Why are you looking forward (or not looking forward) to Eberron?

[Ashrem Bayle]

Blame WOTC

I do. Promotion of Eberron has been very poor up until recently.

People freaked when they saw a picture of a train and a dinosaur.

You're right about the dinasaurs. They exist on a single small continent as I understand it. As far as "magitech" is concerned, I don't believe that to be acurate at all. The level of magic in Eberron will be consistant with the level of magic already defined by the core D&D books. The Core books set the magic level. It wasn't just pulled out of the air. The fact is, the Forgotten Realsm and Greyhawk settings really don't work well within the framework of the Core Rules. Eberron was designed with the rules in mind from the ground up.

There is the Lightning Rail and Airships. However, these things are very, very rare according to Kieth. Judging from his comments, I'd guess that, in the entire world, there are maybe three Lightning Rails and maybe 10 or so Airships.

Warforged characters might ALMOST be considered "magitech", but we've had golems in D&D since day one. It's not a big stretch to give them a working brain. Would you call the Tin-Man magitech?

 

[BryonD]

Interesting.

I knew that the magic level was the same as core D&D. But I had gathered that this level was simply more pervasive. For example, having continual flame streetlamps would be magitech without being a higher level of magic power.

I am suprised to hear that lightning rails are so rare. That, again, is very much the opposite of what I thought. And I am of belief that quite a few others thought the same as me.

It is hard for me to imagine swashbuckling swordfights on lightning rails being a big part of the game if they are rare. And it is equally hard for me to see Sky Pirates as a big deal if there are only 10 or so airships. I mean, are there just 2 sky pirate airships and they spend all their time attacking the other eight?

Anyway, we will see.

FWIW, I'll assume a little less based on your input.

I think it is an uphill battle regardless. FR is a proven formula. The closer you stay to the formula, the less motive there is for change. The father you stray the more likely it is you become another Dark Sun: A setting just popular enough to have a lot of people unhappy that it is not viable.

 

[BryonD]

Would you call the Tin-Man magitech?

Yes. (And as a literary symbol for industry in the form of a magically living man, that seems appropriate)

 

[Kilmore]

I confess a definite interest, but unfortunately, until I suddenly become wealthy, I'm not sure if I will be able to get into it. Too many other things, gaming and otherwise, on my plate right now.

From what I've seen, there are some thing I'm interested in for the sake of my own campaign world, others that I don't think will fit so well.

 

[rounser]

Right! now ha, ha

I am a dungeon-punk
I am a magi-punk
Don't know what I want
But I know how to get it.
I wanna destroy swords and sorcery
'Cos I....wanna be...3.5E
With spiked armoury

3.5E for the D&D
It's coming sometime and maybe
I give a wrong time stop a lightning rail line.
Your future dream is a steampunk scene
'Cos I...wanna be...3.5E
It's in the magitechnology

 

[Ashrem Bayle]

BryonD,

Perhaps we have differing definitions of Magitech, as expressed in the Tin-Man scenerio. In fact, as I understand it, there are Continual Flame lamps lighting some of the cities. However, those cities themselves are very rare.

When I think "Magitech", I think Final Fantasy 7 where we had doesn't of futuristic machines, all powered by magic. It was the first place I ever saw the word Magitech, and for all I know, was the birthplace of the term. By my definition of the Magitech, the Tin-Man certainly isn't.

Don't quote my numbers though. Three Rails and ten airships are just numbers I pulled out of my butt. They were based on posts from Kieth however.

My advice: Go onto Wizard's boards and do a search for the username "Hellcow". That's Kieth and he is pretty active on the boards. Just reading his posts alone will probably paint a much clearer picture for you than WOTC's previews ever will.

I'm sure Eberron isn't for everyone, but they really shouldn't base their decision to like it or not based on WOTC's previews. They don't do the setting justice in my opinion.

 

[BryonD]

By magitech *I* mean, anything that appears to be advanced above middle ages (or maybe renaissance) levels, but works on magic in place of physics and chemistry. Cyperpunk and other sci-fi "future" technology would apply, I suppose. But that is not at all what I think of.

If you look back, I don't think I even used the exact term magitech until you did. So if that precise term has some connotation, I did not know it, but it shouldn't matter to what I said before.

I guess I am now BACK to believing that Eberron has a distinctly higher technological feel than standard D&D. But it uses mana in place of voltage.
Street lamps are technology. Magical streetlamps are magical technology.

I'm not worried if your numbers are dead on or not. If they are a good ballpark, then my assessment that these things (air ships and lightning rails) are far less significant that advertised still stands (at least in my opinion).

 

[BigFreekinGoblinoid]

...
As for 'unique', I'd say that one of the things that makes it unique is that the author seems to have tried to work out at least some of the logical consequences of the existence of D&D-style magic, rather than handwaving it away.

J

Yes, this is a big reason why I am looking forward to at least seeing more of Eberron. A focus on plausability and answers of why and how all this magic and monsters coexist. Good answers to these questions might influence my campaigns for all time with or without the Eberron Campaign setting.

 

[SSquirrel]

I am mainly looking forward to it from a campaign idea point of view. I hate the tendency of filling up books with Prestige Classes, Feats and all that crap which to MnsHO simply detracts from the imagination of the players. (/rant on: why should EVERYTHING have to be coverd by rules and number, can't people just make things up, the DM makes a judgement call and move along?? /rant off)

I'm sorry what page was that rule about rules on? Was it on page XX ala White Wolf? I seem to recall something in the DMG about all possibilities must have rules devoted to them (to be ignored maybe but structed is REQUIRED first) etc etc.

Yes I'm joking

Hagen

 

[2d6]

I'm not particularly excited about the product.

I've read the little promo book that went out at the last gen-con and the stuff here and in Dragon and honestly can't remember what the world is about or what its defining elements are.

I guess I'll decide when it hits the stands.


On a side note, is magic-as-technology really that revolutionary of an idea?