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Dalor Darden
Great Reader
USA
4211 Posts |
 Posted - 18 Sep 2010 : 01:47:17
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Personally I'm currently favoring the Old Grey Box.
However!
I liked nearly any era of the Forgotten Realms after that. I even have some like of the Post Spellplague era...but I just don't see it as the Forgotten Realms.
*A* Forgotten Realms to be sure, and so I see that it could be fun to play in. I liked many folks idea that there were many Forgotten Realms that sort of splinter off of each other in parallel universes and such. |
The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me! |
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idilippy
Senior Scribe
USA
417 Posts |
Posted - 18 Sep 2010 : 02:11:16
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| Yeah, the new realms, if a separate world like Eberron is, could be a lot of fun to play in. Giant caverns, skyships, floating cities, plaguelands, and spellscars all have potential for fun, as does a post-apocalypse flavored setting with very little detail that leaves a lot to the DM to fill in. On the other hand, I already played Eberron when I wanted Eberron, I played in the Realms for the attention to detail and lore, which is why the 4e Realms don't appeal much to me. On the other hand I don't know if I could see myself using the Old Gray Box completely on its own either, not when I have access to all sorts of published lore to add onto it, though I could see myself taking the OGB and just adding the lore I like to it while leaving off the rest. |
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Dalor Darden
Great Reader
USA
4211 Posts |
Posted - 18 Sep 2010 : 02:21:49
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quote:
Originally posted by idilippy
Yeah, the new realms, if a separate world like Eberron is, could be a lot of fun to play in. Giant caverns, skyships, floating cities, plaguelands, and spellscars all have potential for fun, as does a post-apocalypse flavored setting with very little detail that leaves a lot to the DM to fill in. On the other hand, I already played Eberron when I wanted Eberron, I played in the Realms for the attention to detail and lore, which is why the 4e Realms don't appeal much to me. On the other hand I don't know if I could see myself using the Old Gray Box completely on its own either, not when I have access to all sorts of published lore to add onto it, though I could see myself taking the OGB and just adding the lore I like to it while leaving off the rest.
The campaign I'm going to be running now with my children will start in the OGB and then move through the years. I'll add things as the party goes in those areas...but some things I'll likely leave out. I have already decided that I will not have a Time of Troubles like the published one...no Cyric and Midnight becoming gods...I'll leave that up to how things work out with the party.
I'll most likely even have Shade Return...just in my own manner. I doubt highly that anything that results from this game will be like the published realms...but lots of the ideas are really good.
I've even decided to put Aebir exactly on the other side of the Sun in my Forgotten Realms...so it is there, but can't be seen really with the naked eye...and the Sun will act as Ao's buffer blocking any and all magic from working from one world to the other.
I opted to not have Spelljamming in my Forgotten Realms either...space is going to be a cold dead place unless a planet is in the Life Zone of the star...and there are only going to be two planets that fit that description.
Sorry for the ramble... |
The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me! |
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idilippy
Senior Scribe
USA
417 Posts |
Posted - 18 Sep 2010 : 03:05:08
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| That's an interesting and fun sounding campaign idea, you should get a ton of play out of the realms material if you start the campaign at the time of the old gray box. |
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Halidan
Senior Scribe
USA
470 Posts |
Posted - 18 Sep 2010 : 08:29:12
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| My next campaign is set just after the elves leave for Evermeet - circa 1348. It mostly deals with how the dales and the Moonsea powers deal with the sudden power vacume in the Elven Court and Myth Drannor. It should be lots of fun. |
"Over the Mountains
Of the Moon
Down the Valley of the Shadow,
Ride, boldly ride,"
The shade replied,
"If you seek for Eldorado!"
Edgar Allen Poe - 1849 |
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see
Learned Scribe
235 Posts |
Posted - 19 Sep 2010 : 01:06:08
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I answered OGB.
My choice would be OGB as the basic era, lots of the 2e lore backported, and the ToT will never happen (solidly derailing any other "we already know what's going to happen" stuff). |
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Eltheron
Senior Scribe
740 Posts |
Posted - 21 Sep 2010 : 17:49:05
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My vote was for "Old Gray Box" era, as it also includes the very good pre-setting articles written in early Dragon. Growing up in that era, I can say from personal experience that there were TONS of people who were fans of Ed's articles before it became a boxed, formalized setting (myself and all my old friends included).
