Eberron-as corny as I think?

[WarlockLord]

How did Eberron become a major D&D setting? It doesn't seem like fantasy at all. I mean, it has robots warforged and airplanes airships. It seems like somebody was trying to make "science fictasy"

 

[Kunimatyu]

I take it you're not terribly familiar with the 'pulp' literature of the early 1900s?

 

[Crothian]

No it is not as corny as you think. It is not traditional fantasy, but there are plenty of settings that are. It is about time someone really tried something different.

 

[WarlockLord]

Um, no. Is this like that one "Planet of the Vampires" movie I found at Blockbuster once?

 

[IronWolf]

Well the poll options are pretty limited, so I didn't vote. I have flipped through the campaign setting and listened to a couple friends talk about wanting to play it. Meanwhile I continue to make fun of the warforged, air ships and trains (mainly to harass my gaming group ... shh....... ).

I recently (Sunday) played my first Eberron game (DM'ed by Keith Baker at Origins). It was a good game and it all seemed very D&D like to me - even though there were warforged and a crashed airship involved. And from what I have heard and read it seems to me that each of those have pretty reasonable justifications for their existence.

I am not sure it would be my preferred setting of choice, but I wouldn't turn down an Eberron game either. Sometimes a setting with something a bit different about it can be a lot of fun to play in.

 

[Jaguar]

It is a world were the magic is taken to the level of technology. It feels like would it be the technowizard world from RIFTS.

It is cohesive and works inside itself.

I have played it and I liked it a lot.

 

[Piratecat]

Um, no. Is this like that one "Planet of the Vampires" movie I found at Blockbuster once?

No.

Pulp fiction gets its name from the poor quality paper used when publishing magazines full of adventure stories. It is a genre that includes the Shadow, Doc Savage, John Carter of Mars, Conan the Barbarian, and many other familiar heroes. "Raiders of the Lost Ark" is a good example of a modern movie that embraced the feel of pulp fiction: larger than life heroes, non-stop action, dastardly villains, cinematic fights.

That's what Eberron is shooting for. In my opinion, it succeeds nicely.

 

[Kafkonia]

How did Eberron become a major D&D setting? It doesn't seem like fantasy at all. I mean, it has robots warforged and airplanes airships. It seems like somebody was trying to make "science fictasy"

"Science fantasy." Popular authors include Jack Vance, Gene Wolfe, and China Mieville, as well as James P. Blaylock and Michael Moorcock. Titles to look for include Big Planet, The Shadow of the Torturer, Perdido Street Station, The Iron Dragon's Daughter.

 

[Psion]

Well, I don't play it or "love it", but I certainly don't think it's "corny."

 

[A'koss]

Ever since Eberron hit the scene I've called it the Anti-A'koss campaign. It's just about everything I've tried to strip out of my own games (a setting derived from the rules, the potluck ecology, magic ingrained into society...). I'm not sure if I'd call it "corny", but "icky" comes close...