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GMCiaramella
Acolyte
USA
3 Posts |
 Posted - 15 Feb 2013 : 06:21:18
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If you do, why? I am not suggesting that the Realms are not worth of being passionate towards, it is just that so far I have not found my reason. I respect the setting, it has a long and rich history, and a complicated pantheon of gods... but all I can seem to muster is respect. Other setting, like Eberron and Dragonlance, are not nearly as developed as the Realms, but I love them.
What am I missing?
-- Gary Ciaramella
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The Arcanamach
Master of Realmslore
1842 Posts |
Posted - 15 Feb 2013 : 07:01:15
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For me my love of the Realms began with the addition of the FR series of supplements to the campaign. The rich history and sheer amount of 'fluff' offered at the time really enamored me to the Realms. This further grew as I came to see more and more of Ed's take on magic...his level of creativity was astounding to me.
What WotC did with the Realms under 3/3.5e was somewhat distressing. All of a sudden we seemed to be getting less 'fluff' and many of Ed's original concepts for spells became broken under the system. I can see why new players might not come to love the Realms nowadays as we seem to be spending more for less.
I had a brief love affair with Dragonlance but it burned out quickly as too many early adventures focused so much on dragons (there was a wyrm in every module at the time...and they kinda got old). That said, DL was a rich and creative setting in itself and I chose to transfer many of its concepts into my homebrew Realms. The same holds true of the Eberron setting and, to a lesser extent, Ravenloft, Greyhawk, Dark Sun and other (non WotC) settings.
My passion remains with the Realms, but with MY version of it rather than what the company chooses to do with it. I refused to play 4e and campaign without the Spellplague. If I ever add the Spellplague it will not have such a dramatic effect on the campaign. |
I have a dream that one day, all game worlds will exist as one. |
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xaeyruudh
Master of Realmslore
USA
1853 Posts |
Posted - 15 Feb 2013 : 08:13:01
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My short answer is that it's a whole place.
There are enough points in Faerun that have been mentioned in books, that I can pick one and set an adventure or a campaign there... utilizing as much as I want to of what's already been written about that place and its neighbors, and writing/rewriting the rest... and if I do my job right it can feel to the players like a real place.
There are other settings that I like --Dark Sun, Spelljammer, Masque of the Red Death-- but they don't give me that level of detail. Darwin's World and the Aria game/setting were like that too. If I want to DM/GM/whatever there, I have a lot more work to do. Nothing wrong with that, but it requires more free time and effort. In the Realms I can basically just do a little reading, do a little writing, and go. When questions come up during play, I can find answers... or make them up, but that involves extra time again.
Part of it, though, is just how the setting "hits" you. My first impression of the Realms was positive; my first impressions of Dragonlance and Eberron were negative. Probably not fair to hold onto those preconceptions as long as I have.
Edit, since Arcanamach reminded me: I'm also talking about the pre-4e Realms. Post-Spellplague is a new setting, and I haven't seen any point in starting over. |
Edited by - xaeyruudh on 15 Feb 2013 08:18:47 |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11695 Posts |
Posted - 15 Feb 2013 : 16:27:08
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I feel a need to clarify here. Which version of the realms? I specifically love the pre-4e realms. As far as "what was going on" I found the 2nd edition material the best (no slight on 3rd edition material though, just the realms campaign material writers in 2nd edition were really good... and I feel like a lot of thei). As far as "starting to get the rules right" I prefer the 3rd edition material.... that being said, some of the stuff done in 3rd edition kind of cheesed me off. Making the circle magic of the red wizards, the cooperative magic of the wychlarans, and the cooperative magic of the Halruaans use the same system I found as one of the things where I preferred the admittedly broken previous edition just because of flavor purposes (i.e. I agree they needed to fix the 2nd edition rules, but I'd prefer they'd taken and used a different mechanic for each to keep the cultural differences).
