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Faraer
Great Reader
3308 Posts |
 Posted - 04 Dec 2008 : 08:40:24
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I didn't encounter the Realms till 1989, when a weird American guy[1] DMed the H (Bloodstone) modules for some friends of mine and I looked at his copy of Forgotten Realms Adventures. I bought the Forgotten Realms Campaign Set and it had me. The Realms and Second Edition got me back into D&D after a time when I was playing other games. I started picking up odd Dragon issues including back issues when I could find them, these out-of-order pieces of the story of D&D and the roleplaying hobby (I'd been a regular reader of White Dwarf when it was an RPG magazine, and a bit beyond), and read the articles Ed Greenwood had started writing eight years before rights to his world were bought by TSR.
A poster called (un)reason, who appreciates Ed's work, is posting about the whole Dragon run from the beginning on EN World. Just got to the original "Pages from the Mages" in #62.
This was wonderful, ground-breaking stuff, still important in Realmslore, and I miss it. Maybe more thoughts later. What are yours?
[1] He was weird and he was American. Not weird because he was American.
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Edited by - Faraer on 04 Dec 2008 08:42:21
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Zanan
Senior Scribe
Germany
942 Posts |
Posted - 04 Dec 2008 : 09:15:41
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Cheers for that reminder! Luckily enough, I got that Dragon archive CD-pack and can worm my way through these early mags myself.
Only stumbled* accross one fine article by Ed on the devilish princesses and consorts recently ...
*Literally speaking, of course. We drow never stumble! |
Cave quid dicis, quando et cui!
Gęš a wyrd swa hio scel!
In memory of Alura Durshavin.
Visit my "Homepage" to find A Guide to the Drow NPCs of Faerūn, Drow and non-Drow PrC and much more. |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 04 Dec 2008 : 12:47:58
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Ah, memories.
I was lucky enough to pick up most of the early issues from a second hand bookstore about 15 years ago. And since that time, those particular magazines have been a constant among my reading lists over the years. Granted, I rarely make use of the rules material contained within those issues, but the lore and various informative articles have managed to hold their own as the decades pass. And there are still some rare articles that I'll gladly reference before I'm forced to turn to various 2e or even 3e sources.
As it is, I consider these early issues among my most treasured RPG sources and would never consider parting with them. Ever.
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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36782 Posts |
Posted - 04 Dec 2008 : 13:25:38
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At one point in time, my collection of Dragons stretched from issue 147 (with about a dozen random issues before that) straight thru until the current issue. I'd started with 163, picking it up on a whim from the local comics and games store (a sleazy place that went under years ago, and which has since been replaced by a great comics place, a once-great game store, and a new cool game store run by one of the former customers of the once-great one).
I only missed one or two issues during that time, and I made sure I filled in the gaps, later. So I had an impressive collection.
And, of course, they're all gone now, save for a handful that never made it into storage. I intend to replace them, but I've been getting other stuff replaced, first -- replacing that many magazines is going to take time.
I do have the Archive CD-ROM, though. So it's not like those older issues are totally lost...
One thing, though: with the demise of the print magazine, I lost a lot of interest in it. I still have the last few print issues, but I simply can't bring myself to read them. Dragon was one of my fave magazines, and its demise was very sad. I've not had any urge to read those last few issues because I know there will never be any more. And I do have to admit, while there was some great content in the last issues, they weren't the same as the earlier ones. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen!  |
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Alisttair
Great Reader
Canada
3054 Posts |
Posted - 04 Dec 2008 : 13:34:14
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Oh man Wooly, those mags will be harder to replace than the other books. That sucks.
I miss getting my monthly Dragon magazine in the mail. It was always very exciting to receive it and read through its pages. I hate that it's online now.
