Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Bookmen 01-22-08, 05:39 PM	Hello,:) Recently I took on the position of DM for an AIM game that is getting together. I asked two of the players what kind of game they wanted; one said "entertianing" and the other said "Eberron." Thus I desided to run a Eberron game and this works out great cause I have been wanting to run/play a Eberron game for awile. The thing is that, although I have read all the source books, a couple novels, and was active on the forums a lot in the past, I have never actually played in a Eberron game let alone DMed one. So I am looking for some help in planning this. I figured I would have the ECL be somewhere from 3 to 9, but not sure what exactly. I am hoping that I might be able to run a seafaring style game and by seafaring I mean boats and the like. It could be airships for all I care as long as it is "boat," "sailor," and "adventure" themed. Any and all help is welcome. Thanks in advance.:)
Toloran 01-22-08, 06:48 PM	Easiest suggestion: Watch Firefly, adapt it. It is an easy adaptation if you want a general feel for your game. That said, there are a couple ways you can go about doing a sea/airfaring game: First of all, Xen'drik is a great location. Lots of explorers want to investigate the interior and an Airship is the perfect to go about it. Even if you aren't the explorers adventuring there, you could be the crew/owner of a private ship that ferries passengers in to the interrior for a price (and then get dragged in to an adventure, evil plot, etc). The other possibility I can think of would entail the Lhaazar principalities. That area just shouts "Pirates!" and seafaring. Adventures either as pirates or working against pirates (either as bodyguards or pirate hunters) works great. Another possibility could entail chasing some sort of convict that escaped from Dreadhold (it has happened) across the seas.
Bookmen 01-22-08, 08:49 PM	Easiest suggestion: Watch Firefly, adapt it. It is an easy adaptation if you want a general feel for your game. lol True. It's been to long since I watched that show.:) First of all, Xen'drik is a great location. Lots of explorers want to investigate the interior and an Airship is the perfect to go about it. Even if you aren't the explorers adventuring there, you could be the crew/owner of a private ship that ferries passengers in to the interrior for a price (and then get dragged in to an adventure, evil plot, etc). Lots of stuff in Xendrix to be used to; drow, giants, ancient ruins, etc. Question becomes how would I pull them into something? It has to be good since I get the "enterianting" request. Pick up mission gone array? The PCs where hired to pick up a party of NPC explorers, but upon getting to the pick up site: No one is there? Ambush? Drow? Giants? Something else? Mixture of the two? The other possibility I can think of would entail the Lhaazar principalities. That area just shouts "Pirates!" and seafaring. Adventures either as pirates or working against pirates (either as bodyguards or pirate hunters) works great. Thats where House Layandor (sp?) is right? How to get the tied into something... They are pirates? Hunted by authorities? Hunting Pirates? Another possibility could entail chasing some sort of convict that escaped from Dreadhold (it has happened) across the seas. :eek: I'm not sure why that surprises me, but it just does. Might have to use that. Hmm...I'm seeing the most potintial with Xendrix and the Dreadhold escape. Thanks.
Nerdicus 01-28-08, 01:53 PM	I started out my current campaign on a river boat plying its trade along the Cyre River which runs between Karnaath and the Mournlands. The group were simply hired by a boat captain to be hired muscled for protection. Because of its location, I made the plot revolve around some followers of the BoV( the crew and the captain) who were trading contraband covertly. It ran a few sessions up the river to pick up the first major load of cargo( A bunch of sleeping Karnathi undead[Which was kept secret]) Along the way the group found a large partially sunken airship. On it were af ew Karnathi undead who belonged to a group of undead pirates. The story behind these guys was that when the Mounring hit, something about it made them fully sentient and the went renegade. Ont he ship the group found a bunch of gear that was destined for Cyre( amongst the stuff were some plot devices that the group couldn't open until later but had tons of intrigue surrounding them). Then they pick up the cargo, plus a trio of gnomes who came running out of the mists of Mournland who payed handsomely to be taken to a city. The group then made their way back down the river towards Scions Sound. On this leg of the journey they fought a group of Warforged who were after the gnomes, and a Mourntouched Rhavid who wreaked havoc on the ship. Shortly after that the group tricked the captain and crew into revealing what they were doing, had them all arrested and made it onto land, vowing never to travel by boat again.... So yeah, teh group didn't want to do the seafaring for that long, but while it lasted it was tons of fun. Some ideas I had for later on were: A fight with some Sauhagin in a storm. Every 3 rounds a huge wave would roll over the ship leaving behind more and more sauhagin, plus making it so the group had to make balance, strength, reflex checks every round, ontop of fighting. Ship to ship combat, which is awesome on it's own. eventually fighting with a Kraken, because that is the end all of all seafaring campaigns.
