How Magic Works in D&D (It's Different)!

[@edgreenwoodofficial]

How do you make spell casting unique at your table? I have always been one to put on a bit of a show when it comes to the verbal components. Nothing sells the mood quite like reciting verse every time you need to cast a fireball! ;}

[@mooseymoose]

Zippo! Ronson! Dun Hill! *BWOOSH* Dredged that one up from the memory banks! But as far as running magic at my table, I love unpredictable results of failed spells. Not just a fizzle, more of “OH NO WHAT HAVE I DONE?”

[@rafaelfras]

I Like magic words very much, one that i cant help but repeat specialy for fireball is Raven from the Titans. Azarath Metrius Zhintus. Its just too good to pass on. We just reach 17th level (so 9th level spells) I did something very special for both the wizard and the cleric

[@daedalus1]

We made spell-casting unique by eliminating the need for memorization (This was back in 2nd Edition AD&D). We agreed that in every fantasy novel we had ever read, or even film we ever saw, the mage/wizard always had the spell that was needed at the moment. So, we simply eliminated the need to memorize/pray for specific spells each day. It was basically what became the sorcerer class. The spells known/learned remained the same, as did the number of times they were able to cast per day. And yes, I once defeated an orc at 1st level by tossing an oil flask on him and casting a Flame Finger cantrip - by pointing and exclaiming "Zip-Po!" Fun times.

[@dwightweiers830]

“Agnipurusha” A spark, a flicker, a flaming tear through the backdrop of reality that opens to birth the fire elemental.

[@ttuarmyjag84]

So fun to listen to you. I grew up on books. Love Elminster!

[@bexh6181]

Years ago I saw a contest where the winners got to play D&D with Ed Greenwood. I didn't enter because, as great as Ed is, I didn't understand why so many people wanted to play D&D with Ed the librarian. I've been playing D&D for 8 years but had no idea he was famous until a few years ago! I just knew him as the local librarian where I grew up.

[@edgreenwoodofficial]

I am now a local librarian a hundred miles to the east. And still hide my fame.

[@michaelmilakovic9701]

I love this

[@The_Babe]

​@@edgreenwoodofficial 🔮 A TRUE WIZARD!! ✨️

[@cernunnos_lives]

Legendary humility. This is the hidden sage. Someone my great grandfather would understand as the bad ass in the room.

[@escapadesrpg]

@@edgreenwoodofficial as many librarians do!

[@daedalus1]

It is a joy to be able to listen in on these moments. For those of us that have been using the Forgotten Realms setting since it was first published, hearing Ed expound on ideas and concepts that he created is an honor.

[@p.rabbitt4914]

Same here! 😊

[@rentadungeonmaster8888]

Ed Greenwood is true sage advise! He has such a good and friendly energy. A true example how old school ideas and rpg aspects should be today. I consider myself a grognard and startet to play in the 90s. THIS is how a younger generation can learn from the older ones without any judgement or prejudice. Love your work and vids Ed! Greetings from Germany.

[@edgreenwoodofficial]

Hi!! I have to get back to Germany when I can grab the time. Fun gaming there! Yes, for me, gaming is always about making friends and spending time with them. :}

[@ericlayton24]

I love the concept of the Weave. What a great explanation! Thank you Mr. Greenwood!

[@edgreenwoodofficial]

You're very welcome! Be sure to let me know here, or in my Discord or Twitter or Patreon, if you want me to talk about specific topics in my future videos. I'm having lots of fun doing these!

[@leandrochavez6480]

From a DM perspective, this videos are priceless, the point of view on this theme gives me the background to narrate how my players can interact with magic and how they see the magic's gift in others, i hope he continues to talk about more topics in forgotten realms.

[@edgreenwoodofficial]

I will! Promise!!!

[@sath2749]

I Love the Forgotten Realms. I have since I started Playing D&D and reading novels. Would love to watch a video talking about how Ed created the realms from a writer's standpoint and how much input or freedom writers like RA Salvatore had in writing about the world.

[@edgreenwoodofficial]

A great idea! We'll cover that in future videos, for sure!

[@sath2749]

@@edgreenwoodofficial Really glad you are doing videos talking about the realms. I've read several of your forgotten realms novels and even your Falconfar books. Those books made me wonder if you were as upset as me on how D&D was destroying everything I loved with the creation of 4th edition. I noticed you have some books I have never seen before and I am saving up to get them. I like to collect my favorite authors. I try to read every book you, Elaine Cunningham, and RA Salvatore write.

[@MedievalFantasyTV]

​@@sath2749 Destruction began in 3rd edition, as far as I am concerned.

[@sath2749]

@L DM 3rd did not change the realms. The stories written in third didn't change because of the edition. 4th killed of multiple gods, the way magic worked completely changed. So, I'm not sure how you think 3rd destroyed the realms.

[@MedievalFantasyTV]

@@sath2749 One thing that comes to mind is how halflings all of a sudden became more "kender-like" and less hobbit-like, so to speak. So yes, there were significant changes to the setting that did not feel organic at all.

[@harryrobson4318]

... and all those little mentions of alternate casting styles became plot hooks and surprises and new player powers in just the same way that a casually dropped paragraph became a months long adventure. I really miss the writing style of those 2nd ed. source books. We just don't get the same passion and creativity from most modern offerings. I am so glad to hear the Sage speak again. Thanks Ed.