I love Dragonlance, but the world is too small and black and white for there to be a bunch of shadow groups all vying for power. Eberron comes closer to the realms in my view than any other campaign (running a close race with Greyhawk). The difference I see there is Eberron seems to have too much cooperation across the main continent (which is the polar opposite of Greyhawk from what little I know there). Eberron is intrinsically a game world that simply begs you to take the person from one corner and send them to another and then turn around and send them to another corner (which isn't bad mind you). The realms CAN be used that way, and some storylines focus like that, but for the most part, even within a given country there are enough power groups vying with one another (this church versus the other 5 major churches, plus the mercantile groups, plus the "main" group of wizards versus the 3 other shadowy wizard driven groups trying to function in the area, plus the mercenary company over here, etc....) that you can run a full campaign where the party is simply trying to work within a single kingdom, wherein they become very familiar with whatever nobility you setup, etc.... Then, you can take the very same group of players and set them up in another corner of Faerun and it can feel like a whole new game. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11695 Posts |
Posted - 15 Feb 2013 : 16:41:33
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Oh, and specifically, I feel in love with areas of the realms. I fell in love with western Faerun. I love Impiltur with its knights and its Queen and its council. I love Damara and Vaasa with its internal struggles. I am absolutely crazy over Thay and its governmental structure and political, religious, and magically oriented "issues". I love Rashemen and its secretive witches, barbarism and nature worship. I love Aglarond for its wild and independent nature and their steadfastness against encroachments by Thay. I love Mulhorand with its god-descended rulers and its religious government. I love both Mulmaster and Unther with their political strife and tyranny (each of which is done in entirely different ways). I like Sembia with its mercantile empire and Westgate with its shadowy thieves. I even love the long ago histories of the area (the empires of Narfell and Raumathar, the Imaskari, the coming of the Mulan gods, the orcgate wars, etc....).
Meanwhile, there are areas which I can appreciate, but I don't feel as much draw towards. For instance, Waterdeep, the dalelands, Cormyr, the empires of the shining sea, etc.... I really appreciate the level of detail, I can enjoy stories there, but I'm not as inclined to run things in them unless I had players who specifically wanted to go there. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Diffan
Great Reader
USA
4429 Posts |
Posted - 15 Feb 2013 : 20:10:45
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quote:
Originally posted by GMCiaramella
If you do, why? I am not suggesting that the Realms are not worth of being passionate towards, it is just that so far I have not found my reason. I respect the setting, it has a long and rich history, and a complicated pantheon of gods... but all I can seem to muster is respect. Other setting, like Eberron and Dragonlance, are not nearly as developed as the Realms, but I love them.
What am I missing?
-- Gary Ciaramella
For me, it's the disconnect that the setting has with itself. To clarify, I mean that it appears to have MANY working elements all going in their own ways and that, to me, is very realistic in nature. When ones delves into Dragonlance, for example, your thrust into a singular event with a beginning, middle, and end and the parts of the story don't directly concern your characters because the WHOLE continent is interlocked so to speak. Events at Pax Tharkus will effect other places, for example.
In the Realms, it's much bigger. Your PCs might help save the town of Nashkel but that won't really garner any recognition outside of 50 miles and certainly not with any major cities. I like that. Couple the size of the realms and it's diversity and it's a setting one can place thousands of adventures in and still have room for 1,000 more and they might not even impact one another |
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Darkmeer
Senior Scribe
USA
505 Posts |
Posted - 16 Feb 2013 : 04:56:58
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The Realms for me is consistency. The entirety of the continent, the game, and the world feels like a magical "real world" of sorts.
I agree with Diffan about the disconnect within the setting within itself. There are so many different elements working that are fun to play with both as a GM/DM and a player. Thinking Red Wizards versus the Shades, the Moonstars versus the Harpers (and the Rundeen), and so many other organizations that would make for great plots. This keeps you, as a GM fresh with ideas, and the players excited since they don't know exactly who would be involved.
The HUGE number of regions available for play also makes an impact on the Realms overall. Playing a game in Calimport will feel different than Sembia (no matter the year), which will play differently than the Shaar versus Waterdeep. Where you are brings just as many elements to the table as who is involved organization-wise. Again, the fresh ideas and excited players are the best parts of this.
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"These people are my family, not just friends, and if you want to get to them you gotta go through ME." |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 16 Feb 2013 : 16:12:09
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I expect not to be very popular after this post (although, I'm probably being conceited in thinking I was ever much more then 'tolerated' on most boards I am a regular on).
I used to have the kind of love for the Realms that I feel for Oprah Winfrey (yes.. this is going to be one of my more bizarre comparisons... wait for it...) So amazing and full of depth - a virtual power-house and unstoppable force capable of so much good. Sometimes you just have to step back and gaze at her in awe.
