Golarion vs. the Realms
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Hi folks,
I'm looking to run my first PnP session for my friends. I was told that Pathfinder is one of the best RPGs out there, so I started to prepare myself for DMing a session based on those rules.
A face a simple but most probably permanent decision, I can either use the original gameworld of Golarion for my game which I know nothing of yet or stick with the Forgotten Realms. I have very little knowledge of the Realms either, I picked up most playing here. So I know a bit of general info like on gods and on other planes, ect, but I know very little about areas outside of Cormyr.
I prefer written answers, especially comparisons but using the poll is appreciated as well.
thanks guys!
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As the DM the players rely upon you to create the game world for them. The more you know about the world, the better you are able to convey it to them.
I would recommend a game set in cormyr.
Of course themes important thing is that you enjoy the game. If you are not enjoying it that will affect rhetorically game. If you prefer one setting over the other significantly pick that one.
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Forgotten Realms will always hold a special place in my heart.
But your friend is right. Pathfinder is amazing. The Innersea World guide is one of the most interesting, fun, and useful books for a DM ever. It lovingly details the entire scope of the the "Western" Golarian setting. There is a small "Brochure" sized section on each nation - and it offers more variety than I thought possible.
Players in the mood for some of that old creepy Ravenloft? Take a trip to the bleak land of Ustlava. Some skyrim enthusiast? Roll up some Ulfen to do battle with the Winter Witches of Irresen or maybe play a 'thane' of the Linnorn kings? (Or hell - grab the Paths to prestige book and aim to become a Mammoth Rider from Realms of the Mammoth Lords)
Maybe feel like a bit gritter? Some fantasy-esque Post-Apocalypse? The Mana Waste, (the cradle of Fire Arm technologies)
And that is just a small smattering. There is something for everyone in Golarion. The books are well made, each supplement doesn't make the previous material weaker or useless, but adds and expands in a way that doesn't make you feel like you have Rules Bloat.
Pathfinder and the setting of Golarion get an overwhelming recommendation from me. While it may seem like a lot to take in, grab the Innersea World Guide, flip through and take a gander at a few places that jump out?
(Razmiran - a country ruled over some dude who basically says he's a god and his creepy masked priest. The River Kingdoms - very classic fantasy feel with dispute ridden politics. Absolom - the City at the center of the world, home of the starstone, where gods are made. Osiria - A fantastic Ancient Egypt analogue.)
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Forgotten Realms, especially the north/silver marches/world edge mountains are an amazing place for adventures.
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Thanks for the answers, guys! Reading KiY's detailed answer, I started to read the Inner Sea World Guide, and it is really appealing.
Playing in Cormyr on the other hand is a pretty good idea. -
The more you read. The more likely you will never go back. Such a rich and diverse setting. Plus the books have an attention to detail I haven't seen since Planescape. And I loooove Planescape.
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Golarion is okay, I guess. But it will take years to make it as diverse and rich as Faerun. :)
If you're a stranger to both settings - check both out before making a decision. If you're already into Faerun - no reason at all to switch setting. -
poor golorian, seems like no one wants it :D
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Bah. I've been playing Forgotten Realms since 89-90. It's what I cut my teeth on. Even just speaking of source material. I could never get through the 3rd edition FR setting book because it was so dry and dull. And so many of the areas were just painfully devoid of details. I've read the Innersea World Guide twice, cover to cover. It is likely the best RPG supplement put out in the recent years.
I think the bottom line is - Golarian was assembled by group of people that have a lot of care and love for the product still. And you can see it in the detail.
Pretty much the bulk of Wizards made D&D stuff just Lord Hasbro trying to squeeze extra coin out of gamers. Even their supplements adopted the same business model as their Magic the Gathering methods. Each subsequent release must be 'more powerful' than the last. In order to encourage people to buy buy buy - to adopt the keeping up with the Jones mentality.When I was running 3rd edition FRs for a tabletop game, we eventually just started saying no to the supplements. They unbalanced the game each and everyone you had to scrutinize to make sure it wasn't going to throw game balance completely off.
