HELP! First Eberron Session Ideas! [Archive] - Wizards Community

HELP! First Eberron Session Ideas! [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
rootbeergnome
07-29-05, 08:14 AM Greetings everyone. I am about to start running an Eberron game and I have been trying to figure out how to start the game. The first session of any new campaign is always the critical session to me. I need to grab the player’s attention and get them excited about the game so that they will have the desire to keep coming back. I have a few ideas for over-arching plotlines already, as well as a few adventure ideas, but the beginning is the hard part for me. So tell me, how would you start an Eberron game? How did you start your Eberron game? I want something exciting, or mysterious, or something else entirely, and the ideas I am coming up with are not good enough just yet. Any help is greatly appreciated :)
-RB Gnome
Mysticnurse
07-29-05, 08:43 AM I don't know if you have old issues of Dragon, but there was an issue within the last few years that had an article containing something like 100 campaign starters. Unfortunately I don't remember what issue number and I don't seem to have it in my Dragon mag pile. (perhaps someone else who reads this thread knows the issue #?)

but one off the top of my head: how 'bout an airship crashes on a remote shore of the Demon Wastes? the PC's are passengers and that's how they meet one another. For further action, they have to fight off baddies who come to loot the crash site.

Another one (specifically how I started my current Eberron campaign): In each character's background, they were travelling to Sharn. I added how in each case they were set upon by bandits, knocked out, etc. Then I began the actual game session with the characters waking up in the hold of a ship, while one of the characters was being beat up by a bad guy up on deck. The warforged PC in the hold of the ship was able to break his bonds when they became loose by the ship being beat by waves, or something like that. Essentially, I stole that scene from Indiana Jones/Holy Grail film when Indy was on deck of that ship trying to get the cross of coranado back from the bad guy....

That's enough babbling by me..
Wraith1986
07-29-05, 08:52 AM Personally, I use published adventures. I started with the beggining adventure thats in the back of the campaign setting, and then followed that adventure path (IE Shadows of the Last War, Whispers of the Vampires Blade, Grasp of the Emerald Claw, etc.). Why take the time racking your brain when such fine material is already out there (assuming your players havent played it yet.)
Setherial
07-29-05, 09:03 AM I have a small adventure scheduled to play probably next week. It's stand alone and is supposed to take only on to two sessions (it's a game on the side while we play a larger campaign with our other DM). Anyway I think it's pretty intens and interesting and it can lead to far longer game. Here it is in short :

The players are all members of the Dark Lanterns (this is both exciting to play and a great introduction to the Dark Lanterns in case the players bump into them in some other adventure) and were called from Wroat to Sharn by the guy who runs the Lanterns, don't know his name by heart (see City of Towers Source book) for a mission. A rare paralyzing poison has been circulating the black market for months now. Last week the Lanterns picked up a Boromar dealer and replaced him with one of their changeling operatives so he wouldn't be missed. They managed to get the time and location of the next shipment from him. 2 Days from now at midnight a wine merchant will pass solomons gate in lower Tavicks landing (again this is of the top of my head, my appologies for mistakes in names). The guards are suspected of being bribed and will not stop the merchant. The players are to hide near the gate and follow the merchant, find out where the poison goes and who is involved. A unit of veteran soldiers will stand prepared in the barracks near solomons gate for word from the players once they know where to strike.
The players will stay at the Filthy Pirate Tavern until the time of the mission. They get false papers and are supposed to pass as soldiers from the greywall mountains taking a break in Sharn.
(I will throw in a barfight between some city guards and a heavy barbarian ogre resisting arest while they sit in the tavern. Provoce them in helping the guards where in fact they should not. They are simple soldiers of duty and revealing their skill would draw attention to them.)
(the adventure is for Lvl 4 characters in my case)

Anyway on the night in question the players will follow the merchant to the point where he briefly stops his cart and a previously hidden man jumps off and runs down an ally. Where after the merchants continues his path.
If the players follow the cloaked man an exciting nighttime chase will follow, trying to keep up with the rougue who carries the poison. Eventually the players will run into a trap and end up in a jailblock deep underneath Sharn in the old goblin ruins. They will either act quickly and escape or be interrigated and killed. The food that is brought to them in the morning is drugged, causing dizzyness, lightheadedness and apathy making them very cooperative during questioning. If they eat the poisoned food and escape afterwards it will get very difficult to escape and find their way back up into the cogs. Not eating or casting purify food will be a better option (specially for trained secret agents).
Eventually a Half Blood Yuanti is the head of the operation and the players, if they escape will get a chance to deal with him and his men.

