Mass Effect Storyline for epic level Eberron game? (Mass Effect spoilers) - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Adamaro23 Jul 03, 2009 0:32:42	Recently i've been at a loss for ideas for when my 4e, now paragon level, reaches epic. So to kill time a few days ago I sat down and beat Mass Effect. The storyline for that game is absolutely amazing, and by removing all the sci-fi elements, and replacing them with Eberron specifics it'd be a great epic level adventure! Now from here on may have serious spoilers for the game, just warning. First off the biggest change is that it's not in space, but primarily in Khorvaire. And that spacecraft = airship. By the time I get my PCs to epic, they'll have already been working for house Lyrander, plus it seems the best for the Eberron "conversion". So it starts off with you (PCs) onboard a spacecraft (airship) headed for the planet (insert country) Eden Prime (insert location). You're working for the Alliance (House Lyrander) sent to retrieve a beacon (gargantuan sending stone that looks like a 15 foot tall spire) that was uncovered at a dig site near Promethean (Dhakanni) ruins. With you is an npc that intends to help you, but upon arrival he takes a seperate route. Once there you find strange robotic creatures (something from Sarlona or Argonesson) called Geth that haven't been seen since 200 years ago. You find they have mostly destroyed the dig sites and killed most of the archeologists, and the sending stone is missing. After speaking with survivors you learn the geth arrived on a strange airship, and that a person named Saren (member of house Lyrander) was leading them, and killed your buddy npc. He also tells you that yesterday the archeoligists moved the beacon with their cargo train (Lightning Rail) to another site 2 miles from here, and that Saren used the lightning rail headed that way. After arriving at the second site you eliminate more geth and disarm bombs (magic bombs) they've planted. Saren's gone yet the sending stone remains. In addition is a note between Saren and an indivual named Benezia. The first PC to approach the sending stone recieves distorted images of abberant creatures slaughtering hobgoblins, then goes unconsious. The PCs get back to the ship, and make their way to the Citadel (biggest house Lyrander HQ) and speak with the council (head of Lyrander). After telling them one of their best agents went rogue, and killed another (your short-lived npc buddy), they appoint you as captain of your own ship (you have a Lyrander member as a pilot). You learn that the council (head) has interacted with Benezia before, but hasn't in the last few years (before the war). They tell you of her daughter, an archeologist who researches the Prometheans (Dhakanni Empire) and is currently on Felos (insert desolate location). Benezia was last seen on Noveria (insert cold place). And by now news has spread that the geth have attacked a small mining town. You can go to these in any order. But so far thats as far as i've gotten, and i'm heading to bed. I'll return tomorrow and post more.
#2 devlonir Jul 03, 2009 4:32:47	I like the idea.. but just to avoid silly reactions from your PCs or them wanting to do things differently then it was done in Mass Effect, I'd say you should change certain aspects. For example: Maybe make Saren their actual Ally first, that he needed the mission of the PCs to locate the 'beacon'. That way the PCs will also have a more personal reason to hate your epic level BBEG. So no archeologists their yet (except maybe those they are escorting), the PCs need to find it and once they found it get double crossed. I love using the Dhakaani Empire as the Protheans, this will eventually of course link to the Daelkyr as the major evil that threatens Khorvaire again, a great epic level enemy. But then the Geth may be better to be a Khyber Cult instead of Sarlonians or something else. Maybe the cult has some links to the Quori and maybe they will be considered the major evil in the first part but, later on, you will learn of the 'Reapers' (Daelkyr) to be the real threat behind it. I'd make Benezia and her kind either Aundairians, this is a nice way to get that nation into the fold. Their spies knew of the threat of the Khyber Cult in the Eldeen Reaches but decided to try and stop it internally instead of bringing it outwards. Only to later be controlled by the same Quori who control the Cult. The story will of course be three phased. One you go after the Khyber Cult and Benezia. Only to find out that there is something more behind it, the Quori. This will take them to Sarlona on a hunt for the ones behind it, confronting the Inspired and getting deep into the dark sides of that organization. (think of this as the planet where you do that major assault on the base where Saren does the research on indoctrination) Only there they find the real reason behind it all, a powerful Daelkyr that is trapped under (insert major Aundairian city here) and has been playing the Khyber Cult, the Quori and even House Lyrandar and the entire nation of Aundair to his whim. His major plan was to try and get a new War to start in which it would be able to rise up, take over House Lyrandar and Aundair. Then, empowered by his own creations, the Khyber Cult and the Quori, the armies and wizards of Aundair and the airships of House Lyrander will sweep over Khorvaire and start an Age of Madness. Unknowingly, the heroes will have stopped many of his plans already: - Lyrandar will not support him because the important Heir was shown as a traitor - Aundair will not join because Benezia (who would be something like the Queen's most important advisor) has been shown as a traitor as well - The Khyber Cult has been severely damaged, though will still be there in the final conflict - The Quori found out they were used themselves so the major support from Sarlona is gone, though a few Quori and Inspired will still fight for the Daelkyr So, the final conflict will probably be the Daelkyr doing a burst out in Aundair and trying to take over the rulership. An important part of the story will be that nobody but House Lyrandar will actually trust the heroes enough untill the final conflict happens. Which will be a big and chaotic battle where Aundair will be loosing at first, but House Lyrandar will come in and save the day. It may sound very un-Dragonmarked House like.. but when nobody sees a coming threat that will ruin the world (and economy :P) but that one House, I am sure they would come to the aid of those of their own House trying to stop it.
