Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 GMforPowergamers May 11, 2008 1:57:20	hey guys, my pcs have asked me to run eberron as my next campaign, and some of them have some pretty weird requests.. so I need some advice. One of them wants to be a Sword sage from Bo9S, but I wasn't sure if it would work in eberron the second player is talking about a prestige class from a book I am not sure witch that allows him to grant himself a dragon mark!?!??!?!?? there are then 3 pcs that want to just be some wwhat normal things ( a shifter rogue, a Warforged Fighter, and a human cleric) any suggestions?
#2 elrodian May 11, 2008 8:30:40	well i think the sword sage can work i but i do not know the class. He could have it that he is a sword sage of The Order of the Broken Blade but i believe that he would have to be a mock so i do not know if that is what your PC want or if a Sword sage is a mock. sorry but here is the site for it http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ebds/20041213a. now i do not know what prestige class your second PC is talking about but if he wants a dragonmark he/her can be a dragonmark hair and use the prestige that use the dragonmark hope this helps
#3 GMforPowergamers May 11, 2008 11:01:57	great thanks so much, that is perfect for the dave's sword sage idea, I already e-mailed him a link. I still need to find the prophacy prestige class though...
#4 eldritch_lord May 11, 2008 21:15:34	I still need to find the prophacy prestige class though... Prophecy-related prestige class...I'm not sure either, but something tells me it might be Secrets of Sarlona. Don't know if that helps.
#5 yrogerg May 11, 2008 22:56:41	great thanks so much, that is perfect for the dave's sword sage idea, I already e-mailed him a link. I still need to find the prophacy prestige class though... Prophecy-related, + Dragonmark... You might be asking about the Cataclysm Mage prestige class, from the Explorer's Handbook. It's certainly an... interesting class; I do actually like the adventure hooks associated with it, but a number of people are understandably down on the capstone ability, which lets them manifest a different mark each day, and access any of the abilities associated with that mark. It's not particularly powerful, per se, as the dragonmark spells aren't all that powerful, either, but the dragonmarks are important enough to the world that the ability should be world-shaking, and even the entry admits as much. Understand, however, that it's a capstone ability, so it won't come into play until high-level play, anyway, and also that the class itself is pretty tough on players, and leaves a lot of control in the DM's hands, through the prophesies. Really, if you allow it, the main thing to watch out for is that the he doesn't steel the limelight, story-wise. It's pretty easy to center the story around the Cataclysm Mage, but you might end up inadvertently ignoring more whole-party-inclusive story elements if you focus on it too much. As far as Bo9S, thing, when in doubt, or if you have trouble fitting them because of the flavor, just treat crusaders like paladins, warblades like fighters, and swordsages like monks, flavor-wise. Make them partularly elite members, if you feel the need. But you shouldn't have any trouble fitting them into Eberron with your own flavor, really.
#6 skrap-san May 12, 2008 1:57:41	One of them wants to be a Sword sage from Bo9S, but I wasn't sure if it would work in eberron Eberron is made to have room for everything 3.0/3.5 so yes there should be a way of fitting it in. the second player is talking about a prestige class from a book I am not sure witch that allows him to grant himself a dragon mark!?!??!?!?? He could be talking about heir of siberys from the Campaign setting. That grants a great and powerfull mark.
#7 eldritch_lord May 12, 2008 14:06:33	Eberron is made to have room for everything 3.0/3.5 so yes there should be a way of fitting it in. There should still be an article on the main site that explains how to work ToB stuff into FR and Eberron; the OP should check that out.
#8 GMforPowergamers May 12, 2008 14:46:58	Ok, I think the Bo9S shouldn't be too bad to work in, but this Cataclysm Mage prestige class, from the Explorer's Handbook, I am not so sure. He wants to be a wiz or sorc changeling going for that class... I have had bad experances with campaign setting in the past. I have run Ravenloft (2nd e), Forgotten realms 3e, and tried to but failed to run a scarded lands 3.5... other then that I normaly do home brew (13+ years d&d) but I would like some advice on eberron in general, wouldn't the whole cataclysm mage be a little over powered?? IT just doesn't seam to flow with the other stuff on marks. If I had made a setting like this I would be very careful about a prestige class like this, but as they put it out should I just trust it is ok? any thoughts?
