Have there been any Rumors or anything more substantial out of WotC about an update to the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting? The latest version was published in 2001, pushing a quarter century ago.
Seems like since this is WotC's default/go-to/most popular setting, it'd be a good candidate for a refresh.
(What'd really blow my skirt up would be a refresh on Greyhawk, but I'm not holding my breath)
The was the sword coast adventurers guide, but obviously, that not dealt with part of the realms. Otherwise, there’s been nothing official announced. There are a few books in the pipeline coming out in the next few months, but other than planescape, none of them are setting books, as I recall.
I very much doubt they'll update it before 1D&D (if they do do it, it'll as a fresh start to 1D&D). We don't have any book schedule even for next year (to my knowledge) and certainly not for 1D&D.
Which is to say, if there's one coming, it will be towards the end of '24 at the earliest.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
So, the Sword coast is where they opted to focus for 5e, in general, and between the books and the adventures, they have brought a significant chunk of it to life there.
This, of course, ignores that most of the stuff in Bigby's and Fizban's is FR based as far as lore goes; the Waterdeep adventures, Phandelver, Golden Vault, Icewind Dale, Saltmarsh, Icespire peak, and Stormwreck isle are all also based in FR and all expand much of the stuff about FR -- even if it does only focus on the sword coast (which was published in 2015).
So, based on that, I feel as if I can presume you mean a larger, more elaborate full set for the whole of Toril, and as for that, no I can't say that anything has been mentioned in any of the business based sources I use, and I haven't seen anything suggesting that they plan to do so.
Part of the reason, however, may be cost. If Planescape does really well, they may revisit and re-think that.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Only a DM since 1980 (3000+ Sessions) / PhD, MS, MA / Mixed, Bi, Trans, Woman / No longer welcome in the US, apparently
Wyrlde: Adventures in the Seven Cities .-=] Lore Book | Patreon | Wyrlde YT [=-. An original Setting for 5e, a whole solar system of adventure. Ongoing updates, exclusies, more. Not Talking About It / Dubbed The Oracle in the Cult of Mythology Nerds
As is tradition for each new Edition of D&D there's been an update of Lore and I think this time WOTC are going to go the whole hog, use the Obelisk-Menhir things as a time-travel "plot device" and use that to "pause" Lore - or any pretense of Lore for FR entirely. To be honest, I wouldn't be too shocked if that was a general approach system wide.
Possibly it might shift to the odd world/setting-sourcebook every now and then (maybe) with lore-lite modules (as we have currently). My hopes for an exciting D&D future are focused on my play-group.
I would love to see more stuff on the Forgotten Realms, but I have doubts they'll make a book on it even after 1D&D comes out, but expecting them to do so beforehand really just feels like a pipe dream. Especially when there's SCAG and the massive list of settlements in FR in Storm Comes Thunder.
As a sidenote, I would like less of a gargantuan list of cities from the world, and more information on the broader cultures, themes, political groups, and connections from place to place. I get that this has to be somewhere you can plug any adventure or village into and make it work, but that doesn't mean we cant have more optional usage info on how the preexisting stuff and your homebrew stuff can be interconnected.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
BoringBard's long and tedious posts somehow manage to enrapture audiences. How? Because he used Charm Person, the #1 bard spell!
He/him pronouns. Call me Bard. PROUD NERD!
Ever wanted to talk about your parties' worst mistakes? Do so HERE. What's your favorite class, why? Share & explainHERE.
Why would they update it? There is so much lore and depth in it. You can start a campaign now, as the Realms stand, or start it and have them come across famous characters like Bruenor Battlehammer, Regis, Drizz't, Catti Brie, Wulfgar. Have them see spell battles by Khelben Blackstaff. The depth of information is astonishing and rich (especially for those of us that have been reading them since then - I started reading them in 1986).
I think they may less inclined to put out a definitive and defining forgotten realms out because by doing so that would limit the creative options of the teams who put out the adventures, many of which are set in the Realms. So rather than publish a world bible that will give players ammo to complain about "continuity" the Realms gets updated as literally needed by adventures set in the realms. Plus you got Ed Greenwood collaborating with lots of folks on various parts of the realms on DM's Guild for folks who really want the world from the source.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
As others have pointed out the various source books and adventure books keep their portions of the realms updated. Then there are the novels which update their areas. What is really needed is a gazetteer that brings all those updates together as well as providing game hook updates in areas less played in ( or ideas on how to twist existing adventures into different regions - I’ve reset the Phandalin adventures ( and the Saltmarsh adventures) into a restored Luiren (post spellplague)) there are enough unexplored areas in the realms that are open to fitting almost anything into one or another of them but some updates to help remind folks they exist would be nice.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Hey, All;
Have there been any Rumors or anything more substantial out of WotC about an update to the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting? The latest version was published in 2001, pushing a quarter century ago.
