Help with an Eberron article pitch - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Help with an Eberron article pitch

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
tbok1992
Jan 27, 2012 16:14:24 I had an idea for an Eberron article I wanted to pitch to WotC, but the problem is I don't know that much about Eberron and thus don't know how well the idea fits in the lore. I asked Keith Baker on Twitter if he could help me out, but he said he was waaaaaaay too busy, and mentioned I could ask for help here. But first, I'd like to know, would hashing out the ideas for the article on this forum be a retroactive violation of the NDA when I did eventually pitch the article during pitching time?
#2
Ogiwan
Jan 30, 2012 8:10:02 No idea as to the NDA disclosure. But, what's your idea?
#3
tbok1992
Feb 02, 2012 13:03:56 My idea is to bring back several of the "Goofy" monsters (I have the Thought Eater, Tirapheg and Gorbel as three I'd want) from D&D's past as horrible aberrant creatures created by a Husk of Infinite Worlds that went cancerous and started producing monsters without any "seed" creatures. The Daelkyr just flung it into Eberron through a crack in their prison in Khyber to see what would happen (Though I don't know where in Eberron would be a good place for them to toss it without dirupting the lore), and the horrible new races of monstrosity (I think it would have made around five to seven viable ones so far) it is producing are slowly spreading.

My concepts would be for the Thought Eater to still retain something similar to its 1e design (Albeit, if I can get them to do it, using Johnathan Wojcic's excellent re-design), but still a formidable foe, wiping out towns one by one with its intellect draining powers, which would function as a disease in game terms. Gorbels would be twisted, stupid crosses between a Beholder and a walking tumor that reproduce by budding, and leave a nasty surprise (IE, exploding for high psychic and force damage) when killed. Tiraphegs would be lords of Foulspawn, martialling them up for sinister and dire assaults on the civilized world using their eerie charisma and illusionary powers (Maybe the Lord of Blades is taking wind of this and martialing forces to stop them?).

I'm also thinking of putting in the Centisteed from Gamma World as a steed for aberrant creatures, and if the rider isn't an aberrant (like a Foulspawn or a Mind Flayer), it slowly drives the rider insane. Also, I had an idea to add there for a sick parody of the 3e Inevitable called the Un-Evitable, a bio-mechanical thing that lives to enforce the insane, contradictory and draconian laws of the Daelkyr on Eberron.

What I was needing help on is mainly to iron out any contraditions in the creature's concepts with Eberron lore, clever ways to connect the creatures with Eberron lore (Like The Lord of Blades, the Houses, the Blood of Vol, King Kaius, ect), and hoiw to make the concept more "salable" to Wixzards in my pitch. So, couldja guys help me out?
#4
tbok1992
Feb 06, 2012 15:59:42 So, does nobody wanna help me? Or do I have that bad a grasp on Eberron lore?
#5
Gilo
Feb 06, 2012 16:15:53
Maybe those two articles can aid you:

Horrors of the Daelkyr (Dragon #348 @paizo)

Eye on Eberron: Kyrzin, the Prince of Slime (Dungeon#192)
#6
Starsomava
Feb 09, 2012 21:44:37 Well the obvious places to hide small clusters of monsters are Droaam, Cyre (hey what did cause the morning anyway? i'm sure it couldn't have been the Daelkyr making a crack in their prison >.> )

Other places could be more interesting, but far more of a logistal challenge for the party. Xen'drik is obvious, but remember that it has temperate forrests, deserts, arctuic regions too. These criters seem like they are going to need a fairly large area, and Xen'drik usually only gets the treasue hunters up north in the jungles ("usually" means that there will be someone to spread vauge rumors to the players as they are being carted off to the local asylum.) I'ld also be more inclined to team these folks up with the Quori, since the Quori see the physical realm as a means to an end, and are likely to go for the whole "destroy the world" scenario, and the Lord of Blades does care about the mortal world and doesn't seem the type of guy that would want to share.