Now, I feel the kind of love for the Realms that I feel for Lindsay Lohan. So much potential lost - if only she could have surrounded herself with good people, her life may have taken a better route. She can still be saved, but only if she has those good people to help prop her back up and get her back on her feet. I still have hope, but it will be a long and hard road.
Yes... the love I feel for the Realms has now turned to pity.  |
"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 16 Feb 2013 16:24:56 |
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Diffan
Great Reader
USA
4429 Posts |
Posted - 16 Feb 2013 : 16:34:40
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| Actually, i think the Realms are the best they've ever been. Even with their taking away of the parts i like, Returned Abeir, i still have those options forevermore for my games. I just wish we got more info about them to make a stronger-backed game/Setting. |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 16 Feb 2013 : 16:47:14
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And amazingly enough, Lindsay Lohan still has fans.
Some people enjoy a good train wreck.  |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Varl
Learned Scribe
USA
284 Posts |
Posted - 16 Feb 2013 : 17:16:05
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quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
I used to have the kind of love for the Realms that I feel for Oprah Winfrey (yes.. this is going to be one of my more bizarre comparisons... wait for it...) So amazing and full of depth - a virtual power-house and unstoppable force capable of so much good. Sometimes you just have to step back and gaze at her in awe.
Now, I feel the kind of love for the Realms that I feel for Lindsay Lohan. So much potential lost - if only she could have surrounded herself with good people, her life may have taken a better route. She can still be saved, but only if she has those good people to help prop her back up and get her back on her feet. I still have hope, but it will be a long and hard road.
Yes... the love I feel for the Realms has now turned to pity.
Heh. Nice analogy. I still enjoy the Realms, the old Realms, and relate the newer material more to Beyonce. Sometimes the real deal; sometimes lip-sync'd.  |
I'm on a permanent vacation to the soul. -Tash Sultana |
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Bladewind
Master of Realmslore
Netherlands
1280 Posts |
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Old Man Harpell
Senior Scribe
USA
495 Posts |
Posted - 16 Feb 2013 : 19:19:34
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I'll add my agreement to the 'disconnect' factor, but what I like best about it is 'age'.
Not the age of the setting itself, which is only as old as when Sire Greenwood first started creating the Realms, but the feel of age that the Realms has. This may be a result of disconnect, but you can always feel that the Realms has 'always been'...it was there before your character first opened the pages of his mentor's spellbooks, before his sister first learned to shoot her elven longbow, and long after both are gone to dust, the Realms will still be there.
Her bow will pass to another worthy who may not even be told her name, your character's inherited spellbooks will be passed to his apprentice's apprentice's apprentice - and the only reason they will know the character's name at all is that it's scribbled somewhere in the book, perhaps a spell that he invented. Almost none of it feels contrived, like so many settings unfortunately do.
In short, the Realms (Sellplague controversies notwithstanding) is one of the very, very few Realms that can truly be thought of as timeless. Greyhawk doesn't have that feeling (at all), Eberron doesn't have it, Dragonlance could have had it (but missed the opportunity, especially with the Age of Mortals, and the Taladas nonsense), and Ravenloft isn't designed to have it (although I do not hold it against the setting in that instance).
In my opinion (and only my opinion), only Birthright equals the Realms in it's feeling of a magical, ancient world full of more mysteries than any group(s) of player characters can ever hope to investigate or adventure to. Both settings have that feeling of no matter how big you are, someone else is always bigger. The obvious fact may be true of all settings, but the feel is not always present (at least for me).
The Baldur's Gate series of games helped immensely in that regard...I could sit for hours with my eyes closed, just listening to the background music for the city (Baldur's Gate) itself (were it not for things like Imoen's "Boring!" or Minsc's "If we be adventurers, then let us adventure!" if you left them standing too long in one place), and absorb the 'ancient vibes' it gives.
Those games also helped you get a feel for just how vast and varied the Realms really are - you were confined to just the mid-north part of the Sword Coast, and to paraphrase Diffan, helping the folks in Nashkel means exactly squat in Daggerdale or Luskan. Building an awesome Realms-wide reputation is something that no one, not even Drizzt or Elminster, has managed to do.