Seems like since this is WotC's default/go-to/most popular setting, it'd be a good candidate for a refresh.
(What'd really blow my skirt up would be a refresh on Greyhawk, but I'm not holding my breath)
The was the sword coast adventurers guide, but obviously, that not dealt with part of the realms.
Otherwise, there’s been nothing official announced. There are a few books in the pipeline coming out in the next few months, but other than planescape, none of them are setting books, as I recall.
I very much doubt they'll update it before 1D&D (if they do do it, it'll as a fresh start to 1D&D). We don't have any book schedule even for next year (to my knowledge) and certainly not for 1D&D.
Which is to say, if there's one coming, it will be towards the end of '24 at the earliest.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
So, the Sword coast is where they opted to focus for 5e, in general, and between the books and the adventures, they have brought a significant chunk of it to life there.
This, of course, ignores that most of the stuff in Bigby's and Fizban's is FR based as far as lore goes; the Waterdeep adventures, Phandelver, Golden Vault, Icewind Dale, Saltmarsh, Icespire peak, and Stormwreck isle are all also based in FR and all expand much of the stuff about FR -- even if it does only focus on the sword coast (which was published in 2015).
So, based on that, I feel as if I can presume you mean a larger, more elaborate full set for the whole of Toril, and as for that, no I can't say that anything has been mentioned in any of the business based sources I use, and I haven't seen anything suggesting that they plan to do so.
Part of the reason, however, may be cost. If Planescape does really well, they may revisit and re-think that.
Only a DM since 1980 (3000+ Sessions) / PhD, MS, MA / Mixed, Bi, Trans, Woman / No longer welcome in the US, apparently
Wyrlde: Adventures in the Seven Cities
.-=] Lore Book | Patreon | Wyrlde YT [=-.
An original Setting for 5e, a whole solar system of adventure. Ongoing updates, exclusies, more.
Not Talking About It / Dubbed The Oracle in the Cult of Mythology Nerds
As is tradition for each new Edition of D&D there's been an update of Lore and I think this time WOTC are going to go the whole hog, use the Obelisk-Menhir things as a time-travel "plot device" and use that to "pause" Lore - or any pretense of Lore for FR entirely. To be honest, I wouldn't be too shocked if that was a general approach system wide.
Possibly it might shift to the odd world/setting-sourcebook every now and then (maybe) with lore-lite modules (as we have currently). My hopes for an exciting D&D future are focused on my play-group.
https://wulfgold.substack.com
Blog - nerd stuff
https://deepdreamgenerator.com/u/wulfgold
A.I. art - also nerd stuff - a gallery of NPC portraits - help yourself.
I would love to see more stuff on the Forgotten Realms, but I have doubts they'll make a book on it even after 1D&D comes out, but expecting them to do so beforehand really just feels like a pipe dream. Especially when there's SCAG and the massive list of settlements in FR in Storm Comes Thunder.
As a sidenote, I would like less of a gargantuan list of cities from the world, and more information on the broader cultures, themes, political groups, and connections from place to place. I get that this has to be somewhere you can plug any adventure or village into and make it work, but that doesn't mean we cant have more optional usage info on how the preexisting stuff and your homebrew stuff can be interconnected.
BoringBard's long and tedious posts somehow manage to enrapture audiences. How? Because he used Charm Person, the #1 bard spell!
He/him pronouns. Call me Bard. PROUD NERD!
Ever wanted to talk about your parties' worst mistakes? Do so HERE. What's your favorite class, why? Share & explain
HERE.Why would they update it? There is so much lore and depth in it. You can start a campaign now, as the Realms stand, or start it and have them come across famous characters like Bruenor Battlehammer, Regis, Drizz't, Catti Brie, Wulfgar. Have them see spell battles by Khelben Blackstaff. The depth of information is astonishing and rich (especially for those of us that have been reading them since then - I started reading them in 1986).
I think they may less inclined to put out a definitive and defining forgotten realms out because by doing so that would limit the creative options of the teams who put out the adventures, many of which are set in the Realms. So rather than publish a world bible that will give players ammo to complain about "continuity" the Realms gets updated as literally needed by adventures set in the realms. Plus you got Ed Greenwood collaborating with lots of folks on various parts of the realms on DM's Guild for folks who really want the world from the source.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
As others have pointed out the various source books and adventure books keep their portions of the realms updated. Then there are the novels which update their areas. What is really needed is a gazetteer that brings all those updates together as well as providing game hook updates in areas less played in ( or ideas on how to twist existing adventures into different regions - I’ve reset the Phandalin adventures ( and the Saltmarsh adventures) into a restored Luiren (post spellplague)) there are enough unexplored areas in the realms that are open to fitting almost anything into one or another of them but some updates to help remind folks they exist would be nice.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.