Funny that, because a 17th level Wizard is actually very capable of killing Elminster due to how unoptimized he is. All it takes is some preparation and you've got him dead to rights.
And yet the consensus in this thread is that NPCs overshadow the PCs or are uber-haxorz god-killing machines that can be everywhere and can and WILL solve every problem in the setting. Funny that indeed.
You are defending the Realms in general, but you do so by saying to ignore the NPCs that are the default of the setting. That isn't defending the NPCs, that's helping our point!
That's not something I'm using as argument. That's something that isn't an issue at all. You choose to make it an issue by insisting that the NPCs WILL involve themselves in your players adventures, and that is a fact. I don't know where you get that, honestly.
The main problem is this: You cannot run a "Save the world" plot in FR because the Epic NPCs would have a reason to step in. They literally have nothing to do that's more important than this. Any plot of that scale cannot be used because of these NPCs. And if a plot is smaller than that, then you still have to look into the NPC's sphere of influence. I know there's at least one NPC who is concerned about the Red Wizards of Thay, so using the Red Wizards of Thay as a primary enemy for even a moderate plot means that the NPC has a reason to intervene.
And again you're saying something that either isn't true or isn't an issue in the first place. Have you read that quote I posted earlier? Here the relevant part:
"
The NPCs are only a problem if you let them be a problem. Want to fight some high level folks yourself? Jump in during the Thayan civil war, the Chosen took absolutely no role in that. Fight Thay while all the Chosen are occupied dealing with Shade. Fight powerful folks in the regions that aren't inhabited by the Chosen. Have the Chosen leave to deal with another problem (it happens)."This is exactly what I'm talking about. You insist that the NPCs are everywhere. But that's not true. If you did read the novels (I unfortunately didn't have the time) you should know that they have actually their own lives, adventures, enemies and stuff to do.
If Elmo isn't saving the world in your game it's somehow an excuse, and a bad one at that. But in Eberron it's completely normal that some powerful NPC didn't do it. Jaerla is confined to her temple? Well, Elmo is confined to his other responsibilities, like watching for more greater trouble then some bandits in the east or an orc horde in the North, or doing stuff as an order from Mystra, or opposing evil Gods, etc.
If you don't like playing or never reach epic levels then don't be surprised that FR isn't good for you. That's the whole point of the setting.
The first 2 were fun because they ignored most of the major NPCs and told a good story with my character actually being important to that story.
And what was the game about? What level?
Eberron: Congratulations, you just killed three of the Lords of Dusk! You are officially the most powerful characters in the Demonwastes! Probably the rest of Khorvaire to. Wanna go to Argonesse and fuck with the dragons? Sure, let's do that.
Faerun: Congratulations, you just stopped a Mind Flayer slave trade ring. While you were doing that, Elminster banged Mystra (again), teleported home, made a dozen magic items none of you will ever get, and saved the entire planet (again). Have fun being inferior to the NPCs!
That's a problem with your expectations and not with the setting. You can totally do in FR what you described as doing in Eberron. You just have to play on higher levels then in Eberron.
Seriously, if you can't stand that your 20th level Wizard is just one of many, then why are you even playing FR? There's Eberron or homebrew for that. don't diss FR just because it's not your cup of tea.
a) It's a very high powered setting.
Not a flaw. You can certainly not like it, but it's in no way a flaw.
b) NPCs that you have to make excuses for not helping PCs. It's seemingly very hard for an NPC to be killed or there's too great a consequence for killing them.
Most of the people here could make a PC that is able to decimate any of the NPCs way before reaching epic levels. Relevant quote is relevant:
Funny that, because a 17th level Wizard is actually very capable of killing Elminster due to how unoptimized he is. All it takes is some preparation and you've got him dead to rights.
(Clarification: I'm not directing this at anyone specific. Just talking in general, you know, to the readers.)