Post/Author/DateTime	Post
The Cleric 01-29-06, 03:10 PM	Like every Dm, I suppose, my hardess task after the construction of an elaborate plot that will made the adventure a real quest, is that small problem: how do my player met each other? I know it could be quite simple, but i don't want to say:" you are in a taverne and that guy give you this adventure", or:" you already know each other...blablabla". I want it to be memorable and I want my player to think they are all personnaly implict in this adventure! I have to say also that I played with the same groupe (with some exeption) for as long as 12 years so.... I use many tricks since then. and this time I want it to be exclusive to this game , exclusive to our first eberron game. To be safe, I think the first part of the adventure is playable in a great city, in this case Sharn. So how a band of peoples probably from different nation and race might come togheter and form a group of adventurer. My first adventure of introduction to Sharn might be The Forgotten Forge from ECS, but maybe the players can be lvl2, wich give me a lvl "time" for regrouping them into sharn and a reason to stand as a group on the famous bridge from that adventure. Feel free to tell us you favorite way of association you have as a player or your most imaginative you work for as a DM! Thanks, The Cleric Sorry for my bad english, I hope it doesn't upset you!
Adhevan 01-29-06, 03:18 PM	If you already have a patron in mind for the group, you could run a solo session for each player in which the patron meets him or her. And then for the first group session, have it start the patron calling them all together for a meeting to discuss hiring them for a mission. This gives the characters a connection without having them know each other already and allows them to roleplay out their introductions. It also gives each of them a more personal connection with the patron.
mcnathan 01-29-06, 03:21 PM	When I ran the forgotten forge I had all the players in the bar (some were letting off steam from finals at morgrave, some were alcoholics...). And a fight broke out everyone had a chance to do some senseless brawling until the watch came. In the mad rush of people fleeing the scene the PC's "happened" to end up on a lift together where they discovered the dead body that begins the forgotten forge saga. I liked how it worked out, and the characters appreciated a fresh take on a tired cliche.
Werwoelfin 01-29-06, 04:10 PM	I think it would help a lot to ask the players about their characters background stories. Maybe two characters have something in common and could meet earlier, they may find out about a job but they`ll need other characters to support them. (I didn't had that in mind but as soon as I'll wrote this down, I noticed the overlaps with how the individuals of the OotS met in "On the origin of the PCs".) As you start in Sharn you may use one or both adventurer guilds or the Sharn Inquisitive: The first adventurer I played in Eberron started with a serial killer and there was an article in the SI about a high bounty and that more detailed infos are available from commissar XY.
MadLetter 01-29-06, 04:51 PM	In my campaign until now everyone met in a small thorp with 40 inhabitants called Leafwhistle. Our elven druid wandered the face of eberron for about 10 years and came into town to rest and he was instantly at the toes of a murderer who killed a fellow druid. In this task he met the two others: The Scout - He was ordered by Vadalis to look around in the town and make sure everything is going fine. So now he is investigating a murderer in his field of responsibility. The third one was directly sent by the Wardens of the Wood, our Sorcerer. He investigates, reported back and befriended with the others. Footprints lead away to another site and they followed. Over the course of a few adventures they befriended more and more and became fellow adventurers. The other player i dropped in helped the players when they were jailed up... So i got a band of adventurers who travel together for reason - fighting the Daelkyr ;)
D4rkchylde 01-29-06, 05:14 PM	I sometimes like to introduce a mutual enemy. Not that this means the same guy wronged all the PCs in some way, but its kind of hard to ignore someone who just helped you save the lives of countless innocents from a raging Elemental who broke free of its Elemental Binding Ring and laid waste to section of sharn. Another time I had them all respond to an advert in the Sharn Inquisitive. And then with this other group; the three PCs have a mutual friend. He is contacted the others on behalf of the warforged PC. He and the Warforged are about to embark on some hair-brained scheme in Xen'drik that should make them rich and they need the man-power. One time I set fire to the tavern where they were all staying and then they had to get to know each other to try and figure out if someone was out to get one of them. The fire was obviously arson since I used a not-so-subtle-way to start it... namely I used a fireball. I'm partial to fireballs, love to use them in crowed streets and stuff where many innocents are likely to die, nothing motivates my PCs like dead innocent people... now you know why they call me Darkchylde AKA the psychotic DM. Another group used the old 'we were buddies in the last war' cliché and that worked well... a little too well. They kept doing stuff together, some truly brilliant tactics and justified the same with the old "We were in a similar battle back in the war and that tactic worked." excuse. But enough about me and mine, I hope that helped in some way.
