Spellscarred in Eberron? - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Spellscarred in Eberron?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
nnjguy
Jul 20, 2009 0:42:03 Has anyone given thought to where to utilize the Forgotten Realms Spellscarred Multiclass in Eberron? I hate to have information I will never use...and personally I hate the 4E Forgotten Realms as a setting. I do, however, like Spellscars mechanically.

I was thinking one of two things so far. The first one is obvious, the Mourning did it. I don't know if I am in love with this idea and this is mostly because that is how I am including Revenants in my Eberron game. I know a lot of people are using the Karnathi Zombie or the Aerenal Deathless for the Revenants but I just couldn’t get over the fact that either of those tended to limit the feats they could take and/or explain why the corpse is vastly different from the body the soul once inhabited. So with the Mournland filled with undecaying corpses of every race, a mechanically necrotic element and a place where hundreds of thousands died in an inexplicable magical tragedy I think it makes good sense to put their origin there; soul swapped magically altered corpse conglomerations made up of a small portion of those killed on the day of mourning.

So, I was thinking of having it be related to the Aberrant Marks maybe as the second option. It fits...at first being vulnerable to others with an Aberrant Mark...an odd at-will power...extra perversion themed magical power swaps with the feats. I actually really like it but I am going to be really upset if they later come up with a PP for the house Tarkannen and I have to shoehorn it in somehow.

Anyone have any other suggestions or think the ones I came up with are bad or, well, anything at all is fine.

I could go with something completely new, of course, hmm.

Maybe have them related to the Madstone in Karrnath, or a person with Khyber shards imbedded in his flesh, or perhaps keep it as the Mournland did it and move the Revenants to that Keeper's place in the Demon Wastes.

In other words, I am thinking a lot, so please, help me direct my thoughts, I think some of them are good, hah.
#2
JohnLynch
Jul 20, 2009 0:58:49 Someone here suggested placing entire plaguelands into Xen'drik. Although that's the easy answer, it does actually make sense. The environment can change from being a forest to being a desert over night. Going to the same place twice is difficult (and sometimes even impossible) due to the Traveler's Curse.

Placing plaguelands in the midst of that wouldn't be unexpected for anyone.
#3
nnjguy
Jul 20, 2009 1:09:57 Oh, ok, I think I can go with that, why not, Xen'drik seems to be the place of do whatever the hell you want because we won't ever give too much information on it...so no toes would ever be stepped. Also, now that I think about it I like the revenants comming from the Demon Wastes anyway and perhaps making up some of the members of the Carrion Tribes. I can actually leave the Mournland the hell alone...I thought it was as bad as just saying a Wizard did it, haha.

Thanks for the reply.
#4
warfeind
Jul 20, 2009 2:00:12 Xen'drik is good. Also could be the effect of being born during a planar alignment( sorry can't actually think of what it's called in Eberron right know.). How about spending to much time around one of the Lords of Dusts prisons. Or seepage from a gatekeeper sealed portal that is starting to fail.
#5
warfeind
Jul 20, 2009 2:02:00 Hey you from NJ.
#6
Cyber-Dave
Jul 20, 2009 2:29:41 Personally, I think using it to represent some types of Aberrant Marks is best.
#7
nnjguy
Jul 20, 2009 3:16:06 Rather then Xen'drik there is another thought that occurred to me as I read old books for fluff.

WILD ZONES

Planar energy bathes Sarlona like no other place on Eberron. This energy results in roaming reality storms in the Tashana Tundra. In other areas, the manifest zones do not move, but they are far larger and stronger. A wild zone
represents a true blending of the planes involved. The results are never uniform, but they are always dramatic and often deadly.

The Tundra is well known for reality storms (aukaraks in the ancient Shifter dialect), rogue planar breaches and manifest zones that drift over the landscape.

Ask anyone on Sarlona about the vast open spaces of the Tundra, and you're likely to hear the same refrain—it is a land of strange weathers. The native shifter tribes can tell you more specifically: The Tundra is home to aukaraks or reality storms. Aukaraks are actually free-floating planar breaches, remnants of a long-ago era in which terrible magics rent the very fabric of the planes. They move about the Tundra, blowing in just as a rainstorm might, and blowing over again just as quickly. In terms of game effects, aukaraks usually function as small, temporary manifest zones to one of the twelve planes that have coterminous phases with Eberron. Aukuraks tend to be more intense and powerful than typical manifest zones, but they are unpredictable and impermanent.

This is actual lore and requires nothing new to be added. Since it is also a big part of life for the Shifters of the Tashana Tundra it even preserves the FR flavor of a Primal Power type of community being against those that utilize the reality shearing energies. Not only that but it makes for some interesting characters and adventure potential since the Reidrans certainly are not big fans of anyone bearing the mark of arcane magic.

I like it...I am using it, what do you think?

Yes, by the way, I am in NJ.
#8
Siberys
Jul 20, 2009 8:05:35 I intend to use it as the go-to "aberrant Mark" class. I've even renamed it Child of Khyber for my Eberron games.

