It's my turn to take over DMing for our game group. They want a paragon level game so we're starting at lvl 11 and we're going to use Eberron. It will be one of the typical "adventurers on an airship doing odd jobs" kinda campaign, but I'm hoping to spice it up a bit with your help. I know a little about Eberron, but I am no expert.
Here are my cast of characters so far:
Half-Elf Ardent, Captain of the airship - Recently made a captain and made a bad decision that cost the lives of half his crew. He's trying to redeem himself.
Half-Elf Invoker, First Mate and soldier of Cyre - He was on a ship a mile upriver from Cyre on the Day of Mourning. Is convinced he can find some way magically to reverse the damage to Cyre.
Gnome Ranger - she's kind of an Indiana Jones like character who started out studying at Korranberg, became a tutor for rich children, and is now a glorified graverobber who is secretly a worshipper of the Traveler.
Githzerai Fighter (Kensai) - no story details yet
Changeling Warlock (Feytouched) - Formerly a gypsy crimnal, he is now an investigator who has a half dozen written out alises of various race.
I'm thinking of starting with the cliche go to Sharn then to Xen-Drik to explore ruins meme. However, I want to have a really good action introduction...I'm thinking that the disgraced captain above will try a suicide run to save the Invoker who is somewhere "behind enemy lines" in a bad way and after rescuing them the group try to make it back to Sharn for rest/repair. The ship belongs to House Lyrandar of whom both the captain and the (eventual) first mate are dragonmarked members. The captain has a good connection so as long as he doesn't screw up too badly again, doesn't disgrace the house, and pays his fees they will pretty much keep him on a long leash. I will give them jobs they must do for the house every so often, however.
Here are some events I want to have happen:
Ongoing conflict with pirates of some sort. Perhaps Rierdrans?
Rescue a tribe of Drow from their Fire Giant oppressors a la Temple of Doom.
Eventually have the ship crash and the Elemental go crazy and attack. Maybe.
Smuggling run to or from the Mror Holds
Explore the Mournland
Interactions with the Valenar (my favorite Eberron race)
I need help from you Eberron experts who may be able to fill in some details. Right now here are my questions.
1. Earlier I said the campaign would start with half the party trying to rescue the other half who is trapped "behind enemy lines" in a dangerous place. Any idea where this should be? I want it to be at least a week from Sharn by airship.
2. Any powerful lords or others who may hire the crew to do jobs for them? Those of you familiar with Firefly I'm looking for a "Nisska" type character.
3. Any ideas for a great airship name?
Thanks!
Behind the lines of what enemies? The partys? Their benefactor? Choosing one will dictate the other.2. The Aurum.
3. In my Eberron campaign, the party was first introduced to House Lyrander on board the Fireball, with its two air skiffs (i.e., dingys) named Ember and Spark. An adventure had them taking the Ember to go search for the missing crew of the Spark when it was shot down over a zombified town.
The Emerald Claw, and to a lesser extend the Aurum, are not particular well-suited villains for a paragon campaign though. The Emerald Claw are simply lackeys, and by the time they reach the power of paragon characters they are mostly fully integrated into the upper echelons of the Blood of Vol (or killed because of the threat they pose to the group). The Aurum could certainly be made paragon level threat, but for that to happen, you probably need to make the group a bit more sinister and a bit more organized. Right now it feels more like a rich men's club who band together to become richer and to protect each other from enemies.
To be honest, if you want to go for Firefly, you should use Sarlona and the Dreaming Dark ;)
Oh, one other thing I want to have is a temple full of Yuan-Ti in the jungles of Xen'Drik with the big fight there being with a Yuan-Ti Anathema. I have too many Yuan-Ti minis I need to use! Anyone have any suggestions on Yuan-Ti characterization or culture notes beyond what is in the MM?
I've done an Eberron/Firefly game myself, and it went over fairly well until suddenly a player crucial to the plot didn't have time to play anymore... anyway, we called our ship Horizon.
I strongly recommend against having more than a loose plot arc for the campaign - Firefly doesn't have much of one, and the flavor of a TV episode/pulp rag is better maintained in an RPG if you try to keep yourself to isolated (and short - one or two session) segments with only occasional links or sequels. Plus it leaves you much more freedom to adapt if your crew goes off in an entirely different direction than you were planning for.
Hello all,
1. Earlier I said the campaign would start with half the party trying to rescue the other half who is trapped "behind enemy lines" in a dangerous place. Any idea where this should be? I want it to be at least a week from Sharn by airship.
Thanks!
Why not start four years before the official campaign start and have half the party start in Cyre on the day of mourning? It doesn't get much more more behind enemy lines then that.
Otherwise: Darguun, Demon Wastes, Valneaar, possibly Q'barra. Your airship captain can swoop in and save the party from goblin slavers / demon worshipping barbarians / elven warband / lizardmen tribe. A glorified grave robber shouldn't have too much trouble finding a reason to be in one of those places.
For late paragon / early epic (if you're going there) don't forget to add a trip to Argonessen to the itinerary. For interactions with Valenar, maybe a warband decided to prove their worth by stealing an airship. Your party is asked by Lyrandar to get it back. Cue airborn boarding actions!
May the Rail gets hijacked by one of eberrons many evil organisations.
In my game the parties ship is called the Novachaser
Unfortunately, the primary plot of Firefly was that the crew opposed a powerful establishment, keeping a low profile while fighting The Man. Khorvaire doesn't really have one of those. The situation is exactly opposite that, with Galifar having just fallen and power being spread amongst many.
I would suggest that you use the Dragonmarked Houses as the primary opposition. Portray them as especially immoral, willing to crush the little guy to empower their already incredible power. In a regular campaign, power-hungry dragonmarked individuals are sometimes willing to do this. In your campaign, it should be the standard. Everything the Houses do is self-serving and ultimately harmful. They're most likely behind the Mourning (just like Miranda) and they're not really sorry about it. They have nearly puppet-like control of the various governments.
The group's history would have to involve events that made them aware of the corrupt nature of the Houses. They would have to personally know of people who are being oppressed, who need aid, etc. Perhaps the warforged in the Mournlands are hiding from House Cannith, who have methods of forcing them to serve. House Ghallandra controls who lives in luxury...and who can never rise from the slums. Deneith has unlimited military power; Medani is a secret police. Pharlian hardly has to change at all.
Now, perhaps the party has a little influence with House Lyrandar. Enough anyway to have the airship mostly legal. But they'll need to keep the bribes flowing, the blackmail fresh, and have eyes in the back of their heads.