For subsequent editions, there were things from 2E and 3E that I heartily disliked; but on the whole, I liked a lot more than I disliked. I loved all the Volo guides, I liked aspects of Maztica, I loved Kara-Tur, lots of the Underdark additions were cool, and I really liked Halruaa. The boxed set "The North" and the 3E Silver Marches supplement were pure gold to me. But I could have lived without the Time of Troubles, as I liked many of the pre-ToT gods better. Similarly, I never incorporated Spelljammer. And I've avoided 4E Realms, even though I don't mind the 4E rules, just not a lot there that appeals to me personally.
So definitely for me, "Old Gray Box" with bits and pieces of 2E and 3E Realms as icing. :)
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"The very best possible post-fourteenth-century Realms lets down those who love the specific, detailed social, political and magical situation, with its thousands of characters, developed over forty years, and want to learn more about it; and those who'd be open to a new one with equal depth, which there just isn't time to re-produce; and those repelled, some past the point of no return, by the bad-taste-and-plausibility gap of things done to the world when its guardianship was less careful."
--Faraer |
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Julian Grimm
Seeker
86 Posts |
Posted - 01 Oct 2010 : 00:57:20
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| I'm definitely in the Greybox category. It was my introduction to the setting and I spent many a game with it. I never was a fan of the ToT; I liked it in idea not execution. My games tend to pick an choose anything after FR6 and has diverged pretty far from the official timeline. |
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Kno
Senior Scribe
452 Posts |
Posted - 05 Oct 2010 : 20:33:55
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| why don't you Greyboxers just skip ToT, it was a minor event, a lot of good things happened until at least 1373 |
z455t |
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Dalor Darden
Great Reader
USA
4211 Posts |
Posted - 06 Oct 2010 : 04:15:20
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I'll most likely skip the Time of Troubles...as it was done at any rate. I like the idea of the modules. I may run the modules for my players...but if so, Bane will be restored just as Torm was...after all, he was doing what he was supposed to do!
In that case, so would be Bhaal and Myrkul. As for the destruction of Mystra...I can swing that so that she "re-spawns" after the ToT.
I kinda like the Time of Troubles...I just didn't like Cyric...at all... |
The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me! |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 06 Oct 2010 : 05:26:44
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quote:
Originally posted by Dalor Darden
I kinda like the Time of Troubles...I just didn't like Cyric...at all...
Agreed. I came aboard with the ToT, so it's never bothered me. In fact, I still there's there's a lot of fun potential in it and its after-effects -- particularly Myrkul in the Crown of Horns, and the maybe/maybe not reborn Bane (I remain convinced that Xvim is pretending to be Bane).
Cyric, on the other hand, strikes me as little more than an opportunistic git. He's almost but not quite tragic. Tragic, in that he did have potential to straighten up and become a good guy, and even wanted to for a while... Almost, though, because his failings were his own, him taking the easy way out instead of sticking to the swifting-withering morals he tried to live up to. He could have been more, and instead fell -- that's tragic. But he brought it on himself, so is simply too pathetic to be tragic. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen!  |
Edited by - Wooly Rupert on 06 Oct 2010 05:27:43 |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 06 Oct 2010 : 06:04:53
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Whereas, I never actually incorporated the Time of Troubles into my Realms. Myrkul, Bhaal, and Bane all largely remain the same for the most part.
Though, I've often said that if I had dropped the ToT into my campaigns, the Myrkul-Crown of Horns concept would also be part of my world.
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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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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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Joran Nobleheart
Senior Scribe
USA
495 Posts |
Posted - 06 Oct 2010 : 06:41:35
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by Dalor Darden
I kinda like the Time of Troubles...I just didn't like Cyric...at all...
Agreed. I came aboard with the ToT, so it's never bothered me. In fact, I still there's there's a lot of fun potential in it and its after-effects -- particularly Myrkul in the Crown of Horns, and the maybe/maybe not reborn Bane (I remain convinced that Xvim is pretending to be Bane).
Cyric, on the other hand, strikes me as little more than an opportunistic git. He's almost but not quite tragic. Tragic, in that he did have potential to straighten up and become a good guy, and even wanted to for a while... Almost, though, because his failings were his own, him taking the easy way out instead of sticking to the swifting-withering morals he tried to live up to. He could have been more, and instead fell -- that's tragic. But he brought it on himself, so is simply too pathetic to be tragic.
Once again Wooly, I agree with you completely.  |
Paladinic Ethos
Saint Joran Nobleheart |
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Dalor Darden
Great Reader
USA
4211 Posts |
Posted - 06 Oct 2010 : 06:50:16
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Aye, I'm really liking the Crown of Horns aspect...so, there are many things to think about.
If I want to stick somewhat to chronology, I still have a long way to go with the current game I'm running for my kids and wife before the ToT would even come up.
