Post/Author/DateTime	Post
PoeticJustice 12-02-06, 02:44 PM	Dear readers, I don't come here as often as I used to, but one thing I'm always struck by are the constant pleas for assistance in getting new players to "understand" Eberron. A one page document cannot do justice to the Eberron Campaign setting. I do not believe one can convey all the needed details that would make a player proficient unless they were to actually read the book iteself. Therefore, the task of all Eberron DMs running for unacquainted players is to nurse and prompt interest in the setting rather than type up a butchered version of the ECS. This can be accomplished very easily by giving them small, largely inconsequential details during roleplay, shopping trips, and even combat. Convey the presence of a highly-magical economy. This ties in directly with the nature of the dragonmarked houses. Consider the following when giving treasure or when players take shopping trips. 1.Manufacturing is standardized throughout major urban centers in Khorvaire and perhaps rural areas as well. House Cannith's Sky Forges allow them to create vast quantities of finished goods from raw material at the wave of a hand using the Fabricate spell. This has some fairly interesting implications, assuming they do a fairly brisk trade in potions. For one, all potions bottles can be made to look the same if desired. They can also be created with a standard color or shape to connote what type of potion it is. To give an example, all Cure Light Wounds potions may come packaged in a black bottle, while Cure Moderate may come in Silver. Doing this saves a lot of time, labor, and is also a handy tool for branding for house Cannith, and also assures the customer of a standard of quality unknown if they risk business with an unaffiliated merchant. 2.Air Traffic is Commonplace Doesn't everyone long to fly? I know I do, and I'd think it strange if this weren't true on Eberron. Only there, however, it's actually possible. In terms of the Dragonmarked Houses, Airships and Lightning Rail get a lot press. Some of this is do to the fact they are more glamorous than taking a caravan or a conventional ship. A middle ground that is constantly overlooked is the sale and use of flying mounts. In other words, I would expect that much, if not all Sivis and Orien mail service is actually delivered via mounted Hippogriff or Giant Eagle courier. Of course, there is an issue of price, but consider that a 4,000 gp Hippogriff can easily carry 400 letters in a journey. at a rate of 1 cp/mile per letter, the hippogriff pays for itself after traveling a paltry 1000 miles, a distance it can travel literally twice as fast as a horse. Add in that a flying mount is invariably safe from the depredations of brigands, and it becomes a forgone conclusion that they'd be a vehicle of choice for commerce. Now that that's been established, imagine the majesty of Giant Eagles flying the colors of the Dragonmarked Houses as they wing over the countryside. Depict entire aeries of Griffons maintained by the Royals of Khorvaire. Everyone loves to fly, so let your imagination soar! If popular demand merits further attention to this article, I'll next be writing more about depicted a magical economy and also how you can easily depict the implications of a war on society. Thanks for reading!
Jancarius 12-02-06, 02:59 PM	I liked it. Keep writing em.
PoeticJustice 12-04-06, 05:27 PM	An interlude: "Dealing with reluctant players" In every group, there is at least one player that refuses to get in character. These players feel stupid playing a character and are much more comfortable n their role as a distant controller. Let them be. If even one player roleplays with you properly, the cowards will forget their fear after a single session. Don't cajole, niggle, or nag. Set an example, it works every time. Other times you'll have a group hesitant to play Eberron. In this case it is appropriate to invoke authority as DM. Simply say the group is playing on Eberron which uses these rules. If they whine, abdicate your authority and play rather than DM. It is YOUR game and they will play by YOUR rules or not at all. Back on topic... (continued from part one) 3. Whenever possible, use a magical effect instead of a mundane one Simply put, there are no torches in Sharn, only Everbright Lanterns. I don't care how expensive they are, the city can afford it. High-class markets and neighborhoods would logically use tireless, obediant, un-bribe-able magical construct guards rather than their fleshy, flawed counterparts. Why spend lots of cash building easily sabotaged aquaducts when a large-scale decanter of endless waterset into a fountain is cheaper, safer, and easier? 4. People are callous/jaded about magic. Given all the magic flying around this world, it's easy for people to become jaded as to miracles everyday magic brings them. It's really no different than the lack of appreciation we have for hot water, central air, and the lightbulb. That said, they're might be a steady undertone of resentment towards higher level magic. Remember that Moderately skilled clerics could feed entire families using magic, eliminate disease and cure any wound. They do not. Imagine the anger you would feel if a hospitable refused service to your dying wife/child/parent due to your inability to pay. Another ramification toard the god-like power even 3rd level spells offer is callousness. People may be very wasteful with natural resources simply because they'll literally be able to magic it away later. Huge pile of garbage? Get some invisible servants to take it away. Ruin your best set of clothes? Just one prestidigitation makes it all better. Too much stress to sleep? Not after the town enchanter pays a visit. The next chance you get, juxtapose a magically spectacular event with