| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| keftiu |
Posted - 06 Jan 2020 : 18:39:41
Say that we never get a full Faerun book for 5e, but WotC instead decides to pivot off of the Sword Coast and asks you to pitch a corner of the Realms to have act as the “setting” for the next several years. Where would you pin on the map? |
| 30 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| shades of eternity |
Posted - 13 Jan 2020 : 02:32:33
already working on it.
I got a chance to do the Saurial homeworld, so my life quest has been achieved. :)
did Amn upon request so happy as well.
Got to help with Anchorome with some awesome people.
Tethyr is kicking my ass, but got Muranndin within sprinting distance.
|
| TomCosta |
Posted - 12 Jan 2020 : 20:16:20
First the Dragon Coast has never been given its just due and there is a ton of good adventures to be had there above ground, below, on the sea and below. We've go the Gulthmere and the remains of at least one giant empire not to mention all of the pirates and Westgate as well as whatever remains of the new religious realm started at the tail end of 3.5E.
Otherwise, I want to cover quirky places outside the core. Give me something on Nimbral, Lantan, and Evermeet or Halruaa and Dambrath or Chessenta, Tymanthar, and Unther or Semphar and Murghom or Sossal, Narfell and the like. You could do a whole SCAG like book that covers the legacy of Imaskar from north to south. |
| VikingLegion |
Posted - 12 Jan 2020 : 13:05:44
quote:
Originally posted by Seravin
To me, the Realms began with the Moonsea and the Dales; so I'd like more content there. As much as I can get...
You beat me to it Seravin. When I think of old school Realms it's Storm hanging out in her farmhouse in Shadowdale, Randall Morn resisting Zhent incursion in Daggerdale, orc and goblinoid hordes assailing the walls of Phlan, etc. My first tabletop campaign was centered in the Dalelands, and the first FR video game I played I think was Pool of Radiance, so this region will always BE the Realms for me. I've been mildly annoyed for decades that the Sword Coast eats up so much of the limelight, but so be it. |
| Nilus Reynard |
Posted - 08 Jan 2020 : 07:09:11
quote:
Originally posted by keftiu
quote:
Originally posted by Nilus Reynard
The Silver Marches and/or Tethyr.
I've always struggled to get into this region, which has always felt (from a surface skim) like "good guy traditional fantasy land." What's the hook?
The hook for me is that alot of our home brew campaigns took place in & around Silverymoon. It's always been an area that I have found to be interesting. Nothing more that that. |
| keftiu |
Posted - 07 Jan 2020 : 23:35:16
quote:
Originally posted by Irennan
quote:
Originally posted by keftiu
Again, that makes them fantastical, and also centers biology in a way I don't love, as a trans person who isn't physically/medically transitioning. I'd rather see a cultural grasp of non-cis gender, owing to their patron deity's own fluid nature and the whole "you live many lives over an elf lifespan" thing.
Yeah, I too noted that they'd still be fantastical/alien.
I understand what you're saying re: their culture; IIRC Corellon has always been fluid, even in the old days, so it would make sense for the elves to embrace that culturally, even without their biology being centered on it.
Once you have that mindset as a basis, with the kind of magic that the people (especially the elves) of a high fantasy D&D world like FR can access to, it would't be hard to physically transition--for those who want it (which would also provide representation for trans people who are transitioning).
Thanks for the explanation.
Thank /you/ for the thoughtful discussion! |
| Irennan |
Posted - 07 Jan 2020 : 22:42:44
quote:
Originally posted by keftiu
Again, that makes them fantastical, and also centers biology in a way I don't love, as a trans person who isn't physically/medically transitioning. I'd rather see a cultural grasp of non-cis gender, owing to their patron deity's own fluid nature and the whole "you live many lives over an elf lifespan" thing.
Yeah, I too noted that they'd still be fantastical/alien.
I understand what you're saying re: their culture; IIRC Corellon has always been fluid, even in the old days, so it would make sense for the elves to embrace that culturally, even without their biology being centered on it.
Once you have that mindset as a basis, with the kind of magic that the people (especially the elves) of a high fantasy D&D world like FR can access to, it would't be hard to physically transition--for those who want it (which would also provide representation for trans people who are transitioning).
