Exactly how many pages will this issue contain ... and how much of them are covered by advertisement?
I also found this sneak "peek" at the Wizards website:
You'll really want to check out Dragon magazine issue 344 -- the super-sized, 132-page, 30th Anniversary issue. In addition to the extra-big share of special, 30th anniversary-caliber material (including a top ten list of D&D minis dragons), you'll get all the details on the exclusive, limited-run, alternate paint miniature they'll have for sale in June. (There's only going to be 5,000 of these special minis made. To order one, you have to be a subscriber -- even if you sign up for the subscription at the same time you order your sweet, sweet mini.)
I also found this sneak "peek" at the Wizards website:
You'll really want to check out Dragon magazine issue 344 -- the super-sized, 132-page, 30th Anniversary issue. In addition to the extra-big share of special, 30th anniversary-caliber material (including a top ten list of D&D minis dragons), you'll get all the details on the exclusive, limited-run, alternate paint miniature they'll have for sale in June. (There's only going to be 5,000 of these special minis made. To order one, you have to be a subscriber -- even if you sign up for the subscription at the same time you order your sweet, sweet mini.)
I am thinking it's a send away for the gelatenous cube's lesser known cousin... the sugar cube. You will get a huge 6 inch sugar cube sent to you in the mail. He did say "sweet, sweet mini".
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I am thinking it's a send away for the gelatenous cube's lesser known cousin... the sugar cube. You will get a huge 6 inch sugar cube sent to you in the mail. He did say "sweet, sweet mini".
Dang, you guessed. The thing is, we start 'em out that big because the packaging we ship them in isn't waterproof. Tests have shown that most areas of the country receive sugar cubes in the 1- to 3-inch size.
Who is the wizard Rautheene mentioned in the "Wizards Three" article?
I'm guessing the wizard is from Eberron.
Sighs. I'm gonna miss Dalamar.
Rautheene replaced Dalamar back when Krynn was "stolen" by Takhisis, and thus was no longer connected to Faerun and Oerth, allowing Dalamar to be one of the "Wizards Three." For a while she searched the planes trying to find Krynn, but never managed to.
Rautheene replaced Dalamar back when Krynn was "stolen" by Takhisis,...
Ah. Funny how you could live on Krynn and never knew the world was stolen at the time.
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Thanks for the info. At least its not some damn Eberron schmuck!
Remember who writes "Wizards Three." Mr. Greenwood is old-school, and while he undoubtedly knows about Eberron, my guess is he knows a lot more about Greyhawk and Dragonlance. And maybe a few things about Forgotten Realms as well. ;)
At least its not some damn Eberron schmuck!
Yeah! Stupid %$#@ Eberron schmucks!
Actually, I wouldn't know who to suggest if Ed WANTED to use someone from Eberron; lower level NPC cast and all. You'd probably end up with Hassalac the kobold, and he'd need a kid's seat to reach the table.
Well, what about the Fleshweaver? Or perhaps the Daughters of Sora Kell? Or even the Great Pine! Maybe an article on Merrix d'Cannith...
Granted, they're not really suitable for the article. Merrix, maybe.
Oh, wait. "Wizard's Three"... I'd like to see Vol at that table. :D
Remember who writes "Wizards Three." Mr. Greenwood is old-school, and while he undoubtedly knows about Eberron, my guess is he knows a lot more about Greyhawk and Dragonlance. And maybe a few things about Forgotten Realms as well. ;)
Yeah, like Piers Anthony knows maybe a few things about Xanth.
:P
Well, what about... the Great Pine!
Actually, N1NJ4, I'm afraid Oalian is in the story...
... he's the table.
Actually, N1NJ4, I'm afraid Oalian is in the story...
... he's the table.
ROFLMAO!! Take that, you tree-hugging, dirt-worshipping hippie freaks! :-D
Well I suppose that's one way for a druid to get in on a mage's tea party. ;_;
My own burning question (which, unfortunately, I think I already know the answer to) regarding issue 344 is this:
Who is the wizard Rautheene mentioned in the "Wizards Three" article?