[@edgreenwoodofficial]

That's it! Give the DMs many, many toys to play with, and give the players a stream of ideas, and they can pluck out just the ones they like, to make their game richer.

[@craigtucker1290]

@@edgreenwoodofficial This is what I loved about 2nd edition, all the options that it had. It is why it is my default setting using all the sourcebooks and what I refer to as the golden age of the D&D settings.

[@Montie-Adkins]

Request: We need a book shelf tour. Look at all those books! I've got about 900 myself. Also, on the 3rd Edition map there are labeled places that have no entry or info. Rethmar for example. Perhaps you could fill those in for us.

[@rpgmatch5726]

Here, here!

[@ApocRNG]

Same for Smuggler's Bank on the dragon coast.

[@Montie-Adkins]

@@ApocRNG That doesn't even Google.

[@ApocRNG]

@@Montie-Adkins Yup. It's only mentioned in the River Reddan and Dragon Coast pages on the forgotten realms wiki but with nothing describing it. you'll also find it on some of the official worldmaps, but aside from that there's nothing on it. I really hope Ed can give us a small idea of what the place is supposed to be. Right now im thinking it's similar to Smuggler's Stone, but instead a small riverside village where smugglers tend to operate.

[@GameTimeWhy]

I see the logo that Ed has commented but I don't see his response.

[@magnuscolable]

Love the idea of how using magic allows players and creators to subvert expectations, with varied magic use giving more freedom in storylines and storytelling. Brilliant stuff

[@rpgmatch5726]

I love the idea of Ed Greenwood making rhymes for all his spells! 😅

[@edgreenwoodofficial]

Heh. That was half the FUN of it!

[@butterfacemcgillicutty]

I got the Forgotten Realms box set back in 1992 when I was 14 for my birthday from my best friend. OMG that memory just came flooding back!!!

[@dolanoscopy1848]

The Old Sage drops another banger! Commenting for the algorithm!

[@LegendarySquoth]

The film Ed was thinking of at the end there was Without a Clue (1988). It's great fun and often overlooked. The film Clue (1985) is also great fun but it has a very different premise. Really enjoying these videos so far and looking forward to more. I want to see what's on those bookshelves! I bet there are lots of interesting things hidden away just out of focus in the background. I did note that Ed has the same tarot deck that I have, they are a very pretty set.

[@edgreenwoodofficial]

Thank you!! Behind me in the videos is just a dogleg passage through the heart of my writing office, so the shelves the tarot deck is perched on (in the tiny ledge left over from the bookends) is full of the current edition of Realms books, plus a few other gaming books I've worked on, for "handy-reach-out" reference when writing at the keyboard purposes. The shelves on the other side of me (with the gauntlets that hold up my shirts) has more gaming books I wrote or contributed to, on it. The shelf whose end is across from the tarot deck end is a "dump bookcase" for my most recently-purchased fantasy & sf anthologies, before they get sorted down into the library. The really fun stuff (reference books like How To Steal The Mona Lisa and Take A Thousand Eggs Or More) are all out of shot, in parts of the room you can't see.

[@superscott165]

Would love to see this channel hit 1M subscribers. Looking forward to more content. What is Ed's favorite character and why?

[@edgreenwoodofficial]

Oho, that's a dangerous road: I MUST not choose favourites, or I start to treat them with favoritism. Remember, aside from most novel characters, in books written by others, ALL of the characters in the Realms, mortals and gods and "monsters," are my children.

[@m_d1905]

​@@edgreenwoodofficial You may not see this, but how about a few favorite stories about these children.

[@seibervideo]

Good stuff! I appreciate the explanation of the Shadow Weave. Will keep that in mind.

[@edgreenwoodofficial]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Bronthus]

Well met! been following you since I was a kid…came across your channel the other day and could t believe it was you! and listening to you is bringing back so many good memories. I’m so pleased you’re still doing this. Love your work never stop! 👍

[@MilieuGames]

Love listening to Ed Greenwood and the fact that a guy that's been doing it for half a century has more new and refreshing ideas than the "kids".

[@GameTimeWhy]

His excitement and love for not only "his" setting but all fantasy makes me so happy.

[@formes2388]

As a world builder - There is a process to making something that is yours. The first step - Consume LOTS OF MEDIA. Movies, Games, Books, Art - look at all kinds of art, even stuff you don't really normally appreciate. Go study a bit of architecture and ask "Why is it made this way" - it's helpful. Next - take this, and start weaving your world. Make choices - like where mountains are, and how rain shadows are cast, and so on. And what you get by doing this, is a world that is built up with some cohesion. But beyond this. Next - we start considering the consequences of certain things. If you have skyships that do the travel of shipping over mountains - well, it's feasible to have an empire that has outposts on the opposing side of a near impassible mountain. If you have easy to create teleportation - or permanent portals, that opens things up even more options. But if these things are rare, it means that magically inclined nations may very well have an advantage - unless there are other limiting factors considered. When we look at a lot of "Bad" or "boring" or otherwise "uninteresting" content created - what we have is a lot of rehashing what has already been done, without understanding the world building behind it. Or worse: The world building is half baked, and it creates inconsistencies that will create problems that everyone will be able to point out, but few people will understand why the issues exist in the first place. Beyond a Fan of the Genre you are creating in is helpful - and this is another problem of the modern day, where big publishers and marketing firms push for certain outcomes, but hire the wrong people to achieve that. It's a "hire whoever wants the job" instead of "Interview and find the right people to bring our vision to fruition". And what it fundamentally stems from is that art is a thing unto itself - you can have a data scientist who is artistically inclined, but you can't really teach someone to understand the branching paths that get you to a truly amazing end goal that has art at it's core.

[@jed3544]

What a joy and honor to hear Ed elaborate upon this world he's created

[@TheFictionMan]

When I ran a campaign that included Mordenkainen, he cast his Magnificent Mansion. His mansion was much more of a library. My reason for this was that he's ancient and the human mind couldn't take the strain, so he created a spell to allow him a "compression scheme" for his knowledge. The mansion aspect of the spell was a byproduct of the intended effect. Everyone that saw the spell only saw the glamorous mansion, but failed to notice what it was really for. My brief take on the character.

[@granpappy77]

I feel like I could just sit on the floor cross-legged and listen to him just go on for hours about this stuff. Not just the Realms but the ideas that helped make the world what it is.

[@Zeemis]

I DMed a really interesting campaign about a year and a half ago that lasted for a year and it dealt with Valindra Shadowmantle ascending to power. I took bits and pieces of canonical Forgotten Realms and weaved it together into a really interesting story. The party starts in the city of Neverwinter after being summoned by Jarlaxle Baerne. Eventually, and after gaining a few levels, they end up in Gauntlgrym and attempt to stop a fledgling Red Wizard, Valindra Shadowmantle, from throwing a amulet that housed an imprisoned Harper wizard, into the forge. This awoke the primordial fire elemental Maegera who rampaged through the city of Neverwinter, and Valindra, using an already prepared Dread Ring, harvested the souls of everyone dying by Maegera. She then ascended (or decended?) into a lich, using one of the character's brother as a phylactery (giving the party incentive to seek her out). With the effects the Dread Ring activated, and the mass death scenerio in Neverwinter, this tore open a hole to the Shadowfell. This is where Act 2 of my campaign started, in the new city of Evernight, a Shadowfell mirror of Neverwinter. The party come to and find out that Valindra has already had a head start and she's been busy, she's set up base in a Temple of Velsharoon, warded off by protective magics. The party had to retrieve three Shards of Selune, one from the Ghoul tribunal of Evernight, one from the shade enclave of Thultanthar, and one from a shadow black dragon in the Shadow Citadel. Once they retrieved all three, they used them to dissolve the three wards on the temple and confronted Valindra, but were too late. It turns out that she had used deciet to obtain a Nether Scroll from the unwilling Telamont Tanthul of Thultanthar and had been reading it. When the players arrive, they're too late. The ritual she had been preparing while reading completes, and she begins to usurp the Shadowweave from Shar. She creates a demi plane and the party challenge her there, but are easily defeated in a no-win situation, but they do manage to retrieve her phylactery. Act 3 starts where the party awaken, somehow still alive, or so they thought, in a place called "The House of Knowledge" with celestial beings surrounding them. One of the angels lead the party to speak with a figure named Oghma, who was the deity of the cleric in the party. Oghma brought them back from the brink and tells them what Valindra's true goal is, then sets them on a mission to Candlekeep to the retrieve a book on undeath from the vault. Valindra is attempting to find the Shard of Pure Evil which created the abyss, using her control over the Shadowweave to bend it to her will. The party need to book on undeath to figure out how to either save, or destroy Valindra's phylactery who's the brother to one of the characters. The party gain access to the library of Candlekeep, and make it to the vault and battle Miirym the Sentinel Wyrm. They defeat the guardian dragon and take the book back to Oghma who begins to decypher it's contents, then says it's time to finally confront Valindra. At the right time, Oghma will use the knowledge from the book of undeath to either purify Valindra's phalctory and curing the character's brother of this, or destroying it. Time is off the essence though, once Valindra realizes that her phalactory is destroyed, she'd flee battle because she's mortally vulnerable. Act 4, the final act begins where Oghma tells the party that Valindra has been descending the layers of the abyss to retrieve the Shard of Pure Evil. She's run into problems with a few of the demon lords, but is still descending. They have no hope to reach her in time, Oghma can't just teleport them into the abyss as that'd be against what a deity is allowed to do. Oghma then tells them of a demon lord, Eltab, who's layer was ripped from the abyss by some cultists, and if they can somehow repair the legendary sword Hadryllis and use it to destroy Eltab, it'll slingshot the hidden abyss layer back to the abyss. The players succeed in finding the parts of the sword, repair it, and slay Eltab with it. The party then ride Eltab's layer back to the abyss where they descend down one of the abyssal layer into a layer that Valindra has made her new home. She's obtained the Shard of Pure Evil and has harnessed it's power using the Shadowweave. The party enter a portal from Eltab's layer to Valindra's layer that she usurped from Obox-ob, the first thing they see is a giant green eldritch laser with pulses emanating vertically up from it. She's inside this laser and using the Shard of Pure Evil to collapse the celestial planes of existence, and it's reeking havoc across the multiverse. The party, finally at sufficient power, confront her and kill her for a first time. She laughs at them with over confidence because of her lichdom allowing her to become immortal, but the party tells Oghma to purify her phylactery, making her vulnerable. The party then continues and they finally put Valindra down for good, but the damage was done. In my current campaign, magic is somewhat of a taboo because of the what happened during the events of that campaign. The prime material plane didn't know of Valindra Shadowmantle, or the party that stopped her, but they felt the effects of the heavens collapsing because of Valindra's magic. Bards tell tales of survivors who helped Elminster return Neverwinter from the Shadowfell and heal the wound Valindra tore open to that plane.

