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Gyor
Master of Realmslore
1621 Posts |
 Posted - 03 Aug 2014 : 03:20:14
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Okay so they release the Adventures League had book which is basically the rule book for organized play in FR.
Points of Interesting.
You have to choose a story of origin and you can't use any future books then what is allowed for someone from your story. Stupid.
Only Clerics are required to worship Gods now. I expected Rangers and Druids might not have to worship Gods, and that Tieflings getting Thematurgy Cantrip would be unlikely to require a deity, I was surprised that Paladin's are no longer required to worship a God, most likely because the Oath of the Ancients are at least in part influenced by the Warden, who in 4e used Primal Magic. I'm going to assume that any Paladin that does not get thier magic from a diety via thier oath, gets thier oath powered by Primal Spirits or Achfey, or in the case of a Oathbreaker Archfiends.
The system of 5 factions is interesting. Getting to be Lawful Evil is new, but not a complete surprise when I learned the Zhents were a possible faction. Although I find it interesting the Lords' Alliance also allows Lawful Evil, which says to me that some bad empires might be a part of this alliance like Mulmuster, and other darker locals.
Oh and the Lawful Evil Necromancer allied with the Lords' Alliance with his hoard of undead is expected to get along with the Lawful Good Paladin of Torm and her Celestial Unicorn Steed, who are members of the order of the Gauntlet, which is just akward ;D but needful so everyone can have fun.
Mod edit: Corrected typo in Subject, to facilitate future searches. 
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Edited by - Wooly Rupert on 05 Aug 2014 16:04:48
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Caolin
Senior Scribe
768 Posts |
Posted - 03 Aug 2014 : 05:19:03
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quote:
Originally posted by Gyor
You have to choose a story of origin and you can't use any future books then what is allowed for someone from your story. Stupid.
Could you elaborate on why you think this is stupid? |
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silverwolfer
Senior Scribe
789 Posts |
Posted - 03 Aug 2014 : 07:41:17
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| This is what they call a constructed storyline, you are a particpate, not a snowflake. |
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Derulbaskul
Senior Scribe
Singapore
408 Posts |
Posted - 03 Aug 2014 : 11:08:50
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Personally, I think this is far from stupid. WotC seems to be trying to bring out the flavour of the Realms and ensuring that players are also experiencing something of that flavour, even if only from a single perspective for each character.
Now I want to adapt those factions to 13th Age icons.... ;) |
Cheers
D
NB: Please remember: A cannon is a big gun. Canon is what we discuss here. |
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Caolin
Senior Scribe
768 Posts |
Posted - 03 Aug 2014 : 21:44:08
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| I'll say this. It's got me thinking of playing the game again. I haven't done that seriously in 15 years. Sure, I've played a few sessions here and there. But it was always a one off thing and usually with a not so good DM. If I can find a serious group to do this in San Francisco, I just might start playing again. |
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Mirtek
Senior Scribe
595 Posts |
Posted - 03 Aug 2014 : 22:14:01
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quote:
Originally posted by Caolin
If I can find a serious group to do this in San Francisco, I just might start playing again.
Actually the whole AL thing is aimed at people who don't have the luxury of a serious group.
That's why they enforce these uniform campaign rules so you can drop in at any AL table you happen to come accross and everyone is compatible and following the same rules.
If you can get together a serious group, you can play by whatever rules variants to decide anyway. |
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Dark Wizard
Senior Scribe
USA
830 Posts |
Posted - 03 Aug 2014 : 22:35:50
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quote:
Originally posted by Derulbaskul
Personally, I think this is far from stupid. WotC seems to be trying to bring out the flavour of the Realms and ensuring that players are also experiencing something of that flavour, even if only from a single perspective for each character.
Now I want to adapt those factions to 13th Age icons.... ;)
Agreed, for organized play and in terms of getting players quickly acclimated to the who's and what's of a setting, factions is probably the best way to go about it.
Factions present very identifiable iconography that could be used as a logo for the setting and brand itself. Just look at the faction symbols and imagine a convention hall decked out in banners of the various factions. It would be an impressive sight.
Factions also transcend kingdom or regional affiliations and become something of like setting-wide "adventurers clubs." Something not as easily done with a region-focused breakdown.
