Vigilante-ism in Sharn?

[Cyclone231]

Everyone knows that the law in Sharn is crap, because otherwise you couldn't adventure there. So are there NPC vigilantes? And, more importantly, are the NPC vigilantes... with secret identities and costumes?

I mean, Eberron urban vigilante heroes could run the full gamut from Rorscharch to the Shadow to Doctor Strange.

If there were, say, a dozen such people, what would the most common alignments be?

[Nerd-o-rama]

There is an Eberron forum, you know. They're probably slightly more knowledgeable than us about these dozen or so topics you've opened about it.

Not that I mind answering them, personally. I'm just saying, if this is all you're going to talk about, there's a dedicated board for it.

[Cyclone231]

There is an Eberron forum, you know. They're probably slightly more knowledgeable than us about these dozen or so topics you've opened about it.

Not that I mind answering them, personally. I'm just saying, if this is all you're going to talk about, there's a dedicated board for it.

I am aware of the Eberron forum at gleemax. However, as of this writing, the Gaming (d20 and General RPG) forum has 62 threads that were posted on in the last day (ie they have Today as the date). Between the five eberron forums, there are 16 threads that were posted on in the last day (ie they have Today as the date) as of this writing. That's pretty much why I'm posting this here.

EDIT: Also, it's not as though costumed superheroes are going to be mentioned in Sharn: City of Towers, anyway.

[PaladinBoy]

I would say that the law in Sharn uses adventurers whenever they run into a problem they can't handle. Unless you assume that your party is the only party in the world, then there are your NPCs.

As for vigilantes...... sure, there are probably some. I very much doubt they act like superheroes from comic books however. Well, okay, maybe one or two. That would certainly be an interesting NPC.

[Goumindong]

The law in Sharn is quite strong. It just, like any law enforcement agency, has its problems and sphere of influence.

Consider for adventure:

1. The law wont cover what is under the city

2. The law may be corrupt.

3. The theives guilds and thugs are just as organized and strong as the law

4. The great houses are vastly territorial

Something happens in a Kundarak vault, its "a family matter" and the law is asked to not interviene

[Stormcrow]

In black and white world flashy vigilanties who wear capes and have gaudy names for themselves get ringed in imasuclated and decapitated by organised crime kingpins. Simply put, vigilanties make a buisness in keeping quiet. Or all the low lives in town will see you dead.

Without an acutal superpower to back up your superoutfit you are asking for trouble.

[Cyclone231]

In black and white world flashy vigilanties who wear capes and have gaudy names for themselves get ringed in imasuclated and decapitated by organised crime kingpins. Simply put, vigilanties make a buisness in keeping quiet. Or all the low lives in town will see you dead.

The Shadow, Batman, and Rorscharch would probably manage to keep themselves alive.

Without an acutal superpower to back up your superoutfit you are asking for trouble.

I don't know, man. In Eberron, being past level 8 is nearly a superpower. A level 6 monk with a good set up can knock out a second level character pretty much instantly.

[Nerd-o-rama]

I am aware of the Eberron forum at gleemax. However, as of this writing, the Gaming (d20 and General RPG) forum has 62 threads that were posted on in the last day (ie they have Today as the date). Between the five eberron forums, there are 16 threads that were posted on in the last day (ie they have Today as the date) as of this writing. That's pretty much why I'm posting this here.

EDIT: Also, it's not as though costumed superheroes are going to be mentioned in Sharn: City of Towers, anyway.

Fair enough, although I think your last statement may be in error.

Let's see. Sharn has a number of power groups of interest that we can consider...

• The city watch, which is generally apprised as corrupt and inept, sticking only to the highest and wealthiest levels of the city.
• The King's Citadel, a national organization which is only really dispatched against high-level threats.
• Cannith South, led by Baron Totally-not-Lex-Luthor d'Cannith, is headquartered here.
• Two competing major crime syndicates, the Daask (monstrous humanoid mafia, for the most part, and funded by the nation of Droaam) and House Boromar (Halfling mafia).
• Several other smaller syndicates, including the Tyrants (Changeling mafia) and House Tarkanan (Aberrant-marked mafia).
• The local branches of several international conspiracies, such as the Aurum, the Dreaming Dark, and the Dragonmarked Houses (which basically count as conspiracies by default despite being legitimate businesses.)

I think you'd see a fair amount of vigilante justice in Sharn's lower levels, particularly among the goblins, who have no central authority. Many would be dedicated to checking the power of the Daask and House Boromar over their respective neighborhoods as much as enforcing the law.

I can see a goblin artificer, cobbling together knowledge from spying on Cannith's facilities, defending his downtrodden people from the depredations of the bigger, meaner monsters in the Cogs. A Changeling Beguiler and master (mistress?) of disguise who makes his way fighting crime, rather than being part of the Tyrants' system (which would probably involve hooking at one point or another). A mysterious and over-angsty Paladin of the Silver Flame (probably Greyguard by now, so he can meet thugs on their own terms) who left a life of luxury in the Skyway and cut himself off from the Church's hierarchy to "bring a little light" to the selfish and crime-filled depths of Sharn.

Actually, I really want to play that last one now.

[Cyclone231]

I just had a sudden click and remembered a particular quote from this article:

The sorcerer who hides her face behind a colorful mask, using her mystical powers to prey on superstitious criminals.

I can see a goblin artificer, cobbling together knowledge from spying on Cannith's facilities, defending his downtrodden people from the depredations of the bigger, meaner monsters in the Cogs. A Changeling Beguiler and master (mistress?) of disguise who makes his way fighting crime, rather than being part of the Tyrants' system (which would probably involve hooking at one point or another). A mysterious and over-angsty Paladin of the Silver Flame (probably Greyguard by now, so he can meet thugs on their own terms) who left a life of luxury in the Skyway and cut himself off from the Church's hierarchy to "bring a little light" to the selfish and crime-filled depths of Sharn.

You sir, are awesome. But, I have one question: how do you make a living fighting crime?

[Nerd-o-rama]

Um. Sell pictures?

Actually, it would probably be robbing from the rich (and criminal) to give to the poor (of which you are a member). This is the N/CN kind of vigilante, whereas the Paladin is the LG kind, and the goblin could be anything, really.

[DiscipleofBob]

I would say it all depends on where and on who you practice your vigilante-ism. If you kept to the lower levels of Sharn and the cogs, and took care not to piss off the local crime syndicates, you'd probably be praised as a hero wherever you go. The Sharn watch definitely doesn't have the resources to solve all of the city's problems. That's why Sharn is a pretty good starting point for adventurers. Now when you start pissing off the local crime families, you'll quickly make yourself some enemies. The Boromar clan in particular is dangerous since they're intimately tied with two of the Dragonmarked houses. And personally, I wouldn't want to piss off the houses that control all the healing and every inn and bar in Sharn. The Daask are dangerous, but fair game since they're mostly monstrous humanoids. No one important would object except maybe possibly Tharashk, but that's unlikely. Tyrants are definitely better to have as allies unless you're used to suspecting everyone you ever meet as a possible assassin. And taking on House Tarkaanan will just win you brownie points with the Dragonmarked houses.

Now, whatever you do, don't practice your vigilante justice on anyone who even smells like a Dragonmarked. Cannith is fun to oppose, but don't try storming their strongholds without a LOT of rod of cancellations. Deneith doesn't have anything worth messing with besides a bunch of mercenaries. Messing with any of the halfling or elf houses is just begging for an assassin. Orien you can get away with screwing with as long as you stay on Lyrandar's good side, unless you want to be walking everywhere. Medani and Tharashk you could fight but not too much. If they get serious, they'll literally track you to the ends of the earth. Kundarak you definitely don't want to piss off, not when most of Khorvaire's wealth lies in their vaults. Sivis and Vadalis you could always mess with, though I'm not sure why you ever would...

[Cyclone231]

So I was scanning through the People & Places archive (for unrelated reasons) and found this thread.

The original Eberron story bible had a kalashtar mystery woman in Sharn known as "The Beholder"; like the Shadow, she had a network of agents, her "eyes". But at the end of the day, we decided not to put her in S:CoT. Still, there is fun to be had there; when I was playing in a Sharn one-shot, I made a changeling rogue/warlock with fell flight, devil's sight, darkness, baleful word, and beguiling influence. Combined with the Social Intuition racial substitution feature of the changeling rogue, he made a great Shadow/Spider style adventurer (I went with "The Spectre").