the jaded, boring atitudes of onlookers. It'll heighten the effect for your PCs. After the players are immersed in a magically inundated world, there's another beast to tackle... Portraying a post-world war society 1. Everyone hates each other Note that this doesn't have to hinder the PCs overmuch. Perhaps the border guard charges them a little more on a toll road when he spots an old enemy's colors. Speaking of borders, they ought to be as tightly controlled as possible. foreign nationals moving back and forth out to spell trouble to any inspector, and he's defintely going to want a good excuse for all the border hopping. Beyond that, simply make a few NPCs very,very rude. Make it explicitly clear that they're doing this because of Who the Pcs are, not What they did. 2. Every settlement has some kind of fortification. Every town's gonna have walls in a world that's been at war for 100 years, folks. Big, thick walls with a full complement of well armed and paranoid guards. Bridges, borders, and ports will all be heavily fortified against siege. Be sure to depict high towers with lots of arrow slits, sheer walls, and imposing stature. 3. The character of every nation is in some sort of flux. After WW2, the "American way" was celebrated for having carried victory in the biggest conflict in himan history. On the other hand, if memory serves, there's a German law against naming a baby Adolf. The point is that the perceived winners of the Last War--Breland, Valenar, the Eldeen Reaches, and Droaam are going to be undergoing a joyous exploration of what it means to be a citizen of that land. The result of this exploration is an overall intensification of the already exaggerated traits from each of those countries. The Brelish will be even more industrious, loquacious, and cosmopolitan. Valenar will be even fiercer, the Reaches a little more aloof, and Droaam a little more menacing than they'd otherwise be. On the other hand, perceived losers of the war--Karrnath, Aundair, and especially Cyre, will be undergoing a crisis of national confidence. Instances of rebellious Karrnathi warlords should be somewhat common. I can see Aundair as being a little bit sullen after losing both Thaliost and the Reaches. Cyre, however, might going into a state of supernova--explosive growth that will precede an inevitable collapse. In any case, when roleplaying an encounter that involves the Last War, think about how the NPCs' nation fared during the conflict and the effect it may have had on them. In war, not everyone can be a winner.
mhacdebhandia 12-05-06, 04:21 PM	An interlude: "Dealing with reluctant players" In every group, there is at least one player that refuses to get in character. These players feel stupid playing a character and are much more comfortable n their role as a distant controller. Let them be. If even one player roleplays with you properly, the cowards will forget their fear after a single session. It is good advice to leave players who are uncomfortable with in-character play alone. It is frankly ignorant to paint them as "cowards" for that discomfort. Some people are genuinely not interested in in-character roleplaying, and there's nothing wrong with that; when they display discomfort with the concept that's usually because unthinking peer pressure from other players who consider in-character play "normal" has created in them a sense that they're "doing it wrong". That is the source of their discomfort. Left to their own devices most gamers who prefer out-of-character play will simply get on with the game - it's not about fear of in-character play, it's about disinterest. Of course, there are people who feel shy about it but will play in-character when they feel comfortable. In either case, leaving them be is a great idea.
PoeticJustice 12-06-06, 11:59 AM	Noted. In retrospect, my language was unwise. I'll edit the sentence to be "softer" later on today and then post an update.
Baatos 12-07-06, 02:44 PM	PoeticJustice, great post, i'd love to hear more of your ideas about setting the tone
PoeticJustice 12-07-06, 06:50 PM	I've made a small update. Sorry it's not longer, but exams are here and I haven't had time to think about good old Eberron much lately.
cancerousmango 12-08-06, 12:42 AM	Get people in the mood Watch Air Bud before the gaming session.
Raziel_Brokodar 12-08-06, 01:21 AM	Get people in the mood Watch Air Bud before the gaming session. you mean either Pirates of the Caribbean or Indiana Jones or the Mummy movie right?
The_Last_Rogue 12-08-06, 01:33 AM	Provoking thought on Eberron always a good thing, so keep it up please kind sir.
Galrith 12-08-06, 01:51 AM	One thing I'm doing with mine is taking modern luxuries and applying them to the eberron world. When getting your ID papers for example you go to a House Sivis office and stood against a background as they adjust a crystal that then copies your likeness onto paper. They take the information down and place it on a special desk that has an unseen servanta effect copy everything to a second paper and then filed away. In sharn specificly I have a few things that will happen in the middle of the campaign that actually are world events and involve an airship battle through sharn. Though the PCs may not get involved it's something they won't be able to miss with spell effects going off and buildings breaking and people leaping/diving from ships and platforms.
cancerousmango 12-08-06, 08:06 AM	you mean either Pirates of the Caribbean or Indiana Jones or the Mummy movie right?Yeah, it's a running joke here. Mainly I'm the only one laughing, but god do i laugh.
PoeticJustice 12-08-06, 02:46 PM	Watch Air Bud before the gaming session. Rats! Beaten to my next bullet point!
t1l7 12-11-06, 03:15 PM	UP!! Please continue
PoeticJustice 12-11-06, 08:25 PM	A small update has been made in post #3.