Iniatite 01-29-06, 05:17 PM	What I plan to do, if I ever get around to DMing an Eberron campain, is to have each player create a backround for themself and decide where they want to start. Then a shadowy figure will approach each player in turn, telling them that they have been sent by someone who has profitable job offer for the character. The mysterious figure will then give the PC the employer's adress, the time to meet the patron, and a lightning rail ticket to the town where the he/she lives.
Zaphiel 01-29-06, 11:19 PM	In my campaign, one PC (a Morgrave Wizard) was send by his prof to do a mission and was given a bag of gold for supplies and help. His prof not so subtly hinted that a mission like this would require a medic (the cleric) and a magical machinist (the artificer). So, he hit up the local Church of the Silver Flame and Cannith Enclave to hire some idlers for work. The rogue was introduced by attempting to mug the wizard of said bag of gold and only joined us because we 'subdued' her and decided to use her as a trap monkey (ie, kept her tied up and in front of us).
Roger Nicholls 01-30-06, 12:24 AM	In my campaign the first player to create a character wanted to play a private investigator style of character. The other players thought that would be a really cool and different but very Eberron idea. The start of the campaign he actually "interviewed" each other character as they had applied to join his new agency as agents working for him. Over the course of 12 months real time game play they have all become partners in the agency.
TXCBoy36 01-30-06, 01:08 AM	Does anyone have any suggestions for playing a warforged race. I am new to Eberron and I am unclear of what is all involved with this new race. I have ordered my Eberron Campaign Settings manual, but I do not have it yet. Are there any websites that would allow me to look this new race over to better familarize myself with these new races!!! Thanxs!!
Cooked_Auto 01-30-06, 01:39 AM	My first introduction went sorta moot to lousy. As they all knew each other beforehand (lazy... *mumbles* >_>) With the Cleric and Artificer as their officers back from the war.
TXCBoy36 01-30-06, 01:50 AM	My first introduction went sorta moot to lousy. As they all knew each other beforehand (lazy... *mumbles* >_>) With the Cleric and Artificer as their officers back from the war. I was wondering, what is a Artificer??? I am really stupid to these new Eberron classes!!!
Fuzzy_Logic 01-30-06, 09:02 AM	I make the players figure out how they meet. the fist session of a campaign, the players make their hcaracter sall at once. it's their responsibility to make their characters compatible and able to get along. then, with ym help, they build their characters' backstories. again, they collectively need to give me reasons why they're together. maybe family relationships, maybe freidns from school, maybe working for the same patron. then i determine the plotline based on what kind of characters the group has.
The Cleric 01-30-06, 10:59 AM	How about a meeting cause by a giant storm.... every one must find cover! Every one from the futur group is there and collectively find an exit and maybe find their futur employer??? I read this somewhere, need more developpement but with everyone backgroud it can be interresting, even evil caracter want to survive! The Cleric
Cooked_Auto 01-30-06, 05:08 PM	I was wondering, what is a Artificer??? I am really stupid to these new Eberron classes!!! Simply put, a class that is specialized in crafting stuff. I still have to read through the crafting rules before they start making stuff. :/
Feor 01-30-06, 05:58 PM	I've had itdone several ways, one of my favorite was where the DM told us specifically not to write backstories for our characters, then he started the adventure by having us all wake up in the same cell of a dungeon with no memory of how we'd gotten there or where we'd come from. (we never did remember our former lives either, though on occassion people would attack us for seemingly no reason other than what we looked like. :P) There was also one adventure when we were travelling together to a festival when our caravan was attacked by Orcs.
