4th Edition Faerun *Spoiler Warning*

[Invictus]

For those of you who are interested in what Faerun may be like in 4th edition then here are some spoilers, from the recent campaign supplement "Grand History of the Realms". WotC plans to cut down the gods and pantheons by two thirds.

Highlight to read.

In 1384 DR, Tyr kills Helm in a romantic misunderstanding over the heart of Tymora. Though nothing can be proved, the gods believe that Cyric is somehow involved in Helm's death.

In 1385 DR, With help from Shar, Cyric murders Mystra in Dweomerheart, destroying the plane and Savras, as well as sending Azuth and Velsharoon into the Astral plane.

[Rhifox]

.... about the second... how can you destroy her without completely destabilizing the make-up of the Weave on Faerun? .... that's the whole reason Netheril fell. They don't think things through, as usual.

[Kaldaris]

This is all set in a series of ten years called 'The Spellplague', where every caster goes batshit.

[Saulus]

I doubt there will be another game that uses the 4th Edition rules anywhere in the near future. (In terms of NWN)... However Sundren will be taking liberities on the evolution of the pantheon and its own timeline seperate from FR cannon.

[Invictus]

Yeah, the weave, both of them, get totally destroyed. Thus implying the complete destruction of Halrua and Thay, as well as Rashemon etc. Basicly all the casters go batshit crazy and everyone starts killing each other or something, spells fail, some have different effects, sort of like the time of troubles, but this one is nastier.

[Rhifox]

Yeah, the weave, both of them, get totally destroyed. Thus implying the complete destruction of Halrua and Thay, as well as Rashemon etc. Basicly all the casters go batshit crazy and everyone starts killing each other or something, spells fail, some have different effects, sort of like the time of troubles, but this one is nastier.

*cries*

[Invictus]

Yeah. Alot of Faerun fans are upset about the changes, asking for retcon.. but oh well. I hear Luskan is flattened aswell, as the Campaign will take place in 1472, 100 years in the future.

And I understand this has nothing to do with Sundren, that's why I posted it in the off topic... just figured some people who like FR would enjoy discussing this.

[GodBeastX]

Casters almost sound like Wheel of Time now XD Going crazy from magic.

One thing I read is magic system is going to change the role of magic and integrate it more into all classes, as well as limit what wizards actually are. There'll be per encounter spells and per day spells. Wizards are supposed to be able to keep spells without running out of them completely.

Less save or die spells. It also sounds like they're removing spell school system.

[Rhifox]

I like the whole caster changes actually, drama is good. The idea that using any magic can cause insanity in the user is awesome (3.5 has that, but only with Evil/Corrupted spells and only if the DM is running the Heroes of Horror taint system).

Will be interesting to see how it goes, especially if Sundren does the changes. Going crazy from using magic sounds fun.

[Aux]

...im dubious at best, why are they messing with it so drasticaly?..Gameplay wise and lore wise.

[Machiavelli]

Will be interesting to see how it goes, especially if Sundren does the changes. Going crazy from using magic sounds fun.

This can happily be RPed without the need for a system though. Malaclypse was as weird as he was because he'd been driven mad when he first learnt Necromancy (and had the occasional relapse into lunacy as well) . To be fair, alot of people play their mages/sorcerers as being somewhat loopy due to the effects of learning magic, just a question of how far you take it I suppose.

[Rhifox]

This can happily be RPed without the need for a system though. Malaclypse was as weird as he was because he'd been driven mad when he first learnt Necromancy (and had the occasional relapse into lunacy as well) . To be fair, alot of people play their mages/sorcerers as being somewhat loopy due to the effects of learning magic, just a question of how far you take it I suppose.

I do. Just not full out crazy-ness. I'd like to start using the taint system on my own accord though, been meaning to do so but haven't gotten around to it. Especially with the things that's been happening to her lately, she's definitely feeling some major mental stress.

Currently I use elemental effects to a great degree. For instance, when Jo was upset yesterday and turning inwards, the room around her started dropping in temperature. Gonna start giving her more of a crazed natural/psionic nature in regards to spells while emotional too, such as lifting various objects off the ground and subconsciously hurling and crushing things (would have Signature Spell : Mage Hand and Telekinesis if they were actually in the game)

[Dark presence]

Well I can sort of understand some of the Pantheon changes, since most of the gods were ridiculously useless and insignificant. But then they go and kill off Mystra and Helm, and apparently Cyric will get imprisoned by Tyr for murdering Mystra as well, meaning he is also out of play, probably like Waukeen's imprisonment.

From the looks of it its a pretty major plot of Shar's since she is suddenly the big evil on the block and the major impediment to killing Selune is gone too, that being Mystra. I wouldn't like to see Shar kill Selune, as I'd rather see that happen (or Selune kill Shar, whichever) at the end of time, for poetic reasons.

I'm not sure I like Shar being the big obvious evil, since I liked a more secret and manipulative Shar. The plot to murder Mystra sounds like its certainly classic Shar, but with fewer evil gods to play with, no doubt Shar is going to be used a lot more aggressively in modules and novels, by default.

On the other hand I like the sound of what they are doing with magic. The limited spells per day system is ridiculously ancient and needed to be scrapped.

[Machiavelli]

...im dubious at best, why are they messing with it so drasticaly?..Gameplay wise and lore wise.

So they can sell more boxed sets perhaps?

"Oh shit, the market's reached saturation... Product differentiation ain't cutting it for more sales, we need a whole new version to generate revenues and it has to be different enough that people can't wing it from what they have!"

WotC are true masters of that sort of thing! Also, simplifying the lore/gameplay will make it saleable to a wider audience.

Cynical, I know, but still.

[GodBeastX]

Bane is THE evil in 4th Edition. He ends up with more portfolios than he needs to worry about. One thing I love about this change, is you can do more with an evil character organization. There'll be a place for the L/E and the C/E to unite for a common cause and both have a place in the same heirarchy, something I thought 3.5E is lacking.

I personally feel Shar is emo. Sorry, don't like the god. Killing off gods of magic makes tons of sense to me, because it makes it feel more like magic is the building block of the universe, instead of something some god added to it.