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 Ed Greenwood Presents Elminster’s Forgotten Realms

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T O P I C    R E V I E W
Thrasymachus Posted - 16 Oct 2012 : 20:15:15
Ed Greenwood Presents Elminster’s Forgotten Realms.
Thrasy gives it...

It’s great! It’s a Guide. And if I had to choose a title for it I would use the overly lengthy “Volo’s Introductory Guide to the Realms Culture - Circa Year of the Prince”. If you are familiar with those guides it has that kind of flavor. Not really a setting like the “Old Gray Box” (there are no city maps… ect), and it seems the Time of Troubles didn’t happen, which is a good thing.

The only criticism (it’s huge stretch and more of a compliment) is that they didn't use the term “Volume 1”. Because I would buy more of the same.

Side note to the Wizards people: Again Ed references this cache of pages upon pages of already typed lore. A small team deployed to the task of scanning all that in would make you rich. IMHO this product could be a foundation for a reboot. SO if you are testing the waters, the answer is “Yes, this what I meant by a reboot. Yes, I want to buy much more of this” Scan it. Sell it to me. Take my money.
And
My Barnes and Noble only had two of these, and mine came straight from the box. So they’re down to one.

Edit:
Gah, Cyric is in it. I saw the dead three, did some premature dancing.
Thrasy was wrong. I am sorry.

Revised score to
30   L A T E S T    R E P L I E S    (Newest First)
Doc Filth Posted - 28 Jul 2016 : 12:53:46
I only found out about this a couple of weeks ago, having been out of the loop for a while. My copy arrived yesterday, and it's absolutely fantastic.
Wooly Rupert Posted - 05 May 2016 : 16:43:04
Today only, DriveThruRPG has the pdf of Ed Greenwood Presents Elminster's Forgotten Realms available for just $10.

It's just a 24-hour thing.

On a related note, signing up for DriveThruRPG's emails can be a good thing.

Kuje Posted - 08 Feb 2013 : 20:10:44
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
Did you end up getting your copy, Kuje?




I didn't. Grumble. One of these days when I do another Amazon order, I'll add it to that order I guess.
Jeremy Grenemyer Posted - 24 Jan 2013 : 03:37:20
quote:
Originally posted by rodrigoalcanza

I think the book was excellent. It has many years since I bought a book from Wizards of the Coast (the last one was Grand History of the Realms). I loved all the content and the art of the book. Some illustrations are fantastic ... How could we give feedback to the Wizards about our opinion on this book? They visit this forum?

As I understand it, WotC does visit these forums.

That said, you can also let WotC know on their Realms forums that you liked the product.
The Sage Posted - 24 Jan 2013 : 02:09:55
quote:
Originally posted by Kuje

I'd like to probably buy this book but you know what? I've gone to three or four stores locally (two of them are gaming stores!) and not one person knows what I'm talking about when I ask about this book. I've been told so far, "It's not been published yet." or "There's no such book." or "It's not in our database so what are you talking about?"

Now, I'm just going to ask for it for x-mas and hopefully someone will get me a copy on Amazon.

Did you end up getting your copy, Kuje?
rodrigoalcanza Posted - 23 Jan 2013 : 23:34:40
I think the book was excellent. It has many years since I bought a book from Wizards of the Coast (the last one was Grand History of the Realms). I loved all the content and the art of the book. Some illustrations are fantastic ... really capturing the essence, as the noble on page 51, some are nostalgic, like art on page 161 showing Lady of Strategy, the style reminds me of AD&D. I just did not like the tieflings (page 12) ... although the art is very good.

About the content of the text, fantastic!!!. As always with Ed Greenwood's books. I also thought the book would show Ed Greenwood's Originals-Realms, yet I am very satisfied with the text.

I would like the Wizards understand that it is kind book that we like to buy.

I am also in favor of a reboot in the Realms, because I did not like anything about the 4th edition D&D... especially what happened with Forgotten Realms. I do not even buy a product that edition.

I also think Forgotten Realms did not need statistics rules tied to any edition of D&D. It was enough just those old stats _ CG hm F9 ... for example _ as shown in Box Old Gray and Forgotten Realms Revised (2nd edition), or something that anyone can use their favorite system of rules, regardless of the edition.

How could we give feedback to the Wizards about our opinion on this book? They visit this forum?
9thChapter Posted - 02 Jan 2013 : 07:42:12
That is an awesome review, Wooly!

I just picked up my copy today - while on vacation in Maui. Devouring it.

I think you've nailed it and in an earlier post from Erik, I echo his thoughts about how future source books should be structured.

