Making Eberron feel as new as it is [Archive] - Wizards Community

Making Eberron feel as new as it is [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
fourmyle
05-24-04, 04:41 PM So, like many of us, I'm setting up to run Eberron this summer. In the group I'm with, I'm the new guy, but I have more experience DMing that any of them, and this is the first thing I'll have put together for them...anyway, one of my players (and the DM of the campaign I play in) said something that really made me think, "I don't want to know about Eberron, because I want it to feel new." This hit me like a ton of bricks...it's never occured to me, because, as a player, I'm a total newbie, so everything is new and exciting; I'm thrilled just to be playing. But really, playing to a crowd who've been dungeon crawling for decades, I want to make it new.

Admittedly, Eberron is chocked full of the new and exciting, tons of things noones ever seen in D&D before, as well as the old stand-bys, but I put it to this wizened council, what aspects of Eberron do I hit them with to capitolize on what sets it apart? How do I present the world to them in a way that makes every encounter, be it a tavern or a tousel, feel new and interesting?

Thanks in advance for your input. I look forward to the conversation.
Alathayn
05-24-04, 05:08 PM The 1st level adventur in the ECS will propably show you how to present it this way. If it does I'd also try the "Shadows of the Last War" adventure that's published one month after the ECS. The only other tipp I can give you is to take nothing as granted. Every street, every standart NPC must be given a detailed deskribtion the first time, because old stereotypes don't fit and you'll have to create new ones. In our classic medival setting everybody would know how a normal tavern looks and feels, but not so in Eberron. Of course you could say, "why not eschew stereotypes alltogether?" But I think in P&P you just need some stereotypes for gaming consistency and it would be booring to flesh out every barkeeper anew.
dxyn
05-24-04, 05:09 PM One way to do what you want would be to emphasize those things that have been mentioned so many times on these boards.

New Races - if your players don't choose any of the new races to play, then have them meet representatives of these races in game and really play up the aspects that make them different from the normal D&D races. Or if they choose to play one of the new races (or all of them) use hooks designed for these races and let them explore what makes them different.

Alignment - Play up the shades of gray where alignment is concerned. The idea that there may be corrupt priests in the Church of the Silver Flame or that a noble house may not be as good and upstanding as their image represents will make your players think.

Religion - Emphasize the fact that the gods aren't really taking an active role and religion is based more on belief in an ideal rather than an actual being. Also, show that divine magic isn't all that common, especially when the party needs healing. Have them encounter priests and acolytes who simply have no divine magic so that a cleric is truely something special.

Magic - Use the low level magic that abounds in some places to demonstrate that any PC wizards or sorcerers are a cut above the ordinary. Make magic something profound, at least higher level magic. No one would care if a wizard put a continual light on an object, but imagine how people would gawk at a chain lightning.

Political Intrigue - have the PCs recruited by one nation to spy/infiltrate/sabotage/etc another nation only to find out that they may not be working for the good guys after all. I guess this goes back to alignment shades as well.

Planes - use the moving aspect of the planes to allow planar adventures (when coterminal) and to weaken certain magical affects (when distant). Also, include dangers from the planes that are unique to this setting (Inspired from Dal Quor for example)

There are so many more and these are only examples from what I've read on the boards and Dragon. I'm sure I'll have a whole slew of ideas once I get the book in my hands. I bet you will too.

dxyn
Hellcow
05-24-04, 08:32 PM Excellent answer, dxyn.

And yes, these are all things the DM needs to think about. There are certain aspects of Eberron that are suggestions to the DM, and it's up to you to follow through or not. Grayness of alignment. Lack of powerful allies. Mystery of religion. These are presented as elements of the world, but it's not like the Eberron Police will knock down your door if you create an epic-level cleric who's always leaning over the party's shoulders and healing them in exchange for gold. It's up to you to embrace these ideas -- or turn away from them, as you see fit. If you want Jaela to be a 30th level cleric in your version of Eberron, that's up to you.

Political intrigue is an example of something that Eberron is well suited to, because the balance of power has been shaken up by the war. But that doens't mean you have to have a straight spy story. Consider if your traditional dungeon crawl could have a politial aspect. You're going to Xen'drik to claim the Blade of Burning Shadows. Great! But what if, in addition to the traps, shadowfire elementals, and ancient guardians, you find that you are competing with a band of adventurers from Thrane, who have been hired to return the blade to the Keeper of the Silver Flame? Do you give up your treasure and help them? And can you be certan they really are servants of the Flame and not agents of the Emerald Claw?

There is a chapter in the CSB about running adventures, and it does discuss a lot of these issues. Buy dxyn is right. Read the boards, and you should be able to pick out the key things to emphasize.
JohnnyONeal
05-26-04, 02:04 PM I'm planning to ease my players into the setting with an adventure that includes Eberron-specific elements, but isn't 100% Eberron-flavored. Here's how I want do it:

My first adventure will be a pretty basic dungeon crawl, almost the standard "go fight the monsters in the dungeon outside our town" kind of story.

But the town in question will be on the border of Breland and Sharn, where heightened tensions threaten to spark a new war. The NPCs will include a dragonmarked noble, a goblinoid Sovereign Host convert, an Emerald Claw agent, and an insane warforged.

The encounters I have in mind could really be dropped into any setting, but the flavor and background will be Eberron-specific. And I'll create it as a lead-in to Shadows of the Last War, my PCs' chance to visit the Mournland and immerse themselves in official Eberron gameplay.

