Sharn: How is it?

[Morpheus]

Very good book. The only problem I foresee is digesting all of the districts, wards and neighborhoods. There are literally, hundreds of them. Otherwise, it's close to being one of the best books that WoTC has put out in awhile.
BTW, I agee on other people's take on the levels of NPCs-they should be low-to-mid. If I wanted Elminster types, I'd be playing in the Realms.

 

[Sorren]

I agree, given the very clear D&D demographics combined with the short amount of time it takes to level.

Eberron has different demographics, and not everyone is an adventurer. It takes about a dozen good encounteres to level. The average person won't see a dozen encounters in his life.

 

[Sorren]

Very good book. The only problem I foresee is digesting all of the districts, wards and neighborhoods. There are literally, hundreds of them.

Agreed. It's pretty intimidating.

 

[Arnwyn]

I just don't care for Forgotten Realm's power level or emphasis on elves (especially drow, which has become ridiculous).

Now unlike your other shot, that is a legitimate statement.

I just hope the warforged doesn't become the new drow...

Too late!

Eberron has different demographics,

That's cool. I haven't seen the Campaign Setting book, but hopefully they explain how it differs from the stuff in the DMG.

If there are that many neighborhoods, I'm definitely looking forward to peering at this book.

 

[Spatula]

I agree, given the very clear D&D demographics

As noted, Eberron doesn't use the standard D&D class-level-by-city-size demographics.

combined with the short amount of time it takes to level.

Keith Baker has said that in his view, the XP rules don't apply to NPCs. The PCs level quickly (and get action points) because, as the heroes, they're a cut above most people.

 

[Mystery Man]

Eberron sees character with levels above 6th (or 9th in the case of Sharn itself) to be almost unheard of. They are the elite. The pinnicle of their race. There were once more higher level characters, but most all of them used their experience to help in the war, which eventually led to their death.

Nothing like a few decades of war to thin the population.

Now that makes sense, I'll give you that until you hit Sharn. I'm thinking there needs to be a lot of work done on the DM's part to put the big hitters in there, which is fine but I just don't see a city like that without them.

This gives the PCs a chance to become real heroes. At 20th level, fighters become unstoppable warriors of legend, mages are seen as demi-gods, clerics are messiah figures, or incarnations of the gods etc

And here comes the problem again, what or who can challenge PC's who reach those levels? I can only assume that Wizards was paying attention to thier audience (who mostly plays low level) and taylored a setting for them?

 

[Pseudonym]

I've quickly read through it, and what I see so far I like. The maps in the book are okay for visualization, but a bigger multilevel map would have been nice; especially since the book is designed where you can run an entire campaign and never leave the city.

I was happy to see that there were only three PrCs, a handfull of spells and no new elven subraces. I'm really enjoying this Eberron thing.

 

[Eremite]

Eberron sees character with levels above 6th (or 9th in the case of Sharn itself) to be almost unheard of. They are the elite. The pinnicle of their race. There were once more higher level characters, but most all of them used their experience to help in the war, which eventually led to their death. (snip)

While I realise that Eberron has begun this way, once it has been out for 12 or so months you watch the the power level of NPCs begin to creep until we have a setting that more reflects standard D&D demographics.

The current set-up is more about saying, "Look, this isn't FR!" than it is about "making sense".

 

[Knight Otu]

And here comes the problem again, what or who can challenge PC's who reach those levels? I can only assume that Wizards was paying attention to thier audience (who mostly plays low level) and taylored a setting for them?

The idea is not that there are no high-level NPCs. The idea is that there are no high-level allies. The rakshasa rajhas, the dreaming dark, the daelkyr and a few others can reasonably challenge high level characters, possibly into epic level. The dragons of Argonnessen may switch from friend to foe, or vice versa.

 

[Morpheus]

Agreed. It's pretty intimidating.

I don't know if intimidating is quite the word. Perhaps immense...