I will start by saying I really dislike Realms, the reasons for this are mostly listed above, but I think that Forgotten Realms may be a better fit for 4e than Eberron. Eberron, if I recall correctly, was designed partially by takeing the assumptions of 3e and rationally extrapolating them to the world. Forgotten Realms is rather more generic, and with its setting reboot may fix many of the problem that it had in regards to being to full of stuff to fit the characters in.
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Forgotten Realms vs. Eberron
- Thread starter daddystabz
- Start date
I've never been a big fan of the Realms, partly because of the blatant munchkin power boosts in its splatbooks, partly because every FR innkeeper is a retired 8th level adventurer, and partly because of all the drow fanboyism. That's just me though. Stripped of those negative elements, it seems a decent enough standard-fantasy D&D setting.
Eberron, I am a big fan of. What I love about the setting:
Religion. The religions of Eberron feel real, to me. The gods are distant and unreachable, and as a result there are many, many, different faiths and interpretations of each faith. Much like the development of real human religions. The Greyhawk/FR-style pseudo-greek pantheons that are treated in a very non-pantheistic manner never made much sense to me.
Organizations. The setting is jam packed with all sorts of different power groups motivated by self-interest. Each and every one has clear goals that naturally set them against each other and against the players (or for the players). There's no clearcut right and wrong in some cases, and the PCs could find themselves working alongside some very bad people in order to stop a common enemy. Or opposed by "the good guys" as the players try to correct an obvious (to them) wrong. It's like a goldmine for adventure ideas, and as with the religions, it feels very much like actual human politics.
The intrigue. Related to the above, but the normal starting period in the setting - just after a truce is called in a 100-year war of succession that had no victor - is just filled with all sorts of cloak-and-dagger adventure possibilities.
The pulp elements. Aside from the obvious - fighting on top of train cars, airship pirates, etc. - the setting has a lot in common with the inter-world war period in which the pulp genre developed.
Eberron, I am a big fan of. What I love about the setting:
Religion. The religions of Eberron feel real, to me. The gods are distant and unreachable, and as a result there are many, many, different faiths and interpretations of each faith. Much like the development of real human religions. The Greyhawk/FR-style pseudo-greek pantheons that are treated in a very non-pantheistic manner never made much sense to me.
Organizations. The setting is jam packed with all sorts of different power groups motivated by self-interest. Each and every one has clear goals that naturally set them against each other and against the players (or for the players). There's no clearcut right and wrong in some cases, and the PCs could find themselves working alongside some very bad people in order to stop a common enemy. Or opposed by "the good guys" as the players try to correct an obvious (to them) wrong. It's like a goldmine for adventure ideas, and as with the religions, it feels very much like actual human politics.
The intrigue. Related to the above, but the normal starting period in the setting - just after a truce is called in a 100-year war of succession that had no victor - is just filled with all sorts of cloak-and-dagger adventure possibilities.
The pulp elements. Aside from the obvious - fighting on top of train cars, airship pirates, etc. - the setting has a lot in common with the inter-world war period in which the pulp genre developed.
That's not true. You can read the Keith Baker blog item posted above, where he talks about how he thinks 4e is a better fit for the setting. But all of the elements that make Eberron, Eberron as opposed to any other D&D setting, are wholly invented for the setting. There is no logical extrapolation of 3e other than the assumption that magic is reliable and repeatable - something that is true in all editions of D&D.
Contents May Vary
First Post
I think we'll need to reserve judgement until we see the actual 4th Ed books.
However, I've been playing Eberron in 3.x for a while, so I'm looking forward to running a FR setting for a change. That said, I'll probably be getting both. (I'm one of those sad people that buys the books even if I don't run them.
)
However, I've been playing Eberron in 3.x for a while, so I'm looking forward to running a FR setting for a change. That said, I'll probably be getting both. (I'm one of those sad people that buys the books even if I don't run them.
)
stonegod
Spawn of Khyber/LEB Judge
That's especially true for FR, as I alluded to (3.x FR is vastly different from 4E; my understanding is that it won't be so much for 3.x vs 4E Eberron).
That's one reason they're releasing fewer setting books: To allow folks to crib from them for their own setting. My wife's setting is what happens when you put 3.x Greyhawk and FR in a blender....However, I've been playing Eberron in 3.x for a while, so I'm looking forward to running a FR setting for a change. That said, I'll probably be getting both. (I'm one of those sad people that buys the books even if I don't run them.
Mercutio01
First Post
Want my advice? Buy both. I'm an Eberron fan boy to the nth degree, but I've been playing and running FR since 2E. I'm not one of those people who's pissed about the 100 year time shift for FR, and I'm actually looking forward to the setting. I think it's going to be excellent.
And with only 3 books per setting, it's not like you'll have to have 10 FR books and 10 Eberron books like I do for 3E!
And with only 3 books per setting, it's not like you'll have to have 10 FR books and 10 Eberron books like I do for 3E!
Danceofmasks
First Post
Well, a reset button had to be had for FR to some degree ..
It was the world of "I am a wizard, therefore I am better than you."
I think the folks who are annoyed with the reset button would be even more annoyed if there wasn't one, and their favourite NPCs had to have a whole bunch of abilities and backstory ret-conned.
It was the world of "I am a wizard, therefore I am better than you."
I think the folks who are annoyed with the reset button would be even more annoyed if there wasn't one, and their favourite NPCs had to have a whole bunch of abilities and backstory ret-conned.
Jack Colby
First Post
Take the parts you like from each and make your own personal D&D campaign setting.
Historically, Forgotten Realms was a campaign setting that includes just about everything I dislike about a fantasy setting.
I was pretty pleased by the Eberron setting. It was definitely one of the better ones for the D&D game.
As others have mentioned both settings will probably change a lot in their 4E incarnations. Unless FR is changed beyond recognition, I doubt the 4E version will make me want to play in that setting.
In contrast to that I expect the 4E version of Eberron to work even better than the 3E version. Lots of things that have been Eberron-specific in the past are now part of the Core.
If I was switching to 4E, I'd either use the Eberron setting or create a homebrew, borrowing stuff from whatever settings have something I find intriguing.
I was pretty pleased by the Eberron setting. It was definitely one of the better ones for the D&D game.
As others have mentioned both settings will probably change a lot in their 4E incarnations. Unless FR is changed beyond recognition, I doubt the 4E version will make me want to play in that setting.
In contrast to that I expect the 4E version of Eberron to work even better than the 3E version. Lots of things that have been Eberron-specific in the past are now part of the Core.
If I was switching to 4E, I'd either use the Eberron setting or create a homebrew, borrowing stuff from whatever settings have something I find intriguing.
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