SMDVogrin 01-28-08, 07:28 PM	eventually fighting with a Kraken, because that is the end all of all seafaring campaigns. I've always wanted to DM a Kraken attack, just so I could "borrow" the Chief from this scene: Command Master Chief Robin Brooks had just stepped onto the quarterdeck, carrying a fresh mug of coffee, when the carrier suddenly slowed in the water and heeled to starboard. Two mast-thick tentacles snaked over the side, one grabbing the mainmast at the base while another grabbed it just below the first crosstree. The massive bulk of a kraken appeared over the side of the ship. The chief took a sip of coffee, his knees springing to keep him upright, as the ship listed hard to starboard and shook his head at the mass of screaming humanity on the maindeck all of them sliding across the deck towards the waiting tentacles and beak of the hungry, eight-armed, kraken. "Kircan!" he bellowed at the waist division petty officer, who was clinging to a line for dear life. "Get some axemen working! Get Van Kiet's team into their flamethrowers!" He took another sip appreciatively as a seaman was picked up, screaming, from the deck. "Webster! Quit dicking around and stay away from the damned tentacles! There's a drill for this, you know!" The skipper came dashing onto the quarterdeck, tucking in his shirt, just as the flamethrower team was throwing itself desperately into the fray. "Get the tentacles on the mast first!" the chief bellowed. "And somebody cut off that tentacle around Webster before he throws up all over the deck! Oh, good morning, Skipper." "Morning, Chief," the skipper said, trying, and failing, to give off the same air of unsurprised efficiency as his command master chief. "Saw this one time off Bimi island, sir," Brooks said, taking another sip as two tongues of flame licked out and caught the tentacles around the mast. The kraken reacted spasmodically as the tentacles whipped off the mast and back into the water. The luckless Webster was tossed aside as well, bouncing off the rail and into the water overside. "The kraken was bigger, though." The chief kept his feet, many on the deck were thrown from theirs, as the ship rolled back upright and he pointed at the kraken that was still half draped on the side of the ship. "Get it right in the beak," he yelled. "Or the eyes. Use the flamers to work your way forward. Pump-men, get up there or we'll all be in Davey Jones' locker! And away the gig to pick up Webster. Somebody throw him a preserver." The flamethrower men worked forward, flicking small tongues of flame at any tentacle that darted towards them, until they were in range to attack the body. Then one of them, greatly daring, darted forward and shot the kraken on the juncture between its tentacles and right eye. At that the kraken flailed wildly, again, and slipped over the side of the ship, disappearing into the depths in a cloud of black ink. "And it wasn't this mill-pond," the chief continued where he'd left off as the firemen rushed forward and washed the burning napalm over the side of the ship then got to work on the burning wood and cordage where the fight had taken place. "We were bobbing around like corks."
Bookmen 02-11-08, 12:27 AM	Ok here are some of the things I have planned for my Players tell me what you all think. -A plan that has been in the works by secret forces since shortly before the end of the Daelkyr invasion. -A Daelkyr who was very good at Divination magic and was able to forsee, but not stop, the Gatekeepers sealing away his people. Using this forsight he put a plan into works to ensure that he would be freed after being sealed away and that he would become even more powerful in the process. -A Quori from before the turning of the age who has been trapped away in a Giant's Quori trap and who has alliened itself with the Daelkyr in hopes of being freed and becoming more powerful. -Four breeds of Daelkyr monster creations that the Daelkyr made before he was sealed and as part of is plan were sealed away to be realsed as part of the overall plan. -A Cult of the Dragon Below that worships the Daelkyr and is trying to free him, the Quori, and the monstrous creations of the Daelkyr. -A group of three NPCs who have hired the PCs to help them stop the Cult from waking up the monsters that the Daelkyr had created. The PCs dont know this but two of the three have esacaped from Dreadhold and the third helped them escape. -A tribe of Drow who were at first tricked by the Cult into helping them and are now fighting to kill the Cult. -A group of Rival adventurers who are researching the Quori race and are unwittingly following the Daelkyr's and the Quori's plan to have them freed. -A tribe of Giants who dont know everything but know enough that if the three NPCs, the Drow, the Cult, or the Rival Group win then in the end the Daelkyr's plan will somehow succeed and he will be freed.
