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T O P I C    R E V I E W
Gerrin Posted - 25 Aug 2015 : 06:00:44
I was checking out the new adventure league and was excited to see that Phlan (my personal favorite city in FR) was being highlighted. What I wasn't excited to read was the history. What happened to the history of Ren, Shal and Tarl? Very disappointed by what I read.
30   L A T E S T    R E P L I E S    (Newest First)
Diffan Posted - 27 May 2018 : 12:25:03
quote:
Originally posted by Brian R. James

The Temple of Waiting was constructed on the site of the old Temple of Bane (from Pool of Radiance). When Zhentil Keep later captured the city, the temple was once again consecrated to Bane and renamed the Lyceum of the Black Lord.



Thanks Brian. I wasn't sure as I have a couple of maps of Phlan, one of which is pretty detailed yet putting the Temple of Waiting across the from the ruins of the Bane Temple near the Docks by the Laughing Goblin Inn. The map is found HERE. The map in Monument of the Ancients adventure and subsequent Adventure League adventures from Tyranny of Dragons all sort of use the map from Dungeon #170. Just trying to figure out which one is best to use for the reemergence of Tyr in my world.

Also, what's your take on the owner and caretakers of current (1480-1489 DR) Denlor's Tower? Surely Shal Bal and Tarl aren't alive after over a century has passed. Listle was Shal's apprentice in 1372 DR and being presumably a gold elf (despite an illusory one) has the advantage of a long life, thus a century to her would be nothing and she's still the resident.
Brian R. James Posted - 27 May 2018 : 01:35:42
The Temple of Waiting was constructed on the site of the old Temple of Bane (from Pool of Radiance). When Zhentil Keep later captured the city, the temple was once again consecrated to Bane and renamed the Lyceum of the Black Lord.
Diffan Posted - 26 May 2018 : 06:45:12
So I'm reading the Monument of the Ancients adventure and I really want to re-introduce the establishment of Tyr's Church, the Hammer of Tyrm and the notion that Tyr during the Spellplague was never killed or destroyed but was enslaved instead by Asmodeus to achieve a sort of divine godhood.

Any speculations (since we don't have anything official) as to what happened to the Temple of Waiting (Tyr's bastion of defense in Phlan) and how it fared during the Zhentarim attack and subsequent occupation of the city in 1375 DR?

We know that Kern obtained the Hammer of Tyr in 1372 DR and brought it back to the city. We know that the during his quest the city and temple was severely hindered by attacks from Sirana aided by the Pool of Twilight. So one could surmise that the temple could only offer a weak (at best) defense against a full Zhent assault.

What do you think would've happened to Shal Bal, Tarl, Kern and Listle? Denlor's tower still remains in Phlan according the the latest Adventure League quests.

Gerrin Posted - 28 Aug 2015 : 02:09:58
I can live with this timeline although I do hate the this is what the average person thinks in Phlan. It is something that has been used to much to try to cover up screw ups. If it is something that only the average person in Phlan would know then it should be listed as this. I appreciate the attempt to mesh the two together, but this is something that I have started working on as well. You should see it in the near future.
Wooly Rupert Posted - 27 Aug 2015 : 16:59:15
quote:
Originally posted by GungHo

Never live in a city with a name that is homophonic with a dessert.



Pretty sure that no one in the Realms is familiar with flan.
GungHo Posted - 27 Aug 2015 : 14:36:28
Never live in a city with a name that is homophonic with a dessert.
Bakra Posted - 27 Aug 2015 : 14:12:41
I don’t see a need to ‘fix’ things as mentioned (somewhere) on the Adventure Leagues forums the Zhent’s took control of the city in 1375. Then over the course of hundred years they rewrote it. To put themselves in the better light as the ‘true saviors’ of Phlan. The official timeline still stands but from a modern citizen of Phlan point-of-view Hatemaster Cvaal was a hero.

And here is a re-post of compiled timeline plus miscellaneous lore:

For those following at home who wish to know more about Phlan I include the names of the resources used. These resources can be found at used bookstores, wizards website, or dndclassics.com:
Monument of the Ancients Dungeon #170, The Grand History of the Realms, The Moonsea 2nd edition, The Pools novels,Heroes’ Lorebook, The Forgotten Realms Atlas, Ruins of Adventure 1st edition, and A History of Phlan and the Moonsea Reaches by Jeff Grubbs.

367 DR Year of Shying Eyes: Phlan was founded.
400 DR Year of the Blue Shield: Phlan was sacked by the inhuman army known as the Dark Alliance.
712 DR Year of the Lost Lance: Milsor the Valjevo and his adventuring companions re-establishes Phlan. He commissions the construction of a palace.
730 DR Year of the Jovial Mage: Construction is completed on Castle Valjevo.
902 DR Year of the Queen’s Tears: The Zhentilar attempts the first conquest of Phlan. War lasts four years.
906 DR Year of the Plough: The Treaty of the Ride is signed between Phlan , Zhentarim, and Melvaunt.
1303 DR Year of the Evening Sun: An army of ogres from Thar completely overrun Phlan.
1306 DR Year of Thunder: Moonsea War against Mulmaster. Phlan is reduced to ruins by The Dragon Run.
1340 DR Year of the Lion: Tyranthraxus, possess the body of Srossar, an ancient bronze dragon. He claims the Pool of Radiance then corrupts it by sacrificing the local Selûnite priestess. He then proceeds to rule the ruins of Phlan.
1350 DR Year of the Morning Star: Bane "removes" various Moonsea cities to another plane. The Heroes of Phlan rescues the cities from the evil god.
1356 DR Year of the Worm: A Flight of Dragons occures and Phlan is decimated along with other cities of the Moonsea.
1372 DR Year of Wild Magic: Undead Paladin Miltiades is restored to life in the city of Phlan.
1375 DR Year of Risen Elfkin: Zhentarim Hatemaster Cvaal Daoran seized control of the Phlan.
1380 DR Year if the Blazing Hand: The Council of Ten is dissolved and Cvaal Daoran declares himself Lord Protector of Phlan. The Order of the Silent Shroud was established and resides in the Valhingen Graveyard.
1383 DR Year of the Vindicated Warrior: Cvaal Daoran slays a Prince of Shade in the Shadowbane War.
1456 DR Year of the Mithral Hammer: Lord Talaric Daoran goes missing after sending loggers into the Quivering Forest.
1480 DR Year of the Deep Water Drifting: Attacks by local Vaegould barbarian tribe of the Ride are due to the perceived coming of Maram, a primordial. They are stopped by a group of adventurers.
1488 DR Year of Dwarvenkind Reborn: The heirless Lord Protector Anivar Daoran dies in a construction accident at Castle Valjevo. Knight Commander Ector Brahms becomes the new Lord Regent of the Cinnabar Throne. After martial law was declared the great temple of Bane burns to the ground. Followers of Lathander repurpose the temple to the god of dawn and rebirth.
1489 DR Year of the Warrior Princess(?): Apparently, someone or something in or around Phlan is defiant.

Phlan trivia:
The Pool of Radiance in Phlan is waning crescent shaped.
Ren o’ the Blade had a daughter whose name was Daile Redfletching.
The Welcomers have aided the citizens of Phlan in the past as scouts and defenders.
Stojanow means “Trade Route,” in the dwarven language.
The Red Spyglass Inn has something special in its subbasement.
Diogenes, a silver dragon, lives in the Dragonspine Mountains.
In Ruins of Adventure it was possible for the players to visit the Lizadrmen of Sauros Island on friendly terms. If they completed Sorcerer’s Island first and rescued the lizarmen then they were invited to their home. After a grand feast they received an enchanted bronze medallion marking them as friends to all lizardfolk. It only worked for those characters and their future heirs.
Markustay Posted - 27 Aug 2015 : 05:28:11
Well, then, we have our very own FR fix for something like that - Abeir and the Spellplague.

Abeir isn't in another part of space - it occupies the same place as Toril, but slightly out-of-sync. Thus, Abeir and Toril are really both FR, and the city was 'moved' but not in space, but rather, slightly out-of-sync and into Abeir.

There was some Spellplague-like weirdness going on during the ToT, perhaps Bane - having gotten a face-full of that - learned a trick or two about 'Wild Magic Zones' and planer chaos.

Once it shifted back, no-one remembered anything, and all was well. Why would no-one remember? Because Ao would be the one to make sure it was returned to its proper place, and he doesn't want anyone knowing about Abeir, AND he has pulled that 'False memories' trick before (right after the ToT, so people would forget he existed).

