Forgotten Realms vs. Eberron

[Jürgen Hubert]

The two have entirely different approaches to fantasy.

The Forgotten Realms represent "classical" fantasy settings, using a pseudo-medieval paradigm. The setting often seems to be laden down with cliches - but many of these cliches didn't exist before the Forgotten Realms invented them.

Eberron, on the other hand, derives much of its sensibilities from the pulps of the 1920s and 1930s. It's a setting where the societies seem to be ready to embrace a more "modern" mindset. On the other hand, the main continent of the setting just emerged from a brutal war (including something approaching the "mass warfare" of our World Wars) - and just like after WWI, the true issues and causes of the war were unresolved. That creates a level of geopolitical tension not really seen in the Forgotten Realms, where most politics is local.

Use the Forgotten Realms if you want to play in a setting with a medieval/Renaissance ambiance. Use Eberron if you want to play in a setting with the ambiance of the 1920s and the pulp genre. Both are fine choices.

 

[daddystabz]

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.

What parts of a fantasy setting do you dislike that you speak of that FR seems to include?

 

[megamania]

Most of my reasons for preferring Eberron over FR has already been mentioned. However, the main reason I enjoy Eberron is the feeling of being in a movie that can be created. There are ways of having anything and any situation created in Eberron and that speaks to my creative mind.

FR is more about the high level characters and becoming a god. Eberron is the adventure.

 

[Henry]

If you want an accurate 4e translation of either world, then waiting a month or two for the 4e FR book is your best bet, because you'll hit all the main topics immediately, and have a ready made world with less effort for you to making it adventure-worthy in 4e. On the other hand, if you're more familiar with Eberron and want to make that work for you, then there's enough Dragon articles and fan-created material out there right now to make a 4e Eberron with a bit of work. I'm doing that very thing right now! In a week or two, my plan is to start a 4e Eberron game, and I've glossed over the elements that are Eberron specific, creating enough for my players who want to play a specific concept to get by with. Most of the players, though, have picked stuff right out of the PHB and monster manual, so my work's been proetty easy.

(Heck, I even shut up the player who wanted to jokingly play a Gnome Monk by telling him how he could do it, thanks to Andy Collins. He opted to play a Dwarf Cleric, because of the number of strikers in the group right now, but I was able to put a pretty viable option right on the table. )

 

[Bialaska]

Of those two settings I'm definitely more into Forgotten Realms. It is more the medieval fantasy setting that I prefer for my D&D games, while Eberron is historically more advanced, which is not what I really want the most.

I am considering doing my own homebrew if I should run my own campaign, since none of the standard campaigns are really suited for what I want, as I want a low magic setting, filled with much medieval goodness.

 

[Troy70]

I for one like Eberron more then FR because Eberron is where the PCs are the heroes not the NPCs.

 

[danbuter1]

Since you have no real preconceptions, you may as well get FR when it is published. Be warned that most of the current novels will just be distant history for the new setting. Eberron won't get the 4e treatment until next year.

 

[Jhaelen]

What parts of a fantasy setting do you dislike that you speak of that FR seems to include?

It includes everything that is a fantasy cliche. The setting is the very definition of 'vanilla'. It has no elements (that I am aware of) that are unique to this particular setting. It's just a giant hodge-podge of ideas borrowed from other settings (most notably Greyhawk).

Obviously I am exaggerating a bit, because I strongly dislike the setting. But apart from some minor details, it's really amazingly bland and generic. There's nothing that really defines the setting.

 

[DandD]

Well, Forgotten Realms has Elminster and Drizzt, and gods that die all the time when a new edition comes. I think that distinguishes it from Eberron, or Aventuria from The Dark Eye, or whatever other setting. Geographically and culturally, the setting of the Forgotten Realms is of course bland and unremarkable.

 

[WhatGravitas]

Eberron also has the trait of integrating concepts like "nations" and "mercantile houses" (i.e. large cooperations) with enclaves. Also the general populance knows of things like the magic and also a highly progressed war. Also, there was the notion of Keith that some of the current advances Eberron has are only due to the war (like some more martial spells).

This mirrors more of our real life knowledge/sensibilities, so I daresay the mindset of a typical Eberron citizen in a large city is much, much easier to grok than the mindset of a FR citizen.

This can be an advantage or a disadvantage, depending on your preferred style.

Cheers, LT.