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 Arcane Age equals 4th Edition - how to do it?
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neuronphaser
Acolyte

USA
19 Posts

Posted - 21 Jul 2014 :  19:09:33  Show Profile Send neuronphaser a Private Message  Reply with Quote  Delete Topic
As I'm finally working my way through Netheril: Empire of Magic (and then moving on to the Arcane Age supplements like Cormanthyr and The Fall of Myth Drannor), I was immediately hit with the idea that I could use those books as the fluff for a 4e Forgotten Realms campaign, rather than the ho-hum 4e future time-jump setting books.

Below are my notes so far; what I'm looking for is further commentary and ideas on how to work in some of the not-originally-FR stuff that 4e has, which I like (on its own, as rulesy options) but don't know how badly it will screw up the fluff (if at all). I'm really okay with "near-substitutions" that might work, but I'm worried I may be stretching things a big much.

The Stuff I'm Still Unsure How to Work In:
*Dragonborn - I want players to be able to play them, but I'm not sure if I can just say "they are weird lizardmen" or if I should make them a bit more unique...? Were there any particularly active reptilian or draconic groups in the Arcane Age?
*Warforged - I think I'll just make them a random magi-tech thingy that were common (relatively speaking; not actually common, just generally "around and known") in Netheril's Enclaves. Might be a cool visual of having the Enclaves enforce their rule on the "ground-level" cities/towns via figureheads backed by Warforged sentries.
*Drow - I love Drow, and I get how they work in FR, but would it be too much to allow a few to be surface-dwelling figures in the Arcane Age?

Here's What I've Already (Pretty Much) Figured Out:
*Eladrin are High Elves (sun and moon), Elves are Wild/Wood Elves, mechanically-speaking.
*Tieflings can be common during this era, thanks to all the diabolical spellcasters that were more than happy to deal with dark forces. I might re-skin them to be more 2e Planescape-style in appearance, but otherwise, they are fine as-is.
*All of the classes work as-is, even psionics. Psionic characters are known as -- even among themselves -- as just a variation of magic-users specialized in the "mentalist" type of magic based on the Nether Scrolls. (Basically, I can't think of any 4e classes that can't be reskinned slightly to work in the Arcane Age. Even most Primal classes could just be versions of Angardt/Rengarth barbarians.)

I feel like the Fall of Netheril can cover up a lot of this stuff, so it would work pretty well.

Am I missing anything? Got any other ideas/thoughts?

sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist

USA
11686 Posts

Posted - 22 Jul 2014 :  00:20:44  Show Profile Send sleyvas a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Don't forget, while Netheril was around, so was Imaskar and Jhaamdath and other empires. That's the one thing people tend to leave off.

Alavairthae, may your skill prevail

Phillip aka Sleyvas
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neuronphaser
Acolyte

USA
19 Posts

Posted - 22 Jul 2014 :  00:37:27  Show Profile Send neuronphaser a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas

Don't forget, while Netheril was around, so was Imaskar and Jhaamdath and other empires. That's the one thing people tend to leave off.



That, currently, is my biggest weakness: I'm not entirely sure of anything outside of Netheril during that time period, beyond Cormanthyr.

I'm digging my way through both Netheril boxed set and Lost Empires of Faerun, but...there's a lot to read. I want to concentrate mostly on Netheril as the setting because Floating Cities #$%^ Yeah, but a little knowledge of its border territories might be cool.

Any particularly good sources?
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hashimashadoo
Master of Realmslore

United Kingdom
1150 Posts

Posted - 23 Jul 2014 :  12:27:49  Show Profile  Visit hashimashadoo's Homepage Send hashimashadoo a Private Message  Reply with Quote
As for draconic/lizard creatures, there was House Orogoth, a netherese group who bred with dragons and experimented with snakes.

There was also the lizards of the Marsh of Simplicity who were originally ruled by a lizard king (a half-fiend lizardman) but he was overthrown by a particularly powerful lizardman shaman - so powerful some arcanists thought he was Ioulaum in disguise.

When life turns it's back on you...sneak attack for extra damage.

Head admin of the FR wiki:

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/
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neuronphaser
Acolyte

USA
19 Posts

Posted - 23 Jul 2014 :  17:39:40  Show Profile Send neuronphaser a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by hashimashadoo

As for draconic/lizard creatures, there was House Orogoth, a netherese group who bred with dragons and experimented with snakes.

There was also the lizards of the Marsh of Simplicity who were originally ruled by a lizard king (a half-fiend lizardman) but he was overthrown by a particularly powerful lizardman shaman - so powerful some arcanists thought he was Ioulaum in disguise.



Great info! I can make use of that.
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