Post/Author/DateTime	Post
nyysjan 09-15-05, 06:41 AM	In the end, it seems, that no matter what i try, i am completely uncapable of finding a DM to run an Eberron game. And, because of the situation, if i want to have any part in an Eberron game, i must DM it myself. And this is just what i have decided to do (may the Host have mercy on us all). Starting point will be Sharn and the premise would revolve around (at least for the first couple levels) mysteries and crime solving in the style of Hercule Poirot, Sherlock Holmes and Batman, with a taste of indiana jones. I have no clue on what kind of charaters my players (all five of them) will be bringing to me (a session for purely character building is agreed for saturday). So i came here to get some ideas on what kind of crimes/mysteries they might be solving on the level one, and what kind of scenes might be played out. And how would the criminals cover their tracks, while still leaving a trail that might be followed be the party. And most of all i want to avoid the worst mistakes the criminals do in comics/movies and have them to be smart individuals while still giving the players a decent change to thwart their plots and schemes. Individual scenes are as much appreciated as whole story arcs (not to mention good excuses to not go to Sharn Watch or some more known Detectives/heroes). I have read some of the published adventures and i will be taking parts of them for my campaign (the masquarade in WotVB was a good one, and i will include something similar as soon as i find a good excuse for it), but i will not take them as is. Ideas for different types of enemies (the masterminds and whatnots, not the cannon fodder) would also be appreciated.
Save-vs-DM 09-15-05, 07:06 AM	Here are the notes from my second Eberron adventure. I think they were level 1 or 2. Hope this helps. Episode Two: Vision of Death A local man by the name of Pater Lanner was blinded some months back in an accident. After his blindness the man took to Absentia to ease his pain and suffering. He has come to enjoy the feeling of seeing though another’s eyes. Recently while taking the drug he saw something horrible – he saw a local man murdered through the killers eyes. The man, one Suthar Drosin, was a low level worker on Project Overlord. Of late he had been talking about this great “secret project.” This caught the interest of the dreaming dark, who dispatched an assassin to take care of him and pump him for information. The woman, one Hestianna, met him in the Copper Kettle, a local bar, and managed to befriend him. They entered a covered skycoach and she pumped him for information. After discovering what he knew she decided to kill him. This is Pater came into the scene. He managed to see Hestianna chasing down Suthar through the night rain. He managed to catch a glimpse of her in the puddles and can somewhat accurately describe the man. He noticed that the woman seemed to be holding a glowing sword of pure black energy when she killed Suthar. Hestianna was an inspired assassin sent to dispatch Suthar. They pumped all the information about project overlord from him and then killed him. They found out that he had a great deal of fragmented notes in his home. They took the notes and have since been hiding out. Hook Pater enters and tells his story to the PCs. He wants them to solver this and not the watch, as the watch wouldn’t credit a user of illegal drugs. He can provide them with some information. - A description of Suthar accurate enough to find out who he is. - The color of Hestianna’s clothing (grey and red), her hair color (blond) and a general description (very good looking woman). - He can provide a somewhat detailed description of the murder scene (sea air smell and a cliff puts it in cliffside). Being unemployed he really can’t pay the party for their services but reminds them of their civic duty to see justice done. He then leaves. Investigation The crime scene is pretty obliterated thanks to the rain, but a few vital clues can be found with a DC 20 Search check and the Investigate feat. - A small claim check at Kundarak Bank for a small vault. - A bit of strange goo (ectoplasm) - A shattered wine glass with the stamp from the Copper Kettle Tavern on it. Kundarak Bank Checking out Kundarak Bank will reveal that the vault belonged to Suthar. Inside the vault is simply an old notebook with really strange notes in an arcane language (read magic required). These are notes on Project Overlord, though only for a small part of it. T he part he was working on was the