I know I'm reaching with this analogy, but it rings true in my mind. There's a video on YouTube - The Golden Circle, by Simon Sinek. It talks about the What-How-Why connection and how many (e.g., companies, people, etc) often look from the "outside-in" (i.e., from "What" to "Why"). Only those who truly differentiate themselves from the pack (or so Sinek argues in his video) look from the "inside-out". That is, first ask "why" it is what we do what do, then "how" and "what".

All that said, this book, to me, is the first of its kind that looks from the inside out and truly sets itself out from the rest. In other words, it uncovers "why" the Realms are as they are.

This is an awesomely fresh and insightful perspective. More please!

Thank you Ed.
BlackAce Posted - 28 Dec 2012 : 10:33:05
lol! okay okay! I'm reading my shiny new copy right now. You're right, it's a lovely book and is the first WotC product I've purchased since GHotR. *Hint hint*

It's nice to see the Realms of old make a come back. I'd missed products like this.

Edit: OMG OMG OMG! It just hit me what this is. It's a pure fluff splat book!
The Sage Posted - 28 Dec 2012 : 01:28:51
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Zireael

I wouldn't say the book is about life in the Realms. It focuses on Cormyr and Western Heartlands and the North... other areas get just a passing mention.



Yes, but what it focuses on, in large part, is how people live. If that's not about life, I don't know what is.

And a lot of those life-details are broad enough so they can be applied to other places in the Realms -- with just the slightest of tweaks for any region-specific traditions and such.
Wooly Rupert Posted - 27 Dec 2012 : 20:05:54
quote:
Originally posted by Zireael

I wouldn't say the book is about life in the Realms. It focuses on Cormyr and Western Heartlands and the North... other areas get just a passing mention.



Yes, but what it focuses on, in large part, is how people live. If that's not about life, I don't know what is.
Zireael Posted - 27 Dec 2012 : 15:57:09
I wouldn't say the book is about life in the Realms. It focuses on Cormyr and Western Heartlands and the North... other areas get just a passing mention.
Wooly Rupert Posted - 27 Dec 2012 : 14:35:12
quote:
Originally posted by BlackAce

Without kicking off Edition War MMXXXVII, as someone who walked off into the sunset with the advent of the Spell Plague and is curmudgeonly wary of 'edition neutral' stuff should I or shouldn't I purchase this?



Yes, yes, oh yes. Read the review I posted on Amazon -- it's the 02 Nov 2012 03:01:11 post in this thread.

The book is edition-neutral because it doesn't focus on anything that would be changed by edition. 1E or 5E, the common folk of the Realms will eat the same food and use the same words. Their hygeine won't change. How inns operate won't change. And so on.

The book is about life in the Realms. Editions and rulers will come and go, but the way people live won't change -- and that's the focus of this book.
Brimstone Posted - 27 Dec 2012 : 14:10:42
quote:
Originally posted by BlackAce

Without kicking off Edition War MMXXXVII, as someone who walked off into the sunset with the advent of the Spell Plague and is curmudgeonly wary of 'edition neutral' stuff should I or shouldn't I purchase this?


YES!
BlackAce Posted - 27 Dec 2012 : 13:19:32
Without kicking off Edition War MMXXXVII, as someone who walked off into the sunset with the advent of the Spell Plague and is curmudgeonly wary of 'edition neutral' stuff should I or shouldn't I purchase this?
Sonny Posted - 27 Dec 2012 : 00:01:02
quote:
Originally posted by PaulBestwick

My copy is on order, but it is my Christmas gift from my girlfriend, so no reading of it until December 25th , when I expect to get into trouble for ignoring her and everyone else because I will be reading my book .


Heh, I got it as a gift as well. I've been going through it for the last couple of days as I've had time. It's completely brilliant.

I would put it in my list of top 10 Realms accessories ever(well, so far). If this is what we can expect from Forgotten Realms' books with Ed back at the helm, I can't wait for what comes next.
GMWestermeyer Posted - 01 Dec 2012 : 18:11:30
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

I just did something I never do... I posted a review on the Amazon. And it was of this book, because I really want to see more.



That's a good review. I'll buy this, eventually, due to that review. First FR product I'll have purchased new in at least 10 years. (I've been slowly completing my 1e/2e FR collection with used books)

As for the Time of Troubles, I've mentioned this before, but folks seem to have forgotten that ed invented the idea of the Time of Troubles, I've always considered it very authentic Greenwood.

