Serious question. I'm very familiar with, and a fan of all three worlds and was thinking about the lackluster support of the Eberron world in DUNGEON. Since Eberron has a great number of non-kingdom organizations, it made me wonder if worlds without a lot of non-kingdom depth, such as FR or GH could actually be adapted from Eberron.
For example: if an Eberron adventure were presented using a couple of the non-kingdom organizations, are there equivalents for FR or GH? I seriously doubt if GH would have equivalents, especially since it's a more primative world in regards to 'modern concepts.' FR, has some organizations, but probably not enough to cover the depth.
FR has about 12 'organizations' of which only about 3-4 concern PC's, and PC's would be seriously only pawns of them.
GH has only 4-5 organizations, of which all concern the PC's, but not really in a way that they can get involved.
Eberron has 16 major organizations, of which all concern the PC's.
I've been adapting adventures for 119 issues of DUNGEON and found that 'campaign-specific-content' always turned me away from an adventure, but I never knew why. I think it was lazy thinking..thinking that my world of Greyhawk couldn't keep up with organization-heavy worlds such as FR or the new Eberron.
Is that the deal? Why do you shy away from campaign-specific adventures and why aren't there more Eberron adventures?
jh
..
..
Chief Creative Officer, Publisher
|
Jay,
In general, we "shy away" from any adventure that is so steeped in the lore of a given campaign world that it is useless to those not playing in that world, or (more likely) that the average player would _assume_ that it is useless just by looking at it.
I must take issue with the idea that Eberron coverage in the magazine has been lackluster. We previewed the campaign setting with a "Lord of Blades" critical threat that predated the release of the hardcover, published a poster map of the world's primary continent (that said map lacked useful details was completely out of our control), and have published an Eberron adventure roughly every other month since the campaign came out. All three of those adventures have been written by authors of the campaign setting hardcover, and two of them were by Keith Baker, the setting's creator.
Within the next three issues, we'll also see a multi-part Eberron adventure adapted from last year's Gen Con D&D Open, and I've contracted Keith Baker to provide several Eberron-related Backdrops for the magazine, one of which I've already received.
At the very least, every installment of the next Adventure Path will have lengthy Eberron conversion appendices (as well as appendices for the Forgotten Realms).
The fact of the matter is that we only publish three adventures per issue, now, which can make it seem like we're ignoring a setting if we go more than a couple issues without something coming out for it. I assure you that this is not the case for either of WotC's two supported campaign worlds (FR and Eberron), and as you well know I do what I can for long-suffering Greyhawk fans, myself included.
As for "organizations" spanning nations in the World of Greyhawk, I think you sell the setting a bit short. Here, off the top of my head, are a few multi-nation organizations that can be used to reverse-engineer any non-Greyhawk adventure:
The Circle of Eight and various affiliated agents.
The Seekers (Dungeon 112)
The Horned Society
The Scarlet Brotherhood
Midnight Darkness
The People of the Testing
The Knights of Holy Shielding
The Iron League
The Black Brotherhood (Tharizdun SB offshoots, per LGG)
Knights of the Hart
Knights of the Watch
The Darkwatch
That Ahlissan Merchants' Guild
Knights of the Chase (LGJ)
Silent Ones of Keoland (LGJ, influence spans western Flanaess)
Dragotha's spies (from the old Dragon article)
A bunch of secret societies from an Andy Miller Dragon Annual article
The Knights of Luna
The Moqullod Consortium (LGG)
Etc.
Greyhawk isn't spelled out like some of the other settings, but if you have the material, it isn't difficult to piece together a vibrant tapestry.
--Erik Mona
Editor-in-Chief
Dragon & Dungeon
Within the next three issues, we'll also see a multi-part Eberron adventure adapted from last year's Gen Con D&D Open, and I've contracted Keith Baker to provide...
That's what I think I was hoping for. The 3 main world adaptations are going to be VERY useful..at least as useful as the imported-from-the-RPGA concept of level adaptability sidebar (thank Saturn for that evolution). It should drive the folks over at Canonfire wild with debate..I don't know much about the FR crowd though. It seems unless it's in book form...
Good to see you haven't lost your old sage-ness ;) I might have to look up one or two of those :P
jh