magical amplifier for the machine. Without the whole picture it could be anything. The Copper Kettle This small in is kind of run down and is located in Cliffside. The matron of the bar is pleasant enough and will answer questions for the party if asked nicely. She can identify Suthar and Hestianna from the night before and seems to think they were heading out for an amorous relationship. She speaks of Hestianna as a beautiful young woman with strange eyes. Suthar’s House Suthar owned a small house in Upper Tavick’s Landing. From the outside the place looks fine, but inside it has apparently been ransacked. Hestianna is waiting inside, as she just now finished ransacking the place to find the notes the PCs have. She will wait for an opportune time to strike. End Game The PCs have a chance to stop Hestianna and find out what happened to Suthar. They can learn a little about Project Overlord and see that justice is done. Hestianna, Male Empty Vessel Soulknife4 CR 5; Size: M Face: 5.0 ft. Type HUMANOID; HD (4d10)+8; hp 39; Init +3 (+3 Dex, +0 Misc); Spd Walk 30'; AC 17 (flatfooted 14, touch 13), *Mind Blade +5 0'/P (1d6+1 19-20/x2 Primary M ) or *Mind Blade (Thrown) +7 30'/P (1d6 19-20/x2 Primary M ); SA: +1 Mind Blade (Su), +2 racial bonus to Disguise checks when impersonating a human, Combined Skill Ranks ~ a possessed vessel combines the skill ranks of the vessel and the possessing quori SA:Dual Spirit (Ex) ~ a possessed vessel uses the possessing quori's INT, WIS, and CHA scores (if higher), Dual Mind ~ may reroll a failed save against a mind-affecting spell, Humanoids eat and sleep and breathe, Psychic Strike +1d8 (Su), Quori Abilities ~ a possessed vessel can use the possessing quori's psi-like and spell-like abilities, Reduced Sleep ~ only needs 4 hours of sleep per day, Resist Exorcism ~ use the vessel's level and the quori's HD to resist an exorcism, Throw Mind Blade (Ex); Vision: Normal AL: NE; Sv: Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +6; STR 13, DEX 16, CON 14, INT 18, WIS 15, CHA 21 Skills and Feats: Autohypnosis +11, Balance +5, Bluff +7, Concentration +9, Diplomacy +7, Hide +10, Intimidate +7, Jump +10, Knowledge (Psionics) +13, Listen +9, Move Silently +10, Spot +9, Tumble +12; Psionic Charge, Psionic Weapon, Speed of Thought Possessions: 1 Chain Shirt (Masterwork), 1 Potion of Bull's Strength, 1 Mind Blade, 1 Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds, 1 Power Stone (Mind Thrust/Psion/3rd) Psi-Like Abilities: 1/day – body adjustment, id insinuation (DC 17), mindlink, psionic charm (DC 15), recall agony (DC 17); 3/day – body equilibrium, far hand, inertial armor, psionic scent. Cheers, Save vs DM
Save-vs-DM 09-15-05, 07:07 AM	To further serve you, here's my campaign bible for the game I'm running. It uses the Dreaming Dark as a main enemy. Dreams of Darkness: Campaign Bible Background During the Last War an independent association of magewrights and artificers began working on a secret project for the nation of Breland. Officially labeled Project Overlord, this project was highly classified and very few people even knew the name of this project. Arcane and psionic researchers were attempting to create an Eldrich Machine of vast and terrible power to grant Breland an extra edge during the war. Project Overlord was conceived by one Alain Colworn, a Brelish artificer loyal to the crown and one Tamra d’Cannith, a powerful telepath and house excoriate who was excoriated for selling Cannith secrets to the Dark Lanterns. Tamra received her psionic powers during a strange lab accident that rendered her permanently insane due to a brush with Xoriat. The Eldrich Machine dubbed the Overlord was an extremely powerful beacon capable of mass mind control. Though it was never completed, according to the schema Overlord was capable of controlling thousands of humanoids at one time for a lengthy period of time. The thinking of the time was that this machine could be used to control enemy armies which could be used as double agents and expendable forces. The project was started in 988 YK and was near completion when the Treaty of Thronehold was signed. Alain, Tamra and their staff of nearly thirty magically and psionically adept workers were silently notified to cease work on the project, dismantle Overlord and never speak of the project again. Unfortunately, the secret arcane forge located far below Sharn was overrun by a local Cult of the Dragon Below who falsely believed the Eldrich Machine was a powerful war weapon (it was, but not as they thought). Led by the mind