D&D 5E Keith Baker Presents Closing Doors On Eberron

Keith Baker has announced that his Eberron-based publishing company will be ending production after 4 years. The company, led by Eberron creator Keith Baker, produced four incredibly popular books on the Dungeon Master's Guild--Exploring Eberron, Chronicles of Eberron, Dread Metrol, and Eberron Confidential. There is one more book planned--Frontiers of Eberron: Quickstone will be released by Visionary Production and Design who will also be continuing publication of the four existing books.

Eberron is an official D&D world, and was introduced to 5E with Eberron: Rising form the Last War in 2019.

We appreciate all the support and enthusiasm that our fans brought these past four years, and it is with a heavy heart that we must inform you that on June 30, 2023 KB Presents will be closing its doors. It has been a joy and honor to bring you our version of Eberron and we are incredibly proud of what we have created.

As we pursue new challenges and opportunities, we leave the existing works under the stewardship of Visionary Production and Design (https://twitter.com/visionarypnd). This includes the following Dungeon Masters Guild titles:

Exploring Eberron: Exploring Eberron - Dungeon Masters Guild | Dungeon Masters Guild
Chronicles of Eberron: Chronicles of Eberron - Dungeon Masters Guild | Dungeon Masters Guild
Dread Metrol: Dread Metrol: Into the Mists - An Eberron / Ravenloft Crossover - Dungeon Masters Guild | Dungeon Masters Guild
Eberron Confidential: Eberron Confidential - Dungeon Masters Guild | Dungeon Masters Guild

If you would like to continue supporting the former KB Presents production team, you can find us at:

Laura Hirsbrunner, Editor: Laura Hirsbrunner
Imogen Gingell, Designer: Imogen Gingell
Wayne Chang, Producer: Adventuring Zone
Keith Baker, Lead Designer: Twogether Studios

Our final book, Frontiers of Eberron: Quickstone, is slated for release in the latter half of 2023 and will be published under Visionary. We appreciate your taking this journey with us and we look forward to our paths crossing once again.

Thank you!

 

[LordEntrails]

After that book, Eberron will no longer be supported.

If WotC came out and said, "after this next book, we're no longer publishing new books for D&D", it would mean that WotC is no longer supporting D&D, even with all the stuff they put out in the past still being out there

Using that logic, the Forgotten Realms has not been supported since SCAG came out. I mean all the adventures might be set in FR, but they don't really add much to it do they? Even if you think they do, it would mean FR would be the same as Eberron in terms of support, it's not supported until the next adventure set there is published.

 

[bedir than]

Baker wrote about Eberron today

April Round-Up: Mror Halflings, Organized Sports, and More!

It’s been a busy month. As we’ve recently announced on Twitter, we’re shuttering KB Presents and I’m going to be focusing on my work with my company Twogether Studios. Howev…

keith-baker.com

 

[twincast]

I mean, it's not like he never talked about it before. It's a bummer, but not totally out of nowhere.

Keith Baker asks about walking away from Eberron.

Speaking of which, I feel sad either way, but what really baffles me is that they're walking away from Eberron print publications/large projects after the Frontiers book. He sounded particularly excited about continuing to explore that brand new corner, and it already got some buzz, so if it doesn't really need to be set on Eberron, then why not use it as a launching pad for future projects in a largely setting-agnostic wild west equivalent to good old Freeport? Feels like they're effectively ceding another setting/bundle of fresh creative ideas to WotC. Then again, I have no idea how people in general replied to his question. On the plus side, the last stream of money from me to WotC is thus dried up, huzzah!

 

[Zaukrie]

This is pure speculation on my part, and I am probably completely wrong here. But I cannot help but wonder if the upcoming Vecna storyline, which will take place across worlds, will make some subtle changes to Eberron lore -e.g., other worlds are more aware of it now and it is thus closer to the multiverse rather than mostly working on its own planar system- that made him think that it's better to have more control over a world lore-wise

He's been clear. He has a ton of ideas that don't fit in ebberron. He's been doing it for two decades and wants to do new stuff.... And he'll still do it on his Patreon and blog. Do people realize how many ideas a guy like him has? He wants to do new things. Why can't we just believe him when he says that?

 

[Veltharis ap Rylix]

Speaking of which, I feel sad either way, but what really baffles me is that they're walking away from Eberron print publications/large projects after the Frontiers book. He sounded particularly excited about continuing to explore that brand new corner, and it already got some buzz, so if it doesn't really need to be set on Eberron, then why not use it as a launching pad for future projects in a largely setting-agnostic wild west equivalent to good old Freeport? Feels like they're effectively ceding another setting/bundle of fresh creative ideas to WotC. Then again, I have no idea how people in general replied to his question. On the plus side, the last stream of money from me to WotC is thus dried up, huzzah!

