Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Lightblade 08-30-06, 12:00 PM	I'm considering giving my changling Codex PC a noble title. However, does it make RP sense to do so? From a first glance, it would seem that a noble title could work for nearly any of the PHB races, but not as much with the ECS races. Thoughts? I suppose that changeling could marry into a noble title, but warforged? Keep in mind, i'm not asking "can i do it?" as much as "should I do it?"
Butterface 08-30-06, 12:11 PM	I say if you want to, go for it. You can find a story reason that would make sense. Maybe you married into the family, like you said, or maybe you've been impersonating someone from a noble house from a young age? I'm not aware of any Changeling noble houses, but you could still make it work if that's what you want for your character. Honestly, having a changeling that is of noble birth is alot more interesting to me than just your typical human, simply because it leads you to ask the question, "How the heck did that happen?"
smerwin29 08-30-06, 12:36 PM	"It is I, Sir Change-a-lot!"
Lightblade 08-30-06, 12:53 PM	As an aside, the Campaign Standards say that we're not supposed to be related to characters from published sources. There are a few places that breaks: 1) Dragonmarked characters are probably related (same last name) 2) Kalashtar are related (ie all of the Harath line) 3) Noble houses are related (same last name) I'm guessing the best way to play this is not to claim i'm the son/daughter of so and so, but am related in some further manner. (Oh, him, yes, he's my second cousin twice removed.) Thoughts?
Butterface 08-30-06, 04:06 PM	"It is I, Sir Change-a-lot!" Not to be confused with "Sir Mix-a-lot?"
smerwin29 08-30-06, 04:25 PM	I like big books and I cannot lie.
smerwin29 08-30-06, 04:36 PM	OK, to try to address the original question, this is going to have to be something that the Factionmasters discuss with R&D and Keith, along with the RPGA staff. Strictly from the flavor of Eberron, I would say that it doesn't make much sense to have a changeling noble. Certainly you can make some "corner case" arguments that so-and-so married into a noble family, but on the whole people aren't going to believe that a changeling is a noble. And if the changeling takes the guise of a noble, then you are talking about bluff and disguise checks rather than gaining benefits of true nobility. That doesn't mean it cannot happen, and we can expand the meaning of "noble title" to mean that you have been knighted for valorous service by a noble house, thus gaining benefits. What players need to understand is that some of these role-playing elements are hard to write into modules, and it becomes harder the more numerous they become. Try writing a good, tight, tournament-style module. It's hard. Now try writing one where you have to take into account PCs with noble titles, PCs who are Favored in House, PCs who claim to be from the area where the adventure is taking place, etc. Normally the DM can just adjudicate these things on their own, but with such a large organized play structure, you get into situations where one judge will give a very tiny benefit for having a noble title, whereas another judge might provide a benefit that essentially breaks the mod. And that doesn't mean I don't like such things. I love the role-playing aspect of such feats and backgrounds. I like to see solutions to encounters tied to these things instead of just throwing three gnolls and three adamantine body warforged at the problem (no offense to you Blackwheel folks). So let us try to come up with something that works. Shawn Crimson Codex Guy
Rewth 08-31-06, 10:42 AM	bear in mind that after The Last War many nobles were dead, leaving behind thier lands. Others were disposessed of these lands after borders shifted or events simply made them uninhabitable. Following that, many folks have been granted titles of nobility and the requisite land as commendation for actions taken during The War itself. in some cases this would have been done posthumously and granted to thier children. Titles of nobility have shifted tremendously in the last 3-5 years. the above is paraphrased from memory from either and article that came from this website (most likely), kieth baker himself, or a sourcebook. either way it stuck in my brain and makes plenty of sense. warforged nobles might be rare, but given thier recent freedom and their direct involvement in the war it could certainly happen. shifters also played notable roles as front line scouts and trackers according to many of the novels. and given thier acceptance within the eldeen specifically i would consider them very likely. changlings could certainly have been granted a title, or even more plausible, adopted the persona of a previous, but now deceased noble. then "came out" as a changling. while they can be mistrusted, there isn't necessarily a huge cultural bias against them that pervads every nation on khorvaire, and in stormreach, anything goes. kalashtar... well... while i could see it happening, i don't know if a kalashtar would accept such a title. putting themselves in the limelight is risky. edit: i found it... http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ebsi/20050926b
Cromag 08-31-06, 06:41 PM	I for one can vouch that a warfoged can be a landed noble. Largely because my Warforged Artificer (Wrench D'Cyre)became a landed noble in a Mark of Heroes RPGA game. Granted it was horrible, largely useless land that takes up more time than it's worth in forests of breland, but I just wanted to make a homeland that wasn't controlled by the Lord of Blades and it works for that. Plus I get to introduce myself Lord Wrench ;) Just keep in mind that you are an obscure noble, not the first prince Breland. As for changelings if you look at races of eberron there is a faction of their race that spends their whole life pretending to be one person and hiding their heritage. Someone like that could easily marry into a noble family. I can also be pretty sure +2 bluff/sensemotive/intimidate could be handy for a leader.
Lightblade 09-01-06, 09:39 AM	Well, here's my story, and i'm sticking to it until somebody says I can't. My father is human and a minor noble. My mother is a changling, but my father didn't realize it until I was born. (According to RoE, human/changling parings go 50/50 human or changling). Luckly, my father really was in love with my mother, and decided that as long as he could keep everything under wraps it would be allright.