Also what is the reason they can't simply work for the daelkyr? They could be working to get the Daelkyr out of Khyber in exchange for promisses of psyonic power.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 tbok1992 Jan 27, 2012 16:14:24	I had an idea for an Eberron article I wanted to pitch to WotC, but the problem is I don't know that much about Eberron and thus don't know how well the idea fits in the lore. I asked Keith Baker on Twitter if he could help me out, but he said he was waaaaaaay too busy, and mentioned I could ask for help here. But first, I'd like to know, would hashing out the ideas for the article on this forum be a retroactive violation of the NDA when I did eventually pitch the article during pitching time?
#2 Ogiwan Jan 30, 2012 8:10:02	No idea as to the NDA disclosure. But, what's your idea?
#3 tbok1992 Feb 02, 2012 13:03:56	My idea is to bring back several of the "Goofy" monsters (I have the Thought Eater, Tirapheg and Gorbel as three I'd want) from D&D's past as horrible aberrant creatures created by a Husk of Infinite Worlds that went cancerous and started producing monsters without any "seed" creatures. The Daelkyr just flung it into Eberron through a crack in their prison in Khyber to see what would happen (Though I don't know where in Eberron would be a good place for them to toss it without dirupting the lore), and the horrible new races of monstrosity (I think it would have made around five to seven viable ones so far) it is producing are slowly spreading. My concepts would be for the Thought Eater to still retain something similar to its 1e design (Albeit, if I can get them to do it, using Johnathan Wojcic's excellent re-design), but still a formidable foe, wiping out towns one by one with its intellect draining powers, which would function as a disease in game terms. Gorbels would be twisted, stupid crosses between a Beholder and a walking tumor that reproduce by budding, and leave a nasty surprise (IE, exploding for high psychic and force damage) when killed. Tiraphegs would be lords of Foulspawn, martialling them up for sinister and dire assaults on the civilized world using their eerie charisma and illusionary powers (Maybe the Lord of Blades is taking wind of this and martialing forces to stop them?). I'm also thinking of putting in the Centisteed from Gamma World as a steed for aberrant creatures, and if the rider isn't an aberrant (like a Foulspawn or a Mind Flayer), it slowly drives the rider insane. Also, I had an idea to add there for a sick parody of the 3e Inevitable called the Un-Evitable, a bio-mechanical thing that lives to enforce the insane, contradictory and draconian laws of the Daelkyr on Eberron. What I was needing help on is mainly to iron out any contraditions in the creature's concepts with Eberron lore, clever ways to connect the creatures with Eberron lore (Like The Lord of Blades, the Houses, the Blood of Vol, King Kaius, ect), and hoiw to make the concept more "salable" to Wixzards in my pitch. So, couldja guys help me out?
#4 tbok1992 Feb 06, 2012 15:59:42	So, does nobody wanna help me? Or do I have that bad a grasp on Eberron lore?
#5 Gilo Feb 06, 2012 16:15:53	Maybe those two articles can aid you: Horrors of the Daelkyr (Dragon #348 @paizo) Eye on Eberron: Kyrzin, the Prince of Slime (Dungeon#192)
#6 Starsomava Feb 09, 2012 21:44:37	Well the obvious places to hide small clusters of monsters are Droaam, Cyre (hey what did cause the morning anyway? i'm sure it couldn't have been the Daelkyr making a crack in their prison >.> ) Other places could be more interesting, but far more of a logistal challenge for the party. Xen'drik is obvious, but remember that it has temperate forrests, deserts, arctuic regions too. These criters seem like they are going to need a fairly large area, and Xen'drik usually only gets the treasue hunters up north in the jungles ("usually" means that there will be someone to spread vauge rumors to the players as they are being carted off to the local asylum.) I'ld also be more inclined to team these folks up with the Quori, since the Quori see the physical realm as a means to an end, and are likely to go for the whole "destroy the world" scenario, and the Lord of Blades does care about the mortal world and doesn't seem the type of guy that would want to share. Also what is the reason they can't simply work for the daelkyr? They could be working to get the Daelkyr out of Khyber in exchange for promisses of psyonic power.