[@edgreenwoodofficial]

That's the way to do it! Actions have consequences, and you do change the world. Thumbs up!

[@lorensoth4365]

So awesome to always here Mr. Geenwood speak. His natural knowledge of the Realms is amazing, truly the Sage! I am so glad hear him again. Thank you again for all the books and supplements, loved reading them.

[@UltraDonny5000]

I'm so glad Ed is making videos, it was really interesting to hear how one of the main designers conceptualizes magic. This will definitely be kept in mind when the next RAW/RAI conversation comes up. I have a big question that has been plaguing my world building in regards to magic: In a world where gods answer prayers of the devout and wizards do amazing things early in their careers, how would society function? Many cantrips and low level spells solve most of the struggles humanity has had to overcome to get where we are. Why would anyone farm, practice medicine or develop technology? Why work and sweat when a wave of the hand accomplishes the task?

[@ChrisLawton66]

I treat magic similarly to wealth in the real world. There may be thousands of millionaires, but they aren't sharing.

[@edgreenwoodofficial]

Here's the thing: the game tends to give us all a false idea of how abundant or dominant magic is. There just aren't enough mages or clerics to feed everyone, rule everyone, and accomplish all of the "grunt" tasks. Some folks with the Gift hide it, for fear of being held captive by kings or barons and forced to cast spells until they die of exhaustion. So sweat-work will always be necessary. And after the Spellplague, when magic failed and a lot of buildings collapsed and things like the Moonbridge went away, a lot of "just plain folks" mistrust and fear magic (and those who wield it).

[@dogurasuthanatos]

I was always of the mindset that it wasn't entirely intuitive. It's difficult to incant a castle into being unless you're truly powerful... or you happen to understand the engineering a castle requires, in which case it's a matter of willing the proper stone into being and setting it up so that it's built properly. Healing magic can set a broken bone if a god is showing you the way (which means you've earned that from them) or you understand the proper methods of setting a bone already - magic just makes it work faster. Sure, you can make plants grow and bear fruit quickly, but unless you know what nutrients to give those plants, your soil will be ruined or the plants will mutate - or you're powerful enough to supply all the nutrients all at once. People still farm, practice medicine, and pursue technology because it works and is reliable, and because it's part of learning magic anyway. Magic doesn't have to replace labor; instead, it can supplement, or labor can be part of learning specific magics.

[@philipcomins106]

@@edgreenwoodofficial I was under the impression that the Moonbridge returned though, after the Spellplague, as Silverymoon's mythal reformed from it. All those books make for some great reading.

[@omargoodman2999]

We have all the necessary resources and technology available in real life to do the same thing: meet the needs of every person on the planet with the efforts and labor of a very tiny number, by leveraging efficient use of automation and distribution. If we collectively decided to, we could start putting that into use *today* and have it operational within a year, tops, if we really went balls-to-the-wall on it. But you know why we don't? Because we insist that it can't be done. That's it, that's the *only* thing stopping us... *us.* *That's* why a fantasy world with literal magic couldn't accomplish it... they don't so it for the very same reason; not because they _couldn't_ but because they just _wouldn't._

[@gaborevanyics4434]

I would love to just hear you talk about Forgotten Realms lore and the vision behind it. Can you do a Deepdive on Waterdeep sometimes? Or maybe on less Sword Coast places like the Sea of Fallen Stars, Calimshan or Halruaa. I would say Cormyr, but you already did a video on that. :)

[@edgreenwoodofficial]

These all sounds good to me! So, we'll get there in future videos...

[@gaborevanyics4434]

@@edgreenwoodofficial Thanks! Looking forward to it!

[@oxylepy2]

Before getting into it: I've always treated each character's interaction with the weave and views on it as personal. But I've liked to view it as the interaction with and vibration of threads, isolating and setting them on particular motions that cause the effect, for instance the spell Antimagic Shell would be manipulating the threads into a void of inactivity, or fireball finding the cross section of fire elemental and evocation in an amplifying wave interaction. Lets see if I'm anywhere on base.

[@edgreenwoodofficial]

You are. Different beings "see" the Weave differently, yes, and seeing it as threads one can manipulate is definitely one of the (more popular) ways.

[@anhero2377]

I have been a DM since the very end of AD&D and all of the content made by you and your contemporaries has done nothing but inspire me. Thank you so much for putting yourself out on social media so we can follow you!

[@edgreenwoodofficial]

You're very welcome! I should have reached out to fans of the Realms years ago, but was so busy creating Realmslore that I let the tech hurdles dissaude me. No more!

[@anhero2377]

@@edgreenwoodofficial I also wanted to say that one of the chemistry professors from Oregon had a lot of fun playing with you at a convention years ago. Do you still do convention games and invites to fans?

[@dereksmyth8596]

Mr Greenwood, I was in prison years ago when I first read the Elminster books among other realms books and they truly helped me change my alignment.

[@mikecarson7769]

thank you for sharing about the Weave with such clarity and thoroughness! i sometimes like to think about how to compare "the eave" and "the force"

[@edgreenwoodofficial]

You are so welcome!

[@stefanjakubowski8222]

Thanks for this, I just found your channel and love your ideas, I enjoyed hearing your ideas, I adapted the FR to my own RQ/BRP games to actually explore the ideas of magic Thank you for your material and enjoyment you have given me and my players for decades

[@ThomasPercy]

Mr. Greenwood! First, your English is perfectly understandable by a non-native speaker like me. Secondly, I didn't know that you are such a WISE man, and that there is such coherent thinking behind the creation of FR.

[@edgreenwoodofficial]

After all these years, I can ACT wise. ;}

[@p.rabbitt4914]

Love hearing from you Sir Ed, the human behind the legend- so great to see! 💜

[@Aurouse]

I am just to start my first game of DND and I have about seven new players who have entrusted me to be their DM. It has been an incredibly nerve wracking but exciting prospect. I stumbled across this video in my studies of DND: very glad I did too as it really puts a lot into perspective when trying to understand the world. Many thanks again for sharing your wisdom and your thoughts as you were creating the fantastic Forgotten Realms

[@nathanyoncher6623]

OMG you have a youtube? Sir you started my magnificent journey in to fantasy nearly 30 years ago! Your amazing!

[@snobgoblinDK]

I love these videos so much!

[@PrimarchRoboleonFrenchyman]

Elminster explaining the weave to us

[@benmoody5469]

I love you Ed your first elminster book changed my life. Thank you

[@edgreenwoodofficial]

Great to hear! I'm honored.

[@theodricdelamontagne962]

One quote from Vangerdahast in one of your novels I'll always remember: "Magic ALWAYS has a cost!" (paraphrasing of course, but that stuck with me and influenced my approach for many settings I've GM'ed along the years!)

[@draganbucalo2180]

Thank you for these. They help so much

[@kingsting12]

Hey Ed! Love your channel- its so much fun to hear your perspective on the world me and my friends have grown to love so much.

[@Drock7749]

Wow so glad I found this channel! Greetings from Oklahoma! I love Ed's work in the Realms, Elminster novels are among my most favorite to read! As an avid reader of not only Realms novels but Realms lore, I've given thought to why the various gods have tried to kill Mystra to take over her portfolio. I eventually led myself to the conclusion that they attempt to take over the weave because they would gain a large amount of worshipers. Even though compared to other gods arcane magic users don't worship Mystra like other followers of other gods but through the use of arcane magic they in a sense worship Mystra. That's just the reasoning I've thought when I think of it!

[@PvtSchlock]

I use the command magic from Galloway's 1981 "Fantasy Wargaming" when I run FR (I'm old so it's gray box and selected 2e). As the pinned comment suggests, I like to select verbal components from Wordsworth's "Dictionary of Phrase and Fable" and then abstracting them to fit the Realms. Fun stuff, thanks for the interview.

[@edgreenwoodofficial]

Thanks for watching!

[@royriley6282]

Weave is a cyberpunk theme. It came out of the 80s remember. The weave is the net and Mystra is the ghost in the machine.

[@edgreenwoodofficial]

I created it in the 1960s. Long before the Internet or cyberpunk. I'm ooooold.

[@Arnsteel634]

Just found this channel. Hope you produce many fun videos in the future.

[@edgreenwoodofficial]

We're excited to keep making them so thank you for coming along for the ride!

[@PeterDivine]

Okay, this seems like a good place to query about one question that actually has been bugging me for ages now: _What the devil is the lore deal with warlock pacts,_ pun intended? Because they're a cool class, but they've never made sense to me lore-wise in so many ways. Why are pact magics so supposedly rare yet so prevalent it can be used by seemingly any extraplanar creature? What even IS pact magic and how is pact magic apparently known to all mid- to high-level extraplanars, seeing as you can pact with such a variety of them? Why don't people rely on pact contracts over blind faith in matters with extraplanar deities if it would more easily quantify their terms, obligations and rewards? How have the Planes of Law not monopolized on pact contracts for obscene power and control in the whole cosmic power-balance? It's my general understanding that warlock contracts generally break down to "extraplanar creature gives me a portion of their power, I use it and it grows with me, I return that grown amount of power later while also maybe having fulfilled some terms or obligations the extraplanar creature has also stipulated." That's an _insanely_ good deal in the long-term for extraplanars compared to just "gathering worshippers and hoping they do my vaguely-defined business at some point for some sort of capricious rewards I would _probably_ give them in turn," it's like a bond market for raw power. People should have to beat off extraplanar contract-peddling cults with a stick while grocery-shopping with that sort of appeal. Is that why cults are so common? For that matter, what exactly is the benefit of going for any given extraplanar creature of a higher or lower power ranking if their boons are functionally identical, mechanics-wise? Why bother contracting directly with Baal or Geryon if any piddling horned devil or such would suffice? How do you "contract" with a chaotic being, isn't that antithetical to their chaotic nature? Forget the can, it's just a colossal bag of worms, like a full wriggling rucksack. Any chance we could please get some clarity?