The Mourning and Xen'drik work, too, and I may actually end up putting plaguelands in Xen'drik - blasted lands devastated by the Quori-Giant war, and the Draconic aftermath. I prefer to use the shroudborn for those altered by the Mourning, though.
#9
Hellcow
Jul 21, 2009 10:03:03
Personally, I think using it to represent some types of Aberrant Marks is best.

I haven't used them yet, but this is likely what I'd do. Aberrant marks should be diverse (and dangerous), and I'd rather work them into that instead of introducing an entirely new and different mark-on-the-skin-that-grants-magical-powers thing.
#10
RedRider
Jul 21, 2009 12:44:14 Off the top of my head:

-Weird and bizzare mutations from the Mourning.
-Alternative to/suppliment for to the Aberrant Mark feats.
-Dark rewards from vile powers of Khyber.
-A Daelkyr symbiant in your body, which is constantly evolving...
-Surprisingly common side effect of magical accidents. (In the vein of radiation giving you superpowers.)
#11
nnjguy
Jul 21, 2009 22:02:27 After reading the Campaign guide and the info on the Aberrant marks...which I actually knew before, the book is good, it actually swayed me...I am doing the Aberrant mark route.

It is the one I liked best to begin with...the only worry I had was the potential of them comming out with some PP that made me feel like it didn't fit...I am still al little concerned it might happen...people tend to love anything with a twist of evil, Aberrant marks are definitly that and WotC likes to make money by giving people what they want.

Oh well, I will cross that bridge if I come to it.

