The Best & Worst of 3rd Edition: Ultimate 3E: Unearthed Arcana, Eberron, Pathfinder

[Hellcow]

While I'm going to recuse myself from the voting, I thought I'd at least say "Howdy!"

Obviously I'm thrilled to see Eberron in consideration in this poll. It's been a remarkable journey for me, and it means a great deal to me that so many people across the world are enjoying the world. With that said, it doesn't reeally make a difference to be whether or not it actually wins the poll - the fact that it's gotten this far, and is being considered alongside such excellent products is enough for me.

So while I appreciate the support people have shown for the setting, I'll certainly ask that Eberron supporters NOT try to stuff the ballot box or anything like that. As TerraDave has said, it's an internet poll, and cheating to win it simply defeats the purpose.

What really I'd like to see from the people voting for Eberron is a post explaining your reasons. Hearing one person say that Eberron helped bring him back into gaming means more to me than one hundred votes that may actually all be that same person. It's great to know that people like Eberron, but especially with Fourth Edition on the horizon, I want to know what it is that the people who play it actually like about it.

Needless to say, the same goes for everyone taking part in the poll, whatever you vote for. I haven't worked on Pathfinder to date, but I've worked with Paizo in the past and I hope to do so again in the future. I'd like to know exactly what you love about Pathfinder or UA - what they've done for your game. The numbers are fun to see - but it's the words that really interest me.

 

[PoeticJustice]

I voted Eberron because I think it represents a wonderful way of thinking about D&D. I don't run or play it anymore, because I like homebrews better, but I crib off the setting constantly.

I think in the future, people will look back on 3.5's Eberron as some look to 1E's Greyhawk--a time and place for discovery, a tone setting work that every game of D&D responds to.

 

[Hellcow]

I don't run or play it anymore, because I like homebrews better, but I crib off the setting constantly.

I'm the same way. Oh, I run Eberron NOW, but hey, Eberron IS my homebrew (and I certainly feel free to diverge from canon). But I've had a lot of people ask me what my favorite established setting is, and the fact of the matter is that I never played FR, Dragonlance, or any of the other biggies, because one of the things I love most about the game is making my own worlds. With that said, I certainly READ a lot of settings and modules and enjoyed them as sources of inspiration. I've never actually sat down at a table and played a game of Planescape, but I love the setting. So even if you're not playing Eberron, I'm glad that you're getting some good use out of it!

 

[Gundark]

What really I'd like to see from the people voting for Eberron is a post explaining your reasons. Hearing one person say that Eberron helped bring him back into gaming means more to me than one hundred votes that may actually all be that same person. It's great to know that people like Eberron, but especially with Fourth Edition on the horizon, I want to know what it is that the people who play it actually like about it.

I voted Eberron. For me what made the setting interesting is the races. I know this seems wierd, but it was the first thing you see when flipping thru the books. I loved the concept of the Warforged, the Shifter and the Changling. I've seen other books/settings try to bring in new races and they have flopped, either cause they were animal people (yuk), or where just not interesting in anyway. The 3 that I mentioned just seemed to fit amongst the main 7 from the core rulebook.

I have definetly tinkered with Eberron, it's interesting to hear that you yourself don't stick to cannon. I think in the past I've felt "guilty" for diverging from a setting. I know that sounds stupid, but hey there it is.

 

[moritheil]

UE is again last. Let us see if it will enjoy an unbelievable growth spurt at some point during this poll as well.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

This is where it ends for me. Unearthed Arcana.

 

[Jhaelen]

What really I'd like to see from the people voting for Eberron is a post explaining your reasons. Hearing one person say that Eberron helped bring him back into gaming means more to me than one hundred votes that may actually all be that same person. It's great to know that people like Eberron, but especially with Fourth Edition on the horizon, I want to know what it is that the people who play it actually like about it.

Maybe I am in the minority but I actually voted for the 'Eberron Campaign Setting' as being the best 3E product and not for Eberron as a setting.

While I think the setting is great, it's certainly on par with other settings that have been favorites of mine in the past, most notably Darksun.

But the ECS as a book, I liked better than any setting boxes / books I've read so far. It has everything I expect a setting book to have:
it has a perfect balance between fluff and crunch and the descriptions of people and places are evocative, distinctive, rife with adventure ideas and exactly at the right level of detail to get started with a new setting.
It's been a very inspiring read in contrast to the somewhat boring setting books I've read so far. So, yes, it really stands out as an exceptional 3E product to me!

 

[Aus_Snow]

About half the votes for Eberron so far are from actually logged in forum members. I haven't checked how long each of those has been a forum member, but that's pretty scary, as is. Haven't counted Pathfinder or UA, but I suspect the former, and maybe the latter will have suffered similar fates already.

Still, there's always counting once it's done with. So there's no real point voting without being logged in.

 

[Pinotage]

Which is funny, because I was thinking that exact opposite. We had just ended the Shackled City game half-way through, because it didn't hang together well at all, while Rise of the Runelords hangs together extremely well. I particularly liked the unusual take on goblins in the first module which dropped hooks for later modules IN the first module and explained the overall arc from the beginning (and how to pre-sage future modules and enemies). The second module's take on classic horror tropes are excellent, as are the disturbing villains of the Hook Mountain Massacre, and so on. My players have loved every minute of 'Runelords'.

LOL! My experience is exactly the opposite. Our group is loving Shackled City. Cauldron is a great location for adventuring, and our party has really integrated into the social structure of the city. With Pathfinder the experience was different - the going was slow at the start, and wasn't particularly interesting. I did like the new take of goblins though, but most of our group weren't terribly keen on the latter adventures. Maybe it's because the DM could read the entire Shackled City beforehand and integrate it better, while for Pathfinder we'd already started playing before the second adventure was even out.

Pinotage

 

[Edymnion]

I voted Eberron.
Its the *ONLY* reason I still play D&D at all. I'm sick and tired of "traditional fantasy".

Eberron is 3e, IMO.