Eberron - Cool or Drool?

[Greyson]

... but I am looking forward to picking it up and reading through it. ... but I still enjoy reading them and occasionally being inspired to steal or borrow something.

That is my exact sentiment. I certainly will not run an exclusive Eberron campaign - nor will I run a part-Eberron game. I will, however, browse the material and poach what I like and disregard the rest. I like to have various setting books on my shelves for that very reason - to get a slice of everything that I like and what works for me.

I also agree with Eberron and its use at stirring up the younger gamers. WotC does not have to impress me with a turbo-charged world to get me to buy. I already know what I want. But, I hope Eberron works for the new/young gamer and induces new players and fresh blood to join D&D gaming tables. I always found that word-of-mouth and literally dragging someone to the table works best. But, anywho...

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

I'm planning on using Warforged if I can get a good deal on Eberron. Other than that, and the cool cosmology on the WotC site, it looks pretty dull.

 

[MissHappen]

My biggest problem with Eberron is that it seems like standard D&D with the volume nob turned up a bit (if you read about Monte Cook's Ptolus campaign, you've heard this before).

There's not a distinctive theme. So there's a high amount of magic... well, that's D&D, isn't it? The reason settings like Ravenloft and Darksun are interesting is because the basic D&D rules are transplanted into a completely different and, in a sense, more restrictive world. One where some of the rules actually have to be limited or, in some cases, won't even work.

In Eberron, all the rules apply. So, what's changed?

Hey there

For the record, I'm waiting to get a look at Eberron before I decide whether or not I like it. More than likely, it will be just another sourcebook to plunder for ideas and the like. But I wanted to mention something about the setting competition... I was a semi-finalist, and there were a few guidelines that you had to adhere to. One was that they wanted a setting that wasn't so different as to need significant rule changes to accommodate it... now, I don't know by what standard the judges figured this, but you can't expect the winning entry to depart too far from the standard rule set.
It seemed to me that WotC was interested in something that had a high 'plug and play' factor to it, with enough fresh material to pad it out. If you tweak the system a lot in order to accommodate a particularly 'different' setting, you run the risk of pushing away people who don't like the new rule sets and the like.
From what I've seen, a lot of creativity went into Eberron. I appreciate a good number of the concepts that I've read about. But I didn't expect a substantial difference from standard 3.5 d20, particularly as far as system is concerned.

 

[devita]

I seem to be in the same boat as a lot of people here - I plan on picking it up (though not busting down the door to my FLGS) and integrating bits and pieces into my own campaign. I tend to do that with a number of settings, though, save Iron Kingdoms and Ravenloft. They, in my mind, are perfect the way they are and there really is no f***ing with them.

- devita
- silven crossroads other rpg's section admin

 

[Ibram]

Complete yawn for me, its just not a WOW product for me (not like Conan or Warcraft).

After watching the build up over the past few months all i can say is that this is XD&D (extreme d&d), and since I've never been realy excited about FR... well I doubt that I'll run out an buy the book.

Yes, it looks like a well designed and detailed setting, but its just... lacking something to inspire me.

Now thats not to say that I'd never play in an Eberon game, just that I'll never run a game based heavily on it. Once the book comes out I'll give it the once over down at Waldens, but I'm not planing on buying it.

 

[EricNoah]

I think it looks pretty interesting. I liked the artificer preview they had in Dragon; that's an area that I think will be very appealing (more item creation as part of the character's "schtick"). My main concern is that they maybe should have thrown out some of the core D&D races and classes but I can see why they kind of need it to have those things in it. I probably will chuck elves, dwarves, half-orcs, halflings, and maybe gnomes and just use humans plus the new Eberron races if I run a campaign. But we'll see.

 

[Hand of Evil]

I am on hilly road, sometimes I will see something I like and then something I don't, damn these ups and downs, at this time I am down for a stupid reason; what happens when a rust monster meets a warforged? I know, it has been covered but the answer is along of the lines "its magic". It is a freaking can of worms.

Add to that Iron Kingdom campaign book will be out soon, Warhammer 2ed in 2005, I just will see how reviews look before rushing out and getting it.

I have also been around long enough to say these are the same things I heard about FR when it came out, a setting I hate but have.

Offline:
I really do think I am hooked on that damn Warfored vs rust monster issue just a tad too much.

 

[MrFilthyIke]

My biggest problem with Eberron is that it seems like standard D&D with the volume nob turned up a bit

Does it go to 11??

I'm excited about it, but will probably never RUN it, as I want to PLAY in the setting, and don't know if anyone 'round here will run it. :\ But that's my only gripe, that and there's still no Greyhawk 3.5 book.

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

I'll be getting Ebberon as well as the IKCG, mostly for the plundering possibilities. I don't expect to be running an Ebberon campaign (mostly due to a deep-seated disdain for published settings) but I have a lot of ideas of what I can re-purpose...

 

[francisca]

Very apathetic about it, as well as any other new campaigns. I already have more material than I can ever use.