D&D 5E The Final Announcement from The Descent Live Stream: Eberron Hardcover

The final announcement at the end of The Descent stream is a hardcover book for the Eberron setting!

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No details have been announced, but Nathan Stewart closed out the live stream event for The Descent by proclaiming the final book out this year would be a hardcover setting book for Eberron.

 

[Remathilis]

Eberron is my favourite setting. Between this and the Baldur’s Gatel stuff it’s like they’re custom making books just for me.

Last year, I decided to run a pirates game in Eberron. This year, I get Ghosts of Saltmarsh and an Eberron HC. It's like WotC knows what I needed...

 

[MNblockhead]

I’d like to see an adventure mixed into the book somewhat like the Ravnica offering. Sounds like it won’t have room but I’m a fan of the setting/adventure style they have been using.

I second this. I like to play in different settings but don't have the time to run or play in multiple campaigns. If I can play several sessions, the price of the book is worth it to me.

With Ravnica, I buy it to enjoy the art and reading it. Run the adventure and maybe run the occasional one-shot.

Eberron is the same.

If they open up the settings to DMs Guild, others can flesh out all the details.

 

[Staffan]

A neat feature of Eberron is the absence of nature. Or rather, nature is pushed into the background while psionics and elementalism are pulled into the foreground. Thus background and foreground contrast each other and heighten each other.

Of course, focusing on a nonurban region in Eberron reverses this, where nature becomes the center, and psionics and elementalism are distant contrasts.

I think we take away very different things from Eberron. I don't see it as a particularly urban setting. Yes, Sharn gets quite a bit of attention (particularly in the Wayfarer's Guide), but so does Waterdeep in the Forgotten Realms. But other than that, there's lots of wilderness to explore and adventure in - the Shadow Marches, the Eldeen Reaches, and Q'Barra are all largely untamed wildernesses, and Valenar and the Talenta Plains are both dominated by nomads. Even the settled nations have large portions of wilderness and rural areas in them. And beyond Khorvaire, the entire continent of Xen'drik is there for wilderness exploration.

Neither would I call Eberron a setting where psionics and elementalism are in the foreground. Eberron has some spectacular features based on bound elementals, with the Lightning Rail being the foremost one. But other than that, it's mostly a curiosity. And regarding psionics, I would call it a setting that has a place for psionics if you want it, but it's not a front-and-center kind of thing. You could run a dozen Eberron campaigns without ever mentioning Riedra.

 

[Yaarel]

I think we take away very different things from Eberron. I don't see it as a particularly urban setting. Yes, Sharn gets quite a bit of attention (particularly in the Wayfarer's Guide), but so does Waterdeep in the Forgotten Realms. But other than that, there's lots of wilderness to explore and adventure in - the Shadow Marches, the Eldeen Reaches, and Q'Barra are all largely untamed wildernesses, and Valenar and the Talenta Plains are both dominated by nomads. Even the settled nations have large portions of wilderness and rural areas in them. And beyond Khorvaire, the entire continent of Xen'drik is there for wilderness exploration.

Neither would I call Eberron a setting where psionics and elementalism are in the foreground. Eberron has some spectacular features based on bound elementals, with the Lightning Rail being the foremost one. But other than that, it's mostly a curiosity. And regarding psionics, I would call it a setting that has a place for psionics if you want it, but it's not a front-and-center kind of thing. You could run a dozen Eberron campaigns without ever mentioning Riedra.

I count the Kalashtar and their homeplane as psionic themes. Plus normal psionics is common.

I count the Artificer, and even the armor golem Warforged, as elemental themes. Plus, the ‘alchemy’ of ubiquitous magic.

 

[MarkB]

I count the Kalashtar and their homeplane as psionic themes. Plus normal psionics is common.

And if you don't visit Riedra you may never see a Kalashtar (that you know of). And psionics aren't otherwise commonplace in Khorvaire.

I count the Artificer, and even the armor golem Warforged, as elemental themes. Plus, the ‘alchemy’ of ubiquitous magic.

Warforged are constructs, but not elemental constructs. They have living souls, though people aren't generally sure how or why. And artificers are manipulators of magic in general - they're not elemental specialists.

The great thing about Eberron is that you could emphasise these themes, or almost any other niche of D&D, and they could be made prominent while fitting seamlessly into the setting. But you could also ignore them entirely, and they'd remain as minor background details, never having any direct impact upon your campaign.

 

[Aldarc]

For Eberron lovers, do you view Ravnica as competition? Both are mainly urban and ubiquitous magic.

Not really. They play to different campaign hooks, themes, and even aesthetics.

A neat feature of Eberron is the absence of nature. Or rather, nature is pushed into the background while psionics and elementalism are pulled into the foreground. Thus background and foreground contrast each other and heighten each other.

Of course, focusing on a nonurban region in Eberron reverses this, where nature becomes the center, and psionics and elementalism are distant contrasts.

Most of Khorvaire is actually rural. Many of the nations that broke away from the Five Nations of Galifar are also fairly non-urban too. And the nation of Cyre, which used to contain many major cities, also is now a smoldering wild magic wasteland. Across the ocean, both Aerenal and Xen'drik are mostly jungles. While the urban fantasy and cityscapes are commonly marketed for Eberron, it has a LOT of wilderness, nature, and rural areas.

Does it have Dragonborn in it? If so, don't care. 3e Eberron, the way it was intended or nothing.

The way it was intended? If you knew anything about Eberron, then you would know that is ignorance talking. Let's look at #1 on the list of 10 Things You Need to Know About Eberron (ECS p.8): "If it exists in D&D, then it has a place in Eberron."

Eberron was intentionally written to be inclusive of all D&D content at the time of 3E. In fact, 3E arguably does not even represent Eberron "the way it was intended" once you realize how much was changed, inserted, and rewritten from Baker's initial draft and sales pitch to the final product. WotC basically reworked Baker's Eberron for 3E fairly extensively. Fairly certain, for example, that shifters, warforged, and kalashtar were actually "forced" into Eberron by WotC because Wizards wanted Eberron to feature new character options. Halflings riding dinosaurs also came into the picture at the point when WotC was editing the project. This is not to discredit the creative genius or input of Keith Baker, but Eberron was a a team effort and "the way it was intended" emphasizes point #1 above: Eberron is inclusive of whatever D&D content you want to use.

 

[PrimevalSeeker]

I guess they are pretty set on the current design of the artificer, since this book is going to be released so soon. :S

 

[Doc_Klueless]

I'm excited. I didn't really get into Eberron in the past editions. I wanted to get into it this edition. Between the WGtE and the new Hard Back, I'm very excited.

Especially since this content will be released on DNDBeyond and, most likely, Fantasy Grounds! All that info at my fingertips for my game group to enjoy without the laborious task of inputting the information myself.. Very excited.

 

[dave2008]

The Guide is only supposed to get the finalized version of the Artificer, so I would guess it will not be added til the hardcover book is sent off to the printer.

Yes, that is what I believe as well. I didn't intend to suggest anything different.

 

[Parmandur]

I guess they are pretty set on the current design of the artificer, since this book is going to be released so soon. :S

I reckon they were waiting to see how the Artificer playtest went before proceeding with this book: they haven't done a mass survey, but they have doubtless been doing legwork to see what people think.