Children of Wayfinder

Kieran Damilek

2008-12-25T11:06:00.002+08:00

Kieran was given to Lord Boroman ir’Dayne from the Damilek family in hopes that the young boy will be tutored under the great explorer and by the family’s wish to eventually become an heir to the Foundation after the old man has passed.

The boy excelled in both physical and mental tasks and has proven himself to be an excellent researcher as well as an explorer. Kieran has currently been studying at Morgrave University and has considered Xen’drik as his expertise. When Lord Boroman got ill Kieran has pushed further his researches into the forays of that land.

Kieran Damilek, Human Ranger/Spellscarred 8

Hit Points 66
Bloodied 33
Healing Surge 16
Surges Per Day 8

Initiative +8
Action Points 1

Defenses
AC 20
Fortitude 19
Reflex 18
Will 17

Attacks

Melee Basic Attack: +11 (Parrying long sword +1) Damage: 1d8 + 6
Ranged Basic Attack: +9 (Thundering pistol +1) Damage: 1d6 + 3

Racial Traits

Height: 5'11"
Weight: 160 lb.
Size: Medium
Speed: 6 squares
Vision: Normal
Languages: Common, Dwarven, Deep Speech, Elven and Giant
Bonus At-Will Power: You know one extra at-will power from your class.
Bonus Feat: You gain a bonus feat at 1st level. You must meet the feat's prerequisites.
Bonus Skill: You gain training in one additional skill from your class skill list.
Human Defense Bonuses: +1 to Fortitude, Reflex, and Will defenses.

Class Features

Two-Blade Fighting Style
Because of your focus on two-weapon melee attacks, you can wield a one-handed weapon in your off hand as if it were an off-hand weapon. (Make sure to designate on your character sheet which weapon is main and which is offhand.)
In addition, you gain Toughness as a bonus feat.

Hunter's Quarry
Once per turn as a minor action, you can designate the enemy nearest to you as your quarry.
Once per round, you deal 1d6 extra damage to your quarry. The extra damage is based on your level. If you can make multiple attacks in a round, you decide which attack to apply the extra damage to after all the attacks are rolled.
The hunter's quarry effect remains active until the end of the encounter, until the quarry is defeated, or until you designate a different target as your quarry.
You can designate one enemy as your quarry at a time.

Prime Shot
If none of your allies are nearer to your target than you are, you receive a +1 bonus to ranged attack rolls against that target.

Feats

Action Surge
[Human]
Prerequisite: Human
Benefit: You gain a +3 bonus to attack rolls you make during any action you gained by spending an action point.

Acolyte Power
[Multiclass Utility]
Prerequisites: Any class-specific multiclass feat, 8th level
Benefit: You can swap one utility power you know for one utility power of the same level or lower from the class you multiclassed into.

Jack of All Trades
Prerequisite: Int 13
Benefit: You gain a +2 feat bonus to all untrained skill checks.

Linguist
Prerequisite: Int 13
Benefit: Choose three languages. You can now speak, read, and write those languages fluently.
Special: You can take this feat more than once.
Each time you select this feat, choose three new languages to learn.

Novice Power
[Multiclass Encounter]
Prerequisites: Any class-specific multiclass feat, 4th level
Benefit: You can swap one encounter attack power you know for one encounter attack power of the same level or lower from the class you multiclassed into.

Student of the Plague
[Multiclass Spellscarred]
Prerequisite: You have a spellscar
Benefit: You gain the ability to focus your spellscar to useful ends. You qualify for the Novice Power, Acolyte Power, and Adept Power feats, treating spellscarred as the class into which you have multiclassed.
✦ Sight of the Unseen: You have darkvision extending 1 square in all directions that you can turn on and off at will. When your darkvision is on, your eyes are backlit with a dancing blue flame.

Toughness
Benefit: When you take this feat, you gain additional hit points. You gain an additional 5 hit points at each tier of play (at 1st, 11th, and 21st level).

Skill (Ability)	Trained	Modifier
Acrobatics (Dex)	Yes	+11
Arcana (Int)		+7
Athletics (Str)	Yes	+12
Bluff (Cha)		+7
Diplomacy (Cha)		+7
Dungeoneering (Wis)	Yes	+11
Endurance (Con)		+8
Heal (Wis)		+8
History (Int)		+7
Insight (Wis)		+8
Intimidate (Cha)		+7
Nature (Wis)	Yes	+11
Perception (Wis)	Yes	+11
Religion (Int)		+7
Stealth (Dex)	Yes	+11
Street Wise (Cha)		+7
Thievery (Dex)		+8

Gear

Armor: Battle Harness Leather Armor +2
Weapon: Parrying Longsword +1. (2) Thundering Pistols + 1. Your Pistol has a range of 10/20.
Magical Items: Iron Armbands of Power.
Adventurer's Kit: This kit includes: a backpack, a bedroll, flint and steel, a belt pouch, two sunrods, ten days worth of trail rations, 50 feet of hempen rope, and a waterskin.
Alchemical items: alchemical silver 5, alchemist acid 6, alchemist fire 6 (3), alchemist frost 6 (3), beastbane 4, blinding bomb 8, (2), clearsense powder 6, ghoststrike oil 8, goodnight tincture 6, healing potions (4), lock burst chalk 9, salve of slipperiness 8, smokestick (2), sovereign glue 8, tanglefoot bag 7 and tracking dust 9.
Gold: 25 gp

	Ability Score	Check Modifier
Strength	16	+3
Constitution	14	+2
Dexterity	14	+2
Intelligence	13	+1
Wisdom	14	+2
Charisma	13	+1

At-will Powers

Careful Attack
Ranger Attack 1

You study the enemy, looking for a gap in his defenses. Only when you find it do you strike.

At-Will ✦ Martial,Weapon
Standard Action
Melee or Ranged weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding two melee weapons or a ranged weapon.
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength + 2 vs. AC (melee) or Dexterity + 2 vs. AC (ranged).

Hit: 1[W] damage (melee) or 1[W] damage (ranged).

Nimble Strike
Ranger Attack 1

You slink past your enemy’s guard to make your attack, or you make your attack and then withdraw to a more advantageous position.

At-Will ✦ Martial,Weapon
Standard Action
Ranged weapon
Target: One creature
Special: Shift 1 square before or after you attack.
Attack: Dexterity vs. AC

Hit: 1[W] + Dexterity modifier damage

Twin Strike
Ranger Attack 1

If the first attack doesn't kill it, the second one might.

At-Will ✦ Martial,Weapon
Standard Action
Melee or Ranged weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding two melee weapons or a ranged weapon.
Targets: One or two creatures
Attack: Strength vs. AC (melee; main weapon and off-hand weapon) or Dexterity vs. AC (ranged), two attacks

Hit: 1[W] damage per attack.

Encounter Powers

Call of the Plague
Spellscarred Attack 3

An intangible force pulls enemies close before a wave of flame washes over them.

Encounter ✦ Arcane, Fire, Implement
Standard Action
Close burst 5
Primary Target: Each creature in burst
Primary Attack: Intelligence vs. Fortitude, Wisdom vs. Fortitude, or Charisma vs. Fortitude

Hit: You pull each target 1d6 squares.

Effect: Make a secondary attack.

Secondary Target: Each creature within 2 squares of you

Secondary Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex, Wisdom vs. Reflex, or Charisma vs. Reflex

Hit: 1d10 + Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma modifier fire damage + 1d10 damage, and you push the target 1d6 squares.

Disruptive Strike
Ranger Attack 3

You thwart an enemy's attack with a timely thrust of your blade or a quick shot from your bow.

Encounter ✦ Martial,Weapon
Immediate Interrupt
Melee or Ranged weapon
Trigger: You or an ally is attacked by a creature
Target: The attacking creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC (melee) or Dexterity vs. AC (ranged)

Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage (melee) or 1[W] + Dexterity modifier damage (ranged). The target takes a penalty to its attack roll for the triggering attack equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.

Fox's Cunning
Ranger Attack 1

Using the momentum from your enemy's blow to fall back or slip to one side, you make a sudden retaliatory attack as he stumbles to regain his composure.

Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
Immediate Reaction
Melee or Ranged weapon
Trigger: An enemy makes a melee attack against you
Attack: You can shift 1 square, then make a basic attack against the enemy.

Special: Gain a power bonus to your basic attack roll equal to your Wisdom modifier.

Daily Powers

Adaptive Assault
Ranger Attack 5

Your quick attacks might have different results.

Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action
Melee or Ranged weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding two melee weapons or a ranged weapon.
Targets: One or two creatures
Attack: Strength vs. AC (melee; main weapon and off-hand weapon) or Dexterity vs. AC (ranged), two attacks

Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage (melee) or 1[W] + Dexterity modifier damage (ranged) per attack. If both attacks hit the same target, the target either takes ongoing 5 damage or is dazed (save ends either).

Miss: Half damage per attack.

Hunt's End
Ranger Attack 1

You carefully focus to make your attack spell your target's end.

Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action
Melee or Ranged weapon
Target: One bloodied creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC (melee) or Dexterity vs. AC (ranged).
If the target is your quarry, the attack can score a critical hit on a roll of 19–20.

Hit: 3[W] + Strength modifier damage (melee) or 3[W] + Dexterity modifier damage (ranged).

Miss: Half damage.

Utility Powers:

Spelleater
Spellscarred Utility 2

The magic burned away to nothing before it could strike you.

Encounter ✦ Arcane
Immediate Interrupt
Personal
Trigger: An attack targets you

Effect: Add 4 to your Fortitude, Reflex, and Will defences against this attack.
If the attack misses, you regain hit points equal to one-half the level of the attacker or effect.

Weave through the Fray
Ranger Utility 6

You dodge through the thick of the fight, denying your foes a chance to pin you down in one spot.

Encounter ✦ Martial
Immediate Interrupt
Personal
Trigger: An enemy moves adjacent to you

Effect: You can shift a number of squares equal to your Wisdom modifier

Items:

Iron Armbands of Power

These plate armbands enhance the damage you dole out.

Item Slot: Arms
Property: Gain a +2 item bonus to melee damage rolls.

Battle Harness
Leather Armor +2

Attack first, have your weapons ready, keep your vitals safe—this armor does it all.

Armor: Cloth, Leather, Hide
Enhancement: AC
Property: As a free action, you can draw a sheathed weapon or retrieve a stowed item.
Property: You gain a power bonus to initiative equal to the item's enhancement bonus.

(2) Parrying Weapon
Longsword +1

A wielder of this weapon never truly lowers his or her defenses.

Weapon: Any melee
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 damage per plus

Power (Daily): Immediate Reaction. Use this power when an enemy makes a melee attack against you.
Make a melee basic attack against that enemy, with a power bonus on your attack roll equal to this weapon's enhancement bonus; if your result exceeds that of the attack roll against you, the enemy's attack misses. The melee basic attack you make to block your enemy's attack has no other effect and does not deal damage.

(2) Thundering Weapons
Pistol +1

You can unleash a clap of thunder when this weapon hits, carrying your foe away on a wave of deadly sound.

Weapon: Any
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 thunder damage per plus

Power (Daily ✦ Thunder): Free Action. Use this power when you hit with the weapon. Deal an extra 1d8 thunder damage and push the target 1 square.

Potions of Healing (4)

This simple potion draws on the body’s natural healing ability to cure your wounds.

Power (Consumable ✦ Healing): Minor Action. Drink this potion and spend a healing surge. Instead of the hit points you would normally regain, you regain 10 hit points.

Eberron 4e: Stillwater Station

2008-10-24T11:33:00.000+08:00

A new Expeditionary Dispatch is here! Learn about a small community struggling to survive on the edge of the Mournland: Stillwater Station.

See it now!

Since the arcane cataclysm known as Day of Mourning, the lands within the old nation of Cyre are among the most inhospitable in all Eberron. Shrouded in a perpetual dead-gray mist, the region is haunted by mutated monsters, sentient spells, and victims of the Last War who linger in the twilight between the living and the dead.

The Mournland, it's often said, is now quite literally a vast, open grave. The warm bodies of dead soldiers remain sprawled on the field of combat, refusing to decompose. Indeed, they occasionally rise to continue fighting a war that has long since ended. Plants and animals native to old Cyre have perished, or they have been twisted and mutated by arcane energy into foul perversions. Death holds dominion in the Mournland.

Yet even in this cursed and blasted land, at least one small community is tenaciously holding its ground.

by Glenn McDonald

©1995-2008 Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Eberron 4e: Graywall

2008-10-01T11:31:00.000+08:00

Eberron is home to more than its share of bizarre cities and settlements. But few can claim that the town of Graywall isn't one of the most peculiar -- and dangerous. Home to many monstrous races living side by side with more "civilized" races, Graywall is a city of monsters that somehow manages to survive, and even flourish.

See it now!

Droaam, one of the strangest places on Khorvaire, is a land of monsters that serves as a home to medusas and minotaurs. Gargoyles and wyverns circle in the skies, and goblins and werewolves lurk in the forests. For centuries it has been an untamed frontier. Then the Daughters of Sora Kell forged it into a nation. Few in the outer world expected this monstrous alliance to survive a year, but it has endured for over a decade. Towns are rising in the wastelands, built with the strength of giants and the cunning stonework of the medusas. One such town lies on the border of Droaam and Breland, carved from the foothills of the mountains from which it takes its name. This is Graywall, town of monsters and gateway to Droaam.

by Keith Baker

©1995-2008 Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Eberron 4e: Janus Gull

2008-09-15T11:29:00.001+08:00

In this issue’s Expeditionary Dispatch, discover the lost, tormented village of Janus Gull. Cursed into near-nonexistence, its residents will never find peace until brave heroes stop the cycle of destruction started long ago.

See it now

In the waning days of the Purge -- an attempt by the Church of the Silver Flame to eradicate all lycanthropes from the face of Eberron -- Thranish paladin Cormac Mael was dispatched to the Eldeen Reaches to lead a retinue of hunters. In the year 880 YK, just before being recalled to Aundair, Cormac and his band took shelter in the fishing village of Janus Gull on the northern shores of Lake Galifar.

by Glenn McDonald

©1995-2008 Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Eberron 4e: Dolurrh's Dawn

2008-07-29T13:08:00.000+08:00

The Forest of Flesh is not Mordain the Fleshweaver’s only creation. The small, remote, and almost unheard-of village of Dolurrh’s Dawn is also a remarkable place. Here, it is said, the heroes of legend were recreated, born to walk the world again, but ignorant of their past deeds. Those in search of only the most specialized knowledge sometimes seek out this place, but getting to Dolurrh’s Dawn has proven more of a challenge than most heroes can take.

* See it now! (1 mb PDF)

A figure of dark legend, Mordain the Fleshweaver was driven from the Twelve after his attempts to create new life went horribly awry. Since then, he has lingered in the shadows of Droaam. “The Forest of Flesh” describes some of the terrors that exist in Mordain’s domain. But the woods hold wonders as well as horrors. The strangest of these is the village of Dolurrh’s Dawn, a bizarre point of light deep within the Kingdom of Monsters.

by Keith Baker

The Artificer

2008-07-04T11:46:00.001+08:00

Dragon Magazine updates the Artificer class to 4E - and wants your feedback to help finish it!

The Artificer will appear in all its full glory in the Eberron Player’s Guide; but for those non-Eberron fans out there, you can take a peek at the class right now, courtesy of Dragon Magazine.

July’s issue launches with a bang! Here we’re introducing a new class, exclusive to D&D Insider and Dragon Magazine: the artificer. This new class will be featured in the upcoming Eberron Player’s Guide, and thanks to this sneak peek, you get a chance to play the artificer and send us your playtest feedback. That’s right: This class isn’t finished! So crack open the article, roll up your first artificer, and send your feedback to dndinsider@wizards.com.

The article is an 11-page PDF file.

Artificers treat mastery of magic like a technical skill. They see a pattern in energy and matter, and they develop an understanding of how to manipulate the flow of arcane energy in and around material objects and creatures. Artificers learn to channel magic into items by using complex chains of sigils and diagrams or by using magical materials. With their skills, they can assemble the perfect magical object for any situation.

By Logan Bonner, Mike Mearls and David Noonan

A Wayfinder is Born

2008-06-29T14:02:00.001+08:00

The everbright torches of the Wayfinder Foundation Conclave Headquarters at Fairhaven shall blaze to life and hundreds of heroes, scoundrels and vagabonds will gather to begin their epic adventures with the emergence of 4e. Their legends may change the face of Eberron.

But first, they have to be born of your wild imaginations. Creating a character for Wayfinder Foundation is not much different from creating a PC for your regular home campaign, with a few minor alterations. Here's a quick summary of how to join the Children of Wayfinder:

Race and Class: All of the core races and classes in the PHB are available in Children of Wayfinder. Lord Boroman has adopted each one of you regardless of your character's background.

Remember that some racial traits improve at higher levels.

Lord Boroman has paid for his children to have the best education, the characters are considered to be some of the best in their field.

Abilities: In Children of Wayfinder, all characters are created equal. No dice are used to generate your Wayfinder. Instead, every character's ability scores are generated using a point-buy system similar to the one featured in the Player's handbook (p. 17). You shall tailor your PC's abilities to best suit your vision of who they are, and to best fulfill your favorite tactical combinations. Then increase those scores as shown on the Character Advancement table in the Player’s Handbook, with increases at 6th level for this campaign.

Skills: All of the skills in the PHB are available to your character. Do note that the theme of the campaign ties up with exploration with the Wayfinder Foundation so some skills may come in handy along the way.

Feats: All of the Feats in the PHB are available to your PC. You generally don’t have to worry about the level at which you gained a particular feat, since retraining allows you to have the feats you want at any given level.

Much like with the selection of skills, characters in Children of Wayfinder might need some skills bent towards exploration (you won't know when that Liguistics Feat may come in handy).

Powers: You know two at-will powers from your class (unless your character's human which gives you three). A level 6 character should have an additional of 2 encounter powers, 2 daily powers, and 2 utility powers.

Alignment: You cannot play an evil character in Children of Wayfinder.

Character Background, Physical Features, and Beliefs: Above we've crafted the mechanical skeleton of your character. Now it's time to flesh them out. Let's give your character some personality and some fun quirks to roleplay. Make them a real person with motivations, distinctive physical and emotional traits, and a unique and interesting personal history.

Items and Equipment: After completing all of the above, your Wayfinder is alive! He or she is a whole person dedicated to a faction hailing from a distinct racial background, with a chosen class, abilities, skills, and feats, not to mention a rich character background, distinctive physical traits and personal beliefs. The only thing missing is their clothes. That's right. Your character is naked right now! They are also completely unarmed and have no food.

Every character in Children of Wayfinder begins the campaign with whatever stuff he or she needs. All the armor, weapons and equipment in Chapter Seven of the PHB are available.

Mundane equipment is much less important for higher level characters than it is when you’re starting out. Choose whatever standard adventuring gear you want from the tables in the PHB. For magic items, choose any items of your level as you need. This is only limited by the fact that you can only have one magic item per magic item category. (Melee and Range weapons are different categories though) You can always trade in your magic item with another one if you do so need it. You likewise have enough money to on rituals, potions, or other magic items, that you need.

Fill in the Numbers. After noting the bonuses you gain from feats and magic items (as well as your increased level), calculate your hit points, Armor Class, defenses, initiative, base attack bonuses and damage bonuses, and skill modifiers.

Eberron 4e: Forest of Flesh

2008-06-28T13:54:00.000+08:00

Come explore one of Eberron’s darkest corners in this newest installment in the Expeditionary Dispatches series. KhrestRhyyl, the Forest of Flesh, is home to the creations of one of the most twisted minds Khorvaire has ever known. This deadly forest is home to all manner of foul creatures, but in this Dispatch, you’ll meet two of the worst: skinweavers. And the monsters are just the beginning…

See it now! (418 Kbs PDF)

Mordain the Fleshweaver is the subject of dozens of horrifying tales. One story describes an early effort to create a new dragonmarked house, which instead produced a line of foulspawn that devoured Mordain’s own family. Mothers tell their children that Mordain steals disobedient youths for his experiments, replacing them with perfect simulacra so their parents never know. Whatever the truth of these stories, Mordain was excoriated from House Phiarlan in 797 YK.

by Keith Baker
Art by Brian Hagan and Chris Burdett

The Wayfinder Foundation

2008-06-22T22:39:00.000+08:00

In his youth, Lord Boroman ir’Dayne was a great hunter and explorer. He led the only expedition ever to reach the Frostfell and return to tell the tale. He wrestled ogres in Droaam, fought chuuls in the Shadow Marches, and was the first half ling to travel to Xen’drik and return. Dayne amassed a fortune in his day, but during his final expedition to Xen’drik he contracted a slow, wasting curse that no magic has been able to reverse.

He has a few years of life left, and while he no longer has the strength to explore on his own, he still wants to unlock the mysteries of the unknown. To this end, he dedicated his fortune to establishing the Wayfinder Foundation—a guild for adventurers and explorers that funds dangerous expeditions to exotic locales, as well as giving bold adventurers a place to display their trophies and tell tall tales.

The Wayfinder Foundation is an exclusive organization. Membership is by invitation only, and offers are extended only to renowned adventurers and explorers. The Wayfinder Conclave manages the affairs of the Foundation. The conclave meets in Aundair, and all decisions are resolved by a majority vote. As long as he still lives, Lord Boroman ir’Dayne has the final say on all expenditures of foundation funds, even overriding decisions of the conclave. Despite his skills, Dayne has been crippled by the wasting curse and rarely leaves the foundation’s enclave in Fairhaven.

Boroman ir’Dayne is a true philanthropist; he wishes to have his name attached to the great adventures of the future, since he himself can no longer participate in the adventures of the present. His one ulterior motive is the hope that an explorer may discover a cure for the strange wasting curse that is slowly sapping his life. Of course, many of the members of the Foundation are more interested in personal wealth or glory than in increasing the reputation of the Wayfinders or pursuing scholarly exploration. The Wayfinder Foundation is very much an alliance of individuals, and each Wayfinder has a distinctly different personality.

Eberron 4e: 4E Lycanthropes and the Purge

2008-06-18T22:04:00.000+08:00

As time permits, I'm going to address the frequently askeed questions from earlier in the week. As always, bear in mind that these answers are not canon and that their may be more depth to the story than I can reveal just yet.

Q: Keith, do you have plans on how to deal with the changes to lycanthropes? They no longer spread the lycanthropic disease, it seems, according to the 4E MM. Lycanthropy is now strictly hereditary. While that doesn't change the origin of Shifters in Eberron, it does screw up the story behind the Church of the Silver Flame's Purge.

Actually, it really doesn't. The critical thing you need to remember is that even in 3.5, modern lycanthropy was quite different from the curse that the church fought during the Purge. If you look to the Dragonshard on the subject, you get this critical paragraph:

While no one knows how lycanthropy began, most know of the purge that almost brought it to an end. Around 800 YK, the power of the curse began to grow. The scholars of Aundair sought an answer in planar conjunctions or the influence of unknown fiends, while deep in the Eldeen Reaches shifter moonspeakers bemoaned the growing power of the unseen moon. Evil lycanthropes -- always the most numerous of the shapeshifters -- became even more vicious, and many good and neutral lycanthropes were corrupted and drawn down to the darkness. Afflicted lycanthropes gained the ability to pass the curse to their own victims, allowing lycanthropy to spread with terrifying speed. By the early years of the ninth century, packs of werewolves were roaming across western Khorvaire and wererats had established warrens beneath the greatest cities of the age. Farmers lived in fear of wolves that walked in human form. What was once a superstition used to frighten children was now horrifying reality.

The point is that at the time of the Purge, the nature of lycanthropy changed. Good 'thropes found murderous impulses surfacing, and the evil became even more so. Under 3.5, afflicted lycanthropes gained the ability to infect others, something that can't normally do under 3.5 rules. So what triggered the Purge was the fact that the rules of lycanthropy CHANGED - triggering a wave of aggression and a plague that could have swept across Khorvaire if it wasn't opposed.

Under 4E rules, the mechanics of the situation are different; but looking simply to history, the situation remains the same; regardless of how their abilities work in the present day, at the time of the purge, they worked in a different adn far more dangerous manner. Powers such as moon frenzy are a faint shadow of the terror seen in the past.

In the present day, the church continues to deal with lycanthropes for two reasons. The first is that while it doesn't turn you into a WEREWOLF, moon frenzy still turns innocent people into homicidal maniacs... still not the sort of thing you want to have hanging around. Second is the fear that the power behind the Purge could return - and that if it did, the 'thrope population could rapidly spread, carried on a tide of innocent blood.

So yes, the mechanics have changed, but the reasons behind the Purge have not; in both systems, the Purge occured because lycanthropy took on an aspect not seen in the present day.

by Keith Baker

4e Conversion: Monk

2008-06-15T13:12:00.000+08:00

At a glance, the player with a 3E monk might think that he’s out of luck until the 4E monk releases—there’s no unarmored, unarmed melee fighter option anywhere in the Player’s Handbook. However, with your DM’s permission you can create a martial-arts striker who captures much of the monk’s style by following this process:

1. Choose the two-blade ranger build (p104). (Don’t worry, this will make sense in a minute.)
2. Give up your leather and hide armor proficiencies, gaining a +3 bonus to AC when wearing no armor or cloth armor. You’re now only a point behind the normal ranger’s AC.
3. Gain a +2 bonus to Will defense (in addition to the ranger’s normal defense bonuses).
4. Replace Dungeoneering and Nature on your class skill list with Arcana, Diplomacy, Insight, and Religion. Choose five trained skills from your class list.
5. Give up your martial weapon proficiencies. Grant your unarmed strike a +3 proficiency bonus, increase the damage to 1d8, and add the off-hand property. Now you’re wielding two melee weapons that are as good as the martial melee options available to the ranger.
6. Rename Hunter’s Quarry as Monastic Battle Focus, and lose the Prime Shot class feature. (You thought you were getting that +2 bonus to Will for free, didn’t you?)
7. Focus on mobility-oriented powers, particularly those that reward a high Wisdom score (such as evasive strike, yield ground, and weave through the fray). As desired, you can rename those powers with a flavor that befits your monkish heritage (peerless balance of the crane instead of fox’s cunning, for example).
8. Pick up feats to recreate other 3E monk class features—Evasion, Fleet-Footed, Long Jumper—and use multiclass feats (p209) to replicate the supernatural features. For example, the warlock has several teleportation powers reminiscent of abundant step.

This doesn’t faithfully recreate every element of the 3E monk, but it’s definitely a reasonable stopgap if you’re really committed to sticking with the character. Feel free to experiment with additional tweaks, and by all means please share your results on the D&D message boards!

Eberron 4e: Skill Challenges

2008-06-14T22:01:00.000+08:00

OK, I know I said I was going to stay away for a few days, but I consider this an important topic and I wanted to put my thoughts together in a coherent post. I really like the Skill Challenge system in 4E, and I've been using in for months. There are people having trouble with it at the moment, so I wanted to provide my thoughts on it.

The common question I'm seeing is "How on Earth does anyone ever succeed at a skill challenge?" At levels 1-3, the medium DC for a challenge is 20. At first level, a player will typically have a score of +9-11 with a trained skill (potentially +15 with a 20 stat and Skill Focus, but that's clearly an exception). Given that you need twice as many successes as failures - and that you won't always be able to find a way to use a trained skill in a particular encounter - how can you possibly succeed? Mathematically, the odds are pathetic.

There's four subjects I want to address. The first are the modifiers to that math. The second is the basic principlies of skill challenge design, and the role that plays. The third is the consequences of success and failure. And the fourth is house rules I have been using. But before I get into any of that, I want to emphasis that a skill challenge should be as significant and interesting as any combat. It should make you search for ways to support your allies and consider creative ways to use your abilities; while it may be fun to charge wildly into the fray as a fighter, tactically you'll have more chance of success if you stick together and support the rogue. And you need to consider the strengths and weaknesses of your particular foe: just like you don't use a fireball on a fire elemental, you need to consider whether Intimidate will work in this particular situation. A well-designed skill challenge is more complex and interesting that simply "I make a Search check" - it's something that requires creative thought.

Anyhow, let's start with the math. I'm not going to worry too much about the challenges of first level, because you're a first level character - is it really surprising that things are tough? By the time you're 2nd level, you're looking at a +10-12 modifier with trained skills, and you have the potential of utility powers and a second feat (third for a human). With a +10 modifier, you're still talking about a 50% chance of success - and since you need twice as many successes as failures, still not looking so good. But, bear the following things in mind.

Rewarding Flavor and Creativity. In running a challenge, I'm not looking for the PC to say "I'm using Diplomacy." I want him to roleplay the scene. How's he making his case? Is he drawing on anything specifically relevant to his target? While I like this for color, it's called out as something that SHOULD be rewarded. In providing advice to the DM, page 74 of the DMG specifically notes that you can choose to reward creative action (or penalize the opposite) by applying a -2 to +2 modifier to the check. In some cases, I've specifically set up encounters where the player can get an even higher bonus if he brings up the right thing - but more on that later.

Aid Another. Every ally who successfully aids you gives you a +2 to your check, to a maximum of +8. If you've got a +10 base and you get +8 from your allies... well, a +18 has pretty good odds on a DC 20 check. NOW, it's entirely up to the DM to decide if Aid Another is possible in a skill challenge; if you're chasing a thief down the street, I'm not going to let you aid your ally's Athletics check; you've got to make your own. And even if I decide Aid Another is possible for a skill, I'm going to want you to explain how you're aiding - to put the same thought into it that you'd use if using the skill. So an Aid Another on Diplomacy isn't just "What he said" - tell me how you're supporting the main speaker's point. Nonetheless, once you bring a potential +8 bonus from Aid Another onto the scene, you've got a big change.

Utility Powers. Many classes can get utility powers as soon as second level that have long-term impact on noncombat challenges. And the point here is that you need to make a choice whether you will shine in combat or out of it - and that both are valid choices. As a rogue, will you take Tumble or Master of Deceit? As a paladin, do you want Martyr's Blessing or Astral Voice? The warlock's Beguiling Tongue, the ranger's Crucial Advice - all of these are utility powers that specifically help during skill challenges, and as a paladin, I personally took Astral Voice. As designed, skill challenges are a significant part of the system; devoting a utility power to them is hardly a waste of time. Some of these only change a single roll; others enhance a skill throughout the course of an encounter. And there's more noncombat utility powers as you go. So in looking at the base math, don't forget that there are modifiers TO that base math, if you choose to take them.

Feats, Feats, Feats. Now, one of the issues here is that the +10-12 modifier is only relevant if you're trained in the skill; otherwise, at 2nd level, you could even have a negative modifier (a plate-and-shield armored paladin with 8 Dex will have a tasty -4 on Acrobatics). Of course, the challenge to you is to find a way to bring one of your trained skills to bear on the challenge... which means that it's good to have trained skills. In 4E, you get more feats than you used to in 3E... and beyond that, at the Heroic Tier, those feats simply pack less of a combat punch than they used to. Weapon Focus? +1 damage instead of +2. Power Attack is certainly useful, but at heroic tier it's a maximum of +3 damage for the greataxe wielding fighter, not the potential +10 of the past. These feats are USEFUL... but they are no longer VITAL. Which means that skill-related choices become a more plausible way to spend your feats. The 4th-level paladin I'm playing in a game at the moment has three feats: Multiclass Warlord training (which included Diplomacy training); Skill Training (Heal); and Skill Focus (Intimidate). Between my high Charisma, racial bonus to Intimidate, and Astral Voice utility power, I am awesome when it comes to Intimidate or Diplomacy; but I'm also decent at Athletics, Religion, Heal, and Endurance, which gives me a fairly diverse spread of skills to choose from when looking for a way to help in a situation. My Perception? only +4. But in that investigation scenario, ifsomeone else can find the bloodstain, I can study it with my Heal skill and see what I can learn. My point is that I consider all of these feats far more effective choices than taking Weapon Focus and getting a +1 to damage. it's much easier than it used to be to take your fighter and say "He used to be a bouncer at a bar - I want him to be Streetwise." Spending a feat on Skill Training won't cripple your fighter in combat; and with skill challenges, it's really a good thing to try to diversify your character, to be more than just the big strong guy. Sure, you're big and strong - but perhaps you grew up out in the country, where you developed your Nature skill (as fighters are rewarded for having a decent Wisdom, there's a lot of Wisdom skills you could train!).

CHALLENGE DESIGN. You can make a challenge very straightforward. "You are trying to scare this man. You need to make Intimidate checks. DC 20. Go!" This is the same as having a dungeon encounter where you say "It's a 10 by 10 room with no interesting features. There's an orc with a pie standing dead center. He's going to fight you. Go!" In creating a combat scenario, you're likely to put thought into ways to make it interesting. How's the terrain affect things? Are there tactics the monsters should use, or things the PCs can do to make the fight easier (IE, target the wizard first, avoid using scorching burst on the fire resistant creatures, get back to back to avoid being flanked)? As a DM, are you taking into account any of the PC's abilities when making the encounter?

All of these same things should apply to a good skill challenge. Let's take the basic example of trying to convince Duke Soandso to commit troops against your enemy, Count Suchandsuch. You could say that the base skills are Diplomacy, Bluff, and Intimidate, DC 20 on each, and leave it there. Or you could get more creative.

Diplomacy is the obvious baseline in this case. It's a diplomatic encounter, right? But perhaps Duke Soandso is a proud warrior who hates silver-tongued weasels; he respects STRENGTH, and he likes a man who makes a fierce case. As such, perhaps the Intimidate DC is only 15. Of course, another Duke might be infuriated by someone daring to speak impudently to him in his own hall - if you're dealing with such a man, Intimidate might be an option... but one that results in automatic failure. Again, in combat, sometimes you'll find the creature that's vulnerable to fire - and sometimes you'll fight one that's immune to fire. That's what makes things interesting - every diplomatic encounter is NOT going to be the same, and you're going to have to adjust your tactics accordingly.

So how do you KNOW what skills are going to work? To begin with, that's where roleplaying comes in. Again, you could play this as just a flat series of die rolls, but if that's all you want to do, why are you playing a RPG? In my campaign, every die roll is going to involve some roleplaying on the part of both player and DM, as the player justifies his roll and the DM plays out the Duke's response. If you try your Diplomacy and the Duke snaps "I have no time for weasels in priestly robes!" that's a good sign that Diplomacy isn't your best shot here. Beyond that, though, try a skill. Perhaps Insight will reveal what he's hiding - or perhaps History will tell you of the time he executed an impudent ambassador.

Beyond this, as a DM, I like to bury hidden rewards for clever ideas. History's not a "primary" skill for the challenge. But perhaps, if you use History, you'll learn about how Duchess Soandso was a woman of peace - and if you work Duchess Soandso into a Bluff or Diplomacy check in a meaningful way ("Wouldn't your wife have wanted you to do this, Duke?", I might give you a +5 to the check. So you CAN just go Diplomacy Diplomacy Diplomacy... but you'll have a better chance of success if you evaluate the situation and look for clues, just as you'd have a better chance of winning a battle if you can take advantage of the terrain. In an encounter with gnolls, I set the initial Intimidate DC at 25, because you just don't know enough about their culture to lean on them... but if someone makes a Nature check, it drops to DC 15, because Initimidation is actually the right tactic to take as long as you know how to do it ("Challenge the father, but NEVER insult his mother."). It's more than just twelve die rolls; it's an encounter, and it should offer just as much opportunity for creativity and clever tactics as a battle.

Furthermore, in creating a skill challenge, I AM going to look the party I'm dealing with. Just like I'd design a fight to pose a challenge to THAT GROUP, I'll look at a skill challenge and say "OK, Lupin's got a good Nature check - if he thinks to use it, he can turn things around."

SUCCESS AND FAILURE. Skill challenges should be challenging. If the players can assume that they will succeed at every challenge, why bother doing them in the first place? As a result, in designing a skill challenge, you need to give careful thought to the consequences of success and failure, and whether partial success is an option. You should never build a skill challenge into an adventure in such a way that failure brings the adventure to a halt....if the players HAVE to win, then you'd better just let them win. Failure may make things more difficult for them. It may have severe consequences. But it should never be the end of everything.