Incorporating the factions as 13th Age-style Icons is an idea that popped out at me immediately. I had included a few of these (or variations of them) into a brief write-up I did a few months back. These factions refines that list a bit and the possibility of other factions of similar scope start coming to mind. |
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Cards77
Senior Scribe
USA
745 Posts |
Posted - 04 Aug 2014 : 02:12:54
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Doesn't sound fun at all. I understand the need for cookie cutter rules but the examples posed by the OP seem just silly to me. In their attempt to introduce some of the flavor, some key underlying lore/flavor is lost....rangers with no deity? Ridiculous. So all of the novels are gone? Drizzt doesn't need a Meilikki anymore? I thought he was one of the main draws to the setting.
But then again, I am an old Gray Boxer so take what i have to say with a grain of salt....or just ignore me. I'm just sad to see this. Would have liked to see more of a starter box type product for organized play.
It's a good way to get folks in to the "kiddie pool" but still allows for the entire depth and bredth of the Realms to be available. |
Edited by - Cards77 on 04 Aug 2014 02:17:23 |
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Caolin
Senior Scribe
768 Posts |
Posted - 04 Aug 2014 : 06:09:22
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quote:
Originally posted by Mirtek
quote:
Originally posted by Caolin
If I can find a serious group to do this in San Francisco, I just might start playing again.
Actually the whole AL thing is aimed at people who don't have the luxury of a serious group.
That's why they enforce these uniform campaign rules so you can drop in at any AL table you happen to come accross and everyone is compatible and following the same rules.
If you can get together a serious group, you can play by whatever rules variants to decide anyway.
That's even better! |
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Caolin
Senior Scribe
768 Posts |
Posted - 04 Aug 2014 : 06:11:07
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quote:
Originally posted by Cards77
Doesn't sound fun at all. I understand the need for cookie cutter rules but the examples posed by the OP seem just silly to me. In their attempt to introduce some of the flavor, some key underlying lore/flavor is lost....rangers with no deity? Ridiculous. So all of the novels are gone? Drizzt doesn't need a Meilikki anymore? I thought he was one of the main draws to the setting.
But then again, I am an old Gray Boxer so take what i have to say with a grain of salt....or just ignore me. I'm just sad to see this. Would have liked to see more of a starter box type product for organized play.
It's a good way to get folks in to the "kiddie pool" but still allows for the entire depth and bredth of the Realms to be available.
I think you must have missed a memo. The whole point of 5E is to be modular. It seems like the Adventurers League has a basic structure to allow for easy access yet still feel involved in a larger story. More serious groups can play with more advanced add ons.
Check it all out for yourself.
http://media.wizards.com/downloads/dnd/ADVLeague_PlayerGuide_TODv1.pdf
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Gyor
Master of Realmslore
1621 Posts |
Posted - 05 Aug 2014 : 15:19:28
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Its not that Rangers can't worship Gods, its that only the Cleric and the Alcoyle background are required to choose a God. I think for other divine classes you can gain your magic from Primal Spirits and simular beings instead.
In 4e the Divine Power Source split in two, Divine Magic, power from the Gods, and Primal Magic, power from the Primal Spirits. Later two other sources with a
connection to Divine Magic also emerged, Shadow magic which was often, but not always associated as a shadow of other forms of magic inclusing divine, and Elemental, which was inaccessible to most being directly, with a few exceptions, but indirectly all formsof magic drew upon Elemental.
Right now only Divine and Primal matter, although clearly the Way of Shadows Monk uses Shadow Magic, abit connected to Ki, not divine.
In 5e the only pure Primal Magic user is the Totem Warrior Barbarian, he can worship Gods, but its clear he gets his power exclusively from Primal Spirits, and the Cleric is clearly drawing only upon the Gods so the Cleric is clearly the only purely Divine Source Class.
The Ranger, Druid, and Oddly the Paladin (because the Oath of the Ancients ate part of the Warden) either Primal Spirits or Gods. The ALHB doesn't explain all this, it just says Clerics and Aclyotes are required to Worship Gods, it has no such requirements for other classes so this is speculation based on lore, as to why.
Also interesting is the fact that the the FR Pantheon list in the PHB is going to be seperate from the non human racial deities. This makes sense, to aviod redunacy, but this could lead to accidentally adding a racial deity that FR doesn't have.
I thought at first that FR should have access to the Egyptian Pantheon as well, but realized it contains some Gods that don't appear in FR, or at least I'm guessing so. |
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Irennan
Great Reader
Italy
3802 Posts |
Posted - 05 Aug 2014 : 16:23:23
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quote:
Originally posted by Gyor
This makes sense, to aviod redunacy, but this could lead to accidentally adding a racial deity that FR doesn't have.
I thought at first that FR should have access to the Egyptian Pantheon as well, but realized it contains some Gods that don't appear in FR, or at least I'm guessing so.
maybe they will specify for each deity in which worlds she/he/it has worshippers. |
Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things. |
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Gyor
Master of Realmslore
1621 Posts |
Posted - 06 Aug 2014 : 00:53:49
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| It mentions Pantheon Lists, as in the FR and Racial Pantheon Lists, so I think its likely to be a set of Charts with very basic key info, Location in the Planes, Domains, Portifilio, Prefered Weapon, and so on. its probably just to get people started. |
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Irennan
Great Reader
Italy
3802 Posts |
Posted - 06 Aug 2014 : 01:20:33
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quote:
Originally posted by Gyor
It mentions Pantheon Lists, as in the FR and Racial Pantheon Lists, so I think its likely to be a set of Charts with very basic key info, Location in the Planes, Domains, Portifilio, Prefered Weapon, and so on. its probably just to get people started.
Maybe those charts will include the worlds each deity is active on. Also if they're only charts, then 7 pages can include a lot of deities. Btw, where does it mention pantheon lists? |
Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things. |
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Gyor
Master of Realmslore
1621 Posts |
Posted - 06 Aug 2014 : 12:57:30
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Its 8 pages apparently.
Someone on ENworld has the book, it has lists for FR, Ebberon, Dragonlance, Greyhawk, Nonhuman Deities, Norse Greek, Egyptian. According to that thread it includes formerly dead Gods like Bhaal and Mykrul. Lloth has Trickery domain. Most Gods get 1 Domain, some get 2.
Interestingly two Gods mentioned are Surtyr and Thyrm, the God of Fire Giants and the God of Frost Giants respectively, I did not expect those two, so that gives one an idea of how extensive a list it must be. |
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Irennan
Great Reader
Italy
3802 Posts |
Posted - 06 Aug 2014 : 13:16:45
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quote:
Originally posted by Gyor
Its 8 pages apparently.
Someone on ENworld has the book, it has lists for FR, Ebberon, Dragonlance, Greyhawk, Nonhuman Deities, Norse Greek, Egyptian. According to that thread it includes formerly dead Gods like Bhaal and Mykrul. Lloth has Trickery domain. Most Gods get 1 Domain, some get 2.
Interestingly two Gods mentioned are Surtyr and Thyrm, the God of Fire Giants and the God of Frost Giants respectively, I did not expect those two, so that gives one an idea of how extensive a list it must be.
Did he give a complete list of the gods? If os, can you link the thread? Do Eilistraee and Vhaeraun appear in the drow pantheon? |
Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things. |
Edited by - Irennan on 06 Aug 2014 13:17:33 |
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Gyor
Master of Realmslore
1621 Posts |
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Irennan
Great Reader
Italy
3802 Posts |
Posted - 06 Aug 2014 : 13:31:16
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| ty |
Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things. |
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Irennan
Great Reader
Italy
3802 Posts |
Posted - 06 Aug 2014 : 14:13:27
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It seems that they only included Greater/Intermediate deities in the list. I'm sad and disappointed to see that Eilistraee and Vhaeraun still get nothing (especially considering that they're allowing a variety of drow characters as core, not only the evil ones), however nonhuman deities are a single list, not a pantheon list for each race, and include gods from many settings, so I can understand. Elves and drow only get 5 deities, so I guess Corellon/Hanali Celanil/Sehanine/Aerdrie Faenya/Lolth.
Seeing that Myrkul is listed among the FR pantheon, it looks like he is back as well. |
Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things. |
Edited by - Irennan on 06 Aug 2014 14:14:03 |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36782 Posts |
Posted - 06 Aug 2014 : 14:51:12
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quote:
Originally posted by Irennan
Seeing that Myrkul is listed among the FR pantheon, it looks like he is back as well.
Meh. There's some potential role-playing material that was nixed.  |
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The Adventurer's League Handbook.
