Eberron's Worth...

[Destil]

Magic as Technology: ... This leads to things that make some people I know consider it "monty haul". Magic items are fairly common (among adventuring circles)....
Honestly, those are the reasons that I LIKE Eberron.

Actually, I think this is about the single most misunderstood aspect of Ebberon. Is is not 'high' magic. It's broad magic. Anyone above 11th level is very rare, spellcasters more so. There's a lot more low level magic, because of artifactors, magewrights and dragonmarks (anyone else allow dragon spell like abilities marks to count towards item creation?). But anything above the ability of a 5th level wizard / cleric should be pretty uncommon. Anything above level 11-12 should be legendary.

Why only "sometimes"? Most people don't know the historic or mythical facts behind the things they enjoy
...
Things are taken at face value. IMO and IME most people don't want to do hours of research before being able to enjoy a night at the movies, or a session of D&D.
...
In reality, we only scratch at the surface of most of that stuff, and then tell ourselves we're experts only because we can tell a glaive from a guisarme.
/M

Actually, everything I know about the middle ages goes against what I would consider a fun campaign setting to play in. A real, highly feudal society would be pretty culturally stifling, as far as I'm concerned. If I wanted to play something with some historical accuracy I'd most likely go back to the classical age, as that would suit adventuring a bit better. Most ignorance is willful

I also like how Eberron changed the notion of "monsters are evil and must be killed". Now if the damn LA system just worked well, I'd gladly add Hobgoblins and the like to the list of "allowed" races.

Likewise love this. I've toned down hobbies, brought gobbies up to snuff and would allow a bugbear as LA+1, though I wish these were presented as playable races in the ECS.

For many months, now, I've wanted to run an Eberron campaign .... I call the concept Khyber-Punk.

Good one, Ari. That has me laughing still re-reading it. You should totally pitch the concept to Wizards / Dungeon as a what-if book / adventure.

One thing I like about Eberron that haven't been touched on yet: No metaplot ambitions! This one is huge for me, later sourcebooks rewriting stuff to cover times of trouble et cetera is a real pain.

 

[Jack of Shadows]

Well,

For those not really sold on Eberron I highly recommend taking a look through Secrets of Sarlona. No warforged, skyships, or Dragonmarks. Psionics are the norm and Arcane magic is rare. Very different feel from the traditional fantasy settings.

I liked Eberron but was never really crazy for it. I picked up Secrets of Sarlona to read on a long bus trip this weekend and I have to say, I now love Eberron. Sarlona could easily be THE setting for psionic-based D&D campaigns. It's divorced enough from the normal campaign setting of Khorvaire that it could be removed without the players even noticing. Most of the EPH races have a place in the setting along with all the Eberron races (excluding the Warforged). I really can't say enough about this book. I could easily see myself writing a campaign set in this region.

Jack.

 

[Glyfair]

I picked up Secrets of Sarlona to read on a long bus trip this weekend and I have to say, I now love Eberron. Sarlona could easily be THE setting for psionic-based D&D campaigns.

I will say that Sarlona is functionally a different campaign setting that the rest of Eberron. The two "settings" do interact (sort of like the TSR metasettings that forced interaction between different campaign settings). However, there are definitely different atmospheres between them.

SoS definitely holds together by itself. I think you could run a campaign with just SoS and the ECS for brief references (mostly the kalashtar). It does have a very, very repressive feel.

 

[BryonD]

Adventure.

That is what it is all about. More than most worlds, Eberron is about adventure and why one would adventure. The uncertainity, the intrigue, the danger.... its all there.

sigh.....

What a baseless absurd claim.

If there is a single bit of adventure in Eberron that one can not imagine in Greyhawk, then that person has a limited imagination.

 

[Crothian]

sigh.....

What a baseless absurd claim.

If there is a single bit of adventure in Eberron that one can not imagine in Greyhawk, then that person has a limited imagination.

Not baseless. Eberron was designed with adventures in mind and have more adventure hooks then one finds reading through Greyhawk. It has nothing to do with what someone can imagine it has everything to do with what is in the books.