Elminster, Dalamar, Mordekainen
Yeah! Stupid %$#@ Eberron schmucks!Actually, I wouldn't know who to suggest if Ed WANTED to use someone from Eberron; lower level NPC cast and all. You'd probably end up with Hassalac the kobold, and he'd need a kid's seat to reach the table.
*lol*!
I think it would be interesting to see someone from Eberron show up in a Wizard's Three article. Especially if Dalamar has to go; he was always my favorite of the Three.
Ofcourse, I would also have liked to see Bargle in there...
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ROFLMAO!! Take that, you tree-hugging, dirt-worshipping hippie freaks! :-D
Yeah Damn! Earth first! Strip mine the other planets later.
Incidently, its nice to see that Keith Baker has a great sense of humor, even if we continuously mock the blasphemous, techno-magic, dung-heap of a world that he has probably spent a good portion of his life-blood and time on earth creating.
ROFLMAO!! Take that, you tree-hugging, dirt-worshipping hippie freaks! :-DYeah Damn! Earth first! Strip mine the other planets later.
Incidently, its nice to see that Keith Baker has a great sense of humor, even if we continuously mock the blasphemous, techno-magic, dung-heap of a world that he has probably spent a good portion of his life-blood and time on earth creating.
I had the opportunity to Meet Keith at WF this year and I concur, he does have a great sense of humor. I heard some of the most inane questions directed at him by fans as well as detractors. I applaud him for handling both with grace and aplomb.
Aberzombie--I'm new to the Paizo boards and I noticed you've got a little venom in your heart towards Eberron. I was wondering what your favorite setting is. Also, could you give me a few bullet comments on your main points of contention with the setting? Just for understanding sake. I enjoy differing points of view.
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Aberzombie--I'm new to the Paizo boards and I noticed you've got a little venom in your heart towards Eberron. I was wondering what your favorite setting is. Also, could you give me a few bullet comments on your main points of contention with the setting? Just for understanding sake. I enjoy differing points of view.
First off, welcome to the messageboards.
I like a lot of different worlds. Greyhawk because that is where all the classics adventures took place. FR, Ravenloft, and Spelljammer because my original group had some great campaigns in those settings. I also Dragonlance, and Plansecape is OK.
There are several reasons why I dislike Eberron, most of which are probably irrational. That's OK, though, because I never claimed to be a rational guy (at least I don't think I ever did). Mostly I dislike the technomagic, steam-punk feel. Not to mention that WotC ignores several really cool worlds (inlcuding Greyhawk) in favor of this upstart. Also, it seems that Eberron is a world designed to appeal to younger people (teens to early 20s). I'm not "younger people", and I find them somewhat annoying at times. But that's me, I'm an ornery old bastard. Of course, sometimes my writing seems overly harsh, which usually means that I just failed a Write Sarcastic Comment check.
Hope this clears up the mystery that is the Aberzombie. And if it doesn't, take comfort in the fact that I probably just confused myself as much as you.
And remember, if you ever need a good undead henchman, just let me know (as long as you have a good dental plan).
First off, welcome to the messageboards.
I like a lot of different worlds. Greyhawk because that is where all the classics adventures took place. FR, Ravenloft, and Spelljammer because my original group had some great campaigns in those settings. I also Dragonlance, and Plansecape is OK.
There are several reasons why I dislike Eberron, most of which are probably irrational. That's OK, though, because I never claimed to be a rational guy (at least I don't think I ever did). Mostly I dislike the technomagic, steam-punk feel. Not to mention that WotC ignores several really cool worlds (inlcuding Greyhawk) in favor of this upstart. Also, it seems that Eberron is a world designed to appeal to younger people (teens to early 20s). I'm not "younger people", and I find them somewhat annoying at times. But that's me, I'm an ornery old bastard. Of course, sometimes my writing seems overly harsh, which usually means that I just failed a Write Sarcastic Comment check.
Hope this clears up the mystery that is the Aberzombie. And if it doesn't, take comfort in the fact that I probably just confused myself as much as you.
And remember, if you ever need a good undead henchman, just let me know (as long as you have a good dental plan).
Undead henchmen don't need a dental plan, all those choppers should have fallen out by now. I do offer a comprehensive continuing education package.
