Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Bashfull 08-01-07, 07:02 PM	I gen my gf's characters. Don't ask, she hates doing it. My gf wants to play a bard. First problem. :rolleyes: Then, with all the juicy stuff available (House Phiarlan, sweetie?) she wants to play a human bard. :banghead: So what can I do to get her character vaguely into the Eberron setting? Apart from being able to use a wand of Cure Light Wounds, how can I make this character interesting for her?
Nerdicus 08-01-07, 07:11 PM	I would say ask her what sort of bard she would like to play. Figure out if she wants to be the classic harp strumming minstrel who travels town to town performing, or does she want to play the spy bard. The bard who has hopes to win the favor of a major lord and get a job spying on his/her enemies. Or maybe she would lie to play a more tribal bard. Someone who hails from either the eldeen reaches or the marches. If she isn't too firm on the race try suggesting the coolest bard concept ever, play a Durkalaa! Hobgoblin Bard who aims at uniting the scattered clans of the once expansive Dhakaani Empire. So yeah....refine her desire for the game and figure out what she is looking for in her bard. Then go from there. Is this for a solo game? Because if so that opens even more avenues of rad bard-ness. I for one think the bard class is one of the coolest and most fun to play. Up there with Beguilers.
Bashfull 08-01-07, 07:14 PM	Sadly, at the moment, she wants to be a reporter for the Koranenberg Chronicle or Sharn..is it Enquirer? I keep wondering why a group of adventurers would want a reporter hanging around them...
Rechan 08-01-07, 07:29 PM	Sadly, at the moment, she wants to be a reporter for the Koranenberg Chronicle or Sharn..is it Enquirer? I keep wondering why a group of adventurers would want a reporter hanging around them... 1) Sharn Inquisitive. 2) Why would PCs want a reporter hanging around them? Prestige Seriously, what PC group wouldn't want their exploits told to the public at large, unless they're A) doing very underhnaded things or B) need secrecy? Telling it after the fact will get them fame and fortune real fast. In most fantasy settings, you get powerful enough, bards sing songs of you in taverns, but here everyone can read about your exploits as they happen. "Oh wow, I know you guys from the newspaper, I need your help!" After all, Doctor Watson reported his stories in London Newspapers - so why wouldn't your PCs? This is true for the Inquisitive, but the Korrenburg Chronicle is read all across Khorvaire. It's big. Access Reporters have contacts. People who have answers, or "sources" on the inside. Maybe the PCs are fighting the Emerald Claw; are there any who are sympathetic to (whatever) who are willing to talk to her? And if the PC reporter doesn't have these contacts, maybe one of her co-workers will. But more importantly, think of the Press Pass. It's like an ID badge to get into high society parties and to see higher ups. Of course, you're asking "Why would NPCs care about some dumb reporter?" Power of the Press Imagine if one of your PCs was linked to a law enforcement agency in Eberron. The Sentinel Marshals, one of the Citadel Elite, or a Dark Lantern operative that the enemies knew was a member of the DL. Do you think this would give the enemy pause? "This guy will see me breaking the law, and he may very well bring the law down on top of my head." While the reporter has less power, they can bring the authorities in because they have a level of credibility. More importantly, they have the public's attention. Imagine the public response to the headline "Vandalis heir using puppies for nefarious experiments." The PR for the House would be ugly, and that Heir might end up in the Eberronian equivalent of Siberia if it's true and the Reporter has evidence. If the politicians or notible nobility give a rather nasty cold shoulder to someone beyond the grunt writing the classified ads, that reporter is going to make note of it. And they're going to pen not-flattering pieces on that individual. And the threat of having a bad image can hurt you if you're trying to get anything done. Especially when your reporter is friends with nosy adventurers with access to prying magic and rogues who can do sneaking. 