Moons of Eberron [Archive] - Wizards Community

Moons of Eberron [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
fhilbrandt
08-25-05, 09:58 AM As a DM, does anyone use the WebEnh calender utility to determine the phases of the moons, or do you have some other methodology?

The reason I'm asking is that the periods in the WebEnh do not jibe with the Dragonshards article. The other possibility being that you use completely random periods (like an old DM I played under) and a moon is full whenever the DM needs it to be. ;)
gaerfindel
08-25-05, 10:37 AM Well, I used the web utility as a possible plot hook for the Thundercities (see my sig for the link).
ieattrollsforbreakfast
08-25-05, 10:51 AM I don't use the calendar to determine the phases of the moon. The vast majority of the time, it will have no effect at all as to whether Therendor is waning or Vult in full. If I'm writing a description of the night sky, I will use whatever sounds good. If moon phases become important, the phases will shift at the speed of plot. Same goes for the orbits of the planes.
Tom McCarthy
08-25-05, 01:21 PM I've never made really good use of the calendar in my D&D campaigns before, but I've been using the Eberron web enhancement tool for periods and alignments and will continue to do so until the plot dictates otherwise.

Yes, that means this is my first campaign where PCs age, have birthdays, anniversaries of events in their personal history, and celebrate holidays.
InfinityStar8
08-25-05, 03:57 PM Yes, that means this is my first campaign where PCs age, have birthdays, anniversaries of events in their personal history, and celebrate holidays.

I have done this same thing and found I LOVE it! It adds so much to the game in my opinion.
taski
08-25-05, 10:43 PM For my game, I've played around with the Druidic astrology system which is supposed to be based on the moons. Normally, I wouldn't bother to detail it out, but I like that kind of thing, and the PC I DM for is interested in various esoteric and occult thingies.

Here's how I've designed it: each moon is full once every 26 days, and no two moons are full at the same time. Each night, either one moon will be completely full, or one will be completely new; the rest will be waxing or waining. Never is one moon full and another new on the same night.

It goes in this pattern:
1. Zarantyr full.
2. Lharvion new.
3. Olarune full.
4. Barakkas new.
5. Therendor full.
6. Rhaan new.
7. Eyre full.
8. Sypheros new.
9. Dravago full.
10. Aryth new.
11. Nymm full.
12. Vult new.
13. No Moon is full or new (implying there once was a 13th moon taking up this empty slot).
14-25. The pattern repeats, but with new and full reversed.
26. No Moon is full or new.

Interestingly enough, the 26-day cycle does not match up with the 28-day cycles of the months. That's interesting, isn't it? The months are based on the apparent size of the moons (how close they are to Eberron in their year-long orbits), not on moon phases. At present, there are 336 days to a year, evenly divided by 28-day months. However, there are hints in some old draconic trachings buried in Giant ruins that there once were 338 days to a year, and this was divided evenly into 26-day months. Those months matched up with the phases.

When the thirteenth moon disappeared, the two days between 338 and 336 were lost when the remaining twelve moons had to change their orbits, and Eberron's rotation around the sun was also shortened to compensate. Depending on one's point of view, the heavenly bodies are in a state of imbalance and the reintroduction of the thirteenth moon would rectify the situation and return us to a better state of balance -- six moons to each side and the fulcrum moon in the middle. However, it could also be argued that twelve is the preferable total number, being evenly divisible by two, three, four, and six. In counter argument, thirteen has its own aestetic qualities as a prime number, evenly divisible only by one and itself. And so on and so on.
ccerose
08-26-05, 12:36 AM I really like the calendar utility. Before Eberron, time was really a non existent factor in our games. Our characters just existed from moment to moment. Past and future had no meaning. I make references to the months and seasons on a regular basis. The shifters even returned to the villages in the Eldeen Reaches for Brightfest. I've had several weeks pass between adventures sometimes, this gives the players the chance to get creative and add to their PCs' backgrounds about what they've done over this time, be it traveling, crafting, or just getting sloshed in the local tavern on a nightly basis.

As for the Dragonshard articles, I use them as we catch up with them. My campaign is about 3 months behind.
Streamweaver
08-26-05, 08:20 AM I find the calendar utility "good enough". If you know even a little bit of javascript btw you can crack open the code and change the periods to something that suits your needs.

