First Time to DM in Eberron, Forgotten Forge QUestions [Archive] - Wizards Community

First Time to DM in Eberron, Forgotten Forge QUestions [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Calabozo
02-20-06, 03:51 PM Hi, Im starting to DM in Eberron (I have been DMing for some years now) and decided to start qith the published adventures, I have some questions about the general feel of Eberron and of the Forgotten forge adventure.

I havent got the time to read the whole book of eberron so maybe some of the questions can be pointed to a page in the book, im currently reading chapter seven and have already read the Sharn section but I cant iagine the city which makes it very dificult to describe, is there a web page with pictures of sharn?

To my questions, one of my players is an artificer and whants to be a member of house Cannith, are all the members of the house nobles? do all have influence? when I say he wants to be a member I mean be a Cannith, how should a manage this? where can I find more information on this?

Other player in my group is a dwarf and has this idea of being part of a clan that was killed, Im going to read about the Mror Holds and dwarfs after I finish this but still I want to know your opinion and how would you manage this, whill you allow it? I dont want to put anything that makes more complex the campaign since I havent even read the whole book so I told this player that I would check it and then give him my desicion.

Back to the adventure, are the character supoused to keep Bonals Jounural? teh adventure says the need it to open the tunnel but I dont see andy logical reason for Elaydren to give it to them, after all the book is blank without the ring she posses, and whn the adventure ends do they have to return the book to her or keep it? also Saber is suposed to run or die? I read on another post that this character returns in the next adventure, and in the ruins of dorasharn ther is not a single mention of the other tunnels where are those supposed to go? what did ou told your players about this tunnels?

Ill come back with more questions later, Thanks. :D
Tom McCarthy
02-20-06, 04:07 PM House Cannith is huge, and has many employees and hirelings. Being an employee of the house doesn't bring much prestige or power. There's also those who have blood ties to the House and the potential to manifest a dragonmark. Those who stay with the House have the potential to rise high in the heirarchy, but they are also free to go their own way (barring procreation with the bloodline of another mark). Lastly, the dragonmarked members of the House usually draw some respect (like being one of 'those' Kennedys or 'those' Bushes without ever having been in the news or held office), but are still free to pursue adventure outside the House.

A dwarf from the long-dead clan which disappeared? That may be tough. He could have had ancestral ties to them or sentimental ties from some juvenile and fruitless expedition to investigate their disappearance, but if memory serves, they are all dead. Which means, to get that, he'd better come complete with some great plot hooks (symbiont? daelkyr hooks into him? strange psychoses? amnesia? people want to find him and find out how he lives?).

The journal activates and reveals its secrets when in the presence of old Cannith artifacts. She loans them the book, in part, so that they'll report back with what the book reveals when they stand in the Forgotten Forge (perhaps even a clue they need to survive and return).

Sabre can run, and somehow 'offscreen' find a way to escape (perhaps by walking underwater for hours, somethign likely to discourage pursuit). If Sabre dies, another follower of the Lord of Blades can be the antagonist in the future. If he lives, he's a recurring villain, and that's very pulpy (but hard to do in D&D).
Kid SixXx
02-20-06, 04:45 PM Is there a web page with pictures of sharn?

I think there is indeed some fan art which displays an aerial view of Sharn.

You can also use the WoTC Art Gallery, which has a few illustrations of Sharn.

To my questions, one of my players is an artificer and whants to be a member of house Cannith, are all the members of the house nobles? do all have influence? when I say he wants to be a member I mean be a Cannith, how should a manage this? where can I find more information on this?

Nope, not all House Cannith scions have influence. He'll have to take the appropriate feats (Favored In House, Dragonmark (Least) and so on) to represent the fact that his particular family has pull in House Cannith.

Other player in my group is a dwarf and has this idea of being part of a clan that was killed, Im going to read about the Mror Holds and dwarfs after I finish this but still I want to know your opinion and how would you manage this, whill you allow it? I dont want to put anything that makes more complex the campaign since I havent even read the whole book so I told this player that I would check it and then give him my desicion.

This would be tough, as the 13th clan should have been wiped out to the last member. I defer to Tom's ideas on that one.

Back to the adventure, are the character supoused to keep Bonals Jounural? teh adventure says the need it to open the tunnel but I dont see andy logical reason for Elaydren to give it to them, after all the book is blank without the ring she posses, and whn the adventure ends do they have to return the book to her or keep it?

Elaydren should probably keep the journal. If the PC's ask the right questions before setting off, they'll have all the information they'll need..

also Saber is suposed to run or die??

"Don't railroad your players," is probably the best advice I can offer. If your folks successfully defeat Saber, then let them relish in their victory.

If Saber escapes, then you can use him as a recurring villain.
Lilinthra
02-20-06, 04:59 PM In addition to the other suggestions, I recommend weighing the party size and diversity against the encounters in the adventure before starting. The horrid rats can be a tougher fight than its EL due to the high AC and the amount of damage for their bite, and the swarm can be challenging if the adventurers are ill-prepared.
Sereno
02-21-06, 01:38 PM I havent got the time to read the whole book of eberron so maybe some of the questions can be pointed to a page in the book, im currently reading chapter seven and have already read the Sharn section but I cant iagine the city which makes it very dificult to describe, is there a web page with pictures of sharn?