We've only just started in the Month of Ches in the Year of the Prince (1357) so I have lots of time.
It may be that the whole ToT is a bit too much for my kids at any rate. They are smart, but they may not get the intricacies of that particular line...while my wife would I'm sure.
We'll see. |
The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me! |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 06 Oct 2010 : 07:37:08
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quote:
Originally posted by Dalor Darden
It may be that the whole ToT is a bit too much for my kids at any rate. They are smart, but they may not get the intricacies of that particular line...while my wife would I'm sure.
Hmmm. Have they read the "Avatar" trilogy? If not, it may help to provide you with a way to gauge how they'd feel about the event.
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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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Sandro
Learned Scribe
New Zealand
266 Posts |
Posted - 06 Oct 2010 : 07:54:09
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
quote:
Originally posted by Dalor Darden
It may be that the whole ToT is a bit too much for my kids at any rate. They are smart, but they may not get the intricacies of that particular line...while my wife would I'm sure.
Hmmm. Have they read the "Avatar" trilogy? If not, it may help to provide you with a way to gauge how they'd feel about the event.
Similarly, it might give away information about what's going on that he'd rather have a monopoly over as DM, for realism purposes in-game. |
"Gods, little fishes, and spells to turn the one to the other," Mordenkainen sighed. "It's started already..." |
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Jorkens
Great Reader
Norway
2950 Posts |
Posted - 06 Oct 2010 : 10:23:24
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quote:
Originally posted by Kno
why don't you Greyboxers just skip ToT, it was a minor event, a lot of good things happened until at least 1373
In my case because it feels like a different world from later versions (and I am not talking about the 4ed. here so no one start anything). There are plenty of room to change and develop, there is a Dark Age feel that I like and the rumours and happenings mentioned are a great starting point for a campaign. I prefer to start a bit earlier though, so that the Gondegal war and different problems in the Dales can be used in the background. And few of the bigger events appeal to me at all, the same goes for much of the later added history, so ToT is just one element among many I will never use. But any good idea will be taken into a campaign, no matter what edition it is from. |
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Quale
Master of Realmslore
1757 Posts |
Posted - 06 Oct 2010 : 10:26:53
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| The Avatar Crisis for us was an interesting concept, too hard to pass up. Whatever we disliked was changed, parts of Cyric and Finder, Ao, Tiamat's and Gilgeam's conflict. And I ran the Faction War parallel to my friend's plot in Unther. I did not care for the deaths of Bane and Bhaal, only Myrkul remained and Moander got the Crown of Horns. |
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Dalor Darden
Great Reader
USA
4211 Posts |
Posted - 06 Oct 2010 : 17:31:03
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
quote:
Originally posted by Dalor Darden
It may be that the whole ToT is a bit too much for my kids at any rate. They are smart, but they may not get the intricacies of that particular line...while my wife would I'm sure.
Hmmm. Have they read the "Avatar" trilogy? If not, it may help to provide you with a way to gauge how they'd feel about the event.
Well, my players are 28, 8, 7 & 5...and while all of them can read (something that is cool for a five year old!), I just don't think I want them to read something that I may use...or may not. I think if I decide NOT to use it, then I will encourage them to read it.
Most likely, however, I think my FR will pretty much go forward in a undetermined way. Honestly, the boys like hack and slash, so I'm probably in for many a dungeon crawl and wilderness romp! |
The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me! |
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Artemas Entreri
Great Reader
USA
3131 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jan 2012 : 20:50:36
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| It was a close choice between the Grey Box era and Post ToT, but in the end i went with the classic 2E Post ToT. |
Some people have a way with words, and other people...oh, uh, not have way. -Steve Martin
Amazon "KindleUnlimited" Free Trial: http://amzn.to/2AJ4yD2
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Edited by - Artemas Entreri on 13 Jan 2012 20:51:02 |
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Seravin
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1265 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jan 2012 : 21:00:22
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| Grey Box era all the way. I wish they would publish an unending stream of novels from this era. |
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Artemas Entreri
Great Reader
USA
3131 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jan 2012 : 21:13:48
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quote:
Originally posted by Seravin
Grey Box era all the way. I wish they would publish an unending stream of novels from this era.
I would buy them all |
Some people have a way with words, and other people...oh, uh, not have way. -Steve Martin
Amazon "KindleUnlimited" Free Trial: http://amzn.to/2AJ4yD2
Try Audible and Get 2 Free Audio Books! https://amzn.to/2IgBede |
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Wolfhound75
Learned Scribe
USA
217 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jan 2012 : 22:03:08
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Post Time of Troubles is my preferred era for play.