 

[Torillan]

sigh.....

What a baseless absurd claim.

If there is a single bit of adventure in Eberron that one can not imagine in Greyhawk, then that person has a limited imagination.

Wow. True "Al Gore" condescension. All you really needed to do was to type the last line to make your point. Allthough these boards are more about drama anymore...........

 

[shilsen]

sigh.....

What a baseless absurd claim.

If there is a single bit of adventure in Eberron that one can not imagine in Greyhawk, then that person has a limited imagination.

How about a running battle on the tops of and within the coaches of a runaway lightning rail train, fighting necromantic terrorists (who are trying to restart a century-old war by murdering an important noble) and their mercenary allies, some of whom are militant elves (empowered by being immersed in the ghostly personalities of their ancestors) galloping their horses alongside the train, while other halfling mercenaries swoop down from above hurling boomerangs from the backs of their dinosaur mounts?

Where exactly in Greyhawk does that fit in?

 

[I'm A Banana]

If there is a single bit of adventure in Eberron that one can not imagine in Greyhawk, then that person has a limited imagination.

Dropping into drow-infested jungles on ropes lowered from a great airship to look for the remains of an expedition that, rumor has it, found a powerful ancient laser weapon that could level cities, only to have it stolen from them by the agents of a rival nation who might be willing to use it and start the next Great War.

I mean, it's totally possible to do a lot of Eberron in a homebrew, but Greyhawk simply doesn't *have* some of the things and some of the atmosphere that Eberron has. I'm pretty sure if lightning rails and airships were added to GH, there'd be a (quite justified) deep moan from those who love the setting, though.

 

[Umbran]

Wow. True "Al Gore" condescension. All you really needed to do was to type the last line to make your point. Allthough these boards are more about drama anymore...........

You have a problem with his post, report it. You have a problem with the tenor of the boards, take it to Meta. Please don't sidetrack the thread with it.

Folks, personal confrontation like this is not constructive. Please don't engage in it. Thank you.

 

[Imaro]

How about a running battle on the tops of and within the coaches of a runaway lightning rail train, fighting necromantic terrorists (who are trying to restart a century-old war by murdering an important noble) and their mercenary allies, some of whom are militant elves (empowered by being immersed in the ghostly personalities of their ancestors) galloping their horses alongside the train, while other halfling mercenaries swoop down from above hurling boomerangs from the backs of their dinosaur mounts?

Where exactly in Greyhawk does that fit in?

Dropping into drow-infested jungles on ropes lowered from a great airship to look for the remains of an expedition that, rumor has it, found a powerful ancient laser weapon that could level cities, only to have it stolen from them by the agents of a rival nation who might be willing to use it and start the next Great War.

I mean, it's totally possible to do a lot of Eberron in a homebrew, but Greyhawk simply doesn't *have* some of the things and some of the atmosphere that Eberron has. I'm pretty sure if lightning rails and airships were added to GH, there'd be a (quite justified) deep moan from those who love the setting, though.

I think Eberron is okay, but I'm going to play Devil's advocate and ask: arent these just tropes for the setting?

Couldn't the first be done on a runaway merchant caravan, transporting a noble that is attacked by necromancers who haave hired a band of mercenaries, some of which are barbarians who "channel the spirit of their ancestors" through their ability to rage, galloping their horses alongside the wagons or carriages. While a band of halfling brigands who have trained griffons attack from the air with boomerangs?

The second is dropping into a jungle area, enslaved by a barbaric, exiled drow house to look for a "laser weapon(not sure if this is actually an Eberron-esque trope)" that was lost being transported from Blackmoor and can level cities. Only to have it stolen from them by agents of the Scarlet Brotherhood who might be willing to use it to start a war.

Aren't these essentially the same adventures? I will admit that Eberron has it's own flavors but I'm not sure I agree if Eberron promotes "adventure" more than any other campaign setting.

You want adventure with a capital A and no boundaries, I say Planescape was actually the setting that facilitated this best. Just my oppinion