[@hotaybuday]

I like the idea.

[@Scott.webb64]

I could listen to Ed talk Realms ANYTHNG, all damn day!

[@Ceaudrious]

Love the video.. One question how does psionics works in the realm? Is it still magic from mystra or sardior. Is there any psionic country in the realms? Maybe semphar. Would love to see ruby Knights and magi psions

[@rpgmatch5726]

I’d love to know this too. I’m disappointed with the 5e “everything is magic” mechanics.

[@stefanjakubowski8222]

I could tell you in My Universe, but that is it, but I also use a different system to play in the Realms and have since the late 80s, and Psionics is not Magic, but based from the sympathy in the mind of a being, where magic is an external force being shaped, That is why most Psi only are strong in a certain ability or two, Hope that inspires you to explore

[@BrokeProphet]

How does Ed Greenwood, the legend who created Forgotten Realms only have 8k subs? This is insane. All the new 'fans' of DnD, and here is this guy and they don't have a clue.

[@cheeseburgerpaladin]

This was very insightful and has motivated me to change the way I tell stories with my players at the table. Thanks for this great video.

[@MichaelLennondeMoura]

Question: in this video in the momento 4:41, that means Karsus mind is in the Weave when he becomes The God of Magic with that spell Karsus Avatar?

[@edgreenwoodofficial]

Karsus never achieved godhood. He's trapped forever in the moment of divine power flooding into his mind--and driving him mad, because he wasn't ready for it. His ambition and hubris SO outstripped his competence. He sees the Weave, yes, and feels it, but he can't yet access it; he's like a kid dipping his toe into a river raging past...

[@LutesDice]

Very heartwarming to see Mr. Greenwood share his imagination.❤ I would really love to hear more about magic in the Realms. If Mystra is the Weave, how can other gods "share" the magic with their followers? What about druidic magic? How normal the use of magic is in towns and cities? How expensive is it? Why don't the people of the realms have flying cars and video cameras by this point?

[@ReplicatorFifth]

I like the idea that Mystra is an anarchist at heart and just wants everyone to have power xD

[@agsilverradio2225]

How did people cast magic before Mystra and the weave?

[@rpgmatch5726]

🤔

[@tangentreverent4821]

According to the internal history, Mystryl, the first goddess of the weave was born before the planet had life.

[@peterbillings3276]

I really enjoy flavoring the magic of my current character (a forge cleric). Modeled after Hector from the Castlevania animated series, my character says a quick prayer and swings his hammer. It bounces off of the air-an ethereal anvil becoming visible when struck. Blue sparks jump from it and a resonant ringing is heard. The sparks swirl and manifest into the casted spells. In the case of a healing spell or buff, he swings his hammer at the spell’s target: body part, weapon, armor, etc. (of course the hammer doesn’t actually hit the target-it bounces off like the spectral anvil. The target feels the heat of the forge and a tingling of magic reinforcing or healing them. 😎

[@tkc1129]

Whoa! An Ed Greenwood channel! Thanks for this. Great stuff. There are people who complain about FR, but I actually quite like the setting. And this is a great overview of magic in the FR. Interesting bit about "Wild Talent," because 5e treats it as a psionics ability, which to my understanding is totally different than The Art. There always seemed to be off about that feat. And wow, my concept of Spellsingers was totally off from the intention; was this ever intended to be a class? How could a player be effective as the only Spellsinger in the party?

[@GameTimeWhy]

It's always struck me as odd the pushback on FR and even Ed himself. A lot of it seems to be relatively recent hate too.

[@tkc1129]

@@GameTimeWhy Yeah, I don't get it either. Some people just like to hate whatever is the default.

[@rpgmatch5726]

The KZbin version of this is great, but the 45 minute Patreon version is even better! 🎉😮❤

[@DeanNatheos-eq3hl]

I think the fact this great fantasy writer was a librarian is excellent. I always thought that being a librarian was an excellent job good for him.😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊.Also the weave is a fantastic idea but do some of the wizards that die go to live with mystra on Dwimerheart I think I got it wrong but her home in the higher realms. I think not all go into the weave and stay there but like he said some can possess people but some also I think just live with her forever in her castle or palace is that true. I guess they don't want to be absorbed into the weave and don't want to go back into life but just stay with her. Thank you very much for the excellent video and have a good day 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊.

[@savaged49]

I remember reading about spellsingers from the church of Eilestraee. Really fascinating stuff we are playing around with in our campaign.

[@carsonwiebe1634]

I tend to explain the weave by likening it to our own universes Higgs field or like how spacetime is usually depicted. It's the real world fundamental forces along with the prime energies of Realmspace (positive, negative, law, and chaos) stretched out into a plane we can inhabit. All matter interacts with the weave but magic is deliberately making it act unnaturally. A wizard bends or plays with this field in a variety of ways but again the easiest analog is how mass warps spacetime. Perhaps in some cases a spells components might poke a tiny temporary wormhole through to another plane allowing more of it's energy to flow into the Prime before it's literally thrown like a fireball torn from it's home. By this explanation Mystra is a seriously big deal. She's basically the Goddess of Physics. That's my interpretation anyways. Would love some feedback!

