From what I've gathered here all of the new settings are only supported by three books....the campaign and player guides and then an adventure geared to the setting. Are these settings being supported in any further format? I understand there are generic adventures, but I am more concerned with setting specific material. I've read that there will be some Dragon and Dungeon articles available to flesh out the setting further. Is this worth subscribing to? Do most people cannabalize their older supplements and adapt it to the setting? Thankfully, I still own a library of 2e and 1e books. Should I pick up the 3rd edition Eberron books? Has the fluff changed much between 3.5 and 4e? I've never been one to worry about violating canon so I can always cut and paste Undermountain and Spelljammer craziness into things but I wonder as to how the majority of you go about dealing with this. Thanks and again I'm kinda new here so I apologize if this post isn't in the right place and what not.
Unsure about DDI, but I'm gonna subscribe anyway. Supposedly both Eberron and FR will get monthly articles, but I dunno. I'm in it for the upcoming preview psionic content!
Also, unlike FR, 4e's Eberron designers took a sort of "do no harm" approach to the fluff. They changed nothing beyond slipping in the 4e races that didn't exist in the world to begin with, and they do a pretty good job of it. I plan on continuing to use my 3.5 Eberron books extensively.
For general setting info:
Dragonmarked: For loads of information, including daily operations, future goals, and notable NPCs, for all of the Dragonmarked Houses. Also largely edition proof, just one chapter of 3.5 mechanics abilities in the back.
Faiths of Eberron: Also loaded with information pertaining to the daily lives of followers of Eberron's different faiths, plus information about how these religions are organized and more detail about what they teach and expect from followers.
Forge of War: An extremely detailed account of happenings during the Last War. Honestly didn't give this one as thorough as a read as my other books (I have all of them) because of my lack of interest in the Last War. That said it's packed cover-to-cover with historical accounts of the War.
Explorer's Handbook: A nifty book split into three sections: Starting Points, Mid Points, and Destinations, each detailing locations in the setting that would be good for beginnings, middles, and ends of journeys. Also includes information about forms of transportation in Eberron such as airships and elemental galleons.
The Five Nations: Gives each of the core nations of Khorvaire, plus the Mournland, a decent enough once-over. Gets the basics across very well and gives locales of interest for each area, including a plothook or two.
Races of Eberron: Somewhat controversial among the fanbase as "not being an Eberron book" because it's cover design was of the Core design. Also, many nitpicks can be had about its interpretation of Warforged, Shifters, and Changelings as just being contrary to established fact. However the Kalashtar chapter was written by Keith Baker (the guy that wrote the original setting pitch) and is the first place where that race's actual culture and beliefs was accurately brought through. I'd recommend it only if you're really into the Kalashtar and Dreaming Dark/Inspired shadow war.
For very specific local information about two very different cities:
Sharn - City of Towers: Pulp Noir at it's best. Very detailed and mostly edition-proof fluff. Gets in the the real nitty-gritty of the city such as the corruption and crime scene, as well as interesting locations and cultures mish-mashed into one city.
City of Stormreach: A rough-and-tumble frontier town on the edge of the setting's arguably most dangerous wilderness; continent of Xen'drik, "the shattered land". All of the Five Nations are represented in this one city that stands outside the Code of Galifar, letting the Last War continue in some way in the form of violent militia gangs. Stormreach has lots of secrets as well, including a trapped entity that was one of the most powerful evils at the dawn of time. Also largely edition-proof. It's supposed to receive an official 4e update, but I'm not holding my breath for that anymore.
For lots of good information about Eberron's other three continents:
Secrets of Sarlona: Goes into great detail about the continent dominated by the Inspired Empire of Reidra. Find out how the Inspired actually wrested the continent from it's various and sundry nations and kingdoms, why those under their rule accept and welcome it, and how those who don't are dealt with. Goes a fair bit into the history of Dal Quor and the Quori/Kalashtar division. Also, more information about the mountainous sanctuary of Adar, ancestral homeland of the Kalashtar.
Secrets of Xen'drik: A sort of DM's Tool Kit book, presenting many ways you might want to interpret the lost continent. There's a portion of the book dedicated to Stormreach, which later got its own book (noted above), but the information can add to that found in either book. Secrets of Xen'drik is a bit edition-dependent, but there's still info about the various drow cultures, giant ruins, and other strange properties of "the shattered land".
Dragons of Eberron: This is a wonderful book, almost entirely fluff, and explains much about what the dragons do over there on their mysterious continent of Argonessen. The book is actually divided amongst the major continents of the world, one chapter each for Khorvaire, Argonessen, Sarlona, and Xen'drik, and it goes into detail about draconic society in each. The Xen'drik chapter is particularly interesting because it goes into even more detail about the lost giant civilizations in that continent.
Other books:
Eberron Campaign Setting: I still recommend getting the original campaign setting book. I've heard from WotC and Keith Baker that the Eberron Campaign Guide out next month will not completely invalidate earlier books. Rather it'll add to and refocus information. I think it would be a good idea either way to get the original book and maybe get some aspects of the setting that will be downplayed in the new book next month.
Player's Guide to Eberron: Largely replaced by the 4e version, the Eberron Player's Guide, this was an alright book. Went into brief detail about various parts of the setting and handed out secret info based on knowledge DCs (The 4e EPG, however, gives next to no secret info, and leaves it up to the DM to hand it over after reading the Eberron Campaign Guide due out next month). Still there's some unique info that appears in this book that doesn't appear elsewhere, but it's not really all that important.
