Help with Ebberron

[Mathemagician7]

Hi Playgrounders.
I'm starting a campaign on Sunday, and my DM is going to incorporate some components of the Ebberron Campaign Setting.

I practically have the 3.5 Core books, Complete adventurer, divine, warrior, and arcane memorized, since up til now, those are the only books that have been allowed. I don't know a darn thing about Ebberron, though, and I don't have time to find and thoroughly read through any Ebberron material.

The books I know are still allowed and so will Ebberron stuff, but nothing else (no Tome of Battle, complete mage/scoundral/champion etc . . . )

I'm thinking of either playing a dwarf monk/wiz/ enlightened fist or a human bard/rogue (high int) skill monkey shooting for Exemplar (I know, very sub-optimal, I just hate always sucking at skills, and it would be refreshing to be good at them for once). If I start bard, I'll probably at least dip sublime chord to get 4th & 5th level spells for 1 lvl.

in any case, the reason I need help is that I don't know Ebberron - I'm probably not even spelling it right. How will this affect my build? is the world populated by magic-immune mosnters? Are there better race/class copmbinations? are there better prestige classes that do similar things? Feats? spells? I really don't know the first thing about this setting or what changes it will entail.

Any and all advice is welcome. Thanks guys, you're the best!

[Diarmuid]

It's difficult to give advice without know how much and which elements of Eberron your DM is going to be incorporating.

Is he simply adding Warforged into the world as a race, or perhaps just the Artificer class? Are the houses going to be in play?

Eberron at its core is still just D&D. The setting doesnt make any one class, race, build obsolete so you're best bet is to simply make a character you want to play and enjoy playing that character.

[kamikasei]

I take it you're not going to be playing in Eberron proper, just using some mechanical options from its books?

I can't think of anything too earth-shattering that'd pertain to your build ideas. Song of the Heart is a feat that a bard would find useful. Shifter might make a better race choice than dwarf for your Enlightened Fist. Other than that... no, Eberron doesn't change too much if you're not playing within its setting.

I think the best advice we could give you is to ask your DM - she can tell you of any options that might be good picks at the same time as vetting material for inclusion, which will save you the hassle of asking to use some option suggested here and being told that it's not part of what she wants to incorporate.

As far as a quick discussion of Eberron:
The core book has one new class and four new races. These are the big changes. It also includes a lot of handy feats and items

The Artificer is all about magic items, gets item creation feats as bonus feats, gets ways to craft items more cheaply, has a pool of bonus XP refreshed each level usable only for crafting (so it's expected she'll create at least that much worth of items per level), and a mechanic for recovering crafting XP from items. If you have an Artificer in your party and a sufficient supply of downtime between adventures, you can keep yourself in suitable custom gear just by recycling some of your loot and selling some more. This should be handy if the party can't easily buy items they want.

Changelings are human-doppleganger hybrids. They can change their appearance, like casting disguise self, at will. They also get some skill bonuses, but no attribute bonus/penalties or other noteworthy abilities. They're pretty cool, but not terribly powerful.

Kalashtar are psionically gifted humanoids bred from human stock as suitable hosts for a race of extraplanar psychic parasites. As a playable race, they're basically just good psions - appropriate stat bonuses, bonus pp, etc. In Eberron itself they also have a lot of fluff around their homeland and the oppressive regime that enslaves it, but that doesn't really carry over into other settings.

Shifters are human-lycanthrope hybrids. They can shift, which basically means getting a small ability bonus and extra special ability depending on their strain, usable a limited number of times per day (mechanically similar to a Barbarian's rage). So one shifter might be able to gain a claw attack and strength boost, while another might get a speed and dexterity increase.

Warforged are living constructs who are basically very humanlike golems - they're self-aware like any player race, but they're made in "creation forges" and never need to sleep, eat etc. In the setting, they're poorly-understood magitech recovered from an ancient giant empire and turned in to weapons of war, and the war just ended a few years ago so they're trying to find their place in the world. In another setting, they could be anything - they may not exist as a distinct, numerous race and any single warforged may just be an unusual golem made by a wizard.

The setting itself has a few mechanics to allow widespread use of magical "technology" at a low average level, so cities are connected by train lines and airships powered by fire elementals, streets are lit by continual flame crystals, etc. even while few powerful NPCs are higher than level 10. The main continent just came out of a hundred-year war following the breakup of its former unifying empire, and the peace is set to break again fairly soon. A bunch of cultures have been shaken out of their "traditional" fantasy roles - for example, the hobgoblins used to have an empire that was displaced when humans arrived on the continent, and orcs are the guardians of a druidic order which saved the world from a demon invasion thousands of years ago and are looking out for the next one. A system of "great houses" cuts across national lines, based around inheritable magical abilities that let them act as medieval megacorps - running the magical transportation, providing secure communication and courier services, that sort of thing. There are dragons, but mostly they live on their own island being super-advanced and very dangerous to piss off. There's a barely-explored continent of jungles and ruins where adventurers can go to prospect for artifacts of the fallen empire of the giants. There's the continent from which humans originally came thousands of years ago, which is now run by those psychic parasites. The gods don't speak or visibly intervene in the world. There are demons and creatures of madness gnawing in the deep places of the world and lurking in planes which drift in and out of alignment with the Prime. And one of the most powerful "good guys" is an awakened tree Druid.

