Reply to thread

Message

<blockquote data-quote="rounser" data-source="post: 3442943" data-attributes="member: 1106">I was going to comment on this above as a difference, but on thinking it through I'm not sure it matters.&nbsp; So long as the heroes and the villains get to the location via some secret gate, it doesn't really matter whether the commoners don't have access to the jungle nearby the Lost Tomb of Zarad-Thoon.&nbsp; In fact, I think it's probably better that they don't, because if Zarad-Thoon is on everyone's itinerary then it's probably not so mysterious and forbidden anymore.For the same reason why machine guns and Boeing 727s don't appear on the equipment lists in the PHB, maybe.&nbsp; Maybe wikipedia can help explain the concept:<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anachronism" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anachronism</a>I don't think anachronisms as such are much of a problem to accept if they're consistently and pervasively drawing from more than one tech level, except that in Eberron the exceptions are highly selective, and therefore IMO incongruous.If everything in Eberron was right up there with the dual tech levels, with dwarven steamrollers, halfling biplanes, black powder weaponry as common as swords etc. then I think that would have been a much better way to handle it.&nbsp; But they couldn't because the setting had to cleave to generic D&amp;D assumptions as well in order to meet WOTC needs.&nbsp; As it is, because they've gone &quot;implied setting tech level, but with the odd incongruous quirk&quot; the anachronisms that are there stick out like sore thumbs IMO.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="rounser, post: 3442943, member: 1106"] I was going to comment on this above as a difference, but on thinking it through I'm not sure it matters. So long as the heroes and the villains get to the location via some secret gate, it doesn't really matter whether the commoners don't have access to the jungle nearby the Lost Tomb of Zarad-Thoon. In fact, I think it's probably better that they don't, because if Zarad-Thoon is on everyone's itinerary then it's probably not so mysterious and forbidden anymore. For the same reason why machine guns and Boeing 727s don't appear on the equipment lists in the PHB, maybe. Maybe wikipedia can help explain the concept: [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anachronism[/url] I don't think anachronisms as such are much of a problem to accept if they're consistently and pervasively drawing from more than one tech level, except that in Eberron the exceptions are highly selective, and therefore IMO incongruous. If everything in Eberron was right up there with the dual tech levels, with dwarven steamrollers, halfling biplanes, black powder weaponry as common as swords etc. then I think that would have been a much better way to handle it. But they couldn't because the setting had to cleave to generic D&D assumptions as well in order to meet WOTC needs. As it is, because they've gone "implied setting tech level, but with the odd incongruous quirk" the anachronisms that are there stick out like sore thumbs IMO. [/QUOTE]

Verification