cheers

D
Setherial
07-29-05, 09:06 AM Personally, I use published adventures. I started with the beggining adventure thats in the back of the campaign setting, and then followed that adventure path (IE Shadows of the Last War, Whispers of the Vampires Blade, Grasp of the Emerald Claw, etc.). Why take the time racking your brain when such fine material is already out there (assuming your players havent played it yet.)

wracking your brain ??? Inventing stuff, comming up with your own story is 80% of the fun of being a DM !! I used published material from time to time as well to get new ideas but really creation is what being a DM is all about !
Lenin97
07-29-05, 09:40 AM My first adventure in Eberron emphasized the twist on the conventions of traditional D&D...

The gem shipments from a small Gnome owned mine in the Seawall Mountains was being hijacked and a small group of heroes were hired to investigate. First day out they stumble upon a large group of goblins with a cart loaded with crates, the goblins are a little drunk and celebrating a great victory. The heroes swoop in and blast away the goblins. In the crates are Dhakaani artifacts, the goblins were mostly experts with a few actual warriors.... the group slaughter a group of innocent goblins :O My players thought nothing of it and actually sold off the priceless artifacts to their gnome employeer.

After a few generous plot twists, we find that their empolyeer has hired gnome rangers to rob her own shipments to keep the jewels and collect the House Kundarak insurance on the shipments.

After the discovery and capture of the gnome... a Dargunn Ambassador arrests the group and the campaign began in ernest. The group worked as indenture servents for a Goblin scholar who's shipment has stolen. :)
PoeticJustice
07-29-05, 10:19 AM There are three good options:

1)Forgotten Forge by Keith Baker
2)Forgotten Forge by Keith Baker
3)Forgotten Forge by Keith Baker
rootbeergnome
07-29-05, 11:29 AM Thank you for the great ideas, keep em coming please! :)
DarkWarriorKarg
07-29-05, 12:03 PM A question:
The players are all members of the Dark Lanterns

Do they get special Rings of the Ram, usable at will, but needing to be recharged every 24 hrs?
DoveArrow
07-29-05, 12:09 PM The way I started my first Eberron Campaign was with "The Great Forest Migration." The forests of Khorvaire have slowly been moving across the continent, cutting off trade routes, blocking lightning rail lines and surrounding the major cities. Meanwhile, those brave enough to venture into the forests have returned telling stories of being attacked by all manner of magical creatures. Because of this alarming situation, the nations of Khorvaire have decided to call a meeting in Sharn, and representatives from each nation are being sent to attend the talks.

The PCs get together in Q'Barra by various methods, and book passage aboard a House Lyrandar vessel bound for Sharn. From there, I'll leave the rest up to you, because while my campaign was all right, the rest was not as cool as that opening (although it probably could have been). I will say this, though... these events have all corresponded with the premature alignment of Thelanis with the Material Plane.
scissors
07-29-05, 03:40 PM Im starting mine with The Age of Worms campaign arc. I like it so far - and the conversion notes from Greyhawk to Eberron are easy to understand, thanks to Keith. It will be my first epic continuing campaign and I am throwing things in the middle of my own, like Legacy quests etc. I can't wait to file out all the details.. and for Paizo to publish the rest of it.
TheShark(tm)
07-29-05, 04:00 PM The only advice I could / would give for you to do your first Eberron game is- USE AN EBERRON PRE PRINTED ADVENTURE!! Doing so lets you focus more on bringing the world to life than worrying about storyline and hooks and such.

In all seriousness, do the Forgotten Forge one. It touches on TONS of aspects of Eberron and gives you a chance to really focus on the aspects of Eberron that your PC's love.
Jeffersonian000
07-29-05, 10:23 PM Well, I was talked into running an Eberron game so that the players could continue playing characters from their previous (and unfinished) campaign. I didn't own any of the books, and didn't know much about the setting other than the occational Dragon or Dungeon magazine article.

