GenCon Contest: Final Question
Posted by Keith Baker in UncategorizedJul 27th, 2010 | 16 responsesWe have two seats left, but with just over a week until GenCon, I don’t want to push the time. So we’re going to have a lightning round… one question, two winners, chosen next Monday. Once again, the game will be at Sunday at 11 AM; if you feel like answering but aren’t in the running for a seat, please clearly state this with your answer.
Most of our previous questions have been turned on storytelling skill. This time, we want a more general question. I want to know:
What’s your favorite thing about Eberron?
Good luck!
16 Responses to “GenCon Contest: Final Question”
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About Me
not running.
The mix of a “very playable setting”. A setting that makes your head full of ideas, places and organization, but very few power npcs.
For a less general thing, the dragonmarked houses.
Post-War Setting. As a veteran myself, I love the concept of playing a gritty character who has likely seen horrific devastation and death on small and massive scales, up to the destruction of an entire nation – it’s people, culture, heritage, and history largely lost forever. So, you get to play this gent or lady who has seen these things and is now expected to transition into a seemingly ‘normal’ existence. It’s impossible to go from such experiences to a mundane life; a farmer? a merchant? Especially if you were bred for conflict (warforged). Come on!
But, there’s an out (in contrast to real life). It’s this lush and vibrant world out there that’s ripe for adventure and exploration. You’re a changed person and so why settle on pretending to be normal? You get to go out and harness those awful experiences for the good of what’s left, the people, the nations, the world.
And, there’s not many left who’ll take up that mantle. You get to do it.
The way your setting creates instant depth. I was considering titling this “You got your sci-fi in my fantasy!” The setting creates plausible technological flavor right along with the civilization that feels old; feels like it has a real history. I applaud you, sir!
Magic as technology set in a noir/pulp world. Vibrant, distinct locations. Dragonmarks and the Great Houses. The looming specter of the Last War.
I think Eberron works because there are so many ways the world itself engages the PC’s. The world is, itself, an NPC.
I’m not just a half-elf from half-elf land, I’m a Dragonmarked Scion of House Lyrandar, or a reporter for a major news publication. An explorer heading for a dark, lost continent in search of artifacts descended from the corpse of a primordial diety.
You WANT to interact with Eberron. To base characters around places, organizations, religions, or ideas, because they’re fascinating and really reach out and grab you.
“Cyre” growled the shifter, “call it the Mournland again I might just show you why people think shifters are animals.”
“Sorry, Kyber’s blood, I just asked if that’s where you were from.” The human man was sweating, the droplets running down his balding head. “You don’t have to be so touchy.”
“Really. The only place I ever felt accepted, needed, is turned into a twisted waste and you tell me not to be touchy.” The Shifter lounged casually in his chair, one arm draped over the back. He was well muscled, even for a Shifter, and his black and gray patterned tunic had a decidedly military look. The only visible weapons he carried was a wide bladed dagger in a strange looking sheath, and a spiked gauntlet on his left hand. “You obviously want something so get to the point.”
“Look, people say you fought in the last war, some kind of big shot commando or something. I need people like you and you look like you need the cash.”
It was true. Since the destruction of Cyre nothing good had happened to Kell Bloodmoon. He had come to Cyre as a thief. Captured, he was given the choice, military service or jail until his braids were gray. It was in the Cyran military that Kell had finally found a home, a place where no one cared that he was a shifter, he was a soldier just like them, and a damn good one. Kell had grown to love Cyre like it was his own mother, and the loss of a mother is hard to get over.“Alright, fine. Lets pretend I’m interested. What’s the job?”
The man thew a nervous glance over his shoulder and leaned in closer to answer.“I want to lead an expedition into the Mourn…er…Cyre. Metrol to be precise.”
That was all he really needed to hear. He feigned interest in negotiating payment, but the truth was, he would have done this job for free. He was going back to Cyre, back to Metrol, Kell Bloodmoon was going back home.
It’s hard for me to pick my “favorite thing” about Eberron. There’s so much to like. To me, it’s the one D&D campaign setting that makes logical sense. If magic existed in a world populated by a race of creatures that had advanced past the stage of living in caves and beating each other with clubs – at some point in that world’s history – societies would evolve that resemble something akin to Eberron.
If I have to pick my single favorite thing about Eberron, it would have to be the backstory of the Last War. Having the campaign setting begin after such a world-shaking event is brilliant. It’s easier for me to come up with reasons for antagonists to assail the party and easier for players to invent a background that matters. The Last War is the narrative thread that sews together the collective story of this interconnected world.
Since, I never bought 2nd ed or higher. The best thing I like about Eberron is that you wrote it. I think it is great that you were about to get a very detailed world published.
Well, I can’t claim to be an Eberron expert, but what I love as I’ve poked through the 3E Eberron setting is the way familiar things are turned upside down in ways that still echo the stereotype but are different and utterly awesome.
Especially, as an example, the elves. I am a massive fan of the stereotypical D&D elves, and of their usual default god Corellon Larethian. Neither of these things is in Eberron, but this bothers me not at all because what is there is so incredibly cool. The standard, somewhat integrated elves are a nice turn from the usual aloof elf off living in a tree miles from civilization. The Valenar are distilled martial badassery with a nifty religion, Drow aren’t psychotic spider-kissers, and the Aereni elves and their benevolent necromancy, the undying being powered by positive energy and the devotion of their descendants, are quite possibly the most awesome take on elves ever and make me want to use them somewhere in worlds outside Eberron as well, simply because the concept of them just pushes my buttons in all the right ways.