From Dragon #54 (Oct 1981), "Down-to-earth divinity: One DM’s design for a mixed & matched mythos":
quote:
Some higher directive might require the balance of gods be maintained, so that if one slays the war god, one must take his place. The DM can in this manner remove characters of stratospheric level from the campaign. Another mechanism for keeping things under control is the “Godswar.” This concept is also a good justification
to cover the changeover of a campaign from D&D rules to AD&D rules and will also justify any other divine revisions the DM feels necessary, once. Simply put, the Godswar is strife among the gods —- direct, physical battle in which gods are destroyed, or their powers
undone, wrested from them, or distorted, and a new hierarchy is created.

The most important feature of this conflict is that worshippers are not involved; all clerics and other servants are completely cut off from their deities — unable to communicate with them, renew spells above 2nd level, or receive accurate or complete information regarding the war afterwards (for deities may not wish to tell all to just any mortal.

The Godswar truly can cover a “multitude of sins,” in the manner described in the battle between the Vom and the Guardian in Alan Dean Foster’s novel Bloodhype; side effects of the energy released
in the conflict can transform or teleport landscapes, people, and any
number of items on the various planes.


This article explains how he created the original Realms mythos, so if you want to know what gods were originally in the Realms, there ya go, there is a chart (interestingly, no demihuman or humanoid deities, I don't think they existed when he put the pantheon together Deities and Demigods was published in 1980).

The article is really a masterpiece of DM advice, still a great resource for anyone designing a new world or just refreshing how they run priests and deities.
PaulBestwick Posted - 20 Nov 2012 : 13:44:46
My copy is on order, but it is my christmas gift from my girlfriend, so no reading of it until December 25th , when I expect to get into trouble for ignoring her and everyone else because I will be reading my book .
Kuje Posted - 19 Nov 2012 : 02:46:59
I'd like to probably buy this book but you know what? I've gone to three or four stores locally (two of them are gaming stores!) and not one person knows what I'm talking about when I ask about this book. I've been told so far, "It's not been published yet." or "There's no such book." or "It's not in our database so what are you talking about?"

Now, I'm just going to ask for it for x-mas and hopefully someone will get me a copy on Amazon.
crazedventurers Posted - 17 Nov 2012 : 18:17:17
quote:
Originally posted by crazedventurers

Sigh it has been pushed back a month in the UK - Amazon wont be delivering to me now before Dec 14
********



Well a nice surprise on the mat tonight

YIPPEEEEEE

Cheers

Damian
Thieran Posted - 16 Nov 2012 : 22:38:20
Book arrived today! Very much looking forward to read it.
Tamsar Posted - 12 Nov 2012 : 22:39:56
Got the book, It's awesome so much info, definitely enable you add to much flavour and life to any realms campaign. Out of curiosity, what is the cover made of? It's freaky weird. Who knew Illithid skin could take and hold Ink so well?? :D
George Krashos Posted - 04 Nov 2012 : 23:37:23
Got it. An unexpected arrival given I lodged an observation (a thinly veiled complaint actually) only a couple of days ago. Have had a skim ... wonderful stuff.

-- George Krashos
Seravin Posted - 03 Nov 2012 : 21:00:21
I truly hope that it being sold out/selling so well sends a STRONG message that we want more lore from the pre-Spellplague era.

Hopefully money will talk louder than those who screamed at the top of their lungs against the fourth edition 5 years ago.
crazedventurers Posted - 03 Nov 2012 : 16:58:25
Sigh it has been pushed back a month in the UK - Amazon wont be delivering to me now before Dec 14
********
We regret to inform you that the following items have been delayed as we are still awaiting stock from our suppliers :

Wizards RPG Team "Ed Greenwood Presents Elminster's Forgotten Realms: A Dungeons & Dragons Supplement"
Estimated arrival date: December 15 2012 - December 14 2012
******

I can only assume it is because it has sold so well that they have ran out of stock and are having to reprint it!

Cheers

Damian
Thieran Posted - 03 Nov 2012 : 16:09:12
Ordered it today on amazon.de - wondering how long it will take.
Derulbaskul Posted - 03 Nov 2012 : 06:04:31
Move to Brisbane.

Copies of this book have been available there for more than two weeks.
George Krashos Posted - 03 Nov 2012 : 05:17:29
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

Sorry Krash!.




I hate you. Except that hate isn't strong enough a word!

-- George Krashos
The Sage Posted - 03 Nov 2012 : 04:19:46
Sorry Krash!.
Ateth Istarlin Posted - 02 Nov 2012 : 12:10:00
My copy arrived Yesterday
Jeremy Grenemyer Posted - 02 Nov 2012 : 03:19:14
Guys I hope your new orders are delivered ASAP.

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