Post/Author/DateTime	Post
JohnnyONeal 05-04-04, 11:25 PM	Now that there's an official Eberron message board, there will be more new folks dropping by who are interested in the setting but don't know much about it. These people will have questions, many of which the veterans have heard a dozen times before. It might be nice to anticipate some of those questions and preemptively provide some answers. The raw material for a lot of answers has already been collected on the Eberron Journal (http://www.coveworld.net/eberron), but it might be nice to try to collect a few of them in a sticky FAQ on this board. My recommendation would be to make the FAQ newbie-oriented, with "Expert" level FAQs for the subforums. (All the Warforged questions, for example, could go in a "Classes, Races and Monsters" FAQ.) So, let's try to collect some basic Eberron questions here, the kind of stuff that will help people understand the setting a bit more than the "pulp/noir" description. If you feel you've got a good answer, post that, too! Whenever a quote from Keith clarifies a response, use that!
Myriddian 05-05-04, 02:05 AM	The most common question at my local gaming shop is, "What are Living Spells?" Doh!! :rolleyes:
The White Sorcerer 05-05-04, 03:06 AM	"What's up with all the lazor-wielding robot dinosaurs?"
Joseph Amarillo 05-05-04, 09:58 AM	How will Eberron encourage roleplaying in D&D? One of the things I dislike about the stereotypical D&D campaign is that by the time you get to level 20, your characters are already mass murderers. Do note that I'm not trying to turn Eberron into the Sims... What I want to see is some of the roleplaying in White Wolf stuff in Eberron...
TwinBahamut 05-05-04, 11:02 AM	Maybe something like: Is Eberron some kind of steampunk/magic-technology setting? A good explaination for that misunderstanding would be good for the FAQ. Not sure how best to explain the difference though...
Hanuman47 05-05-04, 12:18 PM	"I hear there's no alignment in Eberron and all gold dragons are evil. Is that true?"
JohnnyONeal 05-05-04, 12:25 PM	These are great questions! So far, I feel comfortable answering all of these ...which I'll do soon. In the meantime, if anyone else wants to take a stab at answers, please do. I may wordsmith them a bit for the final version, but collaboration is the name of the game. Keep the questions coming!
Joni-san 05-05-04, 12:39 PM	Maybe something relating to races and/or classes "I hear Warforged are robots/steam-tech golems?" "Do Kalashtar force me to buy the Expanded Psionic Handbook?" "Are Shifters anime cat-people?" :P "Are Artificers Alchemists?" This one is actualy a good one. Maybe we shuld start a topic on this one And now for something completely different. "Is Eberron filled with cars,trains and airplanes?" Eh, tried my best
ieattrollsforbreakfast 05-05-04, 02:26 PM	Since no one else has suggested it (perhaps its just too obvious), there should be a "What exactly IS Eberron?" question first, giving a brief intro and explaining it origin.
Harmony's Sorrow 05-05-04, 02:30 PM	Okay, Muahaha!!! My turn... RACES: - Do warforged come in builds other than humanoid? - Why don't they just call shifters half-dopplegangers? - Are there enough psionic rules in the CS to play Kalashtar w/o buying the psiHB? CLASSES: - What's an investigator? - Is an artificer good for anything other than BS temporary item enhancements? ACTION POINTS: - So I can spend an action point to stabilize a dying character? (trick question)
jedi8187 05-05-04, 03:36 PM	"Is it 2 b's and one r or 1 b and 2 r's?"(sorry couldn't help myself, i did it too originaly) "Whats Magitech?"(Answer: It has nothing to do with Eberron, but...)
Harmony's Sorrow 05-29-04, 04:53 PM	Hey Johnny? Have you been tracking stuff through the life of these threads? Bet we've got a HUGE list by now!
Joni-san 05-29-04, 05:12 PM	"What are Shadow Elves?" "What is the Mournland?" "What nation used to be in the place where the Murnland exists currently?" 'Gotta try 'em all :D
Azer Firelord 05-29-04, 05:18 PM	"What are Dragonmarks, what do they do, whats so cool about them." Saving this slot so I can paste in Harmony's wondrous response to this question:) [QUOTE]Originally posted by Harmony's Sorrow [b]What they are: As far as we know probably some kind of blessing to certain bloodlines from one of the progenitor dragons. What they do: Grant those that bear them limited spell like abilities and a slight skill bonus. What they are not: Powerful enough to unbalance a game. What they look like: Similar in appearance thus far to tribal tattoos What it takes to have one: Some trace of the blood in one of the noble houses in your veins (And the expenditure of a feat) What makes them so cool: You can spend feats, and even take PrC levels to advance the powers of your dragon mark. Oh, and one of my own. "Why do the Eberron boards have 4 Wizos when most boards make do with one??" Don't know the answer- I hope its not cos they think we're all really nasty here:angel:
stembolt 05-31-04, 01:58 AM	For the most part I think a quick scan of the posts in the Eberron forums will give the heart of the Frequently Asked Questions needed. One thing to remember is that a FAQ consists of Frequently Asked Questions not simply every question you can think of. Another thing to remember is that you cannot take material from this website and copy it to other websites without the permission of the poster involved. I know it sounds retentive but it has come up on other boards.
Azer Firelord 05-31-04, 04:25 AM	Stembolt is right of course. My last question definitely doesn't qualify for a F AQ. Still like to hear any thoughts though;) . Stembolt, when you say we can't copy material, does that include quoting someone on these boards, on these boards. I mean, like my quote from Harmony, which comes from another post somewhere in the Ebberon forums? Should I have got his permission first? If so, I'll ask him and edit it out if he refuses...:(
crazysamaritan 05-31-04, 08:39 AM	1) What is Eberron? -Eberron is the newest Campaign Setting that Wizards of the Coast has produced. It has a main continent, orbiting planes, and a new set of gods. 2) I heard Eberron is steampunk/steamtech/magitech/spelljammer. -Okay, this requires some clarification. Steampunk, steamtech, and magitech all mean that (to some degree) magic is replacing technology. Spelljammer is an example of a campaign that does this. -Eberron is a world of low magic. That means that not everyone can cast spells, but people who can use magic are very common. Magic items, however, are still expensive. Keith Baker gives the example of a dishwasher made from prestidigitation, which costs 300gp. The price is so high, only a few people who will be rich enough to order it. Stuff like “horseless carriages” or guns don’t exist, simply because making them isn’t practical. It’s possible to have a construct made in the likeness of a car, but only the wealthy are going to use it, and there are only one or two places to find someone that did have it. 3) Keith Baker? Who’s he? Someone said something about an evil cud-chewer… -Keith Baker is the Creater of Eberron, :bow: who uses the name Hellcow. People enjoy making references to his name, so you’ll commonly find “Infernal Bovine” or 4) Who is Adrian Cole? -He’s a Battle Sorcerer / Human Paragon / Spell Scion. Don’t mess with him. I used to have a brother before this guy. :nonono: 5) If Eberron isn’t Steampunk, what’s Warforged? -The house of Corrinth has learned a new way of making Golems, instead of binding an elemental spirit to the golem, a soul is bound instead. So far, that’s all we know. But rumors abound… 6) Do Kalashtar force me to buy the Expanded Psionic Handbook? -No, they don’t. In fact, I’ll be playing a game where there are absolutely no psionic charaters at all. That doesn’t mean no-one can play a Kalashtar if they want to, just that Psionics are available, but not required. 7) Do warforged come in builds other than humanoid? -Do they? It’s your game… 8) Why don't they just call shifters half-dopplegangers? -Because they’re not. Shifters are part animal. The closest Shifters come to what we’re used to is a mixed lycanthrope. But they don’t have the curse. -Changlings are half-dopplegangers, but for flavor, they are named that way to reflect the fantasy legends the rest of DnD is based on. 9) Are there enough psionic rules in the CS to play Kalashtar w/o buying the psiHB? -I don’t think so, but you can always use the SRD. 10) What are Shadow Elves? - Dunno, sry? 11) What is the Mournland? 