Page "Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting" Paragraph 7

In a January 1988 Dragon magazine review of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Set, Ken Rolston stated that the Forgotten Realms setting achieves the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons ( or, AD & D ) dual design objectives of compatibility with existing AD & D game campaigns, and colorful characters, themes, and cultures.

This is made possible by its vast setting, and the way the Realms campaign " avoids epic themes and theological frames ", " leaving room for the complex and contradictory jumble of pantheons and cultures encouraged by the AD & D game's developmental history ".

The Realms setting is a game setting, as opposed to a narrative setting like Krynn and Middle-earth, " firmly rooted in the traditions of a decade of AD & D game campaigns and adventures, both published and " house ".

Rolston disliked the " DM's Sourcebook of the Realms "' handling of random encounters and its notes on dragons of the setting, and felt that its descriptions of NPCs are " not particularly useful or appealing ", with the exception of Elminster, " an effective informant and presentation mouthpiece ".

The recent-news-and-rumors section was described as " excellent, offering perfect examples of AD & D game-scale fantasy scenario ideas in a charming and flavorful style ".

He called the two dungeon adventures " first-class ", and described " Halls of the Beast-Tamers " as a " classic AD & D game dungeon with lots of weirdness and magical flourishes " which " provides a solid rationale for the ever-popular monster-motel adventure ", although he felt that it may be too tough for novices.

" Lashan ’ s Fall " was termed " a nifty dungeon with a mystery ", and said to feature " a loony monster that may not necessarily rip into the PCs at the first opportunity ".

Rolston found in the " Cyclopedia of the Realms " book a " less-satisfying treatment of gods and religion " than that in books such as Deities & Demigods and Legends & Lore, as while " the major archetypes and game elements are covered, there's little detail, motivation, or game information provided for the deities ".

He felt that the best entries in the encyclopedic section about places are several large-and medium-sized cities and towns, complete with maps and keys to the major establishments, and " a good treatment of Shadowdale, a village proposed as the setting for novice campaigners ".

The strongest element of this encyclopedic section was considered to be the treatment of organizations such as the adventuring, mercenary, and merchant companies, which can be used as " backdrops for intrigue and adventure, and provide background material for PC and NPC role-playing development.

Skim through a couple of these entries ; they ’ re quite good.

" Rolston felt that the maps were " decent but unimpressive " artistically, and graphically were " exceptionally clear and useful ", saying " These ingenious devices are sure to please mappers and travel freaks ".

As a campaign setting, Rolston felt that the physical space of the Realms is vast and varied, and the important guiding themes of any campaign ( good vs. evil, megavillains, depraved gods, quests, loot, power ) " are all available in profusion ".

He concluded that the setting was " well-conceived as the official AD & D game campaign setting — vast enough to accommodate a multitude of house campaigns and variable playing styles, and true to the established traditions of a decade of AD & D game campaigning ".