Eberron: The Machine of War(FULL)

Hello, and welcome. I, Candide, am going to run a DnD game in Eberron. I would like 4-5 people. MAYBE more if your character concept is good. I would focus on treasure hunting/exploration. Combat will be present, so look sharp. Anyhow, here are my official character creation rules:

-Give me an initial post of your concepts, and how your character was affect by the last war, etc.
-32 point buy, 1st level
-Starting out with Core only, plus ECS and Races of Eberron.
-Good alignment, you guys are the heroes.
-Mature attitude
-A good mix of classes/races


Character Roster:
1. Bront - Valenar Elf Cleric1
2. Troy - Warforged Fighter1
3. Gez - Halfling Ranger1
4. GoddessFallenAngel - Elven Rogue1
5. Seeten - Human Sorcereress1
6. RobotRobotI - Shifter Rogue1

I will update 2-3 times a week, though probably more. I don't expect everyone to be able to post daily, since I can't either.

I would start you all off in Sharn. I'd like you to have reasons for adventuring. Not just "wanting to explore".

The Lord of Blades has increased his attacks on House Cannith nobles, and those with ties to House Cannith. His army seems to have grown large in a short time. Word has it that he has procured a creation forge(or two) and is using them. His followers now consist of more than just fighters and martial classes. He has expanded his ranks to include magic, though only arcane and infusions since he can't grant spells. Psionics is barely present however. House Cannith will be the parties' employer. Some adventures will revolve around the Mournland and the effects of the Day of Mourning.

I'm interested, can you tell us more about the campain though.
Hmmm rogue, bard, bard/rogue
I'll need to thumb through my books

edited first post to answer the question of campaign theme

I posted these ideas for another game (One you bowed out of in fact), but the GM is nowhere to be found at the moment, so I figure I'll offer them here.

Mel, Changling Rogue
Mel is anything but your typical elven noble. She has always been taught she was special. At a young age, Melphina Delena learned that she had an amazing ability to change shape. Nothing drastic, but she could change her shape to emulate just about anyone. She was taught that this was a special gift few elves had, and she should hide it from the world as much as possible. Her mother, Yolanda, loved her deeply, and would always call Melphina her “special little girl”. Melphina never understood why her mom always seemed to have a smile and a tear in her eye when she looked at Melphina.

Her father, Vielin Delena, had Melphina trained in the more subtle arts of the court. She was shown the social intrigue and backstabbing, both figurative and literally. Vielin had eyes on a seat of power, and saw Melphina as his opportunity. He spared no expense at Mel’s training and education, and Melphina took to everything eagerly.

Melphina was generally kept away from all but Vielin’s closest advisors. As she grew, she wondered why it happened so fast. Her father said that it was just part of her being different, and that it meant that she got to be an adult sooner. When Melphina was 16, she was finally brought out into the public’s eye. She was to say that she had been studying in Sharn for several decades and had recently returned to Valenar. Melphina reveled in the exercise to put her deceptive skills to work, and managed to keep her origins a secret.

Melphina, however, was too good of a student for her father’s good. She enjoyed sneaking around the castle, spying or impersonating staff. One day, she had actually snuck out of the keep, and she met a strange person whose race she couldn’t identify. So, after shadowing this person, she discovered it was a Changeling. She saw him change shape, much like she could, once or twice. She felt some sort of connection to this person, but she couldn’t place it.

So, she began to research Changelings and experimenting with herself. She was sure now, that she was not a special Elf, but a Changeling. She decided to not let on, and find out why her parents deceived her. She worked her way through the keep almost daily, trying to pick up bits and pieces of what was really going on. To be true to her changeling nature, she began to ask to be called Mel, as a term of endearment of course.

Soon, her “father” announced that she had been offered to a new Barron as a bride, and then all became clear. Vielin spoke to Mel, and mentioned that she should use the situation to gain power for her family. She could help this new Barron into an early grave, and take the Barony for herself and her family. She enjoyed the intrigue of the political world, but helping this “Family” she found revolting.

One day, Mel came upon her mother crying while she was disguised as one of her mother’s personal servants. She asked what was wrong, and Yolanda spoke that she knew what Vielin had planned for her daughter, and she didn’t approve. Mel was moved by her mom, and dropped her disguise. Much to her surprise, she took the natural changeling form, and not her usual elven form. Yolanda recognized Mel immediately and broke down, telling her how Vielin had killed the original Melphina, and had tricked Yolanda into conceiving Mel. Yolanda swore to love her daughter, but was scared to go against her husband.

Mel spoke with her mother about what Vielin had planned her to do. She spoke of how she had figured out that she was different and strove to learn about her true nature. Yolanda said to Mel “Don’t live your life with regrets. Run away now, you can find some place to go. You know who you really are, and you know how to disappear out there. I believe in you, and know that no matter what happens, your mother always loves you.”

So, under cover of darkness, Mel set out, in search of a new life, feeling for once, truly at peace with who she is. She still uses her “Melphina” persona most often, but she knows to keep a low profile, and has tried to develop several new ones.

Zan, Changling Wizard
Zan has always been proud of his changeling heritage, and usually openly walks around in his natural form. He feels that his changeling heritage shows that limits are what you perceive, and must be tested in every way.

Zan has naturally been attracted to magic, and found many interesting new limits to test with it. Since a young age, he has studied at Morgrave University. He learned diversity in specializing, and enjoyed testing his magical limits. He worked with stretching his magic, and using it ways well beyond those thought conventional.

However, studying has its limits, so Zan sought to move beyond those, and get out into the field. He started going on expeditions for the University, and examined several of the stranger places on Khorvaire. But, eventually, this wasn’t enough for Zan, so he set out to explore beyond the University, and test his limits.

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Either would be fun. Mel has a bit more established background stuff, but Zan is sort of focused on testing his limits, so hasn't had a lot of time for an interesting life. I also wanted to leave the backgounds open ended to let the GM take the characters where he wants them (I like GM friendly background).

Both characters need some Races of Eberron stuff. Mel want's the Natural Linguist feat (Reqs 4 languages, you gain 1 bonus language per level, including when you select the feat) and maybe a few others eventualy, Zan wants to use some of the racial substitution levels, and eventualy take the recaster prestiege class.

I have other ideas, these are just the ones I have backgrounds written up for. Other ideas I could quickly write up:
Talenta Halfling Druid
Valenar Elven Warrior
Human Monk (I like some of the special Monk feats in Eberron)
Aerenal Cleric of the Undying Court.

I see we're starting at 1st, we going to be low level for a while, or get up to 4th or 5th fairly quickly? Just curious.

I would like to play a Warforged Psion.

Basically near the end of the last war, house cannith became desperate to find a viable alternative to their dwindling supply of spellcasters.

Thus they began to venture into the unknown territory of Psionic's.

Only a limited number of these Warforged were ever created, but the quicklu became a viable replacement for other spellcasters.

My character was created in one of the last batches of Psionic Warforged, and it wasn't long after he'd completed his training that the treaty was signed.

Since then he has been wandering the world trying to find his place in it, while attempting to better understand his place in the scheme of things. He is also trying to better understand the human concept of morallity, and as often found himself motivated to trange acts of kindness.

To further enable his travels, he has sometimes hired himself out as a bodyguard of sorts, but often finds himself the questioning the motives of his employers.

I'd be interested in playing a Warforged Fighter/Monk. He was created to battle in many ways, armed or unarmed. He barely survived the last war, but once the war was over, he felt he no longer had a purpose. He has become a lost soul in need of a goal. Recently, he has discovered that though there is no great war being fought, that there are many people who band together in small groups and continue to battle the forces of evil. This appeals to the young warrior, and he is eager to battle and to explore while perfecting his style and learning more about the world and himself. He finds himself in Sharn looking for a group that may help him achieve his desire.

Raven 88, I'm not sure the psion class would qualify as "core only".

Here are two quick character concepts:

Tirlen is a halfling ranger from the Talenta plains. During the war, he fought Karrnath's undead legions in quick hit-and-run strikes, but now that peace has been settled and that his homeland enjoys independance, he misses the meaning of life such a dramatic struggle gives. Not knowing what to do, he gave in to wanderlust and explores the wide world, looking for a new cause to champion.

Sil is a changeling paladin of Aureon, with an investigative streak. Living in Sharn, he works as a PI and double as a (cautious) vigilante. During the Last War, he fought in the Brelish armies.

I've also the concept of a variant on Sil with a Kalashtar instead.

Raven88, psionics don't qualify as core only.

Bront, to answer your question of leveling up quickly, yes probably. My games tend to give out XP more often than others. This doesn't mean I hand it out like candy though, or that I'll go easy on ya. Also, I like Zan better than Mel, but would also be interested in seeing a bit of info on your two elf ideas(the valenar warrior, and aerenal cleric).

Gez, I like Tirlen your halfling Ranger. Go ahead and stat him up whenever you can.

Troy, go ahead and stat up your Warforged character. Remember we start at 1st, so you'll only be fighter or monk for now.

I also would be interested in this game. Here are some character concepts I've been playing around with.

Human Karnathi NG Necromancer
Hullar "Champion of the Unliving" Ketay
Hullar studied with some of the more disreputable necromancers in Karnath, working in the fetid zombie soldier "recruitment centers" during the last few years of the Last War. After completing his apprenticeship and being certified as a liscensed "recruiter" he began to fall under the influence of the "Unliving Rights" faction. This group advocated that if the warforged could be granted rights, so could the undead. This group was quickly and violently suppressed by the Karnathi government a year after the war, and Hullar fled the country. The thought that perhaps Breland, and especially Sharn with its more cosmopolitan views, might be more a safer place to practice his trade, and moved there recently.

Hullar sees raising the dead as a blessing of sorts, and treats his raised minions with more respect than some people accord their relatives. He's gone so far as dressing them in clothes and applying makeup and scented oils to mask their nature. He's very concerned with what others think of him, and has begun seeking refuge from his unhappiness (he's not much of a party person) in the bottle.

Candide said:

Bront, to answer your question of leveling up quickly, yes probably. My games tend to give out XP more often than others. This doesn't mean I hand it out like candy though, or that I'll go easy on ya. Also, I like Zan better than Mel, but would also be interested in seeing a bit of info on your two elf ideas(the valenar warrior, and aerenal cleric).

Click to expand...

Cool, I don't expect handouts, more a question about how to plot out a character (quick vs slow advancing)

Yeah, Zan probably fits better in your campaign. Mel is fun, but probably not for a mournland expedition.

The Valenar Warrior would be a double-bladed scimitar wielding warrior (A Bladebearer of Valenar per say, like the feat), would take the feat in races of eberron and probably focus on using it in a twirling mobile style. Would be a pretty straight fighter, though I'd have to draw up a background for him (Shouldn't be too hard)

The Aerenal Cleric was more of a "This looks like a neat RP idea". I'd have to work on that one a bit more to find out why he'd be in Khorvaire. Honestly, probably not my most favorite idea.

I could combine the two, and create a Valenar Warrior-Priest of Dol Dorn (Especialy if you'd let me take the Double-Bladed Scimitar as a favored weapon of the Valenar elven sect). Probably be a straight cleric. I think that would be fun.