One place where I'll have to challenge myself is to take a critical look at whatever I create and ask myself if it would make an interesting movie (or an interesting set of scenes in a larger movie). Are the hooks in place? Are the scenes diverse and action packed? I think the "cinematic" style of Eberron is more than just marketing spin; it's about making an adventure full of memorable characters and encounters.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
fourmyle 05-24-04, 04:41 PM	So, like many of us, I'm setting up to run Eberron this summer. In the group I'm with, I'm the new guy, but I have more experience DMing that any of them, and this is the first thing I'll have put together for them...anyway, one of my players (and the DM of the campaign I play in) said something that really made me think, "I don't want to know about Eberron, because I want it to feel new." This hit me like a ton of bricks...it's never occured to me, because, as a player, I'm a total newbie, so everything is new and exciting; I'm thrilled just to be playing. But really, playing to a crowd who've been dungeon crawling for decades, I want to make it new. Admittedly, Eberron is chocked full of the new and exciting, tons of things noones ever seen in D&D before, as well as the old stand-bys, but I put it to this wizened council, what aspects of Eberron do I hit them with to capitolize on what sets it apart? How do I present the world to them in a way that makes every encounter, be it a tavern or a tousel, feel new and interesting? Thanks in advance for your input. I look forward to the conversation.
Alathayn 05-24-04, 05:08 PM	The 1st level adventur in the ECS will propably show you how to present it this way. If it does I'd also try the "Shadows of the Last War" adventure that's published one month after the ECS. The only other tipp I can give you is to take nothing as granted. Every street, every standart NPC must be given a detailed deskribtion the first time, because old stereotypes don't fit and you'll have to create new ones. In our classic medival setting everybody would know how a normal tavern looks and feels, but not so in Eberron. Of course you could say, "why not eschew stereotypes alltogether?" But I think in P&P you just need some stereotypes for gaming consistency and it would be booring to flesh out every barkeeper anew.
dxyn 05-24-04, 05:09 PM	One way to do what you want would be to emphasize those things that have been mentioned so many times on these boards. New Races - if your players don't choose any of the new races to play, then have them meet representatives of these races in game and really play up the aspects that make them different from the normal D&D races. Or if they choose to play one of the new races (or all of them) use hooks designed for these races and let them explore what makes them different. Alignment - Play up the shades of gray where alignment is concerned. The idea that there may be corrupt priests in the Church of the Silver Flame or that a noble house may not be as good and upstanding as their image represents will make your players think. Religion - Emphasize the fact that the gods aren't really taking an active role and religion is based more on belief in an ideal rather than an actual being. Also, show that divine magic isn't all that common, especially when the party needs healing. Have them encounter priests and acolytes who simply have no divine magic so that a cleric is truely something special. Magic - Use the low level magic that abounds in some places to demonstrate that any PC wizards or sorcerers are a cut above the ordinary. Make magic something profound, at least higher level magic. No one would care if a wizard put a continual light on an object, but imagine how people would gawk at a chain lightning. Political Intrigue - have the PCs recruited by one nation to spy/infiltrate/sabotage/etc another nation only to find out that they may not be working for the good guys after all. I guess this goes back to alignment shades as well. Planes - use the moving aspect of the planes to allow planar adventures (when coterminal) and to weaken certain magical affects (when distant). Also, include dangers from the planes that are unique to this setting (Inspired from Dal Quor for example) There are so many more and these are only examples from what I've read on the boards and Dragon. I'm sure I'll have a whole slew of ideas once I get the book in my hands. I bet you will too. dxyn
Hellcow 05-24-04, 08:32 PM	Excellent answer, dxyn. And yes, these are all things the DM needs to think about. There are certain aspects of Eberron that are suggestions to the DM, and it's up to you to follow through or not. Grayness of alignment. Lack of powerful allies. Mystery of religion. These are presented as elements of the world, but it's not like the Eberron Police will knock down your door if you create an epic-level cleric who's always leaning over the party's shoulders and healing them in exchange for gold. It's up to you to embrace these ideas -- or turn away from them, as you see fit. If you want Jaela to be a 30th level cleric in your version of Eberron, that's up to you. Political intrigue is an example of something that Eberron is well suited to, because the balance of power has been shaken up by the war. But that doens't mean you have to have a straight spy story. Consider if your traditional dungeon crawl could have a politial aspect. You're going to Xen'drik to claim the Blade of Burning Shadows. Great! But what if, in addition to the traps, shadowfire elementals, and ancient guardians, you find that you are competing with a band of adventurers from Thrane, who have been hired to return the blade to the Keeper of the Silver Flame? Do you give up your treasure and help them? And can you be certan they really are servants of the Flame and not agents of the Emerald Claw? There is a chapter in the CSB about running adventures, and it does discuss a lot of these issues. Buy dxyn is right. Read the boards, and you should be able to pick out the key things to emphasize.
JohnnyONeal 05-26-04, 02:04 PM	I'm planning to ease my players into the setting with an adventure that includes Eberron-specific elements, but isn't 100% Eberron-flavored. Here's how I want do it: My first adventure will be a pretty basic dungeon crawl, almost the standard "go fight the monsters in the dungeon outside our town" kind of story. But the town in question will be on the border of Breland and Sharn, where heightened tensions threaten to spark a new war. The NPCs will include a dragonmarked noble, a goblinoid Sovereign Host convert, an Emerald Claw agent, and an insane warforged. The encounters I have in mind could really be dropped into any setting, but the flavor and background will be Eberron-specific. And I'll create it as a lead-in to Shadows of the Last War, my PCs' chance to visit the Mournland and immerse themselves in official Eberron gameplay. One place where I'll have to challenge myself is to take a critical look at whatever I create and ask myself if it would make an interesting movie (or an interesting set of scenes in a larger movie). Are the hooks in place? Are the scenes diverse and action packed? I think the "cinematic" style of Eberron is more than just marketing spin; it's about making an adventure full of memorable characters and encounters.