There is an excellent weather generator application that I use for Eberron called Weather Master I by Milieu and it has an ability to keep track of moon phases. I'm not real tickled with the format for outputting them on a calander but it definitly has potential.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
fhilbrandt 08-25-05, 09:58 AM	As a DM, does anyone use the WebEnh calender utility to determine the phases of the moons, or do you have some other methodology? The reason I'm asking is that the periods in the WebEnh do not jibe with the Dragonshards article. The other possibility being that you use completely random periods (like an old DM I played under) and a moon is full whenever the DM needs it to be. ;)
gaerfindel 08-25-05, 10:37 AM	Well, I used the web utility as a possible plot hook for the Thundercities (see my sig for the link).
ieattrollsforbreakfast 08-25-05, 10:51 AM	I don't use the calendar to determine the phases of the moon. The vast majority of the time, it will have no effect at all as to whether Therendor is waning or Vult in full. If I'm writing a description of the night sky, I will use whatever sounds good. If moon phases become important, the phases will shift at the speed of plot. Same goes for the orbits of the planes.
Tom McCarthy 08-25-05, 01:21 PM	I've never made really good use of the calendar in my D&D campaigns before, but I've been using the Eberron web enhancement tool for periods and alignments and will continue to do so until the plot dictates otherwise. Yes, that means this is my first campaign where PCs age, have birthdays, anniversaries of events in their personal history, and celebrate holidays.
InfinityStar8 08-25-05, 03:57 PM	Yes, that means this is my first campaign where PCs age, have birthdays, anniversaries of events in their personal history, and celebrate holidays. I have done this same thing and found I LOVE it! It adds so much to the game in my opinion.
taski 08-25-05, 10:43 PM	For my game, I've played around with the Druidic astrology system which is supposed to be based on the moons. Normally, I wouldn't bother to detail it out, but I like that kind of thing, and the PC I DM for is interested in various esoteric and occult thingies. Here's how I've designed it: each moon is full once every 26 days, and no two moons are full at the same time. Each night, either one moon will be completely full, or one will be completely new; the rest will be waxing or waining. Never is one moon full and another new on the same night. It goes in this pattern: 1. Zarantyr full. 2. Lharvion new. 3. Olarune full. 4. Barakkas new. 5. Therendor full. 6. Rhaan new. 7. Eyre full. 8. Sypheros new. 9. Dravago full. 10. Aryth new. 11. Nymm full. 12. Vult new. 13. No Moon is full or new (implying there once was a 13th moon taking up this empty slot). 14-25. The pattern repeats, but with new and full reversed. 26. No Moon is full or new. Interestingly enough, the 26-day cycle does not match up with the 28-day cycles of the months. That's interesting, isn't it? The months are based on the apparent size of the moons (how close they are to Eberron in their year-long orbits), not on moon phases. At present, there are 336 days to a year, evenly divided by 28-day months. However, there are hints in some old draconic trachings buried in Giant ruins that there once were 338 days to a year, and this was divided evenly into 26-day months. Those months matched up with the phases. When the thirteenth moon disappeared, the two days between 338 and 336 were lost when the remaining twelve moons had to change their orbits, and Eberron's rotation around the sun was also shortened to compensate. Depending on one's point of view, the heavenly bodies are in a state of imbalance and the reintroduction of the thirteenth moon would rectify the situation and return us to a better state of balance -- six moons to each side and the fulcrum moon in the middle. However, it could also be argued that twelve is the preferable total number, being evenly divisible by two, three, four, and six. In counter argument, thirteen has its own aestetic qualities as a prime number, evenly divisible only by one and itself. And so on and so on.
ccerose 08-26-05, 12:36 AM	I really like the calendar utility. Before Eberron, time was really a non existent factor in our games. Our characters just existed from moment to moment. Past and future had no meaning. I make references to the months and seasons on a regular basis. The shifters even returned to the villages in the Eldeen Reaches for Brightfest. I've had several weeks pass between adventures sometimes, this gives the players the chance to get creative and add to their PCs' backgrounds about what they've done over this time, be it traveling, crafting, or just getting sloshed in the local tavern on a nightly basis. As for the Dragonshard articles, I use them as we catch up with them. My campaign is about 3 months behind.
Streamweaver 08-26-05, 08:20 AM	I find the calendar utility "good enough". If you know even a little bit of javascript btw you can crack open the code and change the periods to something that suits your needs. There is an excellent weather generator application that I use for Eberron called Weather Master I by Milieu and it has an ability to keep track of moon phases. I'm not real tickled with the format for outputting them on a calander but it definitly has potential.