Mercutio01
First Post
That's actually why I chose Aundair when I first introduced my old gaming group to Eberron. It allowed me to ease some of the more resistant players into the world of Eberron, since Aundair felt more Realms-y.
[Eberron] Timeline Advancement?
- Thread starter Hellcow
- Start date
That's actually why I chose Aundair when I first introduced my old gaming group to Eberron. It allowed me to ease some of the more resistant players into the world of Eberron, since Aundair felt more Realms-y.
am181d
Adventurer
To be honest, though I've bought most of the Eberron books and have gotten a LOT of use out of the Eberron races and some of the other crunch, I've never actually run or played in a game set in Eberron.
That said, what I'd really find useful in an Eberron 5e guide is a starter town ('cause who doesn't like starter towns) with the minimum amount of additional campaign setting content. For folks who want more, make the previous edition books available in PDF.
That said, as long as I get my Changeling, my Shifter, and my Warforged, I'll be happy.
That said, what I'd really find useful in an Eberron 5e guide is a starter town ('cause who doesn't like starter towns) with the minimum amount of additional campaign setting content. For folks who want more, make the previous edition books available in PDF.
That said, as long as I get my Changeling, my Shifter, and my Warforged, I'll be happy.
I want to throw my vote in for the idea that DDN Eberron needs to be a "crunch" heavy module that would open up other campaigns to more pulp/intrigue styles.
Keep the timeline as is because it is a great starting point for new players and it wont infuriate long-time DMs and their campaigns. New DMs may buy the book for the world information, but the existing DMs will be looking at it to expand their DDN repertoire of rules.
Rules systems that could be explored have already been mentioned: intrigue, faction points, crafting by ingredient (for those Canith players), and updated Dragonmark rules. What about CRAFT YOUR OWN AIRSHIP rules?! Of course, updated races, backgrounds, and themes would be expected.
We may not even need many "new" systems. We might just need examples of Eberron style game elements crafted for DDN: dragonshard treasure, Xen'drik traps, and so on.
Hellcow asked about what areas of Eberron that people were interested, outside of Breland.
I've always liked Droaam and set several adventures there. The idea of a "monster nation" just excited my players' collective imagination. In my 4e Eberron campaign, my wife created an entire character around the concept of a unofficial emissary from Droaam, playing a half-vampire rouge/spy, daughter of a vampire lord ruling a portion of some Droaam city.
Another character ran a minotaur character, also from Droaam. We worked in some prophesy action from one of the Three Sisters and it was a blast, "a beast destined to be more than his nature".
I don't know if centering on Droaam would be great for the single showing of Eberron in DDNext, BUT it's at least something different.
For a more "typical" nation, I also have always loved Karrnath. I get the feeling that Karrnath is a super-power that is past its prime, and will do anything to recover its lost glory. I don't know if it was ever intentional, but I kind of equated Karrnath as Germany during WWI (and maybe WWII before the atrocities took place). I see it as a proud nation with a noble and respected military tradition, but a nation that is destined to go down a dark path unless brave patriots can steer it back towards the light.
Also, having undead as a "normal" part of life is a little different, and I think can attract some players.
I hope my input helps!
Keep the timeline as is because it is a great starting point for new players and it wont infuriate long-time DMs and their campaigns. New DMs may buy the book for the world information, but the existing DMs will be looking at it to expand their DDN repertoire of rules.
Rules systems that could be explored have already been mentioned: intrigue, faction points, crafting by ingredient (for those Canith players), and updated Dragonmark rules. What about CRAFT YOUR OWN AIRSHIP rules?! Of course, updated races, backgrounds, and themes would be expected.
We may not even need many "new" systems. We might just need examples of Eberron style game elements crafted for DDN: dragonshard treasure, Xen'drik traps, and so on.
Hellcow asked about what areas of Eberron that people were interested, outside of Breland.
I've always liked Droaam and set several adventures there. The idea of a "monster nation" just excited my players' collective imagination. In my 4e Eberron campaign, my wife created an entire character around the concept of a unofficial emissary from Droaam, playing a half-vampire rouge/spy, daughter of a vampire lord ruling a portion of some Droaam city.
Another character ran a minotaur character, also from Droaam. We worked in some prophesy action from one of the Three Sisters and it was a blast, "a beast destined to be more than his nature".
I don't know if centering on Droaam would be great for the single showing of Eberron in DDNext, BUT it's at least something different.
For a more "typical" nation, I also have always loved Karrnath. I get the feeling that Karrnath is a super-power that is past its prime, and will do anything to recover its lost glory. I don't know if it was ever intentional, but I kind of equated Karrnath as Germany during WWI (and maybe WWII before the atrocities took place). I see it as a proud nation with a noble and respected military tradition, but a nation that is destined to go down a dark path unless brave patriots can steer it back towards the light.
Also, having undead as a "normal" part of life is a little different, and I think can attract some players.
I hope my input helps!
Hellcow
Adventurer
Not to mention druidic raiders, proximity to the Demon Wastes, the issue of Thaliost, and a queen still interested in war. Seems like fun to me.
Personally, I've never run a game set in New Cyre. However, I'd say that the majority of campaigns I've run - along with the Dreaming Dark novels and Eye of the Wolf - have cast the protagonists as Cyrans for precisely this reason.