And now I have a pounding headache - I think I've created a space/time anomaly by being in 3 editions at once.
Gerrin Posted - 27 Aug 2015 : 02:34:34
quote:

Or, since I'm not familiar with any other references to the disappearance of Phlan, a duplicate was what was stolen... Or maybe it wasn't even stolen at all; it was a grand illusion or something that made the inhabitants of the city think it was elsewhere.

I'd go with the 'Ravenloft fix' - it got pulled into the Mists, and then was somehow later returned (the gods of FR don't take kindly to 'The Dark Powers' stealing their stuff, etc).

By sending it to 'The Mists' (and it didn't even have to be in Ravenloft proper - it could have been one of those 'Islands of Terror' that are off by themselves) we solve EVERY problem; Ravenloft's time not only runs differently then all the worlds it interacts with (meaning that a hundred years could have gone by in Phlan, but only a few days on Toril, or vice-versa), but 'The Mists' also mess with people's memories, so they may have thought they never left, or thought they may think they went somewhere else (other then the Domains of Dread). So the folks leaving there may all recall one set of lore (history), and that just leaves the rest of Faerûn scratching their heads, knowing something different.

Ravenloft is really the ultimate 'fix' for these sorts of lore snafus. In fact, I wouldn't mind if a few 'lost realms' (from the Spellplague) were actually there for awhile (like Lantan).



EDIT: And Ravenloft HAS been known to leave 'copies' of stolen sites behind, as Wooly suggested. It did so with Lord Soth from Dragonlance - it stole him and his town for years and then returned him around the same time he was stolen, so no-one on Krynn realized it ever happened. D&D canon, not FR, but entirely portable.



When you approach a fictional history you have to look at your source materials. The materials that were written by TSR/WotC that are considered canon.

Now the problem with the mists of Ravenloft is that you have to use Pools of Darkness as your reference point both the novel and the computer game which are both official products. Although the computer game is not canon, the novel is. In the novel Phlan is not transported to some distant plane. It is moved to another location in the world as the god Bane wants the souls to enter the Pools of Darkness (I know, whats this other plane part of the plot) Basically from reading the book you can gather that the citizens of these stolen cities are needed to give Bane an endless supply of souls. If he can syphon a few off right away Bane can have the power to move the city to a distant plane to have the city serve him for all time.

So the city of Phlan actually never leaves the Forgotten Realms world. Also where the city once stood those that returned begin to form New Phlan. So a copy of the city would not exist at this time.

In the adventure league's history it has Phlan at peace for over 10 years. This conflicts with the information given in Pools of Darkness as Phlan has been under attacks and threats over the years as given by the guards account of the history of the Death Gates.

This though gives one to have a tantalizing thought that these attacks were sponsored by Zhentil Keep, this would set up the takeover that occurs in 1375.

Furthermore in the Pool of Darkness, Phlan has reached a state of decay, the cause given in the book is simply that the hammer of Tyr is missing. Now in the timeline of the Adventure's League they have Phlan getting hit by the Rage of Dragons in 1356 with one of them assuming control. Now this can still work as this attack could occur and could explain a lot of the problems has in 1372 when Kern goes questing for the hammer. You have an giant dragon who has assumed human form running the council of ten. This dragon is constantly keeping Phlan in a run down state, unmanning the walls, reducing the watch, etc as the dragon knows that any real threat it could handle.

Now with the return of the Hammer of Tyr, this could have weakened the dragons hold on the city and started to allow its citizens to rebuild. The dragon/first councilman fights against this but in the end the Zhentarium sweep in and slay the dragon and take control of the city. Most of the citizens welcome the order that the Black Network brings and do little to overthrow it. Some people like Shal, Tarl and their son flee to another nearby city such as Mulmaster to live out their days in exile from their beloved city.

I am putting together a draft for the whole history. Just need to find the Grubb manuscript that I have lying around here somewhere and piece that in as well.

Also the official canon on Dragonlance has Lord Soth never having left Krynn. Its a touchy subject one in which we discussed for nearly a decade in debate.
Seravin Posted - 27 Aug 2015 : 01:12:37
Hi Arcanamach---don't get me wrong, Pools of Darkness (book 2) was definitely the worst of the series and the plot was ridiculous to me, and some of the dialogue of the villains was borderline atrocious. I just didn't hate it because of the new heroes introduced and my love of Phlan/Moonsea area. :)
The Arcanamach Posted - 27 Aug 2015 : 00:27:14
@Dazzlerdal: Do those downloads at GOG come complete with updates for modern computers though?

