User:Ir'revrykal/Canon

The Canon policy outlines what lore and sources are acceptable on the the Forgotten Realms Wiki, and how to resolve contradictions or discrepancies between them.

What is canon?
Canon is the material that is accepted as an official part of the story of the Forgotten Realms. This generally means material officially published by Wizards of the Coast, TSR, Inc., and/or any licensed partner(s).

Wizards of the Coast places a high value on keeping their settings internally consistent. That being said, they do not slavishly follow previously established lore, especially when it negatively impacts their current or future storytelling. This allows Wizards of the Coast a certain creative freedom, but does occasionally lead to discrepancies, especially between different editions of Dungeons & Dragons.

On July 29 2021, Wizards of the Coast released a statement where they made it clear that beyond the 5 edition Player's Handbook, Monster Manual, and Dungeon Master's Guide, they have no public-facing account of what is canonical.

We cannot agree with this statement. The Forgotten Realms Wiki strives to be valid for all editions of Dungeons & Dragons. This means we require a framework to deal with inconsistencies and discrepancies between different sources, especially considering the sheer volume of official information pertaining to the Forgotten Realms.

'''This policy should not be taken as an indication of what is officially canon. Wizards of the Coast is the sole authority on what they consider to be canon or not.'''

This policy exists only to keep the Forgotten Realms Wiki consistent through decades' worth of relevant content. That being said, this policy is heavily informed by what Wizards of the Coast considers canon; the difference lies in the Wiki's scope being larger than just the current edition of Dungeons & Dragons.

Canon Conflicts
When two (or more) official sources contradict each other, the Forgotten Realms Wiki uses three canon principles to establish which information is given primacy: Type, Setting, and Date. These are detailed in a separate section.

Where possible, seemingly conflicting information should be reconciled. If this is not possible, the canon principles should be applied, and the discrepancy should be noted down to inform future readers and editors.

Canon Principles
The relative canon value of any given work is determined through three principles, in descending order of importance:

Forgotten Realms → Core → Other settings
 * Setting

Sourcebook → Novel → Magazine/online → Licensed material → Organized play → Ed Greenwood → Non-canon
 * Type

Newer → Older
 * Date


 * Notes


 * Examples

Allow/denylist

 * /Allow- and denylist

In some cases, sources do not fit neatly into the categories outlined by the canon principles. These can be deemed valid or invalid for the wiki on a case-by-case basis through their inclusion on the allow/denylist.

'''Note that this applies to edge cases only. The base assumption for any source is that the canon principles apply. As such, the default assumption for a source that falls outside these principles is that it is not valid for the wiki.'''

Sources can be added or removed from the allow/denylist through a community vote.

Art
Visual representations are not considered canon on their own as art very often disagrees with written material. Maps, on the other hand, are considered canon but should be taken with a grain of salt as they often change between publications and (especially) between editions. In all cases, text trumps art.

Author Commentary
Unofficial statements and content from authors and designers are never canon, but minor corrections and clarifications can be cited where appropriate. For example, Adam Lee clarified that the adventure Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus is intended to be set in. Although this date was not given in the adventure itself, the clarification is considered valid.

The rules surrounding author commentaru do not apply to Ed Greenwood, creator of the Forgotten Realms, whose contract with Wizards of the Coast means his word is canon (subject to the canon principles above).

Best Practices

 * Nature of conflict: different valid solutions