Bookmen 02-11-08, 04:47 PM	Are there any Dol Quor, Dream Realm, manifest zones? Is there a breed of monster that the Quori often use that appears in places other then Sarlona? What groups are the Yuan'ti normaly allied with?
Bookmen 02-15-08, 01:04 AM	So does no one feel like helping me?:confused:
Syltorian 02-15-08, 04:55 AM	-A Quori from before the turning of the age who has been trapped away in a Giant's Quori trap and who has alliened itself with the Daelkyr in hopes of being freed and becoming more powerful. It's possible, especially if the Quori doesn't know about the turning of the age (he has been away, after all) or its implications - especially that if he is ever returned to Dal Quor - whether he goes himself or is banished - he will die and be reabsorbed into the plane. You'd also need to come up with some answers to these questions: Why did the Quori invade Eberron? How did the Giants stop them exactly? What happened? What was the previous Quor Tarai like? The modern Quori will be out hunting someone like this for information, and to have them reforged as a new Quori, as soon as they know about this. -A group of three NPCs who have hired the PCs to help them stop the Cult from waking up the monsters that the Daelkyr had created. The PCs dont know this but two of the three have esacaped from Dreadhold and the third helped them escape. Interesting. Why were they in Dreadhold? Do they have any ulterior motives? Otherwise, this seems interesting. Do you own Elder Evils, or did you have a look at the signs and portents in the preview on the WotC page? This sounds like it could fit with your story. Are there any Dol Quor, Dream Realm, manifest zones? No Dal Quor has been utterly disconnected from Eberron, and unlike Xoriat it is not simply remote. There is a possibility that the hanbalani altas, the Riedran Monoliths, will soon create a manifest zone, but so far that has not happened (SoS 62). That said, an Orrery of the Planes (ECS 271) can create a localised manifest zone to Dal Quor. I've always wondered about that, because it would mean that if the Inspired ever find out about this, and they should have by know, Quori could come to the material plane. I'd personally disallow a non-artifact to create a manifest zone to Dal Quor, but that's a houserule. Is there a breed of monster that the Quori often use that appears in places other then Sarlona? The Quori do not tend to use monsters much. In Riedra, the Inspired have all but wiped them out. Elsewhere, they can manipulate them as they manipulate everything else, so anything that dreams is fair game. What groups are the Yuan'ti normaly allied with? None, really. Virtually everyone fears, distrusts and hates the Yuan-ti, and they have been hunted down to near extinction on Sarlona and Argonessen. The hatred might not be deserved (except on Xen'drik, perhaps), but it is still there. So the yuan-ti keep to themselves, mostly. It is possible, I would say, that some yuan-ti have found shelter in Adar amongst the kalashtar, who are enlightened enough to accept them, or that some have allied with the Broken Throne. The feathered yuan-ti also keep to themselves, though they might be allied with groups like the Silver Flame and similar faiths. Often, I'd say, without the other group knowing about the alliance and with the shulakassar seeing it more as guiding the other group rather than having an equal partnership.
