Friday, April 11, 2008

Forgotten Realms featured in D&D Podcast

Rich Baker and I talk to Mike Mearls on the D&D Podcast (or direct download here) about the Forgotten Realms in 4th Edition. We're releasing the new campaign setting this August, though even now, the text is being tweaked by hard-working editors, and the art continues to arrive from dozens of artists commissioned for this tome. It's all coming together!

I've been working on the the Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide for 4th edition for what must be 3 years now. I'll be a proud papa (one of thousands of parents both in-house and out) on the day it is released.

3 comments:

Daniel said...

I really hate to say it but I'm one of the fans who will most probably turn away from the 4e realms. :(

For one, while I can understand the logic behind the timejump (less research for designers), I can only see the negative impact it has on me: 90% of the NPC are jus dead, most of the lore from my collection is completely useless. The spellplague and changes among the gods are another thing. Destroying Halruaa (and the logic behind it, as we have heard up to now) is another.

I don't want to detail all the things I don't like here in your own public blog, I think that's not really polite. I just hope beyond all reason that somehow we'll get the old realms back in some form. It was a perfect gameworld for me & my friends (mainly talking about the 2e products there, with a few exceptions like 3e's "Underdark"), and we have enough game material to play for a few lifetimes, even without using our own ideas (which we do all the times, of course *g*).

If you're interested in talking to people who see the 4e changes critically, come to candlekeep.com - it's one of the places where the 4e-dialogue is polite, even if the majority of scribes don't like the announced changes. As one of the "proud papas" you would have a chance for explanation, perhaps you can convince some scribes of the new realms. ;)

Daniel
(a.k.a. "tauster" over there at candlekeep)

Bruce Cordell said...

Daniel,

I appreciate your point. In fact, it's possible you're right, the new Realms might not be for you right off the bat. All I can ask is that you give it a look. 4E realms can speak for itself after it's published. Once it's out, head down to the bookstore to peruse it.

As an aside, if you are still mainly invested in 2E Realms, then it sounds like we'd already lost you as a customer.

Anyhow, we didn't advance the timeline to make it easier on the designers--we did it to make the Realms a place where mystery could exist once more, a place where players and even DMs could thrill to the knowledge that no one really yet knows what might lie in this particular ruin, or indeed, what is the true nature mysterious returned bits of Abeir scattered here and there.

I do peruse Candlekeep from time to time, and yes, I do so because you folks are generally very polite and well behaved, so I thank you for that. Thanks for then nudge to come back and check more often ;-).

Take care,

brc

Anonymous said...

Hi Bruce.

I love all about 4th edition FR. It's a perfect setting for my tastes. The changes I've heard of are those I've always wanted...

.. but... for God's sake... why there is no FR logo on the cover? Do something with it, please, because I will be really let down. It's about "the spirit".