#3 dan_vk Jul 03, 2009 15:20:16	I do not want to ruin things for new 4th Edition Eberron players by posting 3rd Edition material so please pardon the spoiler block. Show The Geth could be replaced by warforged created by the giants. Compared to the warforged created by House Cannith they would look different, speak differently, and have extremely well-developed personalities without an inherent focus on combat. Like the Geth, people recognize them (those are Geth/those are warforged) but really know nothing about them (The Geth have not been seen in hundreds of years/Those are clearly not normal warforged). These warforged have thrown their lot in with the daelkyr because of some misplaced form of creator worship similar to how the Geth worship the Reapers. I cannot remember the name, but there is an organization across all twelve Houses responsible for combating the Chamber and other manipulators from Argonessen. The players could become agents of this covert organization and therefore have the support of all the Houses, similar to how Shepherd became a Spectre. This could also be useful if you then replace the Council with the Twelve barons or their representatives. Trying to convince the Twelve to support research into some returning ancient threat when the dragons of Argonessen have agents all over Khorvaire that need to be hunted down would be a task as difficult as convincing the Council of the existence of the Reapers.
#4 moonspeaker Jul 03, 2009 20:22:59	The Mass Effect story would make a great conversion with a few tweaks.... Let us know how it goes
#5 devlonir Jul 06, 2009 4:50:35	I do not want to ruin things for new 4th Edition Eberron players by posting 3rd Edition material so please pardon the spoiler block. Show The Geth could be replaced by warforged created by the giants. Compared to the warforged created by House Cannith they would look different, speak differently, and have extremely well-developed personalities without an inherent focus on combat. Like the Geth, people recognize them (those are Geth/those are warforged) but really know nothing about them (The Geth have not been seen in hundreds of years/Those are clearly not normal warforged). These warforged have thrown their lot in with the daelkyr because of some misplaced form of creator worship similar to how the Geth worship the Reapers. I cannot remember the name, but there is an organization across all twelve Houses responsible for combating the Chamber and other manipulators from Argonessen. The players could become agents of this covert organization and therefore have the support of all the Houses, similar to how Shepherd became a Spectre. This could also be useful if you then replace the Council with the Twelve barons or their representatives. Trying to convince the Twelve to support research into some returning ancient threat when the dragons of Argonessen have agents all over Khorvaire that need to be hunted down would be a task as difficult as convincing the Council of the existence of the Reapers.
#6 dan_vk Jul 06, 2009 11:12:39	I cannot remember the name, but there is an organization across all twelve Houses responsible for combating the Chamber and other manipulators from Argonessen. I found it in Dragons of Eberron. They are called the Wyrmwatch Council and are a secret division of the Twelve. Who would be their allies though (the humans in Mass Effect?) I would go for the House they have a member of but not entirely sure. Assuming the players are members of House Lyrander or at least contracted to House Lyrander (maybe through House Deneith so the players could be members of different Houses), until they join some greater organization they would receive political and materiel support from House Lyrander, like how Shepherd is backed by the human embassy. If the players become agents of the Twelve then they could receive support from all the Houses, like how Shepherd gets from the Council races when he becomes a Spectre. Also, instead of Trade Licenses for equipment per Mass Effect the players could purchase or earn a Writ of Trade for each of the House Guilds.
#7 smdvogrin Jul 06, 2009 17:00:49	Personally, I'd start with the PCs working as agents of House Cannith. An eldritch machine, dating from the Age of Giants, was descovered in Xendrik by a House Tharashk prospecting team digging for dragonshards. To paraphrase Captain Anderson, "This is big, Shepard. The last major discovery like this led to the invention of the Creation Forges." Needless to say, Cannith South wants to get their hands on it. When the dig site is overrun by Giant-era Warforged, and the House Tharashk team slaughtered, the PCs are charged by The Twelve to find out what's going on. Saren's role could be played by a Dragonmarked Heir who has apparently turned traitor, not that his house will believe that before they find definitive proof. Personally, I think the Quori would be the perfect villians to play the part of the Reapers. Remember, it was an invasion from Dal Quor that led to the downfall of the Giant empire, and the various psionic tricks of the Dreaming Dark would certainly be a nice substitution for Reaper "Conditioning". Perhaps that's why "Saren" turned rogue - one of the DD's mind seeds.
#8 fey_feline Jul 07, 2009 16:21:01	I Shadow March'd my pants at the title. I must have Wrex as A Half-Orc badass. I've considered A Mass Effect D&D campaign, with lots of homebrew races. Sounds cool to me.
#9 kylarus Jul 08, 2009 19:12:36	If you don't mind a bit of rewrite: Show Replace Geth with Warforged, then move around as necessary. Replace Quarians with House Cannith. Make Saren a Self-Forged. The Traverse becomes the Mournland. The Citadel becomes Sharn. Asari become Kalashtar. Krogan become Goliath or Half-Orc. Add in other races as seen fit.

