What is Eberron?

[ScS of the Fraternity]

Frankenstein is only entertaining because we're watching it as opposed to being in it. Its like watching a Nascar crash - it would suck to be inside it.

I mean common', would you want to be the tailor to the Monster? His dentist? Therapist?

Of course, this also explains the perverse joy I recieve from putting Ebberon down - like a gap toothed bumpkin paying two bits to throw peanuts at a freak in a cage.

[Jester of the FoS]

Well, give Eberron time. After a few books have been put out and everyone voices their opinion on the likes/dislikes it will probably elvolve into a much more balanced setting.

But one other complaint is the blatantness of the product plugs. There are several small gaps and holes in the book that aren't explained that are so obviously the basis for future products and novels. Blatantly so. It feels so tacked on... "insert more money <here> to learn more".
It's not like an ambiguous reference to an already written novel but an intentional omission that they can use to funnel people into forthcoming novel a couple months down the line.

Like, imagine if the Shadow Rift was followed by a novel trilogy two months after the Red Box. You'd feel like this big mystery wasn't elaborated on because they wanted you to pick up three more books. Instead, it really was a mystery that they took years to eventually use.

[Le Noir Faineant]

My impression is that I can get less from E for my personal rpg *developments* than from any other setting. And I have the feeling that this will not change even if they balance it some more...

As someone (I believe it was Joel ) said, a good setting must develop organically, you can not *order*it by doing extensive rulebooks.

However, if one is happy with E, I am definitely not the one to judge him/her badly for it...

[Charney]

Well, being the one who know the less about Eberron, here's my thought. As a newby, it doesn't sound too bad to me actually. And yes, we might as well give the setting some time.
On the other hand, all that was said here didn't convince me to buy (not that I would anyway).

[Jester of the FoS]

It sounds like it could be fun and you probably could easily have a lot of great gaming experiances there but that could be said about any setting. If you have a quality DM and a solid group you could play in the worst Tolkien rip-off setting or most facinating homebrew idea and still have a blast.

If I had a large group I might be tempted to fire away at Eberron just to have a crack at it and try something new. Because I already have the Realms, Dragonlance, Dark Sun and half the other Campaign Settings kickin' around my place.

But as mentioned it feels like someone read the Realms book and tried to mimick it for content adding in the same sheer number of organizations and places and small elements. But forgetting that the Realms was a homebrew for decades followed by years of publication.
That said at least Eberron could be designed to make 'sense' without odd places and nations crammed beside illogical additions that were slipped in spur-of-the-moment. Need to fill a gap so this peacefull quaint area is slapped between two advanced fueding nations and the like...

[Le Noir Faineant]

The question is really: Is E a setting that is essential to experience of you already are a kind of D&D librarian? - I don't think so...

[Shoon VII]

i have to agree the E is a setting for younger gamers (people who have been playing less than 3 years). for people like myself (over 10 years from the D&D Basic Set), i think that veterans know what they like and stick with it rather than sample a potpurri of gaming worlds.

i got on board RL from the olf black box. the world was still relatively underdeveloped (VR was a rogue 5 or something) at the time. watching it grow is the closest thing i have (besides my nephew) to seeing a child grow.

the prospect of a highly-commericialized setting where there is no room for growth is unappealing.

[Le Noir Faineant]

Yeah, that's the problem... with all the stuff collected over the years, why start up with some entire new LINE?...

[Malus Black]

Yeah, that's the problem... with all the stuff collected over the years, why start up with some entire new LINE?...

Because it is new. That's really the point of Eberron. Consider Ravenloft. It is so detailed and vast that, although you can get the general idea from the Campaign Setting, there's five more books you need to really play in the Core, not counting Islands and Clusters, and even then you need to search through half-a-dozen old books to get half the references the Gazetteers make. While we fans love the detail given to the setting, it can be very intimidating for new players, whereas Eberron has no such references - it's all brand new, and more detailed supplements will be new to newbies and experienced players alike. That's basically what WotC is aiming for (whether or not they have succeeded is another question).

[Jasper]

Forgoten Realms was like that too in the early days. Untill they detaled every major (and often minor) event in over 10,000 years of recorded Faerunian history as its own soucebook. Then came the books on the other nations which forced any new books set in the main dale-area contenent to retcon characters from these new areas back into the main history. And then came the deluge of class/race/sociaty books that flooded the market for just about every one of Fearuns umpteen million unique races. And every book that came out is so dependent on the cannon ended to adventures tied the last that if your missing even one supliment your screwed.

Give Erebon time and it will fall right into that trap. New comers will want every inch detailed. And as this is someones home brewed campaign he will eventuay want a book on each of his favorite villians and Adventure up[on adventure with his players umpteenth level characters providing backup.

Ravenloft is one of the best with just six books needed to run the entire setting (Gaz1-5 and the PHB/3rd ed core book (In fact all you realy need is 2nd ed DOD and the three 3rd ed core books) ).

[Malus Black]

Give Eberron time and it will fall right into that trap. New comers will want every inch detailed. And as this is someones home brewed campaign he will eventually want a book on each of his favorite villians and Adventure upon adventure with his players umpteenth level characters providing backup.

Exactly. That's what I'm trying (and obviously failing) to get across. Eberron will fairly soon be as detailed as the Realms, and the fanbase the setting makes now that it's new makes a good market for these later products.

[ScS of the Fraternity]

Will it make a good market? That's the question

My thesis suggests that the fan base will not - that the instintaneous deluge of information will discourage fans from investing in the setting.

[Le Noir Faineant]

Well, it may be that I am totally misjudging the situation and that on the 60th anniverary of D&D hordes of old school E players and DM protest that it won't be included in the new 8e of D&D and declare that they all are going to switch to Salads & Sausages because Keith Baker has made that great deal with Troll Lord Games and gives them the old *Sharn: City of Towers* dungeons under a new name in a new setting...

But seriously, I have that *Birthright* feeling with E; maybe, it will hold some time longer due to WotC ginger policy, but really, I don't believe that it will attract the mainstream, I think, in some years, being a E DM will be like today being a regular Al Quadim player... (No offense, friend Giarmarga )

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That a setting is new. doesn't say that it easy to be played.
Especially if it is so *concepted* to be expanded by dozens of suportive products...
Noobs today may look for what is *attractive* and, so to speak, *in*.
But I personally as a DM tend to look for settings that allow easy and fast playing, without requiring your players to read entire libraries.
So, I ended up with The Rings of Brass (one sourcebook) and Wilderlands (two sourcebooks)...
*I think that will be the future of gaming; the long lines all proove to sell ill or being in the process of decease...*
(only 3 new books this year, bohooo!)

[Le Noir Faineant]

Well, it may be that I am totally misjudging the situation and that on the 60th anniverary of D&D hordes of old school E players and DM protest that it won't be included in the new 8e of D&D and declare that they all are going to switch to Salads & Sausages because Keith Baker has made that great deal with Troll Lord Games and gives them the old *Sharn: City of Towers* dungeons under a new name in a new setting...

*Sobbs* As noone else seems to be going to say it. *This was really funny, one of your wittiest postings ever, Desdichado. Especially that about Salads and Sausages, very fitting.*

*Walks away, sobbing.*

[Jester of the FoS]

I think it'll be more like Darksun or Planescape than Al Quadim.
This big vast idea for a campaign with lost of books that has a loyal following and gets lots of attention with fansites and attached products but is really hard to play unless you buy a half-dozen of them.
Only much more traditionally fantasy that those two and much less imaginative than the later.

They'll be alot of strong fan support for the setting but I doubt it'll be a widly popular as the Realms or Dragonlance.

Of course, saddly, it will likely be as popular as Ravenloft, Darksun and the other niche settings...