12) What nation used to be in the place where the Murnland exists currently? -These questions can be answered together. Two years ago, <name>, a major participant of The Last War, was destroyed so utterly, that no one left in there was alive. Out of fear, 12 nations signed the “Treaty of Thronehold”. 13) Why hasn’t it happened again? / How did it happen? -No one is certain. There are some theories, such as it was made by a POWERFUL magical weapon (like a magic nuke), or it was an accident, or a monster from Xoriat, or Synchronous Remoteness of the planes, or perhaps a combination of theses factors, or something completely different. No one is certain, but every nation on the planet wants to know… 14) Synchronous Remoteness??? What’s that? - Remember how I said the planes orbit Eberron? Well, as a result, the planes can become remote (far away) or coterminous (on top of/near), and have different effects on Eberron as part of that. 15) What are Dragonmarks, what do they do, what’s so cool about them? Originally posted by Harmony's Sorrow What they are: As far as we know probably some kind of blessing to certain bloodlines from one of the progenitor dragons. What they do: Grant those that bear them limited spell like abilities and a slight skill bonus. What they are not: Powerful enough to unbalance a game. What they look like: Similar in appearance thus far to tribal tattoos What it takes to have one: Some trace of the blood in one of the noble houses in your veins (And the expenditure of a feat) What makes them so cool: You can spend feats, and even take PrC levels to advance the powers of your dragon mark.
stembolt 05-31-04, 12:55 PM	Stembolt, when you say we can't copy material, does that include quoting someone on these boards, on these boards. Quoting can often be fine. The basic guideline is never more than a paragraph and never something that would negate the need to refer to the original. For example if someone wrote a review of a book and you quoted them as saying “greatest book ever” that would be fine, but if you quoted their list of the 12 things they liked about the book, that would be wrong. It is their idea, link to their post. Oh and if you quote someone you should put it in quotes with the persons name attached.
JohnnyONeal 06-03-04, 06:04 PM	There have been a lot of great suggestions here, and there's obviously a lot of directions to take this. Crazysamaritan's answers were on the mark, for example, but I'd like to offer something a bit less confrontational, something that doesn't assume the reader is coming in biased against the setting. Also, something with really general questions, not specifics like the origin of the Mournlads. (That's for more in-depth FAQs!) I'll post it in just a moment. Get ready, it's long! BTW, this is a temporary home for the following post. I plan to use it as the start of a new thread.
JohnnyONeal 06-03-04, 06:07 PM	What is Eberron? Eberron is a new campaign setting for Dungeons & Dragons. It presents an entire world full of new challenges, exotic cultures and spectacular magic. It is Wizards of the Coast's first full campaign setting since the release of Third Edition D&D. Just as as Greyhawk did for the original D&D rules and Forgotten Realms did for AD&D ("2nd edition"), Eberron provides a world that fully complements the D&D 3.5 ruleset. Who created Eberron? In 2001, Wizards of the Coast held its Setting Search competition, an open call for submissions with a $100,000 payment for the world chosen for development. Over 3,000 people submitted entries, from total amateurs to Wizards of the Coast employees. After a rigorous elimination process, Wizards of the Coast selected a world created by Keith Baker. (For more information on the Setting Search, click here (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/dx20030203x).) Once selected, Eberron was developed by an all-star team including Keith Baker, Bill Slavicsek, and James Wyatt. Eberron is fully owned by Wizards of the Coast. What sets Eberron apart from other D&D campaign settings? Eberron is designed to include all the elements that make D&D such an appealing, classic game, while adding depth and style that takes the world beyond generic medieval fantasy. No one "high concept" defines the world, but twists and details make it a unique and compelling place. Eberron is a world where ancient dungeons and ruins fill unexplored continents. It's a world where dragons wield tremendous power, both overtly and through influence over lesser species. In Eberron, arcane magic has been applied scientifically to create wonders like towering cities and elemental-powered airships. Divine magic is mysterious and belief is a matter of faith. The world's history has been marked by extraplanar incursions, some as regular and accepted as the seasons, some which have caused worlwide devastation. Noble houses and crime guilds vie for power in wartorn nations. Monstrous NPCs have backgrounds as detailed as the PC races. Diverse, vibrant cultures