[Eberron] Dragonmarked scion and pride

[Evil DM]

Hi folks,

I hope the thread is placed well in here.

Since I will run an Eberron campaign in the new year I thought about the Eberron-specific-elements.

After a short while I came about the dragonmarked houses and just thought of the following situation:

Guess we have a memeber of a dragonmarked house. There was an event which upset him.
Now he walks through the streets with a grimm expression and comes along the players: "Get out of my way, adventuring scum!"

Maybe the players will not expect him to be a reknown member of a dragonmarekd house and make fun of him.

The scions face runs red and he shouts: "Mind you! This will have consequences...!"


Now what consequences can that be? Clearly he won't hire some thugs to attack the players. This would have no style. But how could a member of a dragonmarked house use his influence to make the characters have little problem. Nothing which would threat them but something which doesn't make their life easier...

Cheers, Evil DM.

 

[Xer0]

Just a quick few, all of these are the results of a gentle nudging from the House or a not so subtle use of influence in the city...

Merchants that the adventures deal with on a regular basis either refuse to work with them or aren't as eager to hagle over prices with them. The net result being that they lose an outlet for selling loot and/or don't get as much money for it. Plus, buying from said merchant gets more expensive.

Extra scrutiny from the official constabulary. Always a bit of a hassle, getting noise from the Man.

Fewer temples will be willing to heal the injured party members because of the guilt by association with the party.

Hope that helps.

 

[WhatGravitas]

Now what consequences can that be? Clearly he won't hire some thugs to attack the players. This would have no style. But how could a member of a dragonmarked house use his influence to make the characters have little problem.

This depends *so* much on the dragonmarked house in question.

With Cannith, the noble would turn up in a store at some point and say something to the PCs like: "You want to buy that? A Cannith-manufactured item? Since we know each other, here's a special price."

If you annoy some member of Thuranni... well, then thugs might be the more enjoyable thing.

With Kundarak... let's just hope you have a lot of real gold with you instead of Kundarak cheques.

Cheers, LT.

 

[Remathilis]

Now what consequences can that be? Clearly he won't hire some thugs to attack the players. This would have no style. But how could a member of a dragonmarked house use his influence to make the characters have little problem. Nothing which would threat them but something which doesn't make their life easier...

Depends on the House...

Cannith: APB to allifiated Cannith sellers in the area the PCs frequent. House-aligned guildsmen charge extra for repairs or simply sell them the shoddier goods at full price. (minor penalties like -1 to hit, change of breakage on a crit, etc)

Orien: Two words: Lost Luggage.

Lyrandar: Difficulty booking passage, undue "security" measures (remove you boots please), no-fly lists, steerage booking "mistakes".

Jorasco: Overcharging on services. Bad hospital stays.

Ghallladra: Small portions of food, overcharges, being awoken at inopportune times, poor maid service, orcish hot-sauce in the soup.

Kundarak: Denial of Letters of Credit/Loans. Overcharging Interest rates.

Vadalis: Overcharging, given the most temperamental horses and beasts (with negative traits like kicking, braying or fence-chewing)

Phiarlan/Thuranni: Spies rifle through home looking for incriminating info. Starting false rumors. Slanderous songs and poems spread through the local watering holes.

Sivis: Lost or incomplete sending stone messages. Inconvenient "not-forgetting" and selling of personal messages.

Dennith: The hardest one. This would be the goons who come and rough up or intimidate you, but mostly I'd see this house staying neutral.

Medani: Overcharging, false threats and phantom warnings of creeping doom...

Tharashk: Refusal to sell dragonshards, overcharging, taking the "long way" through the Shadow Marshes if they hire a guide.

 

[doctorhook]

Cool ideas, all!

 

[WhatGravitas]

Dennith: The hardest one. This would be the goons who come and rough up or intimidate you, but mostly I'd see this house staying neutral.

Hmmm... considering that they are hired muscles, it could get annoying, once you met some people who employ Deneith soldiers as guards/whatever - they could just refuse you entry and similar things.

Cheers, LT.

 

[Evil DM]

Thanks people.

These are all very excited suggestions.

My problem is that the PCs might be only staying one or two days in town.

Do you think the scion's anger might follow them across Khorvair?

Or is there something more spontanous which can happen?

You wake up the next morning. After leaving the tavern you notice...

Cheers, Evil DM.

 

[Angellis_ater]

Have something delay them in town. Officers saying that they are under suspicion of a crime and must stay in town, problems getting a coach/ticket out of town, things breaking down on them, someone drinking them under the table.

 

[SKyOdin]

My problem is that the PCs might be only staying one or two days in town.

Do you think the scion's anger might follow them across Khorvair?

It depends on how influential and petty the scion is. If it is the favorite son of the Baron, then the PCs better start watching their backs (and if it is a house Ghallanda brat, checking their bagels for poison). If it is the low-ranking but overly proud leader of a local guild, then the PCs will probably only run into trouble in that town, but will run into problems every time they visit that town.

Now then, if the town is a small community where all of the local House big-shots are buddies, the PCs might end up being immediatly blacklisted from every inn, shop, and pub in town. Nothing is worse than sleeping in the streets because not even the stables will let you stay the night. Until the Deneith mercs hired to buff up the local police arrest the party for loitering.