So far - With Pathfinder - they have had lots of supplements. And each of them add to the game. They don't make aspects of it weaker or obsolete. The mechanics are balanced and interesting. They create new things, rather than just adding on extra uses of existing powers. The entire Pathfinder book "Paths to Prestige" is fantastic. There is another separate book that details various organizations, how to use them as a game mechanic and emulate rewards for membership.
And finally - Ultimate Campaign is finally out. This book is going to detail character background options, downtime rules, player accessible kingdom generation rules, and of course, the fine art of bloodying up other nations because your nation is better.
I understand the nostalgia attached to the forgotten realms. Trust me. I really really really do. I even read those godawful Times of Troubles books and loved them. I grew up reading about the adventures of Elminster and Drizzit and Clan Battlehammer and all the rest. Hell… I even help run a FR themed game on the interwebs.
But the fact is Pathfinder and Golarian are just better, more interested and refined products. I highly recommend them to new players (and old ones) and more and more stores just are not carrying the old (and new) Wizards of the Coast d20 products. Pathfinder is pretty much RPG king these days - and with good reason.
Of course, it can be a personal preference thing. If you ever want any conspiratorial assistance with a Golarian campaign. Drop me a line. I am more than willing to help.
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Both settings have things to recommend them.
Forgotten Realms is more familiar to me, and (for now) has a greater wealth of material to draw on.
Golarian has a broader range of genres represented, and is getting more detailed with every supplement,
I have both Forgotten Realms and Golarion settings books (the 3.5 version of the latter, rather than the Pathfinder one) and like them both.
Currently I'm running a PnP 3.5 game set in the Forgotten Realms. I'm running the Way of the Wicked adventure path, but have set it in Cormyr. We're having a blast being Teh Evil™ in Cormyr.
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I agree with KiY that there is -alot- of gold in Golarian. And as a whole its far better then the FR, as is Eberron which is my personal campaign setting. Golarian just feels more "real".
But FR has some really good areas for adventures if you dont want to jump setting like the north/silvermarches (my favorite area in any setting alongside Xendrik and Sharn in Eberron). Just that as a whole, there are very few reasons other then sentimental reasons not to shift settings.
Paizo puts out new products at least once a month in the form of a premade adventure, all of which are pretty amazing. Their other supplements are also alot better then WoTC's rip off source books and appear far faster.
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Thanks for the insight, the comparisons provided here are very useful!
KiY, I might call on your offer. I feel like telling my own story instead of premade adventures, but… well, I'm not sure I'm up for the task.
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You can always create your own world.
I like it that way.
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Do any of the players have knowledge of either?
Its not just the DM's knowledge, but whether the players have a "feel" for it.If no one has much experience in either setting, then while I cant speak for Golgarion, the comments on FR material being dry are certainly true.
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One of them played briefly on Arabel, but I doubt he payed much attention on the setting as a world. So, basically, it doesn't quite matter for them.
I've skimmed through some books suggested above, and they are anything but dry.
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I want to know more about KiY's web-based Forgotten Realms campaign.
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Good point! :)
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I'm done with the first session. I was quite slow, and we are yet to create the characters (I didn't want to bore them with the process at the first time they try an RPG), but they said they are excited to continue.
Sounds good, huh?:)
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I'm done with the first session. I was quite slow, and we are yet to create the characters (I didn't want to bore them with the process at the first time they try an RPG), but they said they are excited to continue.
Sounds good, huh?
:)Good, yes. Didn't realize this is their first time. for first-timers (or 2nd, 3rd) what can be useful is a off-the-shelf module(s) with just one or two fleshed out villages and a "save them from the evil XXX" dungeon. pre-printed handouts, maps, etc can come in very useful for engaging firsttimers.
I'd worry about the big setting later.
To make your DMing natural and flow, You might want to base the village(s) on something like Immersea, Eveningstar - or even Arabel, if it is town-sized, so you can use COA's versions as a mental picture for yourself.I guess since you had session 1 already, it's too late for that advice.
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The setting is already decided, the problems I face now are what kind of story to bring, how detailed my writeup should be, and how to keep swift enough not to let them be bored.