POLL: How will they mess up Eberron?

[Hardhead]

Well, I find myself once again hungering for an up-and-coming WotC product. It's the same mindset I had with the ELH, Deities and Demigods, and the Book of Exalted Deeds, among others.

With each one, I was greatly disappointed for a variety of reasons. From balance, to boredom, to pure broken-ness. Anyway, I still plan to look at it, but I've learned my lesson about buying WotC products sight unseen! And my naivete has turned into deep cynicism, so I'm convinced they'll manage to completly screw it up in some way or another.

How do you think it'll be done?

Funtime bonus: See if you can spot which existing books have which flaws (except for Poor Editing, obviously. Pretty much all WotC books have that now).

 

[Hand of Evil]

I think it will be voodoo magic item mechanics - by this I think they will have all these magical items that when the player trys to build or recreate does not work.

 

[Arnwyn]

The novel line screwing things up and constantly changing things, instead of letting the players/DMs make the changes suitable for their campaigns.

A constantly advancing "timeline" under the ridiculous belief that it "makes the world seem living and breathing".

Constantly regurgitating products, with the assertion that "it helps newcomers to the setting".

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

I think you missed one brand new way to screw everything up: making the Eberron D&D campaign setting a simple afterthought of Eberron electronic games.

 

[Henry]

Giant hordes of Mutant Sea Monkeys.

Once those go into a setting, there's no saving it.

Damn you, Keith Baker! Damn you for those Sea Monkeys!

 

[diaglo]

the Howard the Duck syndrome.

instead of mutant cat races, it will include mutant duck races.



actually, when i was at Gen Con they talked about a submission during one of the seminars that was like this.

 

[Hand of Evil]

the Howard the Duck syndrome.

instead of mutant cat races, it will include mutant duck races.



actually, when i was at Gen Con they talked about a submission during one of the seminars that was like this.

RuneQuest hangovers

 

[Wombat]

I dunno about these options.

From what I'm seeing, the real problem is more along the Rifts line -- throw together too many options simultaneously and keep adding more. The All-That-An'-A-Bowl-O'-Grits approach.

 

[d4]

From what I'm seeing, the real problem is more along the Rifts line -- throw together too many options simultaneously and keep adding more. The All-That-An'-A-Bowl-O'-Grits approach.

i think that's a good point. one thing the WOTC article states is that "If it's in the core rules, it's in Eberron." i realize that technically FR and Greyhawk also have this "flaw" (if you see it as one).

myself, i prefer worlds that are a little more tightly-focused. i recall previous threads here where we've talked about using a limited "monster palette" and such for homebrew worlds, and i really think that's the way to go. campaign settings like Rokugan, Al-Qadim, Dark Sun, Birthright, GR's Mindshadows and Testament, and the like appeal to me more than "wide-open anything goes" settings like this Eberron and FR.

 

[Desdichado]

I wouldn't go so far as to say I have faith in WotC, but at the moment, I'm looking forward to Eberron being a good book still. If I had to choose one likely flaw, it's the crunch/fluff ratio.