Memory Lane…

Speaking last week to Jeff Grubb, one of the creative minds behind the Forgotten Realms, was an incredible experience as a gamer for me. It was interesting to hear the story behind the characters I grew up with, like Volothamp Geddarm, Elminster, and Drizzt Do’Urdan. When I was in middle school I started playing a game called Baldur’s Gate, which was my introduction to Dungeons and Dragons as well as an arguable introduction to video games.

These characters make cameos in the Baldur’s Gate, and it was really cool to hear about their development from one of the people responsible for it. This also brought to mind exactly how possible it is to create an IP as successful as the Forgotten Realms; at the end of the day, it’s all just imagined stories, the right publicity, and the enthusiasm to breathe a bit of magic into it.

Jeff’s opinions on Drizzt surprised me as well. I have never particularly liked the character; a duel-sword-wielding ranger who decided to rebel against his evil heritage and make a life on the surface never really appealed to me. Nevertheless, Drizzt has taken over the Forgotten Realms setting. Jeff seemed okay with this, which initially seemed strange to me; after thinking it over though, I can see why. Every IP undergoes changes, and in this case they were changes that made the setting wildly popular. I suppose I just need to look at it with a more open mind.

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