3) Why would you, the DM, want a reporter in with the PCs? Adventure hooks Ever heard of the show called "The Night Stalker"? Think "The X-Files" but about a reporter who investigates weird things. Same idea. Your reporter PC is going to likely be one of two people: 1) Pursuer of Truth, or 2) Pursuer of Political Power and Career. Either of these are concrete goals that you the DM can use. This character is Driven, and that drive can lead where you want it to. There are few better ways than the reporter's editor saying "Hey, there's something over here I'd like you to take a look at". Maybe that thing is very benign, but underneath the surface is something that festers and is just perfect for adventurers. Could it be an Inspired plot? How about a Lord of Dusk operative? Or just some plain ol' member of the Aurum who needs squishing? Or maybe it's an anonymous tip that could assist the current adventure. In addition, NPCs who have read about the PCs actions can come to the PCs when they need a job done. Imagine what would happen if a Medani or Dark Lanterns operative wanted to deflect, and had lots of juicy tidbits for the PC. Would the PC print them? Or is it a trap? And would they get some heat from the Houses or the Citadel of they gave away classified info? Enemies See Power of the Press above for enemies the character could make in her exploits. But more importantly, anyone who wants to keep their schemes hidden are going to balk at the presence of a Reporter. The Inspired are going to be doubly irritated (or interested in possessing the reporter), and the Aurum are going to hate anyone who might expose their plans. Maybe someone wants to take out one of the PC's anonymous sources, but needs to know who they are first. And since the reporter has a recognized job, this is a way that the bad guys can track the PCs down. Responsibility This PC has a job. And that Job can be taken away. Not only that, but they have a level of credibility attached to their name - one that can be destroyed. If the PC cares at all about her character, than the threat to her character's livelihood and career should be significant enough to give her pause, or establish conflict. All an enemy needs to do is set forth to discredit her name and she is at a disadvantage, as she could lose all of the benefits of being a reporter, up to losing a job and never getting one in her field again.
LoneStranger 08-01-07, 07:30 PM	For the press coverage? Really what better way to make your group well known (adored/reviled/whatever) than by having all of your exploits be told? Honestly I think that's a fantastic idea for a bard that actually would be a good fit for Eberron. And I've never been fond bards before now.
Bashfull 08-01-07, 07:35 PM	Alright, I feel encouraged. I'll start trying to get between her and the monsters instead of waving them on.
LoneStranger 08-01-07, 07:40 PM	Just make sure if she does do any sketches she gets your good side alright man? ;)
Rechan 08-01-07, 08:08 PM	Alright, I feel encouraged. I'll start trying to get between her and the monsters instead of waving them on. One nice thing about bards is that they can be a psedu-(class). They have enough skill ranks and enough possible skills that a bard can almost fight, sneak like a rogue, heal as a stand-in cleric, or cast a few spells. This is very useful if you don't have someone filling one of those niches. They don't have a great spell selection, but they can try. So you need to build your bard from the start, to have a decent concept and fill that niche. If you know you're going to be fighting a lot of spellcasters, take "Improved Counterspell" and use your spells for counterspell purposes, for instance. I imagine the reporter in this instance is a quasi-social spy. A lot of sneaking, listening, deciphering script, and Sense Motive. But remember, a Bard is most useful to fill Support. With Tumble, they can move to help flank with a Rogue. Or they can Trip or Disarm with the whip - very useful if someone's attacking your wizard, or you want someone to surrender.
Alex_ 08-01-07, 10:32 PM	So what can I do to get her character vaguely into the Eberron setting? Apart from being able to use a wand of Cure Light Wounds, how can I make this character interesting for her? Bards have knowledge, and moreso in Eberron than in many settings, knowledge is power. As a Bard, the character should have Bardic knowledge meaning they know a little bit about everything when it comes to the world. So play that up. Make her ability to recall random bits of trivia and snippets of Eberron lore to better flesh out the world for other players and serve as the basis for plot hooks and plot advancement. Others have already pointed how a chronicler would have interest in people travelling the world, having exciting adventures and uncovering conspiracies and ancient secrets ("What a scoop!")
PlaDeDump 08-02-07, 12:29 AM	I think being a reporter for the Sharn Inquisitive and hanging out with an adventuring company is a great idea! There was a old TV show from the '70s that I watched when I was a kid called "Kolchak, the Night Stalker". Carl Kolchak worked as a reporter in Chicago in a seedy (yet, noir) office and tracked down stories about supernatural stuff. Basically, the show was one of those Monster-of-the-week serials and the idea sounds like it would be fun for your GF to play. She could get the leads for the adventuring group to investigate. So many possibilities... :)
LoneStranger 08-02-07, 07:21 PM	Actually I thought of something else, for some adventures the reporter is the story. Two words that sum up that concept perfectly: Lois Lane. Now go and have fun with it.
