Straight Dope on Eberron . . .

[Tonguez]

I second the WOOT!

Third "kill-all-subraces" Woot

 

[Hellcow]

Thanks for clearing up that misconception about the orcs as Nazis.

No trouble. I certainly understand people's concerns, and again, whatever happens it won't be for everyone. Working only on the information that's been released, I have no idea what sort of a picture I'd have of the setting at this point. All I can say is that a lot of thought has gone into it, and hopefully it will exceed people's expectations.

I also think that I see now how Eberron's tone will be adaptable to any style of play. Dungeon Diving will be in there. While GMs who do groups running around cities (like myself) interacting with the citizenry will find plenty to like in Eberron.

That is exactly the idea, and part of why we say pulp *and* noir. If you want action action action, fighting fantastic monsters and overcoming bizarre traps in search of powerful treasures, that's there. But the setting is also designed to support intrigue, mystery, and urban campaigns. Of course, these aren't exclusive; again, I look to Brotherhood of the Wolf as a movie that had its share of action, while folding in mystery and conspiracy.

Anyhow, thanks to everyone for your interest, positive or negative. Again, with the relatively little information that has been released, I'm still hopefully that some of the negative opinions will be dispelled when all is finally made clear.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Indeed, seems like the world is certainly a worthy choice for the setting search, at least....

....though this does reinforce my idea that published campaign settings are mostly regular campaigns that get lucky. Certainly this isn't the first concept for a pulp/noir/acheo-adventure campaign setting, but it's the first one that was worded well enough to a bigwig to be accepted....

Either way, though, I'm very glad this didn't turn out to be just another FR/GH/DL....very glad. This bodes well for more adventurous campaign settings in the future, which is a good thing. Though I'm a bit wary of yet ANOTHER ancient lost culture of unspeakable power (though the Pulp aspect to it seems to temper the whole FR-style Ubermagic Ruins syndrome...). Still, the more creative and revolutionary the setting, the better chance there is for other wierd campaign settings to be published.....

 

[WayneLigon]

This just doesn't sound like a Dungeons & Dragons game to me. Probably could make excellent books and movies, but just not a D&D *game*. ... I just don't see how the standard D&D-type adventurers could go on D&D-style adventures. This is being billed sort of as the ultimate D&D world, by incorporating everything in the D&D books, but the flavor is coming out anti-D&D.

Hmmm. Well, since we don't know many details... I'll just go with the Pulp idea and toss out some.

Characters could all work for a Great Detective, or have their own detective agency (Lost Things Scryed, Bodies Guarded - Jealous Lover Come Back From the Grave as a Zombie? Call on us!) in a third-story walkup.

She walked in and I had to stare; it wasn't often that dark elf dames like this came all the way down to the docks. Usually they just sent their goons. She looked at me like I was something good to eat and smiled a cold smile. "I'm told you do investigations, Mr. Appolyon, and find lost people. I've lost something very important to me. Would you be interested in a hundred Royals a day plus expenses?"

I would be fascinated by fifty Royals but I didn't tell her that. I put my athame back in the drawer; I wouldn't be needing to put in holes in Miss Hundred Royals. At least not right away. "Talk," said.

Exploration of unknown places is all a tremendous part of the pulps and D&D; the focus there is almost the same: Go somewhere, get something, fight some evil/ancient curse/monster/tribe and win free.

 

[I'm A Banana]

I'm also interested in seeing how Eberron plays with the concept of XP....

Think of it. If there are even several 'low-level' mages, they need to get that way some how....and by default, the only way to get there is to beat up a few orcs, or endure otherwise life-threatening challenges....and life-threatening challenges become more rare for the common folk the farther that technology advances....

I'm thinking they're going to have more than a few ideas for story-based XP and labor-based XP woven into the setting......it's obvious that to keep the 'reality' in check, they need to concern themselves with NPC advancement....they could ignore it, but there's a few world problems in doing that, I think....

Anyhoo, still pondering this....

 

[Dragonblade]

Thanks for posting Keith! I hope you find the time to post more often.

 

[Nightfall]

It seems to me a lot of d20 settings are using Yuan Ti. I don't think it's exactly under-used. It is a hidden treasure that has been discovered.

Yeah the Yellow Jungle in Termana has swarms of them. I like Assathi better of course.

Btw thanks for posting here to Keith! I told you, En World IS nicer! Well some times.

 

[Ranes]

It's a progressive idea, and one that I think Monte Cook attempted with Ptolus, whereby he was creating a world where D&D's D&Disms were put into the spotlight and their implications explored.

The irony is that what D&D is designed to simulate (classic pulp swords & sorcery fantasy settings) has now come full circle, and now the simulation (D&D) is defining the setting! It is an approach which rapidly departs from the internal illogic of Middle Earth, Hyboria and Nehwon, which is ironic, because it is places like this that spawned the D&D cliches that are sculpting the Eberrons and Ptoluses.

These observations are largely academic, for there is no reason why Eberron shouldn't work on different levels to the classic settings, if not better than them. It does make me wonder if exploring D&D's implications is a common interest at WotC, given that they chose this setting and that Monte Cook (ex-WotC) runs a setting with similar themes.

I think I'm more interested in revelling in D&D cliche than exploring it's implications, so will probably get the Wilderlands instead (if anything...Necromancer seems to put the D&D back into D&D with products like that and the Tome of Horrors whilst WotC is busy abstracting from it nowadays). Still, I'll watch with interest how this turns out...

An astute post indeed, cunningly duplicated in its entirety.

I almost entirely agree, except that I may well purchase both Wilderlands and Eberron. I'm more likely to want to run a Wilderlands campaign and use Eberron for one-offs. But we'll see.

 

[Henry]

She walked in and I had to stare; it wasn't often that dark elf dames like this came all the way down to the docks...I put my athame back in the drawer; I wouldn't be needing to put in holes in Miss Hundred Royals. At least not right away. "Talk," I said.

When Eberron comes out, I expect a story hour outta you!

 

[Psion]

Yeah the Yellow Jungle in Termana has swarms of them.

Gee, SL wasn't at the top of the list of campaign settings I was thinking of. I'm thinking more of Arcanis, Mindshadows, and (dare I forget) FR.