Thanks for the explanation. |
| keftiu |
Posted - 07 Jan 2020 : 21:51:24
quote:
Originally posted by Irennan
quote:
Originally posted by keftiu
quote:
Originally posted by Irennan
quote:
Originally posted by keftiu
That elven thing was laughably bad, and I believe the one NPC’s introductory text was still really clumsy and had mention of what to do when the PCs misgender them, because it assumed they of course would. Not great.
Also, our cousins over in MtG-land have had one trans woman (who died almost immediately after being introduced) and one agender character (who is an inhuman monster villain). I don’t trust WotC to do it right.
Honestly, I wasn't a fan of the elven sex-changing thing either, but only because it was yet another retcon. It does kinda fit with the fact that elves used to be shapechangers in WotC's new vision, though. Since I'm not queer, may I ask what was bad about it, from your perspective?
I don't follow MtG, but if that's WotC's record, I wouldn't be holding my breath for good representation either.
Sure, happy to explain.
Trans and non-binary people are just people. A solid number of us just want to live, undisturbed, as we are, and be seen as such. There’s nothing more fantastical about someone who is transgender than someone who isn’t.
And yet when it comes to representation, it’s always a wild, crazy, Other thing. These characters are often aliens or robots, with an implied different understanding of gender by virtue of not being human. They’re magical because their identity straddles some kind of boundary or breaks some kind of rule. These characters never get to be normal people.
So when WotC’s attempt at throwing the trans crowd a bone is “some elves are especially blessed by their patron god, allowing them to magically shift sex characteristics,” it reinforces that we aren’t normal, that trans characters can’t exist without being special and distinct (and excused by magic). Nevermind that not all trans and non-binary people pursue physical/medical transition - I’m one of them - it just further distances us from the mundane and normalized, and that's frustrating. It’s not that the Blessed of Corellon are /bad/, it’s that they play into a really lame tradition by being the only option called out; I’d like it way more if they were a cool quirk of the elves, showing how fluid they are... reinforced by a general culture of that, alongside many other more mundane examples of trans people in the Realms.
Does that make sense?
Yes, it does. Would it be better if the elves, as a people, were free to change their sex (rather than it being a blessing of Corellon, thus making them "special")? They would basically be a whole race that lives fluidity as a standard state, rather than a quirk (also, it would make more sense in their new "elves were shapeshifters" context).
I mean, this still has the problem of trans people mostly belonging to an "alien and magical race" (even though D&D elves are just humans with pointy ears, super long lifespans, and greater beauty--basically, a less fertile but better version of the humans), however it comes with the perk of making queerness normal in a whole culture.
Then again, I guess that--going by your expalantion--just adding queer characters and treating them as normal characters who just happen to be queer would be the best approach.
Again, that makes them fantastical, and also centers biology in a way I don't love, as a trans person who isn't physically/medically transitioning. I'd rather see a cultural grasp of non-cis gender, owing to their patron deity's own fluid nature and the whole "you live many lives over an elf lifespan" thing. |
| Irennan |
Posted - 07 Jan 2020 : 20:43:35
quote:
Originally posted by keftiu
quote:
Originally posted by Irennan
quote:
Originally posted by keftiu
That elven thing was laughably bad, and I believe the one NPC’s introductory text was still really clumsy and had mention of what to do when the PCs misgender them, because it assumed they of course would. Not great.
Also, our cousins over in MtG-land have had one trans woman (who died almost immediately after being introduced) and one agender character (who is an inhuman monster villain). I don’t trust WotC to do it right.
Honestly, I wasn't a fan of the elven sex-changing thing either, but only because it was yet another retcon. It does kinda fit with the fact that elves used to be shapechangers in WotC's new vision, though. Since I'm not queer, may I ask what was bad about it, from your perspective?
I don't follow MtG, but if that's WotC's record, I wouldn't be holding my breath for good representation either.
Sure, happy to explain.
Trans and non-binary people are just people. A solid number of us just want to live, undisturbed, as we are, and be seen as such. There’s nothing more fantastical about someone who is transgender than someone who isn’t.
And yet when it comes to representation, it’s always a wild, crazy, Other thing. These characters are often aliens or robots, with an implied different understanding of gender by virtue of not being human. They’re magical because their identity straddles some kind of boundary or breaks some kind of rule. These characters never get to be normal people.
So when WotC’s attempt at throwing the trans crowd a bone is “some elves are especially blessed by their patron god, allowing them to magically shift sex characteristics,” it reinforces that we aren’t normal, that trans characters can’t exist without being special and distinct (and excused by magic). Nevermind that not all trans and non-binary people pursue physical/medical transition - I’m one of them - it just further distances us from the mundane and normalized, and that's frustrating. It’s not that the Blessed of Corellon are /bad/, it’s that they play into a really lame tradition by being the only option called out; I’d like it way more if they were a cool quirk of the elves, showing how fluid they are... reinforced by a general culture of that, alongside many other more mundane examples of trans people in the Realms.
Does that make sense?
Yes, it does. Would it be better if the elves, as a people, were free to change their sex (rather than it being a blessing of Corellon, thus making them "special")? They would basically be a whole race that lives fluidity as a standard state, rather than a quirk (also, it would make more sense in their new "elves were shapeshifters" context).
I mean, this still has the problem of trans people mostly belonging to an "alien and magical race" (even though D&D elves are just humans with pointy ears, super long lifespans, and greater beauty--basically, a less fertile but better version of the humans), however it comes with the perk of making queerness normal in a whole culture.
Then again, I guess that--going by your expalantion--just adding queer characters and treating them as normal characters who just happen to be queer would be the best approach. |
| keftiu |
Posted - 07 Jan 2020 : 19:26:06
quote:
Originally posted by Irennan
quote:
Originally posted by keftiu
That elven thing was laughably bad, and I believe the one NPC’s introductory text was still really clumsy and had mention of what to do when the PCs misgender them, because it assumed they of course would. Not great.
Also, our cousins over in MtG-land have had one trans woman (who died almost immediately after being introduced) and one agender character (who is an inhuman monster villain). I don’t trust WotC to do it right.
Honestly, I wasn't a fan of the elven sex-changing thing either, but only because it was yet another retcon. It does kinda fit with the fact that elves used to be shapechangers in WotC's new vision, though. Since I'm not queer, may I ask what was bad about it, from your perspective?
I don't follow MtG, but if that's WotC's record, I wouldn't be holding my breath for good representation either.
Sure, happy to explain.
Trans and non-binary people are just people. A solid number of us just want to live, undisturbed, as we are, and be seen as such. There’s nothing more fantastical about someone who is transgender than someone who isn’t.
And yet when it comes to representation, it’s always a wild, crazy, Other thing. These characters are often aliens or robots, with an implied different understanding of gender by virtue of not being human. They’re magical because their identity straddles some kind of boundary or breaks some kind of rule. These characters never get to be normal people.
So when WotC’s attempt at throwing the trans crowd a bone is “some elves are especially blessed by their patron god, allowing them to magically shift sex characteristics,” it reinforces that we aren’t normal, that trans characters can’t exist without being special and distinct (and excused by magic). Nevermind that not all trans and non-binary people pursue physical/medical transition - I’m one of them - it just further distances us from the mundane and normalized, and that's frustrating. It’s not that the Blessed of Corellon are /bad/, it’s that they play into a really lame tradition by being the only option called out; I’d like it way more if they were a cool quirk of the elves, showing how fluid they are... reinforced by a general culture of that, alongside many other more mundane examples of trans people in the Realms.
Does that make sense? |
| Brimstone |
Posted - 07 Jan 2020 : 16:46:29
quote:
Originally posted by Dalor Darden
I would like to see an update on either the Border Kingdoms or The Moonsea North; either having attention to detail on the level of the City of Splendors boxed set from AD&D 2e.
Ed did a Border Kingdoms update for 5E. It's my defacto Border Kingdoms now. |
| Seravin |
Posted - 07 Jan 2020 : 15:43:18
To me, the Realms began with the Moonsea and the Dales; so I'd like more content there. As much as I can get... |
| Irennan |
Posted - 07 Jan 2020 : 15:08:29
quote:
Originally posted by keftiu
That elven thing was laughably bad, and I believe the one NPC’s introductory text was still really clumsy and had mention of what to do when the PCs misgender them, because it assumed they of course would. Not great.
Also, our cousins over in MtG-land have had one trans woman (who died almost immediately after being introduced) and one agender character (who is an inhuman monster villain). I don’t trust WotC to do it right.