Hellcow 08-03-07, 12:41 AM	I'm all for the bard reporter, and Rechan did an excellent job of summarizing why, so I'll leave it there. As a side note, there was a bard in the Mark of Heroes group I played with, and I (surprise) knew more about Eberron than the Bard player or the DM. So we made a habit of me playing the role of "Bardic Knowledge" - whenever something came up, like "Ghaal'duur", he'd make a roll... and if he did OK, I'd tell the story. It was sort of like being the voice of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy...
Bashfull 08-03-07, 04:09 AM	The bard proved a useful device last night, "knowing" a few things that made the adventure a little more interesting. What are these grotesque statues? Bard knew. What is this a map of? Bard knew. Villain tries to negotiate. Bard becomes spokesperson (until righteous kalashtar says, "We don't negotiate with evil," and beheads the villain). Bard, on the way back, mentions she may sell the story to the news. Swashbuckler leans in to make sure she spells his name correctly. Thanks for the help, all.
Rechan 08-03-07, 10:34 AM	Glad to see it turned out okay, Bashfull. :D "We don't negotiate with evil." Man, with that attitude they are so screwed if they come up against bad guys who are entrenched in bureaucracy.
Bashfull 08-03-07, 10:41 AM	I feel that the good-evil continuum in Eberron was a lot more....um...elastic than in, say, FG. That's why I wasn't surprised when the bard was willing to talk to the evil priestess. I was told, though, that kalashtar are in a millennia old war against evil and that he was doing what he probably ought to do. In the end, we got paid.
The Dreaming Duck 08-03-07, 11:31 AM	I was told, though, that kalashtar are in a millennia old war against evil and that he was doing what he probably ought to do. Not at all! The kalashtar have been involved in a war against a SPECIFIC evil for centuries. However, their primary method of fighting this war is nonviolent; they believe that prayer and meditation will eventually defeat their opponents. Looking to Races of Eberron, "You have a connection to a powerful, enlightened spirit - a force that has been in existence for thousands of year and has made great sacrifices to continue the fight against darkness. Do what you can to reflect this connection. Show charity, patience, and mercy. Be willing to overlook petty inconveniences, and always consider the long-term consequences of your actions. You do not operate under the strict codes of the paladin, but you should strive to work for the greater good. You may lie, steal, even murder - but you should refrain from such activites unless you truly believe they are in the best interests of the light." Now, perhaps your kalashtar felt that this instance filled that "justification for murder" category. Or perhaps he's an unusually violent kalashtar; no-one has to conform to racial stereotypes, thought the kalashtar have a better reason than most. But in terms of justify the action as "this is what any kalashtar would do" - depend on the situation, but as a race, kalashtar lean towards patience and mercy, not slaughter. In their war against the Dreaming Dark, they pity the people of Riedra who form the bulk of the armies that oppose them, because they are only pawns; they hope to defeat the masters, because they are the true evil. Beyond this, there is that "long-term consequences" thing. It might not apply in this situation. But when you're dealing with human foes instead of monsters in a dungeon crawl, it's always a concern. What does this guy do when he runs into an evil priestess who also happens to be, say, the ambassador to Karrnath? Chopping off her head is going to start an international incident and could lead to violence against the kalashtar in Karrnath - and the kalashtar are an untrusted minority in Khorvaire as it is. An evil member of a dragonmarked house, a member of an organized force like the Boromar Clan - "chop off the head of anything evil" is a very dangerous attitude to have in Eberron, if the DM actually plays up the long-term consequences of the actions. This is one of the things about many NPCs being low-level or using NPC classes. As a PC, it may be trivial for you to kill the evil Cannith magewright. But if you just do it outright, with no proof that it's the right thing to do to absolve you in the eyes of the house (and this assumes that the house isn't actually backing him), you may end up with a team of Thuranni assassins on your tail. Anyhow, it's certainly valid for the player to decide that his kalashtar is a brutal killer, or that this situation required merciless action. It's a game. But given the moral ambiguity of Eberron, I wouldn't see running around lopping off the heads of every evil person being typical kalashtar behavior. In fact, I'd think that most kalashtar would prefer to overcome a problem through negotiation - gaining a foothold to show the priestess the error of her ways - than bloodshed.
Hellcow 08-03-07, 11:59 AM	I feel that the good-evil continuum in Eberron was a lot more....um...elastic than in, say, FG. It's supposed to be. It's a spectrum; if you're in a tavern with ten people, odds are three of them are evil. Not baby-killer evil; just greedy or selfish. Just because someone has an evil alignment doesn't mean they deserve to die, or that they'd kill anyone themselves. And as Dreaming Duck and Rechan have said, you have to consider long-term consequences. Let's take a town with a temple to the Blood of Vol, with an evil priestess in charge. One possibility (a likely one in Karrnath) is that the people of the village, who aren't evil, believe in the faith and support the priestess. She in turn uses her magical abilities to aid the villagers; she may be evil, but they are followers of her faith. Do you have the right to kill her and rob the town of their healer? Do you have the right to assert that their religious faith is invalid? If the priestess is murdering babies, that's a different story - but if this is all just because she's "evil" (reflecting a darker outlook on life), alignment alone doesn't justify murdering her. Scenario #2: She's a little further down the evil spectrum. She does rule the village through fear. She tortures her enemies. But if you look closer, you'll find that while she does torture villagers who speak out against her, the majority of her enemies are bandits - deserters from the Last War that prey on the villages. It's fear of the priestess that keeps the bandits away from this partiular village. She's cruel and disturbing, but if you kill her, you may be leaving the village defenseless against people who will burn the buildings and rape the people... a more chaotic evil with severe immediate consequences for the villagers. Unless you're prepared to stick around and deal with the bandits as well, you're doing more harm than good by killing the priestess. You may actually be cursed and spat on by the villagers, who realize that you've left them defenseless. Scenario #3: The priestess is evil as described above. She's been hardened by the war, due to her village being massacred when she was a child; she particularly hates soldiers, and she will slowly torture and kill soldiers (or deserter bandits). Evil. But she loves children and maintains an orphanage in her fortress, providing for the children and even using her powers to heal the sick and injured. If you kill her, who's going to care for the children? You? Will you seek out war orphans and give them aid? This ties to a secondary point: she doesn't see herself as evil. SHE believes that soldiers are evil, regardless of their "alignment", because they serve the cause of war; in killing them, she is just forcing them to reap what they have sown. She believes that she is doing good: protecting children and punishing those who actually do horrible things in the world; the fact that she tortures them to death doesn't both her (I never said she was mentally sound). In Eberron, only the true pulp villains actively consider themselves to be evil; most evil people will have some justification for their actions, something that makes them heroes in their own minds. As a DM, you don't have to worry about any of this. You can simply say "She's an evil priestess. She's got a castle full of undead and fiendish beasts. Killing her has no long-term consequences and is the right thing to do." There's nothing wrong with that; it's pushing things down the pulp end of the spectrum. But where the ECS (page 250) talks about Eberron being a world of shades of gray and a place where adventures should challenge preconceptions about alignment, this is the sort of thing it's talking about. In Eberron, good people can do bad things, and bad people can do good - or, as in the case of #3, someone can do terrible things while ALSO doing good. Lopping off heads may be the right answer when you're fighting displacer beasts in the Eldeen Reaches, but when you're dealing with humanoids, the situation can often be more complex. Eberron's described "as pulp-noir", and that's a spectrum. If you go all the way to the pulp side, good and evil may be perfectly clear cut, and killing evil may always be the right thing to do. If you go all the way to the noir side, there may not be ANY right solution, or any clarity as to who is evil or good, regardless of the alignment of the individuals involved. The average adventure likely falls somewhere in the middle - but that's always up to the DM.
Bashfull 08-03-07, 01:11 PM	Sadly, I think our player probably thought a psion kicked more butt than other classes and that kalashtar make righteous psions... :weep: Some of us do like to roleplay, though. Hence the bard.
Rechan 08-03-07, 02:18 PM	I'm tempted to write up a little "So you want to be a Reporter" thread on the general forum, since the issue of "What are Reporters good for in Eberron" has come up at least for me a few times.
LoneStranger 08-03-07, 07:45 PM	"All the news that can fit into a Sending Stone" Sorry couldn't resist.
wizardguy2003 08-09-07, 12:31 AM	A reporter bard seems like a fantastic idea. Heck, it works great for the morale aspects of their bardic abilities damn well. Group is struggling against a tribe of goblins in Darguun. Fighter : There's too many of them! Reporter Bard : Stand fast! I can see the headlines now friends. Daring adventures conquer the vast hoards, with nothing but the strength of their hearts and the sweat of their brow! Front page for sure! Fighter : (now lifted by the thoughts of notoriety) Did I say too many? I meant too few!
