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Since it has been brought up numerous times that while Eberron has a similar feel to Steampunk, but is technically Magitech, I was wondering if it would be feasible to replace the magitech elements with actual tech.
Here's my thoughts so far:
- lightning rails >> regular trains
- elemental airships >> zeppelin style airships
- artificers >> engineers
- dragonmark houses >> guilds
Any thoughts? Suggestions?
I'd prefer ideas on how to make this work over reasons why it wouldn't.
Should be easy really. You would have to settle on a rule set or/rules to cover the changes.I would kill artificers and replace them with mass production and a few mad scientist types here and there.
There is not a whole lot that needs done once ya settled the big ones you listed above. You would need to know how to deal with the other magical or none human events, the morn land must be addressed. As would the inspired and dragons.
Humm go Sword and sorcery and not totally non-magic. You could leave the major movers and shakers, and embrace a more look craft take on somethings.
To be totally honest I would use something like savage world for such an approach as 3.5 or pathfinder are not well suited for such a game.
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I don't want to completely remove magic from the setting, just make it more of a steampunk feel by replacing the magitech elements. The Mournland would stay as is, the dragons too. The inspired and all psionic stuff I will probably just remove, no big difference there IMO.
Can you think of any other magitech elements in the setting I need to address?
FYI, I only included the Dragonmark Houses because several of their shticks are firmly magitech and I figured it would be easier to rework them all as regular guilds than piecemeal.
Dm Houses as Guilds
Cannith >> Makers Guild - constructs
Deneith >> Sentinels Guild - bodyguards & mercs
Ghallanda >> Hospitallers Guild - bars & inns
Jorasco >> Healers Guild - medicine
Kundarak >> Bankers Guild - banking
Lyrandar >> Pilots Guild - airships
Medani >> Inquisitives Guild - detective services
Orien >> Shipping Guild - trains
Phiarlan >> Entertainers Guild - circus (spies)
Sivis >> Scribes Guild - notary & mail services
Tharashk >> Finders Guild - trackers & bounty hunters
Thuranni >> Artisans Guild - theatre (spies)
Vadalis >> Handlers Guild - breeding & training animals
Suggestions welcome!
Just personal taste really.I find the system ill suited steampunk in general. I just would find it far easier to do this in SW or a system built for it, then to spend a massive amount of time trying to make it fit into 3.5 or PF. And SW does indeed have a magic system.
I would make them more then just guilds, make them more akin to cults mixed in with guilds. Each has knowledge, magic and rituals and technologies outsiders do not have. If ya go the S&S route they could each have some nameless horror as a house pardon.
True marked members of the house would be folks who have been initiated into the inner circle, each binding themselves to the house and its pardon in a very real way.
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Just personal taste really.I find the system ill suited steampunk in general. I just would find it far easier to do this in SW or a system built for it, then to spend a massive amount of time trying to make it fit into 3.5 or PF. And SW does indeed have a magic system.
Ok, well I don't foresee massive amounts of time needed for this to work. Anyways, as I said in the first post, lets focus on the "hows" not the "why nots".
I would make them more then just guilds, make them more akin to cults mixed in with guilds. Each has knowledge, magic and rituals and technologies outsiders do not have. If ya go the S&S route they could each have some nameless horror as a house pardon.
True marked members of the house would be folks who have been initiated into the inner circle, each binding themselves to the house and its pardon in a very real way.
Interesting idea, but I have plans in mind with them being guilds. The cult aspect I may integrate, but I specifically want to remove the dragonmarks from the equation. I may add them back, but they will be tattoos, not magic birthmarks.
if someone REALLY insists on being an artificer, just let them be an alchemist, and and let them take item creation feats as discoveries.
it shouldnt be too difficult at all.
Oooh! I like that idea. Plus it wouldn't be too hard to reflavor extracts as single-use devices.
Can anyone think of any other part of Eberron that would need changing for my idea to work? Are there any other magitech elements to the setting? I have plans for warforged, fyi.
Yes.. but call it something else. All the things you're thinking of changing pretty much strip everything that made Eberron, Eberron.
+1 to this.
I really don't understand what you're going for, here--the thing that really makes Eberron unique is that magic is an everyday part of life. If you take away the magitech, then that is no longer the case, and you run into oodles of internal inconsistencies.
Are you basically just attracted to the pulp flavor of Eberron, while opposed to the prevalence of magic? That's an interesting view with all sorts of support--the pirate isles, Xendrik, the constant political intrigue, etc. all lend themselves to very pulp-y adventures. However, so much of the world's history is based on magic being common that reducing its presence doesn't make logical sense.
What sort of background/story changes are you going to have? That might help us give more constructive advice :)