EDIT: Nevermind just found out they are adapted for today's 'puters.
The Arcanamach Posted - 27 Aug 2015 : 00:23:15
Reply to Seravin:

I never read the Baldur's Gate books, which is surprising considering that the BG series of games is still one of my favorites (going on 15+ years now). I'll take your word for it that they're worse. The series wasn't the best of novels I've read and, frankly, I stopped reading most Realm's novels some time ago because the writing is never as sophisticated as G.R.R. Martin or Stephen King (just as a couple of examples). Granted, Realms authors are on a timetable and often have their plots laid out for them...but some authors can work within that context and still provide an excellent story/characters (Erin M. Evans springs to mind).

Part of the reason I didn't like the novels is the fact that I prefer more realistic story elements, even in a fantasy setting. The idea of entire cities disappearing annoys me. It was done with the entire world in one of the Dragonlance novels as well. I just don't like that sort of thing. Wizards blowing up castles? Sure. A band of stalwart adventurers defeating a great wyrm? Sure. Elves being able to do things that only gods normally do? Okay I can go with that up to a point. But cities disappearing/reappearing? Nope...goes too far.

The other thing that annoyed me...and this seems to have become a 'thing' in Realms novels...is the tendency to want to have a new kind of race in every story. You laid it out yourself: an undead paladin of Tyr and a werecat warrior. Today we have Dragonborn and Tieflings (although Evans still made them great characters). We also had sauriels and other 'strange new races' in novels.

After a while, it gets to a point where it becomes difficult to suspend one's belief. I'm not saying they can't be great characters or that they aren't great characters. I'm just saying at some point enough is enough. Sometimes I just want the standard tropes of dwarves, elves, hobbits and hoomans. Phlan, much of the story centered on it, and the characters just weren't that interesting to me.

To each his own though. I'm glad some people enjoyed them and we still have this wonderful thing called The Forgotten Realms.
Gary Dallison Posted - 26 Aug 2015 : 21:12:30
quote:
Originally posted by The Arcanamach

I hated the books. I almost didn't "get into" the Realms because of them. But since my introduction to the Realms was the Moonshae series (excellent stories, IMHO) followed by the Crystal Shard and other RAS goodness, I let those novels pass. Like Wooley, however, I was soured on Phlan from those novels. That said, I would like to play the video game series...provided it can be ported to a modern PC.



Good Old Games (gog.com) is your friend. If pools of radiance isn't available on there yet it probably will be soon.
Seravin Posted - 26 Aug 2015 : 20:57:42
Other than Ren, Shal, and Tarl (who I liked!)---the 2nd and 3rd books had other characters that were likeable; an undead paladin of Tyr, a sorceress who made it her life goal to banish the pools, Ren's daughter, Shal & Tarl's son, a werecat warrior, and others. I maintain they weren't THAT bad, and the Baldur's Gate novels, and Once around the Realms are worse.

The third book is probably the best written of the three, although I like the first best as I'm a sucker for anything set pre-ToT. You guys are harsh critics :)

And it annoys the frig out of me that the first Realms city many people were introduced to (Phlan via Pool of Radiance from SSI) is treated with such disdain for canon/history.
The Arcanamach Posted - 26 Aug 2015 : 19:45:27
I hated the books. I almost didn't "get into" the Realms because of them. But since my introduction to the Realms was the Moonshae series (excellent stories, IMHO) followed by the Crystal Shard and other RAS goodness, I let those novels pass. Like Wooley, however, I was soured on Phlan from those novels. That said, I would like to play the video game series...provided it can be ported to a modern PC.
Markustay Posted - 26 Aug 2015 : 19:22:23
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

Just tweak the lore a tiny bit: a duplicate of the city was left in place of the real Phlan, when it was stolen.

Or, since I'm not familiar with any other references to the disappearance of Phlan, a duplicate was what was stolen... Or maybe it wasn't even stolen at all; it was a grand illusion or something that made the inhabitants of the city think it was elsewhere.

I'd go with the 'Ravenloft fix' - it got pulled into the Mists, and then was somehow later returned (the gods of FR don't take kindly to 'The Dark Powers' stealing their stuff, etc).

