this post was submitted on 20 Jan 2024
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Baldur's Gate 3

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Baldur’s Gate 3 is a story-rich, party-based RPG set in the universe of Dungeons & Dragons, where your choices shape a tale of fellowship and betrayal, survival and sacrifice, and the lure of absolute power. (Website)

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[–] optissima@lemmy.world 6 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (27 children)

Maps during similar periods of Earth history have been laughably inaccurate, so we assume that Faerunian cartographers are offering "best estimate" distances.

Hard disagree on this as a gauge, they have access to magic that can answer universal truths. If a cartographer or merchant of that time period had the access to those answers they'd've been uses then too. You can cast a spell as simple as Message (with a known max distance) along with Find Familiar to measure distances as you document, and you have wizard researchers that have access to Wish (or clerics that talk to gods) for creating fixed, atomically precise, measuring tools.

I don't disagree with the rest of your post but this addition really weakens your argument because they have so many more resources in the setting.

Edit: oops this was meant to reply to one you your other replies

[–] Diotima@kbin.social 4 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

I don't think this weakens my argument at all. It is fact from 1E to 5E, the official maps of Faerun are off by quite a bit. Looking for an in-game explanation isn't unreasonable as the fact that the map distances are off is... well... fact. But don't take my word for it... Elminster's Guide to the Forgotten Realms says the following about maps:

Maps in the Realms are expensive works, being rare, easily damaged or destroyed, and more often inaccurate than not. Large, detailed, good maps are usually owned by rulers, from mayors of cities who have sewer and street maps, up to kings who own large and varied collections of old and fanciful maps from everywhere.

....

Nautical charts tend to be cruder, more inaccurate, and even more precious than maps.

Is Elturel 200 miles as the crow flies from Baldur's Gate, or is it 215 miles from Baldur's Gate? Apparently, even cartographers of the Realms cannot agree.

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