Keith Baker (creator of Eberron) Q & A thread

[poilbrun]

I'll answer this one since I've probably seen it posted a dozen times in other threads.

Short Answer: No
Long Answer: Kieth has said he isn't sure if Wizards ever plans to make it public, but if they do, it will be a while. Eberron is still really new and Wizards doesn't want people to confuse what Eberron is with what it was.

Correct me if I'm wrong Keith.

Sorry, I've not really followed any other thread about Eberron than this one (except the one talking about the printing error, which prompted me to go to my FLGS instead of ordering it online!). Thanks for the reply!

 

[Macbeth]

Ah... See I was thinking the immovable rod was.....well...immovable.
Given that 8,000 lbs of force can move one, the lightning rail would knock it out of the way. But, I'd rule there is a good chance of it being jarred off its path of stones.

But which would give first? The front of the train or the rod? Since the rod requires a DC 30 Str check to move (apparently, I haven't checked for myself), you just have to decide if a DC 30 Str check would be enough to derail/destroy the front of/seriously damage the train. I don't have th book yet, and so don't know what the trains are made of, but a DC 30 check is a pretty good amount of force...

 

[Driddle]

Originally Posted by apsuman: "Ok, what happens if someone puts an immovable rod in place above the stones?"

That was my original idea, one that I intend to put into motion as soon as I get the $ to buy Ebberon. ...

No need to wait. You can do it right now, this very minute!
Just close your eyes (after you read this, of course), and think about a magic immovable rod being placed on magic train tracks in a magical place called Eberron. ... Can you see it yet? Keep using your special thinking muscles as hard as you can ... Keep thinking. Wait for it.

TA-DA! The rod is in place!

It's that easy! Imagination is funny that way!

Heck, right now I'm squeezing the living stuffin's out of a dozen drow for a special blackberry-and-elf pie that I'm going to serve to my good friend, President Al Gore. In my imagination after that we're a couple of rough ol' orc combat mercenaries on our way to pay a surprise visit to naughty Princess Tipper....

So what are you doing with your magic immovable rod now?

 

[Kesh]

I'm sorry if this info has been posted elsewhere, but I wanted to ask why a color pull-out map wasn't included, and if there will be one with another product.

It's going to be in Dungeon 113.

 

[Psiblade]

I just wanted to thank Keith on the great work. I am planning on running my next campaign in Eberron. I was wondering what expansions / accessories are currently planned.

-Psiblade

 

[Vocenoctum]

But which would give first? The front of the train or the rod? Since the rod requires a DC 30 Str check to move (apparently, I haven't checked for myself), you just have to decide if a DC 30 Str check would be enough to derail/destroy the front of/seriously damage the train. I don't have th book yet, and so don't know what the trains are made of, but a DC 30 check is a pretty good amount of force...

The simple answer really is that the train builders would have thought of that and had an answer to it. Perhaps an antimagic field up front, perhaps a Rod Repulsing effect from the stones.

I'm sure the rods would have been used already if they could be used. The designers (of the settings) can't think of everything, but the godlike intelligence of your average high level wizard surely would have. If not, the first time it happened they'd have prepared for the future use.

They did just have a major war after all.

 

[MDSnowman]

The simple answer really is that the train builders would have thought of that and had an answer to it. Perhaps an antimagic field up front, perhaps a Rod Repulsing effect from the stones.

I'm sure the rods would have been used already if they could be used. The designers can't think of everything, but the godlike intelligence of your average high level wizard surely would have. If not, the first time it happened they'd have prepared for the future use.

They did just have a major war after all.

Well you can look at it from another angle....

The Average Rod is two to three feet long. Two conductor stones can't be brought closer than five feet to each other. If the proposlation of the lightning rail depends on Conductor stones placed on the lightning rail itself it must float at least five feet off the ground, meaning it wouldn't even touch your immovable rod.

 

[rangerjohn]

That wouldn't matter, a immovable rod can 'float' . It specifically, mentions using them as a ladder.

 

[Gez]

Unless you live in a world where gravity exerts 8000 pounds of force on items the mass of an immovable rod, of course.

 

[Hellcow]

OK, I'll try to squeeze in a few more answers...

What was the original inspiration behind the mournland?

There were lots of different sources of inspiration. I've used similar areas in many of my previous campaigns. First, it allows the DM to have dangerous monsters in relatively close proximity to civilization without saying "why haven't they all been wiped out?" Second, it allows the DM to add in his favorite creatures; maybe the abeil don't fit Eberron as a whole, but they've just been found in the Mournland! Third, it's another way of providing dungeon crawls -- instead of exploring ancient ruins that are untouched for some reason, you're exploring extremely recent ruins. There are many more things that I like about it, but aside from all of these, it also serves the purpose of both ending the war and throwing a big monkey wrench into the previous political and geographical layout of the continent.