By sending it to 'The Mists' (and it didn't even have to be in Ravenloft proper - it could have been one of those 'Islands of Terror' that are off by themselves) we solve EVERY problem; Ravenloft's time not only runs differently then all the worlds it interacts with (meaning that a hundred years could have gone by in Phlan, but only a few days on Toril, or vice-versa), but 'The Mists' also mess with people's memories, so they may have thought they never left, or thought they may think they went somewhere else (other then the Domains of Dread). So the folks living there may all recall one set of lore (history), and that just leaves the rest of Faerûn scratching their heads, knowing something different.

Ravenloft is really the ultimate 'fix' for these sorts of lore snafus. In fact, I wouldn't mind if a few 'lost realms' (from the Spellplague) were actually there for awhile (like Lantan).



EDIT: And Ravenloft HAS been known to leave 'copies' of stolen sites behind, as Wooly suggested. It did so with Lord Soth from Dragonlance - it stole him and his town for years and then returned him around the same time he was stolen, so no-one on Krynn realized it ever happened. D&D canon, not FR, but entirely portable.
Gerrin Posted - 26 Aug 2015 : 18:48:21
I have an idea about meshing these together as I was told that both histories are going to be canon
hashimashadoo Posted - 26 Aug 2015 : 14:30:29
quote:
Originally posted by Mirtek

Wasn't phlan being occupied after some crippling desaster by joint forces From zhentil keep and hilsfar a 2e thing already?



You're thinking of Yulash.
Mirtek Posted - 26 Aug 2015 : 09:09:07
quote:
Originally posted by Gerrin

So in the new storyline you could argue that the events of the Pool of Radiance happened but Phlan being stolen and the Hammer of Tyr returned can not happen.

I don't See a Problem with the City being stolen, didn't that last only a few weeks/months?

I admit i don't remember the return if the Hammer, i thought the novel ended with Tyr thinking retrieving it would be a good quest for a paladin one day.

Why could it not be brought back into the occupied City.

Wasn't phlan being occupied after some crippling desaster by joint forces From zhentil keep and hilsfar a 2e thing already?
Wooly Rupert Posted - 26 Aug 2015 : 05:32:29
quote:
Originally posted by Gerrin

Past Storyline:
1340 Phlan is restored,
1350 Phlan is stolen,
1372 The Hammer of Tyr is returned to Phlan

Storyline according to Adventure's League:
1340 Srossar is possessed
1340's: Srossar is defeated and the Pool of Radiance becomes normal water,
1356 Phlan is leveled by the Flight of Dragons, after a decade plus of peace.
1356-75 Ruins are occupied and controlled by a great wyrm,
1375 Zhentil Keep takes control of Phlan and slays the wyrm.

So in the new storyline you could argue that the events of the Pool of Radiance happened but Phlan being stolen and the Hammer of Tyr returned can not happen.

This is from Tyranny of Dragons.



Just tweak the lore a tiny bit: a duplicate of the city was left in place of the real Phlan, when it was stolen.

Or, since I'm not familiar with any other references to the disappearance of Phlan, a duplicate was what was stolen... Or maybe it wasn't even stolen at all; it was a grand illusion or something that made the inhabitants of the city think it was elsewhere.
Gerrin Posted - 26 Aug 2015 : 03:02:13
As a former writer for 3.5 Dragonlance this is something that has always bothered me and something we worked hard to avoid. I thought that whoever is doing the realms wikia had a pretty good history written for Phlan.

Phlan is somewhat of a special place for me as it is my first introduction to Forgotten Realms in books and RPG. It bothers me when someone takes this and just throws it to the wayside to inject their own "perfect" history.
Shadowsoul Posted - 26 Aug 2015 : 02:32:44
quote:
Originally posted by Gerrin

Past Storyline:
1340 Phlan is restored,
1350 Phlan is stolen,
1372 The Hammer of Tyr is returned to Phlan

Storyline according to Adventure's League:
1340 Srossar is possessed
1340's: Srossar is defeated and the Pool of Radiance becomes normal water,
1356 Phlan is leveled by the Flight of Dragons, after a decade plus of peace.
1356-75 Ruins are occupied and controlled by a great wyrm,
1375 Zhentil Keep takes control of Phlan and slays the wyrm.

So in the new storyline you could argue that the events of the Pool of Radiance happened but Phlan being stolen and the Hammer of Tyr returned can not happen.

This is from Tyranny of Dragons.



