Am I the only one who feels Eberron's setting to be limiting?

[Vieo]

Now, I don't want to be a stick-in-the-mud, so let me explain myself.

Long story short, I'm not really versed in the ways of D&D and most of my knowledge of it comes playing Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, and having read almost all of the Drizzt novels and some other Forgotten Realms novels. I've never played a game(PnP/Tabletop) of D&D in my life, although I did buy the 3e books to build 1337 NWN characters to maximize my killing power so I could better PK people when playing online.


Anyway, up to about three months ago, I never even knew Eberron existed. So I initially thought "Wow. A new campaign setting!". I was eager to find out more and started doing research.

Fast forward.

Now after having done some research, I find myself somewhat disappointed in what I've found. My major gripe is that 200 year war that's affected everything. It really feels limiting to me in the sense that every potential protagonist/npc/player-character will have to account for what they were doing during the war period and there's no way to get around it. If there's a 300 year old elf, he would have live through the war. If there's a 100 year old dwarf, he'll have to explain what it was like growing up during the war. If you have 20 year old human, he'll probably be an orphan. The war will probably be mentioned in every book.

I'm also disappointed that WotC is also pushing this whole 'war ravaged land' idea. I saw the open-call for writers on their website for Eberron. While reading over what they were looking for, they really put the point across that the characters authors write about should have been deeply affected by the war(no home/family to go back to, etc). This seems to be the opposite of the Forgotten Realms philosophy where a character can be as open-ended(within the limits of the ruleset ) as you want him to be.

I've also noticed that Eberron's setting is described as 'dark fantasy'. While I'm not exactly sure what's meant by that, I'm beginning to draw the conclusion that 'dark' means 'depressing' because basically every character is going to have some sob war story. "My brother was killed.", "My home town is in ruins.", "I lost everything and have nothing left to live for.". While I'm sure these characters will find their purpose in life again, probably over the course of several novels and much monster slaying, it's all still very depressing.

 

[Rel]

I don't feel that this is a problem at all. The fact that the world has a distinct history including a big war has in no way limited the variety and enjoyment derived from running a game in this setting.

If you don't like the fact that the war is so prominent then just fast forward the clock 20 years or so. Or set your game before the Last War.

The Last War doesn't bother me and if it did it doesn't seem difficult to push aside.

 

[Truth Seeker]

Call it, the swinging mood of change...

High fantasy, with great magic, and great quest.

Dark Fantasy, personal issues, and hidden dangers, from a war-torn land.

It is limited to what range your imagination, will take you.

Eberron settings are just the primer...it is up to you, to provide the fire, or fuel.

 

[Vieo]

I don't feel that this is a problem at all. The fact that the world has a distinct history including a big war has in no way limited the variety and enjoyment derived from running a game in this setting.

If you don't like the fact that the war is so prominent then just fast forward the clock 20 years or so. Or set your game before the Last War.

The Last War doesn't bother me and if it did it doesn't seem difficult to push aside.

You're allowed to pretend the war never happened in creating or writing about a character? I thought that would get you trouble(like those people who will bite your head off if you try to play a non-evil Drow in FR).

 

[Mouseferatu]

You're allowed to pretend the war never happened in creating or writing about a character? I thought that would get you trouble(like those people who will bite your head off if you try to play a non-evil Drow in FR).

You're allowed to do whatever you want, as long as your Dungeon Master agrees to it. This is a game, not a straightjacket. In fact, many DMs constantly make changes to published settings or rules, to better fit the campaign they want to run.

 

[Rel]

You're allowed to pretend the war never happened in creating or writing about a character? I thought that would get you trouble(like those people who will bite your head off if you try to play a non-evil Drow in FR).

I've never once had the Gaming Police knock on my door to make sure I was running a setting to code. I'll let you know if it happens.

Also, one big point about Eberron and the mood is that it is supposed to be very "pulpy". The pulp era adventures of the likes of Indiana Jones take place somewhat after "The Great War" and in the growing tension prior to WWII. This is PRECISELY the setup they're offering. There are dozens of places in the setting that imply that the treaty of Thronehold won't last and that war could break out again soon. This sets up lots of scrambling factions who might be good, bad or indifferent. That makes for good adventure possibilities.

 

[Sammael]

Please note that this situation is identical to the fact that nearly every FR character has to account for what (s)he was doing during the Time of Troubles. I am a huge FR fan, and I have no problems with this. I imagine that Eberron fans similarly love coming up with hooks to connect their characters to the war.

