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Changing Eberron

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
Tinimir
Jan 23, 2011 13:50:45
The more I read Eberrron the more I like it; however, I dont care for some of aspects of the magic in the world. For instance, I dont like the idea of a fantasy world having a magical train. What is prevent an artificier from making a lightning gun or a flame thrower?

My question is has anyone here who has run Eberron and toned down the magic in the world? Removed the train out of the campaign world?
#2
Nibelung_ajr
Jan 23, 2011 14:20:36
The artificer on my table have a flaming shotgun (reskinned superior crossbow).

Depends on what you call "tone down" the magic. Airships, dragonmarks, warforgeds, mournland, and the lightning rail are icons of the setting, so removing any of those elements will made the campaign less eberronish.

I think it's better if you focus your campaign on some place that you can ignore what you don't want to use. If your campaign is on the Eldeen Reaches or Xen'drik, you dont have to even show the rail to your players.
#3
Tinimir
Jan 23, 2011 16:10:57 The main beef I have with Eberron is the train and I don't see how removing it would affect the essence of Eberron.

I've read about DMs adding magic items to their world to have it more modern. I was wondering if anyone out there has done the reverse?
#4
wargoose
Jan 23, 2011 17:43:24 I think one thing he means is that the use of magic (lightning rail) has changed the face of the world. Inhabitants of the world are able to travel easier, and faster, so that the exchange of ideas and technology are easier. But it doesn't matter, as the DM you can add or subtract anything that you would like to do. Like was suggested, you can run your campaign around an area that doesn't have to much of the "frills" of eberron. You could also just tell your player that it just doesn't exist. To be honest, I run a travel intensive campaign and the lightning rail just speeds up there trips, doesn't really add anything to the story....plus it allows me to steal back some of the gold they have gotten already As for artifacter, if you have a player who wants to play that, just make it clear ahead of time about what kind of things you would find exceptable, that way your not forced into a corner with a elemental vehicle mounted with flame cannons.
#5
naturax
Jan 23, 2011 22:15:14 Go for it. I've been running Eberron for years and I've made all sorts of tweaks to the setting that suit me better. There's absolutely no harm in doing things your way: it keeps players on their toes when they think they know everything, provides pleasant surprises to experienced players, and most importantly you are more likely to run a better game when you "get" or can "feel" the setting better.
#6
Ogiwan
Jan 25, 2011 8:41:16 Well, it is your game. You can do whatever you want.

However, would you also remove Sivis Speaking Stones? They are the equivalent of telegraphs.

The reason the Lightning Rail is in Eberron is because:
1.) It makes long-distance travel a lot easier and faster.
2.) It gives the option for some awesome pulp action scenes.
3.) Most importantly, IMO, it clearly displays the socioeconomic ramifications of magical development.
#7
Alex_
Jan 25, 2011 21:42:09 Things like the lightning rail (train) battle, like the airship (zepplin) battle, along with going to Africa/South America (Xen'drik) and encountering the dark skin cannibalistic natives (Drow) is part of the pulp action adventure tradition that Eberron is based on.

If you want to downplay the "techy" feel, then I suggest playing up the magical feel. I do this in many of my games so that players remember that the world is MAGIC! instead of SCIENCE!

The Lightning rail is not driven by a mere conductor with levers and gagues. It's operated by a scion of house Orien with the dragonmark of passage, who takes hold of a pair of reigns made of lightning tied to the bound elemental in a crystal. Acceleration, deceleration, turning, etc, are controlled by him pulling, yanking, and otherwise working the reigns as if he is driving a carriage along a very narrow road (this is atually from one of the 3E sourcebooks). You can make the head carriage open, like a horse drawn carriage, and have several bound lightning elementals in the front, pulling along a string of carts.

My house Medani scryers are very much mystical. An interrogation is more than hooking you up to a magical polgygraph device. They bring you to a room full of incense and the Medani scion brings the pair of you into a drug induced spirit vision where the events replay in both your minds, and both of you struggle against one another as you subconsciously try to alter what happens and he/she tries to pull the truth out of you.

