Advice Needed for Eberron Campaign [Archive] - Wizards Community

Advice Needed for Eberron Campaign [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
naturax
04-11-07, 05:46 PM Hi everyone!

I've been running a real life Eberron game for two players for a few months now. I'm the kind of DM that needs to be prepared and now that I'm stumped on where to take the game it has ground to a halt. Any advice at all that anyone can give about how to kickstart it again would be vastly appreciated.

The game is set in Sharn. In my version of Eberron warforged are very badly discriminated against, even in Breland. The most recent adventure was centered around Nolan - he was about to propose a bill to the Council that would have Sharn's taxes go to building a "Warforged Re-education Centre" so that they could be purged of their violent tendancies and be taught to function in normal society (a thinly veiled plot to brainwash them into being slaves). In order to bolster support for his bill, Nolan hired the two PCs to kidnap him - but to do so disguised as warforged - from a restaurant in one of the upper districts. The PCs show up, but a group of real warforged were also there to kidnap him: they are going to ransom him back to the city Council in exchange for Breland's promise to recover warforged POWs that are still in Droaam, since the crown never bothered to bargain for their release. One of the PCs (a ninja) has a crisis of conscience - she decided to let Nolan get captured by the warforged "activists", she followed them back to their hideout and agreed to help them out in the future. The player has decided to get involved in the plight of the warforged and wants missions revolving around that theme, and the player has decided that the character is no longer motivated enough by just money to continue being a mercenary.

The other PC is bringing in a new character for the next game: a diplomat for warforged rights. Seeing that warforged in Breland are having a tough time, the character (a diviner, but that doesn't matter much) shows up in Sharn with the intention of getting involved in the political scene and making a difference. I had an idea for how they could be introduced: the diplomat shows up at Morgrave and sits in on a lecture about the History of the Last War wherein the professor starts spouting all sorts of racist remarks when it comes to the contributions of the warforged. The ninja PC would also be at Morgrave because she's scouting the place out for another contract she accepted (steal a goblinoid artifact from the Morgrave vaults for Cavallah).

I'm thinking that the leader of the warforged activist will use Message to contact the ninja PC asking for help at the warehouse because the Blackened Book has tracked them down and will kill them to get to Nolan. Maybe she'll drag the diplomat along, and it could be an exciting way for the PCs to get introduced, but what to do from there?

You see, I don't have a clear idea of what the attitudes of, say, House Cannith will be towards this "Re-education Facility". Who else will get involved? The Sharn Council, sure, but on whose behalf? I figure Nolan should have connections to House Kundarak, and the contract to build the place should fall to them (no one would trust Cannith to do it - unless they are hired as consultants and provide the re-education techniques). So Kundarak wants it to go through so that they can profit. Merrix d'Cannith might get involved, but how would that affect the PCs? The Lord of Blades in my campaign is quiet and clever - he's starting to sew dissent among the warforged populations all over Khorvaire and encouraging them to meet in the Mournland. He's still just a rumour as far as anyone can tell. Maybe the LoB has agents that will prepare to destroy the facility - but again, how to get the PCs involved exactly? Are there other factions that I'm forgetting about?

As I said, any thoughts at all are very welcome. Thanks for reading this far.

Regards,
Naturax
Zealot_Reborn
04-12-07, 04:17 PM An interesting little twist you might include is having the lord of blades agent's acting against the party in their attempts to help the warforged; tipping off the local guards to the location of the warforged activist group, etc. Get the party caught between destroying the lord of blade's warforged and helping the activists.

Another idea that i got from another thread is to possibly have there be a special spell that disables warforged... perhaps a few wands of it. This puts the activist warforged at a severe disadvantage, and the party has to go and steal the wands and destroy the source of the wands (unless you say that they were artifacts discovered in the sewers of sharn). This also gives the party a useful tool for fighting the lord of blade's agents.

Also, having the lord of blades instigate open rebellion amongst warforged in say, aundair could prove to be the straw that breaks the camel's back, so to speak, and be the cause for the Last War to begin again, with Karrnath taking advantage of Aundair's sudden vulnerability to march right through the Talenta Plains to get at them, which get the halflings mad and gets them to start striking out at all the humans, which causes other nations like Breland to be drawn into the conflict... possibly, one big plot by the Lord of Blades to get the 'fleshlings' to wipe eachother out before taking his warforged army and destroying the last of them.
naturax
04-13-07, 02:30 PM An interesting little twist you might include is having the lord of blades agent's acting against the party in their attempts to help the warforged; tipping off the local guards to the location of the warforged activist group, etc. Get the party caught between destroying the lord of blade's warforged and helping the activists.

Hey Zealot_Reborn,

I really appreciate your input! I didn't quite understand why the Lord of Blades would oppose the PCs though - why would the LoB care that someone is fighting FOR warforged rights? I would expect the LoB to have its own agents trying to destroy the facility - but they might not care about who gets hurt while they're at it.

Actually that gives me a good idea: the LoB would incite the warforged to rebel once the plans for the facility are announced, but this would only increase fear and hatred of the warforged in the general public. The PCs would also want to get rid of the facility but they'd be opposed to the methods the agents of the LoB are using.

What I really need help with, though is particular adventures. What precisely would the factions be up to? What could I have the players do from session to session? It's the details I have the most trouble with and what I'm asking for help with.

Thanks!
goblin_pride
04-13-07, 03:18 PM Another idea that i got from another thread is to possibly have there be a special spell that disables warforged... perhaps a few wands of it.

