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TheWerdna
2010-05-08, 09:46 PM
I am currently running a Eberron Campaign and need help for some encounters for a part of the story.

The basic plot is the players are trying to fight the Order of the Emerald Claw, who are trying to find 12 pieces of a artifact. This artifact is the activating mechanism for a ancient Giant super-weapon, the super weapon that was used to end their war with the Quori (I probably spelled that wrong)

Currently the players have found a clue leading them to believe that a piece of the artifact is in the ruins of a ancient dwarven city, so they are going to travel from their current location of Sharn to Karrnath, and then later to the location of the ruins.

Since their enemies are the Emerald Claw i though it would be a good idea for them to spend a few sessions in Korth (capital of Karrnath). This time though i want the players to have some freedom as to how they go about their activities in Korth, so i need help coming up with a lot of ideas so i can respond to their choices.

So basically I just need a few suggestions to work as inperation for other ideas... yes, I am that bad at coming up with stuff.

Random things about my plot

--There is a major ally , a Krennen(changeling Rogue/fighter) and agent of The Chamber, has told them the location of the previous pieces. The players know very little about the artifact, besides that it is very important that the Emerald Claw don't get there hands on it.

--The Lords of Dust are secretly working behind the scenes influencing the events unfolding

--I am kinda going for a thing where the players feel like they are being "left in the dark", to add to the sort of sense of unknown forces manipulating events

-- Players consist of


Illinore d'Medani (NG Half-elf L2Fighter / L8 Swordsage) Illinore is my DMPCNPC to help the players since only one player has experince playing the game, and then it is not that much. I have been careful not to have him steal the spotlight, with him mostly helping fight and make decisions when the players have no idea what to do.

Airum d'Mendani (N Half-Elf L3 Rogue / L7 Ranger) Only player with experince, knowing the rules and can generaly know what to do agaist most enemies.

Mcgraw (CN Human L10 Sorcerer) is completely insane in game, and is kind... eccentric IRL.

Wolf (NG Human L10 Cleric) New player, still learning so is mostly a healbot

Odin (CN Human L10 Warblade) While not new, he only played a little before this campaign. Has caught on real fast though and is probably the most effective character

Keld Denar
2010-05-08, 10:15 PM
Everything you ever wanted to know about running an Eberron Campaign, but were afraid to ask. (http://www.angelfire.com/dragon3/captainjarlot/)

And thats about all I have to contribute...sorry.


56. The Quori are not to be referred to as "The Q" or are their activities from "The Q Continium."

130. You will not try and hum the 2001 theme when encountering Quori monoliths.

144. The Chamber is not to be called "The Dragonati"

184. The Emerald Claw is a frightening group of terrorists and undead worshippers, they are not to be judged by the fact their name sounds like a strip club or oriental restaurant.

185. When the Quori view my dreams I cannot imagine them stomped on by Godzilla to kill them.

Random NPC
2010-05-08, 10:23 PM
A full confrontation in the city might be a bad idea. The Emerald Claw may want to avoid any problems with the dwarves. Maybe the order might send a couple of assassins to finish off the party.

However, once they step outside the city, an ambush is absolute fair game.

FoE
2010-05-08, 10:30 PM
I need to clarify something: your party is going to be in Korth itself?

I'm also a little fuzzy on what you're looking for. Ideas for adventures? Information on Korth itself?

AslanCross
2010-05-08, 11:00 PM
1. Train battle. When running an Eberron campaign set on Khorvaire, a train battle is necessary. It's cramped, tactically-frustrating and can go wrong in so many ways. Have the Emerald Claw boss be a Bone Knight who smuggled several skeletons and zombies on board the train (the caskets are marked "PLAGUE VICTIMS: DO NOT TOUCH"). Attack at night.
1a. You could instead have the Emerald Claw sabotage the Khyber Dragonshard core of the train to explode and release the angry elemental inside. What's more dangerous than fighting on top of a speeding train? Fighting a tornado on top of a speeding train.

2. Have them meet a benefactor in Korth who is actually a Rakshasa. It might be that the original was killed and replaced by the Rakshasa; having him be a Rakshasa from the outset could work as well.

3. In the middle of a battle with a lot of undead being used by the Emerald Claw, an Ak'Chazar Rakshasa (high-CR rakshasa in MM3 with 20th level Rebuke Undead ability) disguised as a cleric of Dol Arrah or the Silver Flame comes in to subdue the undead. The Rakshasa is one of the Lords of Dust and wants the pieces for himself, naturally.

4. Given the necromantic support from the Blood of Vol, it's possible for the Emerald Claw to field a number of undead agents against the PCs:
a. Vampires. Vampire martial adepts would be a really scary threat.
b. Boneclaws (MM3). They might need a great deal of advancement since they're only CR 5, but advanced Evolved (Libris Mortis) Boneclaws are really scary.
c. Bonedrinkers. (MM3) What happens to dead bugbear guards? They're recycled.
d. Zombies and skeletons. Both of the regular type and the Karrnathi type.
e. Lots of corpses? Glue them together into a Charnel Hound (MM3). It's CR 13, but given that you have a party of 5 10th level PCs, the Charnel Hound could be a good boss encounter.

5. What's a dwarven ruin without leftover construct guardians? The Slaughterstone Eviscerator (MM3) is CR 12 and is a great tunnel fighter for a large construct. By fluff, in Eberron they're also made by dwarves.


This video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78kXtCH8oD0) (from Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust) has a lot of aesthetic elements that I think are very consistent with Eberron encounters (from fighting on top of a vehicle to zombie swarms to ruins). It's inspired me a lot.

EDIT: In the city, encounters have to be more discreet. Korth is still heavily enforced and is technically under martial law.

TheWerdna
2010-05-09, 08:18 AM
I need to clarify something: your party is going to be in Korth itself?

I'm also a little fuzzy on what you're looking for. Ideas for adventures? Information on Korth itself?

yes, i plan on them being in Korth for about 3-5 game sessions, and have about 4-6 encounters there.

Then i plan on them moving into a Dwarven City in Mror Holds (havn't decided which yet) spend a few sessions there before heading into the ruins... which is going to be a dungeon crawl.

Basically what I was asking for just a few ideas for some encounters to get me some inspiration. I want to think of alot of ideas so i can let the players decide what the do while in both cities, and can have stuff happen reflected on their choices.

TheWerdna
2010-05-12, 08:39 PM
shameless bump

AslanCross
2010-05-12, 08:59 PM
What else do you have in mind? You didn't really reply to the posts above, so it's kind of difficult to see what else you're looking for.

TheWerdna
2010-05-14, 08:10 PM
Most I am looking for very basic idea of what the player can do while in Korth, Encounters or otherwise. They have been bugging me to let them decide what to do more often, but I am very bad at comeing up with stuff on the fly. So I just need a few ideas to help me so i have stuff to fall back on for when i need it.

WorstDMEver
2010-05-15, 01:45 AM
Well, save yourself some work -

Set up a subdued encounter, perhaps baddies following the party around - see if they notice. They can try to give 'em the slip, etc.... This is something you can do inside the city, since it'll avoid combat (martial law, tons of guards, etc).

Set up two or three ambush parties of differing strengths so you can pick your encounter difficulty and toss one at 'em as they exit the city, perhaps another farther along, etc.

And leave them clues. Let them decide where to go and what to do, sure - just leave them breadcrumbs that lead them where you want them. Having an NPC hand them each new destination is kind of boring for most people, so have them find a clue that they will need to crack with their own Knowledge skills (or they can hire an Expert...) and research. That way they feel like they're making decisions and choices even though you're leading them by the nose.