Eberron: Is it *really* a swashbuckling kind of campaign setting?

[fredramsey]

...Flash Goblin...

Oh, you've gone and done it now...



===

 

[Doug McCrae]

Flash Goblin

Was that a typo? 'Flash Goblin' would be a wonderful name for an Eberron character.

AFAICS the essence of Eberron is pulp D&D. Eberron's got all the traditional D&D stuff, which alone would make it an everything-including-the-kitchen-sink setting, coupled with a bunch of pulp material - airships, railways, the NYC-like Sharn, dark continents, even masked crimefighters.

Swashbuckling is an additional element, which they've tried to support (unsuccesfully, in my view) with the Action Point system.

 

[Henry]

Yes, Flash Goblin, Doc Shifter, & A cleric of The Shadow must take on Ming the Merciless Warforged in a battle for Cyran Supremacy? Can they stop the deadly Arcan-o-bomb (tm) in time? Tune in and find out!

 

[mearls]

I was checking out some stuff on Eberron and it notes that it's a swashbuckling kind of world. I'm no expert on the world so what's the deal? What makes it a swashbuckling kind of campaign setting?

I've run an Eberron game for about 4 months now. As far as it being a swashbuckling game, there's nothing really in the rules that make it any more swashbuckling than normal D&D. What I've found the most fun is the flexible stand on alignment - the party has dealt with a LN mind flayer and a few other monsters on social terms.

Most of the action-adventure heroics seem to come from my action point house rules and some other stuff I've developed. I tend to handle them in a much more open, flexible way than the core rules. We found that the action point rules as written didn't pack enough oomph.

The ease of travel - airships, lightning rail - makes it simple to move the party all over the world. I've taken advantage of that and set adventures in extreme or weird environments.

Overall, I like the world, but looking back I don't really use much material from the corebook other than the rules stuff. As they flesh out the world, I'd be surprised if any of the stuff I've developed would match the "canonical" versions - Otharaunt as tree city, Arcanix as ancient collection of floating tower artifacts that mages fight over, a trading city that's half subterranean, the polar continent as something straight out of HPL's Beyond the Mountains of Madness. Even the bits I created about Sharn aren't much like the official version.

 

[fredramsey]

I've implemented the Action Point system from Unearthed Arcana. Makes it so spellcasters have more incentive to spend action points rather than just the fighters.

Most of the action-adventure heroics seem to come from my action point house rules and some other stuff I've developed. I tend to handle them in a much more open, flexible way than the core rules. We found that the action point rules as written didn't pack enough oomph.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Was that a typo? 'Flash Goblin' would be a wonderful name for an Eberron character.

No typo, just one of those ideas you get.

 

[Remathilis]

I might get crucified for this...

Star Wars, IMHO, Has had a wonderful mix of pulp and noir in it. This is based on Lucas's love of old serials, to be sure. The prequel movies (1, 2, and soon to be 3) have a noir style to it: the mysterious darth sidieous, obi-wan's investigation of Jango fett, Padme's bodydoubles, and Anakin's Good/Bad sides. The Classic Trilogy is more swashbucking: Han the loveable rogue, the spiritful princess, lightsaber duels, zipping from exotic locale to locale, etc.

Good example of how eberron could be run.

 

[Wraith Form]

Eberron's got all the traditional D&D stuff, which alone would make it an everything-including-the-kitchen-sink setting, coupled with a bunch of pulp material - airships, railways, the NYC-like Sharn, dark continents, even masked crimefighters.

Not trying to challenge or offend you, but could you site an example of a masked crimefighter in Eberron, specifically from the CS book?

I've got the book, read it and didn't remember seeing an NPC that might fit that description.

(OTOH, I don't have Sharn so if it's in there I suppose that explains it.)

 

[Klaus]

I might get crucified for this...

Star Wars, IMHO, Has had a wonderful mix of pulp and noir in it. This is based on Lucas's love of old serials, to be sure. The prequel movies (1, 2, and soon to be 3) have a noir style to it: the mysterious darth sidieous, obi-wan's investigation of Jango fett, Padme's bodydoubles, and Anakin's Good/Bad sides. The Classic Trilogy is more swashbucking: Han the loveable rogue, the spiritful princess, lightsaber duels, zipping from exotic locale to locale, etc.

Good example of how eberron could be run.

Oh, great... Now you got me putting together a Sharn Wars campaign...

Han - Half-Elf Rogue with the Mark of Storm. He's the captain of the Centennial Falcon, a very fast airship.

Chewbacca - Shifter Barbarian. Owes a life debt to Han.

Luke - Wide-eyed paladin of the Silver Flame.

Obi-Wan - Elder, retired paladin.

Leia - Princess of Cyre in exile (and incognito).

Artoo - Gnome artificer who keeps arguing with.

Threep - Warforged diplomatic unit (bard)

 

[Remathilis]

awesome claudio. Don't forget Vader (half-golem blackguard) and his master (human sorcerer/archmage).