Post/Author/DateTime

Post

Adamaro23

Jul 03, 2009 0:32:42

Recently i've been at a loss for ideas for when my 4e, now paragon level, reaches epic. So to kill time a few days ago I sat down and beat Mass Effect. The storyline for that game is absolutely amazing, and by removing all the sci-fi elements, and replacing them with Eberron specifics it'd be a great epic level adventure!

Now from here on may have serious spoilers for the game, just warning.

First off the biggest change is that it's not in space, but primarily in Khorvaire. And that spacecraft = airship. By the time I get my PCs to epic, they'll have already been working for house Lyrander, plus it seems the best for the Eberron "conversion".

So it starts off with you (PCs) onboard a spacecraft (airship) headed for the planet (insert country) Eden Prime (insert location). You're working for the Alliance (House Lyrander) sent to retrieve a beacon (gargantuan sending stone that looks like a 15 foot tall spire) that was uncovered at a dig site near Promethean (Dhakanni) ruins. With you is an npc that intends to help you, but upon arrival he takes a seperate route.
Once there you find strange robotic creatures (something from Sarlona or Argonesson) called Geth that haven't been seen since 200 years ago. You find they have mostly destroyed the dig sites and killed most of the archeologists, and the sending stone is missing. After speaking with survivors you learn the geth arrived on a strange airship, and that a person named Saren (member of house Lyrander) was leading them, and killed your buddy npc. He also tells you that yesterday the archeoligists moved the beacon with their cargo train (Lightning Rail) to another site 2 miles from here, and that Saren used the lightning rail headed that way.
After arriving at the second site you eliminate more geth and disarm bombs (magic bombs) they've planted. Saren's gone yet the sending stone remains. In addition is a note between Saren and an indivual named Benezia. The first PC to approach the sending stone recieves distorted images of abberant creatures slaughtering hobgoblins, then goes unconsious.