are separated by memories of battles during the catacylsmic Last War, but are united in a commitment to keep history from repeating itself. What is the general tone and spirit of Eberron? In the words of Wizards of the Coast, "Eberron is a cinematic world of pulp/noir action, adventure, and intrigue." So what's that mean? "Pulp" refers to the kind of high-octane, seat-of-your-pants adventure first popularized in paperbacks and magazine stories like Doc Savage and Conan, continuing today in the form of action heroes like Indiana Jones. "Noir" describes stories with a darker edge, where imperfect heroes face tough decisions, and morality isn't always black and white. Combine the two and you get swashbuckling action combined with uncertainty and intrigue. Those have always been the elements of great D&D adventures, and they're a big part of the focus of Eberron. As for "cinematic," that's easy. Heroes in Eberron do more than slay legions of monsters or converse with tavern owners; they should be the kind of heroes who you'd want to watch a movie about. What playable races are included in Eberron? Because everything in the core rulebooks has a place in Eberron, all Player's Handbook races are represented: Humans are a relatively young race, but are populous and enterprising. Until 100 years ago, a human kingdom dominated the Eberron's most prominent continent, Khorvaire. In the wake of a massive war, the human nations of Thrane, Breland, Aundair and Karrnath are still among the most powerful in Khorvaire. Humans also wield considerable control over commerce; more dragonmarked houses are passed on through human bloodlines than among any other race. Elves are an ancient race that once ruled over the continent of Xen'drik. When they were forced to leave their home, they divided into two nations. The Aerenal elves dominate a large landmass off the coast of Khorvaire. In many ways a nation of philosophers, the Aereni take a measured, careful view of all things. They so prize the wisdom afforded by their long lifespans that they keep their ancestors alive as undying advisors. The Valenar elves are warriors who honor their heroic ancestors with martial exploits. They carved out a nation in the Last War, and continue to indulge their love of battle and horses; they can be found both as mercenaries or ruthless raiders. Still other elves live in their own distinct communities, adapting cultures of younger races. Dwarves are a disciplined and regimented race with a barbaric past. Their love of gold and their talents for security make dwarves Eberron's foremost bankers. The largest dwarven nation is the Mror holds, which is actually a collection of smaller nations and clans. Halflings are adventurous wanderers with a nomadic heritage. Some halflings remain true to their ancestral roots, living as hunter-gatherers on the Talenta plains. These halflings have managed to tame the Talenta region's indigenous dinosaurs. Many other halflings are fully civilized, having lived for generations in the cities and towns of Eberron. These halflings work as healers, innkeepers, and thieves, making themselves a part of the local culture in nearly every society. Gnomes are concentrated in the southern nation of Zilargo. Gnomes possess a natural talent for magic and a fascination with history. Studious and intelligent, their ardent thirst for knowledge and love of strategy produces cunning spies as well as brilliant scholars and diplomats. The incredible Library of Korranberg is the pride of many gnomes, and gnome scribes are valued throughout Khorvaire. Half-orcs and half-elves have been a part of Eberron for thousands of years. While a few halfbreeds experience the alientation of being torn between two worlds, others are raised in a community entirely composed of mixed-race people. Half-orcs are likely to live in areas like the Shadow Marches, where their orc ancestors may work as chaotic raiders or fierce guardians of the natural world. Half-elves may be associated with either of the major elf cultures or any human civilization, as well as half-elf dragonmarked houses. Eberron also introduces four new PC races. The warforged are golems with souls, living weapons of wood and steel created during the Last War. Changelings are the offspring of dopplegangers and humans, often treated as outcasts by their families but empowered with shapechanging abilities. Shifters are humanoids descended from lycanthropes, now a distinct race with the ability to tap into brief bursts of animalistic power. Kalashtar are a psionically gifted race of half-humans that share their souls with exiled outsiders from Dal Quor, the dream plane. What D&D rulebooks are required for playing in Eberron? Players will need the Player's Handbook. Dungeon Masters will need the Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and Monster Manual. Eberron is