Rechan 01-30-06, 09:01 PM	The game I'm currently in, the PCs were all summoned individually by a professor at Morgrave and sent on an expedition to Xen'Drik. In a friend's game, her party were assembled by a patron who had blackmail on all of them, and needed a hit team to find out who was stealing from her storehouses.
Kalanth 01-30-06, 10:10 PM	In my first Eberron game I started the players off in an old abandoned farmhouse where a dark and seeded individual offered them a job and tossed gold on the table. The second game started off at the scene of a kidnapping. No sense in dilly dallying around, just get to it and go from there. Certainly added the suspense. And the one I just started to play in started off locked in combat at sea, where or ship was attacked by Karrnathi Naval vessels. Sure, it was geared for us to loose, but that made the opening cooler (the DM told us that we were in prison after being defeated in a naval battle, so we were expecting that, but to start with the battle was cool).
MobiusKlein 01-31-06, 01:04 AM	Has anybody done the castaways on a desert island routine? Jail was mentioned, but how about the Insane Asylum? Most games I've been in, the GM has given guidelines, suggesting that the characters be compatible with background 'X', give or take. That lets the GM do something beyond the 'you all show up in a bar' routine. If it's a Convention that doesn't have pre-gen characters, it's different.
Kordak 01-31-06, 05:52 PM	I had our group start out as Brelish soldiers in the same platoon near the end of the Last War. My first word for the introduction was "Boom!" :-)
Misericordia 01-31-06, 06:02 PM	i'm going to start a new eberron campaign with my friends soon I will begin a campaign in Eberron with my friends. I have decided to make them start from Sharn because i think that is the ideal place in order to make to meet between them personages who don't know themselves absolutely bye bye.....:D
Actionhank57 02-01-06, 09:19 AM	I'm pretty guilty of the "you all meet in a tavern" opening too, but I have had some good starters. I co-ran a Midnight game in which the party all started with there memories wiped. The game started with them all suddenly surrounded by orcs, sore from battle, and they could see all their stuff piled to the side. For my ebberon game, I'm going to have them all start on a lightning rail car headed for Sharn, as well as there future patron. Some sort of action packed train heist ensues, and the patron will be so impressed with the PCs if they succeed that she will offer them dinner, and later, a job. I plan on each PCs having a reason for travelling to Sharn, but I have to wait for their backgrounds to figure that out. I already have some ideas. The artificer of the group is a travelling dragonmarked merchant of house orien named Fez Alfrez, so he will probably be on the train to make certain a special item is delivered safely. The bard of the group is Fez's little man Willy Nilly, whom he won in a game of 3 Dragon Ante, so he's on the train fullfilling his sidekick duties. I plan on having the most fighter type character hired as a body guard for some VIP. The attack on the train will actually be an assassination attempt, but Fez will probably think it is a robbery, so the PCs will be split in there defense. Then, when they think things are safe when they finally arrive, a pickpocket steals Fez's goods and a city wide chase ensues (this one I'm mercilessly stealing from some other post).
DoveArrow 02-01-06, 05:45 PM	Typically, I'm a fan of, "you've all been adventuring together for a long time." However, to introduce my players to Eberron, I wanted them to all have a feel for the world, so I had them each come from different countries as ambassadors representing each of the Five Nations. It could've gone a little better thant it did, but hey, that's why I'm a fan of "you've all been adventuring together for a long time."
