Post/Author/DateTime	Post
DyloniusFunk 09-01-05, 10:09 AM	Well, i've decided to take the plunge and try making my own material for an Ebberon game. One idea i had was for a new House. I was wondering if anyone has tried to make thier own Dragonmakred house, and if they could give advice on how to incorporate it into the world. I don't have a ton of detail written down yetr, but here is an outline of what i have in mind. To put it simply, if you've ever seen the anime Fruit's Basket or read the manga, i'm taking the Sohma family and puttiong them in Ebberon. I like the characters and i think the way they interact with each other and with the outside world would make for a lot of intersting adventures. For those who don't know, in the anime, the family is cursed. The curse affects 12 of the family memebrs, causeing them to transofmr into animals of the Chiness Zodiac when hugged by a person of the opposite gender or when under extreme stress. There's also a 13th memebr, the cat. The cat is an outcast to the rest of the family. I don't want to get into any more detail lest a spoiler escape but these are basiuc facts you learn just from reading the cover of one of the manga books. Anyway, the idea i had was toi make this new houise a house of knowledge. I noticed there wasn't any real house of learning or knwoledgfe in Ebberon, so i thought it would be a perfect fit. I imagine they make thier money as professors and teachers, as well as through specialized research for clients who want p[aticular information. They also would fund expeditions into places like Xen'drik for information on Giant culture and history, as well as thier demise. I'm also thinking about letting one member have a contact with the Dragons of Argonnassen. I imageing they would be close allies with House Sivis and House Cannith but thier peimary rival would be House Medani. Also nobdy outside those cursed and a certain num,ber of other Sohmas know about the curse. It's a family secret that if revealed could rbing down the entire house, whihc makes for more possible adventure hooks. So if anyone has any advice or ideas i would appreciate it.
polt 09-01-05, 10:48 AM	Make it a gnome mark, I think that would be cool. Or human. Spells it could grant: Identify, Comprehend Langauge, any kind of "lore" spell, if they exist.
Ricohard_Draconis 09-01-05, 11:22 AM	there are a few big questions to answer when designing a house. 1. How do they fit into the draconic prophecy? the houses are balanced in number with the moons and the planes. 2. given the marks abilities (what ever you decide for them) how do they fit with the other houses? as a house of knowledge how do they get on with houses such as sivis? 3. how do they interact with the world? what do the gnomes of the koranburg library, the morgrave university faculty or the arcane congress think of them? 4. How where they affected by Last war? have they grown or fallen in power? what about the recent developments with the treaty of thronehold and the freeing of the warforged? 5. How do they interact with the other powerful entities? Vol, the lords of dust, the Quori, the Daelkyr, the dragons? are they intrested in the prophecy? 6. How do they affect adventurers? are they just a way around problems ("how can we find out about mr. X?") or do they fund expeditions?
DyloniusFunk 09-01-05, 11:52 AM	there are a few big questions to answer when designing a house. 1. How do they fit into the draconic prophecy? the houses are balanced in number with the moons and the planes. I was thinking of having there be a small protion of the Prohecy that says something like 'From Deaths departure shall come a new day, a day where knowledge shall remove fear" Perhaps showing that even with the removal of the Mark of Death, a 13th House was planned in the Prophecy. 2. given the marks abilities (what ever you decide for them) how do they fit with the other houses? as a house of knowledge how do they get on with houses such as sivis? I imagine they get along quiote wel with House Sivis. They use Sivis scruibesd quite often to transcribe notes and books for archives, and other tasks. Because House Medani is a house of secrecy, a house that devotes itself to uncovering knowledge would naturally be something they would be against. I was alos planing on making them be somewhat against the Silver Flame. I imagine the Silver Flame as a Renaisance Era Catholic Church, where questioining is discouraged, and blind faith required. Things like having Galellio retract his statements or be banished wouldn't be above them. I also am thinking of maybe haveing the Silver Flame be the ones who cursed the family. 3. how do they interact with the world? what do the gnomes of the koranburg library, the morgrave university faculty or the arcane congress think of them? They get along with these places quite well. Many professors at the colleges are Sohma house, though not enccessarily marked. They also find gainful employment in Koranburg. 4. How where they affected by Last war? have they grown or fallen in power? what about the recent developments with the treaty of thronehold and the freeing of the warforged? I imagien that they weren't involved much in the war. perhaps they did research for countries on thiuer eneimes battle strategies, or perhaps assisted House Cannith in the research for construct making curing the testing and development of the Warforged. I can imaging they came out of the war ahead of other houses. they had a ready made work forces ready to help rebuild Korvaires eduction system. As far as Warfoged go, they would be more than willing to take in Forged who didn't have other palces to go. A ready made workforce to do the more mundane task, elkaveing the human house memebrs free for hite research and other tasks 5. How do they interact with the other powerful entities? Vol, the lords of dust, the Quori, the Daelkyr, the dragons? are they intrested in the prophecy? I'm not really sure how to set them up against the various baddies. I can imagine that the DD would have thuier crosshaiurs set on them immediatly, since they would pose a clear and present danger to thier plans of secrecy.the last thing they need is some curiouis human sticking his nose in places it dosen't belong. AS for the others i'm not really sure 6. How do they affect adventurers? are they just a way around problems ("how can we find out about mr. X?") or do they fund expeditions? I imagine a bit of both. Adventureres can use thier facilites for a price. Koranburg might be free, but with Sohma you get house thats dedicated to learning and knowledge, and has been storeing information for hgundreds of years. THey may have more than the Library and the Universities, but no one really knowsn,a dn the house is quite secretive. They also fund expeditiions, usually into Xen'drik, buit there are rumors that they have amde peaceful contact with the Dragons. Since one of the house memebrs cursed spirit is the dragon it made sense to me.
