Admiral Cadua: A minotaur who climbed his way from outcast to wise and canny leader of one of the premier city-states in the Seven Cities (this is unusual for a human-centric city). He leads his nation's considerable naval and mercantile might in rivalry with the other cities and against the Dragon Empire.

- The Master of Demon Mountain: An exile (or refugee) from the Great Mage Wars, the demon-blooded Master is an archmage steeped in dark pacts. Though he never leaves his mountain enclave, he holds court with the entire spectrum of dark entities and sundry rulers. He has also fathered a small army worth of tiefling children who assist and represent him; however, some have splintered off seeking their own fortune. His reach is great despite his isolation.

- The Beloved Imperatrix: The ruler of the Grand Duchy of Dornig, situated over the last remnant of overt elven influence after their retreat (and thus is one of the few full-blooded elves in the setting and probably the oldest amongst those few who remain). She has watched over her domain for centuries and is growing old. Despite signs of senility, she is still astute in matters of importance, to the chagrin of those who would wish otherwise.

- The Illuminated Brotherhood: A dwarven fraternity that safeguards their trade secrets and counts kings amongst their members. Though as a secret society, is that all they're up to, and do their own people not privy to their inner workings trust them.

From these additional examples, it's more of a mixed bag than the core 13th Age Icons. We have demigod level beings (perhaps even a deity), archfey, an archmage, mostly rulers, a city council, and a secret society. The Realms is a bit harder to define by just 13 individuals or groups, at least ones with the reach of an Icon.

A little over a year ago, this topic came up and Arivia gave a very detailed reply to jump start any discussion on Icons for the Realms: http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=17106

Reading these various threads does have me thinking more on the topic...
Diffan Posted - 07 Jan 2014 : 00:28:20
quote:
Originally posted by Portella

quote:
Originally posted by Diffan

So far from my playtests with D&D next death is all too easy to come by, espically at low levels, and very little in the way of in-combat recovery unless you have a cleric in the party. What 4e did was provide more opportunity to regain hit points without being forced to rely on one specific class. A mage, for example, has 6 + Con modifier HP @ first level in D&D:N and just two hits from a Kobold can lay him low.

The only thing that deviates from a more gritty playstyle is that you recover all your HP during a night rest instead of 1 HP per day.



2ed 1d4 +/- con.... One hit and boom dead



You've illustrated on of the many reasons why I haven't played pre-3e D&D in over 15 years.
Portella Posted - 06 Jan 2014 : 14:59:45
quote:
Originally posted by Diffan

So far from my playtests with D&D next death is all too easy to come by, espically at low levels, and very little in the way of in-combat recovery unless you have a cleric in the party. What 4e did was provide more opportunity to regain hit points without being forced to rely on one specific class. A mage, for example, has 6 + Con modifier HP @ first level in D&D:N and just two hits from a Kobold can lay him low.

The only thing that deviates from a more gritty playstyle is that you recover all your HP during a night rest instead of 1 HP per day.



2ed 1d4 +/- con.... One hit and boom dead
Diffan Posted - 06 Jan 2014 : 13:01:03
Sorry for the off topic-ness.

As far as Icons are considered, from what I've heard they are a very prominent element within the game. If you can go a bit into their function I think we could come up with some ideas to incorporate them into the Realms. That being said, I've heart people talking about Icons and plugging them into an Eberron style game where they were the Dragonmarked Houses and each icon represented a different house. Depending on the scope of your Forgotten Realms game I guess it could be anything. From political intrigue involving the different noble houses of Waterdeep to religions factions to even grand organizations such as the Harpers, Zhentarim, Red Wizards, The Cult of the Dragon, the Eternal Order (paladin group), etc.
Derulbaskul Posted - 06 Jan 2014 : 11:38:35
I wish this was like Facebook where, if you start a thread, you can choose which posts to delete.

Personally, I couldn't give a flying fruitbat about Next/Previous/Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Third Edition or whatever this three-year-long waste of WotC's money is going to be called but I was hoping to maybe attract a comment or two about 13th Age about people who have actually thought or maybe even played 13th Age.
Diffan Posted - 06 Jan 2014 : 09:16:17
So far from my playtests with D&D next death is all too easy to come by, espically at low levels, and very little in the way of in-combat recovery unless you have a cleric in the party. What 4e did was provide more opportunity to regain hit points without being forced to rely on one specific class. A mage, for example, has 6 + Con modifier HP @ first level in D&D:N and just two hits from a Kobold can lay him low.

The only thing that deviates from a more gritty playstyle is that you recover all your HP during a night rest instead of 1 HP per day.
Tarlyn Posted - 06 Jan 2014 : 04:00:05
gritty vietnam style really? exaggerate much? I will give you that Next is more harsh than 4E, but that isn't exactly difficult to do.
Diffan Posted - 06 Jan 2014 : 03:22:38
I've heard some good things about it, but haven't given it a look myself. I probably should considering who helped write the rules and I hear that it can considered a "4E haven" for people who liked 4E and can continue that sort of playstyle (action, heroic fantasy vs. more gritty vietnam style D&D:Next is going for).
Derulbaskul Posted - 05 Jan 2014 : 23:18:46
It's been a few months since I last asked this question... and I'm wondering if there has been any movement on the 13th Age front among DMs at Candlekeep.

Rils Posted - 27 Sep 2013 : 20:11:48
I had heard of 13th Age, and tried a demo of it at PAX Prime a month or so ago. I thought the Icons were an interesting idea, and the Realms is immediately where my mind went in trying to process that mechanic. While I won't be buying or playing 13A, as a mental exercise I actually thought about it and figured I would use a mix of "power players" to fill in that list.

The question I asked myself is "who are the 13 major powers in the Realms that a PC might be connected to?" The answers I considered boiled down to a mix of some cities/nations (Waterdeep, Cormyr, Amn, Silvereymoon, etc) and some organizations (Harpers, Zhents, Red Wizards, etc). I considered some power individuals (El, Manshoon, others), but it didn't feel right to me that a PC starting out would have an personal connection with someone like that. I also didn't consider specific deities, as thats what clerics are for, but might consider some of the major faiths, like the Church of Torm or Chauntea or Lathander - churches that permeate society and could be interacted with on a sliding scale as your level rises. The fun thing is they don't all have to be "good-aligned" options, and a mix of generally good but also neutral and evil parties is encouraged.

Of course, depending on the scope of your campaign, you could limit it to a greater or lesser extent. For instance, if your campaign revolves around a particular locale, say, Cormyr or Waterdeep, you could pick 13 major noble families for your Icons, that you could have positive/negative interactions with.

Just some of my thoughts on that.

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