The first aspect of this is to consider the potential of partial success. If I'm doing a skill challenge where you're trying to gather information in a bar, what I'm going to do is have a table of information, with each success getting you one more piece of the puzzle. If you go all the way, you're going to have a much easier time. If you fail - meaning that the crowd has clammed up - you're going to have to try to solve the puzzle using only the information you managed to collect. For example, in the adventure I'm playing in, we found an inscrption on the wall, and each success in the skill challenge let us translate one line. We only succeeded in two out of four - but those two lines were still enough for us to figure out the puzzle and get past it. If we'd gotten all four, it would have been trivial; as it was, it was tricky, but we still managed.

Taking the example of Duke Soandso, full success would mean that he'd commit troops to help you against Count Suchandsuch. Partial failure would depend on just how close you were. If you missed by one success, he might send one of his best soldiers with you to report on the situation - so you get some help, even if not all the help that you wanted; and in any case, the Duke will fortify his domain while he considers your worlds. Total failure could result in the Duke actually joining fores with the Count. It's still not the end of the game; but it's going to make life much more challenging for you, as now you have two enemies to fight.

Likewise, say the challenge is a chase - as you're pursuing a thief through the city. Success means you catch him. On a close failure, he slips away - but you at least got close to his hide out, and you know what part of the city he's in. You can pick up the stolen goods from the local fence, and if you want to keep hunting for the theif you've got a good starting point. Total failure means that the thief will be back with his buddies later in the night, since you were such easy marks... giving you ANOTHER chance to catch him, only now he's got friends. Again, the adventure isn't OVER - it's just a question of what actions come next and if you will have an easier or more difficult time.

HOUSE RULES. Now, I admit, I have been using a few house rules to help people with skill challenges.

Action Points. I allow people to use an action point in a skill challenge to reroll a failed check, and say that the second roll must be higher than the original. If they've missed the check by just one or two points, I will usually offer to let them spend an action point to turn it into an automatic success.

Critical Success. If someone rolls a natural 20 on a skill check (not Aid Another), I've said that it counts as two automatic successes. I've seen other people say that a critical success should instead eliminate a failure, and I may try this out.

In any case, in looking purely at the math of +9-11 vs DC 20, you're missing a lot of the options and depth that go into a skill challenge. First you have the potential modifiers to the math. Then you have the fact that a good skill challenge should always provide interesting options; it should be more than just a few flat rolls. And finally there's the fact that failing a skill challenge shouldn't be the end of the world. In many cases I assume that the PCs WON'T succeed at a skill challenge (remember as DM, I KNOW what their skills are when I'm designing the challenge); the issue is that the closer they get, the better.

There's certainly other house rules you could add. But I don't consider skill challenges to be broken, and I've really enjoyed using the system; it's one of my favorite aspects of 4E.

by Keith Baker

Eberron 4e: Races

2008-06-13T21:58:00.001+08:00

Let me start off with the standard disclaimers. I'm not going to go into detail here. I'd like to; we've got lots of cool ideas in the works, and I'll admit that I never liked the eladrin until we hit on our current story for them. But this isn't the place for those details, all the more so becacuse until the 4E Eberron books go to print, anything could change. Even with the limited level of detail I am going to provide, this is not canon. And even if it was, don't let that stop you from doing your own thing. If you think it's cool to turn the Aereni into eladrin, do it. If you want to give the eladrin a floating cloud continent, do it. WE aren't going to do either of those things, but hey, knock yourself out. But if you are interested in canon, I'd keep an eye on DDI. We've already seen the warforged; if the full Eberron eladrin story is going to come out early. I'd expect it to be there.

Anyhow, let's talk races.

Warforged. The warforged have just gotten a full player-race treatment in Dragon, complete with flavor, racial feats, paragon paths, and equipment. So warforged are good to go.

Shifters. The Monster Manual provides basic info on the Longtooth and Razorclaw shifters. It's enough to make shifter PCs, and I've got one in one of my games right now. It works fine. Hopefully the shfiters will get a similar DDI treatment to that of the warforged, and you'll see feats that capture a broader range of their old abilities. But even without all the bells and whistles (and who among us will bell the shifter?), they are a playable race as stands.

Changelings. Likewise, the MM gives basic changeling (well, doppelganger) data. The default is +2 Int/+2 Cha - IE, great fey warlock - but as a house rule, I've allowed changelings to go +2 Dex/+2 Cha as their ability modifiers. I've always seen them as more rogue than wizard. They're fairly straightforward as written, but I'd hope to see a DDI article to give them more depth (or write one - I did write The Complete Guide to Doppelgangers, after all!).

Now, a question that's come up with the relationship between changelings and doppelgangers. As stands, they are two words for the same thing. It's basically a level of trust and hostility. I'm worried that a doppelganger has replaced the mmayor; while Dek the changeling is a decent fellow, even if that gray skin is creepy. Use the word you want to use. As a random factoid, the original Eberron proposal didn't actually have changelings; it just had doppelgangers as a base race, using a Savage Species-style level progression to gain access to their full abilities. Changelings came out of the desire to just have a simple, LA +0 race. So the current model is actually closer to the original. I'd like to see some racial feats and paragon paths that draw out some of the old doppelganger ideas we all remember, but there will be time for that.

Kalashtar. Not happening any time soon. If you want kalashtar NPCs, I'd look at the psionic abilities of the mind flayers and gith for ideas. But at the moment, they aren't around for PCs.

Gnomes. They're still in Zilargo, and their knack for stealth is a boon for agents of the Trust. The MM entry is works just fine. I let 'em spend feats to be able to use prestidigitation or ghost sound, because to me those are a big part of Zilargo (and it lets a Trust agent whisper a warning into the ear of a would-be criminal... steering them from an unwise course so you never have to get into conflict). But that's a me thing - I'm not saying it's balanced, and I'm certainly not saying it's going to be in the 4E Eberron books. In any case, I've got a gnome wizard in one of my games, and he's been having a fine time.

Half-orcs. Right now, there's no rules for half-orcs. You can take the kalashtar route and hang back from making half orc PCs. You could make your own half-orcs. Or you could make a "half-orc" by using a human or an orc, and simply describe the character as showing clear signs of his heritage - if human he may have grayish skin, prominent teeth, etc. Looking specifically to a human, use his ability bonus on either Strength or Constitution; use his racial feat on something like Toughness or Power Attack; and use his racial skill training on something like Intimidate, Athletics, or Nature. Bingo - half-orc.

I believe that covers the OLD races. Looking to the new races...

Tieflings. I can't talk about the full history of the tiefling in Eberron - it's just not the right time. I know that's frustrating for those of you planning to make tiefling characters, but you'll have to come up with your own story (there's certainly a lot of good ideas out there) or be a tiefling of mystery. However, what I can do is point back to what's already been said in 3.5 sources. Tieflings do exist in Eberron. They're rare in the civilized world, but not unknown. And they are most common in the west - notably Droaam and the Demon Wastes.

Dragonborn. Novels and such have already pointed to the presence of dragonborn in Argonnessen. However, Argonnessen is going to remain as mysterious and offlimits in 4E as in 3E, which means you aren't going to have a steady stream of PCs from Argonnessen. "Oh, yeah, I was hangin' with the Conclave the other day, and one of the Eyes of Chronepsis, she says 'Wasssup!', and I say..." No no no. But where dragons have ventured beyond Argonnessen, you might find dragonborn. That's all I'll say for now - but the point is that you do have dragonborn in Khorvaire, albeit in small numbers. One of the PCs in my playtest game (and bear in mind, this is before I even started talking with WotC about Eberron 4E, so don't take this as official) is a dragonborn paladin of the Blood of Vol, whose ancestors fought alongside the original Emerald Claw in the war in which the line of Vol was erradicated; his ancestors immigrated to Lhazaar and later to Karrnath along with the elven exiles. Again, don't expect us to suddenly say "Karrnath is crawling with Vol-loving dragonborn" - but it's an example of how you could find a few around.

Eladrin. We're standing by what we said in 3.5: Eladrin are denizens of Thelanis. Again, there's a big story here we'll reveal in time, but for the moment, just bear in mind that Thelanis is one of the easiest planes to move to and from. Obviously you've got the Twilight Demesne in the Eldeen Reaches, but any manifest zone will do when the time is right. Perhaps you came during the Last War and lost your heart to a human, or simply to their cause. Perhaps you are an exile, doomed to wander the mortal realms until you can solve an unsolvable riddle or find the livewood staff holding the soul of your betrothed. Perhaps you are a trickster wishing to test your wiles on tyhe dull-witted people of Khorvaire. There's lots of options to choose from... and while we have other things in the shadows, none of these would contradict the larger scheme. As with the Dragonborn and Tieflings, eladrin aren't common in Khorvaire, but neither are they unknown - though you'd probably end up being mistaken for an elf most of the time.

Now, I know lots of people expected us to make the Aereni into the eladrin. Why didn't we? Well, if it was our intention, we could have made the Aereni and Tairnadal separate races in the first place; goodness knows 3.5 had enough elven subraces, and we kept them one race under that. The difference between the Aereni and the Tairnadal is supposed to be purely cultural. They share common ancestors, and have taken different paths to compensate for the tragic loss of those ancestors. The Aereni now seek to preserve their heroes through necromancy; the Tairnadal, through martial and religious devotion. But both stretch back to the same roots... and as has been noted in a few places, it's possible for a youth from the south to head north to join the Tairnadal, or for a Tairnadal to turn his back on his people and join the Aereni. The eladrin are similar to elves, and their may be good reason for that - but they are a different race, while the Aereni and Tairnadal are simply different cultures.

Now you may be saying "But the elf makes a great ranger, while the eladrin is clearly an awesome wizard - aren't the Aereni all about magic?" The Aereni ARE accomplished at the arcane arts, sure. But you don't HAVE to have a +2 racial Int modifier for that to be the case. When it comes to min-maxing, it's not the best choice. But hey, while you might not be able to match that tiefling wizard in terms of pure Int, with your Wisdom and Dexterity modifiers, you can excel at your wand or orb mastery.

Beyond that, however, in my opinion the Aereni aren't the best wizards in the world. They're good at the arcane arts. They've developed impressive stuff. But in my opinion, they're stuck in a rut; they haven't really accomplished much NEW magically over the last few thousand years, especially when you set them next to the achievements of the Twelve. Airships! Warforged! Eternal Wands! And that's just in the last century. Elven magic is ancient and impressive - but innovation is not their strong suit. On the other hand, the Aereni have one innovation no one else has matched: the creation of a true divine force, in the Undying Court. It is this power that has allowed them to hold off the might of Argonnessen; and so it is the field of the divine where their true power lies. That means it's their clerics you should really watch out for... which means Wisdom, and that elves have.

Which is a long way of saying the Tairnadal have great rangers, the Aereni have mighty clerics, and the elf race works for both - and that's how we're leaving it!

And at this point, I'm going to sign off for at least a few days. I know that you'd all like more information on this and other topics, but frankly, I have paying work I need to get to! Obviously there's lots of questions remaining, such as how to handle dragonmarks. That one isn't a question I can answer for you right now, but I've seen lots of people developing homebrew ideas on the WotC boards and elsewhere, so if you need dragonmarks now see what people have come up with. The word is that the artificer will be in DDI next month, and hey, my article on Mordain's domain should be coming up on Dragon any day now - so enjoy those, and good luck overcoming the obstacles that remain in your way!

by Keith Baker

Eberron 4e: Skills

2008-06-12T21:57:00.000+08:00

OK: As soon as I'm done with this I'll get to that races question I've been promising to address. But this came up and I wanted to put it on the main journal so I could refer back to if necessary. There's good questions here and this isn't the first time I've heard them, and if it comes up again, I want to be able to say "Look up June 12th." So:

Do you feel that 4e seems to skew more toward anime or video game-ish action rather than traditional roleplaying?

First and foremost: whether a game skews towards action is entirely up to you as the storyteller. One of the things I like about 4E is that the skill challenge system makes noncombat encounters more significant, and if I'm running an inquisitive game in Sharn, you're likely to use skills more than your sword. But that's up to you as a DM: you don't HAVE to put skill challenges in your game.

I feel that 3E and 4E are very different in flavor. 4E isn't an evolution of 3E; both 3E and 4E take separate paths from 2E, each with different goals in mind. One of the strengths of 3E is the extreme flexibility of the multiclassing/prestige class system, which allows you to largely escape class roles. A 1st-level fighter/1st-level wizard is perfectly balanced between those two roles. By 10th level, a 3.5E party can be very diverse in nature; rather than the old AD&D party of fighter-cleric-thief-magic user, you may have a ftr2/rgr2/mnk2/Exotic weapon master 4 and so on throughout the group.

In 4E, the 10th-level party is going to be a fighter, cleric, rogue, and wizard. Yes, they may multiclass - but there's a BIG difference between a 3.5 Ftr 1/Wiz 1 and a 4E Fighter with the Wizard multiclass feat. In 4E, multiclass feats help to diversify your character, to make you different from every other fighter out there - but at the core, you're still going to be a fighter. in 3.5, multiclassing can let you truly straddle the line between classes. And paragon paths let you add more color to your fighter, but it's not the same thing as taking five levels in a prestige class.

Looking to combat: in my opinion, 3.5E tries to be more of a detailed simulation. If I try to trip you, I open myself up to an (opportunity) attack, then I need to actually hit, then test your strength or reflexes to see if I can actually knock you down. Anyone can try to do it, and they can try to do it over and over and over again. Without Improved Trip they may only succeed in getting hit with a lot of opportunity attacks, but they can TRY. Meanwhile, in 4E, most people just can't trip period. If you have an ability that allows you to do it (say, the fighter's Spinning Sweep), you just make your attack, and if it connects, pow, target goes down. Of course, that's an encounter power - so unless you have ANOTHER power that takes the person down, you can't do it again.

Some people say this is like a video game. To me, it's more like an action movie. Jackie Chan does lots of cool moves in a fight - but he rarely does the same one over and over and over. Presumably he COULD - and yet, he doesn't. Dramatically, it's not as interesting for him to trip again as it is for him to pick up a ladder and spin around, taking out five mooks (um, minions) at once. Meanwhile, the wizard doesn't even try to trip an enemy; he blasts them with fire. Again, watching the movie, I would expect the wizard to try to do a try, get clobbered with an opportunity attack, and fail to knock the target down at the end of it; I expect to see magic. So I see 4E combat as the dramatic actions you'd see on a big screen. Obviously, this is further colored by how you DESCRIBE the scene. If it's:

Player: I move five squares and make a Spinning Sweep attack. 22 vs AC, 12 damage.
DM: You hit. He's knocked prone.

Then it sounds like a minis wargame. But so does:

Player: I'm moving 25 feet and using my spiked chain to make a trip attempt. Because I'm using a reach weapon, he doesn't get the opportunity attack. I roll a 24, and a 18 on the trip check.
DM: You hit. He's knocked down.

Wow, that's much more exciting! EITHER of these could be much more dramatic if the player puts more color into his description and the DM puts more color into the results. If you WANT it to play like a board game, either edition is going to feel like one; "roleplaying" is what you make of it.

As another quick example tied to the "Video Game" argument, let's take the fighter's combat challenge ability. Yes, clearly this is inspired by the taunt abilities we all know from MMOs - giving the fighter the ability to draw attacks away from other targets. However, the implementation of this ability is nothing like its MMO counterpart. If you want the video game flavor, you'd do something like the 3.5 Knight's Test of Mettle - "Make a will save or attack the knight." Instead, the fighter's ability creates a tactical choice for the DM: He CAN ignore the mark and go after a different target, but there are consequences for doing so. It's INSPIRED by MMOs - but if the pure video game experience was what they wanted, there are many more direct ways to do it. And meanwhile, most MMOs were INSPIRED by tabletop gaming. The fact that a table game has taken a few ideas back doesn't surprise me - and as someone playing a defender, I really like the fact that I have a way to actively encourage someone to come after me instead of the wizard.

So, do I feel it's video-gamey? No. But it's definitely more like an action movie than 3.5. Realism isn't a paramount concern, and there are lots of things - why can't I trip him again? - that require a suspension of disbelief... just like in the movies.

But, of course, what I SAID I was going to talk about was skills. In asking about the video-game feel, the original posted went on to say:

As examples of this I cite the simplifying of the skill system...

The trick here is what is meant by "simplifying the skill system." The skill challenge system is perhaps my favorite thing about 4E, and one reason I like using it in Eberron - because it's a boon for the noir/intrigue campaign. By the core rules of 3.5, far too many things rely on the single role of a die. Diplomacy? One skill check... and that from a skill that a dedicated player can easily build to ridiculous levels with all of the synergies and the like. The Investigate system in Eberron? Take a feat (a fairly big cost in 3E), and then make a single Search check; perhaps you'll get a clue. Either way, one character, one roll, let the die fall where it may.

By the Skill Challenge system, both of these require multiple actions and can involve multiple players. A negotiation is no longer the result of a single check; the cleric can play good cop (Diplomacy) to the fighter's bad cop (Intimidate), with the rogue jumping in with a well-placed Bluff to lend a hand - and at MY table, every one of those checks is going to require some roleplaying leading into it, making a longer and more interesting scene than the single character with the +30 Diplomacy doing all the talking and resolving the situation with a single check. Likewise, when it comes to investigating a murder scene, you might use Perception as the core skill for the challenge, but more than a single success or failure is at stake - and you might be able to use Heal to analyze the blood spatter for clues, Arcana to search for traces of magical energies unleashed in the murder, Streetwise to get information from local gangs, History to come up with other murders that fit the same pattern.

All of these things COULD be done in 3E. Expanding investigation was one of the primary purposes of my book Crime & Punishment, while Dynasties & Demagogues did the same for Diplomacy. Lots of suppliments expanded the simple systems. But by the core rules, Diplomacy and Investigate are simple actions resolved with a single skill check. 4E gives noncombat encounters more weight and more depth, and encourages you to build them out in interesting ways.

But that's skill CHALLENGES. "Simplifying skills" could refer to combining Climb, Jump, and Swim into Athletics; Hide and Move Silently into Stealth; and so on. This doesn't bother me either. Personally, as a fighter, I hated the fact that I never HAD enough skill ranks to really be good at these skills. I might want to be Conan, but with only 2 ranks per level and wanting to have a decent Ride and Craft, I was rarely able to put anything into these skills. So far from making it too video gamey, the fact that I can train in Athletics as a fighter and be good at all of these things finally lets my strong, athletic guy be as good at these things as I always thought he should be - instead of my 3E experience, in which I'm not sure I ever say ANYONE put ranks into Swim. I'm sure someone did, but never at my table.

Or this may be based on the final point...

4e seems to allow everyone to do everything nearly equally rather than having defined roles (wizard, thief, etc.).

I assume we're talking skills here, because as I said at the start, in my opinion one of the main differences between the two editions is that 3E really lets you break out of class roles, and make that fighter/rogue/druid if you want. So I THINK the point is the core mechanic of 4E: the idea that instead of spending skill ranks, pretty much any d20 action is Stat bonus + proficency/training bonus + 1/2 level. Likewise, some things that were purely class abilities are now tied to skills. Anyone who is trained in Thievery can do trapfinding, whether it's a ranger, rogue, or warlock. Anyone trained in Arcana can detect magic.

The illusion of the +1/2 level system is that people end up being good at everything. "I'm a fighter with an 8 Int! How can I end up with a decent Arcana skill?" The fact of the matter is that it just doesn't play out that way. At 10th level, my paladin with the 8 int and no training will have a +4 modifier to Arcana checks, and due to his lack of training, can't do things like detect magic. I've hung around the wizard long enough to learn a few things, but don't expect me to be identifying the mystic runes. And meanwhile, the wizard - who know has a 20 Int, Skill Training, and a racial +2 bonus - has a modifier of +17 on his Arcana checks. So trust me, you don't end up with "everyone doing everything". By tenth level, I'll be great at Athletics, Diplomacy, Heal, Intimidate - and hey, I'll have got up to +7 on my Perception checks, thanks to my decent Wisdom. But again, the ranger will be at a +15 Perception check. We aren't all the same.

With THAT said, one of the big things is that because of the role of skill challenges, I've found that in MY groups, PCs are more likely to expand and build on their skills. When it comes to that negotiation skill challenge, you can't just rely on the guy with the +30 Diplomacy to do all the talking - everyone on the scene needs to contribute. Combine this with the fact that you get feats more frequently and that they don't pack the same combat punch (at least at heroic level) as they do in 3E, and it's often a good investment to put them into skills. My 4th level paladin has three feats: Warlord Multiclassing (which got him Diplomacy training); Skill Training (Heal); and Skill Focus (Intimidate). And for me, those were far more worthwhile than Power Attack or Toughness, because Diplomacy and Intimidate let me play a much bigger role OUT of combat; even Heal can help me if it comes to an Investigation!

So to begin with, once things get going, characters DO have defined roles; everyone can't all do everything equally, even with that +1/2 level modifier. You're going to want someone with a good Dex trained in Thievery in the party, even if that could be a ranger (or even a wizard) instead of a rogue. Trapfinding isn't locked to the rogue CLASS - but it's still a role you'll want someone to focus on, at least if you plan to go dungeon diving.

Anyhow, I'm sure I've rambled on about this at far greater length than anyone cared to hear, and I'm sure people are saying "Just tell us about eladrin already!" But again, the skill challenge system may be my favorite thing about 4E, and it's something that really didn't get much exposure over the last few months. So while overlapping skills may have been combined and skill ranks dropped, I don't feel that the USE of skills has been dumbed down; IMO, it's been given more weight and a more prominent role in the game.

by Keith Baker

Eberron 4e: The Basics

2008-06-11T21:56:00.000+08:00

Well, my last post certainly raised lots of questions. reviewing the sixty-odd messages, the following questions seem to come up a lot:

1. How do the eladrin, tieflings, and dragonborn fit into the world?
2. What about the traditional Eberron races? What's the deal with changelings and doppelgangers?
3. What about gnomes and half-orcs?
4. What's going on with the planes?
5. Artificers! Dragonmarks!
6. How is the world changing?

Having talked with the folks at WotC, there's limits on how much they want me to say until we've actually completed work on the 4E ECS, and there's a lot of good reasons for that. The fact of the matter is that nothing is 100% certain, and things could change. So don't expect a long LJ post on the theory behind planar cosmology in 4E Eberron. However, what I can certainly say is watch DDI. This month has the fully expanded warforged, along with a piece of mine on Mordain the Fleshweaver. Next month you'll see a basic version of the artificer. There's limits on what I can say, because it's NOT official, and it gets confusing if I give out one piece of information and gets contradicted later; but what shows up in DDI is a preview of the world to come.

With that in mind...

The thing I really want to know is to what extent Eberron will be shifting to fit the changes 4th edition has brought to key elements of the world, and whether the intent will be for those changes to be retroactive, or actual historical shifts in the eberron timeline.

While I can say nothing with absolutely certainty, I believe that the goal of the design team is to minimize the impact to the world - to have changes expand the world rather than transform it. The fact that gnomes aren't in the PHB and tieflings are doesn't mean that tieflings suddenly have a dragonmarked house and Zilargo, and that gnomes have vanished from Eberron. Dragonborn, tieflings, and eladrin all have roles to play in Eberron, but these don't come at the expense of what has come before; on the contrary, eladrin use the same role that's been mentioned for them in the past in 3.5 Eberron, and we're just building upon it. There may be changes here and there, but by and large the flavor text of the 3.5 Eberron books you own will remain accurate, and for now I would base your 4E Eberron campaign on that foundation. The next time I post I'll talk a little more about simple, basic requirements for running a 4E game in Eberron, looking to races, Dragonmarked Houses, and such. There's limits on what I can say, but I can give a few tips.

Before that, however, I do want to point to a few of the things that I think work especially well in Eberron. Dr. Tectonic mentioned the Investigate feat in the 3.5 ECS. The Skill Challenge system of 4E is a perfect way to handle an inquisitive campaign. Searching a room? Perception and Insight may be base skills, but Streetwise can help you get info from the locals, Heal may make some sense of the patterns of blood you discover, and History may bring up stories of similar murders. There's a lot of ways to use Skill Challenges - interrogation, chase scenes, even a wrestling match in the Red Ring - and I love working with them.

Rituals are something else that works well with the basic themse of Eberron. Rituals are an excellent match to the intended role of the magewright - a mystical professional filling a specific niche in society. While the final form of the magewright is still under development, a simple way to address it in the interim is to say that a magewright learns to perform one or two rituals without the need for a ritual book (though still using the same time, skill, and components). So the professional arcane locksmith is just that, and you can't beat him up and take his ritual book; he's learned how to perform a specific ritual. Where does he learn to perform his ritual? More likely from a dragonmarked house, in exchange for service in the house guild. So Jorasco enclaves aren't filled with clerics, but they do have healers trained to perform cure disease and remove affliction, and most healers are tied to Jorasco because they have the best teachers. Here again, the mechanics have changed, but the idea remains the same: magewrights provide specific magical services to the public.

I'd also like to take a moment here to talk about Jorasco healers. A key thing to remember is that the 4E system is not intended to be a photorealistic world simulation; much of the flavor is geared towards swashbuckling action, and to simplifying book-keeping. A key feature of this is that PCs heal fully after an extended rest. This doesn't mean that NO ONE IN THE WORLD EVER GETS SERIOUSLY HURT. People can still break bones, suffer internal trauma, etc - and these things will require extended treatment at a Jorasco house. It's just that PCs don't tend to suffer this sort of affliction. So the PC will probably show up to get a disease removed or curse lifted - but Jorasco does good business on more mundane injuries.

Anyhow, next time I will get down to a few of the more practical questions. Again, however, for now my best advice is to trust the flavor of the 3.5 books and watch DDI for new material.

by Keith Baker

Eberron 4e: Keep on the Shadowfell Conversion

2008-06-06T22:18:00.000+08:00

If you're itching to kick off your first Eberron campaign and you've already picked up H1: Keep on the Shadowfell, then you're ready to go. This article gives you all the information you need to situate Shadowfell Keep in your Eberron campaign and get your first adventure started. You'll find updates to existing H1 encounters and details on how to adapt the plot to integrate more of the mystery of Eberron into the adventure.

H1: Keep on the Shadowfell

By Stephen Radney-MacFarland
Art by Francis Tsai

Playing Warforged

2008-06-06T11:50:00.002+08:00

The 4th Edition Monster Manual gives a first look at the newest version of the warforged race. But this article presents the warforged race fully detailed, as if straight out of the pages of the Player’s Handbook. Complete with racial feats, paragon paths, rules for warforged components, and detailed information on including warforged in any D&D campaign—Eberron or otherwise—this article will satisfy any fans of this compelling race.

"Created as soldiers for a war that spelled the end of an age, warforged are artificial beings that display a human level of intelligence and self-awareness."

* See it now! (790 kbs PDF)
* Download the Warforged Paladin (111 kbs PDF)
* Download the Longtooth Shifter Cleric (112 kbs PDF)

By Chris Sims
Art by Eric Deschamps

4E Eberron, Continued

2008-03-20T21:56:00.000+08:00

So, looking back to the previous post, the topic is simple: Eberron was designed to be a 3E setting, so isn't it just a better idea to run it in 3E? Why would you change?

YOU may decide not to change. Again, I'm not some sort of WotC shill here. You may not like 4E. As it turns out, I do - not just as a system, but specifically as a system for Eberron. And that's the point of these posts: to explain why I think it actually works as well (or even better) for Eberron than 3E. The downsides are obvious; you can't use all the crunch from your old books, psionics won't be in place from day one, and who knows how quickly DDI will provide support for other unique features of the setting. So given that, why have I already jumped ship to the new system?

Last post I talked about the first basic principle: 4E embraces the idea that PCs are special. Action points are part of the core rules. PCs feel like tough and capable individuals from level one. NPCs follow their own rules; you don't have to have the bartender be a tenth level character just because you want him to have a good Insight score. All of this fits with my original idea of Eberron. It's easier to make a first-level character feel like Indiana Jones than it was before.

Point number two is one I have to approach with caution, because it's something that hasn't been fully revealed. And that's magic. The core, original idea of Eberron was that arcane magic was essentially a form of science - and that as a science, it ought to be incorporated into society over time and used to provide the basic services we've developed with technology: transportation, medicine, communication, entertainment, warfare, and so on. And we did the best we could, using dragonshard focus items and magewrights. The problem is that Vancian magic really doesn't lend itself to this principle. The concept is that the streets of the cities of Khorvaire are lit by continual flame. But when a magewright specializing in this spell can still only cast it once or twice a day, how many weeks will it take him to light Main Street? What does he do for the rest of the day after casting the spells? We just went ahead with it, saying that the most critical functions were provided by reusable magic items (like the Sivis speaking stones). But it wasn't really what I wanted - a world in which magewright could be a true occupation, not something where you could blow your professional specialty in five minutes.

Here's where I really can't reveal anything, because if someone official hasn't already explained how it works, I sure shouldn't be spilling the beans. However, I will say that the way non-combat magic (rituals) work creates a far stronger foundation for a magical economy than Vancian magic did. It's a system where it's clear how that lamplighter can put in a full day of work, as opposed to burning out his power with a single spell. So again, Eberron was founded on 3E, and the idea that magic was a force that followed logical patterns, that could be reliably controled by formula and ritual, and which could be taught - but Vancian magic always put some limits on the logic of a truly magical society. The rules for rituals make the idea of a professional, full-time magewright a simple and logical idea - and in fact, the system is such that it doesn't even require the existence of a separate magewright class.

More still to come!

by Keith Baker

4E in Eberron, Continued

2008-03-18T21:55:00.000+08:00

Hey all. I've been holding off on posting in the hopes that more information about 4E would come out; some of the topics I'd like to address are still under the table, and so I can't talk about them yet. Still, I'll just deal with it as best I can.

In the past, I've talked about whether you'll be able to convert your Eberron campaign to 4E prior to the release of a 4E ECS in 2009. For those you who missed it, my answer is yes. Between coverage of Eberron races in the MM and DDI support, you won't have EVERYTHING you'll get in the 4E ECS (otherwise, why would you need it?), but I'm confident that you'll have enough to run a basic Eberron game, even if there may be a few gaps you have to work around.

With that said... why would you? Eberron was a campaign setting designed for 3E, right? So doesn't it stand to reason that 3E should be the best system for running Eberron? Is there any compelling reason to rush to switch your game to 4E... or to ever run a 4E Eberron campaign?

Your mileage may vary. I'm not going to say 4E is going to be all games to all people. But the fact of the matter is that I not only prefer it as a system, I feel that it's a BETTER system for the Eberron setting than 3E - that it plays to things that I consider fundamental themes of the Eberron Campaign Setting. Like what? Well, let's take a look.

Player characters are heroes. In Eberron, we pushed for this. We gave PCs action points. We suggested that most NPCs use NPC classes. But there was still an underlying philosophy that NPCs followed the same rules as PCs. Not so in 4E.

To begin with, action points are now part of the core rules. They aren't the same APs you're familiar with; the core effect is that you can spend an action point once per encounter to take an extra standard action, which is great for performing that vital heroic deed at the critical moment (or letting the rogue feint and strike in one rogue to get in the final blow). In the long run, action point effects are tied into every class, giving each character unique ways to use his action points. Beyond this, action points are no longer "You only get them when you go up a level". The system actually encourages you NOT to hoard them - and again, this means that PCs are heroes capable of performing amazing deeds when the stakes are high. When you just NEED to do that triple move to get across the collapsing bridge, use that action point!

Beyond this, characters are strong and capable straight from first level. In 3E D&D, a first level character stands a decent chance of being rendered unconscious by one successful attack. A first level wizard stands a decent chance of being rendered unconscious if someone sneezes on him. And that wizard can cast one, maybe two magic missiles per day before he needs to go rest. It's hard to start like this and feel like you're Indiana Jones, or a hardened war veteran. Especially when after you kill a few goblins, your hit points and BAB double. If that's all it took, why didn't your war experience get you to that point?

By comparison, 4E characters begin tougher and progress a little more slowly. By the time you're fifth level, you may have doubled your hit points as opposed to quintupling them. But at first level you can take a few hits, and as that wizard you can always throw a magic missile (even if you need to catch your breath for a few minutes between casting your really impressive spells). You've got more options and abilities... it's easier to imagine that you are Indiana Jones, or Daine, early on - as opposed to feeling like an apprentice waiting to kill a goblin or to to get that "Ding".

And while player characters are tougher, NPCs are just as tough as the DM wants them to be. If I want to make an NPC who's a 7th-level rogue, I will. But if I want to make a healer who simply has a +12 Heal check and 10 hit points... I'll do exactly that. I don't need to say "OK, to have a +12 heal check he'll need to be a 6th level expert... hmm, and that means he'll also have 6d6 hit points and 5 other skills at +9 as well..." (though OK, he could get Skill Focus to reduce his level... but then he needs Skill Focus, and while we're at it, what are his other feats?) Even though NPC classes were generally inferior to PC classes, they still followed the same rules. One skill rank per level. One hit die per level. High skill ranks means high hit dice, multiple feats, and potentially a decent BAB. Here, if I want the bartender to have a great Insight skill and that's all, that's what he's got.

The "PCs are special" comes out in other ways. I don't know if this has been mentioned, but I don't imagine it's a vital thing, and it's one of my favorite points: Raise Dead. In 4E, it's specifically called out that you can't raise most people from the dead. By and large, when the fates cut your thread, it's over - you are sent to whatever your final fate may be. You can only be raised if you still have an unfulfilled destiny - and as it turns out, that's something most PCs (and presumably, many major villains) happen to have. This is a HUGE thing for me in terms of dealing with the logical impact of raise dead on a civilization. I've always been bothered by the basic issue of "If raise dead exists, how do wealthy people ever die of anything except old age?" 4E gives the answer: raise dead is a divine gift that can only call back those touched by destiny; while when King Jarot is assassinated, that IS destiny. Bringing him back simply isn't an option. (Bear in mind: I'm paraphrasing, and nothing here is a direct quote from the rules!)

So to summarize, PCs feel heroic from the very begining; you'll get tougher and cooler as you advance, but right from the start you've got a range of interesting options and the ability to go a few rounds without worrying about being knocked out by a single punch. Action points are incorporated into the core system and allow for more dramatic action than they do by the 3E ECS. And PCs and NPCs don't have to play by the same rules, which further allows PCs to stand out.

Now, this is just ONE reason I like Eberron in 4E. I've got a list, and my original plan was to squeeze it all into one post. However, given how long this has run, I'm going to break it into multiple posts - look for part two later this week!

And just to head off this sort of comment before it comes up: I'm sure there are going to people out there who hear my positive tone and say "Keith's just being a shill for WotC." Perhaps you think I'm afraid to speak my mind in case they won't hire me if I do. If you believe this, I don't know that anything I say will change your mind. But I'll just say this again: 4E isn't perfect. I'm sure there will be people who prefer 3E, or 2E, or GURPS. I'm not trying to say "4E is the holy grail of gaming! Never before has there been such a wondrous system, and never will we see it's like again!" But the fact of the matter is that I am enjoying the heck out of it. If I sound enthusiastic, it's because I AM enthusiastic. I just ran a game last night and I am already impatient to get the next session going. I'm not a WotC employee, I don't have a financial stake in 4E, and I have absolutely no reason to lie to help WotC sell 4E books. And if people want to keep running Eberron in 3.5, that doesn't hurt me in any way. I just want to share my personal experience of running Eberron in 4E. And so far, that experience is that I'm having a blast.

Anyhow, more to come soon!

by Keith Baker

Eberron and Fourth Edition

2008-03-03T22:54:00.000+08:00

So. Fourth Edition comes out in June. A dedicated 4E Eberron sourcebook won't be out until sometime in 2009. So what do you do?