polt 09-01-05, 12:37 PM	Mind you that while the whole 12+1 thing is very cool. It hasn't any real effect. So it's totally possible to come up with 43 new houses, without having to think about the prophecy. Unless you want to use the 12+1 thing in your game, it doesn't really matter.
Siran Dunmorgan 09-01-05, 02:10 PM	Mind you that while the whole 12+1 thing is very cool. It hasn't any real effect. So it's totally possible to come up with 43 new houses, without having to think about the prophecy. Unless you want to use the 12+1 thing in your game, it doesn't really matter. Aside: It's not 12+1; it's 13-1 A Mark of Knowledge among the gnomes otherwise seems proper and fitting; to a certain extent, it's similar to what Sivis already does, but different, more focused. For a model, you might want to read up on the House of the Lyorn (http://dragaera.wikicities.com/wiki/Lyorn), from Steven Brust's Dragaera books. In particular, if they are indeed keepers of ancient knowledge, there may be learning in their vaults best kept to themselves. The Dragaera books refer to the Lyorn as having preserved records better left to rot: not magic, per se, but ancient philosophies and truths. These give rise to the plots of at least two of the books (Teckla, and Phoenix,, for those of you familiar with the series). Records preserved from Dhakaani times may prove especially disruptive. Jhazaal Dhakaan's unpublished essay On The Origin of Alignment by Means of Aesthetic Selection, or, The Preservation of Favoured Attitudes in the Struggle for Life, for example, falls into this category. —Siran Dunmorgan
taski 09-01-05, 06:28 PM	I don't see how Medani would be a rival to this House of Knowledge. Medani protects the secrets of its living clients, not the ancient secrets of long-dead cultures (long-dead cultures don't tend to pay well). The secrets Medani keeps are usually the uninteresting kind, like "What the Duke's daughter did on the night of Vult 23rd," not "How the Giants created the elves." Also, they work more to protect their clients' lives from things like poison and invisible assailants than to specificly protect secrets. This thread, The Houses (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=442444), by The Fireballed Mage is a good source for ideas about each Houses' agendas, and the format could be useful for you when fleshing out your new House.
DyloniusFunk 09-02-05, 07:06 PM	Yeah i've been keeping up with Fireball Mage's House profiles. A lot of great stuff there. Infact i think mynext character is going to be a Orien Monk, useing some of the role[playing suggestions from that thread. Also i figure this is a house for whom Knowledge=power. They basically find out what people want to know., And not everybody is going to want them to find what tyhier clients want. Perhaps Medani won't be a rival after all, i can see why. Still this house will have enmies, particualrly the Dreaming Dark. I imageing they may be the House's biggest enemy. Simpkly bvecause the Quori opperate in darkness and don't need people hunting up thier past adn learning about the histroy fo the Inspired.
The Fireballed Mage 09-02-05, 10:20 PM	Yeah i've been keeping up with Fireball Mage's House profiles. That's The Fireballed Mage. Small change. Big difference. :D Just some points to consider about your House idea: 1) If they're more focused on old knowledge, education, and learning, then they would not really be antagonists for Medani. It's only if they're after private knowledge would they be a force acting against the House of Detection. Finding out the specific spell that brought down the Giant Empire wouldn't interest Medani at all. Trying to find out if a Medani client has that artifact that can cast that spell... now that's a different story. 2) If they are knowledge gatherers and takers, the two elven Shadow Houses will be their direct rivals. Those that collect knowledge know that knowledge is power, and I doubt the Shadow Houses would appreciate competition. 3) The Silver Flame itself wouldn't curse the family unless the family was evil. Remember, the Flame is a LG force. Now the Church of the Silver Flame is another story. It is possible the family did something to tick off a High Cardinal. 4) I wouldn't have any particular relationship with the warforged. As a House of knowledge, they probably find the concept of war to be something beneath them. Helping with the warforged would be an interesting intellectual challenge, but once the constructs were created, the House is kind of ashamed that such a great triumph would be used for something so gouche as war. 5) The Dreaming Dark would definately be eneimes. A House that hunts for knowledge would indeed be a target for the Quori. 6) I would not allow any House to have contracts with Dragons. The Dragons are a special force in the world, and should be something the PCs have to work for 7) The House would probably be funded quite a bit by the Aurum. As educated, learned people, the Aurum would attract House members, and thus work to slowly corrupt them to the Aurum's way of thinking. Just some suggestions.