Tolly7249 08-09-07, 02:53 AM	I played a Reporter Bard once. I based her personality on Chisato Madisun from Star Ocean: The Second Story. Best. Campaign. Ever. She drove people nuts, but at the same time she knew tons and could get them into places, so they tolerated her (frequent) preening and habit of speaking in headlines. Sounds like your GF is onto something good! Edit: For the love of god, introduce her to Chisato if you can. The woman is a perfect example of a Reporter in a fantasy world.
eehamburg 08-09-07, 12:10 PM	As a side note, there was a bard in the Mark of Heroes group I played with, and I (surprise) knew more about Eberron than the Bard player or the DM. So we made a habit of me playing the role of "Bardic Knowledge" - whenever something came up, like "Ghaal'duur", he'd make a roll... and if he did OK, I'd tell the story. It was sort of like being the voice of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy... Wouldn't that be the case with anything of Eberron though? Wouldn't you inherently know more than anyone else there?
Rechan 08-09-07, 06:55 PM	Wouldn't that be the case with anything of Eberron though? Wouldn't you inherently know more than anyone else there? Yes, but that's OOC knowledge, not IC knowledge. Keith's CHARACTER wouldn't have known that.
eehamburg 08-11-07, 05:48 PM	Yes, but that's OOC knowledge, not IC knowledge. Keith's CHARACTER wouldn't have known that. Yes ... but I was not referring to Keith's character ... but rather to Keith
Hellcow 08-11-07, 07:35 PM	Yes ... but I was not referring to Keith's character ... but rather to Keith Certainly. The point is that the presence of the bard gave a mechanism for me to share that knowledge with the rest of the group. My OOC knowledge, which I couldn't use IC, the bard could access IC, providing it to the rest of the group. It would have been simpler if I'D just played a bard, but what can I say, I liked my warforged artificer and oprhan kalashtar wilder...
eehamburg 08-11-07, 08:45 PM	It would have been simpler if I'D just played a bard, but what can I say, I liked my warforged artificer and oprhan kalashtar wilder... To each his own... But to the group ... think of the possibilities if you had a bard in your group being run by the Hellcow ... think of everything that you could learn that is not in print ... there would be room for everything ... this bard would be akin to Elminster! (LOL)
LoneStranger 08-11-07, 09:36 PM	It would have been simpler if I'D just played a bard, but what can I say, I liked my warforged artificer and oprhan kalashtar wilder... Warforged artificer huh? I have a Warforged fighter that would get along well with you, especially if you could help him jump (failed every jump check I've made, don't ask)
Tolly7249 08-12-07, 04:35 AM	Warforged artificer huh? I have a Warforged fighter that would get along well with you, especially if you could help him jump (failed every jump check I've made, don't ask) Been there. Never made a successful Swim check in my life. I swear, I lose more PCs that way...
Ojoxsofeta 08-12-07, 08:09 PM	What I've had an urge to do lately is play a bard a la Hemingway, a poet going on adventures and lamenting his generation lost to the horrors of the Last War, all while ingesting epic amounts of liquor and penning the next great novel. That is what you should do for her.
Burningspear 08-12-07, 09:09 PM	Warforged artificer huh? I have a Warforged fighter that would get along well with you, especially if you could help him jump (failed every jump check I've made, don't ask) Well, i have an allied player who plays a Warforged fighter, and he has uptill now failed all climb checks :evillaugh and did himself more damage then any npc has done to him, thanks to his stubborn stupidity :rofl:
InkBlot 08-13-07, 03:18 PM	I'm tempted to write up a little "So you want to be a Reporter" thread on the general forum, since the issue of "What are Reporters good for in Eberron" has come up at least for me a few times. Please do! Your earlier post was so eloquent and emphatic that it convinced me to play a reporter in an upcoming Eberron game. I would love to read more, and any advice you have would be well appreciated.
LoneStranger 08-13-07, 07:26 PM	Well, i have an allied player who plays a Warforged fighter, and he has uptill now failed all climb checks :evillaugh and did himself more damage then any npc has done to him, thanks to his stubborn stupidity :rofl: Oh my guy goes around autographing locations with his face, the gag for a little while was when he gets up you can see the autobot logo where his face was. Now it's just every few sessions people want him to jump so he can crash into the ground/floor/etc.