- OMH |
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Delwa
Master of Realmslore
USA
1268 Posts |
Posted - 16 Feb 2013 : 20:08:17
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What makes the Realms so important to me? Lots of things. Variety is one of them. My first fantasy worlds were Narnia and Middle Earth. But the stories for those two worlds seemed to focus on the kings and queens of Narnia or the story of the Ring. Tolkien was much less singularly focused, but it was all still... epic in scope? However, with the Realms, while you have epic stories, stories that effect the whole world in an immediate way, when I first found Toril, I saw that you also have common heroes; heroes that may be famous in Cormyr, but someone in Waterdeep may never know about them. Sure, few in Middle Earth might have heard of Frodo, but you didn't get the details of their story outside a short reference.
Detail was another reason I fell in love with the Realms. You want to know what a Paladin of Tyr wears? You got it. You want to know what a coin from Cormyr looks like vs one from Westgate? The info is there.
A larger reason, though, is the Realms just came at the right times in my life. Baldur's Gate was an escape for me as a kid, and when I finally broke into tabletop gaming later in life, it was at a difficult time and I needed an escape and Faerûn stepped up to the task. Through tabletop, I found good friends that helped me get back on my feet and our common bond was Ed's Forgotten Realms. I appreciate the setting for that.
As I've kept on with life, and started reading more and more novels, the nostalgia of good times, and sheer curiosity have driven me to learn more about the world of Faerûn. I wouldn't mind learning about Dragonlance more, but the Realms is my main focus. I love the authors. They make me want to learn more. If history books were written like "Cormyr: A Novel" or "Evermeet," I'd probably learn more real-world history.
I could ramble on, but I probably better just stop here. |
- Delwa Aunglor
I am off to slay yon refrigerator and spoil it's horde. Go for the cheese, Boo!
"The Realms change; seldom at the speed desired of those who strive, but far too quickly for those who resist." - The Simbul, taken from the Forgotten Realms Campaign Conspectus |
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CorellonsDevout
Great Reader
USA
2708 Posts |
Posted - 16 Feb 2013 : 22:54:30
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I've always loved fantasy, and as other people have said, the Realms is a vast world, full of interesting people and places. My three favorite things about it are elves, drow (I know they're a type elf but they're different enough that I'm listing them as separate), and the gods. I prefer the pre-Spellplague Realms, but I still read things in 4e, and some good stories have come out of it. I do not play the game much, so my love is mostly for the novels. In a shared world inconsistencies are bound to crop up, but it gives you a chance to read works by authors you may or may not otherwise read.
Some people are a lover of fantasy, but have never heard of the Realms, or are not interested in it. A setback of this shared world is that there are so many novels/sourcebooks it's to get lost. People have made references to things and I do not know what they're talking about. But the world is always evolving (sometimes for the worse, sometimes for the better), whereas in other settings (outside WotC brands), the story is usually over, unless the authors chooses to write more novels about that setting. I've read plenty of good fantasy books outside of FR, but there is just...something about it. |
Sweet water and light laughter |
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4uk4ata
Acolyte
Bulgaria
16 Posts |
Posted - 16 Feb 2013 : 23:18:26
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I... well, I had a passion for the Realms. I was a big fan in 2e (from computer RPGs) and 3e; it was, by far, my favourite setting. But then 4e came with all the Spellplague and another world BS, so there could be a shoehorned reason for magic and races in the Realms to work as 4e says it should, a lot of changes were made that I didn't like, and I got soured on the setting.
I know I can play in pre-Spellplague FR and handwave the whole mess away, but it doesn't feel quite the same. Maybe I just need a decent storyteller to get me back into the Realms as they could be.
I've gone into Pathfinder in the meantime, and it doesn't hurt that Golarion can probably rival old school FR for depth. |
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Mapolq
Senior Scribe
Brazil
466 Posts |
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GMCiaramella
Acolyte
USA
3 Posts |
Posted - 17 Feb 2013 : 00:58:00
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| Wow... thanks everyone for all the input! I am glad I have a friend with probably one of the bigger gaming libraries in the western half of the US, so I am going to dip into the oldest FR gamebooks and try and fall in love. I am also going to go pick up some of the fiction at the library and get into the realms that way as well. :) |
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Zealot
Seeker
USA
59 Posts |
Posted - 17 Feb 2013 : 13:33:58
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I believe that reading Realms fiction will help you fall in love with the setting. Some of the fiction really reaches out and grabs you, showing you the richness of the setting and introduces you to some pretty interesting characters.