Well, one obvious answer is to keep using 3.5. You may want to do that anyway; I'm NOT promising that everyone will prefer fourth edition to third. However, *I* do, and besides, if you're going to stick with third you don't need help from me. So, if you want to switch to running an Eberron campaign in June, how hard is it going to be?

It's not as bad as you might think. As was revealed at the DDXP, most of the races that play a significant role in Khorvaire - changeling, shifter, warforged, gnome - get a solid "How to use these as PCs" treatment in the Monster Manual. My Eberron groups currently include a gnome, a shifter, and two changelings. These races don't get quite as many racial options (feats, etc) from the get-go as those covered in the PHB, and that's the sort of thing you can expect to see in a 4E ECS. But they are certainly completely viable as PCs straight out of the MM. Beyond that, DDI is going to be providing some level of support; I know there's an article on the Warforged coming out in May, and I expect that to provide the same sort of options the PHB races get.

So in terms of basic mechanics and races, you're good to go. But things you'll definitely be missing off the bat are dragonmarks, the artificer, psionics, and the kalashtar. It's POSSIBLE that one or more of these will get coverage in DDI, but I'm not in a position to set odds on that.

With this in mind, you have a few options. I went ahead and whipped up my own version of the kalashtar and least dragonmarks to fill the gap; as a result, I do have a Lyrandar heir in one of my groups. However, in lieu of making house rules or getting DDI support, your best bet is to set these things aside. "But what about my kalashtar artificer?" you say. Well, the first thing I'd advise is that you start a new campaign. If you want to switch over, don't try to do it mid-story. Get to a good stopping point in your 3E campaign and then create an entirely new party of 4E characters. Among other things, low-level play is very different in 4E than in 3E, and you should really give it a try.

I know this may not be what you want to hear. "I've been building a story for two years - now you want me to drop it?" What I'm suggesting is that you put it on hold until you have access to the 4E ECS and have a better chance of a proper conversion. For that matter, you could continue to run that story in 3E while ALSO running a new story in 4E. But consider 4E as an opportunity to try something completely different. Here's your chance to play the all-goblinoid party - the strike force of the Kech Volaar seeking to recover artifacts from the Empire of Dhakaan, to battle the cults of the Dragon Below and engage in military and political conflict with the Kech Sharaat and Lhesh Haruuc. Start a group of adventurers in the Lhazaar Principalities - the gnome warlock from Lorghalen, the changeling rogue from the Gray Tide, the Cloudreaver dwarf fighter, Bloodsail elf wizard, and cleric from the Heavenly Fleet, who have banded together to defeat an evil prince and lay claim to his fiefdom. Try playing Ghaash'kala orcs holding the Labyrinth against the barbarians and fiends of the Demon Wastes. A team of Dark Lanterns of the Citadel, fighting on the front lines of the cold war. All of these could be easily done... and none of them require an artificer, kalashtar, or psionics (though that Dark Lantern team could certainly use some of them!).

Now, artificers, dragonmarks, and psionics aren't going anywhere. All of these things are integral parts of the setting. But you can still have the flavor of the setting even if no PC has access to these things. Don't pretend that artificers aren't there. You can go ahead and use the dragonmarked houses as patrons and story hooks. It just happens that no PLAYER can be a warforged artificer (yet). Again, there's so many possibilities that you can now explore (like the paladin of the Blood of Vol in one of my games) that I believe you can work around these things. As a DM, it's a matter of saying "OK, if psionics aren't in yet, I'll use the Aurum instead of the Dreaming Dark" - it doesn't mean that the Dreaming Dark is GONE, just that you shouldn't make it the basis of your story... yet.

Personally, I'm using Stormreach as the basis for my campaign. I like Stormreach because it's a relatively small town on the edge of the world, close to uncharted lands and even more dangerous than Sharn. It's a place where adventurers can quickly make a mark, because you don't have the established forces of Morgrave, the Citadel, or the like. Beyond this, the City of Stormreach sourcebook says it's going to have 4E support when the rules come out. Now, before someone says "We can't trust anything you say!" I'll point out that I don't actually get royalties from the sale of sourcebooks, so this isn't some ploy to try to get you to rush out and buy CoS (for all that I'm happy with the book). However, if DDI does come through with the promised 4E support, it could be one of the easier places to use.

So in conclusion, if you want to continue the story exactly as you're running it, or if you're set on playing your kalashtar psion or Cannith artificer, you may have to stick with 3E for now. But if you're willing to start a new story and try something new - avoiding the early potholes of psionics, dragonmarks, and artificers - you should be able to start a 4E Eberron campaign right away.

Next I'll talk about why I've done just that - why *I* like running Eberron in 4E. Again, I'm not promising that everyone will like 4E; it's not the magic ultimate system. But I think that it is a good system for Eberron, and next time around I'll tell you why.

by Keith Baker

More Thoughts on Fourth Edition

2008-02-29T22:51:00.000+08:00

With DDXP in full swing, there's lots of news about Fourth Edition Dungeons & Dragons on the net this week. I just read the first part of a fairly extensive review of the system, posted by a playtester at aintitcool . He's already said much of what I'd say, so I'll refrain from discussing the system itself it too much detail. But I do want to highlight a few points.

First, Massawyrm - the aintitcool reviewer - makes a critical point. Simple doesn't mean stupid. 4E D&D has simplified many things, and these systems will as a result be more accessible to a wider audience. But this doesn't mean that they have somehow sacrificed quality in the process. They've simply improved the systems. There's nothing admirable about being clunky or esoteric. When I was running a game for a friend and his kids yesterday, I thought "Damn! I wish I could run 4E!" And part of this WAS because I knew that the kids would have a far easier time with it. But it wouldn't have simply been a sacrifice made to cater to the children; I'm enjoying 4E more that third.

A second thing I've heard is that 4E is somehow a copy of World of Warcraft. To set my credentials on the table, I've not only been playing D&D for almost 30 years, I've spent 7 years designing massively multiplayer computer games (MMOs). So, is there a basis for these accusations? Certainly. There are basic principles in 4E that are reflected in MMOs. The most obvious of these is the concept of character roles. Defining the fighter as the "guardian" and the rogue as the "striker" is a obvious parallel to the role of these classes in WoW. The rogue deals more damage than the fighter, but can't absorb as much. The fighter is the tank, and specializes in drawing attacks away from his allies. And the 4E fighter has abilities that allow him to do just that - encourage enemies to face him instead of his teammates.

But does that make 4E D&D a clone of WoW? Does it make the experience of playing 4E just like playing WoW? Does it sacrifice the inherent experience of D&D? In my opinion, the answer is no on all counts. Combat in WoW is a real-time experience set against foes driven by AI routines. If you REALLY wanted to make a WoW clone, you'd give the DM instructions along the following lines: "Keep track of the amount of damage each player inflicts on the monster. Any concombat spell such as healing or summoning will be given an equivalent damage value. The monster will always attack the player who has inflicted the most damage on it. The attacks of a fighter are considered to inflict double damage only for this purpose, and his taunt ability adds an immediate thirty points to his threat value."... or something like that. Decision making would be taken out of the DM's hands, and you'd ignore the tactics of the situation.

Scaling it back slightly, you could simply give the fighter an ability that said "Taunt: Target must make a Will saving throw. If he fails, he must attack the fighter." More D&D, perhaps, but equally hamfisted.

Fourth Edition doesn't do either of these. Instead, it gives the guardian classes tools that hinder or harm the target if he chooses to ignore the fighter. It creates a tactical situation - something more complex than you will typically see in the real-time combat of WoW. As DM, I get to decide: is the monster going to turn against the fighter in response to his efforts? Or will he still attack the wizard, in spite of the consequences he'll suffer as a result?

So 4E D&D does draw INSPIRATION from the MMOs, in saying "Let's provide the fighter with a way to actively defend his allies - a way to protect the low hit-point/AC wizard BEYOND simply whacking the guy with a sharp piece of metal." As someone who has always enjoyed playing fighters, I think this is great. I still have my high AC, my high hit points, my high strength, my excellent weapon selection, and the ability to deal decent damage. I haven't been stripped of the basic things that have always defined fighters in D&D. But I have been given new abilities that expand what I am capable of... that allow me to defend my allies even while smashing my foes.

Games evolve, and that's what's happening here. In my years working on MMOs, I always looked to my experiences with pen-and-paper RPGs and live roleplaying for ways to add depth of story to the MMO experience. You couldn't simply transfer the pen-and-paper game to the computer and expect it to work perfectly; they're completely different mediums. But there are lessons to be learned, ideas we can try. And that's what's been done here, in reverse. 4E isn't simply World of Warcraft ripped from the computer and played at the table, because WoW wasn't designed for that. But it does draw inspiration from MMOs, looking at the ideas that have evolved over the course of a decade of MMO development and seeing if there's anything there that could enhance the traditional pen-and-paper experience. And for what it's worth, so far I love the result. The action of the game is fast and fun. It's something I wish I could share with more of my friends, and I look forward to having the chance to play instead of just DMing!

Next time around I'll talk about some of the issues facing Eberron in 4E... but I think that's enough for now!

by Keith Baker

Adventurer's Vault 2

2008-02-08T12:00:00.000+08:00

Divine Power

2008-02-07T11:57:00.000+08:00

Eberron Player's Guide

2008-02-07T11:56:00.000+08:00

Eberron Campaign Guide

2008-02-06T11:53:00.000+08:00

Monster Manual 2

2008-02-05T11:52:00.000+08:00

Arcane Power

2008-02-04T11:51:00.000+08:00

Player's Handbook II

2008-02-03T11:43:00.001+08:00

Martial Power

2008-01-11T11:43:00.000+08:00

New options for fighters, rangers, rogues, and warlords.

Martial Power is the first of a line of player-friendly supplements offering hundreds of new options for D&D characters. This tome focuses on the martial heroes: characters that rely on their combat talents and keen wits for survival.

This book provides new archetypal builds for the fighter, ranger, rogue, and warlord classes, including new character powers, feats, paragon paths, and epic destinies.

Forgeotten Realms Player's Guide

2008-01-09T11:42:00.000+08:00

The complete guide for building Forgotten Realms characters!

Welcome to Faerûn, a land of amazing magic, terrifying monsters, ancient ruins, and hidden wonders. The world has changed since the Spellplague, and from this arcane crucible have emerged shining kingdoms, tyrannical empires, mighty heroes, and monster-infested dungeons.

The Forgotten Realms Player’s Guide presents this changed world from the point of view of the adventurers exploring it. This product includes everything a player needs to create his character for a D&D campaign in the Forgotten Realms setting, including new feats, new character powers, new paragon paths and epic destinies, and even a brand-new character class never before seen in D&D: the swordmage!

Adventurer's Vault

2008-01-09T11:41:00.000+08:00

Hundreds of new weapons, tools, and magic items for your D&D character.

This supplement for the Dungeons & Dragons game presents nearly a thousand magic items, weapons, tools, and other useful items for your D&D character. Whether you’re a player looking for a new piece of equipment or a Dungeon Master stocking a dragon’s hoard, this book has exactly what you need.

The book features a mix of classic items updated to the 4th Edition rules and brand-new items never before seen in D&D.

Monster Manual

2008-01-06T11:40:00.000+08:00

The third of three core rulebooks for the 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game.

The Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game has defined the medieval fantasy genre and the tabletop RPG industry for more than 30 years. In the D&D game, players create characters that band together to explore dungeons, slay monsters, and find treasure. The 4th Edition D&D rules offer the best possible play experience by presenting exciting character options, an elegant and robust rules system, and handy storytelling tools for the Dungeon Master.

The Monster Manual presents more than 300 official Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game monsters for all levels of play, from aboleth to zombie. Each monster is illustrated and comes with complete game statistics and tips for the Dungeon Master on how best to use the monster in D&D encounters.

Core Rulebook: The Monster Manual is the third of three core rulebooks required to play the Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game.

Quick and easy play: The improved page layout and presentation enables novice and established players to learn and understand the new D&D rules quickly.

D&D Insider: The Monster Manual will receive enhanced online support at www.dndinsider.com.

Dungeon Master's Guide

2008-01-06T11:39:00.000+08:00

The second of three core rulebooks for the 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game.

The Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game has defined the medieval fantasy genre and the tabletop RPG industry for more than 30 years. In the D&D game, players create characters that band together to explore dungeons, slay monsters, and find treasure. The 4th Edition D&D rules offer the best possible play experience by presenting exciting character options, an elegant and robust rules system, and handy storytelling tools for the Dungeon Master.

The Dungeon Master’s Guide gives the Dungeon Master helpful tools to build exciting encounters, adventures, and campaigns for the 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game, as well as advice for running great game sessions, ready-to-use traps and non-player characters, and more. In addition, it presents a fully detailed town that can serve as a starting point for any D&D game.

Core Rulebook: The Dungeon Master’s Guide is the second of three core rulebooks required to play the Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game.

Quick and easy play: The improved page layout and presentation enables novice and established players to learn and understand the new D&D rules quickly.

D&D Insider: The Dungeon Master’s Guide will receive enhanced online support at www.dndinsider.com.

Player's Handbook

2008-01-06T11:37:00.000+08:00

The first of three core rulebooks for the 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game.

The Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game has defined the medieval fantasy genre and the tabletop RPG industry for more than 30 years. In the D&D game, players create characters that band together to explore dungeons, slay monsters, and find treasure. The 4th Edition D&D rules offer the best possible play experience by presenting exciting character options, an elegant and robust rules system, and handy storytelling tools for the Dungeon Master.

The Player’s Handbook presents the official Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game rules as well as everything a player needs to create D&D characters worthy of song and legend: new character races, base classes, paragon paths, epic destinies, powers, magic items, weapons, armor, and much more.

Core Rulebook: The Player’s Handbook is the first of three core rulebooks required to play the 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game.

Quick and easy play: The improved page layout and presentation enables new and established players to understand and learn the 4th Edition D&D rules quickly.

D&D Insider: The Player’s Handbook will receive enhanced online support at www.dndinsider.com.

Children of Wayfinder

2008-01-01T23:57:00.000+08:00

So what is Children of Wayfinder?

Children of Wayfinder is the proposed paragon level Eberron 4e for the rpgdlsu game. The concept is that each of the 6th level 4e characters have been adopted and trained by Lord Boroman ir’Dayne, the halfing founder of the Wayfinder Foundation.

The idea is that the characters are treasure hunters and explorers much like when the Lord Boroman was young and able. With the Foundation's founder funding them, such characters have access to whatever equipment they would need and would have contacts to most places in Eberron.

A side function of the site is to collect as much info on 4e Eberron until the official books come out in 2009.

Heroes of Battle, Part Two

2005-09-05T21:58:00.001+08:00

Prestige Classes

Heroes of Battle presents four new prestige classes. While these classes could be found anywhere in Eberron, there are a few cultures that are especially well-suited to these classes.

Combat Medic. During the Last War, Thrane had the largest force of characters with levels in the combat medic PrC. Aside from its strong reliance on divine magic to bolster its troops, the ministry of the Silver Flame fights evil by merciful acts, and many members of the ministry are trained in the healing arts. In the armies of other nations, combat medics are usually agents of House Jorasco. The House of Healing maintains a corps of healers and combat medics, and many nations rely on these mercenary agents of mercy. Other combat medics are usually devotees of Boldrei, Olladra, or the Silver Flame. Even during the Last War, followers of the Flame were found throughout the Five Nations; many placed national loyalty before allegiance to Flamekeep.

Dread Commando. These soldiers can be found in any army, but the best known commando units are those of the Valenar elves and goblinoids of Darguun. Dread commandos are trained to be stealthy even while armored, making them excellent shock troops. Stealth is one of the primary weapons of the Valenar; while the elves are known for their terrifying cavalry charges, a small warband will often use guerilla tactics to defeat an enemy, striking with patience and precision. Valenar commandos usually begin as rangers or scouts.

In Darguun, all of the different races have their own dread commando traditions. Among the Dhakaani goblins, the taarka'khesh rangers frequently take two levels of dread commando to offset the penalties of armor. Goblin legends say that the Dhakaani emperor maintained a squad of elite warriors known as the Kech Nasaar, "Keepers of Night." The Kech Nasaar heroes possessed four or more levels of dread commando and wore full plate enchanted with the shadow and silent moves properties. They have not been seen since the fall of the empire, but some goblins say that the Kech Nasaar are watching in the shadows, waiting to stake their claim to the new throne.

Legendary Leader. Aundair has more war wizards than any other nation, Thrane has more paladins, clerics, and adepts than its neighbors, and Karrnath supplements its military might with necromancy. Breland relies on the skill and courage of its leaders to overcome these obstacles. Karrnath may be home to the Rekkenmark Academy, but many of the most innovative commanders of the war emerged from Breland, and their charisma and cunning often enabled their armies to victory against seemingly superior foes. While many of these heroes were slain over the course of the last century, Breland is still a land of legends. A DM using Heroes of Battle may want to modify the class levels of notable Brelish leaders to include a few levels in this PrC. Thus you could end up with King Boranel (CG male human aristocrat 2/fighter 5/legendary leader 3) or Handan Dol (LN male dwarf fighter 5/warrior 6/legendary leader 5). Handan Dol is the commander of the Redcloak Battalion in Sharn, City of Towers.

While Breland is renowned for its legendary leaders, every nation has its heroes. Next to Breland, Valenar is probably the most likely place to find members of this class, but all of the armies of the Five Nations had a legendary leader or two -- though many fell in battle.

War Weaver. The mystical tradition of the war weaver can be traced back to the elves of Aerenal. The Aereni know as much about life as they do about death, and they were the first to discover the technique of weaving threads of life together to benefit from a single spell. The Arcane Congress devoted considerable effort to replicating this technique, but it took the Last War to produce the breakthrough that brought war weaving to Aundair. By now, the other nations may have duplicated the techniques the Aundairians have been using against them. Or perhaps this task will fall to a party of adventurers: finding a way to steal the secrets of war weaving on behalf of Breland or Karrnath!

Fun with Warriors

While prestige classes are well and good, one of the principles of the Eberron Campaign Setting is that most NPCs use NPC classes, and are relatively low level. As a result, the armies of Khorvaire shouldn't be brimming with dread commandos, and legendary leaders really should be legendary. However, Heroes of Battle introduces a few feats that can add color to armies comprised primarily of warriors.

Guerilla Warrior and Guerilla Scout are excellent feats for creating a more versatile squad of warriors. These feats are especially appropriate for characters from the Eldeen Reaches, Shadow Marches, or Talenta Plains. You don't want to make the halfling a full rogue, but you want him to be sneakier than his Brelish counterparts? Make him a warrior with the Guerilla Warrior feat, wearing light armor and with maximum ranks in Hide and Move Silently.

Shield Wall and Coordinated Shot are ways to make masses of warriors more of a challenge for higher level opponents. Archers with the Ready Shot feat can also prove an unpleasant surprise to the half-orc barbarian used to charging his foes!

Choosing a War

So: you've decided to run a military adventure in Eberron. But where? And when? War has shaped the history of Eberron, and there are a host of battles to choose from.

The Last War

The conflict that has the greatest impact on the lives of most of the people of modern Khorvaire is the civil war that shattered the nation of Galifar, a century-long campaign optimistically known as the Last War.

When generating a campaign around the Last War, it is important to establish the goals. Are you exploring the very beginning of the war? Or the end? Is this a campaign of its own, or is it the prologue to an adventure set in the postwar era?

Building a war campaign as a bridge leading into a more traditional series of adventures set after the war is an excellent tool for bringing characters together and establishing them as adventurers in the modern age. After a few missions on the battlefield, adventurers can emerge as 3rd or 4th-level characters -- ready to tackle more powerful dungeons or challenges in the world beyond the war. The experience can also provide them with important connections to NPCs. An old war buddy might need a helping hand. A former commander could hire the party for dangerous work based on her knowledge of their skills. An enemy soldier could be met in the neutral ground of an inn -- do the characters still hold a grudge? Even their actions in the war could form the basis for future adventures. In one of their early missions, the heroes must help secure a stockpile of gold in the vaults of Metrol. After the Mourning, they are among the only people who know the location of the vault -- can they lead an expedition into the Mournland to recover the gold? And what if it's already been seized by the Lord of Blades?

A full history of the Last War is sadly beyond the scope of this article. A few of the major battles are mentions in the Eberron Campaign Setting and The Five Nations, and others will be described over the course of time. For now, look at the map, choose your battlefields and combatants, and build from there. All of the nations fought each other at one point or another, and each nation had its own flavor on the field of battle. While all of the Five Nations used magic, Aundair made the greatest use of arcane magic, while Thrane had strong divine support from the Church of the Silver Flame. Karrnath combined grim discipline with the power of necromancy. Cyre made extensive use of mercenaries in the early stages of the war, and used the greatest number of warforged troops towards the end of it. And Breland relied on its clever generals and industrial capability, outmatching its enemies' abilities in the production of siege engines and other mundane tools of war. Chapter Two and Chapter Three of Heroes of Battle presents a host of ideas for adventures and battlefield encounters. Choose your sides, and make sure that the forces involved reflect the nature of each nation involved; between the Eberron Campaign Setting book and Heroes of Battle, you should have all the tools you need.

The Lycanthropic Purge

In 832 YK, the Church of the Silver Flame responded to the pleas of the people of Western Aundair and Breland. These regions were under attack by waves of shapeshifters -- packs of savage werewolves and cunning wererats, who were carving a swath of death and infection across western Khorvaire. This was the beginning of the Lycanthropic Purge, which started as a war against these vicious killers but ultimately resulted in the virtual extinction of all lycanthropes.

The Lycanthropic Purge can be an interesting backdrop for adventure, regardless of which side the party chooses to explore. In the early stage of the conflict, players could assume the roles of Silver Flame templars protecting an Aundairian village against an anticipated onslaught: but will the lycanthropes rely on brute force, or seek to infiltrate and infect from within? A higher level party could lead a force against a shapeshifter stronghold deep in the Eldeen Reaches, fighting both lycanthropes and the beasts they control through their empathic abilities. Alternately, players could assume the role of shifters or noble lycanthropes caught in a region under siege by Silver Puritans. Can they find a way to break through the enemy lines and lead any innocents to the gates of Lamannia?

For the most part, the Purge is a struggle between the discipline and divine magic of the Silver Flame and the raw power of the lycanthropes. The shapeshifters' ability to hide among humanity and to swell their ranks through infection adds to the challenge of the battles.

The Battles of the Future

No one won the Last War. The conflict was brought to an abrupt halt by the terrible destruction of the Mourning. The nature of the Mourning remains a mystery, and for the moment no nation dares to fully return to the field of battle until the threat of the Mourning has been laid to rest.

But tensions remain -- and the war is not truly over. The Valenar elves still battle the Darguuls in the Mournland, and cross blades with the Karrns in the Talenta Plains. The lords of Aundair eye the Eldeen Reaches with covetous eyes. The survivors of Cyre seek a new land to replace their lost kingdom. The Thranes still despise the Karrns, and the feeling is mutual.

These struggles could be a temporary distraction from the normal events of a campaign, or they could be the focus of it. Perhaps the party are members of a Valenar warband, and they are traveling the east in search of glory for their ancestors, joining in any battle they can find. Maybe they are Karrns stationed at Fort Bones, fighting elf and halfling raiders while dealing with the internal conflicts between the soldiers loyal to King Kaius and those who favor the Emerald Claw. Perhaps they are Dhakaani goblins, engaged in full-scale wars with the other Kech clans to determine the future of the empire. Or maybe the Treaty of Thronehold finally breaks and the heroes must take sides as the remnants of the Five Nations return to the war for the Kingdom of Galifar.

The advantage of these modern-day conflicts is that players don't know the outcome. In a campaign based in the Last War, the players know that it will eventually come to an end with the Treaty of Thronehold. If the battles begin again, the outcome is a mystery. Will one nation finally seize regain control of the old kingdom? Or will the Mourning come again? Are these the final days of Eberron?

This ideas are just the beginning. Adventurers could explore the ancient war between dragons and rakshasa, or the elven rebellion against the giants. They could take the role of the orcish Gatekeepers fighting against the horrors of Xoriat, or the dragonmarked houses battling the aberrant forces of Lord Halas Tarkanan during the War of the Mark. Conflict is part of the foundation of Eberron -- and Heroes of Battle gives you everything you need to set these adventures in motion!

By Keith Baker

©1995-2008 Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Heroes of Battle, Part One

2005-07-25T21:52:00.001+08:00

Overview: Armed Conflict in Eberron

A Valenar warband crests the hill. A shiver runs through your comrades-at-arms when they recognize the banner of Caelys Drynn, the cavalry commander who led the charge at the Redoak Bridge. The sound of singing drifts down the slope as the enemy troops, who obviously adore their leader, begin to sing the praises of Drynn and his ancestors. Then a flight of arrows fills the air, and the elves begin the charge.

As the rain of missiles fills the sky, you feel the touch of magic, and the shafts scatter and split. Your commander, Jila ir'Catar, calls on the war wizards to hold their ground. Jila has never lost a battle, and her reputation gives you confidence. Now the first wave of cavalry draws near, and you prepare to shield the nearest wizard with your body if need be. Right now, his magic is worth far more than your steel.

Heroes of Battle introduces a variety of optional rules systems that can help you bring war stories such as the one above to a fantasy world. Using these guidelines, a commander can hone his talents to perfect a certain style of combat, and small military units -- such as parties of adventurers -- can learn special techniques that provide invaluable benefits in battle. In addition, the book contains rules for siege engines, morale, aerial bombardment, and more. All in all, the various systems described in Heroes of Battle help to differentiate the forces of various nations and add color to combat.

The narration above describes the moment when the great cavalry commander Caelys Drynn (N male elf fighter 6/legendary leader 4) joins battle with the troops of Jila ir'Catar of Aundair (LN female human wizard 5/war weaver 5). Drynn's deeds are an inspiration to his troops, and his image is further bolstered by his elf commander aura (Heroes of Battle, page 76) and his levels in the legendary leader prestige class (Heroes of Battle, page 108). Drynn also has the Mounted Mobility feat (Heroes of Battle, page 98) and has trained his personal warband in the heavy cavalry teamwork technique (Heroes of Battle, page 117). These advantages have allowed him to overrun many foes.

But the Valenar commander may have met his match in Jila ir'Catar. Her war weaving ability lets her spread her spells across multiple units, her spellslinging commander aura enhances the firepower of her wizards, and her spellcaster guardian teamwork benefit helps her soldiers shield the weaker wizards. Jila may not be a legendary leader, but her Inspirational Leadership feat helps her troops maintain their morale in the face of danger.

Caelys Drynn and Jila ir'Catar are just two examples of characters that can be created using the new rules in Heroes of Battle. Little adaptation is required to use this book in an Eberron campaign, since using the material presented is largely a matter of common sense. A Karrn captain is more likely to be a necromantic commander than a deathslayer commander, and a House Vadalis beast squad might have an animal commander or a feral commander.

In this article and the next one, we will examine ways to adapt specific material from Heroes of Battle to the Eberron Campaign Setting. We'll also consider some possible scenarios for military campaigns in the world of Eberron.

Battle Magic

Arcane magic has been part of daily life in Khorvaire for many an age. Thus, it's reasonable to assume that during a century of warfare, the various nations would devise deadly spells and other tools of war. Nearly all the spells and items presented in Heroes of Battle have logical places in Eberron, but you as Dungeon Master must decide whether this magic is available to all characters, or whether its secrets are known only to a few nations. The latter approach provides interesting plot options for espionage-oriented campaigns. For example, perhaps the Arcane Congress of Aundair wants to unlock the secret of the animate legion spell, but the only way to do so is to send spies into the great temple of Atur! Are your PCs up to the task?

Kinds of Magic

The various spellcasting classes all have their own approaches to battle magic, and a different in-game logic may apply to each. The following sections describe how to best utilize the material presented in Heroes of Battle with each kind of magic in an Eberron campaign.

Druids and Rangers

War is an integral part of the history of Eberron's druids. They were in the thick of the fight during the ancient battle between the Gatekeepers and the daelkyr, and in more modern times, they helped the people of western Aundair secede and join the Eldeen Reaches. The Wardens of the Wood may not possess much in the way of siege equipment, but a few highly mobile units with hurtling stone at their disposal could devastate larger massed forces or slow massive siege engines.

Bards

Although the Dhakaani goblinoids have begun to experiment with the tradition of wizardry, bards have always formed the backbone of the goblinoid magical tradition. The Valenar elves also commonly incorporate bards into their warbands to inspire troops with tales of their heroic ancestors. Because war is so deeply engrained in these two cultures, both hobgoblin and elf bards would logically have access to the military magic presented in Heroes of Battle. It's up to you as DM to decide whether other cultures can also make use of these spells, or whether a Brelish bard would have to travel with the Valenar to master their drums of war spell.

Clerics and Paladins

Technically, clerics can use any spells on the clerical spell list. For the purpose of campaign flavor, however, you may want to restrict certain spells to particular religions, thus placing them between domain spells and general spells in terms of availability. In this latter arrangement, animate legion and desecrate battlefield might be tied to the Blood of Vol, and spiritual cavalry might be limited to the Valenar, the Talenta halflings (who would use it to create dinosaur riders), or a dedicated priest of Dol Arrah. In like manner, early twilight could be a tool of the Shadow, the Blood of Vol, and the Dragon Below. Limiting the availability of divine battlefield spells in this manner can help to create distinct identities and battle strategies for the different armies. For example, anyone who battles Cults of the Dragon Below can expect enemy clerics to blot out the sun, but the Church of the Silver Flame would instead illuminate the sky so that its troops can continue the battle deep into the night.

Introducing new divine spells into a campaign is always tricky for the DM. After all, you're effectively saying, "Hey! There's this new spell that you've always been able to cast and which would have been useful in last night's game, but you've never bothered to prepare it so far!" To help bolster the thin logic of such situations, consider ruling that these spells are lost techniques that the characters must recover before they can use them. If only the Shulassakar know the secrets of drawing consecrate battlefield and battlefield illumination from the Silver Flame, a cleric who wants to cast these spells must first find a Shulassakar mentor. The same kind of logic applies to introducing bard and druid spells as well.

Wizards and Sorcerers

All the spells on the sorcerer/wizard list in Heroes of Battle are useful in mass combat, and all are logical developments of the Last War. The only question is whether any of them are used only by specific nations. As with limiting divine spells by religion, such an arrangement can lead to interesting adventure possibilities and add color to a campaign. For example, if only the Aundairian wizards have developed shrieking blast, characters can recognize their foe as soon as they hear the screams on the border.

My personal suggestions are to restrict both animate legion and early twilight to Karrnath, and to limit battlemagic perception and shrieking blast to Aundair. After all, arcane magic is a mainstay of the armies of Aundair, and battlemagic perception can help their countermages maintain this strategic advantage. The rest of the spells can be accessible to all arcane spellcasters in the Five Nations.

Dragonmarks

Leomund's billet and aerial alarm are excellent matches for the portfolios of the Mark of Hospitality and the Mark of Warding, respectively. Each house should certainly have dragonmarked foci that allow its heirs to produce these effects. If you as DM want to take this concept to extremes, you could restrict Leomund's billet to spellcasters who possess the Mark of Hospitality. Though it's not an actual dragonmarked power, a wizard, sorcerer, or bard would need to have the mark in order to cast the spell. Such an arrangement would provide the House of Hospitality with an important battlefield function, and nations would surely pay good gold for a halfling quartermaster who could produce instant shelter for her troops.

Magic Items

The magic items presented in Chapter Six of Heroes of Battle are all well suited to an Eberron campaign and can be used as templates for creating other magic weapons of war. The gnomes of Zilargo were probably the primary producers of alchemist's stone ammunition and elemental rockshot, but House Cannith could have manufactured magic siege engines and sold them to any nation. Disrupting siege engines played a critical role in Thrane's struggle, while the Order of the Emerald Claw provided Karrnath with necromantic siege engines and banners of the unliving. Blast disks were employed by many of the nations, especially Aundair. In fact, many battlefields still contain unexploded blast disks -- a fact that makes the exploration of the past a very dangerous thing. And while House Jorasco healers couldn't be everywhere at once, the house made a tidy sum on the sales of blessed bandages -- an item to which many old soldiers owe their lives.

Military Honors

In any military force, merit is generally recognized through advancement in rank and by the awarding of decorations. This section details the ranks and decorations available in the armies of the Five Nations.

Ranks

Rank plays an important role in any military campaign. Those used in the armies of the Five Nations are based on the old army of Galifar and are given below in ascending order.

Title Ranking
Soldier 0
Sergeant 1
Lieutenant 2
Captain 3
Major 4
Colonel 5
General 6
Warlord 7

In Karrnath, warlord is also a hereditary title bestowed on the highest-ranking nobles of the land. Those who rise to the top of the military chain receive an additional qualifier. Thus, Karrn General Thauram is also a warlord, but he serves under First Warlord Gruden ir'Erdei, who fills the role of warlord in terms of military rank.

Decorations

Military decorations vary according to nation, and a complete list would require several pages. High-level decorations are often minor magic items designed to protect the honored hero. For example, Breland's greatest champions are often presented with Handan's shroud, a crimson cloak of resistance +1. Lesser decorations, such as the Black Badge of Shadukar or Cyre's Sword of the Southern Front, may be tied to specific battles or campaigns. In like manner, Karrns placed in command of an undead unit earn the right to wear the Skull of Atur.

Other specific decorations will be detailed in future publications as battles are described in greater detail. However, you as DM should feel free to devise your own rewards for victorious heroes.

By Keith Baker

©1995-2008 Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Lords of Madness

2005-07-04T21:50:00.001+08:00

Overview: The Role of Aberrations in Eberron

In Eberron, all aberrations share a common bond. Thousands of years ago, beings known as the daelkyr led an extraplanar incursion into Eberron. True lords of madness, these shapers of flesh brought with them a host of horrors from the plane of Xoriat. As the daelkyr sank their talons into Eberron, they twisted and corrupted any other creatures unfortunate enough to fall into their clutches. Eventually, the shapers of flesh were defeated and sealed in the underworld of Khyber, where they continue to create new terrors even now.

But the daelkyr were not responsible for all of Eberron's aberrations. According to myth, the world was formed from three dragons. Eberron, the Dragon Between, is the source of all natural creatures, and Khyber, the Dragon Below, spawns fiends and aberrations. So while the daelkyr create monsters in the darkness of the underworld, Khyber continues to generate horrors of its own.

Although many aberrations -- including beholders, mind flayers, and grell -- are natives of Xoriat brought to Eberron by the daelkyr, their creature type remains aberration, not outsider. Just as elementals and lycanthropes can be found on Lamannia and fey exist in Thelanis, aberrations have a place in Xoriat.

Except for matters relating to history, the material in Lords of Madness dovetails quite nicely with that in the Eberron books. For example, aboleth tactics, glyphs, and feats can be taken directly from the book, but a DM wishing to use these creatures must decide how they fit into the history of Eberron, Khyber, and Xoriat. The following sections look at each of the chapters in Lords of Madness and suggest ways to adapt the featured aberrations for use in an Eberron campaign.

Aboleths

According to Lords of Madness, the civilization of the aboleths is the most ancient in existence. The memories of these creatures stretch back to a time before time, and they can recall ancient evils that have long since faded from human knowledge. Only a few simple changes are needed to adapt this concept for use in an Eberron campaign.

The mythology of Eberron mentions a war that took place at the dawn of time. Most legends speak of the rakshasas as the first fiends and refer to them as the most ancient enemies of the light. But these creatures were not the only children of Khyber -- the oceans became home to the aboleths at about the same time as the first rakshasas were created. The rakshasas ruled the land, but the aboleths held sway in the deep waters, unknown to all but a few. Both battled dragons and couatls, and in time, both saw the Elder Evils cast down and bound by the Silver Flame. After this defeat, the aboleths retreated to the depths where no dragon could follow them. In the hundreds of millennia since, they have slowly returned, spreading their influence across the world. Now the aboleths wait for the day when the Silver Flame will gutter and die, allowing the Elder Evils to return and claim the world as their own.