Not liking the techno-magic feel is totally understandable, esp. if you cut your teeth on Greyhawk/FR. As for the setting being written for younger players, I'll agree. However, all of the folks I play Eberron with are late 20's and over.Anyway, thanks for the response. I look forward to corresponding with you on the boards.
Incidently, its nice to see that Keith Baker has a great sense of humor, even if we continuously mock the blasphemous, techno-magic, dung-heap of a world that he has probably spent a good portion of his life-blood and time on earth creating.
I'm sure the all the money he's making doesn't hurt his attitude, either!
Personally, I do not support the game world - go Faerun (and Greyhawk)! - but I still respect KB's accomplishments. Good for him! (That hand-and-a-half!)
Mostly I dislike the technomagic, steam-punk feel... Also, it seems that Eberron is a world designed to appeal to younger people (teens to early 20s).
I get that a lot, actually. "Eberron? It's for the kids, with their nintendos and their airships. Feh!" Needless to say, I'm not in my earlier 20s, and it's not what I had in mind when creating the world. A few of my goals included...
- Creating a world where arcane magic played a significant role in society. If wizardry obeys laws, can be repeated under controlled circumstances, wouldn't it be adapted to serve purposes of war, transportation, medicine, and communication? In my one pager, I actually specifically stated that it wasn't steampunk, which is generally the blending of magic and technology, but rather a world in which magic has been applied to civilization.
- Pushing against the black-and-white view of alignment. Someone's evil? Reason enough to kill him. All orcs are savage humanoids who deserve to die. I wanted to get explore the idea of evil people serving good causes, corruption in good organizations, and other gray areas. You can do this in ANY setting; I'm not going to say that Greyhawk doesn't have a complex web of conspiracy and intrigue. But it is one of the fundamental principles of Eberron, right on page 250 of the book: an Eberron adventure should challenge preconceptions of alignment.
- Having a world where the gods don't walk the earth - where sects can be torn apart by differing beliefs, and the god can't just come down to sort things out. To make sure that faith matters, and that terrible things can be done in the name of faith.
- Focusing on the idea that the PCs are the true heroes of the world... that there aren't many benevolent NPCs who can match their abilities. You start out weak, like characters in many heroic sagas; but by the end, you are the greatest heroes of the age. Assuming, of course, that you want to be heroes.
Yes, it's got the warforged and the airships. But we didn't put them in because kids dig them; we put them in because they were aspects of war and transport in a magical world.
Now, with all that said, the last thing I want to come across as doing is saying "Eberron is the best world ever! Nyaah!" Some people like it, some don't. It's different from Forgotten Realms, and but that doesn't (in my mind) make one bad; it means that when you sit down to play one or the other, you can expect a different tone. FR is more traditional high fantasy, which will always have a solid appeal. The gods don't walk the earth in Eberron, but I LOVE the Trojan War potential one can have in other settings; it's just that other settings already have that covered, so why not try something different? I started playing D&D back in the Greyhawk days, and personally, I'm a big Planescape fan.
Anyhow, I certainly don't expect to change your mind about Eberron, and yeah, I'm happy to join in with the jokes. It's not everyone's cup of tea. But I still think the "it's a kid's world" argument is a strange one, when some of the basic principles of the setting are moral complexity, religious ambiguity, the balance of power between industry and monarchy, and the terrible impact of war. People may ignore these components of the setting... but they are there nonetheless.
But hey, at the end of the day, it's a game. Some people like it, some people don't. And especially taking something like the Wizards Three... Eberron's only a few years old, compared to 30 years of Greyhawk. I may not see it as a kid's setting, but as a setting it still IS a kid, while Greyhawk, Dragonlance, and FR have had decades of seasoning. I hope Eberron will have a chance to grow and take its place alongside the others, but there's still the chance it'll wander out into the road and get hit by a truck. 'Cause y'know, kids are like that!
*applauds*
Nice post Keith!
I like the idea of seeing a little of everything in the magizines, so that no matter what campiagn or who's DMing we can have something new to throw into the lot.