As the group has a few solid players and an equal number of transient players, I figure that each character should have a reason to come to Sharn, yet not need a reason to actually play every game session. I then mixed this with a noir feel so I could run a pulp styled seriel adventure.

The end result was that each character was invited to Sharn to be guest lectures at Morgrave University (players do not need to be at every session, yet their characters can "be in town" when the player is). Then I killed their guide right in front of them as they step off the lightning rail. This lead to a big fight and a brief chase. It also openned the door to further adventure.

Now, each time we play is a seperate episode, with a seperate event that draws the chacacters from the their day jobs to battle the forces of evil, while working for their mysterious patron. I like recurring villians and epic plot lines, however, so I have a recurring villian with an epic agenda. I also have a cast of NPC's the are never quite what they seem (Mr. Baker did state that the people of Eberron do not carry Player's Handbooks where ever they go, so my NPCs tend to not fit standard character molds).

Starting with a "Who-done-it" openned the door to dealing with Sharn's underworld, conspiracy theories, theology, racial integration, terrorism, the theft of relics, etc ... Pulp at its best.

My players are thoroughly enmeshed in "Eberron" rather than d20, as they are being forced to think outside of the dungeon, and to not take D&D setting cliches for granted.

Is their patron a Vampire? What happemed to Vogal Toth's body? Why are the Riedrons stealing relics? Why won't that monk die!

All in all, just plan good fun.

SJ
Setherial
07-30-05, 10:30 AM A question:

Do they get special Rings of the Ram, usable at will, but needing to be recharged every 24 hrs?

Where did you see this Ring of the Ram ? Would be cool to introduce a "Lantern" specific item.
Silopolis
08-03-05, 05:53 PM I was considering an aircoach chase through the towers of eastern Sharn. The players on an aircoach on their way to meet with a contact when an aircoach whizzes by and a member of the Dark Lanterns drops onto their coach from a walkway as they pass under, and the whole thing leads to the party helping the Lantern catch the fugitive as the two coaches weave their way through the towers.