Umm, like Disable Construct (artificer 6, ECS pg 111)? It's a bit too high to be made into wands but there is a spell.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
naturax 04-11-07, 05:46 PM	Hi everyone! I've been running a real life Eberron game for two players for a few months now. I'm the kind of DM that needs to be prepared and now that I'm stumped on where to take the game it has ground to a halt. Any advice at all that anyone can give about how to kickstart it again would be vastly appreciated. The game is set in Sharn. In my version of Eberron warforged are very badly discriminated against, even in Breland. The most recent adventure was centered around Nolan - he was about to propose a bill to the Council that would have Sharn's taxes go to building a "Warforged Re-education Centre" so that they could be purged of their violent tendancies and be taught to function in normal society (a thinly veiled plot to brainwash them into being slaves). In order to bolster support for his bill, Nolan hired the two PCs to kidnap him - but to do so disguised as warforged - from a restaurant in one of the upper districts. The PCs show up, but a group of real warforged were also there to kidnap him: they are going to ransom him back to the city Council in exchange for Breland's promise to recover warforged POWs that are still in Droaam, since the crown never bothered to bargain for their release. One of the PCs (a ninja) has a crisis of conscience - she decided to let Nolan get captured by the warforged "activists", she followed them back to their hideout and agreed to help them out in the future. The player has decided to get involved in the plight of the warforged and wants missions revolving around that theme, and the player has decided that the character is no longer motivated enough by just money to continue being a mercenary. The other PC is bringing in a new character for the next game: a diplomat for warforged rights. Seeing that warforged in Breland are having a tough time, the character (a diviner, but that doesn't matter much) shows up in Sharn with the intention of getting involved in the political scene and making a difference. I had an idea for how they could be introduced: the diplomat shows up at Morgrave and sits in on a lecture about the History of the Last War wherein the professor starts spouting all sorts of racist remarks when it comes to the contributions of the warforged. The ninja PC would also be at Morgrave because she's scouting the place out for another contract she accepted (steal a goblinoid artifact from the Morgrave vaults for Cavallah). I'm thinking that the leader of the warforged activist will use Message to contact the ninja PC asking for help at the warehouse because the Blackened Book has tracked them down and will kill them to get to Nolan. Maybe she'll drag the diplomat along, and it could be an exciting way for the PCs to get introduced, but what to do from there? You see, I don't have a clear idea of what the attitudes of, say, House Cannith will be towards this "Re-education Facility". Who else will get involved? The Sharn Council, sure, but on whose behalf? I figure Nolan should have connections to House Kundarak, and the contract to build the place should fall to them (no one would trust Cannith to do it - unless they are hired as consultants and provide the re-education techniques). So Kundarak wants it to go through so that they can profit. Merrix d'Cannith might get involved, but how would that affect the PCs? The Lord of Blades in my campaign is quiet and clever - he's starting to sew dissent among the warforged populations all over Khorvaire and encouraging them to meet in the Mournland. He's still just a rumour as far as anyone can tell. Maybe the LoB has agents that will prepare to destroy the facility - but again, how to get the PCs involved exactly? Are there other factions that I'm forgetting about? As I said, any thoughts at all are very welcome. Thanks for reading this far. Regards, Naturax
Zealot_Reborn 04-12-07, 04:17 PM	An interesting little twist you might include is having the lord of blades agent's acting against the party in their attempts to help the warforged; tipping off the local guards to the location of the warforged activist group, etc. Get the party caught between destroying the lord of blade's warforged and helping the activists. Another idea that i got from another thread is to possibly have there be a special spell that disables warforged... perhaps a few wands of it. This puts the activist warforged at a severe disadvantage, and the party has to go and steal the wands and destroy the source of the wands (unless you say that they were artifacts discovered in the sewers of sharn). This also gives the party a useful tool for fighting the lord of blade's agents. Also, having the lord of blades instigate open rebellion amongst warforged in say, aundair could prove to be the straw that breaks the camel's back, so to speak, and be the cause for the Last War to begin again, with Karrnath taking advantage of Aundair's sudden vulnerability to march right through the Talenta Plains to get at them, which get the halflings mad and gets them to start striking out at all the humans, which causes other nations like Breland to be drawn into the conflict... possibly, one big plot by the Lord of Blades to get the 'fleshlings' to wipe eachother out before taking his warforged army and destroying the last of them.
naturax 04-13-07, 02:30 PM	An interesting little twist you might include is having the lord of blades agent's acting against the party in their attempts to help the warforged; tipping off the local guards to the location of the warforged activist group, etc. Get the party caught between destroying the lord of blade's warforged and helping the activists. Hey Zealot_Reborn, I really appreciate your input! I didn't quite understand why the Lord of Blades would oppose the PCs though - why would the LoB care that someone is fighting FOR warforged rights? I would expect the LoB to have its own agents trying to destroy the facility - but they might not care about who gets hurt while they're at it. Actually that gives me a good idea: the LoB would incite the warforged to rebel once the plans for the facility are announced, but this would only increase fear and hatred of the warforged in the general public. The PCs would also want to get rid of the facility but they'd be opposed to the methods the agents of the LoB are using. What I really need help with, though is particular adventures. What precisely would the factions be up to? What could I have the players do from session to session? It's the details I have the most trouble with and what I'm asking for help with. Thanks!
goblin_pride 04-13-07, 03:18 PM	Another idea that i got from another thread is to possibly have there be a special spell that disables warforged... perhaps a few wands of it. Umm, like Disable Construct (artificer 6, ECS pg 111)? It's a bit too high to be made into wands but there is a spell.