Odd place to find a good Eberron plot... [Archive] - Wizards Community

Odd place to find a good Eberron plot... [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
neantollo
09-23-06, 04:28 PM I was listening to the 9/22/2006 podcast of National Geographic's weekly news, and I came across a story that would be a perfect fit as an Eberron adventure.

At an archaeologist's high-society party, a man is murdered and his pricelesss Pervuian antiquity is stolen. After years of trying to track it down, it pops up in New York, and the scholar sets up a sting to nab the thief.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/podcasts/

Has anyone else found plot hooks "ripped from the headlines"?
13thMark
09-23-06, 04:56 PM That's pretty sweet . . .
It's pretty close to what I have one of my groups player characters doing.

She killed off an adventurer in Xen'drik, stole her identity and her possessions, and went to Morgrave University to have one of the artifacts identified. Turns out this huge enruned Khyber dragonshard is actually the prison of a fairly powerful demon. She sold it to Morgrave so the scholars their could keep it safe in their vaults . . .

So how long do you think it should take for the rightful guardians (drow tribesmen who are tracking her and the item to Sharn) to infiltrate and procur the shard? Or should an agent of the Lords of Dust discover its presence in the city and get to it first?

:cool:
cancerousmango
09-23-06, 05:21 PM Air Bud.
ChaoticGood
09-24-06, 05:32 AM Odd place? Are you kidding me? The National Geographic Society is one of the best real-world correlations to the various exploratory groups of Khorvaire. Among power groups like the Korranberg Chronicle, Morgrave University and the Wayfinders, the National Geographic Society is a perfect fit.

Remember the Thunder Guide and his lionized by the press ability? Organizations like the National and Royal Geographic Societies made their real-life counterparts (and the stories of their exploits) popular. So if the Thunder Guide is a "very Eberron" PrC (and I think it really is), then National Geographic is a "very Eberron" source of inspiration. :)

As for me, I haven't looked into National Geographic as a source of inspiration yet, but now I will be doing so very soon!
Sereno
09-25-06, 09:59 AM Yeah, there's nothing odd about using NGS for Eberron inspiration.

I developed my own version of a "National Geographic Society" (with a darker, Eberron motif) for one of the Master DM Competitions (Master DM Competition #27: Design an Organization): The Consortium of Recondite Loci (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=9609721&postcount=89).

Founded by a dragon of The Chamber it uses its "normal" appearance as a cover for a real purpose known to very few. It's meant to be one of the major players in my campaign....
eehamburg
09-25-06, 12:20 PM Has anyone else found plot hooks "ripped from the headlines"?

I have on several different occaisions. Mainly as mini-subplots. I have done stuff as background stories. Like throw in some crime stories from the news into a city backdrop like Law & Order. Maybe the characters want to investigate. Maybe not. A major background story has been about the drugs and enhancements used by players during the Races in Sharn... for instance. This stuff has been good as additional detail to throw at the PCs while they are adventuring. I am sure that I am not the only one who has done this. If you want some other ideas that I have used, let me know.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
neantollo 09-23-06, 04:28 PM	I was listening to the 9/22/2006 podcast of National Geographic's weekly news, and I came across a story that would be a perfect fit as an Eberron adventure. At an archaeologist's high-society party, a man is murdered and his pricelesss Pervuian antiquity is stolen. After years of trying to track it down, it pops up in New York, and the scholar sets up a sting to nab the thief. http://www.nationalgeographic.com/podcasts/ Has anyone else found plot hooks "ripped from the headlines"?
13thMark 09-23-06, 04:56 PM	That's pretty sweet . . . It's pretty close to what I have one of my groups player characters doing. She killed off an adventurer in Xen'drik, stole her identity and her possessions, and went to Morgrave University to have one of the artifacts identified. Turns out this huge enruned Khyber dragonshard is actually the prison of a fairly powerful demon. She sold it to Morgrave so the scholars their could keep it safe in their vaults . . . So how long do you think it should take for the rightful guardians (drow tribesmen who are tracking her and the item to Sharn) to infiltrate and procur the shard? Or should an agent of the Lords of Dust discover its presence in the city and get to it first? :cool:
cancerousmango 09-23-06, 05:21 PM	Air Bud.
ChaoticGood 09-24-06, 05:32 AM	Odd place? Are you kidding me? The National Geographic Society is one of the best real-world correlations to the various exploratory groups of Khorvaire. Among power groups like the Korranberg Chronicle, Morgrave University and the Wayfinders, the National Geographic Society is a perfect fit. Remember the Thunder Guide and his lionized by the press ability? Organizations like the National and Royal Geographic Societies made their real-life counterparts (and the stories of their exploits) popular. So if the Thunder Guide is a "very Eberron" PrC (and I think it really is), then National Geographic is a "very Eberron" source of inspiration. :) As for me, I haven't looked into National Geographic as a source of inspiration yet, but now I will be doing so very soon!
Sereno 09-25-06, 09:59 AM	Yeah, there's nothing odd about using NGS for Eberron inspiration. I developed my own version of a "National Geographic Society" (with a darker, Eberron motif) for one of the Master DM Competitions (Master DM Competition #27: Design an Organization): The Consortium of Recondite Loci (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=9609721&postcount=89). Founded by a dragon of The Chamber it uses its "normal" appearance as a cover for a real purpose known to very few. It's meant to be one of the major players in my campaign....
eehamburg 09-25-06, 12:20 PM	Has anyone else found plot hooks "ripped from the headlines"? I have on several different occaisions. Mainly as mini-subplots. I have done stuff as background stories. Like throw in some crime stories from the news into a city backdrop like Law & Order. Maybe the characters want to investigate. Maybe not. A major background story has been about the drugs and enhancements used by players during the Races in Sharn... for instance. This stuff has been good as additional detail to throw at the PCs while they are adventuring. I am sure that I am not the only one who has done this. If you want some other ideas that I have used, let me know.