The PCs get back to the ship, and make their way to the Citadel (biggest house Lyrander HQ) and speak with the council (head of Lyrander). After telling them one of their best agents went rogue, and killed another (your short-lived npc buddy), they appoint you as captain of your own ship (you have a Lyrander member as a pilot). You learn that the council (head) has interacted with Benezia before, but hasn't in the last few years (before the war). They tell you of her daughter, an archeologist who researches the Prometheans (Dhakanni Empire) and is currently on Felos (insert desolate location). Benezia was last seen on Noveria (insert cold place). And by now news has spread that the geth have attacked a small mining town. You can go to these in any order.

But so far thats as far as i've gotten, and i'm heading to bed. I'll return tomorrow and post more.

devlonir

Jul 03, 2009 4:32:47

I like the idea.. but just to avoid silly reactions from your PCs or them wanting to do things differently then it was done in Mass Effect, I'd say you should change certain aspects.

For example:
Maybe make Saren their actual Ally first, that he needed the mission of the PCs to locate the 'beacon'. That way the PCs will also have a more personal reason to hate your epic level BBEG. So no archeologists their yet (except maybe those they are escorting), the PCs need to find it and once they found it get double crossed.

I love using the Dhakaani Empire as the Protheans, this will eventually of course link to the Daelkyr as the major evil that threatens Khorvaire again, a great epic level enemy.

But then the Geth may be better to be a Khyber Cult instead of Sarlonians or something else. Maybe the cult has some links to the Quori and maybe they will be considered the major evil in the first part but, later on, you will learn of the 'Reapers' (Daelkyr) to be the real threat behind it.

I'd make Benezia and her kind either Aundairians, this is a nice way to get that nation into the fold. Their spies knew of the threat of the Khyber Cult in the Eldeen Reaches but decided to try and stop it internally instead of bringing it outwards. Only to later be controlled by the same Quori who control the Cult.

The story will of course be three phased. One you go after the Khyber Cult and Benezia. Only to find out that there is something more behind it, the Quori. This will take them to Sarlona on a hunt for the ones behind it, confronting the Inspired and getting deep into the dark sides of that organization. (think of this as the planet where you do that major assault on the base where Saren does the research on indoctrination) Only there they find the real reason behind it all, a powerful Daelkyr that is trapped under (insert major Aundairian city here) and has been playing the Khyber Cult, the Quori and even House Lyrandar and the entire nation of Aundair to his whim.

His major plan was to try and get a new War to start in which it would be able to rise up, take over House Lyrandar and Aundair. Then, empowered by his own creations, the Khyber Cult and the Quori, the armies and wizards of Aundair and the airships of House Lyrander will sweep over Khorvaire and start an Age of Madness.

Unknowingly, the heroes will have stopped many of his plans already:
- Lyrandar will not support him because the important Heir was shown as a traitor
- Aundair will not join because Benezia (who would be something like the Queen's most important advisor) has been shown as a traitor as well
- The Khyber Cult has been severely damaged, though will still be there in the final conflict
- The Quori found out they were used themselves so the major support from Sarlona is gone, though a few Quori and Inspired will still fight for the Daelkyr

So, the final conflict will probably be the Daelkyr doing a burst out in Aundair and trying to take over the rulership. An important part of the story will be that nobody but House Lyrandar will actually trust the heroes enough untill the final conflict happens. Which will be a big and chaotic battle where Aundair will be loosing at first, but House Lyrandar will come in and save the day.

It may sound very un-Dragonmarked House like.. but when nobody sees a coming threat that will ruin the world (and economy :P) but that one House, I am sure they would come to the aid of those of their own House trying to stop it.

dan_vk

Jul 03, 2009 15:20:16

I do not want to ruin things for new 4th Edition Eberron players by posting 3rd Edition material so please pardon the spoiler block.

Show

The Geth could be replaced by warforged created by the giants. Compared to the warforged created by House Cannith they would look different, speak differently, and have extremely well-developed personalities without an inherent focus on combat. Like the Geth, people recognize them (those are Geth/those are warforged) but really know nothing about them (The Geth have not been seen in hundreds of years/Those are clearly not normal warforged). These warforged have thrown their lot in with the daelkyr because of some misplaced form of creator worship similar to how the Geth worship the Reapers.

