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Message: <blockquote data-quote="rounser" data-source="post: 2931489" data-attributes="member: 1106">It's understandable - I think I'd hate standard D&D cliches after looking through 1000 bad setting proposals or countless slush pile Dungeon and Dragon articles too, so contemporary pulp and noir would seem just the antidote.  Perhaps they should have had a few games of Adventure! to regain perspective, instead of attempting to hybridise D&D into contemporary pulp.  There was some article in Dungeon about TSR's cabinet of old pulp periodicals, and I got the impression that it was seen around the WOTC offices as being more "legitimate" thematically than D&D (also understandable, if D&D were your job).  The recent batch of adventure films obviously contributed to that idea of it being the way to go, because they cite them.D&D does pulp very well already, as you point out - fantasy pulp, Conan and Grey Mouser stylee, and doesn't have to extend itself at all to do pirates, mad "scientists" (replace with tinkers or wizards), serial killers or explorers...and it's already very strong doing cross-genre, except when compromises are made to make it more modern technology-like, which Eberron has done.  At that stage, I think you're best changing game, because D&D isn't really what you want to be playing.In other words, supposing that they were trying for horror rather than pulp, I think that Eberron is a bit too Masque of the Red Death, and not enough Ravenloft....or it's too Ravenloft, and needs to be more Masque of the Red Death in order to come across as legitimate.  In any case, there's something about the tone and balance which is wrong for me, probably not helped by the kitchen sinking.  FR kitchen sinks too, but in a "real world culture analogue" way, so it's themes remain strong and intact.  Conversely, if Eberron had been able to specialise and basically become something like Arcanum, then I'd be all for it.Add to that that pulp is more of a play style than a setting, just as the real world can support pulp just as well as horror.  If they really wanted to turn D&D in that direction, it would probably have been better to do a Pirates of the Carribbean-style or Indiana Jones-style adventure path...now that would have been cool...</blockquote>

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