#9 missekat May 12, 2008 16:15:19	Prophecy + PrC. Look up the Magic of Eberron, or the Faith of Eberron. One of my gamers wants to use the Dragon Prphet, (or somesuch), PrC, and it would seem to fit. Im sorry I can't remember what book it's in.. But I'm completely certain it's one of those two. About the dragonmark thingy: There's the dragonmark heir PrC already mentioned. Then you can choose to become a Siberys marked PC.. I seem to recall that's a PrC too.. and in one of the newer books you can choose to make the Aberrant mark a PrC related mark too, not just a feat as in the ESC. For shifter and wf, look to the Races.. and Secrets of Xendrik gave me a lot of good idea on warforged too. Theres isn't all that much on shifter culture though. I posted a file on shifter rituals and culture a year or more back, but it's probably lost to pruning now.. If you want it I can mail it to you.
#10 yrogerg May 12, 2008 19:25:55	Ok, I think the Bo9S shouldn't be too bad to work in, but this Cataclysm Mage prestige class, from the Explorer's Handbook, I am not so sure. He wants to be a wiz or sorc changeling going for that class... [...] but I would like some advice on eberron in general, wouldn't the whole cataclysm mage be a little over powered?? IT just doesn't seam to flow with the other stuff on marks. If I had made a setting like this I would be very careful about a prestige class like this, but as they put it out should I just trust it is ok? any thoughts? Okay, as I said before, it's not particularly powerful mechanics-wise (the capstone ability gives you access to a handful of mostly-low-level, mostly-utility spells; it's hardly broken), but the capstone ability is intended to be world-shaking, fluff-wise: The whole shtick of the class is an arcanist who delves into the hidden knowledge of the nearly-cyclical cataclysms that rock Kourvaire. As he progresses, he learns more and more of those secrets, and bolsters his own abilities in minor ways, through his newfound knowledge of these disasters which is, in its own way, knowledge about the fabric of Eberron itself. However, at the same time, much like the fact of those disasters themselves, he is inextricably caught in the nature of the Prophesy, and bound to travel to distant and ancient places by his very fate. Eventually, he reaches the capstone. At this point, he has delved to the very truth of the prophesy itself. He is a wild card in the prophesy -exactly the wild card that may spark the next cataclysm, or break Eberron free of its cycle- and all those intent on manipulating it fear him or see him as a tool. In a way, his shifting dragonmark means he wears the prophesy the way a changeling wears a face, forever changing his place in it for his own ends. In some ways, the cataclysm mage has come full-circle at that point; he's so knowledgable about the Prophesy that he's broken himself free of it, or may very well have set himself up as the agent of the very next cataclysm. So yes, his presence would be a major flavor impact, if it got out, but we're also talking about level 15+ at that point, so that's hardly unexpected. Obviously, I can see where the interest in a changeling cataclysm mage comes in at the capstone level, but it's probably worth checking with the player, to make sure he understands the point behind the rest of the prestige class. The entire class isn't just that level 10 ability, and you should probably make sure that the player's accepting the rest of that flavor. Personally, I think the class is pretty cool, and has a lot of great hooks associated with it.
#11 tiwaztyrsfist May 14, 2008 17:59:34	I'm not big on the Cataclysm mage. Dragonmarks aren't very powerful on their own. The biggest problem is that it breaks flavor by allowing someone to change marks, and people who shouldn't have marks to manifest them.
