Post/Author/DateTime	Post
WizO_Sith 05-06-04, 11:38 AM	Out of curiosity, Is the Ebberon setting going to have an ongoing metaplot? If so, can anybody official give any hints/details (Mr. Baker?) ?
deganawida 05-06-04, 12:27 PM	I think (and I could definitely be wrong, so please correct me if I am) that Keith has stated that there is no metaplot driving the evolution of Eberron. Rather, there are smaller plots which might have greater impact down the road. IIRC, Eberron won't be seeing massive overhauls every 4 years (no ToT, no AoM, etc.), though when material is updated some things will change.
JohnnyONeal 05-06-04, 12:42 PM	I don't think the setting will start with a big metaplot in place. I think, like Forgetten Realms, certain events will happen in the future that resonate throughout the sourcebooks, but I don't expect anything to change the "cold war" status quo for a while. Here are some of Keith's thoughts on the subject: "That's WotC's decision. There are major events that could be set in motion, if they want to take that path. However, I do feel that there are a lot of stories to be explored on the micro level before it is necessary to go to a macro level. Also, there are the possibility of events that could have world-shaking consequences if things go wrong that may be completely unnoticed if things go right. For example, in Raiders of the Lost Ark, who knows what might have happened if the nazis had somehow been able to turn the Ark of the Covenant into a weapon? No one, because they didn't, and it disappeared into a warehouse never to be seen again. Following the pulp tradition, an evil mastermind or mad wizard could come up with a scheme that could threaten a nation, but if you stop him, the public will never know. As your characters attain higher levels, there will be epic challenges to face. And if WotC wants, they could certainly push forward a hard timeline with world-changing events. But I'm in no rush to see that happen. I'd rather let players explore the world and get to know it well before forcing major changes on everyone." more (http://www.coveworld.net/eberron/development.html#metaplot)
WizO_Sith 05-06-04, 03:48 PM	(In his best "Cartman" voice) "Super-Sweet!"
Balduan 05-06-04, 04:06 PM	Will the Eberron novels (which I really look forward to) have any impact on the setting?
The White Sorcerer 05-06-04, 04:09 PM	Originally posted by Balduan Will the Eberron novels (which I really look forward to) have any impact on the setting? Keith said the heroes in his novels will be low-level characters, so they propably won't end up having much of an impact. The idea is to make the PC's, not some book heroes, the big shakers of the world.
Singing Urgosh 05-06-04, 06:07 PM	As far as I am reading the whole 'pulp noir' thing for Ebberon there is no Metaplot in motion, but you have been left right at the tail end of such an event. The war which has just finished has had such a phenominal impact on the world that the DM is left with alot of loose threads and powerful NPC's to weave together their own story and therefore does not really need a metaplot to generalise every game. Of course once the ECS is out, we may find that there are a few important events either comming or prophesised for Ebberon and this can be weaved into the story if required/wished. Overall though I think the idea is to drop some basic 'joes' into a world where anything is possible and the unlikely likely and see how they manage to deal with the situation. This will allow for the big cinematic action for which Ebberon was devised as well as make the PC's rely on skills and character interaction more than in previous CS. Who knows when the druid from Youstinki that you saved from the Shadow Elves will pop up to repay the life debt they owe you, who knows what the PC's might have to do to repay the damages they caused in fighting off the LoB from a small town? I think that the plots for Ebberon will be different from the FR and GH standards cause not only is Ebberon set up to work differently it will also appeal to a different mindset of people (probably generally younger) than those who prefer the high fantasy of the traditional settings. The Ebberon plots will be intriguing, developing, twisting and a bit surreal, more like a 'choose your own adventure' than an 'encounter one, enounter 2, grandhall 1, etc" style of play. Anyway I think I have gone on too long with this already. Stay sane
Kesh 05-06-04, 08:56 PM	This thread just gave me a wonderful idea for a plot. Combined with something I saw on the History Channel recently... oh yes. The players will hate me when the secret comes out. :devil:
Hanuman47 05-07-04, 10:32 AM	Repeat after me, Urgosh: "one b, two r's" Now write that on the blackboard 100 times and then you can go out to recess. edited to correct a spelling error that would have been rather embarassing in a post upbraiding someone else for theirs
Singing Urgosh 05-09-04, 06:03 PM	Thanks for the spelling lesson Hanuman, I would never have been able to post on these boards again without your help:smirk: Although I must say that my lawyer will be in touch over the medical costs to cover my aggrivated case of carpel tunnel syndrome a a result of your 100 lines. If I were you I'd be checking the ol'bank balance. :D Stay sane
Joseph Amarillo 05-11-04, 02:54 AM	What I'd like to see are official modules which advance the metaplot one step at a time, similar to the modules released by White Wolf. In one VTM module, the Cathayans (Asian vampires) launch an attack on the Anarch Free State (a state of independent vampires). What happens in the module depends on what your players do, but the module itself DOES advance the metaplot a little... Many of the later books mention a "disturbance" in the Anarch Free State. Some believe that it is the work of vampire hunters. Others believe that it's just another Camarilla plot. Others say that it's a Sabbat plot... Basically, the ending is known (Anarch Free State now under the control of the Cathayans), but the real story of HOW it happened is never mentioned (because it varies, depending on your campaign). Back to Eberron... Maybe there'll be a module about the Lord of Blades's plot to find and activate Creation Forges. A possible ending would be "The Lord of Blades failed to find and activate Creation Forge.", but HOW it happened would forever remain a mystery (since it depends on your playgroup). Then, later books would refer to a "disturbance" in the <insert name of Creation Forge location here>. A large army of Warforged was seen marching in this location. No, it was the Shadow Elves who caused the disturbance. Actually, the Inspired did it... Well... The world is not really sure what happened.