And that is why you don't let certain people go anywhere near the Forgotten Realms.
Gerrin Posted - 26 Aug 2015 : 01:38:49
Past Storyline:
1340 Phlan is restored,
1350 Phlan is stolen,
1372 The Hammer of Tyr is returned to Phlan

Storyline according to Adventure's League:
1340 Srossar is possessed
1340's: Srossar is defeated and the Pool of Radiance becomes normal water,
1356 Phlan is leveled by the Flight of Dragons, after a decade plus of peace.
1356-75 Ruins are occupied and controlled by a great wyrm,
1375 Zhentil Keep takes control of Phlan and slays the wyrm.

So in the new storyline you could argue that the events of the Pool of Radiance happened but Phlan being stolen and the Hammer of Tyr returned can not happen.

This is from Tyranny of Dragons.
Wooly Rupert Posted - 26 Aug 2015 : 00:12:53
quote:
Originally posted by Mirtek

quote:
Originally posted by Gerrin

From what I have read in the adventures league none of what was previously published never happened as the dragon rage happened instead.

The rage happened some years after the events of the last novel






Many years after, at that.

I'm not familiar with anything that says those books aren't canon. I'm similarly unaware of anything saying their events were overwritten.

...As much as I might wish otherwise, of course.
Mirtek Posted - 25 Aug 2015 : 23:55:06
quote:
Originally posted by Gerrin

From what I have read in the adventures league none of what was previously published never happened as the dragon rage happened instead.

The rage happened some years after the events of the last novel


Gerrin Posted - 25 Aug 2015 : 22:21:23
From what I have read in the adventures league none of what was previously published never happened as the dragon rage happened instead. Not sure why there is so much hate for the characters?

I know the book series has not stood the test of time and was written for kids 12-16, and it was written under the tsr thumb so the plot was laid out, the author had little control on the plot. The same hatred of these characters and reasoning for their hate can be easily transferred to any other forgotten realm series of the 80s and 90s. Very few 3d characters, or guessing on how the plot is going to end.

At the end of the day though the canon history was replaced apparently in 3rd edition although I'm not a 100% sure as I don't have 3rd edition stuff for the realms. I'm going to reach out to some friends to get the inside scoop. I'm glad to see candle keep is still active.
Mirtek Posted - 25 Aug 2015 : 20:51:05
quote:
Originally posted by Gerrin

But now the current history wiped out the past history from the lore book, dragon magazine, the pools novels, ruins of adventure, the 2nd edition campaign book, and a couple of other pieces of info that all have credit to this version.
How so? Ren is even mentioned in a couple of the season 1 adventures
Ayrik Posted - 25 Aug 2015 : 19:36:39
quote:
Wooly Rupert

quote:
Pool of Radience
Pool of Darkness
Pool of Twilight

Those books are most of the reason I dislike Phlan.

I agree, these were (in my opinion) badly-written FR novels filled with badly-unbelievable (and unlikeable) FR characters - although I have read worse. However, the raw awesomeness of Phlan and the Moonsea - established by the eponymous CRPG and FRC1 supplement - remains firmly entrenched in my mind.

The only use I ever got out of these awful "official" characters was from placing their corpses in Sokol Keep for the PCs to find, worry about, discuss, and loot. Ren, Shal, and Tarl were far more pleasant (and less munchkin) to me dead than alive.
Gerrin Posted - 25 Aug 2015 : 16:00:41
Check out goodreads as it has over 1800 rates and is a 3.5 star book compared to 3.6 reviews of the novels if spellfire and azure bonds. It is no streams of silver which receives a 4.1 average review. So I will stand by my previous statement that this book was no worse or better then the books released in the late 80's.

Overall reviews place this series on the same par as the finder stones trilogy.

Being a fan of other adventure series those that don't like something seem to be always more vocal then others.

But still back to the original question why is the original history being tossed. This would be like tossing out the finders stone trilogy or moonshae.
Wooly Rupert Posted - 25 Aug 2015 : 15:32:30
quote:
Originally posted by Gerrin

The novels are no more poorly written then any of the early realms novels. The entire series has always been fairly well received.


Azure Bonds and Spellfire were also early Realms novels -- the Pools books don't even come close to them.

And I've never seen anything to indicate they were "fairly well received" -- I know some folks have liked them, but I've seen far more negative commentary on them, including comments that make mine seem relatively mild.

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