I feel this way because there is a sufficient amount of lore predating this era that the world is developed and complete. Also, there are still enough unexplored and out of the way areas that DMs could create whatever they wish, nearly wherever as well, without having to worry about the effect on Farmer Joe and his six cows. As Realmslore has progressed, it feels like there is less and less room for DM additions as more of the world is defined by canon writings. Call it a fantasy version of urban sprawl type of effect.
Enjoy the Realms regardless of your preferred era of Lore!
Good Hunting! |
"Firepower - if it's not working, you're not using enough." ~ Military Proverb
"If at first you do succeed, you must've rolled a natural 20!" |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jan 2012 : 22:21:39
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Looking back, I see now that my own preference (at this time) isn't even listed (although Brace did poke it with a stick).
I think post-Spellplague, Pre-4e is the ideal era to run a game, because all bets are off, and you can pick whatever you want from any edition and run with it. Hell, you can even borrow entire realms whole-cloth from other settings and have a good explanation for it. How often can you do that, and NOT violate canon?
There is a lot to be said for wedging a new edition between the last two (IMHO). |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Therise
Master of Realmslore
1272 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jan 2012 : 23:02:22
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Ye Olde Gray Boxe (1E) for me!
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Female, 40-year DM of a homebrew-evolved 1E Realms, including a few added tidbits of 2E and 3E lore; played originally in AD&D, then in Rolemaster. Be a DM for your kids and grandkids, gaming is excellent for families! |
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Varl
Learned Scribe
USA
284 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jan 2012 : 23:25:01
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| Old Gray Box for me. It was the quintessential Realms, and Ed was in charge. Deeeelish! I still remember his Everwinking Eye articles in Dragon as being at the heart of what I learned to love most about the Realms: lore and campaign content usable by anyone at any time regardless of edition. |
I'm on a permanent vacation to the soul. -Tash Sultana |
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Mapolq
Senior Scribe
Brazil
466 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jan 2012 : 23:44:50
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3E Realms for me. (Though it really doesn't deserve to be branded "Return of Shade" Realms...) It was a difficult choice pitting it against the older versions, but the 3E Realms has one big advantage: it includes and builds upon the vast majority of previous material. The 4E Realms on the other hand practically erase the board with the time jump and the multiple changes to the setting's geography and general feel.
1385 DR Realms could be an interesting era... if only the future wasn't set up for us already and the Spellplague could be a temporary event with a few lasting consequences like the ToT, not an all-encompassing theme for the setting. And if other changes, like the god killing spree and the cosmology could be averted or toned down. Otherwise it'd just feel like playing in a Realms that's going down the drain, and I don't like that kind of setting. |
Never sleep under the jackfruit tree.
Tales of Moonsea - A Neverwinter Nights 2 Persistent World. Check out our website at http://www.talesofmoonsea.com and our video trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am304WqOAAo&feature=youtu.be, as well as our thread here at Candlekeep: http://www.forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=12955
My campaign thread: http://www.forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=16447 |
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Thauranil
Master of Realmslore
India
1591 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jan 2012 : 10:33:31
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| I have to pick 3e realms as well . It was the most interesting, though i havent got anything against the other eras including the apparently much critised 4e. |
Edited by - Thauranil on 16 Jan 2012 10:34:48 |
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Jakk
Great Reader
Canada
2165 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jan 2012 : 09:44:51
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quote:
Originally posted by Amarel_Derakanor
I voted on the "Greenwood Realms". Easy choice. Guaranteed to be a 100% free of RSEs and real-world-culture-copies. Not to mention retroactive continuity and world design influenced by 'marketing strategies', which the 4th edition is full of.
Yep. This one gets my vote too.
Edit: Second place goes to the Old Grey Box, third place to 3E (because I like Bane and still hate Cyric, and would love to see Bhaal and Myrkul back in the pantheon). |
Playing in the Realms since the Old Grey Box (1987)... and *still* having fun with material published before 2008, despite the NDA'd lore.
If it's comparable in power with non-magical abilities, it's not magic. |
Edited by - Jakk on 18 Jan 2012 09:49:19 |
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glitter
Acolyte
France
45 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jan 2012 : 12:31:40
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Until now, I considered myself as 3Ed based with some 2Ed input, but according to the poll (and after re-thinking) I'm more 2Ed based with input from AD&D + 3Ed (a bit more from 3Ed I must say). 
EDIT: After 154 votes, pre-AD&D is ahead of 4th Ed ??? Come on guys, that sound amazing. |
-The black knight is invincible!
- You’re a looney. |
Edited by - glitter on 18 Jan 2012 12:51:15 |
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Era of Choice