flayer Isk’Rit, the cult quickly killed most of the workers, save for Alain and Tamra, who used their magic to escape. Isk’Rit quickly discovered the true power of Overlord, though at this time is unsure of how to use the great machine. He knows that it is not completed and is searching for a way to complete it in order to expand his herd of thralls. Alain and Tamra both went to ground, fearing retribution by Isk’Rit and the Brelish crown for their failure. Alain started posing as a simple wood carver and took great pains to mask any magical talent. He managed to purchase fake identification papers and passed himself off as a simple Cyran refugee in search of a new home. Tamra managed to hide for a week until she was discovered by the Dreaming Dark. After a month of intense psychic interrogation the Dreaming Dark discovered the truth of Project Overlord. Led by the Inspired Tirashana, the local Dreaming Dark agents seek to root out Isk’Rit and his cult in order to use Overlord. Tamra was mind-seeded and extensive psychic surgery warped her flesh into a new visage. Using extensive training and high placed contacts, the Dreaming Dark managed to place Tamra as a minor noble of House Cannith, granting her the name Elaida d’Cannith. She has kept a low profile and is now a key agent for the Dreaming Dark in their scheme to procure the Overlord. Through Tamra the Dreaming Dark discovered that Isk’Rit controls the Overlord currently, the Overlord is unfinished and that the Dark Lanterns know of its existence. Tirashana has determined that the best course of action is using a third and neutral party to obtain the supplies needed to finish the Eldrich Machine, root out the Cult of the Dragon Below and take the fall for working on the machine. They know that Alain still lives and is needed to complete the machine, as he has the only surviving the schema. They plan to use Tamra as an agent to get the PCs involved in the project. They want her to hire the PCs to obtain the needed supplies, root out the Cult of the Dragon Below and hopefully flush Alain out of hiding. The Dreaming Dark has also been working to eliminate anyone who knew about the project, including one Ebra Bakker, a Half-Elf merchant who delivered two shipments to the arcane forge. He was told that the project involved Brelish security and nothing else. He was murdered in his sleep using a subtle poison. His friend, a freelance inquisitive named Brogan Murphy, was called in to investigate. Brogan was an older Khoravar who recently hired the PCs to help him with his business. Brogan was murdered after he uncovered evidence about Ebra’s work, though the files were taken from his residence before the PCs could discover them. The campaign begins one week after Brogan’s death. Tone Dreams of Darkness is a rather dark and moody campaign with occasional doses of black humor. The campaign is filled with heavy intrigue and features shady deals and untrustworthy contacts. The PCs are never quite sure who they can trust after the death of their mentor and are completely unaware of Project Overlord at the start of the campaign. Player Synopsis You never managed to get a break in your life, moving from one occupation to the next in the great city of Sharn. You thought that your life would be an endless series of bad luck and poor living conditions. All of this changed when you met Brogan Murphy, an older Khoravar inquisitive who ran a small inquisitive agency in Lower Tavick’s Landing. Brogan was a Cyran refugee who managed to build a small but successful inquisitive business in High Walls. He saw in you a spark of something great and lifted you from a life in the gutter. He taught you all that her knew and took you on as an apprentice. One week ago Brogan died in his sleep. While he was an old man you feel that perhaps something greater is going on than meets the eye. Brogan left you and your companions his business and what small savings he had. You are unsure what to do with yourself now, though you have a small business with a reputation for doing good work. You have a way to make a living and perhaps a way to discover what truly happened to your mentor. You now live and work in Sharn. You have the skills that Brogan taught you and the memory of the kind old Khoravar. You are unsure of what the future holds. You are an inquisitive in the greatest city of Khorvaire. This is your life and the beginning of a great adventure. Friendly Factions Alain Colworn: During his exile Alain has had time to think upon the project he started creating. After living