Now I will go back to the thread I was reading about the Revenants place in Eberron and see if HellCow weighed in there, hah, if not maybe I will revive it...
#12
engilbrand
Jul 22, 2009 1:59:25 I tied the Spellscarred stuff to Mordain, the Fleshweaver. There's just something about him that I love. I like the idea that his strange magic occasionally changes things, especially in his Forest of Flesh.
#13
spirit_golem
Jul 26, 2009 2:33:20 Hmm, maybe if you stayed within the archetypes of the 12 contemporary marks you might me able to make the spellscarred feats and powers into a psudo-Heir of Siberys for 4E.
#14
nthdegree256
Jul 26, 2009 11:00:15 In my campaign, the warforged wizard was strongly interested in taking Spellscarred powers because he found many of them to be very entertaining. I arranged for him to find an ancient docent in Xen'drik that he was mostly able to use; he doesn't know much about it, but it's given him some sort of link to Dal Quor and I've been fluffing his spellscar powers as the docent using psychic power to assist him.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 nnjguy Jul 20, 2009 0:42:03	Has anyone given thought to where to utilize the Forgotten Realms Spellscarred Multiclass in Eberron? I hate to have information I will never use...and personally I hate the 4E Forgotten Realms as a setting. I do, however, like Spellscars mechanically. I was thinking one of two things so far. The first one is obvious, the Mourning did it. I don't know if I am in love with this idea and this is mostly because that is how I am including Revenants in my Eberron game. I know a lot of people are using the Karnathi Zombie or the Aerenal Deathless for the Revenants but I just couldn’t get over the fact that either of those tended to limit the feats they could take and/or explain why the corpse is vastly different from the body the soul once inhabited. So with the Mournland filled with undecaying corpses of every race, a mechanically necrotic element and a place where hundreds of thousands died in an inexplicable magical tragedy I think it makes good sense to put their origin there; soul swapped magically altered corpse conglomerations made up of a small portion of those killed on the day of mourning. So, I was thinking of having it be related to the Aberrant Marks maybe as the second option. It fits...at first being vulnerable to others with an Aberrant Mark...an odd at-will power...extra perversion themed magical power swaps with the feats. I actually really like it but I am going to be really upset if they later come up with a PP for the house Tarkannen and I have to shoehorn it in somehow. Anyone have any other suggestions or think the ones I came up with are bad or, well, anything at all is fine. I could go with something completely new, of course, hmm. Maybe have them related to the Madstone in Karrnath, or a person with Khyber shards imbedded in his flesh, or perhaps keep it as the Mournland did it and move the Revenants to that Keeper's place in the Demon Wastes. In other words, I am thinking a lot, so please, help me direct my thoughts, I think some of them are good, hah.
#2 JohnLynch Jul 20, 2009 0:58:49	Someone here suggested placing entire plaguelands into Xen'drik. Although that's the easy answer, it does actually make sense. The environment can change from being a forest to being a desert over night. Going to the same place twice is difficult (and sometimes even impossible) due to the Traveler's Curse. Placing plaguelands in the midst of that wouldn't be unexpected for anyone.
#3 nnjguy Jul 20, 2009 1:09:57	Oh, ok, I think I can go with that, why not, Xen'drik seems to be the place of do whatever the hell you want because we won't ever give too much information on it...so no toes would ever be stepped. Also, now that I think about it I like the revenants comming from the Demon Wastes anyway and perhaps making up some of the members of the Carrion Tribes. I can actually leave the Mournland the hell alone...I thought it was as bad as just saying a Wizard did it, haha. Thanks for the reply.
#4 warfeind Jul 20, 2009 2:00:12	Xen'drik is good. Also could be the effect of being born during a planar alignment( sorry can't actually think of what it's called in Eberron right know.). How about spending to much time around one of the Lords of Dusts prisons. Or seepage from a gatekeeper sealed portal that is starting to fail.
#5 warfeind Jul 20, 2009 2:02:00	Hey you from NJ.
#6 Cyber-Dave Jul 20, 2009 2:29:41	Personally, I think using it to represent some types of Aberrant Marks is best.
#7 nnjguy Jul 20, 2009 3:16:06	Rather then Xen'drik there is another thought that occurred to me as I read old books for fluff. WILD ZONES Planar energy bathes Sarlona like no other place on Eberron. This energy results in roaming reality storms in the Tashana Tundra. In other areas, the manifest zones do not move, but they are far larger and stronger. A wild zone represents a true blending of the planes involved. The results are never uniform, but they are always dramatic and often deadly. The Tundra is well known for reality storms (aukaraks in the ancient Shifter dialect), rogue planar breaches and manifest zones that drift over the landscape. Ask anyone on Sarlona about the vast open spaces of the Tundra, and you're likely to hear the same refrain—it is a land of strange weathers. The native shifter tribes can tell you more specifically: The Tundra is home to aukaraks or reality storms. Aukaraks are actually free-floating planar breaches, remnants of a long-ago era in which terrible magics rent the very fabric of the planes. They move about the Tundra, blowing in just as a rainstorm might, and blowing over again just as quickly. In terms of game effects, aukaraks usually function as small, temporary manifest zones to one of the twelve planes that have coterminous phases with Eberron. Aukuraks tend to be more intense and powerful than typical manifest zones, but they are unpredictable and impermanent. This is actual lore and requires nothing new to be added. Since it is also a big part of life for the Shifters of the Tashana Tundra it even preserves the FR flavor of a Primal Power type of community being against those that utilize the reality shearing energies. Not only that but it makes for some interesting characters and adventure potential since the Reidrans certainly are not big fans of anyone bearing the mark of arcane magic. I like it...I am using it, what do you think? Yes, by the way, I am in NJ.
#8 Siberys Jul 20, 2009 8:05:35	I intend to use it as the go-to "aberrant Mark" class. I've even renamed it Child of Khyber for my Eberron games. The Mourning and Xen'drik work, too, and I may actually end up putting plaguelands in Xen'drik - blasted lands devastated by the Quori-Giant war, and the Draconic aftermath. I prefer to use the shroudborn for those altered by the Mourning, though.
#9 Hellcow Jul 21, 2009 10:03:03	Personally, I think using it to represent some types of Aberrant Marks is best. I haven't used them yet, but this is likely what I'd do. Aberrant marks should be diverse (and dangerous), and I'd rather work them into that instead of introducing an entirely new and different mark-on-the-skin-that-grants-magical-powers thing.
#10 RedRider Jul 21, 2009 12:44:14	Off the top of my head: -Weird and bizzare mutations from the Mourning. -Alternative to/suppliment for to the Aberrant Mark feats. -Dark rewards from vile powers of Khyber. -A Daelkyr symbiant in your body, which is constantly evolving... -Surprisingly common side effect of magical accidents. (In the vein of radiation giving you superpowers.)
#11 nnjguy Jul 21, 2009 22:02:27	After reading the Campaign guide and the info on the Aberrant marks...which I actually knew before, the book is good, it actually swayed me...I am doing the Aberrant mark route. It is the one I liked best to begin with...the only worry I had was the potential of them comming out with some PP that made me feel like it didn't fit...I am still al little concerned it might happen...people tend to love anything with a twist of evil, Aberrant marks are definitly that and WotC likes to make money by giving people what they want. Oh well, I will cross that bridge if I come to it. Now I will go back to the thread I was reading about the Revenants place in Eberron and see if HellCow weighed in there, hah, if not maybe I will revive it...
#12 engilbrand Jul 22, 2009 1:59:25	I tied the Spellscarred stuff to Mordain, the Fleshweaver. There's just something about him that I love. I like the idea that his strange magic occasionally changes things, especially in his Forest of Flesh.
#13 spirit_golem Jul 26, 2009 2:33:20	Hmm, maybe if you stayed within the archetypes of the 12 contemporary marks you might me able to make the spellscarred feats and powers into a psudo-Heir of Siberys for 4E.
#14 nthdegree256 Jul 26, 2009 11:00:15	In my campaign, the warforged wizard was strongly interested in taking Spellscarred powers because he found many of them to be very entertaining. I arranged for him to find an ancient docent in Xen'drik that he was mostly able to use; he doesn't know much about it, but it's given him some sort of link to Dal Quor and I've been fluffing his spellscar powers as the docent using psychic power to assist him.