Bookmen 02-15-08, 03:43 PM	It's possible, especially if the Quori doesn't know about the turning of the age (he has been away, after all) or its implications - especially that if he is ever returned to Dal Quor - whether he goes himself or is banished - he will die and be reabsorbed into the plane. You'd also need to come up with some answers to these questions: Why did the Quori invade Eberron? How did the Giants stop them exactly? What happened? What was the previous Quor Tarai like? The modern Quori will be out hunting someone like this for information, and to have them reforged as a new Quori, as soon as they know about this. Well as to those questions I haven't addressed them fully yet and considering the nature of the Quori's imprisonment I doubt that the PCs will ever be able to ask him. Basicly he was at first trapped in one of those statue traps, the ones that normally look like someone with their arms out as if they are giving someone a hug. He was trapped deep underground and in a Giant Mage's summoning room and most summoning rooms have magics in place to keep things from leaving this plane of existance. This is where the question of "How did the Giants stop them exactly?" is partly answered. I've always imaged the power being like a tidal wave sweeping across the land banishing all the Quori it came in contact with and like any tidal wave it can't really tell the difference of one thing from another, thats why the giants got hurt by it too. Now since he was so far underground and with the magics of the statue and the room in place to keep him there he stayed trapped, but in the whole process a lot of the underground area fell apart and he became not only trapped in the statue but all physical entrances where destroied making it imposible for someone to come to him. Fast forward to when the Daekyr invade and to when our perticular Daekyr learns about the Gatekeepers' plan. Our Daekyr puts a plan in action to ensure that he will be freed and become more powerful. Part of this plan involves freeing the Quori. Basicly our Daekyr visits the our Quori and discusses the plan with him. The Quori likes it and agrees. AFterward the Daekyr alters the magics of the room and the statue to better fit their goals. Interesting. Why were they in Dreadhold? Do they have any ulterior motives? The two that were inprisoned where Paul and Aris. Paul was inprisoned because he was becoming a nuisance to the Thuranni, but it was obvious that he know to much to kill because he could be of use. Aris never tells anyone why he was inprisoned. Otherwise, this seems interesting. Do you own Elder Evils, or did you have a look at the signs and portents in the preview on the WotC page? This sounds like it could fit with your story. I do own Elder Evil and love that book. :D I have been planning on incorperating the signs into the Beast waking up. Basicly the Daekry's and Quori's plan with those is that the only way to put the Beast back to sleep is if one of them does it. Thus To stop the Beast people will have to wake them up and that is a big step toward fulfilling the plan. No Dal Quor has been utterly disconnected from Eberron, and unlike Xoriat it is not simply remote. There is a possibility that the hanbalani altas, the Riedran Monoliths, will soon create a manifest zone, but so far that has not happened (SoS 62). Dang. Well that doesn't really cahnge anything except a little RP. No matter. The Quori do not tend to use monsters much. In Riedra, the Inspired have all but wiped them out. Elsewhere, they can manipulate them as they manipulate everything else, so anything that dreams is fair game. Ok. Thats good to know. If I really want to give them a clue that is the Quori I can also just use advnaced Dream Snakes and Quoricraft WF.:cool: None, really. Virtually everyone fears, distrusts and hates the Yuan-ti, and they have been hunted down to near extinction on Sarlona and Argonessen. The hatred might not be deserved (except on Xen'drik, perhaps), but it is still there. So the yuan-ti keep to themselves, mostly. It is possible, I would say, that some yuan-ti have found shelter in Adar amongst the kalashtar, who are enlightened enough to accept them, or that some have allied with the Broken Throne. Ok. I doubt I'll use them but that certianly helps if i do use them. The feathered yuan-ti also keep to themselves, though they might be allied with groups like the Silver Flame and similar faiths. Often, I'd say, without the other group knowing about the alliance and with the shulakassar seeing it more as guiding the other group rather than having an equal partnership. Hmm....I might be able to make use of them. I already have one NPC planned that is a Follower of the Silver Flame. They could be helping him in some way.:)
Sakon22 02-17-08, 05:45 PM	Ok. Thats good to know. If I really want to give them a clue that is the Quori I can also just use advnaced Dream Snakes and Quoricraft WF.:cool: I dunno, usually the Quori like to keep a much lower profile than that. I view them as more insidious and indirect than some of the other groups in the ECS. Where the Emerald Claw might come charging at the PCs with a dozen heavily armed soldiers, the Quori would possess or manipulate people within the vicinity of the PCs to start an anti-adventurer guild or something like that.
Bookmen 02-18-08, 01:29 PM	I dunno, usually the Quori like to keep a much lower profile than that. I view them as more insidious and indirect than some of the other groups in the ECS. Where the Emerald Claw might come charging at the PCs with a dozen heavily armed soldiers, the Quori would possess or manipulate people within the vicinity of the PCs to start an anti-adventurer guild or something like that. Well that works for me because I have a rival group of explorers who are already looking for the items that will wake up the Quori. Guesse I know Quori better then I realized.;) :D