I cannot remember the name, but there is an organization across all twelve Houses responsible for combating the Chamber and other manipulators from Argonessen. The players could become agents of this covert organization and therefore have the support of all the Houses, similar to how Shepherd became a Spectre. This could also be useful if you then replace the Council with the Twelve barons or their representatives. Trying to convince the Twelve to support research into some returning ancient threat when the dragons of Argonessen have agents all over Khorvaire that need to be hunted down would be a task as difficult as convincing the Council of the existence of the Reapers.

moonspeaker

Jul 03, 2009 20:22:59

The Mass Effect story would make a great conversion with a few tweaks.... Let us know how it goes

devlonir

Jul 06, 2009 4:50:35

I do not want to ruin things for new 4th Edition Eberron players by posting 3rd Edition material so please pardon the spoiler block.

Show
The Geth could be replaced by warforged created by the giants. Compared to the warforged created by House Cannith they would look different, speak differently, and have extremely well-developed personalities without an inherent focus on combat. Like the Geth, people recognize them (those are Geth/those are warforged) but really know nothing about them (The Geth have not been seen in hundreds of years/Those are clearly not normal warforged). These warforged have thrown their lot in with the daelkyr because of some misplaced form of creator worship similar to how the Geth worship the Reapers.

I cannot remember the name, but there is an organization across all twelve Houses responsible for combating the Chamber and other manipulators from Argonessen. The players could become agents of this covert organization and therefore have the support of all the Houses, similar to how Shepherd became a Spectre. This could also be useful if you then replace the Council with the Twelve barons or their representatives. Trying to convince the Twelve to support research into some returning ancient threat when the dragons of Argonessen have agents all over Khorvaire that need to be hunted down would be a task as difficult as convincing the Council of the existence of the Reapers.

dan_vk

Jul 06, 2009 11:12:39

I cannot remember the name, but there is an organization across all twelve Houses responsible for combating the Chamber and other manipulators from Argonessen.

I found it in Dragons of Eberron. They are called the Wyrmwatch Council and are a secret division of the Twelve.

Who would be their allies though (the humans in Mass Effect?) I would go for the House they have a member of but not entirely sure.

Assuming the players are members of House Lyrander or at least contracted to House Lyrander (maybe through House Deneith so the players could be members of different Houses), until they join some greater organization they would receive political and materiel support from House Lyrander, like how Shepherd is backed by the human embassy. If the players become agents of the Twelve then they could receive support from all the Houses, like how Shepherd gets from the Council races when he becomes a Spectre.

Also, instead of Trade Licenses for equipment per Mass Effect the players could purchase or earn a Writ of Trade for each of the House Guilds.

smdvogrin

Jul 06, 2009 17:00:49

Personally, I'd start with the PCs working as agents of House Cannith. An eldritch machine, dating from the Age of Giants, was descovered in Xendrik by a House Tharashk prospecting team digging for dragonshards. To paraphrase Captain Anderson, "This is big, Shepard. The last major discovery like this led to the invention of the Creation Forges." Needless to say, Cannith South wants to get their hands on it.

When the dig site is overrun by Giant-era Warforged, and the House Tharashk team slaughtered, the PCs are charged by The Twelve to find out what's going on. Saren's role could be played by a Dragonmarked Heir who has apparently turned traitor, not that his house will believe that before they find definitive proof.

Personally, I think the Quori would be the perfect villians to play the part of the Reapers. Remember, it was an invasion from Dal Quor that led to the downfall of the Giant empire, and the various psionic tricks of the Dreaming Dark would certainly be a nice substitution for Reaper "Conditioning". Perhaps that's why "Saren" turned rogue - one of the DD's mind seeds.

fey_feline

Jul 07, 2009 16:21:01

I Shadow March'd my pants at the title.

I must have Wrex as A Half-Orc badass.

I've considered A Mass Effect D&D campaign, with lots of homebrew races.

Sounds cool to me.

kylarus

Jul 08, 2009 19:12:36

If you don't mind a bit of rewrite:

Show

Replace Geth with Warforged, then move around as necessary.
Replace Quarians with House Cannith.
Make Saren a Self-Forged.
The Traverse becomes the Mournland.
The Citadel becomes Sharn.
Asari become Kalashtar.
Krogan become Goliath or Half-Orc.
Add in other races as seen fit.