Not sure who the fugitive is yet, or what happens when they catch him, but there you go. I figured a good, big, stupid action scene would be my best bet. :)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
rootbeergnome 07-29-05, 08:14 AM	Greetings everyone. I am about to start running an Eberron game and I have been trying to figure out how to start the game. The first session of any new campaign is always the critical session to me. I need to grab the player’s attention and get them excited about the game so that they will have the desire to keep coming back. I have a few ideas for over-arching plotlines already, as well as a few adventure ideas, but the beginning is the hard part for me. So tell me, how would you start an Eberron game? How did you start your Eberron game? I want something exciting, or mysterious, or something else entirely, and the ideas I am coming up with are not good enough just yet. Any help is greatly appreciated :) -RB Gnome
Mysticnurse 07-29-05, 08:43 AM	I don't know if you have old issues of Dragon, but there was an issue within the last few years that had an article containing something like 100 campaign starters. Unfortunately I don't remember what issue number and I don't seem to have it in my Dragon mag pile. (perhaps someone else who reads this thread knows the issue #?) but one off the top of my head: how 'bout an airship crashes on a remote shore of the Demon Wastes? the PC's are passengers and that's how they meet one another. For further action, they have to fight off baddies who come to loot the crash site. Another one (specifically how I started my current Eberron campaign): In each character's background, they were travelling to Sharn. I added how in each case they were set upon by bandits, knocked out, etc. Then I began the actual game session with the characters waking up in the hold of a ship, while one of the characters was being beat up by a bad guy up on deck. The warforged PC in the hold of the ship was able to break his bonds when they became loose by the ship being beat by waves, or something like that. Essentially, I stole that scene from Indiana Jones/Holy Grail film when Indy was on deck of that ship trying to get the cross of coranado back from the bad guy.... That's enough babbling by me..
Wraith1986 07-29-05, 08:52 AM	Personally, I use published adventures. I started with the beggining adventure thats in the back of the campaign setting, and then followed that adventure path (IE Shadows of the Last War, Whispers of the Vampires Blade, Grasp of the Emerald Claw, etc.). Why take the time racking your brain when such fine material is already out there (assuming your players havent played it yet.)
Setherial 07-29-05, 09:03 AM	I have a small adventure scheduled to play probably next week. It's stand alone and is supposed to take only on to two sessions (it's a game on the side while we play a larger campaign with our other DM). Anyway I think it's pretty intens and interesting and it can lead to far longer game. Here it is in short : The players are all members of the Dark Lanterns (this is both exciting to play and a great introduction to the Dark Lanterns in case the players bump into them in some other adventure) and were called from Wroat to Sharn by the guy who runs the Lanterns, don't know his name by heart (see City of Towers Source book) for a mission. A rare paralyzing poison has been circulating the black market for months now. Last week the Lanterns picked up a Boromar dealer and replaced him with one of their changeling operatives so he wouldn't be missed. They managed to get the time and location of the next shipment from him. 2 Days from now at midnight a wine merchant will pass solomons gate in lower Tavicks landing (again this is of the top of my head, my appologies for mistakes in names). The guards are suspected of being bribed and will not stop the merchant. The players are to hide near the gate and follow the merchant, find out where the poison goes and who is involved. A unit of veteran soldiers will stand prepared in the barracks near solomons gate for word from the players once they know where to strike. The players will stay at the Filthy Pirate Tavern until the time of the mission. They get false papers and are supposed to pass as soldiers from the greywall mountains taking a break in Sharn. (I will throw in a barfight between some city guards and a heavy barbarian ogre resisting arest while they sit in the tavern. Provoce them in helping the guards where in fact they should not. They are simple soldiers of duty and revealing their skill would draw attention to them.) (the adventure is for Lvl 4 characters in my case) Anyway on the night in question the players will follow the merchant to the point where he briefly stops his cart and a previously hidden man jumps off and runs down an ally. Where after the merchants continues his path. If the players follow the cloaked man an exciting nighttime chase will follow, trying to keep up with the rougue who carries the poison. Eventually the players will run into a trap and end up in a jailblock deep underneath Sharn in the old goblin ruins. They will either act quickly and escape or be interrigated and killed. The food that is brought to them in the morning is drugged, causing dizzyness, lightheadedness and apathy making them very cooperative during questioning. If they eat the poisoned food and escape afterwards it will get very difficult to escape and find their way back up into the cogs. Not eating or casting purify food will be a better option (specially for trained secret agents). Eventually a Half Blood Yuanti is the head of the operation and the players, if they escape will get a chance to deal with him and his men. cheers D
Setherial 07-29-05, 09:06 AM	Personally, I use published adventures. I started with the beggining adventure thats in the back of the campaign setting, and then followed that adventure path (IE Shadows of the Last War, Whispers of the Vampires Blade, Grasp of the Emerald Claw, etc.). Why take the time racking your brain when such fine material is already out there (assuming your players havent played it yet.) wracking your brain ??? Inventing stuff, comming up with your own story is 80% of the fun of being a DM !! I used published material from time to time as well to get new ideas but really creation is what being a DM is all about !