Eberron to me is awesome because for me it gives me a chance to play on equal footing. I didn't grow up with D&D like my friends did, and I haven't had all the monsters in the core books memerized since the age of 13. Eberron came out shortly after I started seriously playing. Because it was new, fresh and different I wasn't left out of the "loop".
The sad thing about the super-sized issue is I won't get to even see it most likely. Thanis has been beating me to the mailbox and hoarding them.
Eberron came out shortly after I started seriously playing. Because it was new, fresh and different I wasn't left out of the "loop".
I've actually heard that from quite a few people... it slipped my mind. When people say "Eberron is for younger players," they're usually complaining about the "magic robots" and lack of firearms. Oh, wait, actually they rarely bring up the lack of firearms... my mistake. ;) But the fact that the setting itself is a younger setting - and thus requires less investment to get "caught up" - is actually a logical reason for it to appeal to new players, whether young or old. And on the other hand, I can just as easily understand the person who has invested thirty years in a setting that has proven itself to be successful wanting to see that setting recieve further support - so that others can share the world they have enjoyed for years.
Again, there's no right or wrong in my mind. That's why I like seeing a little bit of everything myself. I've played in all the settings, and for all that Zuggtmoy has no (defined) place in Eberron, I still enjoyed her Demonomicon entry... and heck, if I felt like it, I COULD just stick her in Eberron. I've never used or encountered Elminster in a tabletop RPG, but I've run into him in the Baldur's Gate and SSI gold box computer games, and I can enjoy his adventures.
For me, much of the fun of roleplaying is exploring other worlds. It's like reading fantasy novels. I read Tolkein. I read George R.R. Martin. I read Steven Brust. Do I think some series are objectively better than others, or that some of their worlds are more to my personal tastes? Sure. But I enjoy them all in different ways, and I enjoy that variety. Same with RPGs. I may play Eberron more often than not, but I've had a great time when I have played Living Greyhawk, and I certainly loved me some Baldur's Gate.
Anyhow, I'm glad you're enjoying it, Celiwyn. And Aberzombie, I am sorry it's not for you, but I can certainly understand. It does, after all, have the magical robots and the flying ships. ;)
And I can only pray that your last two, oh so rare and all too sensible posts could put an end to all the bickering over game worlds. I like all the settings my self. I have been involved in DnD for 18 years and I like Eberron the best. Doesn't mean anything else sucks, or that anyone's getting ripped by having Ebberon products on the market. Just means I like it.
Really I love it, Mr. Baker your my hero. (reads: "Ferris Bueller your my hero".)
I like the various settings when I read or play, but when I DM I prefer my own ish.
Yes, please keep up with the sensible and reasonable posts, Mr. Baker! It is nice hearing that even though you're the creator of the setting, you're certainly not averse to other settings. :-P
Though I would like to hear what your take on a Greyhawk hardcover would be.
PS - I'm also looking forward to the content you'll be writing for Dungeons and Dragons Online. *does the happy dance*
Yay Keith! Spend more time on these boards, will ya? (Yah, I know, busy, busy)
For me, Eberron got me interested in Paizo, which then got me interested in Greyhawk. I've been playing D&D for around a decade, and until Eberron came out I was a strictly homebrew guy.
Well... I guess there was that brief "love affair" with Dark Sun and Ravenloft... but I didn't own any books other than the Complete Wizard's Handbook back then... so it may as well have been homebrew.
To me, Eberron and Greyhawk are just like different flavors of ice cream... Greyhawk is classic vanilla (maybe even french vanilla), and Eberron is rocky road. Or maybe turtle sundae, that's good too. FR is... chocolate. And though there are a lot of people who like chocolate, anyone who knows me will tell you that I don't... with the exception of candy bars... chocolate milk... cocoa... which is why, even though I don't like the FR setting, I still have a couple of FR books on my shelf. They're good to pull ideas from.
In a sense, I'm still running homebrew games. I will put objects from FR or Eberron directly into Greyhawk games without pause, and add things of my own design as well.
I guess what I'm getting to is that no matter what type of game you like to play, chances are you can use material from any sourcebook, regardless of the setting it was designed for. I would hardly expect to have the same game experience under any two DMs, even if they were using the same setting.