If you accept this version of Eberron's history, the aboleths become contemporaries of the Lords of Dust and enemies of the Chamber and the Church of the Silver Flame. The Elder Evils -- those ancient powers bound by the Silver Flame -- are also known as the rakshasa rajahs, though this latter name is simply a title. Eberron's history portrays these overlords as unique spirits with powers far beyond those of any rakshasa, and the Elder Evils detailed in Lords of Madness certainly fill the bill. Thus, they can also serve as the powers behind the Lords of Dust and the Carrion Tribes of the Demon Wastes.

Like the dragons and the rakshasas, the aboleths have the perspective required to study and understand the Draconic Prophecy fully, and they have discovered segments of it hidden in the deep waters. Like the rakshasas, the aboleths seek vengeance against the dragons and intend to twist the path of the Draconic Prophecy. As a result, characters working for the Chamber can easily be drawn into conflict with aboleths and their agents.

Beholders

Beholders served as living artillery during the daelkyr incursion, using the terrible power of their eyes to shatter whole goblin armies. In Eberron, beholders do not reproduce naturally and have not created a culture of their own -- they are simply the immortal servants of the daelkyr. Most continue to serve their masters, commanding subterranean outposts of aberrations or serving as the hidden leaders of various Cults of the Dragon Below. Others lead solitary lives, contemplating mysteries or studying the world. Such lone beholders may manipulate humanoid communities, but their actions are rarely driven by a desire for personal power.

Aside from the material dealing with beholder culture and reproduction, all the information presented in Lords of Madness applies to the beholders of Eberron. Members of the Cults of the Dragon Below believe that these creatures function as the eyes of a greater power. Some insist that they serve Belashyrra, a powerful daelkyr who is also known as the Lord of Eyes. Others claim the beholders are the eyes of Xoriat itself -- that while they serve the daelkyr, they are conduits to a power even greater and more terrible than the shapers of flesh.

Mind Flayers

The mind flayers are the chief servants of the daelkyr. The elder brains may be daelkyr creations, or they may actually be spiritual and physical extensions of the daelkyr. In either case, the elder brains form the backbone of the telepathic network that links the daelkyr together and allows them to monitor their servants.

Eberron is not the first world that the daelkyr have attacked. It is possible that the mind flayers were created when the daelkyr destroyed the native world of the gith races. If so, the githzerai and githyanki are descendants of those few survivors who fled to Kythri and the Astral Plane, while the mind flayers are descended from survivors of the progenitor race who were twisted in the same manner as the dolgaunts and dolgrims.

Neogi

Once, a mighty dwarven empire lay beneath the Ironroot Mountains. The founders of the modern Mror clans were exiles from this kingdom. When their descendants finally returned to the depths, they discovered that their ancestral homeland had been annihilated by the daelkyr long ago. But some traces of that ruined kingdom remain -- and among those remnants are the neogi.

Just as the dolgaunts were created from hobgoblins, the neogi were created from dwarves. Though the neogi bear no physical resemblance to their predecessor race, the greed that burns at the heart of the dwarven psyche remains, driving the neogi to consume and control.

Until recently, the neogi were only a legend. Perhaps they had slumbered for a time and were finally awakened when dwarf explorers ventured too far into the depths of the Ironroot Mountains. Now, however, the neogi can appear anywhere in northwestern Khorvaire. Their tunnels stretch far from the Ironroots, and neogi raiders have been encountered in the Lhazaar Principalities, Karrnath, and the Talenta Plains.

Although the neogi are surely daelkyr creations, they have no direct tie to the lords of Xoriat in the present day. Thus, the neogi culture from Lords of Madness is usable as is, except that neogi ships do not travel between worlds. It is quite possible, however, that the daelkyr possess an as-yet-unrevealed ability to control the neogi. If so, the slavers may someday be quite surprised to realize that they are slaves themselves.

Grell

Grell are vicious predators driven by their disturbing appetites. Unlike many of Eberron's other aberrations, these natives of Xoriat were not introduced by the daelkyr. Rather, they drifted into the world through the soft spaces that existed between the planes in the time before the Gatekeepers raised their seals.

All of the material on grell in Lords of Madness can be used as is except one item: The grell of Eberron possesses damage reduction 5/byeshk.

Tsochar

The daelkyr are infamous for their use of symbionts and grafts, so it comes as no surprise that the shapers of flesh were also responsible for the tsochar -- parasitical creatures that can enslave or destroy the beings they inhabit. The tsochar are living weapons that the daelkyr release whenever they invade a world. Once freed, the creatures spread out to infiltrate the native species and steal the arcane knowledge of any creatures that might threaten the forces of Xoriat.

The tsochar are deeply religious, but in Eberron, they give their devotion to the daelkyr and the powers of Xoriat rather than to Mak Thuum Ngatha. Tsochar are often associated with the Cults of the Dragon Below, and bonding with a tsochar is among the greatest honors to which a priest of such a cult can aspire -- even if it means his eventual death. A tsochar can be an excellent vector for introducing a cult into a new region -- the fiery street preacher who suddenly appears on the streets of Fairhaven could be a tsochar plant.

Though they remain loyal servants of the lords of Xoriat, the tsochar consider themselves superior to all other daelkyr creations. Unless they are in a clear position of power, they prefer to avoid other aberrations altogether, In particular, a strong rivalry exists between the tsochar and the mind flayers because the former creatures envy the favored position of the illithids.

The Aberration Hunter

Chapter Nine of Lords of Madness provides options for creating player characters with a focus on aberrations -- both characters who hunt such creatures and those who have been tainted by their presence. A detailed discussion of all these options would constitute an article in its own right, but this new material is most relevant to three particular aspects of the Eberron Campaign Setting.

Ancient Defenders

Prior to the Xoriat incursion, the dragon Vvaraak came to Khorvaire and taught a group of orcs certain rituals to defend the natural world from alien influences. Thus were born the Gatekeepers (described on page 241 of the Eberron Campaign Setting). The Gatekeepers are the ones who eventually defeated the daelkyr and bound them in Khyber. Today, the few remaining Gatekeepers guard the ancient seals and hunt the twisted servants of Xoriat.

The abolisher prestige class is a perfect match for the Gatekeeper order, and all of the general feats presented in Lords of Madness are highly appropriate for Gatekeeper rangers or druids. The keeper of the Cerulean Sign and the topaz guardian both share the goals of the Gatekeepers, but they use different techniques. Characters with these classes are more likely to be found among the people of the Seren Islands, who have also been taught by dragons. A dragon of the Chamber who expects to be dealing with aboleths may be able to call on keepers of the Cerulean Sign to aid her in battle.

The darkrunner prestige class is suitable for Gatekeepers, but it is also appropriate for the dwarves of the Mror Holds. Many dwarves are interested in unearthing the history of the fallen kingdom, and some of the greatest heroes of the Mror clans are those who have fought aberrations in the depths below the Ironroot Mountains.

The sanctified mind prestige class is most appropriate for a kalashtar character. Though it is well-suited to fighting the psionic powers of aberrations, it also represents an excellent match for the kalashtars' ongoing struggle with the Dreaming Dark.

The Cults of the Dragon Below

The Cults of the Dragon Below are the primary source of aberrant corruption in Eberron. The fleshwarper prestige class and the aberrant feats presented in Lords of Madness are all appropriate for cultists, as are the Hatred and Corruption domains. The fact that the cults are not unified in belief or structure can be reflected by making different domain choices available to members. Instead of allowing free access to all domains, the DM should choose three of the following for each cult: Corruption, Dragon Below, Earth, Evil, Hatred, or Madness.

Aberrant Blood

The aberrant dragonmark described in the Eberron Campaign Setting can serve as an interesting tie to Lords of Madness. Such a mark typically appears when members of two different dragonmarked bloodlines have children. Although aberrant dragonmarks seem relatively harmless, providing weak powers that cannot be increased, a great deal of superstition surrounds them. In fact, stories say that they actually twist the bearer's body and mind.

But what if these tales were true? If you use this variant, the Aberrant Dragonmark feat becomes an aberrant feat and can be substituted for Aberrant Blood to meet the prerequisites of any other aberrant feat. An aberrant dragonmark may not seem so bad, but when your character develops inhuman reach or inhuman vision, his companions may well start to worry.

By Keith Baker

©1995-2008 Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Healing

2005-01-10T21:48:00.000+08:00

Few Spellcasters, Many Experts

In a typical D&D campaign, magical healing is readily available, even if it requires heading back to a town or city to get a spell the party cleric or druid is too inexperienced to cast. In Eberron, minor magic is more common while mid- to high-level magic is relatively rare because few characters have PC classes, and NPC classes are slower to achieve anything but the weakest spells. This means that anything other than the most basic healing is out of the reach of most NPCs, and PCs can have difficulties finding available spellcasters to help them out with healing magic (whether it's just a simple remove disease, or something more serious like raise dead or heal).

Even given the slight increase in the number of adepts compared to a typical D&D campaign (1% instead of 0.5%), an adept's slower spell progression means that few of them ever achieve 2nd-level spellcasting. Furthermore, most of the spells an adventurer needs from an NPC spellcaster aren't on the adept list (lesser restoration is noticeably absent, for example) or require a very high-level adept because of the slow spellcasting progression in that class. This means that except for simple healing like cure light wounds, PCs can't depend on NPC spellcasting to help them recover from adventuring afflictions. (It also means that people in Eberron may consider low-level arcane magic somewhat routine, while divine healing is still somewhat surprising.)

Fortunately, magic isn't the only solution. The Heal skill can treat immediate injury, give long-term care, deal with poison, and thwart disease. Though these take far longer than what the typical adventurer demands, they're more than sufficient to take care of the normal people of the world. After all, the regular folk of Eberron don't deal with situations where they need to recover 50 hit points in a hurry (most people have less than 20 hit points), and while the fantasy equivalents of dysentery and cholera are certainly dangerous, they're relatively safe and slow-acting compared to DC 16 mummy rot. Since the common people rarely can afford magical healing methods (a remove disease spell costs 150 gp, which is the equivalent of about five years' wages for an unskilled laborer), nonmagical methods are their only hope.

Because of these factors, most temple healers are experts rather than spellcasters, and even a 1st-level expert dedicated to healing -- 4 ranks in Heal, +2 from Self-Sufficient or +3 from Skill Focus (Heal) for a total bonus of +6 or +7 without counting ability score bonuses -- can be the difference between life or death for someone injured, poisoned, or diseased, so normal people don't dismiss the help of nonmagical healing just because it's not magic. Of course, a 1st-level PC cleric probably has a Heal skill modifier as good or better than that, so yet again NPC healers aren't much help to a typical adventurer.

Serve the Faithful First

As mentioned above, skilled spellcasters in Eberron are uncommon, and a temple with a spellcaster capable of performing serious healing magic isn't likely to hire that person out to anyone with enough gold. While in a typical D&D campaign you can trust the church of Pelor or Ilmater to provide healing (for a fee or donation) to anyone in need, in Eberron even benign churches such as the Silver Flame or the Sovereign Host aren't willing to expend their precious divine spells on nonbelievers (as Keith Baker mentioned in his Dragonshards article on religion in Eberron). Not even dirty unwashed adventurers are exempt from this; if a person can't prove that she is a believer, she is not going to get any valuable magic cast on her behalf.

Temples fortunate enough to have spellcasting priests (whether advanced adepts or crusading clerics), normally expect payment from adventurers in services rather than money (while any merchant or noble can cough up gold or simple favors, adventurers are exceptional people capable of exceptional deeds, and the churches want to take advantage of these extraordinary talents). This gives an Eberron DM an easy hook for adventures, particularly if one or more of the PCs has strong ties to a particular religion -- whether that adventurer is a cleric, druid, paladin (or even a devout member of another class).

As Keith Baker pointed out in his article, corrupt clerics are the exception to the "no paying for spellcasting" rule; such individuals are far more likely to use their god-given powers to acquire riches as long as they believe in the long run it benefits the church in some way. Such behavior may warrant expelling the corrupt cleric from the temple, and these characters make interesting cohorts or hirelings for PCs -- a ready source of healing magic, though sure to cause controversy when the PCs need to meet with uncorrupted members of that faith. Corrupt clerics-in-exile might even set up camps near known adventuring sites (such as on a road to the Mournland, a safe distance outside the mist) where they can charge high prices for their desperately needed services.

Of course, PCs can turn the general lack of spellcasting to their advantage by trading their rare gifts for other benefits. For example, after saving a town from hobgoblin raiders, the PC cleric leader can talk the locals into renovating the local temple of her faith, then promise to return once a year to use magic to heal the townsfolk. This benefits the local expert-priest (who has a better living space and a stronger focus point for religious services in town), the church (which gets an improved temple and local goodwill), and the PC (who gains fame for her generosity and pledge of support). Over time the town might grow from this attention, and when the PC decides to retire she may find a temple or even a secular position waiting for her there.

House Jorasco

One bit of chaos in the above assumptions is House Jorasco. Unlike temples, they do provide healing services (mundane and magical) for anyone and they do it for money. Since even a 1st-level character can possess a least dragonmark, House Jorasco has a large number of magical healers at their disposal despite having no access to the gods. Jorasco's talented healers and mercantile mindset make them the points of contact for anyone needing healing, particularly those who cannot or will not associate with the local temples. It is important to note that while the "typical" healer of House Jorasco described in the Eberron Campaign Setting is a 3rd-level adept, Keith Baker offers an alternate healer (the Jorasco Apothecary) in his Dragonshards article about magewrights; the apothecary also makes potions, and in Eberron the members of House Jorasco are the best source of healing potions.

As noted in the Eberron Campaign Setting, the code of the House requires they heal any who need it as long as they can pay, which means they sometimes deal with unsavory characters. This means that the House may need the help of adventurers from time to time to sort out hostilities between groups they help (such as two prominent noble houses intent on making sure only their family survives an ongoing violent feud) or to fend off unwanted political pressure when it is undiplomatic to call upon the guild headquarters for intervention.

By Sean K Reynolds

©1995-2008 Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The Draconic Prophecy

2004-12-27T21:40:00.000+08:00

The scrying pool was a mirror of the sky, and the glittering Ring of Siberys stretched across its surface. Tielanthraxa whispered and the image grew, moving closer and closer until she could see the individual stones that made up a particular section of the ring. The shards were silhouetted against the lunar sphere of Rhaan, and the image was unmistakable: Khyber's Claw, surrounded by the light of the crimson moon.

The dragon hissed in frustration. For days, she had watched the signs appear in the heavens, cross-referencing the omens with the Codex of Alaraxus and the movement of smoke and water. This was the final piece in the puzzle. The Lord of Fire would rise again in the City of Illusions, and only three could return him to his prison: the child of storms, the shaper of steel, and the hand of the Keeper. Tonight she would head to Khorvaire; tomorrow she would begin the search for her soldiers of destiny.

The most ancient legend is the tale of the three progenitor dragons: Khyber, Eberron, and Siberys. Some say that Khyber slew Siberys, only to be bound by Eberron; the three dragons became the world (Eberron), the darkness within (Khyber), and the ring in the sky (Siberys).

Most people are familiar with this legend; most religions commonly accept it, with other deities and powers rising in the age that followed. But few tales explain the reason behind the legend. Some scholars say that Khyber and Siberys learned of a secret tied to the fate of the universe itself, and that they fought to control this power.

No human knows the truth of this legend. But the dragons of Argonnessen are far older than humanity. They are the true children of Siberys, and they have devoted tens of thousands of years to studying the ancient mystery -- the Draconic Prophecy.

While the Prophecy illuminates the future, it rarely presents a single path. Take the example at the beginning of this article. After considering various signs, the sage Tielanthraxa concludes that "The Lord of Fire will rise again in the Demon Wastes, and only three can return him to his prison." Only three people can defeat the demon described in this piece of the Prophecy. However, the Prophecy doesn't say whether they SHOULD defeat the demon -- only that they can. Most dragon scholars collect this knowledge but do not act upon it; the elders believe that the purpose of the draconic race is to chronicle the Prophecy. The younger dragons of the Chamber wish to shape the future, but they don't always agree on the path it should take. As a result, one faction within the Chamber may try to guide the three destined warriors in the defeat of the demon. Another may work to handicap the three; these wyrms have unearthed a different passage in the Prophecy that ties to the demon, and the dragons want the fiend to remain free until this prediction has come to pass. Neither faction cares about the demon, or for that matter the warriors; the main questions are who controls the future and whose interpretation will become fact.

This allows the DM some latitude when using the Prophecy to drive a storyline. According to the Prophecy, the player characters are the only people who can defeat this rakshasa rajah. But this particular example doesn't say exactly how or when they will defeat it. This sets the wheels of adventure in motion -- but leaves room for interpretation and failure. If the party fails in their first attempt, they'll simply have to try to come up with a new approach. Perhaps they can't beat it alone -- but they can play a key role in uniting the Church of the Silver Flame and the paladins of Dol Arrah against this common foe. The DM must decide how detailed the relevant section of the Prophecy is -- which in turn determines how creative the party can be while still fulfilling the needs of destiny.

Pieces of the Prophecy

No character -- or Dungeon Master -- will ever find a complete text of the Draconic Prophecy. Through interaction with the Serens and dragons themselves, sages have learned that the dragons do have dragonshard texts recording pieces of the Prophecy, the most notable of which are the Codex of Alaraxus and the Talash Siberys. However, to a large degree, these are accounts of events that have already come to pass or incomplete fragments that are useless on their own. The keys to completing these fragments are written on the world. The Prophecy unfolds in the sky -- in the movement of stars and shards. It reveals itself in the depths, when strange markings are found on the walls of chambers untouched by any living creature. And these are simply the most obvious signs. A dragon sage may draw inspiration from the whispering wind, the patterns of an avalanche, or the shifting sands of a desert. The level of complexity is almost unfathomable to the human mind, and even for a wise and cunning dragon it takes centuries to learn to read these signs.

Over the past three thousand years, the Prophecy has found a new canvas: the inhabitants of Khorvaire. The dragonmarks resemble the designs that previously appeared only in bones of the world: on cavern walls and ocean reefs. Dragon sages have devoted millennia to determining the meaning of these manifestations. Some believe that each house has a role to play in the Prophecy, while others see each dragonmarked individual as representing a specific variable. A member of the Chamber who is attempting to enact a particular passage of the Prophecy may feel that a reference to "Storm" requires the involvement of all House Lyrandar, any member of House Lyrandar, or to a particular heir of the house, whom he has identified as the "Child of Storms."

Player characters may encounter pieces of the Prophecy in a variety of forms.

Translated Text: The party receives an intact (though undoubtedly cryptic) section of the Prophecy. A member of the Chamber may relate a specific passage to the party to justify her actions. A character could intercept a scroll being transported by a Seren courier -- who might be killed by Aereni spies, agents of the Lords of Dust, or even opposing members of the Chamber. In this situation, interpretation of the Prophecy could be critical to survival.

Landmarks: Before the first dragonmarks ever appeared on living beings, they appeared on the land itself. A mark could be carved into a cavern wall, a coral pattern shaped as a mark could form on the ocean floor, or the path of a twisting river could form a mark. These marks appear only at certain times and become visible only under the light of a certain conjunction of moons; a mark might even appear in a lava flow that lasts for only a few hours.

These landmarks are complex patterns that resemble the dragonmarks found on living creatures. Interpreting the general meaning of such a mark requires knowledge of Draconic and a successful DC 30 Knowledge (arcana) check. However, the deeper meaning can be understood only when it is placed in context with the geographic location of the mark, its relationship to the moons and the Ring of Siberys, and the lore collected by the seers of Argonnessen over the course of eons. When an adventure involves a landmark, the goal is rarely to translate it. Instead, the challenge will be finding the mark, duplicating it or moving it, and quite possibly destroying it before it can fall into enemy hands.

Living Prophecy: While any player character may have a role to play in the Prophecy, characters with dragonmarks are integrally tied to it. By simply moving around the world, a dragonmarked character is serving as a living parchment. Whenever he meets another dragonmarked character, that interaction may have oracular significance. As a result, the Chamber could stage elaborate scenarios just to get two dragonmarked characters in a particular location at the same time. This is especially relevant if the party has a recurring villain or rival with a dragonmark -- perhaps an unknown destiny links hero and villain together.

False Prophecy: The Lords of Dust despise the dragons of Argonnessen, and they have had tens of thousands of years to scheme. A cunning fiend may create a false passage of the Prophecy. While an elder wyrm might see through the deception, a naïve younger member of the Chamber could be led astray, and a party of adventurers could be caught up in this treachery.

The Shapers

Many scholars have heard of the Draconic Prophecy, but many believe it of interest only to the dragons -- that only the seers of Argonnessen can decipher its many twists and turns. In fact, a number of different groups are watching the Prophecy, and any of these could be the driving force behind an adventure.

The Chamber: These dragons are the most active agents of prophecy. The members of the Chamber are determined to bring the events of the Prophecy to fruition -- even if this takes eons to accomplish. However, different factions within the Chamber may support different interpretations of a given section -- and a party of adventurers could be caught between these warring wyrms. Likewise, the Chamber has little regard for human life: Members of the common races are simply tools that the dragons are required to use. As a result, a Chamber patron may assist the party one day and send them into a death trap the next.

The Chamber has emerged only recently. Few of its members are over 600 years old, and most are considerably younger. Bronze, silver, and gold dragons are the most common agents, since the alternate form power allows these dragons to move among humans unseen, but other dragons can use polymorph to accomplish the same effect. The Chamber also operates through Seren agents or employs members of other races -- so not every Chamber operative will turn out to be a dragon.

The Elder Wyrms of Argonnessen: As a rule, the great wyrms of Argonnessen believe that dragons should record the outcome of the Prophecy. They willingly let the children of the Chamber push the future in one direction or another -- but if they feel that any force is truly placing the outcome of the Prophecy in jeopardy, they act decisively and with terrible force. While the elders may act directly, they also make use of Seren agents and observers.

The Undying Court: The deathless elves of the Undying Court are among the only beings old enough and wise enough to decipher the Draconic Prophecy. What remains unclear is whether the elves wish to use the Prophecy for their own ends -- or to destroy it to cripple the destiny of the dragons. This is thought to be the cause of the perennial conflicts between the dragons and Aerenal.

The Lords of Dust: These immortal fiends are the oldest beings on Khorvaire. The ancient dragons defeated the rakshasa rajahs, and the remaining Lords of Dust enjoy nothing more than interfering with the descendants of their enemies.

Independents: Flamewind the sphinx (Sharn: City of Towers, page 72)and Sora Teraza (Eberron Campaign Setting, page 166) may reveal pieces of the Draconic Prophecy to party members, setting them on a particular path. Powerful wizards like Mordain the Fleshweaver (Eberron Campaign Setting, page 167) or Erandis d'Vol(Eberron Campaign Setting, page 186) could uncover specific fragments of the Prophecy relating to their plans. In particular, Vol could be working with rogue elements of the Chamber in her quest to restore the Mark of Death.

By Keith Baker

©1995-2008 Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Character Classes and Levels

2004-12-27T21:39:00.001+08:00

PC Classes Are Rare

In a standard campaign, characters with PC classes are uncommon but frequent enough to not be extraordinary. For example, on page 139 of the Dungeon Master's Guide, a typical 200-person hamlet has 13 characters with PC classes, including 3 clerics and 3 fighters. While that number seems small (it's less than 10% of the hamlet's population), it means that a party of four PCs in a hamlet are outnumbered by the number of PC-class NPCs.

By comparison, most of the people of Eberron never have the potential to take levels in PC classes. Adepts and experts run the temples, while the rare cleric is a true knight of the church. A typical veteran of the Last War is a 2nd-level warrior, while fighters are specialists and officers. Common cutpurses are merely experts, and guildmasters and master thieves are rogues. Spellcasters who create common magic items are magewrights, and only the true wizards wield the mightiest spells and forge the items of legend.

People with character classes are larger than life, even early in their career. PC-class characters are the Amelia Earharts, Wyatt Earps, and Thomas Edisons of their day -- famous and capable of things no normal man or woman could accomplish. Ask anyone who knew one of these people in their younger years and they'll tell you they were destined for something great. Of course, most people believed they were crazy, too, so being a person who is "special" in this way is a mixed blessing. Nonetheless, PC-class characters are the rare exception to the unwashed masses. In Eberron, a true cleric or wizard is someone to respect or even fear, and a paladin isn't someone you take for granted.

The same standards apply to evil characters; even at an early age, they stand out. Townsfolk remember the young man who tortured and dissected animals, and when it turns out years later that he joined the Cults of the Dragon Below, they nod as if they expected it. Fellow students of the woman now known as Demise (see the Eberron Campaign Setting, page 252) remember her as strange and obsessed, and they always suspected she was up to no good. In modern terms, the average person who does evil is the one with neighbors who say, "He was a quiet fellow -- never caused any trouble," whereas neighbors remember the exceptional person as, "He always seemed strange, gave me the creeps, didn't like having him around."

During play, players should see that normal people recognize them as unusual, just as they should sense when an NPC is similarly unusual. This is not to say that every memorable villain NPC has to have a PC class or that characters with NPC classes can't make interesting villains. It means that a sense of parity exists between heroic PCs and villainous PCs. When Indiana Jones vied with Belloq in Raiders of a Lost Ark, it was a contest of equals. Heroic PCs should face off against their equals from time to time, too -- even in Eberron where PC-class characters are rare.

High-Level Characters Are Rare

The Dungeon Master's Guide assumes that in a typical campaign, a significant number of NPCs of all non-epic levels exist in the world. Your typical small city has at least one 7th-level NPC of each of the Player's Handbook classes, or at least 10th-level in a large city and at least 13th-level in a metropolis (with additional characters at half that level, more at one-fourth that level, and so on).

In Eberron, the numbers are much lower. Just as their PC classes set PCs apart from normal people, their heroic adventures lead to increased class levels unavailable to common folk. As author Keith Baker points out in one of his Dragonshard articles, it's perfectly acceptable for a 20-year veteran soldier to still be 2nd level because most NPCs do not gain experience in the way that PCs do. That same article has variant tables that show how Eberron settlements have fewer high-level characters than a standard campaign. This means that in a few short months of adventuring, a young PC can outstrip the abilities of everyone in his home town and even those of experienced NPC characters in large cities. In Eberron, a "high level" character may be less than 10th level (for example, the Lord of Blades is 12th level, and he's feared for his own power in addition to the army of warforged he leads).

What does this mean in terms of gameplay? It means that established adventurers are forces to be reckoned with. A typical large city might have only five fighters at 4th level or higher, so the arrival of a party of four 6th-level heroes will draw some attention. Commoners and younger warriors wonder aloud if the visitors could beat the local champions in a fight. Magewrights gossip about a visiting wizard and whether or not she plans to dump any of her unwanted magic items on "their" market. Corrupt adepts and greedy expert-priests worry that the new cleric of the faith in town will upset business in their temple. Pickpockets and thugs wonder if the famous trapfinder is looking to take over the local thieves' guild. Though 6th-level characters are B-list celebrities, they're still celebrities. Any 10th-level characters are the stars, and NPCs will treat them as such.

One way to think of this celebrity is in terms of television shows or weekly movie serials. For the first few episodes of a show or serial, the viewers don't have any strong attachment to the characters because they haven't learned much about them. After the sixth or seventh episode, the viewers have learned to like or dislike the characters and know what sort of behavior to expect. After a full season, the viewers either love or hate the characters. Each significant adventure by the PCs is like an episode. At first they're unknown and untested. After several adventures, word gets out and the PCs are known well enough to have a following -- even to the point of making some casual enemies. After a year of adventuring, the PCs have a well-known reputation among regular people and several mortal enemies who'd like to see them dead. People in need approach heroic PCs for help and avoid those known to cause trouble, while villains avoid the heroes and try to recruit the troublemakers. PCs don't need to hang out in taverns to find work; people approach them on the street and local officials track them down at home.

Their abilities and power level make PCs a cut above most people in the world. With Eberron's advanced travel and communication methods, information travels quickly and a PC's notoriety spreads beyond the immediate area of their deeds. In Eberron, PCs are heroes, and they have a hard time trying to keep a low profile. Fortunately, when the PCs are famous, it just makes it easier for the DM to introduce excitement, danger, and cliffhanger action!

By Keith Baker

©1995-2008 Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The Race of Eight Winds

2004-12-20T21:38:00.000+08:00

Sharn is a vertical city, and over the course of centuries the people of Sharn have developed a variety of sporting events that take advantage of the unique architecture of their home. Windchasers dart around the towers following elaborate racing paths, while skyblades joust far above the ground. But one event overshadows the rest: the Race of Eight Winds, which is held on the 23rd day of Lharvion. This event draws spectators and gamblers from across Khorvaire. Part race, part aerial battle, this stunning spectacle has shaped the culture of the Dura Ward -- and this event can present many opportunities for adventurers.

History and Structure

According to legend, King Galifar II was fascinated by the use of aerial scouts and cavalry. Some say that he used Sharn as a testing ground to judge the merits of different flying beasts, granting land and gold to exceptional cavaliers. Over the centuries, this evolved into an exotic race involving different sorts of magical and fantastic beasts. For purposes of the race, Dura is divided into eight regions, each of which is represented by a different creature. To this day, the name of the creature is often used as a slang term for the inhabitant of one of these areas; when someone talks about "that treacherous owl," he's probably referring to a resident of Rattlestone or the Bazaar.

The race itself is a test of speed and skill, challenging the reflexes and combat skills of both beast and rider. From the starting point in Hareth's Folly, the race takes competitors on an intricate course that weaves in and around the towers of Sharn -- and since contact is allowed between riders and beasts, the racers can always try to win by eliminating the competition.

The race is older than most of Sharn, which explains why much of Upper Dura is not represented; it literally didn't exist when the tradition began. Hareth's Folly and Hostelhome have always been neutral ground where people gather to watch the race.

While not everyone takes an interest, many of the inhabitants of Lower and Middle Dura are avid followers of the Race of Eight Winds. It brings people of all races and professions together, and those directly involved with the race are the heroes of their districts. This includes the riders and handlers, along with the Wind Guard -- a committee appointed to manage the interests of the region. While this is a great honor, it carries considerable responsibility: there is far more to the Race of Eight Winds than just skill in the air. The Wind Guard has to raise funds to acquire, maintain, and train the exotic beasts used in the competition. Usually local merchants donate a share of their profits to support the race, but it is up to the Wind Guard to make up for any shortfall. In addition to finances, the members of the Wind Guard engage in a never-ending series of schemes and negotiations on behalf of their region. Alliances and networks of favors stretch back for centuries, making the race as much a match of politics as of speed. The owl is one of the slowest creatures in the race, but the Bazaar has a powerful economic position and often uses bribery and graft to get ahead. The griffon rarely tries to win, instead using its physical power as a bargaining chip throughout the period between races; even if the griffon can't win, it can usually take another creature out of the race. Of course, it may be that the hawk owes a favor to the owl, and repays that favor by asking the griffon to cripple the pegasus -- and this is a fairly simple example.

The Rules

Traditionally, each region enters a single beast and rider in the race. However, if a region makes a 250 gp donation (which goes into a general treasury to offset the cost of the land grant), it may enter a second contestant. While this is rarely done, it is the primary way for outsiders -- such as player characters -- to enter the race. A would-be contestant would need to negotiate with the Wind Guard and find a region that willingly lets her participate under their banner.

The race itself is a dangerous event. Full contact is allowed between beasts and riders, and beasts can use any natural weapons that they possess. Riders cannot use spells, psionic disciplines, dragonmarks, magic devices, or alchemical items, and anyone who breaks these rules is immediately disqualified and exposed to mob violence. A rider is allowed to carry a sporting crossbow and a dozen quarrels; this is similar to a light crossbow, but it has an 80-foot range increment and deals only 1d3/1d4 damage. This allows for entertaining conflict while preventing swift kills.

The victorious rider receives a 500 gp purse and a small parcel of land -- while the Wind Guard of the winning region lays claim to the Rod of Eight Winds. This mysterious item is a major artifact recovered from the depths of the city long ago; some say it is linked to Syrania and projects the effects of a manifest zone within a short distance. However, few of the people of Dura have any interest in the rod's history or powers. What matters is its current role as the symbol of Dura's pride -- and each district is desperate to claim it.

Using the Race of Eight Winds

The Race of Eight Winds is a massive sporting event that draws interest from across the continent. It could impact an adventure in a number of ways.

Local Color: Each creature is associated with a particular region within Dura. As the race draws near, visitors see banners displayed across Dura, and people dress in the colors of their beast. Passing adventurers may be invited to a meal and called upon to toast the health of the local beast, or an adventurer who coincidentally happens to be wearing the wrong colors may spark a brawl. This can provide a way to introduce new NPC enemies or allies, or simply add depth to the description of a scene.

Participation: A skilled rider may want to enter the race himself. The character needs to gain the sponsorship of one of the regions; he is more likely to gain the acceptance of one of the slower beasts than the hippogriff or pegasus, who win all the time and want to preserve the fame of their local riders. Winning the race makes the character a landowner, which could be interesting; it also makes him a local celebrity in Sharn, which could open the door to many other opportunities.

Troubleshooting: Someone has poisoned the local griffons, and the Wind Guard of Precarious have only three weeks to find a replacement: Can the party find a wild griffon in time? The race is in one week, but the Rod of Eight Winds has been stolen; can the adventurers recover the lost artifact? The PCs are asked to provide security for the pegasus -- which seems like an easy task until Daask gets involved. A friend of the party loses a fortune gambling on the race, and the Boromar Clan is threatening her life: Can the PCs help? If the characters are unscrupulous enough, they may even be hired to cripple racing beasts to skew the odds!

The Beasts

Looking to add a little color to Dura? Here are the eight beasts traditionally used in the race, along with the districts they represent.

The Eagle: The districts of Broken Arch and Stormhold support the giant eagle, whose colors are brown and gold. Stormholders are especially passionate about the race, even though the eagle rarely wins. Many Stormholders take pride in being fierce and noble like the eagle, and they rarely participate in the politics and intrigue that often affect the final outcome of the race. They are especially dismissive of the other birds of Middle Dura; the hawk is a lesser eagle, while the owl is treacherous and far too clever.

The Gargoyle: Fallen and Malleon's Gate were originally represented by the dire bat. As immigrants from Droaam came to Sharn, most settled in the Cogs or Malleon's Gate. Twelve years ago, the region of the bat made an unprecedented change and shifted their regional beast to the gargoyle, whose colors are black and gray. Currently, the region is represented by Carralag (N male gargoyle rogue 4), a remarkably clever gargoyle with the Manifest Flight feat.

The people of Malleon's Gate are fiercely dedicated to the event. The violence appeals to the Darguuls, while the city goblins love the chance to compete against the elitist folk of the upper levels. While the gargoyle has yet to win the race, it has had greater success than the bat, and this has brought increased support for Daask and the Droaamites within the district.

The Glidewing: This flying dinosaur represents the districts of Gate of Gold and the Stores, and its colors are gray and green. The glidewing is extremely popular among the halflings of Sharn, and some say that the Boromar Clan is the financial force behind the Glidewing Wind Guard.

The Griffon: This powerful beast represents Precarious and Oldkeep, and its colors are brown and red. During the race, red ribbons are usually tied to the forelegs of the griffon, giving the impression of streams of blood coming from its claws. The people of Precarious are fanatically (and often violently) devoted to the race, although many don't care if they win or lose; as long as the griffon brings down one of the other beasts, they consider it to be a victory.

The Hawk: Tumbledown and Underlook are represented by the dire hawk, whose colors are light brown and dark brown. The hawk rarely wins, but Underlook makes considerable profits off the tourist trade and most Tumbledowners are devoted followers of their underdog champion.

The Hippogriff: Daggerwatch and Overlook are represented by the hippogriff, whose colors are white and gold. The Goldwings (the aerial division of the Sharn Watch) are based in Daggerwatch, and a Goldwing officer typically represents the district in the race. The hippogriff has one of the best records in the race, rivaled only by the pegasus.

