Z. H. Darkstar
Explorer
Unfortunately, the current trend with 5e adventures is that all roads lead to Faerun. This means that any adventure that involves any other plane will likely include a FR tie-in. That's why I surmised the BBEG Portal hypothesis. Another possibility could be to just do the same thing as what's going to happen in S4, and have characters from Faerun end up in Eberron*. People aren't complaining about CoS having Ravenloft intersect with Faerun, so the fan reaction to an intersection with Eberron could be received just as well.
I think that CoS is just the first testing ground for planes intersection in the 5e multiverse. They're simply starting with the one plane that could intersect with Faerun with the least amount of fan backlash. If it's as successful as the hype train is making it out to be, then which would be the next logical plane to cross paths with Faerun? Eberron, the place where magic is treated as a natural resource instead of a mystical force.
Put aside the sour tastes that 4e left in your mouth, and examine the idea with an objective perspective. All of the planes are already connected via the Astral Plane. We just need stories that show us where they connect in a manner that doesn't throw the whole multiverse out of sync. 5e is all about inclusion, so it's better to prepare ourselves for the inevitability that most of the major planes will make an appearance at some point in the 5e lifespan.
*As for how it could work within the AL setting, apply rules similar to those that will be implemented with the S4 adventures. Characters that are native to Eberron would have to play the Eberron adventures until they find an exit. Then such characters would be eligible to play in Faerun adventures. Such a ruling would limit the amount of time that Eberron races would have to enter Faerun. Once the Eberron season is retired, there would be no more new characters with that Story Origin entering the AL gene pool. We don't need a separate OP just for Eberron characters. It could work just fine with the AL we currently have. It just needs the right connecting pieces, which the Story Origin and S4 entry/exit mechanics would be just the right tools for the job.
I think that CoS is just the first testing ground for planes intersection in the 5e multiverse. They're simply starting with the one plane that could intersect with Faerun with the least amount of fan backlash. If it's as successful as the hype train is making it out to be, then which would be the next logical plane to cross paths with Faerun? Eberron, the place where magic is treated as a natural resource instead of a mystical force.
Put aside the sour tastes that 4e left in your mouth, and examine the idea with an objective perspective. All of the planes are already connected via the Astral Plane. We just need stories that show us where they connect in a manner that doesn't throw the whole multiverse out of sync. 5e is all about inclusion, so it's better to prepare ourselves for the inevitability that most of the major planes will make an appearance at some point in the 5e lifespan.
*As for how it could work within the AL setting, apply rules similar to those that will be implemented with the S4 adventures. Characters that are native to Eberron would have to play the Eberron adventures until they find an exit. Then such characters would be eligible to play in Faerun adventures. Such a ruling would limit the amount of time that Eberron races would have to enter Faerun. Once the Eberron season is retired, there would be no more new characters with that Story Origin entering the AL gene pool. We don't need a separate OP just for Eberron characters. It could work just fine with the AL we currently have. It just needs the right connecting pieces, which the Story Origin and S4 entry/exit mechanics would be just the right tools for the job.