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INDYSTAR188
2012-06-20, 12:35 PM
Hello Playground! I am currently DMing a campaign (4E) and my campaign plot involves Orcus, Cormyr, and him taking over Kelemvors spot in the pantheon. However, we've been playing for about a year and I want to give my players a chance to have some fresh fun and step away from that whole scenario. They're getting ready to square off against the BBEG who has just opened up a portal. Now I was thinking that the PC's will have to fight his minions and whatnot and before they slay him he'll step through the portal (granted they probably will kill him since I'm planning for them not to). Now what I want to have happen is for him to go to one place and for them to go to... well Sharn.

This thread is asking specifically for three things:

-how would you play up the differences between Toril and Khorvaire (especially Sharn)?
-suggestions on fun/interesting shenanigans for the PCs to get into
-what would be a good plot device to allow the players to get back?

For reference they are approaching the middle levels (11 out of 30). We almost always play in FR and I am excited for the opportunity for them to explore what Eberron has to offer (other than classes and Warforged). Oh, also before I forget - how do you explain a portal taking one person to one place and the others to another?

Thank you for reading this and any suggestions you might have!

Kol Korran
2012-06-20, 01:25 PM
-how would you play up the differences between Toril and Khorvaire (especially Sharn)?

1) a major thing is the gods. in Toril the gods are IMMENSELY important and are known to exist, they are actual people and they usually cover VERY narrow fields.

In Eberron the gods are a myth, they are usually abstract concepts, different religions follow ENTIRELY different ways of approaching the world, and clerics can even be of an opposite alignement to the religion and accept spells.

in short religion may seem quite mroe vague in Eberron and quite more complex.

2) Races: a few things
- first, Sharn is the most multi racial city in Eberron. i don't know how much cosmopolitan waterdeep is, but i doubt the mroe commonly "evil" races harbor it. mostly goblins and hobgoblins who are a common site on Sharn's street (as well as orcs and maybe ogres and minotaurs from Droaam).

- the common races are quite different- dwarves are most likely master merchants,m the elves have Aerenei representatives and possibly Valenar. talenta haflings, and so on.

- the new races: out of these most own't start a commotion (well, a shofter might) but the warforged will be an entirely new and possibly frightening experience.

3) semi industrial age: the presence of the dragonmarked houses plus the cogs in sharn and other heavy industrial influences are quite different from the classic fantasy and "magic is a mysterious art" feel of Toril. lot of common day magic, and in Sharn even flying "cars", flying "ships", self cleaning mugs, magically spiced food and more... passengers from Toril might be unaccustomed to it.

4) power levels: at level 11 your characters are top notch in Eberron (king Boranel is level 9-11 i think) there are very few people of their levels in the world. though quite a few of them are in Sharn.


suggestions on fun/interesting shenanigans for the PCs to get into

some general ideas:
- the PCs don't have identity cards, they don't know the language, the nations, everything basic to this world (your villain might have done some research and be better prepared) think a bit like captain america in the avengers film only ten times so. this leads to many things: some might wish to institutionalize them, some to abduct them and interogate them (dark lanterns, the watch) some want to experiment with them? (churches, morgrave university, perhaps the nations, perhaps servants of the Daelkyr or such from below) have multiple factions trying to capture them, helpe them, harm them and so on, while thye try to get their bearings.

- the PCs could be involved in The Prophecy someway "visitors of another world shall face the choice: bla bla bla)- agents of the lords of dust and the chamber (perhaps others like a cataclysm mage?) will try and manipulate the characters to some sort of event. it might be interesting if your villain is tied to these same sort of events.

- a visit to the great dungeon- the cogs of sharn and below is quite a thing! the perfect place to hide and where you see the dirty belly of the city- mostly warforged and goblinoid, this place has strange cannith machines and constructs, old ruins of the ancient goblinoid city (forgot it's name) and more

- a sky race (perhaps even joining the race of the 8 winds): some sort of fighting over flying platforms, flying "taxis" and ship. a must in sharn.

- taking it a bit further- they can visit places where the border to Syrian is weaker, and they can travel to the Azure Sky. perhaps some adventure with the angels of this realm, this world? (perhaps the angels of Toril hid something here, with there bretheren?)