The Owl: The giant owl is the beast of Rattlestone and the Bazaar, and its colors are brown and gray. While it is one of the slowest creatures in the race, the owl is famous for manipulating the outcome of the race with intrigue and diplomacy. While many of the inhabitants of Dura speak dismissively of "two-faced owls," the merchants, con artists, and pickpockets of the region take pride in their mascot's cunning, and a strong streak of carefree pragmatism runs through these districts. A few former racing owls are now merchants themselves, which can lead to unusual encounters in the Bazaar.

The Pegasus: Highwater was the last district to join the Race of Eight Winds. Thanks to House Vadalis, Highwater is represented by the pegasus, whose colors are white and silver. The pegasus is the swiftest creature in the race, and it has brought Highwater to victory time and again. The people of Highwater are proud folk and are always willing to discuss the ways in which a pegasus is superior to the other beasts. However, success has its price. The other districts often team up to bring down the pegasus at the start of the race. And outside of the race, many of the inhabitants of the lower wards despise the people of Highwater; thieves and bullies will go out of their way to target a snooty pegasus supporter.

By Keith Baker

©1995-2008 Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Monastic Orders

2004-12-13T21:37:00.000+08:00

Most of the religions presented in the Eberron Campaign Setting maintain monastic communities, where the faithful live ascetic lives of contemplation and honor the gods with their prayers and works. Many of the religious texts of Eberron are produced in such monasteries, and relics of the faithful are hidden away in monastic vaults. The majority of these devotees are experts who are trained in Knowledge, Craft, and Speak Language; Sense Motive, Diplomacy, Heal, and Forgery are also common.

But "monk" has a second meaning: an ascetic who devotes her life to physical and mental discipline. Religious monks make a spiritual devotion of physical perfection, chastising the body through harsh exercise. These monks are champions of the faith who rely on martial skill instead of the divine magic of the cleric.

Not all monastic orders are religious in nature. The goblin sharaat'khesh and Valenar Jaeldira pursue martial perfection for its own sake. These monks are swift and deadly warriors -- assassins who slip through the night and swordsmen who dance across the battlefield.

Many monastic orders exist, from the Mironites of the Silver Flame to the Tashalatora of Adar. This article examines three different traditions: The Order of the Broken Blade, the Flayed Hand, and the sharaat'khesh.

The Order of the Broken Blade

"Lord of strength and steel, guide my hand!"

The name of this order is drawn from the legend of Kalan Desh, a devotee of Dol Dorn who ventured into the Byeshk foothills to rescue a kidnapped child. Three ogres attacked Kalan -- they sundered his sword and mocked him. Kalan called on Dol Dorn for guidance, and miraculously he slew the ogres with only his hands, feet, and the hilt of his shattered sword. In gratitude, he founded the first monastery of the Broken Blade, where others might honor Dol Dorn and master war in all its forms.

Dol Dorn stands between his honorable sister Dol Arrah and the treacherous Mockery, patron of assassins. He may inspire any combatant who relies on skill instead of deceit. For a Broken Blade monk, combat is both meditation and art -- a monk finds union with Dol Dorn through battle. After attaining the rank of swordbrother, a Broken Blade monk wanders the world. While many of these monks protect the weak and innocent, others join in any struggle they find. Occasionally, Broken Blades may fight on both sides of the same battle. The ultimate goal is to attain enlightenment through conflict, and the cause of the battle and the consequences of its outcome are a secondary concern.

Organization: The majority of the inhabitants of a Broken Blade monastery are initiates. After passing grueling mental, physical, and doctrinal tests, an initiate is granted the title of swordbrother (or sister). If he masters body and blade, a swordbrother can return and claim the title of blademaster. The blademasters instruct the initiates and manage the monastery under the direction of the abbot.

Initiates are typically 1st-level monks. Traditionally, a swordbrother must possess Whirling Steel Strike and at least 5 ranks of Knowledge (religion); however, in a campaign where PCs start at first level, the DM may wish to grant a player the honorary status of swordbrother to justify his wandering. There is no level-based prerequisite for the rank of blademaster; claiming such a position is a matter of devotion and skill, requiring the judgment of the other blademasters and the abbot.

The Karrnathi line of House Deneith has a close relationship with the Order of the Broken Blade, and a number of distinguished swordbrothers are among the Blademark and the sentinel marshals.

Monasteries: The primary monasteries of the Order of the Broken Blade are located in Karrlakton (Karrnath), Rekkenmark (Karrnath), and Starilaskur (Breland). Smaller monasteries are scattered across the Five Kingdoms, and the order has recently established an outpost in Krona Peak (Mror Holds). Broken Blade monasteries are austere, fortified buildings. Every monastery contains a forge; to attain the rank of blademaster, a monk must forge his own sword.

Character Development: Monks of the Broken Blade divide their character levels between fighter and monk, combining monastic discipline with swordsmanship. This dual discipline requires the use of the Monastic Training feat, which is described in the Eberron Campaign Setting. Monks are also encouraged to learn the following feats: Improved Critical (longsword), Weapon Focus (longsword), and Whirling Steel Strike. Combat Expertise, Dodge, Improved Disarm, and Quick Draw are also common disciplines. Broken Blade training emphasizes physical skills such as Balance, Jump, and Tumble.

The Flayed Hand

"Embrace the path of pain."

The Mockery is the lord of pain and vengeance -- the deceiver who destroys. His monks embrace suffering; through ritual torture, they overcome weakness of body and mind. As part of this training, a monk flays strips of her skin, treating the muscle below with an alchemical substance that toughens it. This excruciating torment permanently marks the monk as a follower of the Mockery.

Once an initiate has learned to endure pain, she is taught to inflict it. The monks of the Flayed Hand are master torturers and deadly warriors. A monk of the Mockery seeks communion with her god through violence and treachery. Many members of the order sell their services as mercenaries and assassins. Others cause pain in more subtle ways bydestroying hopes and dreams instead of spilling blood.

The Flayed Hand is a secretive order, and a student of the Flayed Hand usually conceals her devotional scars. A monk dressed for battle is a grisly sight; the members of the order keep scraps of their victims' skin and craft their battle-robes from the flesh of the fallen. Some say that the masters of the order know how to capture a victim's knowledge in his skin, or to craft leather masks that allow a monk to adopt the appearance of her victim. Any priest of the Sovereign Host or Dark Six automatically recognizes the significance of the marks of the Mockery; other characters can make a successful DC 15 Knowledge (religion) check or bardic knowledge check (DC 20) to see if they have heard of the Flayed Hand.

Organization: Three ranks exist within the Flayed Hand, and all monks of a particular rank are considered equals. The lowest level is that of the initiate, who is still studying the mysteries and earning the marks of the Mockery. Once a monk survives the flaying and masters the arts of pain, she has earned the rank of excoriate. An excoriate who settles in a monastery is known as an archimandrite.

Initiates are typically 1st-level monks. Excoriates are generally distinguished by possession of the Flensing Strike feat, but a PC who chooses to follow the path of the Mockery (a somewhat disturbing choice) may have earned the title of excoriate at 1st level.

Monasteries: The primary monasteries of the Flayed Hand are located in the Great Crag (Droaam) and Rukhaan Draal (Darguun). In other lands, the monasteries of the Mockery are small and carefully disguised, and the archimandrites are always prepared to evacuate on a moment's notice.

Character Development: Followers of the Flayed Hand put great emphasis on stealth, and many become assassins at 6th level or above. While it is not a class skill, Disguise is very important to Flayed Hand monks, both for subterfuge and to conceal the marks of the Mockery. The trademark feat of the order is Flensing Strike, which requires Weapon Focus (kama). Other traditional feats include Stunning Fist, Two-Weapon Fighting, Dodge, Combat Expertise, and Improved Trip.

A Flayed Hand monk adds Intimidate to her list of class skills. However, while her devotional marks are visible, she suffers a -2 circumstance penalty on Diplomacy or Gather Information checks.

The Shaarat'khesh

"Even the smallest blade can slit a throat."

"Shaarat'khesh" is a Goblin word that translates to "silent knives." The shaarat'khesh are an order of goblin spies and assassins. This order can trace its roots back to the ancient Dhakaani empire. At the height of the empire, the shaarat'khesh served as the hand of the emperor, bringing silent death to traitors and criminals. Once the empire fell, the shaarat'khesh became mercenaries, selling their services to any warlord with gold. As the Dhakaani age came to an end, the Silent Master called upon the shaarat'khesh to withdraw into the depths of their mountain fortress, leaving the remaining warlords to squabble over the ruins.

Now, thousands of years later, the Heirs of Dhakaan have reemerged -- and the shaarat'khesh have returned with them. For the past century the goblins have been studying the nations of modern Khorvaire, moving among city goblins and establishing safehouses across the land. All of the clan lords rely on the shaarat'khesh for information, and many have sought to win the allegiance of the assassins. But the Silent Master has maintained a position of neutrality. The shaarat'khesh are the servants of the empire. But until the clans unanimously agree on an emperor, the silent knives treat all clans equally and demand payment in gold. The shaarat'khesh do not accept every contract; as a rule they do not assassinate Dhakaani clan leaders or dirge singers. But once the silent knives take an assignment, they see it through to the end, even if this means fighting other members of the shaarat'khesh. It is this impartiality and dedication that has allowed the clan to survive amid the warring heirs.

The Dhakaani are an agnostic people, and the shaarat'khesh have little interest in gods or arcane mysteries. A goblin initiate seeks to become the perfect living weapon: swift, silent, equally deadly with fist and blade, whose focused mind can overcome any weakness of the body. While he may feign emotions when it serves his cause, a silent knife is cold and calm, and he always remains focused on his next task.

As a general rule, a goblin must be born into the clan of the shaarat'khesh to learn the ways of the order. However, exceptional goblins have been adopted by the clan, and they even have a few members of other races -- most notably changelings.

All Dhakaani goblinoids know of the shaarat'khesh. Other characters must make a successful bardic knowledge or DC 25 Knowledge (history) to see whether they have heard of the order.

Organization: A student of the silent arts carries the title of shaarul (dull blade). Upon completion of his training, the monk takes the title of tar'khesh (silent hand) or il'khesh (silent eye), depending on whether his primary focus is combat or espionage. Monks with assassin levels are known as mula'duur (bringers of sorrow). Clan decisions are made by a council of elders; the leader of this council holds the title of guula'khesh (silent master).

Shaaruls are generally 1st-level monks. To attain the title of tar'khesh or il'khesh, a character must be a 2nd-level monk or 1st-level monk/1st-level rogue with 5 ranks of Hide and Move Silently.

Monasteries: The il'khesh have spread across Khorvaire over the past century, and the silent knives have eyes hidden in many of the great cities of the Five Nations. Any city with a significant goblin population may contain a shaarat'khesh safehouse. However, only one true monastery exists: the fortress hidden deep in the Seawall Mountains, home to both the monks of the shaarat'khesh and the noncombatant members of the clan.

Character Development: The majority of the shaarat'khesh divide their character levels between rogue and monk, using the Monastic Training feat. Others follow the pure monastic path until 6th level, when they can become assassins (provided they meet the prerequisites). The shaarat'khesh rely on speed and stealth, using surprise to strike an opponent with devastating sneak attacks. Traditional feats include the following: Combat Expertise, Dodge, Improved Feint, Monastic Training (Rogue), Skill Focus (Bluff), and Stunning Fist. Monastic skill training focuses on Hide, Move Silently, and Tumble; Bluff, Disguise, and Gather Information are also considered to be important talents.

Knowledge (local) and Knowledge (history) are class skills for shaarat'khesh monks. These take the place of Knowledge (arcana) and Knowledge (religion).

By Keith Baker

©1995-2008 Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Planes and Adventuring

2004-12-13T21:36:00.000+08:00

Planar Awareness Is High

In most D&D campaigns, the planes are very mysterious and legendary. The common folk know little about other planes, except perhaps "demons are from the Abyss" or "devils are from Hell" (though they may confuse the two). If asked which is the plane of chaos or the home plane of ghosts, most common folk won't care because they're both horrible places no person in his right mind would want to go and aren't relevant to getting this year's crops in.

By contrast, Eberron's cosmology has a direct effect on the world through their metaphysical distances and manifest zones, and the common people are aware of this connectivity. For example, the residents of Sharn know their city's towers remain aloft only because of the Syranian manifest zone, ghost appearances are more common when Dolurrh is coterminous, and animals have smaller litters when Lamannia is remote.

Even in Eberron, this planar awareness doesn't mean regular people know what those planes are like or what sort of creatures live there. Ask a magewright from Breland what creatures call Fernia home and he's not going to rattle off the monster types listed in the Eberron Campaign Setting; "fire monsters" is about all he can tell you. Even a talented general from Karrnath probably can't name any of the fortresses or leaders of Shavarath. The names and natures of the planes are known, but only scholars tend to have information worthwhile to an adventurer.

Planar Travel Is Rare

The Dungeon Master's Guide suggests that planewalking is a fairly common practice for high-level characters. In the Eberron setting, characters with PC classes are uncommon (adepts and magewrights don't have any planar-travel spells), and high-level characters rare, so few have access to spells such as plane shift, and planar travel is very rare.

While it is rare, it does happen, and planar adventurers are wise to study where they're going before they make such a journey. For example, Daanvi is the plane of law, but who -- and what -- is in charge? How do they treat neutral or chaotic visitors? Thelanis is the Faerie Court, but what's the political and geographic setup? Are there any heroes of a past age sleeping there, waiting to be retrieved in a time of need?

Because Eberron's planes are associated only with Eberron (rather than a common set of Outer Planes with multiple Material Planes), the planes should tie in to events in Eberron, whether current or historical. The D&D cosmology has Ysgard, the home of the Norse pantheon, whether or not the campaign's Material Plane has a Norse-worshiping culture. By comparison, the Eberron cosmology doesn't have any planes representing concepts not on Eberron, and the creatures on those planes. If adventurers from Eberron have to go to one of the planes, it should be for some reason important to Eberron or even epic in proportion. It should not be on a whim. Eberron heroes don't go to Irian for a friendly chat with light archons -- they go to negotiate for a legion to help drive back a force of wraiths advancing on Sharn. They don't go to Shavarath for the fun of beating up fiends. Instead they go to unearth a lost artifact buried under a devil-controlled tower built by angels long ago. Plane-hopping isn't a lark in Eberron -- it is serious business.

Planar Threats Are Familiar

While travel from Eberron to another plane is rare, travel in the other direction is unfortunately much more frequent. Evil creatures find ways to cross when their planes are coterminous, good creatures do the same for theirs, and rogue creatures from all the other planes do so for their own purposes. Ghosts creep into Eberron when Dolurrh approaches. Though the quori and daelkyr invasions happened thousands of years ago, everyone has heard about them. Mortal organizations in Eberron endure through generations both to protect the world against these incursions and to shatter the wards that keep the outsiders away. In a standard campaign, a sudden influx of extraplanar creatures is a surprising and horrendous thing, resulting in chaos and panic. In Eberron, all of those things occur . . . but people are waiting for them with their swords and spells ready.

By Sean K Reynolds

©1995-2008 Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The Gnomes of Zilargo, Part 2

2004-12-06T21:35:00.000+08:00

"Five words can defeat a thousand swords."

-- Zil proverb

National Character

Some have compared the Zil gnomes to social rodents. The gnomes are happiest in groups. They are energetic and highly industrious, and they prefer to avoid conflict with larger creatures. But like rats, gnomes are survivors. Stealth, deception, and pure tenacity are the tools of the gnome -- and when cornered, a gnome can be a surprisingly dangerous foe.

The streets of Zilargo are bright and cheerful. The gnomes are helpful, attentive, and usually willing to lend an ear to the troubles of a traveler and a hand to those in need. Sometimes this is just what it seems. But the Zil gnomes are schooled in deception from childhood, and, all too often, their good cheer and friendly demeanor is an illusion. The Zil character has a paranoid streak, and the helpful nature of the Zil gnomes is rarely altruistic. While the gnomes are curious by nature, that curiosity is often fueled by the desire to gain leverage over every possible enemy. If you tell a gnome your problems, he may or may not help you. If he does, you owe him a favor. If he doesn't, he has learned about your weaknesses -- and in the eyes of the Zil, all information has value.

It would be an exaggeration to say that every Zil gnome is a ruthless schemer. While cunning and cautious, the Zil are people like any other. While some are cold-blooded opportunists, others do enjoy helping others. But even a goodhearted gnome may rely on manipulation and deception to accomplish his goals.

While energetic and cheerful, the gnomes are not childish or foolish. They are masterful merchants and negotiators, and they are adept at setting others at ease and weaving words into a pleasing tapestry. The people of Zilargo see language as an art, so Zil gnomes are typically well-spoken and sophisticated. Even a gnome farmer or miner has training in conversation and debate. The typical gnome is not a clown or a source of comic relief -- unless it suits her purposes to have others see her that way.

Games of Wit and Wisdom

The Zil gnomes love games of strategy, but their favorite pastime is intrigue. The seemingly dull farmer could be involved in a dozen plots. Often these plots are tied to a local community: feuds to shift the balance of power between families, attempts to influence local romances, or economic schemes. Two gnomes may engage in a shadow war to acquire a certain rare book, not because either truly cares about the book, but as a game -- a test of cunning and wit. But beyond these innocent pastimes, the waiter at the bar could be working for the Trust, the Aurum, the Korranberg Chronicle, or any number of other cabals with international goals.

Beyond his personal schemes, every Zil gnome has a bond to his family and his clan, and each has its own economic and political goals. Business contracts, mining rights, government positions, influence within a trade guild -- in Zilargo, all of these things are determined by cunning and manipulation. As noted in Part One, the Trust intervenes only if the security of the land is threatened or if actual laws are broken. If the Lorridans and the Lyrrimans are feuding to see who will get the rights to Blackhowl Mine, the Trust doesn't care -- as long as no one is killed and the resources of the mine ultimately benefit gnomes. If the Lorridans started murdering the Lyrrimans, or the Lyrrimans made arrangements to sell the mine to House Cannith . . . that's when the Trust may get involved.

Family loyalty is immensely important in Zilargo. In a society that thrives on deception, the gnomes find it extremely important to have someone they can trust without reservation, and for the Zil this is the bond of blood. While families may fight one another for position within a clan, betrayal of a direct family member is almost unheard of and would call for bitter and vicious vengeance. Likewise, favors and debts are a serious matter in the Land of the Wise. A web of secrets, favors, and debts binds this nation together, and a gnome may be called on at any time to repay a personal favor or a debt owed by her family. Failure to comply with a reasonable request threatens the entire system and can have grave consequences. Of course, this is a two-way street; a gnome PC is expected to repay her debts, but she can also call in favors from the people she helps during her adventures.

The Role of the Bard

The Zil use the standard gnome statistics presented in the Player's Handbook. Their unusual culture is reflected by the fact that many gnomes who would be commoners in other nations instead possess a single level of expert, with training in Sense Motive, Bluff, Diplomacy, and a number of languages in addition to the Craft or Profession skills they use to earn a living.

A surprising number of gnomes rise above the level of expert to become bards. While gnomish entertainers are celebrated across Khorvaire, not all bards are entertainers, and many Zil bards do not have any ranks of Perform. But even without the powers of bardic music, the class reflects many things common to Zil culture. The skill selection is highly appropriate for the Zil, who focus on social, knowledge, and language skills. Bardic knowledge represents the gnomish fascination with knowledge in all forms. And the magic of the bard is an extension of the innate racial gifts of the gnome -- magic that lies latent in the blood of the race. Thus Zil chroniclers, politicians, mediators, and barristers are just as likely to have bard levels as actual entertainers.

When it comes to entertainment, the Zil gnomes love story and song above mere music, and skilled performers illustrate their tales with phantasmal forces. Musically, small hand drums and woodwinds are the most common instruments. But the trademark of the Zil master musician is the Thurimbar rod -- a wondrous item that enhances a gnome's innate talent for ghost sound, allowing him to produce any sound he can imagine. Due to the high price of the Thurimbar rod (2,800 gp), these instruments are usually seen only in the hands of the finest bards or as treasured heirlooms.

Zil Style and Customs

Zil spellweavers bind illusion into cloth, and the finest glamerweave comes from this land. Some tailors specialize in hypnotic abstract patterns while others weave clear images into their outfits: an evening gown might hold a breathtaking rendition of a sunset over the Seawall Mountains. Magical or no, most Zil gnomes prefer bright colors and loose, flowing designs. Hats are also popular, and a typical Zil street has gnomes wearing a plethora of different styles of headgear. Jewelry bearing both precious and semiprecious stones accentuates clothing; a gnome who cannot afford gold and gemstones sees no shame in wearing finely crafted ornaments of copper and glass.

Zil architecture is as beautiful as the clothing of the gnomes. Multiple types of wood and stone blend together to form pleasing patterns. Even the smallest communities are lit with continual flame, and, in large cities and metropolises, bound elementals provide heat, light, and other amenities. The gnomes go to great lengths to make their homes accessible to foreigners; in cities and towns every building have doors and furniture sized for Medium creatures as well as Small ones, and even in the villages at least one building is designed to accommodate Medium visitors. Zil houses are often filled with trappings from foreign lands -- Aereni woodwork, Sarlonan tapestries, and exotic plants from Xen'drik or Q'barra. Traditionally a guest brings a small gift to repay a host for his hospitality, and this often becomes a form of competition. A wealthy gnome might send a party of adventurers to Xen'drik to recover a piece of art from the Age of Giants, purely because she wants to present it at a party.

Gnomes use prestidigitation to maintain their personal appearance and to keep property clean; as a result, the streets are unnaturally bright, colors remain remarkably vivid, and the gnomes themselves have impeccable hygiene. Even in filthy foreign cities, a gnome takes pains to maintain her appearance, and a dirty gnome probably isn't from Zilargo. Likewise, ragged adventurers may be barred from certain Zil establishments and events unless they are properly groomed and attired. Gnomes also have a keen sense of smell, and scent plays a significant role in Zil fashion; men and women alike make use of perfumes and oils, many so subtle that humans can't even smell them. A social "language of scent" allows a gnome to indicate her current status -- seeking companionship, conversation, solitude, help, and so on. A gnome can recognize the intent of a scent by making a DC 10 Wisdom check and a DC 15 Knowledge (local) check. Other creatures with enhanced senses -- such as a shifter with the Wildhunt ability -- can identify these scents, but unless raised among gnomes they cannot deduce the social meaning of the smell.

The gnomish sense of smell and talent for prestidigitation are also reflected in Zil cuisine. The Zil gnomes make use of a wide variety of subtle spices, including certain flavors that can be produced only through prestidigitation. One of the most common beverages in the land is maleko, which is chilled water infused with faint traces of flavor; visitors are often baffled by the gnome who passes up a tankard of ale to savor a glass of water.

Artifice, Alchemy, and the Arcane

Magic runs through the blood of the gnomes -- a faint gift of illusion that some attribute to the distant touch of Thelanis. Many gnomes develop this talent without formal training. Levels of bard or sorcerer reflect this, and the gnomes typically focus their studying on enchantment, illusion, and conjuration spells. The insatiable curiosity of the gnomes has led to the pursuit of artifice and arcane magic. Zil artificers are justly famed, but House Cannith possesses the most gifted artificers in Khorvaire, and Arcanix is still the greatest seat of wizardry. But Zil gnomes are unsurpassed in two fields: alchemy and elemental binding. Some say that the Zil wrested the secrets of elemental binding from the ruins of Xen'drik, and they jealously guard this secret. No rule in the Eberron Campaign Setting book stops a PC of any race from taking the Bind Elemental feat. However, a DM may require a PC to acquire this feat in Zilargo or Xen'drik. In addition, the Zil gnomes consider this knowledge to be a national resource. An adventurer producing an occasional suit of elemental-bound armor is left alone, but if a PC starts producing airships and thus threatening the Zil monopoly on the art, he may be targeted by agents of the Trust.

Questions to Ask

When you play a Zil gnome PC or NPC, consider the following:

What is your relationship with your family?
Are you involved in any long-term intrigues? Who are your enemies and rivals?
What form does your curiosity take? Are you trying to gain influence? Arcane knowledge? Or do you simply want to visit new lands and meet interesting people?
Conceal your feelings from all but your closest friends. Feign whatever emotions suit the needs of the moment -- but only your most trusted allies should ever see your true face.
A Zil gnome almost always seeks to avoid direct physical combat. Is there a way to resolve a conflict without resorting to violence? If not, how can you maximize your advantages against the enemy? To the Zilfolk, a fair fight is a fool's game.
Language is an art. Never use one word when you could use two, provided those two are clever and witty.

By Keith Baker

©1995-2008 Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The Gnomes of Zilargo, Part 1

2004-11-29T21:33:00.000+08:00

Dorilan Del Caroldan sipped his tal and studied the map on the table. "The first temple to the Mockery -- just imagine what secrets it must hold! But this is one ruin you'll never raid, Solas."

The half-orc roared with laughter. "I'm sure it will be dangerous, Dorilan, but we've faced far worse. I've spent more time in Xen'drik than I have in the Marches. Don't worry, my little friend -- we'll keep you safe on the journey."

"It's not my safety that worries me, or the dangers of Xen'drik. Bursting into the Preceptor's estate, spilling blood in the light of day, beating that merchant for information -- that's not how things are done here."

Solas smiled and took a deep draught of his koreshk ale. Gnomes and their sense of propriety. The funny little man wouldn't last a day in Sharn. "Why not? I haven't seen a guardsman since I arrived. I've never seen a softer city." He looked at the door. "What's keeping Kyrna and Jaral? It's been nearly an hour."

"They're both dead," Dorilan said. But he wasn't Dorilan any more.

Solas' hand flew to the hilt of his sword, but his muscles turned to ice before he could draw. He strained with all his might, but he could not move.

The gnome smiled, revealing the ivory wand she'd kept hidden beneath the table. She was younger than Dorilan, and dressed in darkweave and leather. "We believe the best guards are those that remain unseen." Silvered steel glittered as a dagger appeared in her hand.

In a world where halflings ride dinosaurs and elf raiders seek glory in battle, few people see the gnomes as a threat. The little people are scholars and shipwrights, bards and bookbinders. Zilargo is filled with color and cheer, and the common image of the Zil gnome is that of a jolly craftsman always ready to lend a hand or an ear to those in need.

But those who actually spend time among the gnomes know better. Zilargo is far deeper and darker than it appears, and the cheerful demeanor of the gnome is a carefully cultivated mask. A gnome may be no match for a half-orc barbarian in a fair fight -- but the gnomes of Zilargo seldom fight fair.

Jungle Rats

The first mention of the gnomes can be found in the records of the Empire of Dhakaan. The Ghuurash Codex provides details about the first Dhakaani campaign against the "jungle rats" that infested the coast between the Howling Peaks and the Seawall Mountains. The gnomes of ten thousand years ago were feral and primitive -- a far cry from the civilization seen today. The hobgoblin sages believed that the gnomes were rodents that had been twisted by a conduit to Thelanis, or stunted, thin-blooded wererats that had lost the ability to shift forms. Proponents of this theory cited the small size of the gnomes, the strong instinctive bond within a family, the gnomish preference for burrows, and the racial ability to communicate with burrowing mammals.

The savage gnomes were no match for the disciplined armies of Dhakaan, and the empire spread across the region. The gnomes were enslaved or forced deeper into the wilds. But conquest was far easier than occupation. While primitive, the gnomes were masters of their environment and had a particular gift with poisons; they could not fight Dhakaani armies, but they could poison wells and ambush supply trains. While they never presented a true threat to the empire, the gnomes remained a thorn in the side of the goblin invaders for many hundreds of years.

The stalemate may have continued to this day, but destiny came in the form of the daelkyr. The extraplanar incursion crippled the empire, and the gnomes pounced on the weakened foe. In addition to physical sabotage and assassination, the gnomes began to employ the psychological techniques that would come to define their future nation. While the gnomes had yet to master the arts of wizardry, magic has always run through the blood of the gnomes. While many gnomes could summon a voice from the shadows, a few became full-fledged sorcerers, specializing in illusion. Combining magic with mundane arts of disguise and forgery, the gnomes took advantage of the shattered lines of communication in the empire to sow dissent among the commanders in the region, turning goblin against goblin and helping to ignite the civil wars that tore Dhakaan asunder.

The City-States Emerge

As the goblins pulled back, the gnomes seized cities depopulated by the daelkyr, voraciously devouring the knowledge left behind and building new civilizations in the ruins of what had come before. Slowly families joined together to form the city-states of Trolanport, Korranberg, and Zolanberg. They fought goblins in the lowlands and kobolds in the mountains, and at times they fought each other; but the gnomes always preferred to fight with guile and deception, winning conflicts with wits instead of steel. The gnomes always numbered few and felt no need to conquer the land -- they contentedly held off enemies and maintained the territory they had claimed.

But while the gnomes had no interest in expansion and colonization, they were always driven by a thirst for knowledge. At its deepest level, this is a survival instinct: The gnome knows that information is a weapon. The more he knows about an enemy, the more power he has -- and everyone is a potential enemy. Gnomes began to explore the continent, trade with the emerging cultures of Khorvaire, and learn all there was to know about land and water.

The Birth of Zilargo

The most critical moment in the history of the nation was the foundation of the Library of Korranberg. As the dragonmarks began to appear in Khorvaire, the loremaster Dorius Alyre Korran swore that he would build a fortress of knowledge -- an institute that would unlock every mystery of Eberron. This idea fired the imagination of gnomes across the region, and slowly this project became a national obsession. All three city-states donated resources to the Library, and soon the vaults began to fill with Dhakaani scrolls and the records of the first gnomes, which were carved on sticks of wood. The Library became a point of gnomish pride, and representatives of all of the city-states sat on the council of doyens.

Then came the first great wars of the Current Age. Malleon the Reaver swept the southern coast, and Karrn the Conqueror began the work that Galifar would eventually complete. The gnomes found themselves faced with twin dilemmas. Could any of the city-states stand alone against humanity? And could they trust the other city-states not to betray them? Ultimately, the leaders found one answer to both problems: Expand the alliance they'd created with the council of doyens, and formally bind the three cities as one. After a few social experiments, the city councilors settled on the Triumvirate, and the unified nation was born. The gnomes called the new realm Zilargo, "The Home of the Wise."

Working as one, the Zil gnomes held their own against human and goblin alike. The gnomes were equally adept at working with wood and words, and they had uncovered deep deposits of gems in the Seawall Mountains. The people of Trolanport and Korranberg gained fame as sailors and shipwrights, and gnome merchants, mediators, translators, and scribes spread across the Five Nations.

The Trust

The Zil alliance did not erase the feuds of the past. The Triumvirate could not eradicate the competitive nature of the gnomes -- and in truth, the cutthroat cunning of the gnomes was a point of national pride. But since these feuds began to threaten the interests of the new nation, it became clear that something had to be done. Once more the nation looked to the Library for inspiration, drawing on the example of the syndicate established to enforce honesty among students. Each Triumvir was authorized to select agents from her own city to create a corps of secret police -- an elite force who could be relied upon to place the interests of the nation above all else. Over time, all matters of law enforcement and national security were placed in the hands of the Trust. In many nations, gnomes serve as barristers and advocates, but in Zilargo there is no court of law: the Trust punishes the guilty, and its justice is swift and merciless. It is invisible and omniscient, staffed with spies, diviners, and assassins. Any Zil citizen could be an agent of the Trust. This calling comes above friendship and family. Even when you are alone, you might be watched by an invisible spy or scrying eyes. The Zil gnomes see this as a virtue; while they have little privacy, they also have the lowest crime rate of any nation in Khorvaire. The Trust is there when it is needed and invisible when it is not; even the members of the organization know only a handful of other members. In the eyes of the typical gnome, a loss of privacy is a small price to pay for security.

The Trust acts only if something threatens society. The Zil gnomes constantly engage in blackmail and intrigue. This is a way of life in Zilargo, and the Trust acts only if the intrigues threaten the security of the nation or cause laws to be broken. For example, if a blackmailer forces jis victim to give him a lucrative shipping contract, no harm is done; the wealth still remains in the nation. On the other hand, if the blackmailer forces his victim to commit a murder, steal a rare book from the Library, or give secrets of elemental binding to House Cannith, the Trust intervenes quickly.

This raises the following issue: If the Trust is so powerful, how can adventurers get away with anything in Zilargo? First, the Trust does not interfere unless Zil citizens are threatened. If a party of adventurers is chasing a Brelish fugitive -- well, provided that the adventurers don't disrupt the lives of Zil citizens in their hunt, they are free to do as they will. Of course, if the fugitive finds refuge in the home of a doyen, the adventurers need to find a way to extract the target without harming the household. Second, as noted earlier, intrigue isn't necessarily a crime. And most importantly, the Trust is not as omniscient as it wants people to believe. Anyone could be an agent of the Trust -- but not everyone is. Careless criminals and adventurers who think that they are above the law may be cut down to size by the Trust. But if the party acts carefully and cautiously by planning out its steps and taking advantage of disguise and abjuration magic, they can escape even the eyes of the Trust. Adventurers still can accomplish their goals in Zilargo -- they just need to use their brains instead of relying on sword and fireball to solve all their problems.

Galifar to the Present Day

The Zil gnomes have never sought to build empires; instead, they have always insinuated themselves into the nations of others. In the Mror Holds, the gnomes do much of the actual work of the banking industry. Gnome merchants and sailors have a strong foothold in the Lhazaar Principalities, and they live and work in coastal communities across Khorvaire. In Breland, gnome crafters and engineers labor closely with the centers of industry. In Aundair, Zil sages hold key posts in the Arcane Congress and the University of Wynarn. The message stations of House Sivis are the key to international communication, and the Korranberg Chronicle is the most trusted source of news on the continent. Gnomes are everywhere, and they are almost always overlooked. But few realize the tight bonds of family -- and this is what gives the gnomes their power.

By Keith Baker

©1995-2008 Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Cursed Magic Items

2004-11-29T21:31:00.001+08:00

Why and How Is It Cursed?

A standard campaign assumes that cursed items come from one of three sources: flaws in the crafting process that went unnoticed and that generated an undesirable result, entropy and chaos corrupting an existing magic item, or deliberate creation by evil or insane spellcasters. From those three origins we have many different kinds of cursed items. For instance, you can find ones that fool the user into thinking it is working, to those that work only occasionally, to those that have a radically different function. In Eberron campaigns we can add specific details to all three types of origins (and a fourth not mentioned in the Dungeon Master's Guide).

Curse Origins in Eberron

Flaws in the Process: One of the things that makes the Eberron setting different is that creating magic items is an industry involving many crafters rather than an isolated process by a handful of independent spellcasters. More people are making magic items in Eberron than in a standard campaign, and that means more chances to make a mistake.

An interesting adventure hook can involve tracking a source of cursed items to a particular artisan, finding that he ran out of a key component and used an inferior one with unknown side effects, and is now producing far more cursed items than another artificer of similar skill. Even worse, he taught his apprentices to use this substitution component and now they produce more cursed items as well. Adventurers in Eberron should know that things are rarely as they seem, and a "grand plot to spread cursed items about Khorvaire" may actually be a simple mistake by a busy craftsman. Then again, maybe the replacement ingredient was suggested and provided by a sinister mysterious person with an agenda. . . .

Fortunately, most of the items produced in large numbers are minor items with little or no ability to cause serious harm to the user -- you might see a potion of cure light wounds that makes the drinker sick for a day or a scroll of blur that actually makes the caster glow brightly. Such cursed items are an inconvenience rather than a serious threat (as compared to some of the deadly cursed items in the Dungeon Master's Guide).