I'd seriously consider taking the time to read the whole ECS before embarking on an Eberron campaign. There's a lot of detail in there that all comes together and makes Eberron the "living breathing" world it really is.

I'd consider just running a quick one-off campaign, just a couple of sessions (using any of the free WoTC adventures that you can find on the site), until you've got a solid understanding of how Eberron works.

Read the boards, here, too; especially the Ask Keith Baker FAQ and threads. There's LOTS of good information here.

Some help for picturing Sharn ... try not to think of it as clusters of mile-high NYC-style skyscrapers. Instead, think of it as a collection of "vertical towns" -- while there are apartment buildings and the like, there are also individual houses and buildings built inside/outside/around the massive "main towers." some on balconies, some on "floors" inside the towers, some on bridges between the biggest towers. The higher up you go, the more sky you can see and the more "spaced out" things are. Down in the Cogs are the goblin warrens and the close-quarters tenements of the poor.
(Psi)SeveredHead
02-21-06, 02:00 PM Hi, Im starting to DM in Eberron (I have been DMing for some years now) and decided to start qith the published adventures, I have some questions about the general feel of Eberron and of the Forgotten forge adventure.

To my questions, one of my players is an artificer and whants to be a member of house Cannith, are all the members of the house nobles? do all have influence? when I say he wants to be a member I mean be a Cannith, how should a manage this? where can I find more information on this?

No, they aren't nobles. They're just members of a business run by an extended family called d'Cannith, many of whom have dragonmarks. You can just let him be a member of House Cannith - it doesn't give many benefits, especially to low-level PCs who haven't proven themselves yet. However, one of the main friendly NPCs if a member of House Cannith who tells a few white lies - you'll have to see if the PC can figure that out.

also Saber is suposed to run or die? I read on another post that this character returns in the next adventure,

Like any intelligent NPC, he'd rather survive than complete his mission. If he dies, there's a "replacement" in the next adventure (basically same stats, but with a different name). So it's not a huge deal if he dies.
collinf
02-21-06, 05:10 PM Something I tell anyone who says they are thinking about starting an Eberron campaign, whether as player or DM, is to read the Eberron novels written by Keith Baker. Those will thrust you into what is Eberron more than anything else. The first book is especially nice because it introduces Sharn immediately post-Last War and there are some very helpful appendices and glossaries at the back of the book.

His latest novel takes place on Xen'drik, which may get too confusing and not something you or the players want to delve into, but it is a better book story-wise than the first.

-Collin
:cool:

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Calabozo 02-20-06, 03:51 PM	Hi, Im starting to DM in Eberron (I have been DMing for some years now) and decided to start qith the published adventures, I have some questions about the general feel of Eberron and of the Forgotten forge adventure. I havent got the time to read the whole book of eberron so maybe some of the questions can be pointed to a page in the book, im currently reading chapter seven and have already read the Sharn section but I cant iagine the city which makes it very dificult to describe, is there a web page with pictures of sharn? To my questions, one of my players is an artificer and whants to be a member of house Cannith, are all the members of the house nobles? do all have influence? when I say he wants to be a member I mean be a Cannith, how should a manage this? where can I find more information on this? Other player in my group is a dwarf and has this idea of being part of a clan that was killed, Im going to read about the Mror Holds and dwarfs after I finish this but still I want to know your opinion and how would you manage this, whill you allow it? I dont want to put anything that makes more complex the campaign since I havent even read the whole book so I told this player that I would check it and then give him my desicion. Back to the adventure, are the character supoused to keep Bonals Jounural? teh adventure says the need it to open the tunnel but I dont see andy logical reason for Elaydren to give it to them, after all the book is blank without the ring she posses, and whn the adventure ends do they have to return the book to her or keep it? also Saber is suposed to run or die? I read on another post that this character returns in the next adventure, and in the ruins of dorasharn ther is not a single mention of the other tunnels where are those supposed to go? what did ou told your players about this tunnels? Ill come back with more questions later, Thanks. :D
Tom McCarthy 02-20-06, 04:07 PM	House Cannith is huge, and has many employees and hirelings. Being an employee of the house doesn't bring much prestige or power. There's also those who have blood ties to the House and the potential to manifest a dragonmark. Those who stay with the House have the potential to rise high in the heirarchy, but they are also free to go their own way (barring procreation with the bloodline of another mark). Lastly, the dragonmarked members of the House usually draw some respect (like being one of 'those' Kennedys or 'those' Bushes without ever having been in the news or held office), but are still free to pursue adventure outside the House. A dwarf from the long-dead clan which disappeared? That may be tough. He could have had ancestral ties to them or sentimental ties from some juvenile and fruitless expedition to investigate their disappearance, but if memory serves, they are all dead. Which means, to get that, he'd better come complete with some great plot hooks (symbiont? daelkyr hooks into him? strange psychoses? amnesia? people want to find him and find out how he lives?). The journal activates and reveals its secrets when in the presence of old Cannith artifacts. She loans them the book, in part, so that they'll report back with what the book reveals when they stand in the Forgotten Forge (perhaps even a clue they need to survive and return). Sabre can run, and somehow 'offscreen' find a way to escape (perhaps by walking underwater for hours, somethign likely to discourage pursuit). If Sabre dies, another follower of the Lord of Blades can be the antagonist in the future. If he lives, he's a recurring villain, and that's very pulpy (but hard to do in D&D).
Kid SixXx 02-20-06, 04:45 PM	Is there a web page with pictures of sharn? I think there is indeed some fan art which displays an aerial view of Sharn. You can also use the WoTC Art Gallery, which has a few illustrations of Sharn. To my questions, one of my players is an artificer and whants to be a member of house Cannith, are all the members of the house nobles? do all have influence? when I say he wants to be a member I mean be a Cannith, how should a manage this? where can I find more information on this? Nope, not all House Cannith scions have influence. He'll have to take the appropriate feats (Favored In House, Dragonmark (Least) and so on) to represent the fact that his particular family has pull in House Cannith. Other player in my group is a dwarf and has this idea of being part of a clan that was killed, Im going to read about the Mror Holds and dwarfs after I finish this but still I want to know your opinion and how would you manage this, whill you allow it? I dont want to put anything that makes more complex the campaign since I havent even read the whole book so I told this player that I would check it and then give him my desicion. This would be tough, as the 13th clan should have been wiped out to the last member. I defer to Tom's ideas on that one. Back to the adventure, are the character supoused to keep Bonals Jounural? teh adventure says the need it to open the tunnel but I dont see andy logical reason for Elaydren to give it to them, after all the book is blank without the ring she posses, and whn the adventure ends do they have to return the book to her or keep it? Elaydren should probably keep the journal. If the PC's ask the right questions before setting off, they'll have all the information they'll need.. also Saber is suposed to run or die?? "Don't railroad your players," is probably the best advice I can offer. If your folks successfully defeat Saber, then let them relish in their victory. If Saber escapes, then you can use him as a recurring villain.
Lilinthra 02-20-06, 04:59 PM	In addition to the other suggestions, I recommend weighing the party size and diversity against the encounters in the adventure before starting. The horrid rats can be a tougher fight than its EL due to the high AC and the amount of damage for their bite, and the swarm can be challenging if the adventurers are ill-prepared.
Sereno 02-21-06, 01:38 PM	I havent got the time to read the whole book of eberron so maybe some of the questions can be pointed to a page in the book, im currently reading chapter seven and have already read the Sharn section but I cant iagine the city which makes it very dificult to describe, is there a web page with pictures of sharn? I'd seriously consider taking the time to read the whole ECS before embarking on an Eberron campaign. There's a lot of detail in there that all comes together and makes Eberron the "living breathing" world it really is. I'd consider just running a quick one-off campaign, just a couple of sessions (using any of the free WoTC adventures that you can find on the site), until you've got a solid understanding of how Eberron works. Read the boards, here, too; especially the Ask Keith Baker FAQ and threads. There's LOTS of good information here. Some help for picturing Sharn ... try not to think of it as clusters of mile-high NYC-style skyscrapers. Instead, think of it as a collection of "vertical towns" -- while there are apartment buildings and the like, there are also individual houses and buildings built inside/outside/around the massive "main towers." some on balconies, some on "floors" inside the towers, some on bridges between the biggest towers. The higher up you go, the more sky you can see and the more "spaced out" things are. Down in the Cogs are the goblin warrens and the close-quarters tenements of the poor.
(Psi)SeveredHead 02-21-06, 02:00 PM	Hi, Im starting to DM in Eberron (I have been DMing for some years now) and decided to start qith the published adventures, I have some questions about the general feel of Eberron and of the Forgotten forge adventure. To my questions, one of my players is an artificer and whants to be a member of house Cannith, are all the members of the house nobles? do all have influence? when I say he wants to be a member I mean be a Cannith, how should a manage this? where can I find more information on this? No, they aren't nobles. They're just members of a business run by an extended family called d'Cannith, many of whom have dragonmarks. You can just let him be a member of House Cannith - it doesn't give many benefits, especially to low-level PCs who haven't proven themselves yet. However, one of the main friendly NPCs if a member of House Cannith who tells a few white lies - you'll have to see if the PC can figure that out. also Saber is suposed to run or die? I read on another post that this character returns in the next adventure, Like any intelligent NPC, he'd rather survive than complete his mission. If he dies, there's a "replacement" in the next adventure (basically same stats, but with a different name). So it's not a huge deal if he dies.
collinf 02-21-06, 05:10 PM	Something I tell anyone who says they are thinking about starting an Eberron campaign, whether as player or DM, is to read the Eberron novels written by Keith Baker. Those will thrust you into what is Eberron more than anything else. The first book is especially nice because it introduces Sharn immediately post-Last War and there are some very helpful appendices and glossaries at the back of the book. His latest novel takes place on Xen'drik, which may get too confusing and not something you or the players want to delve into, but it is a better book story-wise than the first. -Collin :cool: