D&D 5E Will we realistically see a 5e campaign set in Eberron from WOTC?

[delericho]

Eberron is very top down in its magic (and more "realistic" if you will). Eberron's timeframe is akin to post WW1 in our world with mage-tech in place of hard-tech. Magic is big and societal - Lightning Rails, Airships, and weapons of war. After WW1, despite all the technological advances, you could not just walk into the average home and see a bunch of technology. You might get on a train for transport, but you probably were still washing your clothes by hand or with simple aids like a ringer of some sort.

I disagree. The 3e Eberron Campaign Setting, as early as the "Ten Things You Need to Know" section that establishes the tone, specifically notes that, "Advances in magic item creation have led to everything from self-propelled farming implements to sentient, free-willed constructs."

Likewise, the magic chapter of that book says "Magic, and reliance on magic, shapes and defines the societies of Eberron. For thousands of years (spellcasters) have brought their magical talents to bear to solve the problems life poses. ... The result is a society suffused with magic." That chapter then talks about many magical services available, and not just to adventurers or the very rich - be it in communications, transport, hospitality, or magecraft items or magebred animals.

The only really thing to work through are the Dragonmarks and the Artificers.

The ECS also introduces the Magewright NPC class, which is to the Artificer as the Adept is to the Cleric - that is, where most village priests in 3e were actually Adepts (not Clerics), so too would many small villages, and certainly small towns and larger settlements, would be home to one or more Magewrights.

5e, of course, doesn't have NPC classes, but it does have NPCs who would be village priests, or experts of various sorts, nobles, warriors, or commoners. They're just part of the background life of the setting. And, in Eberron, that would include the minor artificers that in 3e are represented with the Magewright class.

 

[hawkeyefan]

I disagree. The 3e Eberron Campaign Setting, as early as the "Ten Things You Need to Know" section that establishes the tone, specifically notes that, "Advances in magic item creation have led to everything from self-propelled farming implements to sentient, free-willed constructs."

Likewise, the magic chapter of that book says "Magic, and reliance on magic, shapes and defines the societies of Eberron. For thousands of years (spellcasters) have brought their magical talents to bear to solve the problems life poses. ... The result is a society suffused with magic." That chapter then talks about many magical services available, and not just to adventurers or the very rich - be it in communications, transport, hospitality, or magecraft items or magebred animals.



The ECS also introduces the Magewright NPC class, which is to the Artificer as the Adept is to the Cleric - that is, where most village priests in 3e were actually Adepts (not Clerics), so too would many small villages, and certainly small towns and larger settlements, would be home to one or more Magewrights.

5e, of course, doesn't have NPC classes, but it does have NPCs who would be village priests, or experts of various sorts, nobles, warriors, or commoners. They're just part of the background life of the setting. And, in Eberron, that would include the minor artificers that in 3e are represented with the Magewright class.

But isn't most of that entirely in the background of the game? Most PCs don't worry about having a lawnmower that's run by magic, or a magic printing press, or assembly line of automatons, etc. All that stuff gives the setting it's feel, but doesn't necessarily impact play.

Some minor adventuring concerns may be affected...such as a magic lantern that for all intents and purposes acts like a flashlight...but when it comes down to combat or social interaction, the impact is still on par with what's presented in the core rules.

Essentially, the presence of magic in society and the way it is ever present in mundane life doesn't have to affect what the core rules will assume about adventurers' access to magic items that will help them adventure.

 

[delericho]

But isn't most of that entirely in the background of the game?

Those aspects are. But the wider point is that Eberron is suffused with magic at all levels of society. And, in particular, it has just come out of the Last War, when all those Magewrights were employed by the Five Nations to mass-produce weapons for that war, stuff that most certainly would be of interest to adventurers.

The removal of the magic item economy is almost certainly a good thing for 5e as a game. But it really hurts 5e as an engine for Eberron.

 

[hawkeyefan]

Those aspects are. But the wider point is that Eberron is suffused with magic at all levels of society. And, in particular, it has just come out of the Last War, when all those Magewrights were employed by the Five Nations to mass-produce weapons for that war, stuff that most certainly would be of interest to adventurers.

The removal of the magic item economy is almost certainly a good thing for 5e as a game. But it really hurts 5e as an engine for Eberron.

Ah okay, gotcha. My Ebberon knowledge is fairly limited. I know of the Warforged and of siege weapon type magic tech, but were these magewrights also producing +1 swords en masse?

If that's the case, the default assumption about magic would have to change a bit to accommodate the setting. But I would imagine it could be down pretty easily.

 

[Ancalagon]

Hmmm...

One thing in 5e that I note wasn't there in 2nd ed is the "healing potion at the market". It's a bit strange - magical items are rare and mysterious *except* the ubiquitous healing potion. I would expect every noble, merchant, wealthy farmer etc to have 1-2 in the house in case of emergencies.

Why is that? Well one of the reason has to be that the formula or recipe for basic healing potions is very well known. However, the recipe for a +2 sword is not.

So Eberron, as a society, has advanced further into its research of magical recipes. The "recipe" for a magical train was discovered, and *spread around*. So the list of items that can be purchased and traded in Eberron is bigger. But it doesn't meant that it's every item! The recipe for a wand of fire ball may be be lost, or not discovered yet, or a closely guarded secret.

I will note that some of the magical weapons of war may be very useful on the battle field but not so great for individual adventurers. The fast loading Trebuchet of Doom for example...

So it's up to the DM to decide, based on experience and on what is in the setting, to decide what is on the "recipe list" and what isn't.

Lastly, the sense of research and progress could be presented as part of the background. For example there may be a big reception/presentation when a mage unveils his big discovery that will revolutionize life as we know it forever: The alchemy jug! The PCs could be meeting an important contact during this reception, they may be hired to steal the recipe or sabotage the demonstration etc etc etc.

 

[delericho]

Ah okay, gotcha. My Ebberon knowledge is fairly limited. I know of the Warforged and of siege weapon type magic tech, but were these magewrights also producing +1 swords en masse?

Yep. Indeed one of the books ("Dragonmarked", perhaps) notes that that's the reason why a long sword +1 costs exactly 2,315gp (in 3e money) - the items were mass-crafted and the guild responsible mark them and control the price.

If that's the case, the default assumption about magic would have to change a bit to accommodate the setting. But I would imagine it could be down pretty easily.

True - it would certainly be possible to run up a set of prices for 5e items suitable for use in Eberron. The big question, then, is whether it's worthwhile for them to do it - for a single 256-page adventure it's probably not, since it would be many pages of very dry tables of very limited use. For a setting book they'd probably want to take the time/space required... but I'm less confident of a new Eberron setting book than a storyline. (And, as DEFCON 1 notes, there's not a lot of value in a new ECS, since the fans strongly resisted a timeline update when moving from 3e to 4e, and so would likely resist one now, too.)

 

[DEFCON 1]

That is a big call that nothing has changed as we have not seen anything for 5e Eberron yet. Your guess may very well be right who knows?

If they choose to advance the timeline ahead a couple decades, thereby requiring new history to be written... then sure, all bets would be off of course. But if no timeline advancement is occurring, then no 5E reprint will be done because its a whole lot of money spent on copy/pasting the writing, editing, cartography and art for absolutely no gain.

 

[hawkeyefan]

Yep. Indeed one of the books ("Dragonmarked", perhaps) notes that that's the reason why a long sword +1 costs exactly 2,315gp (in 3e money) - the items were mass-crafted and the guild responsible mark them and control the price.

True - it would certainly be possible to run up a set of prices for 5e items suitable for use in Eberron. The big question, then, is whether it's worthwhile for them to do it - for a single 256-page adventure it's probably not, since it would be many pages of very dry tables of very limited use. For a setting book they'd probably want to take the time/space required... but I'm less confident of a new Eberron setting book than a storyline. (And, as DEFCON 1 notes, there's not a lot of value in a new ECS, since the fans strongly resisted a timeline update when moving from 3e to 4e, and so would likely resist one now, too.)

I would imagine a book that is mostly adventure path, and then consists of some very basic world info, and then the necessary mechanics for the classes and such. So kind of like a combo of Curse of Strahd and the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide.

 

[Shasarak]

For a setting book they'd probably want to take the time/space required... but I'm less confident of a new Eberron setting book than a storyline. (And, as DEFCON 1 notes, there's not a lot of value in a new ECS, since the fans strongly resisted a timeline update when moving from 3e to 4e, and so would likely resist one now, too.)

I disagree that fans do not like timeline updates. In fact Forgotten Realms fans are used to regular timeline updates and Realm shaking events etc. The resistance to the 4e update was probably more to do with the disrespectful way that it was done in order to cater to people that did not actually like the Realms in the first place.

 

[Bad Fox]

I disagree that fans do not like timeline updates. In fact Forgotten Realms fans are used to regular timeline updates and Realm shaking events etc. The resistance to the 4e update was probably more to do with the disrespectful way that it was done in order to cater to people that did not actually like the Realms in the first place.

An interesting point to discuss, as I've anecdotally found that people dislike timeline updates - but this might a confirmation bias at work due to my personal distaste for them. Hmm... I've never really considered it before.

In any case, I wouldn't mind a small timeline update for Eberron. A big part of the setting was the explicit understanding that it was taking place in a period of relative calm between two massive wars. Although I wouldn't want the next conflict to have started (too big a change), having Khorvaire creeping a bit closer to world war could be entertaining.