 

[aceofgames]

Personally, I think its a great benefit for creativity. The more limits given, the more rules are borken, the more creative the premise & character. I haven't played Eberron (most of my group refuse to play it), but I see an appeal in it.
Anyhow, no one said you had to play Eberron as is. A lot of stuff in it can be exported to forgotten realms real easy.

 

[Anti-Sean]

Now after having done some research, I find myself somewhat disappointed in what I've found. My major gripe is that 200 year war that's affected everything.

My inner pedant demands that I point out that the Last War lasted for about 100 years (102 to be precise). This doesn't change the point of your gripe, however.

It really feels limiting to me in the sense that every potential protagonist/npc/player-character will have to account for what they were doing during the war period and there's no way to get around it. If there's a 300 year old elf, he would have live through the war. If there's a 100 year old dwarf, he'll have to explain what it was like growing up during the war. If you have 20 year old human, he'll probably be an orphan. The war will probably be mentioned in every book.

The Last War splintered the kingdom of Galifar, but not every part of the continent of Khorvaire was a battlefield. Most of the combat took place in the Five Nations (Aundair, Breland, Cyre (now the Mournland), Karrnath, and Thrane), which are more or less located in the center of the continent. Granted, some of the current nations were carved out of land that used to comprise the Five Nations, but these were untamed regions, for the most part. Parts of some of the Five Nations furthest from the front lines more than likely never saw any battles, although able bodied men and women from every village may have volunteerd for/been conscripted by their respective armies (large parts of Breland, for example, saw no war, and Sharn itself was untouched, save for one brief, failed seige). The Dragonmarked Houses were largely neutral throughout the war, so characters who are 'marked or attached to a House in some manner may have escaped much of the war that way as well.

I'm also disappointed that WotC is also pushing this whole 'war ravaged land' idea. I saw the open-call for writers on their website for Eberron. While reading over what they were looking for, they really put the point across that the characters authors write about should have been deeply affected by the war(no home/family to go back to, etc). This seems to be the opposite of the Forgotten Realms philosophy where a character can be as open-ended(within the limits of the ruleset ) as you want him to be.

As I understand it, the War Torn series is a subset of the line of Eberron novels - not all will have such a direct focus on the Last War and its aftermath.

I've also noticed that Eberron's setting is described as 'dark fantasy'. While I'm not exactly sure what's meant by that, I'm beginning to draw the conclusion that 'dark' means 'depressing' because basically every character is going to have some sob war story. "My brother was killed.", "My home town is in ruins.", "I lost everything and have nothing left to live for.". While I'm sure these characters will find their purpose in life again, probably over the course of several novels and much monster slaying, it's all still very depressing.

You could turn the situation around and look at it as an opportunity to express a new and unique aspect of your character and how the war affected him or her, directly or indirectly. (Make lemons into lemonade? I'd love to!) Plenty of people in RL refuse to face up to the reality of dire situations such as war, and express that denial in a variety of ways - what's stopping one of your characters from doing the same? I have a warforged who refuses to acknowledge some of his actions during the war. He had a near death experience, and quite literally treats that event as a rebirth, not admitting to himself or others what he did during the war, acting as if that was a different person entirely who did those things. Of course, his carefully constructed worldview is going to come crashing down around him at an appropriate moment... Also, the default campaign beginning is roughly two years after the war ended. While people struggle to rebuild what they've lost, a new age of exploration and adventure is dawning as the citizens of the various nations turn their attention from killing each other. You can play a grizzled war veteran, or a morose, bitter person who lost everything dear to herself during the war, or you can be a bold young adventurer leaving home for the first time, ready to find fame and fortune in the jungles of Xen'Drik so she can have some stories to share with her father, who fought during the war. If you can't find a way to create a character with a background that ignores the war altogether, look for ways to use it as a starting off point for some interesting background stories or ideas, rather than a shackle forcing you into a particular mold.

 

[Sejs]

Eberron and the Last War is prett much the flip side to the FR coin. FR for the most part has this great feeling of stagnation to it. Maybe it's just me, but I can't help but look over the scads of FR books I own and think that while it's a expansive setting with plenty of development, it's a still frame. Nothing is actually taking place. There's no movement. The history has all long since happened and now everything is just sitting around. With Eberron there is at least the feeling that something's occured. More than just nations existing, the nations actually did stuff.