I have been playing in the Realms for 20 plus years and it has always been my first love. The gray box was my favorite but I started after reading Ed Greenwood's articles in dragon magazine in the 80's. When I was out of the country, I returned to find 4E in full swing and saw the spell plague. I simply refused to accept it and went on my merry way. There have been other settings such as Ravenloft, that have grabbed me but I've always returned to the Realms. One of the earlier posts talked about playing in one area then moving to another and it seeming like a whole new setting. That is one of the greatest things about the Forgotteen Realms setting.
If you worry about epic characters interferring. In the 20 plus years in the Realms, my players have only met Elminster once. All in all the Realms has a number of great tools and is a rich setting. I hope you come to love it as much as many of the other fans of the setting |
Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. |
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Caladan Brood
Senior Scribe
Norway
410 Posts |
Posted - 17 Feb 2013 : 20:39:25
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Just to contrast the previous post, the FR novels are a real turn-off for me. To be fair, I haven't read many, but those I did try were a real struggle to get through, for various reasons. The numerous AD&D sourcebooks, boxed sets, guides etc. on the other hand are magical. There is so much creativty, so much lore to digest and it all blends together to create a HUGE - probably the largest and most varied - fantasy setting ever, and its all there so you can dive in and adventure. I love the humor often prevalent, I fricking love using hex grids to measure how long it would take to travel by horse from Berdusk to Athkatla. The maps are evocative, helping to maintain the sense of fantasy and grandeur. The artwork on many sourcebooks BEG you to dive in. The endless opportunities for plots, sidequests and different characters and locations makes it a setting so "full" I don't need any other setting when I play AD&D.
Now, I have enjoyed - thoroughly - games set in the Star Wars universe, in Westeros, in my own campaign world etc. but for those funny dice, the Realms has everything and more besides. And the more you delve into its lore, the more addictive it becomes. I find myself reading up on the ecology of the High Moor, the trading guilds of the Sword Coast south, the tharchs of Thay and the history of the Old Empires all at the same time. |
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daarkknight
Seeker
USA
66 Posts |
Posted - 17 Feb 2013 : 22:37:34
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I will agree with Zealot about reading the fiction of the Realms.
I would add also, to get a feel for the "whole" of the Realms, read things like the Harpers series. Say what you may about the quality of some books, they all have a unique feel and can take you to all corners of Faerun. From Chult to Thay and to Waterdeep to Cormyr. They also involve lesser known personae, showing just what lesser heroes (if you will) can do in the Realms as a whole.
As for my favorite authors, read Elaine Cunningham if you want a dark, grim lead character (and female to boot just to throw off all normal conceptions) along with her foppish companion to serve as her foil. Read Paul S. Kemp, author of my favorite Realms character, Erevis Cale, if you want dark and forboding fantasy. Read Steven Schend's book "Blackstaff" if you want more small bits of "lost lore" than you could ever hope to use in a campaign.
But start here, to discover the backbone and breadth of the Realms, and soon you'll discover a land you can call home.
And I will also mirror what others have already said as far as accessories. Pick up just about any of the numerous 2E accessories, particularly ones like "Code of the Harpers" and "Secrets of the Magister" to truly discover the Realms |
"That's it!"
Quote attributed to Talor Stormhammer, paladin of Helm, when fighting a frost giant. |
Edited by - daarkknight on 17 Feb 2013 22:42:25 |
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Mirtek
Senior Scribe
595 Posts |
Posted - 17 Feb 2013 : 23:28:24
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| I like the realms for their ongoing metaplot. Even if I may dislike current events or general state of the realms, it's going on and on and on |
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Erik Scott de Bie
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
4598 Posts |
Posted - 18 Feb 2013 : 04:55:49
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I wrote this up a couple years ago but never got around to posting it. Apologies in advance for getting a little starry-eyed. 
I've been playing (as a player and DM) in the Forgotten Realms for 20 years, and I have been in love with it most of that time. And that is to say, I love every era of the Realms--my love for the setting is unconditional, and I love its flaws as well as its glories. I now write in it (both game design and novels, check my bibliography), and I keep being drawn back to the setting and the stories I've been able to tell there.
So basically:
Forgotten Realms: What’s the Big Deal?
Since grade school, the Forgotten Realms has been my escape. It’s where I go when real life gets tough--particularly when the bad guys seem to be winning, as they all too often do. There’s nothing like stomping a few Zhentarim goons or trading spells with awakened liches from ancient Netheril to perk you right up. The Realms is a place predicated on the ultimate triumph of good over evil, where no matter the odds, the white-hats come out on top.
You could say that about any fantasy world, however. Quoth one of my writer role-models, the great R.A. Salvatore, fantasy as a genre means “good wins.” So what is it that the Realms has that other fantasy settings don’t?
1) Unlimited Scope
The Realms boasts an unmatched scope and breadth of possibility, allowing basically any story to be told without muddling things up or contradicting itself. To me, the real power of Ed Greenwood’s panoramic setting is that it is panoramic: it thrives on many diverse opinions. In any other fantasy series, you get one author’s view (or possibly three or four authors if it’s a shared world sort of setting). Here in the Realms, you have a whole 25 year history of authors’ views--fully a hundred or more designers, authors, editors, etc--all of them building upon one another, and all of them holding true to the same core of what the Realms is. To bind it to a single storyteller’s vision would be to weaken the setting--make it something it was never intended to be.
2) Unifying Ties
You can’t be a setting as diverse and successful as the Realms for as long as it has been without developing strong emotional ties to people. Even aside from the hundreds of people who have sweated and bled to make the setting what it is, you have untold thousands of readers, gamers, and fans who are just as emotionally involved in the setting as any of us. Countless hours go into online discussions of the tiniest minutiae in regard to the setting, its novels, its products, etc. Millions around the world play in their own versions of the Forgotten Realms every weekend. I will probably never meet even 10% of these people, but we have something deep and meaningful in common: our love for this setting.
3) A Powerful Core
The core of the Realms is the same as in any proper fantasy world: good struggles against evil, and good wins. But it’s more complex than that. The Realms is about exploration of ancient cultures and finding hidden treasures. The Realms is about the acquisition of knowledge and the responsible use of that knowledge. The Realms is about trust and treachery, and about doing what is right no matter the cost. All in all, the Realms is about growing up: it is about teaching us to be the best people we can be, no matter how dark the circumstances.
And last but not least . . .
4) Fun and Freedom
The Forgotten Realms is a place to have fun. As a setting, it invites you to make it your own--to fill in canonical gaps with your own wild schemes, or else throw out the canon entirely and retell stories your own way. It’s a place that inspires you to create and innovate and entertain. If you’re not having fun, then you’re doing it wrong.
Cheers
Edit: Further sentiments can be found on my blog, too: What is the Forgotten Realms? |
Erik Scott de Bie
'Tis easier to destroy than to create.
Author of a number of Realms novels (GHOSTWALKER, DEPTHS OF MADNESS, and the SHADOWBANE series), contributor to the NEVERWINTER CAMPAIGN GUIDE and SHADOWFELL: GLOOMWROUGHT AND BEYOND, Twitch DM of the Dungeon Scrawlers, currently playing "The Westgate Irregulars" |
Edited by - Erik Scott de Bie on 18 Feb 2013 16:17:50 |
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Euranna
Learned Scribe
USA
219 Posts |
Posted - 18 Feb 2013 : 05:39:04
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I love the detail and diversity of the Realms and many of the things that people have already mentioned above. The novels and games pull me into a world that is so different than the day to day world I live in. It engages my imagination in a way that keeps bringing me back for more. I love complexity and detail that lives and breathes in the lore.
I love the novels and games, I also read game books and the box sets, especially for some things I read in novels, I have to look them up! I love to be able to do that, to look up things from novels in game books. That consistency gives the setting more depth and viability. |
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Jeremy Grenemyer
Great Reader
USA
2717 Posts |
Posted - 18 Feb 2013 : 05:41:20
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I have a passion for the Realms because it's fun and because it makes reading, writing, collecting, creating and being a DM fun.
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Look for me and my content at EN World (user name: sanishiver). |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 18 Feb 2013 : 12:06:33
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Short answer: I wouldn't be an active member of these forums if I didn't have a "passion" for the setting.