[The Random NPC]

Ebberron is basicly DnD set in the Industrial Age, so except magical technology being more available, it plays the same. If you go monk, Shifter (has Lycanthrope ancestry) will probably be better, and if you go skill monkey Changling (has Doppleganger ancestry) may be better.

[askandarion]

Eberron's biggest conceit is reflavoring the world, really. Since you're not actually playing in Eberron, I don't think you need to really do anything. I'd consider a changeling for the bard/rogue- it depends on how much you're into being sneaky and fooling people. I'd also go Kalashtar or Warforged instead of Shifter for your Fist, as I think they'd mesh a bit better and give some interesting minor bonuses, But I love Eberron in general. Sticking with dwarf/human might be better for you as it doesn't require you specifically learning about the new races.

Since you don't know anything about Eberron, and we don't know what exactly your DM is using, I'm not sure there's any specific advice to give atm. As has been said, there's nothing earth-shattering with Eberron material- some slight rule changes (Eberron uses an Action Point rule where you can add a d6 to a d20 you rolled), and new races and classes, and someone's already mentioned the bardic feats. Dragonmarks are also fun, but not major- you can take feats to get minor/medium/kinda-major? spell-like abilities, depending on your character's race. All of this stuff is kind of optional for you, really.

Oh- there is Monastic Training, a feat that lets you multiclass with monk levels. That might be helpful to your enlightened fist. Otherwise, I think it'd be best to get the full details from your DM on what's being added.

[Greenish]

Kalashtar are psionically gifted humanoids bred from human stock as suitable hosts for a race of extraplanar psychic parasites.No, those are Empty Vessels (or "Chosen"). Kalashtar were born from true melding of renegade quori spirits with willing (human) hosts, and everyone of the same bloodline* shares part of the quori spirit.


*Assuming you track bloodlines from the gender of the original quori. Female kalashtar have female quori spirit, male have male, and which one the offspring gets depends on their gender.

[kamikasei]

No, those are Empty Vessels (or "Chosen"). Kalashtar were born from true melding of renegade quori spirits with willing (human) hosts, and everyone of the same bloodline* shares part of the quori spirit.
Cheers, I can never keep track of the Kalashtar's origins. Okay, so Kalashtar are the Tok'ra. Ish.

[Mathemagician7]

Wow, thanks for all the quick responses.

I think the main thing my DM is looking to add is the capaign setting itself, so he doesn't have to do all the leg-work of creating a world, with it's own geography, history, etc. . .

I must apologize, I forgot to mention in my OP that he specifically told me that warforged will NOT be allowed or included in the campaign.

So, good idea, but def not going to use it for the EF :)

I've always wanted to use a dwarf, but have never actually played one. If I do go EF, I plan to periodically employ enlarge person or righteous might (arcane disciple), and I figure having a base height of 3.5 - 4 feet or so is going to help out if I want to double my size in a cramped dungeon, without the drawback of being a small monk that comes with halfling or gnome.

also, the speed penalty of a dwarf is one thing that always made me reluctant to play one, but monks & EF get speed bonuses out the wazoo, so it's going to be less of an issue.

I plan to use high int & wis, dump cha, and not worry too much about my physical stats (maybe try to pump CON a little), as I expect to deal with MAD via Polymorph. The wisdom is good for armor bonus, as well as being necessary for casting spells via arcane disciple. I want to take two domains, healing (boring, but useful - especially with arcane fist - I can heal myself while taking a full attack) and another that gives either divine power or righteous might (prefferably both) - do you know of any domains that have both?

DP is great cause my BAB is gonna be low, but righteous might would be great for a variety of reasons.

I'm also toying with the idea of using an anti-magic field (with extraodinary spell aim - to exlcude myself - so I can heal and use buffs). are there any domains that have that spells? I dont think its on the wizard list.


A little off topic:

My DM is allowing a new stat generating system of my own design.
pick the stat before you roll. no rerolls.
one roll is 8d6 keep best 3.
one is 7d6, keep 3, then 6, then 5, 4, 3.

statistically it yeilds slightly higher values than the elite spread, but is a lot less predictable. The most certain stats are your (presumeably) high ones and then they get more and more random (and lower and lower expected value) as you go.

If I do go for a skill monkey, I'll probably just go human, but I'll take a look at the other races you guys mentioned. If I manage an 18 int, and am human and I have an 8 + int class, I'll be rolling in 13 skill points per level. I usually play classes with like 2. That would be a fun change of pace even if I'm not good at fighting, or casting or anthing else

[Greenish]

Did your DM say what she has against warforged? If he's going to use Eberron setting, I'd imagine one would need a good reason before picking up the pruning shears and doing all the work of cutting a major component out.

