Magic of Eberron - any good?

[JustKim]

I've said it before and I see people beating me to it here but I'm going to repeat myself anyway. The fluff of Magic of Eberron is largely mindless filler. It's not a "Magic of" book in the way Magic of Faerun is, and it's not an Eberron book in the way Five Nations is. You will have several pages of introduction to a concept like grafts or artifice items, then a few examples of those concepts, and then the book moves on, so that half the pages in the book are filled with inane blathering. The new magic item format is just terrible, stretched out into about a third of a page per item for information that always used to fit in a short blurb. What's given about the magic item is not even consistant.

On a personal note I also hate the "Draxhall Jump Entertainment" afro guy watermark. Every splash page features an immersive Eberron scene, and there in the middle of everything is a cartoon doodle of a man in an afro. Now I don't mind those kinds of signatures when they're pieces done by my peers for a local Mexican place, but how unprofessional do you have to be to compromise a high-end fantasy illustration with a completely out of context watermark straight out of sixth grade? Really, take some pride in your work.

 

[Nightfall]

Just Kim,

You totally got to the point of why I didn't care that much about this book. I felt like I was reading some sub par d20 magic book instead of an Eberron book. Five Nations MIGHT not have don't that much for me, but both it AND Explorer's Guidebook did more to interest me than this did.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Hate to say it, but I've been digging this book too. The alternative warforged "race" with the change of a starting feat sets in my mind a lot of wheels turning.

I also like the sidebars at the bottom of the first chapter and how they tell you where each mechanic is that links to the subject.

I'm also enjoying the concept of creating little worlds that last a second and yanking something out of that world to make something more dangerous. The monsters in the book are very interesting.

And the art! Man, the art went up like three notches for the splash pages. Very impressive, right up there with 1st ed Mutants & Masterminds in my humble opinion.

 

[demiurge1138]

I rather like Magic of Eberron so far, but here's my secret.

I haven't read it.

That is to say, I haven't sat down and read the thing from cover to cover. I've merely browsed its rules, liked what I saw, used a feat or a magic item or a monster or whatever. I'll probably read the whole thing sooner or later, but it's not too high on my priorities for now. And as a toolbox, it's great. I'm just not too sure how I'll enjoy it as a book.

Demiurge out.

 

[Warbringer]

[Hate]

Context: I don't like Eberron, I don't like the way it plays, I don't like warforged (in no way
are they orginal)

That said: MoE is a solid book. Exceptionally well written, nice concepts. Hell, it's even in my collection and I neven would have expected that with Eberron ...

[/Hating]

 

[XCorvis]

If you like Grafts and Symbiotes, this book is a must have. There are a few good spells and items, and a couple of the PrCs look neat, but otherwise, meh. Not really worth the price. Like JustKim mentioned, I would have preferred a really fluffy book like 5 Nations or a really crunchy book like Magic of Faerun.

Also, Psi-forged should not qualify as a new race. They are different from warforged by ONE FEAT. There were some neat ideas there, but for the most part it was a waste of space.

 

[Nightfall]

Joe,

While the book is well done, I do think the authors missed the point in covering merely psionics and arcane arts. I mean magic is both DIVINE and arcane. A book about the magic of Eberron, IMHO, should have more than just the arcane and psionic traditions of some of Eberron.

I mean is it really THAT fair to not cover the churches and their views on magic? I mean if magic exists, the churches, regardless of panethonic differences, SHOULD have some idea of what kind of arcane traditions MIGHT be acceptable.

That's all I'm saying.

Otherwise it's a more than decent book compared to say the lack of decency CoR did.

 

[JoeGKushner]

I suspect that we'll see a Powers of Eberron or something similiar for more clerical magic and holy items and such. Could be wrong about that though.

 

[Nightfall]

I hope to hell you're right. My (now unused) githerzarai paladin would like to know if it's acceptable to socialize with a warmage/warlock gestalt, halfling not withstanding.

 

[Remathilis]

I hope to hell you're right. My (now unused) githerzarai paladin would like to know if it's acceptable to socialize with a warmage/warlock gestalt, halfling not withstanding.

It is NEVER acceptable to socialize with a warmage/warlock gestalt, no matter WHAT race, class or alignment you are.