I'm also going to have to get a hand on the Archive CD-ROM. I hope it ain't too expensive on Amazon or EBay. |
Karsite Arcanar (Most Holy Servant of Karsus)
Anauria - Survivor State of Netheril as penned by me:
http://www.dmsguild.com/m/product/172023 |
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 04 Dec 2008 : 14:23:28
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Have to admit I never subscribed to Dragon, though I did pick up some issues. Sometime I hope to get the older ones and read the Realms articles from back then. |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
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Lord Karsus
Great Reader
USA
3738 Posts |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 04 Dec 2008 : 18:09:19
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I read them - having no clue about the Realms - back when they came out, because I had a subscription to Dragon for years and years. I ran Greyhawk back in the day, and pretty much ignored the other settings (although I did take bits and pieces of stuff from Dragon that I liked).
When my Brother-in-law and his friends (all around 14 at the time) wanted to learn how to play D&D, they had become facinated with the Forgotten Realms after seeing a game being played at an SCA event (my father-in-law was heavily involved with the SCA at the time - I myself had left my group after College).
My wife mentioned that I used to play "that silly game" (which she promptly put an end to five minutes after saying "I do"), and offerred 'my services' to her family and her brother.
I was happy to oblige, not having played a game in several years (and also happy I had spousal permission to pull my books out of storage), but I only knew Greyhawk.
And they wanted to play in that 'awful' new world - The Forgotten Realms. I refused (after all, I knew GH was better), and they found someone else to help them - another SCA member who had been a player for several years and wanted to give DMing a try. My wife's family convinced me to at least sit-in as a Player.
The guy brought two of his friends - and their high-level characters - who then proceeded to hog ALL the action while the 'newbs' sat around and got to do nothing. It was probably the second worse game session I ever took part in.
Afterwards the kids were dejected and no longer had an interest in D&D (YES, it was THAT bad). I decided to 'take one for the team', and offerred to show them the 'correct' way of playing... using the Forgotten Realms. I went out and bought the boxed set (still hating it), and began to run a campaign for them. As I got into it, I realized I was already familiar with this world, through all the Dragon articles by Ed that I read over the years!
It grew on me, and the rest is history. As much as I consider myself a die-hard GH fan, I can't help but admit FR is better... WAY better.
I guess I owe a lot to my bro-in-law and his friends.
Edit: I realized once-again my point got burried, so I emboldened the text petinent to the topic.  |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 04 Dec 2008 18:17:37 |
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Alisttair
Great Reader
Canada
3054 Posts |
Posted - 04 Dec 2008 : 18:21:08
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| Fascinating Story Markustay. I guess things happen for a reason. |
Karsite Arcanar (Most Holy Servant of Karsus)
Anauria - Survivor State of Netheril as penned by me:
http://www.dmsguild.com/m/product/172023 |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 04 Dec 2008 : 18:47:53
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If there is one thing I have learned in this life of mine, its that just about everything happens for a reason. Occasionally bad stuff happens, but when I look at it in retrospect, and everything that happened as a result, I realize I was better-off in the long run for it.
This is not the site for such discussions, but I can't help but feel like there is something 'greater' behind everything. Life is a wonder... if you just take the time to stop and watch it go by. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 04 Dec 2008 22:50:33 |
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Pandora
Learned Scribe
Germany
305 Posts |
Posted - 04 Dec 2008 : 20:11:51
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| I think my earliest issue is somewhere in the 60s, but I stopped around 200-somewhat. Prized above all else is issue #100 with the purple Faerie Dragon and the rules for 3D-chess (which I was thinking of building). These are still in my possession. |
If you cant say what youre meaning,
you can never mean what youre saying.
- Centauri Minister of Intelligence, Babylon 5 |
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6648 Posts |
Posted - 04 Dec 2008 : 22:15:14
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I got rid of all my old Dragon magazines many moons ago (I still have the last lot when Paizo was in charge) but not before p/copying all of the FR articles which are now sorted in binders by topic.
I still adore reading Ed's "Pages From the Mages" articles and consider them the best non-sourcebook realmslore ever published (well, them and his "Cult of the Dragon" article).
I wonder if we could ask him to provide us with a Candlekeep exclusive PfTM if he could find the time ... that would be awesome.
-- George Krashos
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"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
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The early Dragon articles