Entropy and Chaos: Eberron is unusual in that it has five major places that can have a strong influence on existing magic, with two of them being physical and another three being planar: Khyber, the Mournland, Kythri, Thelanis, and Xoriat. Magic items created in these areas or items that have been in these areas for long enough (or even under the right circumstances in coterminous areas) may change due to this, and they can acquire cursed traits as a result. Khyber often taints the function of items with evil requirements or may stop working in good-aligned areas. The Mournland corrupts healing items so the user thinks the items are working when they're not, and the items may have random effects or magical backlashes each time they're used. Kythri makes cursed items that function intermittently or have a different or opposite effect than the one intended. Thelanis makes cursed items that delude the user, have drawbacks, or have shorter or longer effects than normal. Xoriat makes items that function intermittently, have different or opposite effects, or acquire strange or unpleasant drawbacks and requirements.

Deliberate Creation: In a standard campaign, magic is rare enough that creating a cursed item is not worth it; if you want to hurt an enemy, you can assassinate them more cheaply, and if you want to spread chaos, you can choose to make an item that works only for you and your allies rather than one that hurts everyone who uses it. Therefore in a standard campaign, those who intentionally create cursed items are probably very evil or insane. In Eberron, the increased availability of magic makes the likelihood of curse-sabotage much more likely, even among normal schemers.

Example: Two nobles are feuding. The first pays an artificer to make a cursed sword (the 8,315 gp cost for a +2 longsword isn't that significant to a member of a noble family, and in Eberron most small cities have the means of creating minor magic weapons so the noble has access to this strategy). He arranges for a third party to give it to the second noble as a gift, and then the first noble challenges his rival to a duel. The first noble wins and to everyone it appears that there was no foul play. The cursed sword outlives both nobles, but still becomes as heavy as lead when facing a member of the first noble's family.

Eberron also has two significant forces intent on spreading chaos through the world. The first group is the Lords of Dust, who are powerful and evil beings who often act just to cause chaos for its own sake. These beings have the time and resources to create cursed items, and they find it entertaining to watch mortals fall prey to horrible curses as the items are passed from person to person. The traditional "monkey's paw" of twisted wishes is the exact sort of item they love to make.

The second force is the cult of the Traveler. He is said to wander the world spreading chaos (though, like all of Eberron's gods, he is not actually present in the world), and his mysterious followers often take this mantle upon themselves, making cursed items and passing them off as normal. As the saying goes, "Beware the gifts of the Traveler." A doppelganger or changeling artificer can make a living creating secretly cursed items for a year, then move to another city with another identity when those curses start to manifest.

Character Actions: Some cursed items arise because of the way they are used. A suit of armor sprayed with gore from a wounded daelkyr may develop a thirst for the blood of its wearer. A holy avenger used to kill a just priest is forever tainted and functions only on holy ground or during a conjunction with Syrania. A staff of power used to kill a powerful lich is altered by a backlash of magical energy and slowly drains away its user's life force every time it is activated. In Eberron, things don't always end well, and achieving victory at the cost of damage to a favorite item reflects that theme.

Cursed items don't have to be random. They can be the root of an adventure or the foil to its solution. They may be valuable items with an annoying or unexpected drawback. They may have considerable historical impact. They may be the recurring villain in an ongoing campaign. In other words, most cursed items have a story; the question is how can that story influence your Eberron campaign?

By Sean K Reynolds

©1995-2008 Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Church of the Silver Flame, Part 2

2004-11-22T21:30:00.000+08:00

Ministers and Priests

The Church of the Silver Flame is highly structured. Someone who seeks to enter the order of friars or ministers first serves as an apprentice within his local community, learning the basic teachings of the Flame. When he receives the blessing of the local minister, he can enter one of the seminaries of the Flame.

Most initiates progress as experts, learning mundane skills that will help them serve their communities. Knowledge (religion), Heal, and Diplomacy are vital skills, and Knowledge (the planes) and Sense Motive are encouraged. In addition, most initiates have ranks in Craft or Profession. Various challenges test an initiate's potential to channel divine magic; those who possess this talent are called to the Great Seminary of Flamekeep, where the wisest adepts of the church teach them. The cardinals occasionally visit the Great Seminary, and on rare occasions the Keeper herself will speak to the young adepts. A character's backstory could incorporate this, giving a PC a pre-existing connection with a high-ranking patron in the church. But is the cardinal in question faithful to the Flame, or is she a corrupt schemer?

At the end of this training, a minister usually possesses two NPC levels (expert, adept, or one of each) or one level of cleric.

Paladins and Templars

The templars learn their trade in one of the fortress monasteries scattered across Khorvaire. While monasteries exist throughout Thrane, Breland, and Aundair, the three largest fortresses are located in Thrane: the massive monastery of Kloijnir, which watches over Flamekeep; Tira's Watch, on the southeastern border of Thrane and Breland; and Morningcrest to the west. Templars live an austere life, and they dedicate themselves to combat training and religious studies. The majority of templars become warriors, while the most gifted become fighters or monks. A cleric typically travels to a fortress monastery after completing spiritual training in Flamekeep, and here he learns the use of weapons and armor. These monasteries also serve as garrisons, and most templars remain at the monastery even after completing their training. Occasionally a templar accompanies a friar or serves as a pilgrim; this calling is a matter between the templar and the abbot.

Paladins are a special case. You cannot train to be a paladin: it is a spiritual calling. Many paladins learn basic skills outside of the Church, since the Voice of the Flame guides them. Ministers and friars who discover a potential paladin send her to a monastery for full training, though some paladins have risen to significant levels before officially joining the church. A paladin must undergo tests at Flamekeep before she can act as an official representative of the Church. Some then take up residence at the templar monasteries, but many serve as pilgrims or serve in secular organizations, such as the Knights of Thrane or the King's Citadel; their calling draws them out to the world, and they find monastic life stifling.

Eberron is a place where alignments are blurred, but the paladin is held to a higher standard. A paladin embodies good, and the Flame itself calls her to serve as a champion of the light. A paladin's powers are the result of her faith, her purity, and her destiny. If a player wants to be a corrupt warrior with divine powers or a holy warrior who doubts her cause, she shouldn't be a paladin -- she should play a fighter/cleric, or something similar. With that said, the moral ambiguity of Eberron makes life challenging for the paladin who expects everything to be black and white. In a crowd of ten commoners, odds are good that three will be evil. But that doesn't mean they are monsters or even killers -- each is just a greedy, selfish person who willingly watches others suffer. The sword is no answer here; the paladin is charged to protect these people. Oratory, virtue, and inspiration are the weapons of the paladin -- though intimidation may have its place. A paladin who meets this challenge and lives up to the ideals of the Flame should be treated with respect by the faithful; a paladin in good standing should find shelter and support among any community of the Flame.

Friars and Pilgrims

Ministers and templars are assigned to specific regions. Friars and pilgrims take the light of the Flame into dark places. A friar goes through the same training as a minister, but instead of settling in a single community, he is charged with the task of missionary work. A friar travels across Khorvaire preaching the virtues of the Silver Flame and attempting to win converts to the church. Friars also serve as the eyes of the Church; a friar will search every new village for signs of possession, cult activity, or other foulness, and then he can report his findings back to the nearest Church official. The majority of friars are experts; a few remarkable individuals possess adept levels.

The role of the pilgrim is less strictly defined. A pilgrim wanders the world. She is not required to perform missionary work, but she is expected to lead by example wherever she goes, to oppose evil in all its forms. This is the lowest rank in the hierarchy of the church, but it still represents a commitment -- a vow to serve and protect. Pilgrims are not as well received as paladins, but the faithful will still support a passing pilgrim in exchange for a sermon or tales of her bold deeds. This is the most likely role for a PC cleric to fill: As a pilgrim, she is free to go on any adventure she sees fit.

Corruption

In Eberron, the alignment of a priest does not have to match that of his deity. As a result, corruption is a major concern in the Church of the Silver Flame. However, corruption can take many forms, and each can have a vastly different impact on a campaign.

The most common form of corruption is when zealous devotion causes a priest to set aside mercy and compassion. Such a priest may be a pillar of his community and an admirable man who has absolute dedication to the Church. But if he must sacrifice the innocent in pursuit of the greater good, he will. He will torture and kill without remorse. He will not glorify these actions, and will not torture needlessly -- but he will not shirk from using dark methods to win the battle against evil.

A second form of corruption is greed. The clerics and adepts of the Silver Flame are not supposed to sell divine spells; these miracles are to be saved for the protection of the faithful. But some clerics use their spells to gain gold or influence. Some just want to live lives of luxury, but others believe that there are many ways to fight evil -- and that political power is a more effective weapon than a paladin's sword. While these priests have an evil alignment, they may still be working in the interests of the greater good -- at least, as they see it.

These two types of priests both have their redeeming features. They do not see themselves as evil and may aid the cause of good. But then there is the third category -- the priest who knowingly embraces the darkness. A second voice whispers in the Silver Flame -- that of the terrible demon that Tira bound in battle. Occasionally a good priest is led astray by this false flame. However, a few seek out this quiet voice and serve the interests of the Lords of Dust from the heart of the church. Some believe they will gain immortality or fiendish power in exchange for their devotion. Others have been driven mad by the horrors of the Last War and believe that the light has forsaken the world. Either way, these heretics are cunning and dangerous.

Unfortunately, dealing with corruption is a tricky business. The Church does not define evil as "that which can be detected with detect evil"; as noted earlier, someone with an evil alignment may serve the greater good. Furthermore, a cleric of a good deity always possesses a good aura, regardless of her personal alignment. Rank within the church hierarchy is another complication: a pilgrim can't kill a cardinal and expect to get away with it because "he was evil." She will need proof of actions that went against church doctrine and harmed the innocent. Thus, a paladin's ability to detect evil allows her to judge the character of those around her -- but it's in no way a license to kill.

When dealing with this sort of situation, a DM should bear in mind that a significant difference exists between rank and character level. A cardinal may be a high-level cleric. He could also be a low-level expert. A high-ranking church official may not be able to physically challenge a high-level PC -- but he has the many resources of the church and the Templars behind him, and lower-ranking members of the Church are expected to defer to his judgment or face sanction and excommunication.

Quests

The Silver Flame has a simple goal: Abolish evil. There are hundreds of options: venturing into Droaam to strike against an enclave of monsters; sneaking into Karrnath to destroy a temple of the Blood of Vol; battling lurking fiends or possessing demons in the cities of Khorvaire; recovering a cursed object and then traveling to the Demon Wastes to destroy it; and so on.

Prayers

Appeals to the Silver Flame are short and direct; this religion is born of war, and prayers must be called out in the midst of battle. References to light and flame are extremely common. "Light of the Flame, guide my arm."

Temples

Temples of the Silver Flame always are heavily fortified and capable of providing shelter to the innocent. Furnishings are typically austere, but elaborate carvings displaying intertwining flames and heroes of the church often cover the walls. A brazier filled with silver continual flame is set before the altar.

Rites

Priests of the Silver Flame perform many services. While some of these are practical -- ranging from marriage to military training (specifically, archery) -- the tasks of the priest also include offering guidance and inspiration to the community. Daily services provide the faithful with the chance to hear the words of the priest and to present their troubles.

Heralds and Allies

Tira Miron is the voice of the Silver Flame, and her spirit responds to commune, augury, or similar entreaties -- or so it appears. Tira has never manifested physically since her sacrifice, and in all likelihood she cannot; she is a conduit that allows the Flame to speak to the common races, not an avatar to fight its battles. Its primary allies are the couatl, but over the millennia a number of noble celestials have heard the call of the Flame and chosen to serve its cause. Thus, a cleric's call for aid could be answered by an archon, an angel, or something stranger and more exotic.

Favored Weapon

The favored weapon of the Church of the Silver Flame is the longbow. Many believe that this dates back to the battle against the rakshasas, who are most vulnerable to piercing weapons. Furthermore, a quiver of arrows can include shafts with a wide range of enchantments or arrowhead materials, allowing a templar to operate at peak efficiency against all manner of beasts and fiends. Priests also encourage archery as a form of meditation, and in many communities the faithful can come to train at the local church of the Flame. This can result in an unusually high number of 1st-level warriors or commoners with Martial Weapon Proficiency (longbow) in areas devoted to the Flame.

By Keith Baker

©1995-2008 Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Church of the Silver Flame, Part 1

2004-11-15T21:29:00.000+08:00

"Why do you hurt your fellow citizens?"

The innkeeper froze. "What?"

"I can see the greed swirling in your soul," Handor said. "Do you water down your ale? Charge three crowns when the price is two? Or worse?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," the man stammered. His eyes flickered down to Handor's blade.

"I am a paladin of the Silver Flame. I am sworn to fight evil in all its forms. My sword is for the fiends and monsters that deserve neither reason nor mercy. But you are no monster, and you can still find redemption." Handor put his hand on the hosteller's shoulder. "Consider your actions. Think about those you have harmed. Seek out a minister and cleanse your soul. The true darkness is rising, and if we are to survive we must all find a path to the light. If you cannot . . . then perhaps you are a monster, after all."

Core Beliefs

The Silver Flame has existed since the dawn of time. When Eberron was overrun by darkness and the demon spawn of Khyber, the Flame arose to bring light to the world and to bind the fiends in the depths of the Dragon Below. But the Flame was too pure for flawed humanity, and the people of Khorvaire could not hear its call -- until Tira Miron set upon her righteous path. This noble warrior had devoted her life to the cause of honor and sacrifice, and in her the Flame found a worthy vessel. Guided by a glorious feathered serpent, Tira gave her life to end the reign of a demon lord that had escaped its bond. Though she fell in battle, Tira's soul joined with the Silver Flame, and in so doing, she became a conduit -- a voice that humanity could hear. Across Thrane, the pure of heart heard her call; and ever since then, the Church of the Silver Flame has stood against evil, whatever form it might take.

The Silver Flame is not an anthropomorphic deity. It is a celestial force comprised of a vast multitude of noble spirits. It neither requires sacrifices of gold or spices, nor does it want praise in the form of prayer. Instead, it needs bold warriors and pure ministers who will embrace the light and use that inspiration to banish evil from the world. A typical worshiper of the Sovereign Host offers prayers in the hopes that the deities will help him; a true follower of the Silver Flame is interested only in how she can serve the cause of the flame.

The Afterlife: Some say that when a true follower of the Flame passes on, his spirit joins with the Silver Flame, strengthening the light. While some people may see this as a mediocre reward, the priests of the Flame say that they can achieve no greater bliss and that glory beyond anything that can be experienced in life awaits -- not to mention that this far surpasses the experience of wasting away in Dolurrh. For this reason, clerics of the Silver Flame are loathe to raise the dead; when a true hero dies, his spirit has gone to a better place, and he continues to fight from the other side. Gold rarely influences a true priest of the Flame; the cleric brings the hero back only if she believes he has a noble purpose to serve in this life, and this often involves a quest or vow.

Human Evil: The goal of the Church is to cleanse the world of evil. In the minds of most outsiders, this conjures up images of templars and exorcists fighting with sword and spell. But the vast majority of the members of the Church are not warriors. More people are in the ministry and the Order of Friars than in the Order of Templars, and they seek to battle evil by nurturing good. A Thrane farmer who is faithful to the Flame does not fight demons. But he seeks to live his life by the ideals of the Church: to help those in need, to encourage virtuous behavior, and to be a force of light in the world. Gradations of evil exist, and while no mercy can be granted to the demon, hope remains that the greedy merchant or the arrogant king may follow a different path if shown how. The minister -- and the paladin -- leads by example and demonstrates to others the errors of their ways. With this said, puritans of the Flame may be less forgiving and more apt to use violence as a tool to eliminate social evils as well as supernatural forces.

Other Faiths: While the Church of the Silver Flame seeks to abolish the worship of the Blood of Vol, the Cults of the Dragon Below, and the Dark Six, it can be tolerant of other religions. Warriors of the Flame have much in common with the followers of Dol Arrah, and the teachings of Aureon and Boldrei echo those of the Church. With that said, followers of the Sovereign Host are often somewhat lackadaisical in their faith, and this often draws disdain from the faithful of the Church. A loyal member of the Church can associate freely with followers of the Sovereign Host or the Path of Light, but a zealous friar will still try to lure them to the true faith.

The Fury of the Flame

The ministry of the Silver Flame performs countless good works throughout the Five Nations, but the actions of the templars often overshadow these efforts. The most dramatic instance of this occurred when the inquisition destroyed the lycanthropes. To outsiders, this wholesale slaughter may seem shocking and unforgivable. However, a few factors can help people understand how such an event could occur -- and what the Church might do in the future.

The Church of the Silver Flame operates under a strict hierarchy. The Church expects the faithful to trust the wisdom of those who stand above them, since those higher in the hierarchy stand closer to the Flame. Thus, most templars act without questioning their orders: If a cardinal authorizes an action, it must be in the best interests of the world. This is especially true of the puritans.

The ultimate goal of the Church is to cleanse Eberron itself. For many members of the Church, this noble goal justifies any means required to reach it. This manner of thinking serves as one of the sources of evil-aligned priests within Thrane. Such a priest may be good in almost all ways, but she has a willingness to employ evil tools -- such as torture -- when necessary to achieve a goal that furthers the Church's cause.

When the Church targets a problem, it seeks to completely eliminate it. The templars act with ruthless efficiency. In the case of lycanthropy, any lycanthrope can afflict a victim with a curse that alters behavior and alignment, and this makes the victim a threat to others and a new carrier for the curse. In 832 YK, the Keeper of the Silver Flame declared that lycanthropy afflicted the soul as well as the body, since it could turn the noblest soul to a tool of darkness. Even those lycanthropic strains that were not inherently evil still force a change of behavior on the subject, and were thus suspect; the Keeper declared that these still imperiled the soul. If a single lycanthrope remained alive, it could pass the curse to others, and they could pass the curse to others, and within a generation the problem could arise anew. Thus all lycanthropes -- even those seemingly innocent and young -- must be destroyed.

A handful of paladins found alternatives. Some helped werebears escape to Lamannia, while others sought to cure the afflicted. Unfortunately, the process of breaking the curse is long and involved, and the Keeper of the Flame said that once the curse was set (via changing alignment), nothing could save the victim's soul. And so the templars relied on their silvered swords, cutting out the cancer and praying for forgiveness when innocents fell at their hands.
The Church is fighting a war, and it intends to win. Casualties are certain. Sacrifices must be made, and allies may fall to friendly fire. But the Church will always act swiftly, decisively, and in a manner that serves the greater good -- at least, as the cardinals see it.

The idea that good people can do evil and that evil people can serve the cause of good is a central theme of Eberron. The Church of the Silver Flame embraces this paradox. It has a noble cause. The majority of its followers champion the ways of the light. And yet, with the best of intentions, they can become your enemies -- or you may be asked to do questionable things in the service of the Church.

By Keith Baker

©1995-2008 Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Race Relations and Prejudice

2004-11-15T21:27:00.000+08:00

Not So Cut-And-Dry

In a standard campaign, racial interaction among the Player's Handbook races is pretty simple. Humans get along with everyone, dwarves think elves are flighty, nobody trusts half-orcs, and so on. Despite these feelings, the typical D&D campaign has a fairly cosmopolitan feel, with all races living in peace in larger cities with no serious racial conflicts. In the Eberron setting, things are much more complicated, mainly in that there are different groups of each race, and people may have bad feelings toward one and not the other; racism's roots in Eberron, as in the real world, tend to be based on culture rather than actual race. (As the Eberron Campaign Setting says on page 24, "A character from an Eberron campaign is never just a human or a dwarf: He is a human from Thrane or a dwarf from the Mror Holds.")

For example, the elves of House Phiarlan are an old dragonmarked house with a centuries-long history of entertainment and artistry; most common folk praise them and their work. In contrast to that house, the elves of the new nation of Valenar are seen as land thieves and a threat to the peace established by the Treaty of Thronehold. Will the acts of the Valenar elves paint those of House Phiarlan with the same stigma? Will the people of Khorvaire grow to dislike elves as a whole but tolerate House Phiarlan because "they're the good ones"?

Humans, as rulers of much of Khorvaire for nearly a thousand years, have a reputation for nation building. Sharn is arguably the greatest city on the continent, and its residents see themselves as the most civilized people on the continent. By contrast, the humans of the Shadow Marches are illiterate unwashed swamp-dwellers who consort with orcs. Even though a human from Sharn may look exactly like a human from the Shadow Marches, the Brelander is comfortable looking down on the Marcher as something less human. Likewise, the refugees from Cyre, regardless of race, are looked down upon as the biggest losers in the war that hurt everyone, and some folk think disaster struck the Cyrans because they somehow deserved it, and so they heap additional abuse on them for their assumed crimes. Culture, not physical race, is seen as justifiable cause for prejudice.

Half-orcs, often the scapegoat for anything unpleasant, most commonly hail from Droaam, the Eldeen Reaches, or the Shadow Marches, and some form part of House Tharashk. People see Droaam half-orcs as dangerous monsters and Shadow Marches half-orcs as primitives; citizens of Aundair see Reaches half-orcs (and anyone else from there) as separatists and nation-betrayers while those outside Aundair don't think about them at all. In contrast to all of this, most consider House Thrarashk's half-orcs and humans to be very talented scouts with a critical skill for finding valuable resources. Again, culture and nationality is more important than actual race.

Old Races and New Races

Many typical D&D campaigns use the standard races and may include one unusual race, such as lizard-folk, aasimar, and so on. By contrast, the Eberron campaign has four new races in common play (changeling, kalashtar, shifter, and warforged). Each of these "new" races is something unusual and their role in the campaign can make many "normal" people nervous, and that can lead to racism in the strictest sense. Any member of these races is likely to run into intolerance on a regular basis, whether in urban or rural environments, from any of the older races.

Changelings are descended from humans and doppelgangers, and their natural ability to hide their true appearance means that few people ever fully trust them -- how can you confide in someone who might take on your face and use your secrets against you? Anyone who sees one in its natural form understands that it isn't really human and therefore its motives are suspect. The changeling tendency to consort with criminals only reinforces this prejudice, and in turn it means that the only place a changeling can find some acceptance is in the very criminal organizations that turn law-abiding people against them.

Kalashtar may appear physically attractive in a human sense, but their alien mind sets them apart, and while your typical adventurer is more accepting of strangeness, an average farmer or city-dweller doesn't take well to a "pretty-looking, funny-talking" kalashtar any more than someone in the modern world takes to a slick politician or book-minded ecologist telling them what's right and wrong. The kalashtar's tendency toward sincere goodness ameliorates some of their suspicion, but many people are always reminded of their ties to the Region of Dreams and the horrible quori that rule that place -- a fact that makes ignorant people fear them.

In some ways, shifters have the worst situation of all the new races. They can't pass as fully human like the changelings, they aren't beautiful and inherently good like the kalashtar, and they weren't built to be loyal soldiers like the warforged. Shifters are descended from lycanthropes, which many people consider to be monsters (and the shifters only a step above that). Crude, feral, and obviously not human, the shifters are feared by many common folk, and most shifters find themselves shunned for their appearance and mannerisms, particularly in places where the Church of the Silver Flame's crusade against lycanthropes was taken to heart.

To most people, warforged are an unfortunate reminder of the Last War. Built for combat and not for peace, the warforged race's clumsy attempts to blend in with normal society do not endear anyone to them. It doesn't help that the most famous member of their race, the Lord of Blades, has declared that the warforged shall rule Eberron, which renders all warforged as possible collaborators in this construct plot. Unlike veterans of other races, warforged can't blend in; the Last War resides in every fiber of their being. In some lands people treat them as property, and in most other places many still see them more as living weapons than as true people. Your average person is glad that no more warforged are being built (since the secret forging isn't publicly known) so that eventually this "race" will die out.

One thing to remember, though, is that the people of Eberron have a strong national identity because of decades of war, and that colors their racial perceptions; a Brelander may think that shifters are savage and changelings are untrustworthy, but a shifter or changeling from Breland is still better than anyone from Valenar or old Cyre. In many cases, nationalist bigotry is more common and accepted than racial bigotry.

By Sean K Reynolds

©1995-2008 Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Dwarves of the Mror Holds, Part 2

2004-11-08T21:25:00.000+08:00

It takes an anvil to forge an axe.

-- Mror proverb

National Character

The Mror dwarves are a passionate people. They are driven by pride, clan loyalty, and a fierce love of life -- food, drink, battle, and all the myriad experiences the world has to offer. Among strangers, a Mror dwarf often hides his true thoughts and feelings behind a grim mask. But in the company of friends, dwarves embrace life with unparalleled zest.

The Mror dwarves are fierce negotiators, favoring intimidation over subtle diplomacy. Most hold honor in high regard, and the oath of a Mror lord is said to be as unbreakable as adamantine. Nothing is ever reliable in Eberron, however, and while the Mror may on the whole be more honorable than humanity, the word of an Aurum concordian is often worth little more than the wind.

The Mror dwarves have been merchants for centuries, but they have been warriors for millennia. Even when Karrn enforced the peace of Galifar, the dwarves continued to train their children in the art of war. While the Mror Holds were largely isolated from the Last War, the orc raiders of the Jhorash'tar remain a constant threat, and the crags and chasms are home to ogres, trolls, and far worse things. The greatest heroes of the Holds hunt in the depths of Khyber, stalking runehounds, umber hulks, and other aberrations in the shadows below the mountains. Some assume that because the Mror are wealthy, they are soft -- while in fact they are harder than stone and sharper than steel. Gold is a new weapon for the Mror dwarves; they have never forgotten the way of the axe.

While the Mror dwarves are proud of their young nation and the power that they wield, old feuds and rivalries still remain, and the dwarves are extremely competitive. Generally these conflicts are out in the open; two teamsters will race to reach a destination, two merchants will undercut one another; two nobles will back different hawks in a hunt. Members of the Aurum are known for pursuing secret vendettas with darker and deadlier consequences. Some say that the Aurum is a clan in its own right, that its power is greater than any of the families of old. Most of the honorable lords feel that the Aurum represents a corruption of clan virtues. They say that true Mror are iron and gold, but those who serve the Aurum are gold alone -- influential but soft and unreliable.

Mror Fashion

Humans often see the Mror dwarves as greedy and vain. The truth is more complicated. Most Mror dwarves appreciate fine workmanship in a way that few others can comprehend; the dwarves will literally fall in love with objects. Looking at a beautiful goblet, a dwarf sees the toast he will share with his wife (when he finds her). A Mror dwarf can tell stories about every valuable object he owns, either looking to the past he has shared with his treasure or the future he expects to have.

Beyond this, the Mror see personal appearance as far more than simple vanity. A dwarf's accoutrements reflect his wealth and thus, his power, but they also indicate his appreciation of beauty, his judgment, and his intelligence. A poorly dressed merchant has a hard time in business. If he cannot judge the worth of his own clothes, who will trust his merchandise? As a result, a Mror dwarf may spend more on his clothing, armor, jewelry, and weapons than on his home. The Mror are stoic and content to endure physical discomfort and hardship. Sleeping on stone is preferable to wearing drab clothing.

As a result of this, a troop of Mror soldiers are a colorful sight. Dwarven armor is typically coated with enamel or covered with complex engraving. Weapons are equally striking; in addition to colorful hafts and gilded blades, many are made in unusual designs personalized to the warrior. Jewelry is very important to the Mror and often carries special significance, indicating rank within a clan, military honor, or civic office. A Mror dwarf can recognize the significance of another dwarf's jewelry by making an Intelligence check (DC 5); any character can recognize the relevance of the jewels with a Knowledge (nobility) check (DC 20).

In contrast, Mror architecture is stark and functional. Possessing darkvision, dwarves have little need for windows, though most buildings are lit out of deference to gnome and human immigrants. The Mror dwarves derive pleasure from good company, fine food, strong drink, and physical activity. They rarely bother with soft cushions or similar comforts. A wealthy merchant is more likely to spend his profits on beautiful clothes or finely crafted weapons than on lush carpeting and feather comforters.

The Mror Dwarves in Battle

When Prince Karrn led his forces into the Ironroot Mountains, he found a culture engaged in constant warfare. The dwarves placed more value on weapons and armor than home and hearth, and the Mror villages were pale shadows of the cities of Galifar. This was but one of the factors that led Karrn to call the dwarves "barbarians." While the Mror find joy in battle, they are not raging berserkers. Most Mror soldiers have warrior levels, and there are many fighters among the Mror Holds. Other combat classes are uncommon, though Clan Droranath is noteworthy for having true barbarians.

Most Mror soldiers prefer heavy armor and close combat, and typically focus on Power Attack and its related feats. Mror warriors traditionally name weapons and shields. When a dwarf tells a story about one of his many battles, he will refer to his axe as if it were another warrior standing at his side. Battlecries are an important part of Mror culture. A dwarf may develop his own, or he may adopt the battle call of an honored ancestor. Dwarves wish to be remembered on the battlefield, and their colorful armor and mighty cries reflect this fact.

Elite Mror troops generally follow the path of the fighter. Because honor and military skill are both held in high regard by the dwarves, kensai and knight protectors can also be found in the service of the clan lords. Dwarven defenders guard the vaults of House Kundarak, and there are a few frenzied berserkers in Clan Droranath. The dwarf fighter substitution level presented in Races of Stone is appropriate for Mror characters.

While Mror smiths constantly improve their skills, they do not possess the uncanny skills of their ancestors. If you use Races of Stone, Mror dwarves do not have the ability to produce dwarfcraft items or dwarven armor, and they cannot create magic forges. Such items might be found as relics of the first age, however, and a DM could choose to introduce a smith who has mastered these ancient techniques and learned to produce improved armor or weaponry.

Magic among the Mror Dwarves

While priests of Kol Korran and Onatar have always had a place in the mountains, prior to Karrn's Conquest there was no tradition of arcane magic among the dwarves of the Ironroot Mountains. It is clear that the dwarves of the first kingdom possessed runesmiths and artificers of considerable skill, but this knowledge was lost when the clans were exiled from the depths. In recent centuries, the Mror dwarves have learned much from working with gnomish immigrants. Some clans are beginning to reclaim the secrets of the first age. Wizards are still uncommon, but a handful of artificers work in the depths, and most holdfasts contain magewright smiths and other simple spellworkers.

Mror Gnomes

Many outsiders have trouble with the image of dwarf bankers; they see dwarves as warriors, not bean-counters. In fact, the dwarves have little interest in book-keeping. The dwarves have the gold. They take pride in their ability to protect their vaults. They know how to drive a hard bargain. But the paperwork? That's where the gnomes come in.

When Karrn brought order to the Ironroot Mountains, he paved the way for a massive gnomish immigration. The gnomes of Zilargo were inquisitive, diplomatic, and skilled miners in their own right. Karrn initially brought gnomes to the mountains to serve as translators, mediators, and advisors. The dwarves were more comfortable dealing with gnomes than with humans, because clan lords disliked looking up at the invaders. For their part, the gnomes saw a tremendous amount of potential in the mountains, and many of the gnomish families sent envoys east. These immigrants played a major role in shaping the mercantile culture of the emerging nation. Most clans have a close relationship with one or more of the gnomish clans. House Sivis and House Kundarak have very strong ties. Sivis gnomes uncovered the full potential of the Mark of Warding and helped Clan Kundarak find its place among the dragonmark houses, and Sivis notaries and stonesenders play a crucial role in the Kundarak banking guild. Most gnomes in the Mror Holds maintain ties with their families in Zilargo, but a few have broken ties with the homeland and fully embraced Mror culture.

Because the dwarves place great importance on personal appearance, the number of gnome tailors and estheticians in the Mror Holds is growing. Gnome prestidigitation experts excel at keeping colors fresh, and wealthy Mror pay good platinum for the latest gnome glamerweave designs.

The Clans

Mror exiled twelve heroes from the deep kingdom and set the line of Kundarak to watch them. The great clans are the direct descendants of these heroes, and the holds bear their names. Each hero was accompanied by a host of loyal followers and servants. As a result, there are dozens of different family lines in the Mror Holds.

The great clans are Mroranon, Doldarun, Droranath, Kolkarun, Kundarak, Laranak, Londurak, Narathun, Noldrun, Soldorak, Soranath, Toldorath, and Tordannon. Kundarak, however, has never been a part of the council of clans, and Clan Noldrun was completely destroyed (see page 193 of the EberronCampaign Setting for more information).

Questions to Ask

When you play a Mror PC or NPC, consider the following:

What is distinctive about your appearance? What image are you trying to project?

Are you pursuing a feud with a member of another clan? What wrong has been done to you? How serious is the conflict?

What is the name of your weapon? Do you have a personal battlecry?

Mror dwarves often collect a particular type of object: jewels, goblets, daggers, and so on. Do you follow this tradition? What do you collect?

If you are from the Mror Holds, there's probably a family business you could settle into. Why have you left the holds?

Will you try to keep your word? If so, be very careful about making promises. A known oathbreaker is held in low regard in the Mror Holds.

By Keith Baker

©1995-2008 Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Dwarves of the Mror Holds, Part 1

2004-11-01T21:23:00.000+08:00

Gold is the gift of the mountains, but iron comes from blood and bone.

-- Mror proverb

Heart and History

The Mror Holds are founded on iron and gold. The Ironroot Mountains hold vast deposits of precious metals and rare ore, and the dwarf lords have used these resources to create a mercantile empire that stretches across Khorvaire. But there is steel beneath the jewels and finery of a Mror dwarf -- the heart of a warrior whose ancestors engaged in constant battle for almost seven thousand years.

Much of the early history of the Mror dwarves is based on fragments passed down through oral tradition and scattered across the clans. It is generally accepted that the dwarves first appeared on Khorvaire approximately twelve thousand years ago, but beyond this, stories differ. Some tales say that the dwarves came from a land of ice and snow, which most modern scholars deem to be the Frostfell -- although to date, those few, brave souls who have explored this frigid land have found no evidence of a dwarven civilization. Others claim that the dwarves rose up from the earth itself, that Kol Korran and Onatar forged them from the stone of the mountains or that Eberron created them to battle the aberrations of Khyber. Every clan and every dwarf has his own opinion, and most are ready to fight with anyone who challenges it.

Regardless of their origin, it is clear that the dwarves were a mighty power long before the present day. Dhakaani dirges speak of battles with the "stonefolk of the mountains," and the Dhakaani were repelled from the Ironroot Mountains by a unified, disciplined dwarvish nation. Even today, scholars observe that Mror battle tactics are ideally suited to counter the traditional techniques used by the Dhakaani and their Darguul descendents.

The dwarves themselves have many tales from this age of glory, though it is difficult to separate fact from myth. Tales speak of Stone Kings and Dragon Keepers, of runesmiths forging mighty blades in the depths. This age came to an end in the reign of Lord Kordran Mror. A number of warriors and heroes had stirred up unrest in the deep realm, and Mror banished twelve of the leaders plus their followers to the surface of the mountains. The depths were sealed off with magical wards and a clan of wardens sent to the lands above to ensure that the seals remained until the others "proved themselves to be worthy of the kingdom below."

The dwarf lords took many steps to prove their worth. It is said that the great stone face of Lord Mror was produced at this time, though this is itself a point of some debate. Korranberg sages claim that the dwarves simply didn't have the skills to produce such an artifact, and argue that they must have sculpted down a larger image. For evidence, they point to obscure references to "the face of Eberron," and suggest that "Dragon Keeper" may have referred to a draconic monument dating back to the dawn of time.

In any case, when none of these efforts produced results, the banishe dwarves fell to fighting among themselve. The culture slowly devolved, and while the surface dwarves clung to the secrets of iron, they embraced the grim joy of battle. For thousands of years the clans fought one another, each seeking to prove its ultimate superiority and earn the keys to the kingdom of stone.

When humans first came to Khorvaire, they ignored the feuding clans of the Ironroot Mountains. The dwarves were too busy fighting one another to take an interest in the world beyond the mountains, and the ancient battles continued unabated until Karrn cast his eyes toward the region. The young prince guessed at the wealth that might be hidden in the mountains, and he wanted his share. With his father's permission, he led an army to subjugate the "mountain barbarians." Though (or perhaps because) they had been fighting for millennia, the dwarves were ill prepared to face an unfamiliar foe. Together the clans could have easily expelled the invader, but Karrn played on their feuds to divide and conquer the clans. Within a decade, the clan lords had bent the knee to the prince of Karrnath.