#12 ravengraygem May 14, 2008 19:52:43	Material from the Book of Nine Swords is actually very easy to fit into the Eberron setting. You can slot it in by explaining that these are various schools that came into being during the latter half of the Last War and they selected their students from a list of carefully chosen patriots; only now are they taking in students from other nations or races. Crusaders - Most common in Thrane and closely aligned to the Church of the Silver Flame. During the war, they spent much of their time battling the Karrathi undead legions or extraplanar horrors summoned onto the battlefield. Today, they either continue their work (primarily engaging in sabotage and secret warfare against Karrnath and its undead soldiers) or acting as roving troubleshooters for the Church. Outside of Thrane, the largest concentration of crusaders are found among the ranks of the Gatekeepers, where they devote their efforts to stemming the rise of the Cults of the Dragon Below. Swordsages - The second most common practioners of the martial disciplines, swordsages actually originated in far-off Sarlona, where they fought (and still fight) on both sides of the Inspired/kalashtar war. When kalashtar arrived in Khorvaire, they brought the knowledge of the swordsage's art with them and gradually began teaching it to outsiders, who in turn taught it to others. During this time, swordsages remained a secretive bunch, all too aware that there were others with their skills who hunted them (but not knowing the reason or the source of the Inspired swordsages). Not until crusaders and warblades emerged among the armies of the Five Nations did the swordsages reveal themselves, and they usually passed themselves off as one or the either (and all the while learned the disciplines of both). Swordsage participation in the Last War was seemingly nonexistent (since they concealed the exact nature of their abilities), but many accomplishments made by crusaders or warblades were in actuality made by a hidden swordsage. Today, swordsages are a bit more open and not quite as quick to conceal the full measure of their abilities, and many have found employement of the same type offered to warblades. Warblades - By far the most common practioners of the martial disciplines to be found, almost every participant in the Last War had a cadre of these warriors available. Their usual duties during this time included the escort and protection of high-value personnel on or near the frontlines, seek-and-destroy missions against particularly effective enemy commanders, or leading small, elite groups on raiding missions deep into enemy territory. Today, warblades are still in high demand, serving as bodyguards to the rich and famous (or the rich and paranoid in some cases), guard commanders for the Dragonmarked Houses' most valuable (and/or secretive) projects, and leading teams assigned to capture extremely dangerous fugitives. See, right off the top of my head, and only vaguely remember details from the ToB and the ECS, I've given you plausible history (which, since the details are only vaguely remembered, may be incorrect).
#13 mystrich May 14, 2008 23:37:08	Prophecy-related, + Dragonmark... You might be asking about the Cataclysm Mage prestige class, from the Explorer's Handbook. It's certainly an... interesting class; I do actually like the adventure hooks associated with it, but a number of people are understandably down on the capstone ability, which lets them manifest a different mark each day, and access any of the abilities associated with that mark. It's not particularly powerful, per se, as the dragonmark spells aren't all that powerful, either, but the dragonmarks are important enough to the world that the ability should be world-shaking, and even the entry admits as much. Ya, but according to the fluff, anyone who even takes 1 level in Cataclysm Mage is seen as a threat to the dragons, and immediately targeted for assassination by some of the strongest creatures living on Eberron.
#14 yrogerg May 15, 2008 6:32:24	Ya, but according to the fluff, anyone who even takes 1 level in Cataclysm Mage is seen as a threat to the dragons, and immediately targeted for assassination by some of the strongest creatures living on Eberron. Actually, the fluff suggests only that all Cataclysm mages to date have been eliminated before they could reach that capstone level, and that doing so is highly likely to result in assassination. It says nothing about entry into the first level of the class automatically being a death sentence; it's suggested that most of the "persecution" of lower-level members of the PrC is considerably more subtle. Again, though, I don't see the class as terribly flavor-breaking. The entry goes into considerable detail about the consequences and impact of the ability, and that detail all makes a great deal of sense, given what that impact should be. I think the only real danger is that such a PC could easily become the focus of the campaign by himself, and counteracting that can be a challenge.