in the slums of High Walls he has come to discover that such a terrible weapon will bring more harm than good to the world. He is terrified for his life and intends to erase his past mistakes though a third party. If the PCs can discover who he is, he might be able to help them destroy Project Overlord. Alain holds the only known copy of the schema used to create Project Overlord. Goals: Use the PCs to destroy Project Overlord without revealing his true purpose in the scheme of the project. Neutral Factions The Dark Lanterns: The Dark Lanterns have a vested interest in Project Overlord. They would either like to see it in the hands of the Brelish crown or to see it destroyed. They don’t care too much either way, so long as the general populace remains oblivious to the weapon. They have an inkling that something is wrong with the project and are keeping close tabs on any suspicious activity. One of their members, one Nebra Aggan, has been mind seeded. She has been passing information to the Dreaming Dark for months now and hopes to use the Dark Lanterns as a means to reclaim Project Overlord. She will take every advantage to set the PCs up as the ones who want to use Project Overlord for themselves. Goals: Dismantle or control Project Overlord though a third party. Nebra will attempt to use her position to aid the Dreaming Dark and to set the PCs up to take the blame. Dekmar the Twisted: At first glance Dekmar may seem a mortal enemy. He is part of the Cult of the Dragon Below led by Isk’Rit and has several aberration grants. He has recently grown weary of the Overlord and his old master and would prefer to take leadership himself. The PCs may be able to use him to destroy the Isk’Rit. Goals: Destroy Isk’Rit and assume leadership of the Cult of the Dragon Below for himself. Enemy Factions The Cults of the Dragon Below: Led by the mind flayer Isk’Rit, the Cults want to use the Overlord for simple domination and to expand their influence. They are unsure of how to complete the machine and Isk’Rit will true and bend the minds of anyone he thinks is knowledgeable about the machine to his end. There is some in-fighting in the cult and a hidden power struggle. The cult will most likely attempt to capture artificers and mage-wrights in an attempt to get the machine functioning, though without the schema they are bound to fail. None of the group has been mind seeded, though the Dreaming Dark has been keeping tabs on them and would prefer to simply eliminate the group with a third party. Goals: Use Project Overlord to expand the size of their cult and garner more thralls for Isk’Rit. They are unsure of how to finish the machine and will attempt to capture artificers and magewrights in order to gain some insight. The Dreaming Dark: The Dreaming Dark wishes to gain control of Project Overlord in order to expand their influence. Tirashana has discovered a way to use the machine to enhance and extend the range of her mind seed powers and feels that this machine would be an excellent way to start gaining control of Sharn. Her long term goals include mind seeding major leaders of Breland in order to start the Last War anew. To this end several characters have been mind seeded in order to help with this goal. Goals: Gain control of Project Overlord using a third party. Use Tamra to gather the needed materials to complete the project using a third party. Obtain the schema by flushing Alain out of hiding using a third party. Destroy the Cult of the Dragon Below using a third party in order to gain access to Project Overlord. Set the PCs up to take the fall for finding and completing Project Overlord using their mind seeded Dark Lantern. Player Goals The players have several goals throughout the course of this campaign. They must discover the truth behind Brogan’s death, that he was murdered because he had a clue about Project Overlord. They must root out the mind seeds placed by the Dreaming Dark and destroy the Cult of the Dragon Below seeking to control Project Overlord. They must destroy Project Overlord completely in order to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. Discovering the truth about the project and rooting out the dreaming dark will be a rather large task. Eventually they will destroy Tirashana and Isk’Rit if they wish to destroy Project Overlord. Conspiracy Chart Project Overlord Lead Designer: Alain Colworn Secondary Designer: Tamra d’Cannith The project was never completed. The dreaming dark and the cult of the dragon below both seek to complete the project, though without