Eberron Setting?

Tyrian_Spellstealer · May 26, 2007

Bari said:
I was actually thinking about mechanized hairfoots, since I heard this Eberron place has robots 'n stuff...

...err, not quite.

Eberron is a world rich with magic - they've managed to create advanced modes of transportation (among other things) by elemental binding. The lightning rail is bound to an air elemental which gives it its propulsion. They have sky ships which are bound to fire elementals, similarly giving the ship flight ( http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/eb_gallery/82108.jpg ). They even have land carts, which are small carriages bound to earth elementals, giving the cart the feel that it is simply gliding through the earth as it moves.

Eberron is not a world of advanced technology - it is a world of advanced magic. In other settings where magic is scarce, in Eberron it's not uncommon for street lamps to be lit with ever-burning flames, and many simple mundane practices such as blacksmithing or leather working are done by magewrights who incorporate magical assistance into their trade (of course, other mundane experts and normal practices of such arts are still common).

The 'robots' are probably references to the warforged ( http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/eb_gallery/82102.jpg ). They're more 'golem like' then robot like. They're not made with electrical wiring or completely titanium metal. They have some wooden parts, and their insides are made up of magical fluid. Their construction and functionality is ultimately magically based. However, unlike golems, they possess their own intelligence and awareness. They are 'living constructs'. They can be resurrected, they can be targeted by healing spells (albeit they only heal half as well as normal living creatures), they can progress as mages and study/cast spells, or alternatively work for a priesthood and prey for blessings (IE, they can progress through character classes). They are, for all intensive purposes, alive. However, they do not eat, sleep, are immune to poisons, fatigue, etc. Unlike other living creatures, they were constructed.

Of course, the robots could be refering to something like this: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/eb_gallery/82167.jpg
warforged titans are somewhat robotic in appearance. They are ultimately just big golems though built with lots of weapons on board.

In short, there is very few 'mechs' in Eberron (closest I've seen might be a working pocket watch). Everything is run by magical manipulation and application. Eberron is rich in magical flavour, but most of the magic they employ is rather easy to come by and low level, the people of Eberron are just extremely talented at finding extraordinary uses for it.

Bhryn · May 26, 2007

*waves from the side, peeking in*

I've played Eberron before (because they sneakily hooked me with 'It's a bit like Final Fantasy' ... ¬_¬ ) and I really enjoyed the setting. It just requires more inventive thought of getting around tricky problems. Not everyone is 'special' and the fact an 'average' guy has just as much chance as the next is what really makes it enjoyable.

So I throw my support behind having an Eberron room.

It'd be nice to give those character's in my Eberron tabletop somewhere to actually play out.

Toxicsyn · May 26, 2007

I'm down with a Eberron setting, not so sure about the low power aspect to it, but a lighting rail train is a great idea for a new room (lots of Pulp feel or Noir feel if you want to go that direction...and even Under Seige 2 feel! or Soul Train hmm....).

Tyrian_Spellstealer · May 26, 2007

Bhryn said:
(because they sneakily hooked me with 'It's a bit like Final Fantasy' ... ¬_¬ )

...heh, confessedly, that was the same line I used for the suckers I dragged into my tabletop game of Eberron. It's honestly the only thing I can compare it to. But, they're really enjoying it so far (even if some of them are veteran 2nd AD&D fans).

lighting rail train is a great idea for a new room (lots of Pulp feel or Noir feel if you want to go that direction...and even Under Seige 2 feel! or Soul Train hmm....).

Heh, thats why I went with the lightning rail, it is SO typical of the setting. Sure, its not stationary, but a storyline doesn't have to be to be interesting, or to develop. It just develops in a different way (or rather, a typical Eberron way). Because of the mixed response about the 'location' of the setting i've got though, my guess is a vote would have to eventually be done with the community deciding where it should be (assuming we can filter out some idea on how to make the setting unique). I know i'm voting for lightning rail though

...there's a thought though (for the magi), any chance of dropping the 'low setting' idea, and instead offering to the site a simple 'pulp noir' room? So far I haven't managed to think of anything else that an Eberron room could offer beside either low setting or pulp action.

Bari · May 26, 2007

What about a dock? A dark, spooooooky dock.

Bhryn · May 26, 2007

Tyrian_Spellstealer said:
...heh, confessedly, that was the same line I used for the suckers I dragged into my tabletop game of Eberron. It's honestly the only thing I can compare it to. But, they're really enjoying it so far (even if some of them are veteran 2nd AD&D fans).

All you DM's are evil!

Although, once I'd fought my first Warforged, I was VERY hooked on the setting. Nothing like a remnant of an age of war that wants to be a human and dresses in clothes and powered by magic unknown that makes an FF fangirl grin...

Magitek, anyone?

Tyrian_Spellstealer · May 27, 2007

Bhryn said:
All you DM's are evil! Although, once I'd fought my first Warforged, I was VERY hooked on the setting. Nothing like a remnant of an age of war that wants to be a human and dresses in clothes and powered by magic unknown that makes an FF fangirl grin...

Magitek, anyone?

...really? Our party Warforged walks around wearing a Hawaiian shirt and aimlessly trys to figure out what kind of individual he wants to be (the player was so lazy at the time of the characters creation that he didn't even bother to name the warforged. So the party had to think of a name for him, and came up with 'tinman', which just stuck.) He makes it a point to jump off every form of transportation vessel the party come across. We also have a rather classy sneaky changeling who likes to draw on the other characters faces when hes on night watch, so perhaps that says something about the maturity level of the characters... hehe.

What about a dock? A dark, spooooooky dock

I'll look through my copy of Sharn city of towers and see what kind of docks they've got, one of them is bound to be a central point for smuggling and corruption, so probably lacks a guard presence. But thats just a guess.

Bhryn · May 27, 2007

Tyrian_Spellstealer said:
...really? Our party Warforged walks around wearing a Hawaiian shirt and aimlessly trys to figure out what kind of individual he wants to be (the player was so lazy at the time of the characters creation that he didn't even bother to name the warforged. So the party had to think of a name for him, and came up with 'tinman', which just stuck.) He makes it a point to jump off every form of transportation vessel the party come across. We also have a rather classy sneaky changeling who likes to draw on the other characters faces when hes on night watch, so perhaps that says something about the maturity level of the characters... hehe.

My party was pretty small and consisted of my character who was an very unwilling participant in all the events that took place and tried finding ways to constantly ditch the party which never worked (she was LE, they were all cheerfully Good in alignment and always kept dragging her back, kicking and screaming). The gnome was a complete kleptomaniac/pryomaniac/any maniac and referred to my character as 'mistress'. She was repeatedly poisoned, pushed into danger, kicked, hit, stabbed, threatened, beaten, you name it- but that gnome stuck to her like glue. And when we finally got a new tabletop party, we added a blind elf who was convinced he could speak ten languages, and couldn't but was handy in spots where you needed a scapegoat

and a warforged who thought he had a limp and kept saying things like 'back in my day' and 'in the war' and was the most relentlessly cheerful character... ever...

Bari · May 29, 2007

So um, what happened with this? Is the idea going to die down or something?

Tyrian_Spellstealer · May 30, 2007

Not if I can help it, I've just been a bit busy lately (Eberron tabletop, coincidentally... Muwahaha, turned that pesky Kalashtar PC into an afflicted lycanthrope!), so haven't really had much time to brain storm (or look up alternate locations). Hopefully might get some more input from you guys? :heh: