ALEberron

[8wGremlin]

What things have you found interesting in the wayfinder guide to Eberron, that affects what you can play.
What would you play?
do you like the Warforged,
or prefer the gadgets of House Cannith humans,
or the teleport and quick movement of House Orien
or house Deneith's protector bait and switch

or two handed arcane focus rules (if they are allowed)

[Maelynn]

I was under the impression that this thread would mention beer.

This title is misleading.

[PhantomSoul]

Oh, AL Eberron. Yeah, I'm with Maelynn on this one; I thought it was fun and/or punny beers, maybe fun and/or punny world items in general!

[Sception]

warforged envoys in their present form seem hecka strong and versatile. I like the bodyguard human house racial ability. I like the shadow elves stylistically, but the cha-instead-of-int bonus kind of curtails the build I would otherwise most want to use them for (arcane trickster). In terms of adventurer's league, I'm curious if WGE will count as your +1 or not.

[RickAsWritten]

warforged envoys in their present form seem hecka strong and versatile. I like the bodyguard human house racial ability. I like the shadow elves stylistically, but the cha-instead-of-int bonus kind of curtails the build I would otherwise most want to use them for (arcane trickster). In terms of adventurer's league, I'm curious if WGE will count as your +1 or not.

AL Eberron allows PHB, Wayfinder's and Xanathar's. Only those three, so on the plus side we get more than PHB+1, but on the downside, no goblins and monstrous races in a setting where the monstrous races aren't always monstrous.

[Sception]

AL Eberron allows PHB, Wayfinder's and Xanathar's. Only those three, so on the plus side we get more than PHB+1, but on the downside, no goblins and mostrous races in a setting where the monstrous races aren't always monstrous.

The inability to play a hobgoblin or orc in literally the only setting I have ever wanted to play a hobgoblin or orc only further hardens my previously already pretty strongly negative emotions towards Adventurer's League in general. This arbitrarily and unnecessarily restrictive attitude flies in the face of the 'if there's a place for it in D&D, there's a place for it in Eberron' notion, which is one of the founding principles of the setting. I understand banning backgrounds specific to non eberron settings, and I understand restricting options per character so that one character isn't coming out of 6 different sources, but PHB+WGE+1 would have worked fine without closing off options like the rules for playing monstrous characters that coincide with some of the most interesting aspects of Eberron as a setting.

[RickAsWritten]

PHB+WGE+1 would have worked fine without closing off options like the rules for playing monstrous characters that embody with some of the most interesting aspects of Eberron as a setting.

Agree wholeheartedly.

Back to the OP, characters that I can't wait to play:

A Kalashtar anything. I really love that race, but can't decide which class I want to be. This will be my first Eberron character.

Swiftstride Shifter Monk working for House Orien. Flavor the shifts as equine instead of feline.

Beasthide Shifter with a build that maximizes temp HP, so Barbarian or Abjurer.

Mark of Finding Half-Orc Strength Ranger.

Halfling Mark of Healing Shepard Druid.

Mark of Passage Monk or Horizon Walker.

Mark of Sentinel Cavalier.

The Aberrant Dragonnark is probably my second favorite thing in the book. It's like Magic Initiate but way more interesting. Chaos Bolt and Absorb Elements practically scream to be chosen.

[Waterdeep Merch]

Maybe we'll get lucky and see Eberron versions for the monstrous races? I'd vastly prefer a Dhakaani goblin over the more traditional Volo's, and I like the Volo's goblin.

Maybe stuff like drow, too? Who do I send money to for this?

[Sception]

feedback to keith asking for monstrous races and a bit of expanded background material to be added into the WGE? I mean, ork and goblinoid racial features at the very least could just be copied over directly from Volo's with very minimal work. Wouldn't undermine the value of volo's much, as those really aren't that book's main draw next to stuff like aasimar and the like.

[Harleytrypp]

I was under the impression that this thread would mention beer.

This title is misleading.

yes, very disappointing... :(

[PeteNutButter]

Anyone else notice that the one dragonmark lets you cast awaken on things like Hydras...?

They confirmed that you can use DM awards from other content in AL, so you could DM award yourself a staff of the woodlands and then go around awakening things that should never be awakened.

I mean it still just makes them friendly towards you so it's all DM dependent, but what an amazingly awful terrible idea.

[RickAsWritten]

Agree wholeheartedly.

Back to the OP, characters that I can't wait to play:

A Kalashtar anything. I really love that race, but can't decide which class I want to be. This will be my first Eberron character.

Swiftstride Shifter Monk working for House Orien. Flavor the shifts as equine instead of feline.

Beasthide Shifter with a build that maximizes temp HP, so Barbarian or Abjurer.

Mark of Finding Half-Orc Strength Ranger.

Halfling Mark of Healing Shepard Druid.

Mark of Passage Monk or Horizon Walker.

Mark of Sentinel Cavalier.

The Aberrant Dragonnark is probably my second favorite thing in the book. It's like Magic Initiate but way more interesting. Chaos Bolt and Absorb Elements practically scream to be chosen.

Oooh one more...

Mark of Passage Ancestral Guardian Barbarian. Name yourself Alan Rails, and stylize your Ancestral Protectors as ghost trains.

[GlenSmash!]

I was also hoping for a discussion on Pale Ale berrons & IPA berrons.

[Sception]

Some Eberron character ideas I'm excited to try out:


Warforged Envoy Conquest Paladin, maybe multiclassed with sword bard. Built to be an entertainer/musician, but was unable to find work due to the fear and prejudice that warforged face after the war. Seeing the suffering imposed on his people, decided to apply their innate theatricality to leaning into that fear, becoming a conquest paladin both to prove warforged are worthy of being treated as people and to serve as an implicit threat of the cost of not doing so. "Yes, you're afraid of me. You're right to be afraid of me - look at how scary I am! But right now I'm on your side. Right now I just saved you from bandits/cultists/what-have-you. Right now I've demonstrated just how scary a warforged can be to those who cross them. Do you /really/ want to make us your enemy?". With sympathies towards the Lord of Blades, but not yet convinced of the inevitability of outright war and conflict, still feeling that the humans can be talked, cajoled, or just outright intimidated into treating warforged with respect.
.
Warforged Envoy Necromancer Wizard ("Dr. Bones"), maybe dipping cleric for some basic healing spells (and armor proficiency). Built to be a battlefield medic, and turned to necromancy in pursuit of a definitive answer to the question of whether or not warforged - or anything else for that matter - actually have souls. Sees the reanimation of human corpses as an amusing parody of how humans treat warforged, but while their sense of humor is a bit macabre they're not at all bitter or put out about it the way the previous character is.
.
Wildhunt Shifter Lycan Bloodhunter, maybe multiclassed with inquisitor rogue, working as an inquisitive out of Sharn. Obviously not AL legal, but Shifter and Lycan go together perfectly, and I love the idea of a werewolf private eye stalking criminals and corrupt politicians alike through the back alleys of an urban setting.
.
Mark of Shadow Elf hexblade, maybe multiclassed with whispers bard, assasin rogue, and/or shadow sorcerer. Haven't thought out this progression as much. I just like shadow elf a lot and want to do something with it. I would want that something to be the typical dexy gish of arcane trickster and bladesinger, but cha instead of int boost is pushing me to look at other options to achieve similar results. Plus bladesinger wouldn't be AL legal anyway.
.
Valanar High Elf eldritch knight, maybe multiclassing arcane trickster, wielding that cool new double scimitar. Or Valanar Wood Elf ancients paladin with the same. It's just a cool weapon is all.
.
Changeling Glamour Bard. Because I mean, why not?
.
Mark of Sentinel Human Conquest Paladin. A Sentinel Marshall loosely inspired by Judge Dread, "subduing" criminals and enforcing 'THE LAW" across the land.



Obviously as the list goes on these characters get less and less thought out, but they're all characters I'd love to try at some point, given an appropriate campaign to run them in. IE, the shifter needs an urban game that doesn't require AL compatibility, Dr. Bones needs a party that wouldn't be squicked out by a few skeletons & zombies hanging around, etc.

[Theodoxus]

I was also hoping for a discussion on Pale Ale berrons & IPA berrons.

And I thought it was a typo for ALE BEER ON... parade?

One of my DMs has stated he want's to do a Burn Notice style campaign, where everyone is a spy for a different nation and all end up in the same tavern with no documentation or money, and having to figure out why we were all burned, and what to do about it. I really want to play a changeling for that one (though obviously not AL).

For general AL goodness:

Warforged Envoy Necromancer Wizard ("Dr. Bones"), [snip] This is pretty close to what I was thinking of playing. Though maybe not dipping Cleric (as much as I always dip cleric...) But I do like the idea of using skeletons as an abomination towards humans... much like the B1 battle droids in the Prequels were for the Neimoidians. I'll have him carry a bag of bones (preferably a bag of [bone] holding). And challenge sentient enemies to a duel. Shaking the bag of bones ominously: "Win, and you end the scourge of undead I bring. Lose, and you join my army!"

[clem]

AL Eberron allows PHB, Wayfinder's and Xanathar's. Only those three, so on the plus side we get more than PHB+1, but on the downside, no goblins and monstrous races in a setting where the monstrous races aren't always monstrous.