-what would be a good plot device to allow the players to get back?

some sort of a planar occurrence: some planes become conterminous/ remote (i suggest Kythri- it's unexpected, and the scholar detect this just a week/ day/ few hours before it comes in for a brief time. they can use it's unexpected energies to try and create a path back. but as always with Kythri- there might be... chaotic complications.

or... there might be some other minor plane (not one of the 13) the party might be able to move through. i remember an adventure with a dusk hag that prophesied some connections with the plane of mirrors. it could be cool to travel in a plane that mirrors most worlds, and find the right mirror to travel back through.

or... the party does some service for House Orien, a big Service. the house have perfected some sort of technology/ magic/ a new Syberis mark that might enable them to get to the world. always wishing to explore more, the house is willing to have the characters as "test subjects" for their experiment.

hope this helped.

INDYSTAR188
2012-06-20, 07:06 PM
Thank you Kol Korran, thats exactly the kinda stuff I'm looking for. I especially like the mention of different languages (something I didn't even think about). I will most certainly include an 'air taxi' type fight scene. I'm thinking of saying that the party Artificer looks remarkably similar to Jorlanna d'Cannith did in her youth and see what kinda trouble that might stir up. How do you effectively describe Sharn? What's a good section of the city for them to appear in (or more appropriately what section of the city is the best to introduce them to)? Any suggestions on the portal and how to explain it sending my BBEG one place and my PC's to another? Or would it be smarter to say that they both go to Sharn through a mistake in the casting?

Kol Korran
2012-06-20, 11:53 PM
I'm thinking of saying that the party Artificer looks remarkably similar to Jorlanna d'Cannith did in her youth and see what kinda trouble that might stir up.
now that might be interesting. Merrix might take a GREAT interest in this, as will most other dragon marked houses.

How do you effectively describe Sharn? What's a good section of the city for them to appear in (or more appropriately what section of the city is the best to introduce them to)?
to tell the truth i'm not much into big cities and i only skimmed the Sharn book. i can't much help you hear. my general impression is the main things are:
- high industrialism.
- "if we you can't buy it with us, we can get it for ya!" type of mentality.
- multi racial/ multi cultural/ and a lot of new sub cultures sprining in the city itself.
- crime and the watch have a good presence, though highly different in the different sections.
- low level (perhaps even mid level) "civilian magic" is common.
- especially in Sharn- thinking what is above you and below you, as much as around you. ALWAYS. Sharn is a 3D city.


Any suggestions on the portal and how to explain it sending my BBEG one place and my PC's to another? Or would it be smarter to say that they both go to Sharn through a mistake in the casting?

the BBEG had time to plan and explore the location he's going to (i assume s/he has a purpose there?) and so they also know how to navigate the portal- it isn't just two places connected, it's more like a tunnel, or a web of tunnels. it takes some navigation (you might design it as a small unique, not necessarily battle encounter, most likely a sort of non verbal puzzle or riddle or test. it might havea relation to the Azure Sky, perhaps the party arrive through it?). the villain finds the answer quickly and gets to Sharn where he wants, also hiding quickly due to familiarity (at least partial) with the customs, language and so on. (perhaps he even contacted some sort of henchmen?)

the party however either don't find the right place (and arrive at another destination) or arrive at the right place, but late, due to dealing with navigating the portal-tunnel-web.

does that work?

INDYSTAR188
2012-06-21, 06:46 PM
I appreciate your help Kol Korran. I was trying to find more information on Azure Sky but all I could really find out was that it is a plane of air that has a special relationship w/Sharn allowing the city to safely grow vertically. Could anyone expand on this? Any other takers for random Eberron/ fun city encounters for the players?

Kol Korran
2012-06-22, 10:28 AM
as far as i understand the only info on the planes other than the ECS is in the player's guide book, in the part on the plains, but even that is kinda slim...

- i know it's supposed to be mostly huge near infinite sky.

- i know that angels are the main KNOWN residents.

- i think it's mildly good aligned (away from books, not sure).