[@mikegilkey]

So amazing you are putting out this content. I never heard of the weave. Loved everything you said.

[@dargo1183]

Loved the spell fire series. Wish it would get some love now

[@saffron97]

Magic of Incarnum is by far one of my favorite magic system I have read. Wish we would get more of it, there was something just really cool about instead of casting the magic you cladded yourself in it. A 3rd party publisher made something a kin to it for Pathfinder and despite finding it high numbers and a little to variable even for Pathfinder I run it in my campaigns.

[@aunderiskerensky2304]

"Do not quote the words to me about the workings of magic from its beginnings for I was there writing the spells you speak of" - Ed Greenwood, probably.

[@ApocRNG]

Hey Ed! I have a question about Smuggler's Bank, a small town on the dragon coast near Teziir and Reddansyr. I've searched trough like 4 source books now and always see it on maps but there is absolutely no information on the place! Do you know more about this mysterious town? I'm starting a campaign in Reddansyr next week and would love to know more about this place.

[@edgreenwoodofficial]

It's from an old RPGA module. I'll check my NDAs and lore notes and see what I can share...

[@Deathven1482]

Love the forgotten realms. Would love to see Zahkara be revisited sometime in the future. Favorite setting in the realms!

[@darthtc23]

Sincerely, the way Ed described magic at the beginning of de video is way better than the web thing of mystra.

[@AdamTob]

Basically 20 minutes to say, It's Magic. I Ain't Gotta Explain Shit.

[@marcusdegagne5051]

Would love to read about all of the other magic systems you've made!

[@johnathanrhoades7751]

I’ve always loved the Terry Pratchet take that spells are more like living entities that you store in your brain and then let out into the world.

[@ComradeFurious]

I think that idea originates from Jack Vance's The Dying Earth series. I've never read it myself so I could be off here, but I've heard many people attribute it to him.

[@johnathanrhoades7751]

@@ComradeFurious I’m pretty sure it does, yes.

[@urielurielson3776]

With how big D&D is these days, how is THE OG - Ed Greenwood - only on 6.9k subscribers, not AT LEAST 690k is beyond my understanding. I am sharing this where I can...

[@edgreenwoodofficial]

Thank you! Nowhere to go but up!

[@the_beast_among_sheep]

I love how the Dungeon Crawl Classics Core rulebook explains Magic!

[@danielsharp2012]

Finally a decent explanation of magic and the difference types.

[@DavidJette]

thank you, legend

[@edgreenwoodofficial]

No, thank YOU!

[@markcochrane9523]

I once heard someone throw around the idea that wizards study thermodynamics and other forms of conventional "modern science" because while magic seems to violate the mundane laws of the universe, knowing and intimately understanding those mundane laws allows you to more efficiently violate them with magic. Not sure if this gels with "The Weave", but this is the first time in 5-10 years I've actually felt like sharing that idea.

[@zarrg5611]

If magic existed in our world it would be considered a branch of science, it's only magic because it does not exist in our world.

[@markcochrane9523]

@@zarrg5611 Perhaps it's like the difference between classical physics and quantum physics or relativistic physics. One works for the vast, vast majority of cases in everyday life, but sometimes weird stuff happens in unusual situations and we have to come up with new theories for it.

[@reeceandben4876]

Oh mighty wizard Greenwood, could we please have a video on the moonsea? I run quite a few adventurers league adventures set in the city of phlan to introduce folk to 5th edition, and the moonsea is the primary setting for a great deal of these adventures, yet there is so very little information regarding this area of the forgotten realms.

[@squirrelking5203]

This was a delightful explanation of magic in D&D. I would like to hear about other sources of magic, like druidic magic though.

[@ashtonfox2264]

Was Mistra based on Hecate?

[@edgreenwoodofficial]

No. Hecate is an interesting goddess, but very much herself.

[@UltimateMustacheX]

I've always liked thinking about the different ways classes cast their magic: Wizards study the inner code of the weave to know which thread to pull on for their desired effect. Sorcerers have some threads naturally flowing through them, and they can just reach in and pull it out. Bards play music which acts like verbal components to a spell (music is basically a universal language). The weave naturally bends and flows to this language, so bards don't need to know the deeper code like a wizard. Clerics/Paladins pray to a deity, who grants some of their own magic that they likely pulled from the weave. The deity probably gets their magic like a wizard or sorcerer (depending on the deity). Druids/Rangers can't pull on the weave directly, but the weave also infuses itself in all things of nature. These classes can reach out to those sources and call upon them to react with the magic that's in them. Artificers can't really access the weave at all. At best, they can generate a small spark of arcane energy. But that's enough to charge up a device they build, which can replicate the effects a real spell would create. (Artificers are my favorite class due to this interpretation of their magic)

[@VikingWeShallGo]

Random question, im new to this. Why would any spellcaster use a staff? its just cumbersome, is the whole staff is magical or just the head? wouldnt it be better to cut it in half or longsword legth so you can have it at holstered by your hip or used as a cane while still being two handed. Or is this a seceret business trick by staff makers to get more gold out of adventurers?

