The Best & Worst of 3rd Edition: Ultimate 3E: Unearthed Arcana, Eberron, Pathfinder

[fuindordm]

Unearthed arcana was cool, but only about 50% cool. The other 50% was worse than useless (Elemental races? Life paths? So much page count, so little meat...).

Eberron is inspiring.

I don't know the Pathfinder product, but looks like I'll have to check it out.

Ben

 

[SSquirrel]

I am hoping that it won't come to a "hand count". And its is a tight race in any case.

At least internet voting means no chads

 

[DaveMage]

At least internet voting means no chads

Yeah, I hate it when Chad votes - he's a loser.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

I love Pathfinder and Eberron, but my vote has to go to Pathfinder.

After several horrible attempts to run and play in Eberron games, I started to wonder if I was the only one in my group who like this setting. Most of the people I associated with didn't like some Eberron's design elements.

Some of those being(These are there opinions not mine)...

-That the gods may or may not exist. But if they do they don't interfere with mortal affairs. "Heck at least in the Realms I can have a sit down chat with my god."

-Warforged/Changeling/Shifter. "If I wanted to play a robot/doppleganger/werewolf I would".

-Shades of Gray. "How is it a NG Queen could want war, and a Vampire King wants peace"

-No moving Timeline. "If the Realms does, why not this"

-Too much is left for the DM to decide. "At least the Forgotten Realms books tells me what I need to know."

-Trains. "So since there's trains, can I have a car"

-Native Outsiders. "So you're telling me that we even though we killed that group of Rakshasas, they're just going to come back?"

-The way the planes are set up.

-That there is no Sigil. "How are we supposed to get to Greyhawk and the Realms than?"

-That there are not enough high/Epic level NPCs to "pal" around with. "In my last game Elminster was my best friend. We would go drink and tell tales."

-To plot heavy. I still can't see what they meant by this one

Thanks for listing so many of the reasons why I do like Eberron. (Hearing that a lot right now...)

Tastes differ, but it's a nice big table. I very much like that Eberron does not pretend to be a medieval setting. I like that it feels more 'Casablanca' than 'Lord of the Rings'. I am actually sorry that the setting wasn't around when I started up my 3.X games - I would have had a lot of fun running games in it.

The Auld Grump

 

[Hellcow]

I like that it feels more 'Casablanca' than 'Lord of the Rings'.

In my opinion, Stormreach is especially good for the Casablanca or Algiers-style game - the city on the edge of the world where none of the great nations hold sway, where expatriates rub shoulders with smugglers and soldiers, beyond the battlefields of the Last War but where people are still continuing the struggles that have died down in Khorvaire. I'm running my 4E Eberron campaign there, and I as much as I love Sharn, being outside the Five Nations and out on the edge makes Stormreach perfect for this sort of thing.

 

[Klaus]

In my opinion, Stormreach is especially good for the Casablanca or Algiers-style game - the city on the edge of the world where none of the great nations hold sway, where expatriates rub shoulders with smugglers and soldiers, beyond the battlefields of the Last War but where people are still continuing the struggles that have died down in Khorvaire. I'm running my 4E Eberron campaign there, and I as much as I love Sharn, being outside the Five Nations and out on the edge makes Stormreach perfect for this sort of thing.

Stormreach is all well and good (and we're getting a sourcebook on it), but I'd really like to see more on Q'Barra. Prince Oagrev may be the ruler-in-exile of Cyre, but the true heritage of Galifar lives in those perilous jungles.

 

[megamania]

Eberron 'nuff said

 

[megamania]

I just had to say- I am THOURGHLY enjoying reading Keith's comments on this thread. So- why do I like Eberron and what have I done to make it "mine" as a DM?

1) Direction but no conclusions
I like Eberron for the openness of the campaign. Direction is given but no final meanings or conclusions. Elves and Dragons go to war every so often. Why? The DM can dicide. There was an attempt to stop one war by having cross breeding with a dragon marked family member. Why? Why did it go so badly?

2) Gods (lack there of)
The followers of the Soveriegn Host in Sharn would handle this situation as A Soveriegn Host followers in Aundair would handle it as B and this fringe group in Karrnath would handle it as C. All accurate , all true to the game world.

3) Diversity
Anything belongs here from any WoTC products and any Scarred Lands, Ravenloft, Darksun and so on and so on. As a DM whom loves the use of Templates this place is awesome. Anything goes. One can not assume anything.

4) Subtle tweaks on races
Gnomes are eeeeeeeee-vil in my games. Not because they sacrifice virgins or prey to evil creatures because they will do anything to protect their country. and do it without betraying their actions / involvment.

5) Any story / Plot can occur
I have done stories involving serial killers, god-haters, dungeon delving, world history, dragons trying to start crap, dragons trying to stop crap and dragon's playing both sides at the same time. Again- anything goes, nothing can be assumed.

6) Eberron = Jenner's World
As it happens, my Homebrew, Jenner's World, is extremely similiar to Eberron. So it was very easy to drop my ideas into the world of Eberron.


There are other ideas and examples but the reoccuring phrase of "Never assume anything..." sumes it up. Thankyou Kieth and WoTC for Eberron.



PS now about fixing the problem with the cancellation of Dungeon and Dragon magazines....

 

[megamania]

I love the fact that if I go to a convention and play in a stranger's Eberron campaign, I DON'T know what he's going to do with the Lord of Blades - even though I created the setting!

Andrew Farrell's Lord of Blades-

The Lord of Blades "died" on the battle field on Orlune 20 but was reborn a few days later. He discovered he had a new sense of awareness. He had visions and revelations of things important within the borders of the gray mists. Wanting to inform the world of what he had discovered of Cyre he tried to leave the land but could not. He was trapped. To leave the mists led to death.

Shortly thereafter he was "killed" but on Orlune 20 he was resurrected. Thus how he has gained a bit of "diety" sense complete with followers.

Within the mists he is largely immortal but to leave them leads to his death. He feels this has happened to him to create the Steel Nation, a realm for constructs and to find out what has happened to Cyre to begin with.

One of his top "priests" is aiding him by investigating but also hopes to figure out how to destroy the LoB so that he may become the new ruler.

 

[TerraDave]

Its going to be close.