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Zireael
Master of Realmslore
Poland
1190 Posts |
 Posted - 28 Mar 2011 : 17:47:25
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| I have to agree with what Azuth mentioned about Rowan and Tanalasta... sigh... they're my fav in the Cormyr saga, just after Alea and Baerauble... |
SiNafay Vrinn, the daughter of Lloth, from Ched Nasad!
http://zireael07.wordpress.com/ |
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Azuth
Senior Scribe
USA
404 Posts |
Posted - 28 Mar 2011 : 17:54:38
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quote:
Originally posted by Zireael
I have to agree with what Azuth mentioned about Rowan and Tanalasta... sigh... they're my fav in the Cormyr saga, just after Alea and Baerauble...
I would love to see a book that further explores Alea and Baerauble's time together. Maybe Alea could even explain the Trees of the Body.
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Azuth, the First Magister
Lord of All Spells
The greatest expression of creativity is through Art.
Offense can never be given, only taken. |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 29 Mar 2011 : 01:12:20
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Although I appreciate all your input, Azuth, there are still far too many 'holes' in the plot, over-all (No finger-pointing here, two authors were involved, and editors, so who knows...)
Considering the series is set in what is THE kingdom of the setting, and was designed to usher-in 3e, I felt it fell way-short of expectations. I enjoyed it, regardless, but it has more holes then a good swiss cheese.
And the adventure module that went with it (that I bought solely to help clear-up some of the inconsistencies) just added to the confusion (seriously, what the heck did Grodd have to do with anything?)
Self-Edit: I had MUCH more here, but while speed-reading through the novel to find all the inconsistencies (I got about a third of the way through it), I realized that it served no positive purpose. I wish I always took some time before hitting 'Send' with my posts. 
I'll just leave this last bit here, because it at least contributes some-what to what others have commented on, and also the topic itself (small wonders never cease!)
Ghazneth: gawd-awful monster for a D&D setting (as been explained by many others here - its an author's 'anti-Mary-Sue'). Completely useless outside of the novel storyline, and therefor nearly useless to an RPG setting. The only saving's grace is Rowan - hopefully he has found something to procreate with and we can have 'lesser Ghazneths' flying about... ones with less... demanding... 'kill prerequisites'.
quote:
Originally posted by Brimstone
BUMP!
Why?  |
"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 29 Mar 2011 20:03:27 |
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Azuth
Senior Scribe
USA
404 Posts |
Posted - 29 Mar 2011 : 02:40:55
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I agree on most points. However, the same could be said of the Tarrasque, I suppose. It's just this huge creature that awakens every so often and eats villages. It's wasted space because I need almost-godlike PCs to even have a chance at beating it. It hasn't stopped them from placing it in the various Monster Manuals/et cetera.
I really felt that Troy Denning struggled in this novel. I just can't attribute most of the parts of the novel I didn't like to Ed. I don't like pointing figers if I can help it, but Ed's writing is usually very fun to read, and I suspect the parts of the book that I most enjoyed were written primarily by Ed.
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
Although I appreciate all your input, Azuth, there are still far too many 'holes' in the plot, over-all (No finger-pointing here, two authors were involved, and editors, so who knows...)
Considering the series is set in what is THE kingdom of the setting, and was designed to usher-in 3e, I felt it fell way-short of expectations. I enjoyed it, regardless, but it has more holes then a good swiss cheese.
And the adventure module that went with it (that I bought solely to help clear-up some of the inconsistencies) just added to the confusion (seriously, what the heck did Grodd have to do with anything?)
Self-Edit: I had MUCH more here, but while speed-reading through the novel to find all the inconsistencies (I got about a third of the way through it), I realized that it served no positive purpose. I wish always took some time before hitting 'Send' with my posts.
I'll just leave this last bit here, because it at least contributes some-what to what others have commented on, and also the topic itself (small wonders never cease!)
Ghazneth: gawd-awful monster for a D&D setting (as been explained by many others here - its an author's 'anti-Mary-Sue'). Completely useless outside of the novel storyline, and therefor nearly useless to an RPG setting. The only saving's grace is Rowan - hopefully he has found something to procreate with and we can have 'lesser Ghazneths' flying about... ones with less... demanding... 'kill prerequisites'.
quote:
Originally posted by Brimstone
BUMP!
Why?
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Azuth, the First Magister
Lord of All Spells
The greatest expression of creativity is through Art.
Offense can never be given, only taken. |
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Blueblade
Senior Scribe
USA
804 Posts |
Posted - 29 Mar 2011 : 04:18:28
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I believe "who wrote what" of DEATH/DRAGON has been thoroughly discussed here in the past.