Honestly, I wasn't a fan of the elven sex-changing thing either, but only because it was yet another retcon. It does kinda fit with the fact that elves used to be shapechangers in WotC's new vision, though. Since I'm not queer, may I ask what was bad about it, from your perspective?
I don't follow MtG, but if that's WotC's record, I wouldn't be holding my breath for good representation either. |
| Brimstone |
Posted - 07 Jan 2020 : 14:13:35
I would love for Steven Schend to do an update on The Lands of Intrigue, or The Sea's of Falling Stars. |
| keftiu |
Posted - 07 Jan 2020 : 07:08:25
quote:
Originally posted by Nilus Reynard
The Silver Marches and/or Tethyr.
I've always struggled to get into this region, which has always felt (from a surface skim) like "good guy traditional fantasy land." What's the hook? |
| Nilus Reynard |
Posted - 07 Jan 2020 : 06:50:33
The Silver Marches and/or Tethyr. |
| Lord Karsus |
Posted - 07 Jan 2020 : 03:33:11
-The Utter East and the Hordelands. |
| keftiu |
Posted - 07 Jan 2020 : 01:41:36
quote:
Originally posted by Irennan
quote:
Originally posted by keftiu
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by Seethyr
This makes me think how wonderful it would be if WOTC just “canonized” some of the best fan work out there. It would cost them nothing.
When the DM's Guild was introduced, I thought that's what they were going to use it for. It disappoints me that so many offerings there are "slightly different backgrounds volume 138" and "broken revamped character class #292"
I mean, I doubt WotC would've ever published a book or article on transgender characters, so I'm grateful the Guild let me do that.
They've been making steps to include trans characters. IIRC, they wrote a sidebar about queerness in Waterdeep in their Volo's guide (don't quote me on that, though: I don't own the book, and the sidebar may just be "there are trans in Wateredeep"). They also made the possibility to change sex a prominent feature of the elves in their MToF.
You're right that there aren't any named trans NPC (that I know of), and that they aren't likely to punblish stuff specifically about a trans character, though.
That elven thing was laughably bad, and I believe the one NPC’s introductory text was still really clumsy and had mention of what to do when the PCs misgender them, because it assumed they of course would. Not great.
Also, our cousins over in MtG-land have had one trans woman (who died almost immediately after being introduced) and one agender character (who is an inhuman monster villain). I don’t trust WotC to do it right. |
| Dalor Darden |
Posted - 07 Jan 2020 : 00:26:11
I would like to see an update on either the Border Kingdoms or The Moonsea North; either having attention to detail on the level of the City of Splendors boxed set from AD&D 2e. |
| Irennan |
Posted - 07 Jan 2020 : 00:25:26
quote:
Originally posted by keftiu
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by Seethyr
This makes me think how wonderful it would be if WOTC just “canonized” some of the best fan work out there. It would cost them nothing.
When the DM's Guild was introduced, I thought that's what they were going to use it for. It disappoints me that so many offerings there are "slightly different backgrounds volume 138" and "broken revamped character class #292"
I mean, I doubt WotC would've ever published a book or article on transgender characters, so I'm grateful the Guild let me do that.
They've been making steps to include trans characters. IIRC, they wrote a sidebar about queerness in Waterdeep in their Volo's guide (don't quote me on that, though: I don't own the book, and the sidebar may just be "there are trans in Wateredeep"). They also made the possibility to change sex a prominent feature of the elves in their MToF.
You're right that there aren't any named trans NPC (that I know of), and that they aren't likely to punblish stuff specifically about a trans character, though. |
| deserk |
Posted - 06 Jan 2020 : 23:47:38
It's a difficult thing to answer. On one hand I would be tempted to answer with my most favorite places in Faerun, namely Shining South and Vilhon Reach. On the other hand, I feel there are a lot of places that were only covered way back in the 1st edition era that could use an update to align it more with the standard of the rest of the Realms. The Cold Lands (Damara, Narfell, Vaasa, Sossal) and the Old Empires (Chessenta, Unther, Mulhorand, Murghom, Semphar, Wizard's Reach) are especially aged and weren't exactly written in tune to Ed Greenwood's vision of the Realms, I'd say. I would prefer to salvage what was good from those products but also enhance those lands with new ideas to help make these places unique and special within the Realms, and of course some of those countries hardly had any information at all. But personally I would preferred to have these areas covered by Ed Greenwood and 1st-3rd edition FR designers, who I felt respected and cherished the setting. Which I'm not so much convinced with the 4e-5e crew. They seem to use the Realms in a very contrived and dispassionate way, all for whatever purpose their marketeers think might make money.