Having freed the goblins in his conquest of the Five Nations, King Galifar was not about to condone dwarvish slavery. Karrn was instructed to bring the King's Peace to this savage land. The dwarves were forced to stop their warring ways and encouraged to develop a new nation based on the model of Galifar, providing tribute to Karrnath and the old kingdom. The Karrns surveyed the mountains, but they could not pierce the ancient wards, and they drew their conclusions from the veins of ore they could reach.

Decades passed. Many dwarves abandoned their old ways and spread across Khorvaire. Those who remained in the mountains grumbled under the burden of tax and tribute, and slowly their discontent pushed them together.

Then came the summons. The dwarves of Kundarak were the keepers of the wards, and they called the lords of the twelve clans to their hold. In the halls of Korunda Gate the clan lords met in peace, discussed their plans for the nation, and expressed concern about their future in the Kingdom of Galifar. After a few days of talk, the Patriarch of Kundarak led the leaders down beneath the holdfast to one of the ancient wards. "At long last, you have set aside your differences," he said. "Step forward, and open the gate to the kingdom below." As twelve dwarves touched the seal, it faded away, and the path to the past was revealed.

What lay below was a shock to all. While the clan lords battled on the surface of the mountain, the descendants of Mror had fought the Daelkyr in the depths -- and lost. There was no glorious kingdom of noble dwarves awaiting their return, only ruins and shadow, with terrible monsters lurking in the darkness. Ancient treasures remained in these desolate fortresses, and mines still dripped with all manner of ore. Slowly the dwarves reclaimed the ancient fortresses and the fortune hidden below.

Now that its ancient duty was discharged, clan Kundarak -- which had long possessed the Dragonmark of Warding -- was drawn into the greater community of dragonmark houses. With the aid of the Zil gnomes, the dwarves of House Kundarak established themselves as the foremost bankers of Khorvaire. Many of the other clans worked with Kundarak, selling their ores and jewels through the bank or serving as guards and enforcers.

Through all this, the dwarves remained citizens of the crown of Galifar. The dwarves were patient, and most placed great stock in their word and the honor of their ancestors; the clan lords of the past had sworn an oath to Galifar, and it was not the place of their children to break that vow. Even though Karrnath raised taxes, the wealth of the deep mines far outstripped this tribute. Many of the dwarf lords called for rebellion, but the clans could never come to an agreement, and no single clan wanted to act on its own.

Then came the Last War. The dwarves had sworn an oath to Galifar, but that kingdom no longer existed. Never again would the dwarves submit to the rule of a single king, not even a dwarf. They declared the birth of a new nation, a formal alliance of the clans that would one day rival the kingdom of old: The Mror Holds.

By Keith Baker

©1995-2008 Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The Daughters of Sora Kell, Part 2

2004-10-25T21:22:00.000+08:00

Individually, the Daughters of Sora Kell are three of the most powerful beings on Khorvaire. Sora Maenya and Sora Katra are monsters of legend, and this should be taken into account when dealing with them. Through Sora Teraza, they will probably already know much about the adventurers before they ever encounter them; a DM should make full use of this knowledge.

Sora Katra

NE Female half-fiend green hag, Bard 11

Renowned in song as the trickster of the deep swamp, Sora Katra has been a figure in Brelish folktales for centuries. Stories abound of those who have gone to her in search of secrets or treasure, planning to best her with wit or steel. With few exceptions, these tales always come to a bad end. Her charisma and skill with words are remarkable, and while the threat of violence forms the foundation of Droaam, Sora Katra's rhetoric is quickly building a fanatical following for the hags.

When all three of the hags are encountered, Sora Katra will do most of the talking. She uses disguise self constantly, choosing forms to distract or disorient her opponents. She sees the world as a vast gameboard and is always playing out dozens of schemes. One of her primary tools is a criminal organization known as Daask (a giant word translating as "monstrous eye"), which has spread east through Breland and Aundair. More information about this organization can be found in the upcoming sourcebook Sharn: The City of Towers.

In addition to her powers as a hag and half-fiend, Sora Katra possesses a legendary talent for curses. Once per day she can bestow curse as a spell-like ability; once per month she can perform binding. She must supply the usual components for binding. She performs these spells as a 20th level bard, and the save DCs are Charisma based.

Sora Teraza

LN Female half-fiend dusk hag, Cleric 13

There are few legends of Sora Teraza. Until the founding of Droaam, only the most erudite bards had heard of the blind crone said to wander the Demon Wastes. Many believe that she is the motivating force behind Droaam -- that she was the one who sought out her sisters, guided by an oracular vision. She speaks rarely, but her sisters pay close attention to every word.

All dusk hags possess oracular abilities, but Sora Teraza's are unnaturally powerful. However, she does not control these visions; instead, the visions control her, as she seems to feel an obligation to fulfill the visions she receives. This is a tool for the DM, and there is no mechanic attached to it. It is a plot device to serve the needs of the campaign.

Although she is blind, Sora Teraza is aware of all that occurs around her; this is represented by blindsight that extends in a 60-foot radius. She cannot be flanked or caught flat-footed.

Sora Maenya

NE Female half-fiend annis, Barbarian 10

Sora Maenya has terrorized the Eldeen Reaches for generations. Her strength and appetite are legendary, and she is said to have wrestled the dragon Saerylak and devoured him raw. Few creatures have survived her iron grip, and she takes personal pleasure in breaking giants and other monsters that challenge the Daughters. Over the centuries she has devoured shifter tribes and left entire villages barren and empty. She takes great pleasure in hunting rangers and other human prey. While many Droaamites adore Sora Katra, far more fear Sora Maenya.

While Sora Maenya is known for her strength, she is no dumb brute. She lets Sora Katra run the nation but Sora Maenya is a cunning orator in her own right. She prefers to ply her skills on individuals, playing games with her prey before tearing them to shreds. She is also an unbridled sensualist, and she is always searching for new tastes and experiences. Of all the sisters, Sora Maenya is most likely to be encountered alone, as she wanders the wilds in search of bloody entertainment.

Sora Maenya prefers to fight with her hands; she enjoys the sensation of crushing bones and rending flesh. However, when leading her war trolls into battle, she may choose to use a battle axe or greatsword. The Daughters have many magical weapons hidden in the vaults beneath the Great Crag.

Sora Maenya

Female half-fiend annis hag barbarian 10; CR 19; Large outsider (native)(augmented monstrous humanoid); HD 7d8+35 plus 10d12+50; hp 171; Init +5; Spd 50 ft.; AC 31, touch 14, flat-footed 31; Base Atk +17; Grap +36; Atk +34 melee (1d6+17, claws); Full Atk +34/+34 melee (1d6+17, claws) and +29 melee (1d8+9, bite); SA Improved grab, rage 3/day, rake 1d6+17, rend 2d6+24, smite good (+17 damage), spell-like abilities; SQ Darkvision 60 ft., damage reduction (see below), fast movement, immunity to poison, improved uncanny dodge, resistance to acid 10, cold 10, electricity 10, and fire 10, soul binding, spell resistance 27; AL N; SV Fort +16, Ref +15, Will +13; Str 40, Dex 20, Con 20, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 14.

Skills and Feats: Bluff +12, Climb +20, Craft (bonecarving) +8, Craft (leatherworking) +8, Diplomacy +16, Disguise +12 (+14 when acting), Hide +11, Intimidate +24, Jump +20, Listen +21, Move Silently +10, Sense Motive +6, Speak Language (Common, Elven, Giant), Spot +11, Survival +18, Swim +20; Awesome Blow, Blind-Fight, Improved Bull Rush, Iron Will, Power Attack, Track.

Damage Reduction (Ex): Sora Maenya possesses DR 10/magic, DR 2/bludgeoning, and DR 2/--. Her natural weapons are considered to be magic weapons for purposes of overcoming damage reduction.

Soul Binding (Su): By taking an hour to devour a corpse and perform a special ritual, Sora Maenya can trap the soul of her victim. This is identical to the spell soul bind except that the soul is bound in the victim's skull instead of a gem, and the ritual can be performed within 17 hours of death. The effect has a caster level of 17.

Spell-Like Abilities: 3/day -- darkness, disguise self (CL 8th), fog cloud (CL 8th), poison (DC 16), unholy aura (DC 20); 1/day -- blasphemy (DC 19), contagion (DC 16), desecrate, horrid wilting (17d6, DC 20), summon monster IX (night hag), unhallow, unholy blight (8d8, DC 16). Caster level is 17th unless otherwise stated and save DCs are Charisma-based.

Rage: While raging, Sora Maenya gains 34 temporary hit points. The following changes should be put in effect; AC 29, touch 12, flat-footed 29; Atk +36 melee (1d6+19, claws); Full Atk +36/+36 melee (1d6+19, claws) and +31 melee (1d8+10, bite); SA Rake 1d6+19, rend 2d6+27; SV Fort +16, Will +13; Str 44, Con 24. Her rage lasts for 11 rounds.

Possessions:+3 glamered studded leather, amulet of mighty fists +2, bag of holding (type II), belt of giant strength +4, boots of the cowards leap, potion of barkskin +5, 3 potions of cure serious wounds, potion of displacement, potion of eagle's splendor, potion of fly, potion of haste, potion of invisibility, 2 potions of lesser restoration, potion of protection from arrows 15/magic, potion of tongues, potion of undetectable alignment. The boots of the cowards leap allow the wearer to use dimension door 1/day with a CL of 9.

Though her hunched posture hides her true size, this withered crone must be at least 8 feet tall. She wears a hooded cloak and leather rags the color of dried blood. Her limbs are long and gnarled, but her hands do not shake and her fingers are tipped by long black talons. Her withered skin is a deep indigo blue, and her hair a filthy black nest. Her eyes glow with a fierce red light, and when she smiles you see the mass of needle-sharp teeth that fill her mouth.

By Keith Baker

©1995-2008 Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The Daughters of Sora Kell, Part 1

2004-10-18T21:21:00.000+08:00

The walls of the chamber were studded with skulls. They were the only source of light in the vast cavern, a hundred skulls glowing like coals in a fading fire. Daine remembered the stories he'd heard as a child, how Sora Maenya would trap the souls of those she devoured. He saw a child's skull peering from a crack in the wall and cursed the gods that would allow such horrors to exist.

"Sweet, she was." The voice was the rasp of steel against the whetstone, soft and harsh.

A grove of darkwood oaks stood in the center of the cavern. Now Daine saw the three women standing amidst the trees. The speaker was tall and dark, her limbs as gnarled as the dead trees around her, her leather jerkin the color of dried blood. Her companion was an elf-maiden with snow-white skin and glittering blue eyes, a cascade of midnight hair framing her perfect features; though he knew it was an illusion, Daine still felt his heart skip a beat. A third figure watched from the shadows, red eyes peering from the deep hood of her gray robe.

"Greetings, traveler," the elf-maid said, and her voice was honey and song. "You have traveled far to reach this place. Wolf and worg, briar and bog, a path long and hard."

"Doomed and done," the giantess growled.

"Just begun," the graycloak whispered.

Daine dropped to one knee. "My ladies," he began, but the elf-maid stopped him with a raised hand. Her features slowly shifted. Now she was human, with eyes like emeralds and hair the color of fire.

"We know your purpose, child. My sister speaks of you often. You seek the Blade of Dol Azur. And we can grant your desire. But first you must fulfill ours."

The Three Sisters

Every child in Aundair is raised on tales of the terrible Sora Maenya, and any Brelish bard can sing a dozen songs about the fools who thought to match wits with Sora Katya. Few people believed these myths, and no one expected these hags to emerge at the head of an army of war trolls and skullcrusher ogres -- a power unseen in the west since the time of Dhakaan. Within a decade the hags established control over the lands beneath the Byeshk Mountains, bringing order to the region for the first time in seven thousand years.

Many questions linger over this newborn nation of Droaam. For centuries the hags were content to lurk in waste, wood, and swamp. What caused them to leave their haunts and claim a kingdom? Do they intend to extend their control beyond the Graywall mountains and claim human subjects, or is a nation of monsters all that they desire? Is a nation their only desire, or is it only the first step in a far greater scheme?

Individually, the Daughters of Sora Kell are three of the most powerful beings on Khorvaire. Sora Maenya and Sora Katya are monsters of legend, and this should be taken into account when dealing with them. They have faced and defeated the champions of centuries past and will not be easily impressed or intimidated. Through Sora Teraza, they already know much about the adventurers before they ever encounter them; a DM should make full use of this knowledge.

There are many ways to involve the Daughters in a campaign, and many of them don't involve fighting with the player characters. Sora Teraza is one of the most gifted oracles of the age, and the party may need her mystical insights. Sora Katya is engaged in schemes stretching across Khorvaire, and the party may get caught up in the machinations of Daask or House Tharashk's dealings with the hag. The hags possess many forgotten secrets and ancient treasures plucked from the depths of the Demon Wastes and the ruins of the Dhakaani Empire. They are often willing to bargain with adventurers, trading treasures for services or making potentially deadly wagers. The tales of Sora Katya are full of seeming triumphs that turn to disaster. Through Sora Teraza, the Daughters know much of the future, so that a seeming victory over them may have long-term consequences the adventurers didn't anticipate and which can transform what seemed like success into a hollow victory or worse. Perhaps the Blade of Dol Azur will allow you to kill Haskalask the Black, but perhaps that's just what the Daughters want.

What few people realize is that the Daughters are not simply hags: they are half-fiends. Their mother, Sora Kell, is a powerful night hag, though the fathers of the crones have been lost to legend. The Daughters do not have wings, but they possess all other half-fiend traits and abilities. When using summon monster IX, a Daughter can summon a only night hag, and they call on this power only as a last resort.

Should a party end up in battle with the Daughters of Sora Kell, the DM must remember that they are cunning, selfish, dangerous foes with well-developed sense of self-preservation. Each has survived fights with hundreds of heroes, great and small. Even Sora Maenya won't fight to the last breath; if circumstances turn against her, she will use dimension door, invisibility, or other tricks to flee, returning when she has gathered her strength and her followers. It is possible that epic heroes could defeat the Daughters of Sora Kell, but it shouldn't be an easy task.

By Keith Baker

©1995-2008 Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The Elves of Valenar, Part 2

2004-10-11T21:20:00.000+08:00

National Character

The Valenar are a martial culture. Members of a warband are always searching for glory. To the Valenar, war is an art and a game. The heroes of Xen'drik relied on guerilla tactics in which stealth and skill were more important than raw strength. When fighting a weak foe, the Valenar may engage in straightforward battle to eliminate the enemy quickly before moving on to more challenging enemies. When dealing with a challenging opponent, however, the elves take their time, stalking, weakening the enemy, and enjoying the game. This is true on all levels, including society, which is why wars among the elves can last centuries. With their long lifespans, the elves do not see history in the same way as humans, and they rarely feel a sense of urgency.

The predatory nature of the Valenar is reflected in all aspects of life. Whether a Valenar elf is engaged in a philosophical debate, bargaining with a merchant, or searching for an ancient treasure, the elf always views the situation from the standpoint of hunter and prey.

Valenar are organized into warclans and warbands. These are military units that also incorporate strong emotional bonds. A Valenar puts his patron ancestor above all things, followed by members of his warband, and only then by members of his blood family.

Valenar typically wear loose, silk clothing and light armor decorated with elaborate engraving and embroidery. One unusual tradition is the use of red or brown patterns mimicking blood spatters or stains so that the gore of battle will blend with the elf's clothing. A common accoutrement is the zaelta -- "spirit mask." This veil is practical in the harsh environment of the Blade Desert, but it also helps the wearer submerge his identity within that of his ancestor. A Valenar warrior usually wears the sigil of his ancestor on his helmet or as a brooch; thus, those looking at the elf see his ancestor, not the mortal warrior.

Valenar Religion: The Past in the Present

Valenar elves revere their ancestors. Whereas the Aereni preserve their ancestors beyond death and rely on their advice, the Valenar (indeed, all Tairnadal elves) seek to recreate the glorious deeds of their martial ancestors, thus allowing the ancestors' spirits to live again in the present age.

When an elf is born, the Keepers of the Past read the signs to determine the patron ancestor that will guide the elf through life. It is the duty of the child to honor and emulate this particular ancestor, though he should also strive to bring glory to his entire family. Many elves can share the same patron ancestor. This leads to competition among the elves as each strives to be the perfect embodiment of the common patron.

The relationship between the Tairnadal and the Undying Court varies from elf to elf. The Undying Court played a vital role in the battle against the dragons, and the Tairnadal respect these powerful and ancient elves. This attitude is common among the older warriors who fought side by side with the Aereni. Some younger elves see the Aereni as stagnant and cowardly and claim that the councilors of the Undying Court are not true heroes.

Keepers of the Past can be clerics or bards. A Valenar bard following this religion may take spirit steed as a 4th-level spell. A cleric of the Keepers of the Past can choose between the Destruction, Protection, and War domains, substituting spirit steed (4th) and heroes' blade (9th) for the corresponding spells on the War domain list. The Spirits of the Past are neutral, and the favored weapon of the Keepers is the double scimitar.

The Valenar in Battle

The Valenar are peerless warriors. Sword for sword, they have no equals in Eberron. Their low population is the greatest factor holding them in check. This skill is represented by the use of PC classes and high character levels. Most veteran Valenar soldiers are rangers of 4th to 6th level. With this level of skill, even a band of eight to twelve elves can pose a significant threat.

Valenar soldiers prefer light armor and rely on speed and skill as opposed to pure force. The Valenar are renowned for their cavalry; most soldiers possess a deep bond with their mounts. Common feats include Combat Expertise, Dodge, Mounted Combat, and all of the feats that build on these foundations.

While they are best known for their cavalry, the Valenar take great pride in skill with the scimitar and double scimitar -- so much so that all Valenar receive their racial Weapon Proficiency bonus in scimitar rather than longsword. Foremost among their swordsmen is an order of blade specialists known as the Jaeldira, "blade dancers." These are monks who often advance using the dervish prestige class presented in The Complete Warrior. Jaeldira monks may take Double Steel Strike as their bonus feat at 2nd or 6th level, applying this feat to the double scimitar instead of the double-bladed sword.

Magic also plays an important role among the armies of the Valenar. The ancient elves took the secrets of magic from their giant masters, and many of the heroes of old were wizards. Most Valenar warbands include at least one evoker or conjurer. Valenar of other classes often take a level or two of wizard. Many Valenar rangers prefer mage armor to leather or steel, and mount is an invaluable aid to a cavalry master whose steed falls in battle (this spell is seen as calling on the spirit of a Valenar warhorse, even though the abilities of the shadowy steed are far more limited). Most Valenar wizards have birds as familiars because these creatures are so useful for scouting fields of battle.

Questions to Ask

A Valenar elf's personality is strongly influenced by his patron ancestor. The Valenar strive to emulate their ancestors in all ways. When constructing a Valenar character or NPC, take some time to describe the patron ancestor. What was he known for? Was he a legendary archer or a swordsman? A poet? A traitor? What was his greatest battle? How did he die?

Another important question is why the elf is away from Valenar and his warband. If you start at 1st level, you are less skilled than the typical Valenar ranger. Here are a few options to consider:

In the past, young Tairnadal would spend decades sparring against others of their age. At 1st level you are a novice warrior, but you believe you will gain glory and skill more quickly in the world than in the fortresses of Aerenal and Valenar. Your family may support your choice or you may be rebelling against tradition.

Your ancestor was a paragon of honor and virtue, and you cannot support High King Vadallia's betrayal of Cyre. You seek to bring glory to your ancestor, but you turned your back on the nation.

Your patron ancestor was a pioneer in the Khorvaire expedition, renowned for making contact with members of other races. By joining a group of adventurers and exploring the unknown, you are reenacting the life of your ancestor.

By Keith Baker

©1995-2008 Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Artifact Hunt

2004-10-04T21:26:00.001+08:00

What Do You Mean, "Artifact?"

In a typical campaign, the artifact (and its divine counterpart, the relic) is normally a very old and powerful magic item, often with undesirable side effects. When rumors of an artifact surface, adventurers assemble to locate and recover the item, sometimes for themselves and sometimes on behalf of another group such as a church, guild, or government. Adventurers who get their hands on an artifact are often tempted to keep its powers for themselves rather than handing it over, even for a price (though the associated curses may make them regret that decision later).

In an Eberron campaign, several factors make an artifact quest different.

Artifacts May Be New: Though "new" is a relative term, the legacy of the Last War means that many powerful and valuable objects of recent manufacture were lost through battles, sabotage, monster raids, or the creation of the Mournland. Rather than being the thousand-year-old product of an ancient civilization created with methods lost to time, a lost artifact in Eberron may be only ten years old. There probably are people still alive who have seen it or even used it and who want it back or want to make sure it remains lost. The more recent the artifact, the more people know about it and the more groups can be trying to find it.

Artifacts May Be Mechanical: In a world that mixes technology and magic, an artifact may be a piece of technology or a component to a larger item. It doesn't need to be technologically advanced; a control mechanism for an old lightning rail coach is an artifact of interest for House Orien, and House Cannith and the Lord of Blades would love to acquire the head of an unfinished warforged titan. Don't be afraid to make or adapt a nonmagical source for an artifact quest.

Artifacts May Have No Adventuring Value: Many items described or hinted at in the Eberron campaign setting are incredibly valuable to certain people but not useable by adventurers. There's little temptation for the PCs to hold onto such an item, and they shouldn't need to be railroaded into turning it over to the people who do want it. The lightning rail control mechanism mentioned above is useless to PCs unless they plan to build their own rail coach (which would take a lot of time, research, and money, besides displeasing House Orien). A complete but unactivated warforged body has no value to PCs except as spare parts but is quite useful to someone with a secret creation forge or someone with the know-how to imprint a soul and consciousness on the raw form. Unless characters plan to build their own lightning rail line, a cache of salvaged conductor stones does the PCs no good -- plus they're hard to carry around because of their tendency to repel each other.

This is not to say that an artifact quest in an Eberron campaign should always be about items with no value for the PCs. Tempting characters with more power than they can handle can lead to exciting, if tragic, adventures. Using "adventurer-valueless" items, however, allows low-level characters to quest after an interesting item without it disrupting the power level of the campaign should the PCs decide to keep it.

Everyone is Suspect: Because Eberron's divine spellcasters aren't limited by the "one step" rule for alignment, it's entirely possible that an evil member of a good church is the person responsible for sending the PCs after the artifact. In a standard campaign it's normal to assume that a cleric in high standing with a good church has good intentions -- after all, they have to be good if they're a cleric of a good deity. In Eberron, a corrupt cleric of Dol Arrah might desire a psionic artifact to dominate and control an entire city, eliminating crime and dissent at the cost of free will (not entirely unreasonable to a corrupt mindset, as Dol Arrah is the goddess of self-sacrifice, and making sacrifices for the greater good certainly falls within that realm). The cleric may explain that the item uses psionics to locate criminals and prevent hostility, neglecting to mention that it does so by reading and controlling minds. Just because a quest comes from "good" patrons doesn't guarantee they have good motivations or that success will have good consequences.

An artifact in Eberron isn't necessarily a dust-covered antique pried from the hand of a withered skeleton on a throne in a cavern miles under the earth. Artifacts can be buried under a snowfall from last winter. They can be mundane as well as magical. They don't need to be something an adventurer could use to destroy an army. They don't need to be in the hands of an evil cult to cause evil in the world. When building an artifact quest (or a scavenger hunt, as the Eberron Campaign Setting calls it), examine your preconceptions about artifacts and consider how you can introduce an interesting twist. If you're a player in an Eberron campaign, don't let preconceived notions about what an artifact should be blind you to the possibility that it and the people who want it could be entirely unexpected.

By Sean K Reynolds

©1995-2008 Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The Elves of Valenar, Part 1

2004-10-04T21:19:00.000+08:00

The Darguul warlord studied Caerys, slowly spinning the chain of his flail. "What could bring you to this place, elf?" His tribe gathered around them, forming a wide circle of shadows and gleaming red eyes.

Caerys held her double blade in the falcon guard, level with her shoulders and spreading out like wings. "I came in search of legends. Ten thousand years ago Daealyth of Taeri stood this ground and faced your ancestors, and twenty fell before his singing blades. You are no Dhakaani of old, and a mere twenty of you will bring no honor to the Taeri."

The warlord hissed in fury, and his flail flashed in the firelight. The chain wrapped around Caerys' blade but she twisted away. The flail flew into the darkness. She spun forward, her double blade weaving a circle of fire as she danced toward the chieftain. In a moment the song of steel was over.

Caerys watched as the warlord fell to the ground. With a contemptuous snap of her wrist, she flicked the blood from her blade into the eyes of the stunned onlookers. She smiled behind her spirit veil, counting the blades arrayed against her.

"But forty will."

Heart and History

Born in the land of Xen'drik, the elves learned the ways of civilization and magic as slaves of the giants. Ultimately Xen'drik collapsed in an apocalypse of dragon fire, giant magic, and elven steel. The creatures remaining on the continent were reduced to savagery. During the final days of Xen'drik, a visionary foresaw the fate of the doomed realm. On the eve of destruction, she led a few thousand elves across the sea.

Those elves found a home on the island of Aerenal. While the elves came from different cultures, they were united by their reverence for their ancestors and the heroic deeds of those fallen in Xen'drik. The majority of the settlers chose to lay down the sword in favor of the book. They studied the art of magic, plumbing the depth of the arcane and the divine in their search for a way to preserve their heroes. Over the course of twelve thousand years, this effort produced the Undying Court and the Aereni.

Until the Last War, few humans knew of the other culture of Aerenal: The Tairnadal, "proud warriors." When news reached Aerenal of the destruction wrought by the dragons and the downfall of their ancient enemies, the Tairnadal refused to lay down their weapons. Some cursed the dragons for stealing their rightful victory while others blamed the wyrms of Argonnessen for the deaths of elves left behind. While the Aereni sought a way to overcome death, Tairnadal priests declared that the spirits of departed heroes continued to live on through their descendents -- and that the warrior who gains glory in battle serves as an avatar for the heroes of the past.

In -25,000 YK, the dragons came to Aerenal. Once again all elves joined together against a common foe. The conflict between Argonnessen and Aerenal was a fascinating and mysterious struggle but it is a subject far too deep for this current work. To the human eye, this war continued at a snail's pace, with centuries passing between battles. Slowly the emphasis shifted from physical conflict to magical warfare, with the greatest burden falling on the Undying Court itself. Temporarily freed from battle, the Tairnadal looked elsewhere for glory. Their eyes settled on Khorvaire.

In -10,000 YK, Cassael Vadallia led a troop of warriors to the southern coast of Khorvaire, where the Tairnadal established a presence on the continent. These elves called themselves the Valaes Tairn, "warriors of glory." As the elves spread across the southwest, they came into contact with the goblinoid empire of Dhakaan. Isolated skirmishes soon turned to war. The Valaes Tairn were peerless warriors but the Dhakaani had excellent discipline and greater numbers.

At the height of the Dhakaani-Tairn War, the dragons struck Aerenal with greater force than ever. The elves rushed to the defense of their homeland, and the goblins seized the fortresses left behind. The conflict that followed was long and terrible, made worse when the Dhakaani launched attacks against Aerenal. The elves could not afford to fight two foes. The leaders of the Tairnadal met with the Dhakaani, and a treaty was signed; the elves swore never to return to Khorvaire unless called upon for aid.

They stood by their word. The Dhakaani were too proud to ask for assistance during the Daelkyr incursion, and even when the empire collapsed into ruin the Tairnadal remained on their island. For thousands of years the Valaes Tairn rebuilt their numbers and honed their skills -- until 914 YK, when a summons finally came.

The call came from Queen Mishann of Cyre. The Last War was well underway, and the Cyrans were under attack from all sides. Intrigued by the queen's plea, war leader Shaeras Vadallia summoned the clans of the Valaes Tairn. The warriors agreed that it was time to return.

For 42 years the Valaes Tairn spread terror across Breland and Karrnath. Then they broke all ties with Cyre. Some say that the young Queen Mishala insulted Vadallia, while others believe that the war leader simply grew tired of the alliance. Vadallia summoned his forces to the southeastern edge of Cyre. He spoke of the ancient claim of the elves, a bond to the land older than human civilization. As a darkwood crown was placed upon his brow, he swore to restore the lands claimed by his ancestor and to give all Tairnadal the chance for glory. Sinking his blade into the soil, he declared the foundation of Valenar, "the glorious realm."

By Keith Baker

©1995-2008 Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Shulassakar: The Feathered Servants

2004-09-20T21:18:00.000+08:00

The windows were shuttered against the sun, and the room was shrouded in shadow. Daine could barely see the figure in the corner of the library. The tall, slender stranger was wrapped in a cloak, its deep cowl pulled down over her features.

"You have seen the evil lurking in this place." Her voice was a sibilant whisper, low but clear. "Its power increases with every soul it corrupts. I cannot move among the people to find the fiend Kazalak. You must follow the trail of Kazalak's poisoned touch, battle those consumed by the darkness, and find this font of horror. You are human, warm and weak, and you cannot stand against Kazalak alone. Together, perhaps we can stop this ancient evil before it spreads beyond this village."

Daine scowled. "So we corner a demon and hope you'll show up to save the day? That's a plan, all right. Why should I believe you can stop this thing?"

"I cannot defeat Kazalak."

"Oh. Great."

"I am a vessel for the force that will save us all, a force beyond your comprehension."

Dalassa stepped forward and threw back her cloak. Beneath the shadoweave, she wore a robe that seemed to be formed from pure white fire. This flared up to fill the room with light and illuminate a serpent's head covered with a rainbow of brilliant plumage. The feathers rose up around her, seeming to glow with inner fire.

"I am Dalassakash'alyntar, servant of the flame that binds, the light that will not die. Kazalak escaped his bonds but as long as the flame flows within me, he shall fall at my hand."

In the dawn of this world, the first children of Khyber rose from the darkness to dominate the lands of Eberron. For a time it seemed that no force could stand against the horrors of Khyber. It took an alliance between the mighty dragons and the noble couatl to challenge the spawn of Khyber, and this conflict shook the foundations of the world. It was a war beyond mortal understanding, a struggle that is said to have lasted for a million years. Some say the echoes of the war can still be heard in the plane of Shavarath. To break the stalemate, the couatl made the ultimate sacrifice; they combined the souls of their race into a spiritual force, a silver flame that could bind even the greatest of fiends.

The Ruins of Krezent

The couatl were born on the continent of Sarlona. The majority of their ancient ruins lie hidden in the realm of the Inspired. As they fought the fiends, they established outposts across the length of Eberron. The greatest of these was the fortress-citadel of Krezent, located in the heart of what is now the Talenta Plains. The city extends down into the depths of Khyber, and by the end of the war, terrible forces had been bound in its foundations. A handful of couatl remained to watch over the world but they were too few to guard every seal, so they sought out helpers among the younger races. According to legends, a small group of loyal humans from Sarlona dedicated their lives to the service of the couatl. Over the course of thousands of years, this devotion changed them in body and soul. By the time the Empire of Dhakaan rose to power, the guardians of Krezent were no longer human. They had become shulassakar -- the feathered servants.

Children of the Silver Flame

The people of Krezent are a wondrous sight: humans blended with couatl, with serpentine features and feathers that glow with an inner light. The shulassakar are dedicated servants of the Silver Flame and will give their lives without a moment's thought to combat the forces of darkness.

If these serpent guardians are so noble and wise, why do the halflings fear them? Why do the tribes of the Talenta Plains avoid the ruins of Krezent and whisper tales of the serpentfolk on moonless nights?

The Silver Flame is a force for good but its followers are often blinded by its light, and the shulassakar are no exception. They fight against darkness with ruthless efficiency and will make any sacrifice necessary for the greater good, including the lives of innocents. No one can jeopardize the seals of Krezent. The shulassakar seek to repel outsiders peacefully before they venture too deeply into the ruins but those who persist are dealt with swiftly and harshly.

The shulassakar have considerable racial pride. The feathered servants do not believe that any other creature can truly touch the light of the couatl. The Church of the Silver Flame, the Keeper of the Flame -- these are inherently flawed. While they may mean well, they are tampering with forces they do not understand. A shulassakar is more inclined to work with a follower of the Flame than with any other creature but she will still treat the character as an underling or a child. As far as she is concerned, the physical form of the shulassakar is proof of spiritual superiority.

The shulassakar consider their serpentine characteristics to be a blessing and a sign of their bond with the couatl. They believe that a shulassakar goes through cycles of reincarnation and that the three different forms of shulassakar represent this spiritual growth. Thus, when referring to themselves, the shulassakar refer to purebloods as "servants," halfbloods as "flametouched," and abominations as "transcendent."

Fighting the Darkness

The shulassakar devote their energy to guarding Krezent and other couatl ruins scattered across Eberron. They are aware of the rising darkness -- the Lords of Dust that have escaped from their bonds, the Cults of the Dragon Below, the lurking threat of the Dreaming Dark. The shulassakar face these forces directly when possible. A handful of shulassakar bloodsworn (purebloods) have hidden themselves among humanity, watching for signs of the rising darkness. A shulassakar always prefers to solve a problem on its own or to call in a more powerful servant to handle the problem. At the same time, the shulassakar recognize that victory is more important than pride.

A shulassakar may approach adventurers openly, especially if one or more members of the party follow the Silver Flame. Because shulassakar have little respect for the young races, however, it is more likely that one will attempt to manipulate or trick a party into serving its purposes, believing that humans cannot be trusted to do the right thing simply because it is right.

If a character earns the respect of the shulassakar, they can be valuable allies. Aside from the vast knowledge they possess, they have access to treasures from the Age of Dragons and the wisdom of the couatl. It is possible that a shulassakar mystic could teach new spells to a cleric or paladin of the Silver Flame, showing ways to channel the flame that humanity has never discovered. The shulassakar also have a close bond with the remaining couatl, and noble shulassakar may be able to channel one of these celestials. A human who earns the trust of a feathered servant may also earn the favor of its couatl patron, which could allow him to channel the serpent himself!

The Shulassakar and the Yuan-Ti

Physically, the shulassakar are similar to the yuan-ti. There is one major difference between the two races: where the shulassakar have serpentine characteristics, their scales are hidden beneath brilliantly colored feathers. The mightiest of the shulassakar also possess powerful wings. Bloodsworn shulassakar do not have feathers but often possess colorful markings on their skin. These are easily mistaken for tattoos but they are magical in nature and can shift color and shape in response to the mood of the bearer. The extent of these markings varies from shulassakar to shulassakar, and generally they will not prevent the pureblood from disguising itself as human.

Despite their physical similarities, shulassakar and yuan-ti cultures have little in common. The shulassakar claim that the ancestors of the yuan-ti were chosen of the couatl who broke their vows to the flame and who have since slipped into decadence. As a result, the shulassakar despise the yuan-ti. If the yuan-ti shared these legends, they abandoned them long ago, and they have no interest in the shulassakar. Driven from Sarlona by the Inspired, the yuan-ti lurk in the shadows of Xen'drik and the shores of Argonnessen, plotting vengeance against the Lords of Riedra and searching for ways to use the Draconic Prophecy to gain power.

Using the Shulassakar

When dealing with the shulassakar, bear in mind that they are highly intelligent and devoted to the cause of good, but also proud, arrogant, and ruthless. They will give up their own lives for the flame and have no compunctions about sacrificing the lives of humans or other lesser creatures. Shulassakar seek to maintain an aura of serenity at all times; the only emotion they reveal is cold, focused fury against the forces of darkness.

Shulassakar should be treated as yuan-ti, with the following modifications.

The culture of the shulassakar tends to produce people of lawful good alignment. A shulassakar who turns to evil will be outcast and hunted by the others.

All transcendent shulassakar (abominations) possess wings and can fly at a speed of 60 ft (good).