DyloniusFunk 09-03-05, 01:22 AM	That's The Fireballed Mage. Small change. Big difference. :D Well i knew there were Fire, Balls and Mages involved in some order :D Just some points to consider about your House idea: 1) If they're more focused on old knowledge, education, and learning, then they would not really be antagonists for Medani. It's only if they're after private knowledge would they be a force acting against the House of Detection. Finding out the specific spell that brought down the Giant Empire wouldn't interest Medani at all. Trying to find out if a Medani client has that artifact that can cast that spell... now that's a different story. 2) If they are knowledge gatherers and takers, the two elven Shadow Houses will be their direct rivals. Those that collect knowledge know that knowledge is power, and I doubt the Shadow Houses would appreciate competition. I hadn't even considered the Mark Of Shadow, but upon re-reading throught the ECS, they do make for more direct antagonists than Medani. 3) The Silver Flame itself wouldn't curse the family unless the family was evil. Remember, the Flame is a LG force. Now the Church of the Silver Flame is another story. It is possible the family did something to tick off a High Cardinal. That's more what i meant. Obviously the Flame itself wouldn't attack the family unles it was evil. The family isn't really evil, with the exception of the Head. He has done many things in the past that would be considered evil, but would more than likely com eoff as Lawful Neutral, since his evila cts were sporadic and only directed towards other memebrs of the family. I imagine he is an excellent house leader and presents a good image to the rest of Khovaire. As far as the Silver FLame leaders go, i'm not saying they are what caused the curse. It just might explain the rivalry betweeen The Flame and Sohma House. I can imagine them seeing the Flame as a church run by ignorant fools who want to hold humanity back into the dark ages by hiding knowledge and keeping people locked in fear. As i said, similar to the Catholic Church. And of course the Flame says that faith is more improtant than truth, and anyone who starts looking for answers behuind the anture of the flame in books and scroillsd might present a threat to those who wish to maintain the faith. 4) I wouldn't have any particular relationship with the warforged. As a House of knowledge, they probably find the concept of war to be something beneath them. Helping with the warforged would be an interesting intellectual challenge, but once the constructs were created, the House is kind of ashamed that such a great triumph would be used for something so gouche as war. The idea of them working on the Forged was just something i was throwing around, to explain what they might have been doing during the Last War. I do like the idea of them hiring Forged who have no place to go to work for them. Doing research, cataloguing, and other mundane tasks for example. Maybe even being proigessive nad offering Forged jobs as teachers. I could see Warforged professors at Morgrave, and they could o more thna a humna teacher since they woulnd't need food or rest. heck Morgrave could start offering a 24 hour class scheduel, if the students didn't mind Warforged teaching them. Not saying it's going to work right away, and i'm sure they'll be a lot of protest aginst it. But it seems like something the Forged could do very easily. 6) I would not allow any House to have contracts with Dragons. The Dragons are a special force in the world, and should be something the PCs have to work for I don't plan on making Argonassen any easier to get to. I just fiogure this new houise would be something that the Dragons would notice in the Prohecy and would be of interest to them. And since one of the cursed trasnforms into a Dragon, they may see that as a major development in the Prophecy and take more of an interest. Or maybe the Chamber will take an interest. 7) The House would probably be funded quite a bit by the Aurum. As educated, learned people, the Aurum would attract House members, and thus work to slowly corrupt them to the Aurum's way of thinking. The Aurum is something i considered having them be an ally off, but it would probably be something indivual memembers join not enccessarily an open allaince between the two. This is primarily because i imagine them having a good relation with the Dwarves of House Kundrak. Dwarves in other settings are beings of family and clan, and love to maintain geneological records. I don't know if this is in the RAW but i'm sure i read it somewhere. I can see the Dwarves employing Sohma house to help do research into thier family pasts. [/quote] Just some suggestions. Always appreciated and if you have any more i would love them. I also would like to hear from anyone who has seen the Fruits Basket anime or read the manga. I would like ideas on incorporateing the "cursed" members of the Sohma family into the house. I don't know if they should be house leaders or simply memebrs of the house who live in different places. I have a few ideas for classes and alignemnts but any ideas are appreciated.
DyloniusFunk 09-05-05, 01:51 AM	Ok something i just thought off reguarding incorporateing my hoembrew house. IO was reading up on Organizations and i read up on The Twelve. Presumably i would have to explain why my house isn't in it, or else either A.Remove one of the canon Houses B.Change it to the 13 Anyone have any ideas?
polt 09-05-05, 02:56 AM	The Thirteen...