Alain’s schema the task is near impossible. The following pieces were completed but never installed after Alain took them with him. Schema Alain is still in possession of the original schema. No copies were ever completed and most parties think it is still missing. Resonance Gems There were originally 13 resonance gems that help tune the machine to the minds of others. The machine will function without them, though the fewer gems the greater chance of permanent brain damage. The cults want to use the eldrich machine in this manner. The gems are scattered throughout the city and no one is cure just how many there are. Adventures Pilot Episode: Prelude to Darkness One of the gems of resonance was originally crafted by a third party artificer named Adalstan Dorn, a Karrnathi native who defected to Breland during the last twenty years of the war. The true purpose of the gem was never revealed to him. The project was mothballed before the gem was completed and no one picked it up. The dreaming dark has been looking for this gem through Tamra and had narrowed the search to the bank of Kundarak. The gem was stolen two days before they had planned to retrieve it by a group of smugglers who falsely believed it to be a simple and valuable gem. The dreaming dark wants the gem, as does Adalstan’s song, Halden. Halden contacts Brogan about finding the gem and a few other valuables that were stolen. He says they were his father’s life savings. He has precious little to go with, though he has arranged to give them a look at the Kundarak bank. The gem is set to be smuggled by a low level crime group who call themselves the dragons. They’re a small time group but they did have one clever idea – they’re going to smuggle the gem out of Sharn during the race of the eight winds. The group has to track down who stole the gem, figure out how they plan to get the gem out of Sharn and intercept them. Revelations: Brogan dies after the gem is recovered. The gem is stolen from Halden.
Save-vs-DM 09-15-05, 07:08 AM	Stupid double post. - SvD
nyysjan 09-15-05, 09:02 AM	The part about absentia user seeing the murder is rather good, and i'll probably use it some day civic duty is not a very good hook i'll need a better bait couple nitpicks why were the characters approached by Pater Lanner wouldn't it have been easier to kill Suthar Drosin inside his appartment why send an assassin when they could have just made him one of them with relative ease why was Hestianna still ransacking the appartment, shouldn't she have done it immediatly after the murder Suthar owned a small house in Upper Tavick’s Landing. From the outside the place looks fine, but inside it has apparently been ransacked. Hestianna is waiting inside, as she just now finished ransacking the place to find the notes the PCs have. She will wait for an opportune time to strike. and why didn't she find the Kundarak bank claim check and most importantly why is she a male :P Hestianna, Male Empty Vessel appart from these minor issues, and the fact that DD seems to be acting really heavy handed and with little subtlety, it seems to be a great adventure, but unfortunately i don't have the psionics book (and SRD doesn't have the necessary fluff) and some of my players have never even played DnD, so the campaign is little too much for us at the moment.
Save-vs-DM 09-15-05, 09:34 AM	why were the characters approached by Pater Lanner At this point in time my PCs had earned a bit of a reputation themselves and also had some reputation from thier former employer (now dead). wouldn't it have been easier to kill Suthar Drosin inside his appartment True, but it was never the assassins intention to kill him if she could help it. He threw off her enchantment in the couch and bailed...it was kind of a slip up. why send an assassin when they could have just made him one of them with relative ease Becuase without this there would have been on adventure. And, furthermore, it was a waste of resources for them. They found out what they needed to know then silenced him. why was Hestianna still ransacking the appartment, shouldn't she have done it immediatly after the murder I actually changed this mid-aventure. They were instead attack by an astral construct at the apartment and then lured into Fallen (a district) by a dupe that looked like the inspired. I actually changed quite a bit mid-aventure, actually. I just posted my original notes for ya. and most importantly why is she a male :P Becuase I'm lazy, I use PC Gen to make stat blocks, and the default is male... :P Cheers, Save vs DM