Sharn as a self-contained setting. . .

[jdrakeh]

Earlier today, I picked up a copy of AEG's World's Largest Dungeon for a planned True20 campaign (I figured that it would be a fertile test bed). Immediately afterward, I realized that the WLD isn't linked to a given setting (implied or specific). I'd just traded off my Wilderlands stuff*, so I decided that I needed a decent standalone city book to drop on top of the dungeon - but what to get?

When I asked the store clerk for a recommendation, he immediately pointed to Sharn. Now, granted, it is intended to supplement the Eberron Campaign Setting, but knowing little about it, I decided to give it a chance as the price was right and the free CD would come in handy during the campaign. I was pleasantly surprised. In many ways, Sharn reminds me of the old (AD&D 1e) FR supplements in that it can stand on its own if you're willing to flesh out the external references (i.e., references to other places in Eberron) yourself.

Now, I'll probably never DM a full-blown Eberron campaign, but I'm sold 100% on Sharn as a standalone city supplement -- indeed, I think that it better suits my needs in this reagrd than either The City State of Invincible Overlord, Freeport, or Five Fingers did. So, out of curiosity, has anybody else used Sharn in this manner?

*If it matters, I parted with all of my JG material because the numerous anachronistic references to real religious figures from our own reality shatterd my suspension of disbelief.

 

[Glyfair]

I've only seen two major recurring complaints about Sharn. A number of people jump to the Sharn=Coruscant conclusion and don't look further (a lot are those who draw the warforged=robot conclusion) and a lot of people complain about not having detailed maps of Sharn. Personally, I'm not sure exactly how they would fully map such a 3D city, and think it would lose much of its charm that way. Other people differ and consider it a poor product because it lacks those maps.

I bought it for an Eberron campaign, but the first thing I thought when going through it is that you could easily have an entire campaign take place within Sharn and the immediate environs. Adding to this are the number of feats and classes that are only useful within Sharn. Really, what PC would take the Skymage class when 90% of the abilities are only useful in Sharn in a normal Eberron campaign?

 

[MarkB]

I've only seen two major recurring complaints about Sharn. A number of people jump to the Sharn=Coruscant conclusion and don't look further (a lot are those who draw the warforged=robot conclusion) and a lot of people complain about not having detailed maps of Sharn. Personally, I'm not sure exactly how they would fully map such a 3D city, and think it would lose much of its charm that way. Other people differ and consider it a poor product because it lacks those maps.

I don't mind the lack of maps, but what I felt the book could desperately do with was a decent artwork image of the entire city, seen from a distance, to give a true impression of the place as a whole. Preferably as a full-page image.

 

[Vocenoctum]

I think Sharn is good as a city, my main complaints with it were history/background stuff (building a port city without a port, the importance of the city before anyone figured out their was a Manifest Zone mainly)

The main geographic thing I didn't like was building on the high points and leaving the valleys to nothing. It just didn't sync well for me as a City In The Sky type, but it's still good.

Plus, it has Red Light District prices, and an ascetic gnome, it's gotta be good.

So, basically, for me it works better as a stand alone city than an Eberron city.

 

[Remathilis]

Sharn is great, but I highly suggest the index found here: http://www.bossythecow.com/sharnindex.htm