- it gives sharn the enhanced fly effects, so i'd wager anyone who enters needs to know how to fly, or is granted flight by the plane itself.

that is all i know. but it's a good chance to make your own thing up. :smallwink:

Prime32
2012-06-22, 10:29 AM
Not sure if it will come up, but worth noting in a FR/Eberron crossover: In a large-scale conflict Eberron's basic infantry is far superior to FR's (besides being lv3, note that construct+undead soldiers can march 24/7 and don't need to breathe) and has more magical support, but they have few high-level shock units. It's also harder to stop an Eberron force by cutting off its head, since most of their high-end magic is provided by an organisation rather than a single archmage. Finally, due to most of Eberron's high-level characters having their movements restricted (eg. Oalian, Jaela), their locations are better at defending themselves than attacking.


I was trying to find more information on Azure Sky but all I could really find out was that it is a plane of air that has a special relationship w/Sharn allowing the city to safely grow vertically. Could anyone expand on this?Most of Eberron's planes aren't particularly detailed...

Madcrafter
2012-06-23, 01:26 PM
as far as i understand the only info on the planes other than the ECS is in the player's guide book, in the part on the plains, but even that is kinda slim...

- i know it's supposed to be mostly huge near infinite sky.

- i know that angels are the main KNOWN residents.

- i think it's mildly good aligned (away from books, not sure).

- it gives sharn the enhanced fly effects, so i'd wager anyone who enters needs to know how to fly, or is granted flight by the plane itself.

that is all i know. but it's a good chance to make your own thing up. :smallwink:

As most things in Eberron, it is deliberately left vague. The main thing with it an Sharn is that the manifest zone allows the city to be built the way it is (mile high towers and such). So in describing Sharn you can mention how the architecture looks physically impossible in some places.

Also you don't need to know how to fly, since it is an infinite sky, if you don't, you just fall forever (which is basically just like flying :smallbiggrin: bonus points for catching the reference).

As for encounters, Anti-construct human protest? Anti-fleshbag warforged protest? If you're up to running one and think your players might like it, investigation based sidequest (a la film noir)?

Also, consider having the portal deposit your players at the top of the city (probably the highest they have ever been). Bonus if it is in mid air (they can all fly right?). Alternatively, in the very base of the cogs (That would probably freak out anyone not from Eberron).

INDYSTAR188
2012-06-24, 03:57 PM
You guys are all awesome! Great ideas. So, my BBEG is travelling to Sharn to get the last papers he needs to complete a ritual that will transform him into a Lich. Of course the players will run after him when he goes through the portal and *bam* looking up at a VERTICAL (http://www.google.com/imgres?q=sharn+%2B+eberron&hl=en&sa=X&biw=682&bih=327&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=aEU57iCPygG6JM:&imgrefurl=http://www.stargazersworld.com/2009/05/16/csi-sharn/&docid=6a7pJxvDpu28pM&imgurl=http://www.stargazersworld.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/sharn6.jpg&w=400&h=929&ei=UH3nT7XHJYaA2gWF4IXaCQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=285&vpy=-139&dur=303&hovh=342&hovw=147&tx=81&ty=268&sig=104429296021817000358&page=1&tbnh=93&tbnw=37&start=0&ndsp=11&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0,i:80)city! Questions: who (which organization) in Sharn might be able to provide my BBEG with the required paperwork? Also, I was thinking of having something fun w/Morgrave University involving people protesting the unfair/uncontrolled taking and breaking of ancient artifacts, plunder, etc. and a group 'hiring' the PCs to infiltrate Morgrave to find some incriminating evidence. And then maybe a adventure that will have House Cannith vs House Orien and hopefully end up w/the adventurers getting a portal open to send them home.

Kol Korran
2012-06-24, 11:50 PM
morgrave university is one way to go, indeed. but i'm not quite sure as to the challenges it will present.

another idea is to go to one of the undead religions (and also present the difference it has from those in Toril)- agents of either the Keeper (hiding somewhere secret in the city) or... priests of the Blood of Vol (in the Karrnathi Embassy no less!). it may be a shock for the characters to see undead accepted (if not liked), and ace potential intelligent skeletons, zombies and what not, battle veterans (you can make these more powerful and special than the ECS ones).

the PCs having no stake in this world, are perfect to bash into the embassy and find out... whatever they need to find out.

or... you could go the Abarrent dragon mark route- in the depths of sharn live the remains of the past glorious houses (there is a specific house in the Dragonmarked book, but you can invent one) who might posses secret powers from bygone ages. and then the houses Orien/ Cannith might even be more inclined to help the characters.