Long answer: [Um, I'm too lazy at the moment, so it will have to wait . . .] |
Every beginning has an end. |
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Zealot
Seeker
USA
59 Posts |
Posted - 18 Feb 2013 : 13:14:47
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Kind of off subject but I would recommend the anthologies if you really want to get a feel for the Realms. Some of the short stories are absolutely brilliant while some you can take or leave. All of them give you a great idea of what the Realms can be like. I would recommend Elaine Cunningham's novels any day of the week. The Drizzt novels can get a little mehhhhhh... I totally love the Harper seri
es and try Evermeet , I absolutely loved it. |
Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. |
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GMCiaramella
Acolyte
USA
3 Posts |
Posted - 19 Feb 2013 : 13:17:21
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Even though I started the topic, I am going to pull things a little off topic... It is amazing to me the people I am starting to recognize and hear about that post regularly on this forum. For example, a few responses back, Erik Scott de Bie... I was like... why is that name familiar. I did a search and, oh! He wrote a bunch of FR novels! And while I have not seen (or perhaps recognized due to a user name) him post, I heard on The Gentleman's Guide to Gaming on Youtube, that Ed Greenwood himself is a regular poster on here.
Really, to me, you guys are like celebrities! I am so excited to get the chance to exchange posts with you and to pull this back toward the topic, I am really starting to get an idea of one reason to love the Realms, it brings people together.
-- Gary Ciaramella |
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daarkknight
Seeker
USA
66 Posts |
Posted - 19 Feb 2013 : 13:35:32
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It's as Erik said, the Realms unifies us. Ed has a thread on here where he answers questions from us (when he has the time and if he can answer them without breaking an NDA). So many of the authors of Realms novels as well as game designers themselves have threads on here to discuss their work.
Then look at the other fellow Realms fans. So many of them with 1,000, 5,000, even nearing 10,000 posts. You can't post that much about something if you don't love it.
I've been on here since around 2004, and was part of the old Realms mailing list before that. Loved the Realms since 1992, when I first really started playing D&D. Been meaning and intending to become more involved here in the last few months, if only to show my continuing love for this little world that has given me so much enjoyment as a player and DM over the years. |
"That's it!"
Quote attributed to Talor Stormhammer, paladin of Helm, when fighting a frost giant. |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 19 Feb 2013 : 14:42:40
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quote:
Originally posted by daarkknight
Then look at the other fellow Realms fans. So many of them with 1,000, 5,000, even nearing 10,000 posts. You can't post that much about something if you don't love it.
You know, there's a particular BattleTech forum I used to be active on... On that site, I'm in the top 20, for post count -- with about 2800 posts. And I've not lost that position, despite not having posted there for 2 or 3 years, now. That does seem to reflect a greater degree of passion, on this particular site, as opposed to that one (note that I'm referring to specific sites and not to fandoms!). |
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I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen!  |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11695 Posts |
Posted - 19 Feb 2013 : 14:47:30
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quote:
Originally posted by GMCiaramella
Even though I started the topic, I am going to pull things a little off topic... It is amazing to me the people I am starting to recognize and hear about that post regularly on this forum. For example, a few responses back, Erik Scott de Bie... I was like... why is that name familiar. I did a search and, oh! He wrote a bunch of FR novels! And while I have not seen (or perhaps recognized due to a user name) him post, I heard on The Gentleman's Guide to Gaming on Youtube, that Ed Greenwood himself is a regular poster on here.
Really, to me, you guys are like celebrities! I am so excited to get the chance to exchange posts with you and to pull this back toward the topic, I am really starting to get an idea of one reason to love the Realms, it brings people together.
-- Gary Ciaramella
That's a decent draw for me as well, but not necessarily because they're the writers. Its because I've been following the realms online since D&D was on America Online. Then I found out about the realms-L mailing list (which I'm guessing is gone). A lot of the people who are now authors, I first met on that realms-L mailing list. I go where they go because they actually care about the realms. I can remember passing ideas back and forth with George Krashos about some eastern ideas back on the realms list (though what we talked about, I can't remember). I can remember seeing posts from Brian R. James about history here. I remember seeing thank you's from Eric L. Boyd and Steven Schend at the starts of some of their books (along with usually 30 or 40 other names from online... therefore I know I'm not real special, just gives a warm feeling). My favorite thing was finding out about a Thayan bounty hunter named Savyels Aka'Pillihp in Powers and Pantheons. I know that most of the ideas I post here will never see print (though I really, really think the idea of the United Tharchs of the Shaar idea would be great.), but through the authors coming here, I see they're listening. About 4 or 5 years ago, there was a fascination with the plane of faerie on these boards, and the next year 4th edition had a focus on the feywild. The one thing that "kind of" irritates me is how people choose one name when they were on AOL, another when they were on the realms-L list, another here, another one wizard's forums, etc...... I like knowing who I'm talking to, even if it is a fake name. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Do you have a passion for the Forgotten Realms?