Magic of Eberron: This book suffers from being largely edition-dependent, or at least its good content. Some of the fluff ignores or contradicts other things in the setting, but it was otherwise a good book for providing uniquely eberronian options for player-characters. If you're fond of homebrewing material for your friends, you might want to pick this up if you like the mechanical elements introduced, like the Dealkyr Half-Bloods, a race of womb-tainted abberant humanoids.
I was also wondering if anyone has incorporated any older 2e works into Eberron and if it worked well. I was thinking about placing an adaptation of Undermountain somewhere and am curious if anyone has done anything similiar. Thanks again.
I had thought about placing the Tomb of Horrors in Q'barra, but never went through with it. I like my players too much. ;)
Ravenloft could easily be ran somewhere in Karrnath; one of the forests is forever clouded in magic mists, and the locals know that anyone who enters never returns. Why Karrnath? Because it just...feels right. :P Of course, by core D&D fluff, the forest would act as a one-way trip to Strahd's domain of dread on the Shadowfell.
I'd place the Homlet/Temple of Elemental Evil module in Northwestern Breland. That way it's close enough to the Eldeen that it'd make sense there's a large number of nature-worshipers living there.
Undermountain could be placed under Sharn, with some reflavoring of the entry levels.
I had thought about placing the Tomb of Horrors in Q'barra, but never went through with it. I like my players too much. ;)
Ravenloft could easily be ran somewhere in Karrnath; one of the forests is forever clouded in magic mists, and the locals know that anyone who enters never returns. Why Karrnath? Because it just...feels right. :P Of course, by core D&D fluff, the forest would act as a one-way trip to Strahd's domain of dread on the Shadowfell.
I'd place the Homlet/Temple of Elemental Evil module in Northwestern Breland. That way it's close enough to the Eldeen that it'd make sense there's a large number of nature-worshipers living there.
Alternatively:
Why assume that Undermountain was created by a human wizard? I'd put it Xen'drik, its creator a Giant Archmage.
The Tomb of Horrors would not be out of place in Ohr Kallun, Sarlona. There used to be a whole kingdom of dark magic practicioner, many of them tieflings(it's where the tieflings appeared first)
I believe that Droaam is a good choice for the Temple of Elemental Evil. In the monster nation, the worship of "dark" forces(I assume that there will be some reflavouring, say the Dark Six-especially the nature themed Devourer- or an Overlord) is rather open. I was also considerig to put the temple of Elemental evil in the Depths of Sharn(under Khyber's Gate) and the Temple of All-Consumption in Droaam.
Oh, and creating the first spelljammer might be the new joint effort of Houses Lyrandar and Cannith.
I am currently working on that premise right now.
Why assume that Undermountain was created by a human wizard? I'd put it Xen'drik, its creator a Giant Archmage.
I actually figured it was created by a hobgoblin, under the city of Sharrat (before it became Sharn when Karn swept in). That way you don't have to resize the already gigantic labyrinth to giant size.
Oh, the Isle of Dread...well, it's part of core fluff now, so it'd fit in pretty well thematically. No need for specific placement.
Alternatively:
The Tomb of Horrors would not be out of place in Ohr Kallun, Sarlona. There used to be a whole kingdom of dark magic practicioner, many of them tieflings(it's where the tieflings appeared first)
I think Undermountain can fit as a Ohr Kaluun war maze too.
Ravenloft could easily be ran somewhere in Karrnath; one of the forests is forever clouded in magic mists, and the locals know that anyone who enters never returns. Why Karrnath? Because it just...feels right. :P .
I like this idea....we're debating running a Cyre refugee campaign where the players are heading out into the wilderness to prepare a beachhead for a new colony...perhaps in Xen'drik.
I like the idea of populating some forgotten vale in Karrnath with a baron who's experiments in the realm of undeath have gone to far. I gotta figure out a way to throw that in. Maybe's he's sheltering a community of refugees with no place left to go....and who'd notice if a few displaced people disappeared further.
Thanks for the ideas.
I like this idea....we're debating running a Cyre refugee campaign where the players are heading out into the wilderness to prepare a beachhead for a new colony...perhaps in Xen'drik.
I like the idea of populating some forgotten vale in Karrnath with a baron who's experiments in the realm of undeath have gone to far. I gotta figure out a way to throw that in. Maybe's he's sheltering a community of refugees with no place left to go....and who'd notice if a few displaced people disappeared further.
Thanks for the ideas.
The 3.5 ECS mentions an abandoned city in the Demon Wastes(northwestern portion of Khorvaire) as a place many nations are discussing as a spot for Cyran refugees...
The trick is, the last inhabitants of said city disappearred. Overnight.
...
I like the idea of populating some forgotten vale in Karrnath with a baron who's experiments in the realm of undeath have gone to far. I gotta figure out a way to throw that in. Maybe's he's sheltering a community of refugees with no place left to go....and who'd notice if a few displaced people disappeared further.
In an uncharacteristic benevolent act - a Karrnathi warlord has agreed to accept a group of Cyrian refugees into his land. He allows them to settle in an abandoned Karrnathi village which was vacated during the Last War because of a plague. The village is located on top of a Dolurrh manifestation zone and on some nights the original occupants return to visit their old homes.