[@edgreenwoodofficial]

Heh. It's from folklore; wizards carried staves (often magical). In the early days of dungeoncrawling D&D, a ten-foot pole (staff) was the safest thing to prod ahead with, to trigger pit traps or falling-things traps without tasting their damage, or to prod mysterious things, in case they responded by trying to eat you...and cut your staff in half for free! But yes, I do believe you have stumbled upon a Big Secret: it's a business trick by staff makers to get more gold, indeed!

[@jingthethief]

can you also please do a video on some of the other settings you have created or co-created? i would like to know about them as well.

[@kirstydragan]

Love you Ed, thanks for creating this world where we can all play in and forget real life for a while.

[@dylanwalsh6677]

Does the weave extend to the other planes outside the material plane?

[@anathema1828]

Most excellent!

[@havokmusicinc]

Mentioning other forms of magic reminds me of the book that had all the Truename magic in it, back in 3.5. Mechanically it was a mess, unfortunately, and never really worked.

[@Gilafax]

I love how he talks about shit like it's real. That's the definition of a great story teller.

[@AathielVaDaath]

I am not sure how this showed up in my feed, but no regrets. And you have got to have some experience with real world magic systems/philosophy.

[@finfen9730]

This is so fascinating and now I want to go read more books on this. For the longest time, I always thought that magic was a contract with the planes. A wizard wants to cast fireball- The verbal and somatic components are a way to communicate to the plane of fire, half way speaking, half way doing sign and the material component was a trade, in this case, bat guano and sulfur. For the life of me, I cannot remember where I read that though. This is always why I thought it was funny that a wizard casts off intelligence and a sorcerer casts off charisma. The poor wizard is studying, going through documents and constantly looking up the laws of the universe and delving into loopholes like a lawyer, and then the sorcerer rolls up and is like, "Ehhhh, c'mon planes, how about a little fire for papa?"

[@IamGruntonHGH]

Ed Greenwood is every adventurer's Grandpa.

[@jingthethief]

could you do a video going into more detail on other types of magic that do not use the weave or magic that comes from the gods?

[@ryanrhino2318]

Instant sub. Thanks.

[@johngillan4475]

Interesting ideas thanks

[@AgranakStudios]

This is gold!!!

[@highinquisitorvanwiller8904]

I have a question concerning the weave of magic on Toril, I know it's damaged and weakened due to the sundering events and the spell plague, along with a few other events. I would really appreciate your input on how someone could go about fixing it. Weave Knights and High Mages have abilities that allow them to "fix" areas of wild magic and dead magic, but both utilitizes the weave to do so which would weaken the over all weave on Toril. I have theories about how someone could do it. I'd really like to hear what you have to say about because you are the man, the lore master of the forgotten realms, who else would know how to fix the weave. Thank you very much.

[@davidbennion5871]

Awsome video!

[@GameTimeWhy]

Where does Faerzress (underdark magic) fit into this? Is it part of the weave or something different?

[@bicarus9859]

I've been waiting years for the new Elminster book. any info you can share if any new books with him in it will be released? Has going the route of R.A. Salvatore with that different publisher been discussed?

[@dargo1183]

Is there a video on spell fire

[@rafaelfras]

"TSR wanted to kill Mystra every 5 min" Right???? Whats up with that

[@edgreenwoodofficial]

It's a way to change things, and at the same time increase the stakes so whatever your character does is really, really important (the world hangs in the balance). But it should be used ONCE, not every time the game gets a new edition.

[@rafaelfras]

@@edgreenwoodofficial thx Mr Greenwood for the answer. I am glad that at least in 5th edition they did something different and brough her BACK haha. Yeah I love Mystra and allways play a wizard so I hope they let her be from now on

[@TroySavary]

​@@edgreenwoodofficial I solve that by pretending nothing after 3.5 happened.

[@razzelmire2008]

But WotC did explore other avenues of magic. They did publish it. Psionics (most widely known alternate system, and Auppenser is the god of psionics in the Realms) Magic of Incarnum Tome of Magic (Shadow Magic, Truename Magic, Binding Magic) Dragon Magic Blade Magic (from Tome of Battle, also known as the Sublime Way) Wild Magic, Circle Magic, Node Magic (all in the Forgotten Realms) It's just the designers didn't entirely write most of them for the Forgotten Realms, although Eytan Bernstein did that officially for the Realms on the "Class Chronicles" articles posted on the 3.5e Archive of the D&D website.

[@Shadowslave604]

our table runs a much more magical version of the realms. cantrips for example are available to all players and npcs ie: farmers have farming cantrips, stoneworkers have their own etc etc. every class has class cantrips. magic items are fairly plentiful but artifacts are very rare. arcane mages come in many types. group magic is a thing. more mages = more magic. have a couple spellfire npc characters. sorcerers and arcane mages have more access to spells to reflect the highly magical nature of our table. so many things over the years have been done for rule of cool. thx again for years of fun.

[@stefanjakubowski8222]

That is very similar to Runequest, where everyone has access to some small magics,

[@Shadowslave604]

@@stefanjakubowski8222 Never played it but know of it. I got the idea from reading different fantasy novels and taking ideas and adding them to my game.

[@stefanjakubowski8222]

@Shadowslave604 dungeons and dragons is so hard to adapt to literary ideas, and like less abstract combat systems