But in the end I would be happy if it was product set beyond the Western Heartlands or the North. It was nice to see when they picked Chult for Tomb of Annihilation (very unexpected), although I don't like when they push in stuff from other settings into the Forgotten Realms. |
| George Krashos |
Posted - 06 Jan 2020 : 23:19:35
quote:
Originally posted by Gary Dallison
Greyhawk. I'd much rather WoTC didn't grace the Forgotten Realms with their genius.
-- George Krashos |
| keftiu |
Posted - 06 Jan 2020 : 22:24:14
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by Seethyr
This makes me think how wonderful it would be if WOTC just “canonized” some of the best fan work out there. It would cost them nothing.
When the DM's Guild was introduced, I thought that's what they were going to use it for. It disappoints me that so many offerings there are "slightly different backgrounds volume 138" and "broken revamped character class #292"
I mean, I doubt WotC would've ever published a book or article on transgender characters, so I'm grateful the Guild let me do that. |
| Seethyr |
Posted - 06 Jan 2020 : 22:06:05
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by Seethyr
This makes me think how wonderful it would be if WOTC just “canonized” some of the best fan work out there. It would cost them nothing.
When the DM's Guild was introduced, I thought that's what they were going to use it for. It disappoints me that so many offerings there are "slightly different backgrounds volume 138" and "broken revamped character class #292"
I couldn’t agree with you more on this assessment. The massive majority of what’s put up there is absolute garbage, which wouldn’t bother me if it wasn’t so difficult to filter through and find the occasional gem that actually does appear - and I have certainly found some. |
| Irennan |
Posted - 06 Jan 2020 : 21:55:36
Halruaa. A favgorite of mine that has gone through a major upheaval and then returned. They've also been exposed to Abeir's cultures. It just doesn't make sense that they'd be the same as they were before. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 06 Jan 2020 : 21:53:42
quote:
Originally posted by Seethyr
This makes me think how wonderful it would be if WOTC just “canonized” some of the best fan work out there. It would cost them nothing.
When the DM's Guild was introduced, I thought that's what they were going to use it for. It disappoints me that so many offerings there are "slightly different backgrounds volume 138" and "broken revamped character class #292" |
| Seethyr |
Posted - 06 Jan 2020 : 21:46:54
quote:
Originally posted by TheIriaeban
quote:
Originally posted by Zeromaru X
I prefer they stay in the Sword Coast, and leave the other places to us.
As long as they leave Iriaebor and Sunset Vale out. I already have Iriaebor history set up for Bron's rise to power starting in 1345 and I was just able to start working from the other end (founded about 200). I am also working out the history of Darkhold from the fall of Netheril to 1312 when Manshoon destroyed Varalla. Although, if they want to fill in a bit about the horsemen who built the burial ground under Asbravn or the halfling barbarians the giants had to contend with, that is ok by me.
This makes me think how wonderful it would be if WOTC just “canonized” some of the best fan work out there. It would cost them nothing. |
| TheIriaeban |
Posted - 06 Jan 2020 : 20:42:31
quote:
Originally posted by Zeromaru X
I prefer they stay in the Sword Coast, and leave the other places to us.
As long as they leave Iriaebor and Sunset Vale out. I already have Iriaebor history set up for Bron's rise to power starting in 1345 and I was just able to start working from the other end (founded about 200). I am also working out the history of Darkhold from the fall of Netheril to 1312 when Manshoon destroyed Varalla. Although, if they want to fill in a bit about the horsemen who built the burial ground under Asbravn or the halfling barbarians the giants had to contend with, that is ok by me. |
| Seethyr |
Posted - 06 Jan 2020 : 20:02:26
Utter East, Horde, Maztica, Zakhara, Kara-Tur, Malatra, Great Glacier, Seros...any exotic locale that hasn’t been touched since 2e |
| John Daker |
Posted - 06 Jan 2020 : 19:50:38
Zakhara or Kara-Tur. |
| Zeromaru X |
Posted - 06 Jan 2020 : 19:44:08
I prefer they stay in the Sword Coast, and leave the other places to us. |
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