Anyway, I'm rambling, so... game on!
TK
Though I would like to hear what your take on a Greyhawk hardcover would be.
I'd buy it, certainly. Hey, I still have my autographed copy of Temple of Elemental Evil on the shelf. And while I haven't had the time to play in the local Living Greyhawk campaign, I had an awesome time with the Perrinlanders at Spring Revel '04!
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Pushing against the black-and-white view of alignment. Someone's evil? Reason enough to kill him. All orcs are savage humanoids who deserve to die. I wanted to get explore the idea of evil people serving good causes, corruption in good organizations, and other gray areas. You can do this in ANY setting; I'm not going to say that Greyhawk doesn't have a complex web of conspiracy and intrigue. But it is one of the fundamental principles of Eberron, right on page 250 of the book: an Eberron adventure should challenge preconceptions of alignment.
That is what I like about the Iron Heroes variant, there is no alignment. I think it makes things much more enjoyable when you don't have to stop and argue about "Hey, is this action Lawful Good, or is it more Lawful Neutral". I say kudos to you, Mr. Baker, if you've managed to throw a flying monkey wrench into the alignment system.
And while we are at it, I will say one good (gasp!) thing about Eberron. I do like the fact that someone finally did something more with the Rakshasa. In my mind, that was one of the most underused monsters in all of D&D (right up their with the Ogre Mage). And they are way to cool to be that forgotten. So huzzah for the Lords of Dust, which was a really cool name, by the way (I know, that's two good things, but as I said before...not a rational being!)
That is what I like about the Iron Heroes variant, there is no alignment. I think it makes things much more enjoyable when you don't have to stop and argue about "Hey, is this action Lawful Good, or is it more Lawful Neutral". I say kudos to you, Mr. Baker, if you've managed to throw a flying monkey wrench into the alignment system.
And while we are at it, I will say one good (gasp!) thing about Eberron. I do like the fact that someone finally did something more with the Rakshasa. In my mind, that was one of the most underused monsters in all of D&D (right up their with the Ogre Mage). And they are way to cool to be that forgotten. So huzzah for the Lords of Dust, which was a really cool name, by the way (I know, that's two good things, but as I said before...not a rational being!)
Wow...not one but two good things. I suppose it'll start raining frogs soon.
Anyway, it's a little off topic now, but what a great discussion.
Thanks for the insightful and meaningful comments Keith!
I do like the fact that someone finally did something more with the Rakshasa. In my mind, that was one of the most underused monsters in all of D&D (right up their with the Ogre Mage).
Thanks! Obviously, I agree - the Rakshasa have always been a favorite of mine, both mythologically and as a D&D creature (though personally I'm VERY glad they finally lost the Kolchak-inspired death-by-blessed-crossbow-bolt vulnerbility), and I wanted to see them become a significant force. As for the Ogre Mage, I'm working on that with the nation of Droaam... but haven't had a chance to bring them into the spotlight yet. Anyhow, I'm glad there's something good in the steaming pile of @$%#@. ;)
Well, Mr. Baker. I can honestly say that I have tremendously enjoyed Eberron. I have actually bought all the books and when (or if) I finally start to run my own campaign, I will be using Eberron. I actually plan on putting all three adventure paths in there. Keep up the good work.
Also, I am one of those players that has been playing since 1e D&D, so I have ran in Greyhawk, FR, Mystar, Dark Sun, Ravenloft, and plenty of others. I can honestly say that Eberron has lots of long term potential. Keep up the good work, Keith Baker!
Speaking of Eberron and issue #344, I thought I'd mention that I liked the Dreadhold article quite a bit. My favorite part is the prisoner in Deep Fourteen. I've already decided who he is in my campaign. (Which I suspect might match Mr. Baker's intent.)
While I realize nothing is absolute, it was pretty clear, from the mask if nothing else, who this prisoner was. I was kind of shocked to read it, frankly. I'd assumed Kaius had been a lot more cold-blooded about it all, and just had the boy killed. The ramifications of Prionser Deep Fourteen have made me wonder a bit more.