GenCon article has lots of Eberron tidbits

[Glyfair]

WotC has posted an article on GenCon that gives at lot of Eberron information (and other bits). The article is here.

Highlights:

PHB II: Gnomes, half-orcs, shifters and "ghostly feline race"
Eberron Campaign setting June, Player's Guide July, adventure August (Secrets of the Ashen Crown)

Kalashtar will having a psionic flavor without confining them to a psionic class.

Dragonmarks were challenging to design for 4E.

Two artificer builds at the current time: A minion creator and one who imbues items and weapons. Design is basically complete and is in development.

"There will be no new dragonmarked houses introduced, with one exception. As part of making the dragonmarked houses more accessible, the race restrictions are being lessened if not outright removed."

 

[Rechan]

I'm more interested in the GenCon Eberron seminar, but ooh.

MINIONS. Looks like we're gettin' a summoner.

 

[Glyfair]

I'm more interested in the GenCon Eberron seminar, but ooh.

MINIONS. Looks like we're gettin' a summoner.

Well, more than likely they deal with constructs. I hope it doesn't have a summoner sort of feel, but I suppose that is a possible way of dealing with balance issues.

 

[Khairn]

Eberron is the setting that may get me to GM 4E. But a lot depends on the extent that they change the setting. If WotC does another job on the setting like they did to Faerun, I won't even look at it.

But if they can manage to introduce 4E without mangling the setting this will be the first 4E book that I'm really excited about.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

I'm somewhat skeptical about loosening the race restrictions to certain Dragonmark Houses, but I could see there being a benefit for having Full-Orcs with House Tharashk Dragonmarks, Goblins and Valenar Elves with House Deneith Dragonmarks, and even Shifters with House Vadalis Dragonmarks.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

Highlights:

PHB II: Gnomes, half-orcs, shifters and "ghostly feline race"

That's completely a misinterpretation, by "ghostly felines" they were referring to the cover: http://www.wizards.com/global/images/products_dndacc_9780786950164_lgpic.jpg

Which sure doesn't seem to resemble having "ghostly felines" as a PC race, but rather as a "Class Feature".

 

[Kez Darksun]

I just wish they had some info on when/where Psionics will start making an appearance aside from as a damage type.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

I just wish they had some info on when/where Psionics will start making an appearance aside from as a damage type.

In one of the Player's Handbooks, though as for which one, they haven't specified just yet.

 

[Spatula]

Will Eberron's cosmology be adjusted for 4th Edition?
Yes. It will remain distinct, however. Consider an orrery as a metaphor to describe Eberron's cosmology -- while things might not have changed significantly, there may be a new metaphor to describe the cosmology.

Bleh.

Also not a fan of any-race dragonmarks, which just smacks of the "fragile player" syndrome that infects so much of 4e. Easy enough to change back, however.

 

[Rechan]

Sweet! I'm looking forward to the conversion notes for City of Stormreach.

It was very light in the crunch department, but several things (like the Legendary Monsters section) are mm good.