Flametouched shulassakar (halfbloods) who roll 21-40 on the variant table possess wings and can fly at a speed of 60 ft (good). For a winged shulassakar to wear armor, it needs to be specially designed to accommodate the wings.

All shulassakar are proficient in the use of the longbow and composite longbow, the favored weapons of the Silver Flame.

All shulassakar receive Knightly Training as a bonus feat, allowing a shulassakar to multiclass as a paladin without penalty. Bloodsworn shulassakar (purebloods) are generally ranger/paladins. A shulassakar paladin can take the Ranged Smite feat in order to channel their power through their bows.

The favored class for a bloodsworn shulassakar is ranger. The favored class for flametouched and transcendent shulassakar is cleric. Virtually all shulassakar worship the Silver Flame, and skilled shulassakar may take levels in the Exorcist of the Silver Flame prestige class.

What Do You Know?

Most people have never heard of the shulassakar. The following skill checks indicate what a character may have heard.

Knowledge (dungeoneering) (DC 15) or bardic knowledge (DC 15): The character has heard of the yuan-ti, deadly serpentfolk said to live in Xen'drik. He recognizes the shulassakar as being similar to the yuan-ti, but has not heard of the subculture.

Knowledge (geography) (DC 25): The character has heard tales of Krezent, a ruined city inhabited by serpentfolk, but knows nothing of their beliefs or abilities. A character from the Talenta Plains receives a +5 bonus to this check.

Knowledge (religion) (DC 25) or bardic knowledge (DC 30): The character has heard specific tales of the shulassakar, a sect of serpent folk who revere the couatl and the Silver Flame. He knows that there are exorcists and paladins among the shulassakar and has a general sense of their abilities. A follower of the Silver Flame receives a +5 bonus to this check.

By Keith Baker

©1995-2008 Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The Serens, Part One

2004-09-13T21:17:00.000+08:00

Red Kharizhak faced Delhasha the Cold across the obsidian altar as the screams of dying men echoed across the plain. Kharizhak licked the blood off the tip of his ancestral blade.

"The blood of the White Wanderers is sweet," he hissed. "I shall drink my fill as your tribe dies in fire."

Delhasha's pale eyes glittered behind the mask of white scales. Her voice was cool and calm. "You have been blinded by your flames, Kharizhak. It is the Selhastorh'ak who face final judgment, and yours will be a cold death."

Kharizhak laughed, lowering his blade to Delhasha's chest. "I see no weapon in your hands, dragonspeaker. Will you grow claws and tear me apart?"

"You will fall this night," Delhasha replied. "But it is not my claws you should fear." She opened her hand, revealing a wyrmling's tooth engraved with draconic runes.

Kharizhak cried out in fear and rage but the sound was drowned out by the roar of the white dragon as she dived down from the moonless sky.

Heart and History

A traveler passing through Q'barra or the Lhazaar Principalities is sure to hear tales of the tribes of the Seren Islands. These fierce barbarians guard the coast of Argonnessen, and it is said that the waters of Totem Beach run red from the blood of their victims. In song and story, the Serens are typically cast as horrible monsters -- firebreathing warriors who consume the flesh of their still-living foes and sacrifice children to their draconic gods.

These stories are much exaggerated. The Serens are fierce warriors who will give their lives to defend the shores of Argonnessen from outsiders but they are not cannibals, and their reverence for dragons is more complex than simple awe of the mighty beasts.

Approximately thirty Seren tribes are scattered across the islands and the coastline of Argonnessen. Every tribe has a legend of a draconic covenant: a tale of how their ancestors were brought from a distant land by a mighty dragon and charged to honor the dragon and defend the land from the weak and unworthy. The dragonspeaker priests say that the dragons are the embodiment of all that is best in the human spirit. When a Seren dies, his soul is judged, and if he has upheld the covenant, he is placed in the shell of a dragon's egg. When enough worthy souls are brought together in the egg, it hatches and a new dragon is born, distilled from the essence of all the noble souls that went before.

The Seren islands are harsh and unforgiving, and the tribes exist in continuous conflict. The first recorded contact with the Serens comes from a Sarlonan account from -3,120. The civilization has changed very little over the millennia; the Serens are devoted to their traditions. Until the dragons themselves order a change, the Serens will continue to uphold the covenants. Any traveler who wishes to explore the land of the dragons will have to deal with these barbarians.

National Character

Each Seren tribe is defined by its draconic covenant. When creating a Seren tribe, a DM needs to answer the following questions:

What color was the draconic founder? Look to appearance, breath weapon, and elemental ties for things that the Seren tribe will use for inspiration. Traditionally tribes of the same color frequently act as allies despite different alignments and beliefs.

What alignment was the founder? In Eberron, alignment and draconic color are not automatically linked.

The Serens are charged to protect Argonessen from the unworthy and to honor the founder. This is a vague directive. What were the specific words of the founder? What does this tribe consider unworthy and how do they honor the founder? Because the Serens consider upholding the covenant to be their key to the afterlife, this is a major point. A violent, chaotic tribe could believe that they honor their founder by spilling the blood of anyone weaker than themselves. A more peaceful tribe could believe that they honor the founder by amassing knowledge or treasures.

In addition to the general vow to protect Argonnessen, some of the tribes have specific, additional charges -- protecting a specific shrine or guarding a particular piece of treasure, for example.
Seren culture is very warlike, and the Serens repel any invaders. Because of this, the people of Khorvaire and Sarlona have learned to avoid Argonnessen, leaving the Serens to spend most of their time fighting each other. Through these battles the Serens hone their skills and prove their worth as guardians. Only the strongest have a place on the shores of Argonessen. Children and caregivers are generally spared during raids, allowing tribes to eventually recover from defeat.

Most of the Seren tribes have a similar social structure. The warlord is the mightiest warrior. This position is based purely on skill, and any member of the tribe can challenge a warlord. The warlord oversees all military action: patrolling the land, organizing raids, training young soldiers. A council of dragonspeakers, mystics who use wisdom and magic to guide the tribe, oversees spiritual and domestic matters. Dragonspeaker is a lifelong post with authority within the council based on age. Despite the warlike nature of the Serens, dragonspeakers hold final authority and can overrule a warlord's decisions or even force a warlord to step down from his position.

Gender roles vary by tribe and are often depend on the gender of the founding dragon. In many tribes, female warriors (barbarians) are just as common as men, while in other tribes women become spiritual leaders or are allowed only domestic roles.

Appearance

The Serens claim that the dragons brought them from many lands, and their appearance backs this up. All manner of skin and hair color can be found among the Serens, though there is a tendency toward dark complexions and heavy builds. Tattooing is a common practice on the islands; as Seren warriors win victories in battle, they earn the right to have draconic features tattooed across their bodies.

Seren culture is primitive. Warriors typically wear hide or leather armor. Some rely on dragonscale tattoos in place of physical armor. Weapons are made from wood, bone, or shell. Each tribe, however, possesses heirloom arms and armor handed down from the draconic founders. These can be both traditional items from the dragons' hoards and dragonscale armor or weapons made from dragon bones or claws.

Away from the battlefield, most Serens wear simple, gray clothing. As Serens rise in influence and reputation, they are allowed to wear clothing and accessories matching the color of the draconic founder. Dragon scale and dragon bone ornaments are reserved for the greatest heroes of the tribe. Such treasures are not passed to descendents upon the owner's death but rather returned to the tribe to be awarded to the next hero who proves worthy.

Language and Names

The Serens speak Draconic as opposed to Common. A Seren may take Common as a bonus language or learn Common by spending a single skill point.

Seren names are also based on the Draconic language. They do not use family names, instead earning titles and honorifics tied to the draconic founder, such as Delhasha'alhasc ("Delhasha the Cold").

Typical Male Names: Durshast, Kharizhak, Lhasharak, Nolashar, Solashan, Xaxhan

Typical Female Names: Aralithyr, Delhasha, Eshka, Freilashka, Hakalasha, Shaesthyr

Character Classes

Serens are raised to be as fierce in battle as the dragons that they revere. The harsh life of the islands lends strength to those who survive it. Most adult Serens have at least one barbarian class level. A few clans with martial traditions mingle barbarian with ranger or monk but these are rare (and respected).

The dragons taught the druidic secrets to humanity, and most dragonspeakers are druids following the traditions of the Gatekeepers or Wardens of the Woods. A few tribes have a bardic tradition, and sorcerers can also be found among the Serens. Sorcerers typically develop powers related to the tribal founder (fire spells for a red sorcerer, for example). While sorcerers are usually considered blessed, a sorcerer who develops spells that seem out of line with the tribal founder -- e.g., fire spells for the tribe of a white dragon -- might be driven from the tribe.

Dracolytes, Dragonsong Lyricists, and Dragon Disciples can also be found among the Serens, and the members of their tribes idolize them. Such individuals, however, are often called to serve dragons themselves and disappear into the center of Argonnessen.

Seren Adventurers

It is unusual for a Seren to leave the islands and shores of Argonessen. When creating a traveling Seren PC or NPC, you should decide why he left his homeland. Consider the following ideas.

A dragonspeaker -- possibly a member of the Chamber in disguise -- claims that the character must wander the world to fulfill a prophecy and find her destiny.

The gatekeepers have charged the character to travel to the Land of Demons (Khorvaire) to fight the plans of the Lords of Dust and the Cults of the Dragon Below.

The character was banished for stealing relics from a sacred shrine. She is innocent but the only way to prove this is to locate the artifacts, wherever they might be!

A treacherous feud within the tribe resulted in the death of all other members of the character's family. He swore to find powerful allies and return to destroy his enemies and claim leadership of the tribe.
Sample Seren Tribes

Approximately thirty barbarian tribes are spread among the Seren Islands and the coast of Argonnessen. A few representative tribes are described below.

The Bringers of Fire were founded by a chaotic evil red dragon. One of the largest and most dangerous tribes, they are one of the only tribes known to completely exterminate Seren clans that they view as unworthy. The Bringers of Fire paint their skin red before battle and make use of flaming oil. They are renowned for their volatile temperaments.

The White Wanderers were founded by a true neutral white dragon. They are a nomadic tribe charged to protect a series of shrines. They believe in the power of knowledge and magic, and have a high percentage of literacy and dragonspeakers. Explorers and outsiders looking for Serens to deal with would do well to focus on this tribe. White Wanderers have a cold, chilly demeanor, and never let their emotions show.

The Stormwalkers were founded by a lawful evil blue dragon. Although one of the smallest tribes, they are nonetheless dangerous and thus, highly respected. The Stormwalkers developed a martial, monastic tradition emulating the natural attacks of the dragon, and the greatest masters of this art can follow the Initiate of the Draconic Mysteries prestige class presented in the Draconomicon.

The Frostblades were founded by a lawful good white dragon. While they ruthlessly defend the land from outsiders, they also seek to preserve weaker tribes from the depredations of more violent clans such as the Bringers of Fire. Frostblade dragonspeakers know the secret of alchemist's frost and sometimes use this as a weapon in battle.

The Totem Guardians are not a tribe. Rather, they are an alliance of elite soldiers drawn from many tribes. These are the defenders of Totem Beach and the Great Barrier of Argonnessen. Their recruits are drawn from the dreams of dragonspeaker priests who receive dream-visions ordering particular warriors to Totem Beach to join the guardians. In a few special cases, dragons have personally visited a tribe to call a Seren to the guardians. A Totem Guardian possesses at least six character levels and may possess levels in the Dracolyte, Dragonkith, or Dragonrider prestige classes presented in the Draconomicon.

By Keith Baker

©1995-2008 Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The Khoravar: Half-Elves of Khorvaire

2004-09-06T21:15:00.000+08:00

"Aerenal and Sarlona met in Khorvaire, and we are the fruit of that union. We may have no kings, no countries to call our own, but we are the true children of this land."

-- Arilam d'Lyrandar, captain of the airship Bright Wind

Almost 2,600 years ago, the nation of Aerenal was torn apart by civil war. Tensions between the clerics of the Undying Court and the necromancers of the House of Vol had grown with each new generation, but the manifestation of the Mark of Death and the discovery of half-dragons within the House of Vol were enough to set a spark to the bonfire. Soon the dragons of Argonnessen joined the fray, and when the conflict had settled, the line of Vol was no more.

The Aereni had engaged in many battles against the dragons but this was the first civil war in the nation's history, and it left deep scars on the psyche of the elves. In the aftermath of the conflict, a number of elves chose to leave Aerenal to seek a new future in the land of Khorvaire. The elves of House Phiarlan led this exodus; while the Sibling Kings and the Undying Court had taken no action against the Mark of Shadow, the destruction of the Mark of Death was unsettling. Most of the immigrants felt that an unspoken promise had been broken by the civil war and that the elven blood spilled on the soil of Aerenal forever tainted the land.

As the elves of House Phiarlan and the other scions of Aerenal spread across Khorvaire, they encountered the current occupants of the land: humans whose ancestors had traveled from Sarlona in search of riches and opportunity. The humans were fascinated by the elves. Many coveted the fey beauty and arcane secrets of the travelers, and many of the vagabond elves married into human guilds and noble families. Most elves saw this as a long-term investment. The elves were accustomed to looking centuries ahead, and having learned of the short human lifespan, an elven spouse had an excellent chance of inheriting control of family resources. Few elves imagined that they could conceive a child with a human until the first half-elves were born.

The Children of Khorvaire

Those elves that mingled with humans had typically married into privileged families, so that the first generation of half-elves was born with power and influence. For the most part, human parents were overjoyed with their unusual children, while elves saw the half-elves as pale reflections and mockeries of their ancestors. Many of the elves chose to back away from their human alliances and withdraw to the enclaves of House Phiarlan. If not for this desire to preserve their racial heritage, it is likely that the elves would have far greater influence across the modern nations of Khorvaire. Even as the true elves pulled back, the young half-elves spread across Khorvaire, embracing its many wonders. While they were bound to different houses and bloodlines, the majority felt a strong bond to other half-elves. Most sought to marry other half-elves, in the process forming new and stronger alliances between their families and guilds; this stability helped to lay the foundations of the Five Nations.

While most half-elves remained among their human ancestors, they clung to the language and some of the traditions of the distant elves. As their numbers grew and their blood ties to the elves grew more distant, they developed their own traditions, eventually coming to seek a name beyond "half-elf." The most common is Khoravar. Like Valenar, this word is both an adjective and a noun; one can refer to "a Khoravar airship" or "that silver-tongued Khoravar."

Over the course of centuries, the Khoravar grew in number and spread across the land. Most maintained close ties to their human kin but a few split off to form isolated half-elven communities. These seeds would grow into the Greensingers of the Eldeen Reaches and the Gray Sails of the Lhazaar Principalities. The turning point for the Khoravar was the appearance of the half-elven dragonmarks: the Mark of Storm in Thrane, followed by the Mark of Detection in Breland. In the wake of the War of the Mark and the foundation of Galifar, these houses gave the half-elves a focus for racial pride.

Today, the majority of the Khoravar are attached to House Medani or House Lyrandar. Some remain spread throughout the noble families and guilds of Khorvaire. These half-elves are often called upon to serve as ambassadors and emissaries to Aerenal and Valenar. To date, the full-blooded elves have ruled that a Khoravar cannot join the Undying Court or embody one of the ancestors of the Valenar; the elves acknowledge, however, that the Khoravar blood is stronger than that of the human, and in time a dedicated half-elf may break through this prejudice.

Half-Elven Blood

The genetics of the Khoravar are unusual. Many alchemists and sages are amazed that it is possible for humans and elves to interbreed at all. When a human and half-elf conceive, the resulting child has an equal chance to have the race of either parent. In all other cases -- human and elf, half-elf and half-elf, and elf and half-elf -- the result is always the same: a half-elf child. The Aereni claim that this is not a matter of physiology or genetics, but of magic; the blood of the elves holds the light of ancient Xen'drik, and once diluted it can never be regained. Whether this is true is a matter for each DM to decide.

Khoravar Customs

Half-elves are highly adaptable, drawing on the culture of their families and the nations that they inhabit. Each of the Khoravar dragonmark houses has its own traditions, which will be explored further in the future. A few common customs bind most half-elves together. If you are playing a half-elf character or portraying a half-elf NPC, you must decide whether to make use of these traditions.

Khoravar Cant. If a half-elf is raised by Khoravar parents, he will learn to speak both Common and Elvish. Each new generation of half-elves has a greater tendency to mingle the vocabulary of both languages, creating a pidgin dialect that some linguists refer to as Khoravar Cant. Any half-elf can understand this dialect perfectly. Any other character must make an Intelligence check to understand a phrase in Khoravar Cant (DC 5 if the listener understands both Common and Elvish, or DC 10 if he only knows one of the two languages). If the listener fails the check by a point or two, he may get the gist of the conversation; the worse the roll, the less he understands.

Half-Elven Hospitality. The Khoravar are a young race, and they have had to stand by one another to earn a place in Khorvaire. As a result, there is a strong tradition of hospitality and generosity toward others of the race. This is not as strong as the bond between the gnome families of Zilargo, and a half-elf need not put himself at physical or financial risk for a complete stranger. In comparison to the other races, however, half-elves will go out of their way to help one another and share news and information. This is a two-way street. If the PC develops a reputation as an adventurer or hero, other half-elves may ask for his assistance or advice. If he provides aid, his reputation will spread; if he turns down these requests, he may eventually find himself spurned by others of his kind.

Within a city or town, half-elves often have weekly gatherings (called unity meals) to discuss local news and events. Provided a PC has a good reputation, such a gathering would be an excellent place to learn information. At the DM's discretion, attending a unity meal can provide a character with a bonus to Gather Information or Knowledge (local) or allow the party to find a reliable hireling at a good rate. It can also be a place to learn about possible adventures or mysteries.

The Bridge Between. Many half-elves extend the principle of hospitality a step further, seeking to serve as a bridge between the different cultures of Khorvaire. Many become bards, barristers, diplomats, chroniclers, translators, or merchants. Others become explorers, hoping to discover new nations hidden in the depths of Xen'drik or Khyber.

Questions to Ask

When you create a half-elf PC or NPC, consider the following.

The Khoravar have a history stretching back to the birth of the race. Were you born into this community or are you a "newborn" -- that is, were your parents half-elves or are you the child of a human and an elf? If you are a newborn, do you want to become a part of the half-elf community or do you want to find your own way in the world?

Do you have ties to House Medani or House Lyrandar? Because of the age of the race, many Khoravar can trace their roots to one of the families, and even those with no direct tie often choose to ally themselves to one of the houses. This could be reflected by a dragonmark feat or the Favored in House feat, or it could simply be a point of backstory.

Which tradition do you follow? Are you interested in meeting others and strengthening relations between those around you or do you save your energy for your close friends and family?

Do you have any interest in your elvish heritage? Do you want to learn the ways of the Aereni or Valenar? Do you hope to join the Undying Court or channel a Valenar ancestor?

How large is your family? What about the other half-elves in your region? Do you have ties to the local community or are you a loner?
These are notions for consideration, nothing more. Keep them in mind when fashioning your character, but above all, build the character you want to play!

By Keith Baker

©1995-2008 Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

What Do You Know

2004-08-30T21:14:00.001+08:00

You're walking down the street when you encounter a dwarf wearing eight copper rings, one on each finger. You've read the Eberron Campaign Setting, and you immediately think, "Hey, I'll bet that guy is a member of the Aurum!"

Unfortunately, your character hasn't read the campaign setting book. Just because a man is wearing eight rings doesn't mean he's a member of the Aurum. There's the question of the style of the rings, the manner in which he folds his hands when he greets you. Is your character capable of reading these signs? This is the role of the Knowledge skill -- to determine the things that your character knows, regardless of whether you know it. Sometimes it can be difficult to determine where a particular fact falls.

Ultimately, the use of Knowledge skills is in the hands of the DM. You may have no problem assigning a skill and difficulty to a particular Knowledge check. If you find yourself at a loss, here are a few pointers to set you on the right path.

Geography

Chapter Seven of the Eberron Campaign Setting includes details on a variety of important cities and sites. Has your character ever heard of the Torlaac Moor or the Black Pit? For the most part, this falls under -- shocking as this may be -- Knowledge (geography).

Knowledge DC Information about...
5 National capital or metropolis (Sharn)
10 City, major fortress, or environmental feature (The King's Forest, Sterngate)
15 Village or town, smaller fortress or feature (Black Pit, Argonth)
20 Hamlet or thorp, obscure fortress or feature (Ringbriar, The Dragon's Crown)

A successful skill check means that you can point to the location on the map and that you know basic details about it: primary industries, size, most common race among the population, form of law. More detailed information may require a higher difficulty check, as described later in this article -- or it might require Knowledge (local).

History

With Knowledge (geography) serving your geographical needs, it should come as no surprise that Knowledge (history) is the source for information about the past.

Knowledge DC Information about...
5 The last five years
10 The Current Age
15 The Age of Monsters
20 The Age of Giants
25 The Age of Demons
30 The Age of Dragons

At the DM's discretion, a character could pick a specific era (other than the Current Age) as a specialty. The DC for checks relating to the chosen era should begin at 5, but checks concerning other eras should be bumped up by 5. For example, a scholar who specializes in the Age of Monsters needs only a DC 5 check to remember a major event, but it's a DC 10 check for him to recall a major event of the last 5 years. Needless to say, there is very little information available about the Age of Dragons or the Age of Demons; even a specialized scholar won't be able to come up with much of value.

Knowledge (history) also is useful for recognizing relics of a particular era. If the DM allows a character to specialize in an era and the character has at least 5 ranks in Knowledge (history), he can choose to forego the usual bonus to Bardic Knowledge and instead gain a +2 synergy bonus to Appraise, Forgery, and Decipher Languages checks specifically related to the specialty age.

Religion

Can you recognize the symbol of the Emerald Claw? Do you know anything about the Cults of the Dragon Below? Knowledge (religion) is the relevant skill, but each religion has its own difficulty.

Knowledge DC Information about...
10 The Church of the Silver Flame, the Sovereign Host
15 The Blood of Vol, the Dark Six
20 The Cults of the Dragon Below, the Path of Light, the Undying Court, the Druidic sects

A character always makes checks about his own religion at a base DC of 5. In addition, a DM could choose to provide a character with a +5 bonus if his region of origin is closely linked to a particular region; someone who grew up in the Eldeen Reaches should know something about the druids even if he doesn't share their beliefs.

Organizations

The Eberron Campaign Setting provides details on 28 organizations. How much of that information should be available to a player character? What skill should be used to acquire that information?

This is not an easy question to answer. House Jorasco is a household name, and it hides few secrets. The Dreaming Dark is virtually unknown outside of the kalashtar and the Inspired, and it could be difficult to prove that the organization even exists. Between these is a wide range of groups with multiple levels of secrecy. Most people have heard of House Phiarlan, but far fewer know that it trades in information or how to properly contact a Phiarlan intelligence broker. Many members of the upper crust know about the existence of the four concords of the Aurum but the existence of the Shadow Cabinet is a secret even to members of the concords. Consider the following when determining base difficulty.

Knowledge DC Level of Secrecy...
5 Character is a member of the organization
10 None (most Dragonmark houses, Morgrave University)
15 Low (The Aurum, the Order of the Emerald Claw)
20 Medium (The Chamber, the Shadow Cabinet)
30 High (The Dreaming Dark, the Lords of Dust)

In this case, even choosing the appropriate skill can be difficult. Knowledge (nobility) is the default skill for obtaining information about the dragonmark houses, and it also makes sense for the Aurum, the royal families, and other groups that are centered in court. The Lords of Dust would typically fall under Knowledge (arcana) while the Dreaming Dark would come under the heading of Knowledge (psionics). If a character is a conspiracy buff, the DM might allow him to take Knowledge (organizations); 5 ranks in such a skill would provide a +2 synergy bonus to Gather Information checks when seeking information about an organization.

Knowledge (local)

Knowledge (local) is a somewhat mysterious skill. What does it mean to have "local" knowledge about the entire world? The DM can interpret this skill in several different ways, depending on how challenging he wants to make things for a player.

At the broadest, most generous end of the spectrum, Knowledge (local) can be used in any location. This represents an amazing memory for trivia and a general ability to pick up local customs and gossip subconsciously without the need for a Gather Information check.

If the DM wants to sacrifice utility in the name of realism, he can make a character choose a country to associate with the skill -- Knowledge (local/Breland).

As a compromise, the DM could allow a character to choose one country for each rank in the skill. This way, a character with five ranks in Knowledge (local) could be familiar with all of the Five Nations. Whenever she gains a new rank, she can choose a new country. Ideally, it should be a place where she's spent time recently.

Knowledge (local) is more versatile than its counterparts and may overlap with them. Knowledge (nobility) can provide general information about a dragonmark house and its international alliances but Knowledge (local) can tell you about the size of the local enclave, the name of the local baron, and his personal feud with House Kundarak. Likewise, Knowledge (nobility) or Knowledge (geography) can provide you with the name of a nation's king but Knowledge (local) is more likely to tell you about his rumored taste for virgin blood.

The DM needs to decide how to limit local knowledge. A simple, straightforward (but more restrictive) approach is to treat it as an extension of the character's other Knowledge skills. Thus, unless the character has at least one rank in Knowledge (nobility), for example, he can't use Knowledge (local) for checks specifically involving aristocrats.

Modifying Difficulty

The checks described above provide you with the difficulty for acquiring the most basic knowledge about a subject. It's only a DC 5 check to point to Sharn on a map. If you want to know the name of the Captain of the Guard in Lower Dura, that's an entirely different question. The DM should apply the following modifiers, as she sees fit.

DC Modifier Information is...
0 Trivial (the name of a city)
+5 Slightly difficult (the name of the mayor of Sharn)
+10 Challenging (the names of all of the city councilors in Sharn)
+15 Obscure (the names of the councilors' spouses)
+20 Extremely Obscure (the names of the councilor's spouses during the reign of King Jarot)

Identifying the seal of a dragonmark house is a trivial task. Recognizing the dress clothing of a house is slightly difficult, while identifying an incognito heir's house by her facial features, style of speech, and manner of dress would be extremely obscure, if it's even possible.

By Keith Baker

©1995-2008 Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Magic in Eberron: Magewrights

2004-08-23T21:12:00.000+08:00

Magic is a part of life in Eberron. Arcane energy suffuses the world. Those with sufficient knowledge can channel and shape this power with word and gesture. Once this gift was rare and mysterious, and the greatest spells are still the stuff of legend. Over the course of centuries, however, the people of Khorvaire worked minor magics into everyday life, finding ways to use arcane power to improve communication, transportation, warfare, and general labor. The use of magic in Eberron is a broad topic that will be explored over the course of many future articles. This column focuses on the most common form of arcane spellcaster, the class whose existence transformed Khorvaire: the magewright.

The Meaning of "Magewright"

Arcane power is invisible and omnipresent. Ritual allows a magic user to draw on this energy and use it to reshape reality. The process of spellcasting is considerably more complicated than wiggling a finger and shouting a word. Mastering a spell requires intense mental discipline. In addition to complex gestures and incantations, a spellcaster uses thought and will to transform and shape mystical energy. A true wizard is a master of this art, able to grasp the principles behind any spell he can find or create. This level of talent is a rare gift. Still, most common folk can learn to cast one or two minor spells, if they work hard enough. While they lack the diversity or raw power of the wizard or sorcerer, these lesser spellcasters bring simple magic to the marketplace and into the world. These are the magewrights.

Just like the expert, "magewright" is a generic term encompassing dozens of professions. "Magewright" describes a character's magical skill but it tells you nothing about the actual trade she practices. A commoner seeking to learn magic wouldn't go to "magewright school." Instead, he would become an apprentice wordsmith or seek out a traveling tinker who might share the secrets of her trade.

Mystical Dabblers

The vast majority of magewrights only have a single level in the class. These are primarily commoners or experts who took a magewright level in order to learn a single useful spell. The most common choice is magecraft, a ritual that guides an artisan's hands and infuses his work with a touch of magic. An innkeeper might take a single level of magewright to gain access to prestidigitation or unseen servant, while a translator could take one level in the class to learn comprehend languages. These dabblers are not defined by their mystical knowledge; instead, they know a single trick that enhances their mundane skills.

The DM should bear this potential for magic in mind when creating scenes in an Eberron game, especially in a major metropolis or large town. An artisan producing masterwork materials may use magecraft to enhance her work, and the tailor could use mending for especially difficult jobs. Magic is a part of life in the Five Nations. Magewrights make up approximately 1% of the adult workforce, and their spells should be seen in action on a regular basis.

Magewright Professions

Many trades have evolved around the magewright class, combining Craft, Profession, and a handful of spells to fill a specific economic niche. A few of these are described below but they are only springboards for the DM's imagination. A player creating a bard or sorcerer should also consider these ideas when selecting spells. While your PC sorcerer is unlikely to want to be a lamplighter, do the spells you possess have a logical economic role? Might you have been trained for a mystical profession before becoming an adventurer?

All of the professions described below are based off the model of a 4th-level magewright. Many members of these professions would work for one of the Dragonmark guilds but there are also independent operators in the world, also, especially in smaller communities.

Skilled Magewright: Human magewright 4; CR 3; Medium humanoid (human); HD 4d4-4; hp 7; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 10, touch 10, flat-footed 10; Base Atk +2; Grp +1; Atk +1 melee (1d4-1 19-20/x2, dagger) or +2 ranged (1d4-1 19-20/x2, dagger); Full Atk +1 melee (1d4-1 19-20/x2, dagger) or +2 ranged (1d4-1 19-20/x2, dagger); AL N; SV Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +4; Str 9, Dex 11, Con 8, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 10. As a result of his Magewright levels, this character has two levels of Spell Mastery and gained 1 spell at 1st level and 2 spells at 4th level.

Augur

The augur is a professional seer. In addition to her divinatory magic, she is familiar with a variety of nonmagical traditions of divination and may use cards, runes, or the movement of the moons to foretell events from romance to the weather. While she is generally consulted about the future, she can also use her talents to identify magical objects or decipher unknown writings. Higher-level augurs may learn arcane sight, clairvoyance/clairaudience, divination, scrying, or contact other plane.

Skills and Feats: Knowledge (arcana) +7, Knowledge (history) +2, Knowledge (the planes) +9, Profession (fortune teller) +11, Sense Motive +7, Spellcraft +4; Skill Focus (Profession -- fortune teller), Skill Focus (Sense Motive), Spell Mastery.

Spells (3/3/1): 0-level -- detect magic; 1st-level -- comprehend languages, identify; 2nd-level -- augury.

Cannith Tinker

The tinker is a jack-of-all-trades. He has a basic grasp of many crafts and can use his mystical powers to repair damaged items. A tinker might travel from place to place in search of work or he may settle in one small community where his talents make him invaluable. While anyone can pursue the path of the tinker, the magewrights of House Cannith dominate this trade because of the power of the mark.

Skills and Feats: Appraise +4, Craft (choose five) +6, Knowledge (arcana) +4, Knowledge (geography) +3, Knowledge (nobility) +5, Spellcraft +4; Craft Wondrous Item, Spell Mastery, Least Dragonmark of Making (make whole 1/day, +2 to all Craft checks).

Spells (3/3/1): 0-level -- mending; 1st-level -- magecraft; 2nd-level -- make whole. Select one additional 0 or 1st-level spell because of the tinker's additional Spell Mastery feat; he will generally use this in conjunction with Craft Wondrous Item. The Least Mark power could be changed to repair light damage 1/day or mending 2/day; repair is common among tinkers who worked with military units during the Last War.

Hosteler

Anyone can run an inn but the spells of the hosteler make the job much easier. A hosteler can use his spells to clean clothes and rooms, to prepare food, transport items, understand guests from distant lands, repair minor damage, and create mystical locks for his doors. While most hostelers are trained by House Ghallanda and have ties to that house, Ghallanda employ people of all races, both marked and unmarked. A hosteler can be an excellent source of gossip and local information, but it may not always be reliable.

Skills and Feats: Gather Information +4; Knowledge (local) +7, Knowledge (nobility) +3, Profession (brewer) +5, Profession (cook) +5, Profession (innkeeper) +8, Sense Motive +6; Skill Focus (Sense Motive), Spell Mastery (comprehend languages), Spell Mastery (unseen servant). For a Ghallanda halfling, replace Skill Focus and one Spell Mastery feat with the Least Mark of Hospitality.

Spells (3/3/1): 0-level -- prestidigitation; 1st-level -- comprehend languages, unseen servant; 2nd-level -- arcane lock, make whole.

Jorasco Apothecary

Between war and adventurers, there's a major market for healing potions. Apothecaries come in all shapes and sizes but those of House Jorasco are the masters of healing; without the dragonmark, an apothecary must have levels in some other spellcasting class to produce potions of healing. The apothecary represents a secular alternative to the Jorasco healer presented on page 232 of the Eberron Campaign Setting, one that relies on her dragonmark and her potions to aid those in need. If she advances further, she might take expert levels to improve her Heal skill.

Skills and Feats: Craft (alchemy) +9, Heal +6, Knowledge (arcana) +3, Knowledge (local) +3, Profession (apothecary) +8, Profession (herbalist) +6; Brew Potion, Least Mark of Healing (cure light wounds 1/day).

Spells (3/3/1): 0-level -- mage hand; 1st-level -- magecraft, unseen servant.

(This sample apothecary is a halfling. Because of her size, the apothecary receives a +1 bonus to AC and a +1 bonus to hit, and she possesses all of the halfling racial abilities. Her small dagger inflicts only 1d3-1 points of damage.)

Lamplighter

Magical light has had a tremendous impact on the culture of the Five Nations, allowing the citizens of Khorvaire to work through the night. Lamplighters produce everburning torches,everbright lanterns, and other sources of light. Given the long life of an everbright lantern, however, a lamplighter will eventually run out of work in a small community. As a result, most lamplighters are wanderers who live lives much like those of the tinkers.

Skills and Feats: Craft (gemcutting) +8, Craft (woodworking) +7, Craft (any three) +5, Knowledge (arcana) +5, Knowledge (geography) +5, Knowledge (local) +5; Craft Wondrous Item, Spell Mastery (mending), Spell Mastery (prestidigitation).

Spells (3/3/1): 0-level -- light, mending, prestidigitation; 1st-level -- magecraft; 2nd-level -- continual flame (this spell has been added to the magewright spell list).

Warden

Most wardens learn their trade with House Kundarak but a few part ways with the house and work as independents. Paranoid lords occasionally hire full-time wardens to secure manors and vaults. A higher-level warden may learn detect magic, dispel magic, false vision, fire trap, glyph of warding, symbol of pain, or symbol of sleep.

Skills and Feats: Craft (locksmithing) +9, Craft (trapmaking) +12, Knowledge (architecture and engineering) +6, Listen +5, Spellcraft +5, Spot +5; Alertness, Skill Focus (Craft -- trapmaking), Spell Mastery (hold portal). To make a dragonmarked House Kundarak warden, remove Alertness and Spell Mastery and add the Least Mark of Warding.

Spells (3/3/1): 0-level -- detect magic; 1st-level -- alarm, hold portal; 2nd-level -- arcane lock.

Wordsmith

Wordsmiths are professional scribes and translators. While many work for the Speakers' Guild of House Sivis, wordsmiths can be found at any of the major universities or arcane institutions of Khorvaire. Higher-level wordsmiths may know illusory script, secret page, sending, or tongues. A wordsmith who intends to serve as a mediator or advocate will probably have expert levels to enhance her Diplomacy and Sense Motive skills.

Skills and Feats: Craft (calligraphy) +9, Diplomacy +5, Profession (scribe) +8, Sense Motive +8, Speak Language (one additional language), Spellcraft +5; Negotiator, Skill Focus (Sense Motive), Spell Mastery (arcane mark). For a dragonmarked House Sivis wordsmith, remove Skill Focus and Spell Mastery and add the Least Mark of Scribing.

Spells (3/3/1): 0-level -- arcane mark, read magic; 1st-level -- comprehend languages; 2nd-level -- whispering wind.

By Keith Baker

©1995-2008 Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.