Hellcow
Adventurer
Droaam is one of my favorite parts of Eberron. I don't know that I can see it as the primary focus of an Eberron sourcebook, but I'd love to write that sourcebook if it was.
All input helps! Thanks.
Patryn of Elvenshae
First Post
Just pretend I took everything that Klaus said, quoted it, and added "me, too!' because, seriously, great stuff.
I'm a post-ToT Forgotten Realms afficianado, because that's when I was introduced to the Realms. I never had that attachment to the "real" Realms to lose. (Also, the ToT-enabled Baldur's Gate plots were great.) However, I never really glommed on to the 4E Realms; I'm okay with, say, the Shadow empire reappearing, but the whole Spellplague thing (and Mystra dying ... again ...) were turn-offs.
Similarly, Dragonlance's "nothing happens for a long, long, long time, and then within 50-or-so years the world ends three times!" metamorphoses completely soured me on the setting.
Eberron, to me, is set right at the cusp of a whole bunch of really interesting and cool things happening that flow really naturally from the setting: New Cyre's about to do something; what? Aundair's about to try something; what? Droaam just showed up; what's that going to do? etc. Any given campaign could touch on some or all of these things, or none (Let's focus on Sarlona, instead!)
Advancing the timeline would require that you answer at least some of those questions, and I am not certain it's possible to do so in a way that doesn't absolutely piss off a percentage of Eberron's fans.
The one long campaign in Eberron I actually ran (a supposed one-off that turned into a year-long adventure!) actually took place during the last days of the War, and the players really liked it (except for the downer ending, since they were inside Cyre's borders when the Mourning hit; oops!).* Additional support - either in adventures or in rules modules - for "Last War Campaigns" would be welcome. I mean, the conclusion is somewhat foregone, but people play WW2 wargames all the time ...
* Of course, I've kept all my notes, so when I next get to run an Eberron campaign, things are bound to turn up.
I'm a post-ToT Forgotten Realms afficianado, because that's when I was introduced to the Realms. I never had that attachment to the "real" Realms to lose. (Also, the ToT-enabled Baldur's Gate plots were great.) However, I never really glommed on to the 4E Realms; I'm okay with, say, the Shadow empire reappearing, but the whole Spellplague thing (and Mystra dying ... again ...) were turn-offs.
Similarly, Dragonlance's "nothing happens for a long, long, long time, and then within 50-or-so years the world ends three times!" metamorphoses completely soured me on the setting.
Eberron, to me, is set right at the cusp of a whole bunch of really interesting and cool things happening that flow really naturally from the setting: New Cyre's about to do something; what? Aundair's about to try something; what? Droaam just showed up; what's that going to do? etc. Any given campaign could touch on some or all of these things, or none (Let's focus on Sarlona, instead!)
Advancing the timeline would require that you answer at least some of those questions, and I am not certain it's possible to do so in a way that doesn't absolutely piss off a percentage of Eberron's fans.
The one long campaign in Eberron I actually ran (a supposed one-off that turned into a year-long adventure!) actually took place during the last days of the War, and the players really liked it (except for the downer ending, since they were inside Cyre's borders when the Mourning hit; oops!).* Additional support - either in adventures or in rules modules - for "Last War Campaigns" would be welcome. I mean, the conclusion is somewhat foregone, but people play WW2 wargames all the time ...
* Of course, I've kept all my notes, so when I next get to run an Eberron campaign, things are bound to turn up.
Klaus
First Post
That may be the best description: Aundair is the most "Realms-y" of the Five Nations, making it a good launchpad for Eberron campaigns (instead of diving off the deep end with Sharn or Stormreach). Quasi-medieval countryside, magic-using nobility trained in arcane colleges, dragonhawk-riding elite warriors, neighboors with an undead-infested kingdom, a fanatical theocracy, an unruly frontier, an demonic wasteland, a cataclysmic wasteland and an industrial rival.
Hellcow
Adventurer
Just as a note, I actually see the overzealous Pure Flame faction of the church as having more of a following in Aundair than in Thrane; a notable example of this is Archbishop Dariznu, who while he governs Thaliost on behalf of Thrane is a native Aundairian.
Essentially, after the Church of the Silver Flame saved Aundair in the purge, those whose families suffered the most at the hands of the lycanthropes clove to the faith as a weapon and tool of vengeance. It was they who then persecuted the shifters in the decades that followed, seeking to salve their wounds with blood. The closer you are to Flamekeep, the easier it is for the Keeper to encourage people to hold to the traditional values of the faith; in Aundair you have fanatics whose zealotry continues to grow, to where they even question the purity of Flamekeep itself.
So I'm just saying, you certainly have a militant theocracy next door... but the most dangerous fanatics might be those in your own nation.
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Mercutio01
First Post
Yep, those were all the reasons I chose Aundair to start with. The campaign eventually moved into Karrnath (via lightning rail to Thaliost and airship across to Rekkenmark - the plot had to do with the Order of the Emerald Claw and the Blood of Vol) and was headed for Thrane proper (where the Emerald Claw was moving clandestinely into the ranks of the Silver Flame) before our game group began the fracture as people finished grad school and moved away.
Hellcow
Adventurer
As a side note, tomorrow's HDWT Eberron Q&A blog will be addressing the subject of Droaam. If you have any questions you'd like to ask me about Droaam or the Daughters of Sora Kell, please post them on this thread.
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