Is eberron balanced?(for those who have read the book)

[teitan]

Yeah except we aren't living in the TSR era anymore and NOBODY seems to care about posting your characters etc on a website. Talking like that is paranoia because NOBODY cares. Conversions of older products from TSR/WOTC are of course a different matter but overall, if I want to post FLumpy, the CE Gnome Necromancer/Archmage, WOTC isn't going to do anything about it. My perspective isn't anymore shortsighted than such a perspective would have been pre-OGL sorry to say, people like to give it more credence that it really has and likening it to an open source software design is just not the same thing because even that doesn't affect the consumer except in the sense that they can get more software based on the same program and easier use. How does making the rules from Eberron OGC help support EBerron? You can't use Eberron in your adventures, you can't refer to that IP in your profitable products. I don't see anyone taking down JohhnyOneal's Eberron Journal site for not having the D20 License etc. posted on his website... so why does OGC and OGL matter to me in that regard as a consumer? Why should I give a fly's butt if EBerron is OGC or not? I shouldn't because it DOESN'T AFFECT MY GAME ON BIT if it is OGC or not. I can use WHATEVER rules I want and there is nothing anyone can do about it.

Jason

 

[Chacal]

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One of the best world balance decisions I think this setting made is that like things have set interest in backing each other up against common threats. Orc tribes are one of the most effective world defenders against common threats from nasty abberrations. Together with a the church of the silver flame and a 20 level awakened tree druid.

Interesting...
Are these balancing factors numerous and well detailed in Eberron ?




Chacal

 

[Voadam]

Part of the beauty of 3rd Ed IS Game Balance. Because WOTC does a decent enough job of keeping close to the same power level with everything they make. Sure, there are exceptions, but they aren't normally enough to make anyone feel useless in the group (unlike in my 2nd edition party). Which, incidently, is why I don't give a crap about OGL and 3rd party book support, because the stuff is so varied in power levels that, even though there IS good material in some of the books, I actually have to see if it is good or not, making all the time I saved due to 3rd Ed wasted as I now have to check over every feat and every spell that every character brings in and GUESS whether it is too powerful or not, then remove them from people's characters and make them make new choices when I find out I was wrong. Thus, retconing history in my game and ruining role playing.

So, yes, there *IS* such thing as game balance, and I hope Eberron has it, I can't tell you though, because I don't have the book, it won't be released anywhere here until Friday.

Majoru Oakheart

See I tend to evaluate every WotC splat book as well as 3rd party book for balance before allowing use in our campaign. Remember the haste magic armor ability from WotC's Domains of the Faithful that gave a +4 dodge bonus and haste for a +3 bonus cost? We have gotten more inspiration and useable mechanics for our party paladin out of Forgotten Heroes Paladin and Call of Duty then from DotF.

 

[Acid_crash]

I guess I'm different in thinking that to cry over balance within a rpg is a complete waste of time. People whined over the Eldritch Knight when it was first released, people are whining over the Warforged now over petty things, people whined when 3.5 was released, people whine over little things they think are 'unbalancing' to the game and gripe so much about the little things that the big thing: To Have Fun, is forgotten.

Is eberron balanced? Yes it is, No it isn't, who cares. Either enjoy the game and play the game, or don't play the game and find something else to play.

And if you feel something is unbalancing to you, then either don't play it, or change it to how you want it to be, as I said before. Easy enough, no reason to get pissy or whiny about it.

As for Rifts, well, who cares about balance or not. You go into the game knowing that not all things are balanced with each other, so don't complain when you find out that one creature is more powerful than another. Simple as that.

 

[Hellcow]

Hey folks!
Obviously I'm biased on the balance thing, so I'll leave this to other folks to argue. But I will address one specific point...

There is a town ruled by many meduses and they have gorgans and other petirifing creatures and in twoo years all they have is one town. Who has stoped them? There is 1,000 of high lvl evil creatures that are intelligent but who has stoped them?

Dr. Strangemonkey hit this right on the head. Until recently, Droaam was even more chaotic than it is now, with a number of very powerful warlords scattered about. It's not a question of how the medusas would have dealt with humanity; its a question of how they would have dealt with Mordain the Fleshweaver, Xor'chylic, the Dark Pack, and the other forces of Droaam. Now that the Daughters of Sora Kell have established some sense of order to the region, the Queen of Stone is certainly looking at ways that she could usurp that power.

With that said, what's giving you the idea that there are thousands of medusas in Cazhaak Draal? Page 167 specifically say "she has relatively few subjects (and those are rather independently minded)." This isn't a disciplined army of thousands of medusas; it's a few hundred medusas, many of whom have their own ideas about how things should be and who should be in charge. And as the good doctor said, they still haven't laid claim to all of their own city; they're in no rush to try to conquer the world.

Addressing another point, it is certainly the case that there have been high level NPCs in the past. But high level characters are heroes, and they don't come around ever day; most of the heroes of the current age were killed during the century of war. I look at it as a story: the main characters are special people with a potential beyond the common folk. Just because some guard has been protecting Gondor for 20 years doesn't make him the equal of Legolas or Aragorn, and what would be the fun if it did? A 5th-level character *is* pretty impressive, and that veteran should be looked at with respect; put him up against a group of 1st-level warriors and see how he does. But 5th level may simply be as far as he can go; he just doesn't have the unlimited potential that characterizes a PC (or a significant villain). There are powerful forces out there -- people like the Keeper of the Flame and the druid Oalian. But they are not nearly as powerful as the epics seen in some settings, and they have reasons why they can't solve the world's problems.

If your characters get to the highest levels, then they can become the new legends of the world. People should be amazed by what they can do, not simply yawn and say "Yes, we've seen that before -- every metropolis has a few 18th level wizards." They can take on challenges that have in the past devastated civilizations -- forces like the Dreaming Dark or the Daelkyr.

Anyhow, that's the theory behind it. Obviously, it's not for everyone, and I'm sorry if it's not for you!

 

[Kesh]

I've just gotta say: Hellcow, that icon rocks.

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

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Interesting...
Are these balancing factors numerous and well detailed in Eberron ?




Chacal

I'm not completely certain what you are asking for here, but overall I would say yes. It's very easy to get an idea of why people of various levels are where they are and why it matters.

The book also gives me the rather nice feeling that there are really high level characters out there sort of hiding away. I like that because the hero that comes from nowhere when all the important local heroes have been chewed up is such a nice trope which is hard to use when you have FRs all the super heroes know each other situation.

Plus, those heroes are likely to be awfully odd or grizzled. Like, for instance, the 20th level awakened tree. That plant rocks.

Not to say I don't like FR, just to say I'm happy to see this option back.

My one complaint is that I'm not very certain, with a few notable exceptions, what the basic variety in culture and lifestyle is for humans.

I certainly have a very good idea of how the individual cities, courts, and organizations differ, but not so much how the peasants of Karranth are different from the peasants of Brenel.

Do they eat fruit filled breads or cheese filled pastas?

Does one prefer dirges where the other prefers ditties?

It may be that they aren't that different, they were after all all part of the same nation fairly recently, or that I haven't read enough or carefully enough.

Mind you, I think this setting gives me the best idea ever of how the odd cultures work, Sharn, the Gnome lands, and the halflings are all very well evoked. It's nice to see a setting where the monster lands are some of the best work rather than simply a dark place on the map.