House Jorasco healers are not just doctors. They're medicine men that have figured out how to turn the traditional shamanistic healing practices of their people into a booming business. They don't examine you with magical instruments, they make you drink a special brew, spit it out, and based on what color it turns, they can determine the malady. If you're poisoned, they cure you by chanting and sprinkling dried herbs or giving you ground up animal parts.
#8
Siberys
Jan 30, 2011 20:48:05 Along the lines of what Alex_ was saying, it's not Magic As Tech, or Magic Is Tech, it's just Magic. The rails aren't a magic train - it's a string of floating houses propelled forward by a bound air elemental. Look at it as a high-speed caravan following a regular route.

And, honestly, lightning guns and flamethrowers aren't that odd in D&D. Core 3.X had them - they're called wands of lightning bolt and searing ray, respectively.

That said, those sorts of things ae there because of the sorts of stories that were to be expected in the setting. You can avoid or entirely remove them without any real trouble.
#9
fletch137
Jan 31, 2011 19:44:53 I've redrawn the map to my Eberron, so I think it's perfectly reasonable to change your Eberron to match your own interests.

Like you, I'd rather a magical train be more fantastical than the everyday feel it's given here, but I didn't remove it completely from my map. I opted for a single, experimental line built by Cannith and Orien from Passage to Wroat (soon to expand to Sharn because of the obvious financial boon). So I get the opportunity for a lightning rail adventure if I want one, but keeping it less prevailent and more fantastical.

The bottom line is that if you like 80% of a setting (like I do with Eberron), you shouldn't let the other 20% keep you from using the parts you do like.
#10
Ogiwan
Feb 10, 2011 22:25:12
The bottom line is that if you like 80% of a setting (like I do with Eberron), you shouldn't let the other 20% keep you from using the parts you do like.

Well said.

For me, though, I love....well, probably 99% of the setting. I'm not sure what the remaining 1% is. I'm sure its there, though,