The campaign documents have been updated so the goblin, bugbear, and hobgoblin races from Volo's are included as options.

[Sception]

The campaign documents have been updated so the goblin, bugbear, and hobgoblin races from Volo's are included as options.

Nice! Might have to come up with some Hobgoblin concepts, then. Kind of surprised they didn't allow full blooded orcs if they're allowing the goblinoids, but that's at least a step in the right direction.

[Tetrasodium]

The inability to play a hobgoblin or orc in literally the only setting I have ever wanted to play a hobgoblin or orc only further hardens my previously already pretty strongly negative emotions towards Adventurer's League in general. This arbitrarily and unnecessarily restrictive attitude flies in the face of the 'if there's a place for it in D&D, there's a place for it in Eberron' notion, which is one of the founding principles of the setting. I understand banning backgrounds specific to non eberron settings, and I understand restricting options per character so that one character isn't coming out of 6 different sources, but PHB+WGE+1 would have worked fine without closing off options like the rules for playing monstrous characters that coincide with some of the most interesting aspects of Eberron as a setting.

The season 8 AL stuff (https://www.dmsguild.com/product/208178/DD-Adventurers-League-Players-Pack?affiliate_id=925821) has different versions for both eberron & forgotten realms. While the forgotten realms one has the usual phb+1 type text, eberron has this blurb:


Character Creation
You’ll also need to create a character. All characters begin at 1st level in Adventurers League play.

Steps 1 & 2: Choose a Race and Class Your 1st-level character is created using any race and
class options in the Player’s Handbook, Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, and the Wayfinder’s Guide to Eberron. Bugbears, goblins, and hobgoblins from Volo’s Guide to Monsters are also available for use. No other resources are available—even if other campaign documentation (i.e., certs) otherwise allow it.

Step 3: Determine Ability Scores
Your character’s ability scores are generated using one of the following methods:
• Standard Array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8)
• Variant: Customizing Ability Scores (PHB).

Step 4: Describe Your Character
Describe your character and choose a background.
Background. Choose or create a background using the resources listed above.
Alignment. Evil characters aren’t allowed in the D&D Adventurers League Eberron campaign.
Deities. You character may worship any deity or faith listed in Wayfinder’s Guide to Eberron.

Step 5: Choose Equipment
Your character’s class and background determine equipment and gold; don’t roll for starting wealth.
Trinkets. You start with one trinket of your choice from the table in Chapter 5 of the Player’s Handbook, or you can roll randomly to determine your trinket.
Equipment. Your character can sell or buy spell components and equipment found in the resources listed above.

I was a little disappointed that the dragonmark houses didn't at least get a list of names/functions but overall it's a pretty reasonable doc

[RickAsWritten]

The campaign documents have been updated so the goblin, bugbear, and hobgoblin races from Volo's are included as options.

Noice! I knew that it hadn't been finalized when I typed that, but didn't really hold out much hope that they'd change anything. Color me surprised.

[Oramac]

One of my DMs has stated he want's to do a Burn Notice style campaign, where everyone is a spy for a different nation and all end up in the same tavern with no documentation or money, and having to figure out why we were all burned, and what to do about it. I really want to play a changeling for that one (though obviously not AL).

As a huge fan of Burn Notice, I LOVE your DM!! Where are you? Can I drive out there and join that game? Please please please please?

[BaconAwesome]

And I thought it was a typo for ALE BEER ON... parade?
For general AL goodness:

Warforged Envoy Necromancer Wizard ("Dr. Bones"), [snip] This is pretty close to what I was thinking of playing. Though maybe not dipping Cleric (as much as I always dip cleric...) But I do like the idea of using skeletons as an abomination towards humans... much like the B1 battle droids in the Prequels were for the Neimoidians. I'll have him carry a bag of bones (preferably a bag of [bone] holding). And challenge sentient enemies to a duel. Shaking the bag of bones ominously: "Win, and you end the scourge of undead I bring. Lose, and you join my army!"

I would not be able to resist dipping cleric with a warforged wizard. With free armor and no strength requirement, they're literally made for armor proficiency.

[RickAsWritten]

To comment on the debatably off-topic beer trend. I keep thinking of Bell's Oberon Ale when I read the thread title, which is yummy and eerily similar to the thread title.

[Maelynn]

To comment on the debatably off-topic beer trend. I keep thinking of Bell's Oberon Ale when I read the thread title, which is yummy and eerily similar to the thread title.

Haha, true. But with a name like that, I thought it'd be something a tad more mysterious than what I glean from its description. Although you have made me curious to try it... shame it's US. They hardly bother importing US beers over here, what with so many others to choose from. Maybe I can convince my local off-licence to search for some.