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View Full Version : Advice for running an Eberron game.



Evan Snapp
2021-02-11, 08:49 PM
I was just wondering if anyone had any advice for running a good intro to Eberron. I am a group of six players through a one-shot that, if they like could turn into an ongoing campaign. The players voted that they would like to try a more steampunk world with Eberron. So now I am going to be running my first game in Eberron. I have not played in the setting at all before and want to give my players the best experience.

Currently, I am thinking of starting players at 3rd level so that everyone has their subclass, and setting the game in Q'Barra. I don't think that I have the ability to write a mafia adventure in a style that my group would prefer. I think they would prefer a more straightforward dungeon crawl or battle. I was thinking the adventure could be clearing out an area (temple or cave I am still deciding) for a mining group. Unlike most interests in Q'Barra, they are actually looking for a source of Khyber dragonshards, and the area has some form of entrance to Khyber.

In the background for if this turns into a full campaign, I am thinking that this expedition is actually funded by a member of the Aurum working with a rogue member of House Cannith. This rouge Cannith artificer was actually in Xen'drik during the mourning and met a Storm Giant Quintessent, which had been in a form of hibernation in storm form since the fall of the Giant Empire. A renowned sorcerer before pursuing immortality by becoming a Quintessent the giant actually knows many secrets of the old empire even if he can no longer perform those magics himself. The house Cannith artificer was able to befriend him being the first sentient being he would have spoken to for thousands of years, and the giant has begun to pass on parts of his knowledge to the artificer. This includes elemental binding....... The Arurum member is a friend of the Artificer who he got to bankroll his expedition to acquire large amounts of Khyber dragonshards discretely so he can begin to undercut the Zil, by breaking their monopoly on the elemental binding.

Our artificer does not end ambition there, as he was sent to Xen'drik as a form of exile for being a Cyre patriot, and he blames the rest of his house for not siding with Cyre and drowning the continent in warforged to end the war quickly. He also does not like Valenar, which is a hatred that his new giant friend shares. He also has plans to build an underwater creation forge in the dark seafloor near hydrothermal vents to construct a secret army of warforged he can use to rebuild Cyre. Giant would go along hoping to go after elves after artificer builds his new Cyre.

Those are just my ideas for things to drive the plot. Do you have any advice? I am not experienced in Eberron at all and want to give my players the best experience.

JackPhoenix
2021-02-13, 09:53 PM
Sounds pretty good! One thing many people new to Eberron seem to make is to try to include every major faction, which, IMO, is a mistake. Sure, you could have dragons going after the giant, and the artificer being manipulated by the Quori, while the mining operation gets invaded by the Daelkyr and everything is being orchestrated by Lords of Dust to free an overlord, and Emerald Claw would be involved at some point, but it's better to focus on a single threat. The stories end up more consistent that way.

Also, remember, it's your Eberron. Don't get too focused on following what's written in the books if your idea makes for a better story. That doesn't apply just to Eberron, and it's something that took me a long time to figure out.

TridentOfMirth
2021-02-14, 03:04 PM
It sounds like you really have two BBEGs in the campaign - the artificer and the giant. Their end goals and motivations are inherently different - one wants to rebuild his civilization and the other wishes to bring wrath and ruin upon his enemies. Although the two could work with one another for a time, there would definitely be a natural tension between the two. That tension could be leveraged in dramatic fashion if the PCs are able to convince one or the other that their interests are not being served by this relationship.