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Tinimir Jan 23, 2011 13:50:45	The more I read Eberrron the more I like it; however, I dont care for some of aspects of the magic in the world. For instance, I dont like the idea of a fantasy world having a magical train. What is prevent an artificier from making a lightning gun or a flame thrower? My question is has anyone here who has run Eberron and toned down the magic in the world? Removed the train out of the campaign world?
#2 Nibelung_ajr Jan 23, 2011 14:20:36	The artificer on my table have a flaming shotgun (reskinned superior crossbow). Depends on what you call "tone down" the magic. Airships, dragonmarks, warforgeds, mournland, and the lightning rail are icons of the setting, so removing any of those elements will made the campaign less eberronish. I think it's better if you focus your campaign on some place that you can ignore what you don't want to use. If your campaign is on the Eldeen Reaches or Xen'drik, you dont have to even show the rail to your players.
#3 Tinimir Jan 23, 2011 16:10:57	The main beef I have with Eberron is the train and I don't see how removing it would affect the essence of Eberron. I've read about DMs adding magic items to their world to have it more modern. I was wondering if anyone out there has done the reverse?
#4 wargoose Jan 23, 2011 17:43:24	I think one thing he means is that the use of magic (lightning rail) has changed the face of the world. Inhabitants of the world are able to travel easier, and faster, so that the exchange of ideas and technology are easier. But it doesn't matter, as the DM you can add or subtract anything that you would like to do. Like was suggested, you can run your campaign around an area that doesn't have to much of the "frills" of eberron. You could also just tell your player that it just doesn't exist. To be honest, I run a travel intensive campaign and the lightning rail just speeds up there trips, doesn't really add anything to the story....plus it allows me to steal back some of the gold they have gotten already As for artifacter, if you have a player who wants to play that, just make it clear ahead of time about what kind of things you would find exceptable, that way your not forced into a corner with a elemental vehicle mounted with flame cannons.
#5 naturax Jan 23, 2011 22:15:14	Go for it. I've been running Eberron for years and I've made all sorts of tweaks to the setting that suit me better. There's absolutely no harm in doing things your way: it keeps players on their toes when they think they know everything, provides pleasant surprises to experienced players, and most importantly you are more likely to run a better game when you "get" or can "feel" the setting better.
#6 Ogiwan Jan 25, 2011 8:41:16	Well, it is your game. You can do whatever you want. However, would you also remove Sivis Speaking Stones? They are the equivalent of telegraphs. The reason the Lightning Rail is in Eberron is because: 1.) It makes long-distance travel a lot easier and faster. 2.) It gives the option for some awesome pulp action scenes. 3.) Most importantly, IMO, it clearly displays the socioeconomic ramifications of magical development.
#7 Alex_ Jan 25, 2011 21:42:09	Things like the lightning rail (train) battle, like the airship (zepplin) battle, along with going to Africa/South America (Xen'drik) and encountering the dark skin cannibalistic natives (Drow) is part of the pulp action adventure tradition that Eberron is based on. If you want to downplay the "techy" feel, then I suggest playing up the magical feel. I do this in many of my games so that players remember that the world is MAGIC! instead of SCIENCE! The Lightning rail is not driven by a mere conductor with levers and gagues. It's operated by a scion of house Orien with the dragonmark of passage, who takes hold of a pair of reigns made of lightning tied to the bound elemental in a crystal. Acceleration, deceleration, turning, etc, are controlled by him pulling, yanking, and otherwise working the reigns as if he is driving a carriage along a very narrow road (this is atually from one of the 3E sourcebooks). You can make the head carriage open, like a horse drawn carriage, and have several bound lightning elementals in the front, pulling along a string of carts. My house Medani scryers are very much mystical. An interrogation is more than hooking you up to a magical polgygraph device. They bring you to a room full of incense and the Medani scion brings the pair of you into a drug induced spirit vision where the events replay in both your minds, and both of you struggle against one another as you subconsciously try to alter what happens and he/she tries to pull the truth out of you. House Jorasco healers are not just doctors. They're medicine men that have figured out how to turn the traditional shamanistic healing practices of their people into a booming business. They don't examine you with magical instruments, they make you drink a special brew, spit it out, and based on what color it turns, they can determine the malady. If you're poisoned, they cure you by chanting and sprinkling dried herbs or giving you ground up animal parts.
#8 Siberys Jan 30, 2011 20:48:05	Along the lines of what Alex_ was saying, it's not Magic As Tech, or Magic Is Tech, it's just Magic. The rails aren't a magic train - it's a string of floating houses propelled forward by a bound air elemental. Look at it as a high-speed caravan following a regular route. And, honestly, lightning guns and flamethrowers aren't that odd in D&D. Core 3.X had them - they're called wands of lightning bolt and searing ray, respectively. That said, those sorts of things ae there because of the sorts of stories that were to be expected in the setting. You can avoid or entirely remove them without any real trouble.
#9 fletch137 Jan 31, 2011 19:44:53	I've redrawn the map to my Eberron, so I think it's perfectly reasonable to change your Eberron to match your own interests. Like you, I'd rather a magical train be more fantastical than the everyday feel it's given here, but I didn't remove it completely from my map. I opted for a single, experimental line built by Cannith and Orien from Passage to Wroat (soon to expand to Sharn because of the obvious financial boon). So I get the opportunity for a lightning rail adventure if I want one, but keeping it less prevailent and more fantastical. The bottom line is that if you like 80% of a setting (like I do with Eberron), you shouldn't let the other 20% keep you from using the parts you do like.
#10 Ogiwan Feb 10, 2011 22:25:12	The bottom line is that if you like 80% of a setting (like I do with Eberron), you shouldn't let the other 20% keep you from using the parts you do like. Well said. For me, though, I love....well, probably 99% of the setting. I'm not sure what the remaining 1% is. I'm sure its there, though,