On-topic, Magic domain has Antimagic Field, but it's on wiz list by default.


[Edit]: Also, for skill monkey, changeling rogue has excellent substitution levels. How'd you feel about 10+int skills at first level? What if we threw in the ability to take 10 with all social skills, regardless of situation? :smalltongue:

[Mathemagician7]

Wow, 10 + int? clearly I have some reading to do. taking 10 on all social skills? I had planned to go exemplar eventually, just because I wanted to go as skill heavy as I could, but who needs exemplar if you can already take 10s on a bunch of useful skills?

As for what my DM has against warforged. . . uh. . . personal bias?

He says they're basically robots, and that thats stupid. He never liked the idea of letting me play a greenstar adept either :)

Honestly its probably my fault he hates construct characters so much. I had this ridiculous build idea that I told him about once which used barbarian and wizard and rage mage and frenzied berserker and green star adept in some wierd combination, which made you count as a construct but still have deathless frenzy as well as the ability to cast repair in a rage . . . so . . . yeah. logistical problems aside, sort of invincible.

Now that I think about it again though, I wonder which class feature takes precedence: the Green Star adept line saying if you drop below 0 you are instantly slain or the Frenzied zerk line saying you don't die even if you go below -10 until your frenzy ends. Any sane DM would probably rule that the instant death below 0 takes precendence, but RAW is a little less clear.

[Greenish]

Wow, 10 + int? clearly I have some reading to do. taking 10 on all social skills?I'll throw in any one Knowledge skill you might want as a class skill. :smalltongue:

The sub levels are in Races of Eberron.


I had this ridiculous build idea that I told him about once which used barbarian and wizard and rage mage and frenzied berserker and green star adept in some wierd combination, which made you count as a construct but still have deathless frenzy as well as the ability to cast repair in a rage . . . so . . . yeah. logistical problems aside, sort of invincible.By the level you get all that together, mere immunity to physical damage isn't a great hurdle for anything that poses an actual threat.

Also, I seem to recall that Rage Mage requires spontaneous arcane casting, so that's another hoop you'd had to jump through.


[Edit]: Still, hating a creature type because you heard of some esoteric high level combo that's not even that strong is quite silly, but then, I'm a fan of warforged.

[Diarmuid]

Before you go crazy with changeling substitution levels or being a kashatora (sp?) it would probably be a good idea to get a solid committment from the DM on what is/isnt allowable from the Eberron books.

Then you wont get your heart set on something and end up with it being something you cant have.

[Greenish]

kashatora (sp?)Tashalatora. But if I read the OP correctly, psionics aren't in.

[Diarmuid]

Actually I think I was aiming for Kalashtar.

[Mathemagician7]

thanks for the caveat about getting DM committments. I'm simply asking what I should be aware of in a setting I'm unfamiliar with, and you guys are doing exactly that. I mean imagine if someone wanted to make an eldritch knight in a campaign that allowed complete mage and simply didn't know about abjurant champion. That would be criminally sub-optimal.

Thank you.

As for Psionics, the DM hasn't mentioned them one way or another. None of us in my group are all that familiar with psionics, and I'm content with arcane magic, so I don't think it's likely to come up.

I'm used to Tier 1, so I think I'll most likely end up with the dwarf EF, to sort of ease myself out of that tier, before going for the skillster.

Besides, 4 + int isn't bad on a class whos prime stat is int. especially with the class skills available to the monk & enlightened fist. Tumble is probably gonna find at least 5 points in it. Heck, it might be nice just to be able to afford spot and listen for a change. Hide & MS would be welcome, too, especially with the monk/EF speed boost, so sneaking at half speed doesn't drop me down to like 10 feet per round.

[GoatBoy]

Eberron is meant to be a setting of subtlety and intrigue. As such, there are no restrictions on alignment-based divine casting. Divine spellcasters never "fall," and there are some very shady characters who still receive spells from supposedly benevolent divine sources.

Also: Loli Pope.

[hamishspence]

Eberron is meant to be a setting of subtlety and intrigue. As such, there are no restrictions on alignment-based divine casting. Divine spellcasters never "fall," and there are some very shady characters who still receive spells from supposedly benevolent divine sources.

Also: Loli Pope.

Paladins can still Fall- but clerics don't.

[Chaosblade]

One B. Two R's. I do that sometimes, too.

[Greenish]

Divine spellcasters never "fall," and there are some very shady characters who still supposedly receive spells from benevolent divine sources.Fixed that for you.

[Prime32]

Basically Eberron leaves the existence of the gods ambiguous, and heavily implies that clerics draw power from their own faith rather than from external sources. The Silver Flame might be an exception to the latter in some cases.

[Alleran]

Basically Eberron leaves the existence of the gods ambiguous, and heavily implies that clerics draw power from their own faith rather than from external sources. The Silver Flame might be an exception to the latter in some cases.
The Silver Flame being the manifested spirits of the entire couatl race (who sacrificed themselves to bind the Rakshasa Rajahs), it isn't exactly a god.