Lenin97 07-29-05, 09:40 AM	My first adventure in Eberron emphasized the twist on the conventions of traditional D&D... The gem shipments from a small Gnome owned mine in the Seawall Mountains was being hijacked and a small group of heroes were hired to investigate. First day out they stumble upon a large group of goblins with a cart loaded with crates, the goblins are a little drunk and celebrating a great victory. The heroes swoop in and blast away the goblins. In the crates are Dhakaani artifacts, the goblins were mostly experts with a few actual warriors.... the group slaughter a group of innocent goblins :O My players thought nothing of it and actually sold off the priceless artifacts to their gnome employeer. After a few generous plot twists, we find that their empolyeer has hired gnome rangers to rob her own shipments to keep the jewels and collect the House Kundarak insurance on the shipments. After the discovery and capture of the gnome... a Dargunn Ambassador arrests the group and the campaign began in ernest. The group worked as indenture servents for a Goblin scholar who's shipment has stolen. :)
PoeticJustice 07-29-05, 10:19 AM	There are three good options: 1)Forgotten Forge by Keith Baker 2)Forgotten Forge by Keith Baker 3)Forgotten Forge by Keith Baker
rootbeergnome 07-29-05, 11:29 AM	Thank you for the great ideas, keep em coming please! :)
DarkWarriorKarg 07-29-05, 12:03 PM	A question: The players are all members of the Dark Lanterns Do they get special Rings of the Ram, usable at will, but needing to be recharged every 24 hrs?
DoveArrow 07-29-05, 12:09 PM	The way I started my first Eberron Campaign was with "The Great Forest Migration." The forests of Khorvaire have slowly been moving across the continent, cutting off trade routes, blocking lightning rail lines and surrounding the major cities. Meanwhile, those brave enough to venture into the forests have returned telling stories of being attacked by all manner of magical creatures. Because of this alarming situation, the nations of Khorvaire have decided to call a meeting in Sharn, and representatives from each nation are being sent to attend the talks. The PCs get together in Q'Barra by various methods, and book passage aboard a House Lyrandar vessel bound for Sharn. From there, I'll leave the rest up to you, because while my campaign was all right, the rest was not as cool as that opening (although it probably could have been). I will say this, though... these events have all corresponded with the premature alignment of Thelanis with the Material Plane.
scissors 07-29-05, 03:40 PM	Im starting mine with The Age of Worms campaign arc. I like it so far - and the conversion notes from Greyhawk to Eberron are easy to understand, thanks to Keith. It will be my first epic continuing campaign and I am throwing things in the middle of my own, like Legacy quests etc. I can't wait to file out all the details.. and for Paizo to publish the rest of it.
TheShark(tm) 07-29-05, 04:00 PM	The only advice I could / would give for you to do your first Eberron game is- USE AN EBERRON PRE PRINTED ADVENTURE!! Doing so lets you focus more on bringing the world to life than worrying about storyline and hooks and such. In all seriousness, do the Forgotten Forge one. It touches on TONS of aspects of Eberron and gives you a chance to really focus on the aspects of Eberron that your PC's love.
Jeffersonian000 07-29-05, 10:23 PM	Well, I was talked into running an Eberron game so that the players could continue playing characters from their previous (and unfinished) campaign. I didn't own any of the books, and didn't know much about the setting other than the occational Dragon or Dungeon magazine article. As the group has a few solid players and an equal number of transient players, I figure that each character should have a reason to come to Sharn, yet not need a reason to actually play every game session. I then mixed this with a noir feel so I could run a pulp styled seriel adventure. The end result was that each character was invited to Sharn to be guest lectures at Morgrave University (players do not need to be at every session, yet their characters can "be in town" when the player is). Then I killed their guide right in front of them as they step off the lightning rail. This lead to a big fight and a brief chase. It also openned the door to further adventure. Now, each time we play is a seperate episode, with a seperate event that draws the chacacters from the their day jobs to battle the forces of evil, while working for their mysterious patron. I like recurring villians and epic plot lines, however, so I have a recurring villian with an epic agenda. I also have a cast of NPC's the are never quite what they seem (Mr. Baker did state that the people of Eberron do not carry Player's Handbooks where ever they go, so my NPCs tend to not fit standard character molds). Starting with a "Who-done-it" openned the door to dealing with Sharn's underworld, conspiracy theories, theology, racial integration, terrorism, the theft of relics, etc ... Pulp at its best. My players are thoroughly enmeshed in "Eberron" rather than d20, as they are being forced to think outside of the dungeon, and to not take D&D setting cliches for granted. Is their patron a Vampire? What happemed to Vogal Toth's body? Why are the Riedrons stealing relics? Why won't that monk die! All in all, just plan good fun. SJ
Setherial 07-30-05, 10:30 AM	A question: Do they get special Rings of the Ram, usable at will, but needing to be recharged every 24 hrs? Where did you see this Ring of the Ram ? Would be cool to introduce a "Lantern" specific item.
Silopolis 08-03-05, 05:53 PM	I was considering an aircoach chase through the towers of eastern Sharn. The players on an aircoach on their way to meet with a contact when an aircoach whizzes by and a member of the Dark Lanterns drops onto their coach from a walkway as they pass under, and the whole thing leads to the party helping the Lantern catch the fugitive as the two coaches weave their way through the towers. Not sure who the fugitive is yet, or what happens when they catch him, but there you go. I figured a good, big, stupid action scene would be my best bet. :)