And I usually dislike most alternate takes on elves, most of them strike me as just trying to make elves non-elven because the author doesn’t like elves. But the elves of Eberron manage to be different while still retaining the elements of D&D elves that I love.
Eberron was the first campaign setting that I really understood completely. I must have read through the campaign setting book twenty times in the first summer I had it, imagining the sort of games that I could play and run.
I love the precarious balance of power in Khorvaire, and the way that each of the nations feels unique (and not just analogues of European nations).
I love the way that the PCs are given as the movers and shakers of the world, rather than setting up innumerable NPCs who are far more powerful than what the PCs could ever achieve in normal play.
I love that Eberron makes space for all styles of play, from film noir and pulp to high planar adventure and epic dealings, and all of the mechanics of D&D as well.
I’m not running, but I wanted to answer anyway.
My boyfriend introduced me to Eberron. It took months before I would read the player’s guide. I had to endure his leaving Inquisitives novels by my bed, or him suddenly exclaiming, “Whoa, she turned into a dragon!…And then she ate that guy!” Every time I complained about how poorly thought out a setting portrayed its countries’ politics and culture, he would say, “It’s not like that with the Five Nations.” It took a while, but when I finally gave in and checked Eberron out, I fell in love.
What I love about Eberron is how well-thought out everything is, with enough detail to inspire me but not feel constraining. I love that it’s a fantasy world that considers how cultures would change and grow with magic in the mix (instead of Generically-European with some wizards thrown in for good measure.) I love airships and warforged, together or separately. I love the shades of gray, encouraging greater complexity in designing adventures. I love how clever the other fans are, thinking up schemes and villains that I absolutely file away for later use. I love watching a cheesy action movie and filing that away for later use too.
However, my FAVORITE thing about Eberron is churning out ideas for what caused the Mourning with my boyfriend as we do the dishes, or calling him up while I wait for the train to arrive just to ask why aberrant marks aren’t called Khyber marks, or ominously mentioning to him, “Of course, one of the NPCs at the druid’s circle isn’t quite what he seems.” The setting just clicked for us and it’s a real joy sharing enthusiasm with each other.
I feel like I ought to be more eloquent or epic with my response, but this is how I feel.
It’s a very eloquent answer, Cheryl – thanks for sharing your thoughts even though you aren’t going after the seat. I like the solve-the-Mourning-over-dishes game!
It not a rehash of another world it is its own breathing world filled wtih differant people with differant experance then our own. Kind of like an early Eathdawn.Or and In your face talslata.
When I think about Eberron, I think of a world with endless, intricate possibilities. If I were pinned to the wall and forced to choose an absolute favorite thing, it would be the religions of Eberron. Specifically, I mean The Silver Flame and the Sovereign Host.
The Flame is my first and favorite choice! It seems there are two types of people who follow this path: The “Flamites,” who live and die by the doctrine of the Flame, and those who seek to further their own positions of power through the strategic use of rank within the church.
What’s funny is, those whose motives were unclean, would naturally behave in the same way as the pure of heart. The “Flamites” because they know the cause is just and their actions warranted. The fallen clergy because to be exposed would mean to lose power. (Who doesn’t love a utopian villain?)
It would be up to the player to decide whom to trust.
The Host, to me seems like they are in a position to dominate as THE religion of Eberron. So why are they not shoving doctrine down the throats of the people? The answer is simple. They lack the stringent organization of the Flame. Priests are not chosen to become priests, they are “called.” Naturally, one would assume, that when the gods want something, they will ask for it.
What is even funnier to me is the fact that The Sovereign Host and Silver Flame do not really acknowledge one another openly. (This is the impression I get from my source books anyway.) I think there is real potential there for a heavily-fueled and layered conflict that would lead the player to have to choose a side. I love those choices where there are consequences on either side, where everything seems both right and wrong, where there are two rights in the same situation but you can only side with ONE!
It’s simplicity and intricacy all in the same package. It is not too difficult for a player or a reader of a story to grasp, but layered enough to turn even the best suspense-thriller on it’s ear.
Now add some dungeons and some monsters or undead minions with unwanted treasure hoards… and we have ourselves a game!
You ask what is my favorite thing about Eberron? It is not what is written or what is said, but what is IMPLIED that I can’t get enough of.
Cheers and thanks for your time!
I love that Eberron is cinematic. I feel like I am in a movie every time I play. The vivid characterizations of the people and places really make me WANT to be there and be a part of what is going on. I think Eberron is great at making the players feel important unlike in some games where the players are just another group of adventurers. Just my take on it though.
Steve
I enjoy Eberron because it isn’t the typical Tolkein fantasy setting. The warforged race was a great addition to the DnD landscape. And the Dragonmarks gave a new perspective on old races.
Joe
My favourite thing about Eberron is Zilargo, both as a nation as a whole and its inhabitants. It is easily the best rendition of gnomes ever, as they finally were presented as different, interesting and thought-provoking. How could the people of a nation accept an East German Stasi-like, “anyone-might-be-a-government-spy” organisation? How can a country survive, even prosper, during a time of great strife and almost all-out war? How come no enemy has even attacked them?
Blend this with a pseudo-renaissance Italian city-state backdrop with masquerades, poisonings, ship-building, back-room intrigue and diplomacy drama mixed with an out of this world extravagance in as many aspects as the gnomes can manage, and you’re left with a deeply satisfying shard of Eberron.