The Core...Forgotten...Eberron?

[Obryn]

Hey there, and welcome!

I haven't run Eberron yet, but I've been running 4e for a while now, and it's a very strong system if you don't let it rule you. It's especially easy on DMs - your players are responsible for keeping track of their players, and you're not expected to know everything they can do. (If you have questions about something they're doing, either look it up or check it after the session, but by and large, trust in your players' ability to handle the rules for their own characters.)

Overall, I'd very strongly recommend subscribing to DDI for a month (or more) if you have a PC. The Character Builder and Monster Builder are worth their weight in gold. If you're creating your own adventures, look up Masterplan - it's a management tool that lets you quickly and easily plan entire campaigns.

The biggest thing I'd suggest for any published setting is to start small. Don't worry about the whole world - worry about a little corner of it, to get things started. Move outwards in rings, and soon enough, you'll get the entire setting.

Don't be afraid to overrule canon. Setting canon is your servant, not your master. Use it for inspiration, but freely ignore or contradict it, and let your players know ahead of time that it's what you intend to do. I personally try never to run a setting that my players know better than I do, but it can be done.

Good luck and happy gaming! 4e is a blast, and I hope you get a kick out of it.

-O

 

[malraux]

If you're playing 4e, think "Diablo, but on paper".

No, Diablo on paper is 3e. Really, it is.

More seriously, the best way to learn is to play. Assuming you are going with 4e, which is the current version, I would recommend getting the Player's Handbook and either borrow or buy the 4e Eberron Player's Guide. After that, you might want to consider subscribing to the Dungeon and Dragon Insider service at wizards.com for a month. You'll get access to a program call the Character Builder which is really really good at creating characters. It also works once your subscription expires, so the 1 month subscription is a really good value.

Beyond that, there are very few stupid questions, so feel free to ask.

 

[Psion]

No, Diablo on paper is 3e. Really, it is.

This way edition wars lie.

 

[Mistwell]

This way edition wars lie.

Guy asks for advice for playing 4e. Almost immediately he gets...

Fighter casting spells and video-gamy reference:

...in 4e your fighter essentially casts spells...It's been said that the game is very video-game influenced, and it's easy to see why.

And, from a guy who didn't even know 4e had an Eberron setting, a Diablo on paper reference:

If you're playing 4e, think "Diablo, but on paper".

And you thought edition warring started later in the thread, when someone mentions that the Diablo game was literally based on 3e and translated to 3e rules in return?

 

[Psion]

And you thought edition warring started later in the thread, when someone mentions that the Diablo game was literally based on 3e and translated to 3e rules in return?

No, in actuality I don't. My point in the post wasn't that edition warring wasn't already starting. But that's already water under the bridge. My point was in hopes of deterring further edition warry responses from that point, and that the smarmy link WASN'T helping.

 

[JustKim]

If you're coming into 4E from 3E, this page is a great summary of some of the stickier changes that can throw people off: 3E to 4E: Stumbling Blocks « Claw/Claw/Peck

If you're coming into 4E from Baldur's Gate, I don't think you will have much confusion. The language is very different and most of the 2E mechanics were hidden from the player during the game.

When you start running 4E, especially if you're running your own stuff, pay attention to the following sections of the DMG:
Additional Rules (especially the table, pg 42)
Encounter Components (especially Spending Your XP Budget, pg 57)
Treasure (especially Awarding Treasure, pg 125)

And out of the PHB, familiarize yourself with the skill list (pg 178), and conditions (pg 277). It's a good idea to bookmark the conditions page.

As for the tone of Eberron, I'm currently a player in a very cool Eberron game that borrows heavily from the US jazz age for flavor. If you get a pulp feeling from Eberron, I think this is a terrific way to go with it. I ran a couple of 3.5 Eberron games some years ago, and I don't think I had much of a theme for the first one, it was just the official adventure path. The second one was more Indiana Jones seat of your pants adventure where trespass into ruins, theft of relics, and unapproved crossing of borders were criminal offenses by the letter of the Treaty of Thronehold and so, too, was adventuring. It boiled down to a lot of shady deals and avoiding the authorities.

 

[BryonD]

when someone mentions that the Diablo game was literally based on 3e and translated to 3e rules in return?

Actually, the part that got a chuckle out of me was the inability to distinguish between *a Diablo game based on 3E*, which is accurate and *No, Diablo on paper is 3e. Really, it is*.

All baseballs are balls. Not all balls are baseballs.

But, then again, he was slamming 3e......

 

[Rel]

Sheesh, knock it OFF with the edition war sniping. Please?!

 

[jbear]

Whoah... okay, for a start, people are generally pretty darn cool here on the boards at Enworld. It's not normal for such an innocent petition of advice or tips on a setting would so quickly be reduced to nasty sniping. So, yeah, let me apologise to you on their behalf, I'm sure they would want to do the same.

I don't know Eberron very well myself so I can't give you any tips. But, if your biggest RPG experience to date is through video games, I can say that there is a pretty darn cool Eberron based D&D online video game which is totally free (unless you want to really advance in the game, then you have to start paying for adventures and stuff, but i understand you can reach level 10 or 12 without paying anything). Funnily enough it is calle D&D online. I'm pretty sure google search will lead you to the right place. Maybe this will let you get a bit of a glimpse of Eberron, familiarise youself with places, names and history.

Anyway, I hope you have a really great time playing in a real life game. Seriously, it is LOADS of fun!

Good Luck!!!!

 

[Mistwell]

Edited after seeing mod post.