The situation with the upcoming Frontiers book is part of the reason he wants to do new work, as I understand it.

The current name for the book is "Frontiers of Eberron: Quickstone", but it used to be "Frontiers of Eberron: Threshold", and one of the things he mentioned in a Patreon post when they decided to rename it (during the OGL kerfuffle, if I recall) was that the plan was essentially to finish up all of the stuff they'd planned that was specifically tied into existing Eberron lore, but also decouple a lot of the newer ideas they'd been developing to be repurposed for a new non-Eberron project that he'll have full control over, which took the "Threshold" name with it, thus prompting the change.

While I'm sure it will still be quite good, I gather Frontiers: Quickstone is probably going a fair deal smaller than its previous Threshold incarnation was planned to be.

 

[dave2008]

I'm being technical I guess. If WotC came out and said, "after this next book, we're no longer publishing new books for D&D", it would mean that WotC is no longer supporting D&D, even with all the stuff they put out in the past still being out there. The living, ongoing association between WotC and D&D would be over. That's what I'm talking about. I'm not saying it hasn't received a lot of support (comparatively). I'm not even saying what we have is or isn't enough (although the ending of an association of an author with their work is always a little sad). I'm just calling the situation as I see it.

Accept WotC hasn't said they are not publishing any more Eberron books. Also, they have not published anything (in Eberron) since RftLW book. So this is not something new. To be technical, as you put it, KB stepping back changes nothing from an official support situation.* He, and anyone else, can still publish Eberron material on the Guild and WotC can still publish Eberron material if they want.

*KB's work on DMsGuild (outside the first book I believe) is not any more "official" than any other Guild content.

 

[Palladion]

I just wanted to come on and say thank you to everyone for their kind words. Speaking as the behind the scenes partner and producer at KB Presents, the decision to shutter the company was not an easy one and was based on many factors including licensing limitations using DMs Guild. Frontiers of Eberron: Quickstone is the final Eberron book and there are no future commitments until at after OneD&D launches in 2024.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Hi Everyone!
Thanks for all the good wishes. As noted in the tweet earlier, while I’m shifting my primary focus to my work with Twogether Studios, I still love Eberron and will continue to write articles for my blog and my Patreon… I’m doing an Eberron story hour tomorrow on my Patreon Discord! So I’m excited about the new things on the horizon and narrowing my focus, but I’ll keep writing Eberron articles as long as my Patrons keep asking for them. The existing books will still be available from Visionary Production and Design, and I'm still excited about Frontiers of Eberron. It's a shift, but it's not the end.

My wife’s “memories” on FB recently came up reminding us of the time you helped us figure out how to translate her disgraced purple dragon knight into an Eberron character, turning her into the coolest Karrnathi Seeker Knight of The Onyx Skull ever, and forever giving Eberron my wife’s stamp of approval as her favorite setting.

She loves Ser Vidanya ir’Rogachovia so much, every time that game has hit a bump due to real life, we have refused to let the campaign die, even starting over at level 6 at one point. When I surprised her with a senior knight of the order raising her to full knighthood and thus redeeming her name at a tourney, she cried, and became more determined than ever to redeem the order and the Seekers in the eyes of Karrnath.

You did a very cool thing when you made that world, is what I’m saying.

I can’t wait to see the things you come up with in the future.

 

[Fandabidozi]

It is known.

This is the way.

 

[NiClerigo]

O

He's been clear. He has a ton of ideas that don't fit in ebberron. He's been doing it for two decades and wants to do new stuff.... And he'll still do it on his Patreon and blog. Do people realize how many ideas a guy like him has? He wants to do new things. Why can't we just believe him when he says that?

Oh, but I do believe him. Indeed, wanting to write new things, having greater freedom, etc., are indeed reasonable arguments. That said, it is unfair to be dismissive and outright just brand me outright as someone who does not trust him. His original message conveyed how he was hesitant and unsure about the move -of course, could be due to the fact that Eberron is already popular. But different factors may have played a role in the decision, and for different reasons, some of them could be better left unspoken -to avoid conflicts, etc. In the end, I think my suggestion -which is but a mere hypothesis- is perfectly compatible with believing what he said, i.e., how the world of Eberron will be portrayed in a Vecna or any other adventure could be at odds with his vision and further confirm why he would feel more at ease with greater control over some IP not owned by WotC, etc.