specifically written to support the 3.5 update of these rules. Use of the Expanded Psionics handbook is encouraged and supported, but is not required. One of the goals for Eberron is to have a place for everything in the core rulebooks, from paladins and monks to dragons and dinosaurs. That doesn't mean that there's a defined place for every monster in the Monster Manual, but there is a logical home for every monster, item, and class in the core rulebooks. What original rules material does Eberron include? The Eberron campaign setting book includes world-specific prestige classes, feats, spells, domains, deities, monsters, and NPCs. It also includes a new basic class, the artificer. Artificers are master craftsmen with a knack for creating and using magic items; they gain a bonus XP pool for magic item creation and the ability to "cast" a limited number of equipment-enhancing infusions. Eberron includes a new kind of feat, the dragonmark, which comes in least, lesser and greater varieties. Dragonmarks give characters who belong to racially-based noble houses access to limited spell-like abilities. Related to both of these new elements are a new type of magic item called dragonshards. Dragonshards come in three varieties, and can be used to enhance dragonmark abilities, bind elementals, or augment the power of magic items. Eberron also uses Action Points, a rule originally developed for d20 Modern and adapted to D&D in Unearthed Arcana. Action Points represent characters' ability to "give it their all" during critical moments. In game terms, Action Points are a limited pool of points that can be spent to do add a random bonus to a d20 check, stabilize a dying character, or use a "spent" class feature. Eberron includes one prestige class and a few feats that emphasize Action Points, but use of Action Points is optional. What are adventures like in Eberron? Eberron is intended to provide a logical home for evey kind of D&D adventure. Many options are available for classic dungeon delving, like the lost continent of Xen'drik, the fiend-infested depths of Khyber, and the postapocalyptic Mournland. Eberron also supports urban adventures, from simple heists or gang wars to murder mysteries that span the many levels of Sharn. For political intrigue, look no further than the courts of more than a dozen nations, or the houses of international merchant guilds. Looking for epic-level challenges? Help the kalashtar overthrow the insidious psionic tyrants who rule the continent of Sarlona, make a preemptive strike against another plane before it becomes coterminous with Eberron, or explore Argonessen, the continent of dragons. Whether you're infiltrating a cult of the Dragon Below, recovering a powerful artifact for Morgrave University, or serving as a bodyguard at the forbidden wedding of dragonmarked nobles from different houses, there's an adventure around every corner in Eberron. What is Eberron's technology level? Eberron uses the core D&D rulebooks as its foundation, and its technology level is essentially what D&D has always used: a blend of Middle Ages and Rennaisance technology. Eberron features no steam power, cars, or firearms. Wars in Eberron are fought with swords and longbows. Horses and sailing ships are the most common forms of transportation. However, Eberron is also a world where arcane magic has been studied as the science that it is. While powerful mages are rare, especially after the Last War, wizards and artificers have created many powerful magic items. Some magic items exist which perform functions similar to modern technology. The warforged are one example; because they are constructed beings, they remind some players of robots, even though they are animated by magic rather than electricity or gears. Eberron's most famous city, Sharn, features towers that touch the sky. Several nations and groups own airships powered by bound elementals. The Lightning Rail hovers along a track of magic crystals, carrying passengers between several major cities. Most players compare this "magitech" to games like Final Fantasy or Arcanum, which feature mechanical objects enhanced by arcane power. The primary difference between Eberron and steampunk/magitech settings is that Eberron's items are not mechanical in nature. Without magic, they would be totally inert objects. The stone platforms that carry pedestrians between towers in Sharn would fall without magic, and an airship would crash as surely as a magic carpet in an antimagic field. Eberron's emphasis is not on reproducing modern technology, but on applying existing D&D magic, particularly low-level magic like prestidigitation, in practical ways. A secondary but important difference between Eberron and other magitech settings is that there is no conflict between magic and technology; the two have evolved together, and a flying ship is seen as no more "technological" than an enchanted sword. What products will Wizards of the Coast release to support the Eberron campaign setting? The first Eberron release is the Eberron Campaign Setting book (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/eberron/864000000) in June. The first products in the Eberron line are: Shadows of the Last War (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/eberron/864100000) - an adventure for 2nd-level characters Sharn: City of Towers (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/eberron/864200000) - a hardcover regional sourcebook on Breland, focusing on the magic-rich city of Sharn Whispers of the Vampire's Blade (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/eberron/864300000) - an adventure for 4th-level characters Eberron adventures will also be available in Dungeon magazine. Dungeon issue #113 will include an adventure by James Wyatt set in Eberron, as well as a pull-out poster map of the setting; issues #115 and 116 will have Eberron adventures by Keith Baker. Ongoing support of Eberron will continue in both Dragon and Dungeon magazines. Select Eberron miniatures will appear in randomly assorted D&D Miniatures packs, beginning with the Giants of Legend expansion. What other licensed products will use the Eberron campaign setting? Wizards of the Coast publishing will release a series of Eberron novels, beginning with trilogies by Keith Baker and Matt Forbeck. Turbine is currently developing D&D Online, a massively-multiplayer game set in Eberron. (For more details, click here (http://vnboards.ign.com/Dungeons_and_Dragons_Online_General_Boar d/b22447/61310468/?2).) Liquid Entertainment is currently developing a real-time-strategy game set in Eberron. (For more details, click here (http://pc.ign.com/articles/511/511293p1.html).) Where can I learn more about Eberron? For an overview of the setting, visit the official Eberron home page (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/eberron). Here's a list of the current "Gearing Up For Eberron" articles available there: Across Eberron: (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/eb/20031216b) A sneak preview of the setting's more exotic inhabitants and locales. An Overview of Eberron: (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/eb/20031216a)What's familiar about Eberron? What sets it apart? Read some answers to these questions and get an Eberron history primer along the way. Organizations in Eberon: (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/eb/20040113a) Learn about the importance of organizations and secret societies in Eberron, and see a prestige class related to the Church of the Silver Flame. The Art of Eberron: (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/eb/20040217a) Preview sourcebook art that shows off Eberron's distinctive look, then read interviews with the artists. The World of Eberron: (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/eb/20040309a) The different planes of existence are a big part of Eberron's history. Find out what happens when they cycle in and out of contact with the prime material plane. Mind Games in Eberron: (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/eb/20040413a) Psionic characters in Eberron tap into Dal Quor, the plane of dreams. Learn about the Dreaming Dark, an insidious organization from the dream plane, and the kalashtar, half-human Quori rebels with a natural talent for psionics. Monsters of Eberron: (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/eb/20040511a) Meet some of the menacing creatures that call Eberron home. Hungry for more? I've compiled everything I've learned about the new campaign world on an unofficial website called Jhonen Olain's Eberron (http://www.coveworld.net/eberron) Journal. The Eberron Journal is a fan-created resource for Eberron information, "director's cut"-style quotes from Eberron designer Keith Baker, concept art, and game material. Wait! I've got another question! Great, ask away! If you're new to Eberron, this thread is your chance to ask questions about the setting. Our team of Eberron fans will gladly answer your questions, and you may even hear from the Hellcow himself, Keith Baker. I'll collect the most frequently asked questions in the second post in this thread.
JohnnyONeal 06-03-04, 06:14 PM	Edit: double post
JohnnyONeal 06-03-04, 06:18 PM	Wiz_O's Four, if you think the above post is good enough, I'd like to use it to start a new thread. Any chance of it being made sticky as a guide for folks new to Eberron who wander in here?
ZebRaderJedi 06-19-04, 01:00 PM	Originally posted by crazysamaritan 4) Who is Adrian Cole? -He’s a Battle Sorcerer / Human Paragon / Spell Scion. Don’t mess with him. I used to have a brother before this guy. :thumbsup: :rofl: :thumbsup: You, sir, are a prince among men.....that IS who Adrian Cole will be!!!