TXCBoy36 02-01-06, 07:09 PM	Simply put, a class that is specialized in crafting stuff. I still have to read through the crafting rules before they start making stuff. :/ Yeah, i purchased the Players Guide to Eberron. So, I am getting more familar with the races and classes of the Eberron setting. I am waiting on my Eberron Campaign Settings book to get here. I have been told that is the best one to get to better understand the Eberron Settings We will see!!
Quithion 02-01-06, 07:29 PM	I normally do something like this during a pregame session: The following are a list of ten questions that will help provide you and me with a better understanding of your character. You will receive ten experience points for each question that you answer. These experience points reflect the characters pre-game experiences. Questions must be answer by the end of the 1st gaming session to receive these experience points. Please write a short summary 1 paragraph summary of the characters life before the start of the game. You may create an additional, longer biography for 50 experience points. 2. Please work with the other party members to create two reasons why the person is adventuring with the character. You cannot select the same player character for both reasons. Example 1: Alex's PC and Bob's pc have been childhood friends Example 2: Bob's PC was there for Jane's Pc during a key moment in a battle in the last war. This prevented a Coup De Grace from being performed on Jane's PC. Example 3: Jane's PC heroically charged into combat against overwhelming odd's so that John's unconscious pc could be carried out of combat and healed preventing him from dying. Bob's PC converted John's PC to the faith of the Silver Flame after John's near death. John looks to Bob's pc for spiritual solace and advice since then. Please explain your role or how the Last War affected you character? Please list the name's of all your current living, and dead relative. If living, please describe where they live, and how they make their living. If Dead, please put the cause of death. The Last War, Disease, The Mourning, and Famine are all simple and excellent reasons for people passing on. What does your character hope to achieve by adventuring? Name one short term goal and one long term goal. They maybe the same. Please select one NPC contact for your player character. If you possess a dragon mark this may be a member of the Dragon marked House. If you have the favored in the house feat the NPC's level maybe Your character level +4. Other wise the contacts character level is +2. Please provide a small background on how you met. What type of play do you like? Select a the top few categories. Rate this type of play 1-10. Ten is the highest. · Unknown/Inexperienced: Haven't played D&D enough to know yet. · Kicking Butt: You like the thrill of rush-in head on combat · Accumulating Cool Powers: You like to advance in level and accumulate and use the powers granted to your class. · Brilliant Planning: A good strategy and team work are the keys to success, particularly in combat. · Puzzle Solving/Mystery: You like to solve complex mental puzzles or finding out who the murderer is. · Playing a favorite role: You've been playing D&D for a long time and you have a certain race/class/character concept that you like to play · Supercoolness: You enjoy it when your character is aloof, icy cool, and in command. Most movie heroes are like this. · Story: You enjoy a heavy plot and the narrative aspects of D&D · Pscyhodrama: You enjoy delving into the psyche of you player character and their interactions to the world. · Irresponsiblity : You like to spurn or live outside of the law · Setting Exploration: You thrive for the unknown and the reward of discovering the mysteries of something new. · Outlier/Outcast: You are the lone wolf, and like to try exist on your own without the aid of others. · Lurker : You come to the D&D game not for the love of the game, but the enjoyment and the company of the players Alot of these tips are pulled loosely from the DMG 2, but I find they enhance play Sorry for the long post.
Edymnion 02-01-06, 07:45 PM	Actually, thats one of the things I like about the ECS, in the section under making a game, it specifically encourages you to have the players work together to figure out why they are a party BEFORE you start playing. It means they're all happy with the reason they're together, and it gives you something much easier to work into the start of the game than 4 or 5 seperate ones.
Raziel_Brokodar 02-01-06, 09:42 PM	Yeah, i purchased the Players Guide to Eberron. So, I am getting more familar with the races and classes of the Eberron setting. I am waiting on my Eberron Campaign Settings book to get here. I have been told that is the best one to get to better understand the Eberron Settings We will see!! I wouldn't suggest that players buy the PGtE first, I'd advise them to glance through their DM's ECS (not the spoliers) or buy RoE