Troy plotted it all. Ed was waiting for heart surgery at the time, and so wrote the death of Azoun scene first (the chapter that was most important to him, in case he didn't survive the surgery), then worked his way backward through the book, writing the chapters assigned to him. Which were basically the Azoun chapters (so when you're reading about Vangey and the goblins, and Tanalasta and Rowen, it's Troy). And no, I don't think Ed would ever have done anything like the ghazneths, on his own. (I think Troy wrote all or almost all of the ghazneth scenes.) Ed had no input at all into BEYOND THE HIGH ROAD or the decision to "add" additional novels to CORMYR: A NOVEL.
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Zireael
Master of Realmslore
Poland
1190 Posts |
Posted - 29 Mar 2011 : 15:01:26
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quote:
Originally posted by Azuth
quote:
Originally posted by Zireael
I have to agree with what Azuth mentioned about Rowan and Tanalasta... sigh... they're my fav in the Cormyr saga, just after Alea and Baerauble...
I would love to see a book that further explores Alea and Baerauble's time together. Maybe Alea could even explain the Trees of the Body.
I'd love such a book too, but I don't think it'd happen.
@ MT: Rowan procreating with 'something'?! The only 'something' he'd procreate with was Tana, and he already did that... |
SiNafay Vrinn, the daughter of Lloth, from Ched Nasad!
http://zireael07.wordpress.com/ |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 29 Mar 2011 : 20:17:03
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Yeah, but you know how these things go. Some evil group/mage/Prieshood/Alien Overmind/Planer meddler/Etc managed to get a hold of him, is intrigued by his inability to die (at their hands), and so conducts a series of experiments, including having succubi and what-not have their way with him.
Until.... SOMETHING is born... something OBSCENE... Bwah ha ha ha! 
Just because Rowan got all goo-goo eyed for Tanaslasta doesn't mean something like the above couldn't have happened (and we have Wulfgar-in-hell as an FR example of something similar).
Basically, a Ghazneth is an Uber-Revenant (Archrevenant?), so it would be fairly easy to tone them down just a tad. Simply combine the physical traits of a Kir-Lanan with the undead nature (and desires) of a Revenant, and you got yourself a lesser Ghazneth.
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"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 29 Mar 2011 21:01:02 |
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Azuth
Senior Scribe
USA
404 Posts |
Posted - 29 Mar 2011 : 20:36:09
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While I doubt I'd ever use a ghazneth in my campaign, one could certainly set the expectation of killing it as beyond the means of the adventuring party, thus returning it to its prison or trapping it via some other semi-permanent way would be enough to grant XP and call the quest successful.
There are definitly possibilities of crossbreeding, but I don't think we really have enough background info on them to know if they're sterile or not. Of course, you can do whatever you want in your own campaign. 
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Azuth, the First Magister
Lord of All Spells
The greatest expression of creativity is through Art.
Offense can never be given, only taken. |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 29 Mar 2011 : 21:06:59
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The death of Azoun was one of the major changes they wanted for the 3e Realms, so it was part of the design process (although, as you correctly stated, not as pinnacle to the release as the Archwizards series). I still have never read RotA, so I find I often overlook it.
Interesting about Into the Dragon's Lair - I can definitely see that. The thing was just a mish-mosh - I'm not even sure exactly what the adventure is supposed to be about (it actually takes place after all the novel events, so it's rather anti-climactic). |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Azuth
Senior Scribe
USA
404 Posts |
Posted - 30 Mar 2011 : 00:13:17
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I admit I have a problem with the death of a character for no practical reason. While I'm glad they let Ed kill Azuth in his own way, I don't think it really made sense or added to 3E gameplay in any meaningful way. Unless the PCs are actually playing in Cormyr and interacting with the highest nobility, what purpose did it serve? And, why kill Tanalasta? Alusair as Steel Regent with Filfaeril as a Dowager Queen really didn't change the way that the Realms worked. Again, change for change's sake doesn't really amount to much, which is what I take away from the whole Death of the Dragon book. Cormyr, in sharp contrast, gave me tons of Realmslore to use in my campaign, and fleshed out the importance of the elves and the Obarskyrs in marvelous detail.
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Azuth, the First Magister
Lord of All Spells
The greatest expression of creativity is through Art.
Offense can never be given, only taken. |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 31 Mar 2011 : 22:14:41
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I no longer run the Realms, but if i did I would probably just ignore that whole storyline (or at least have it play-out differently).
It does indeed appear to be a major exercise in pointlessness. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Ghazneths
