Eberron inconsistencies

[jimmifett]

Rapid travel is a highly valued commodity in any setting. Instantaneous travel is invaluable. The group that controls travel controls populations (see Dune series, books 2-4). Any rival that develops their own circle network is a threat to their gold and their power. They go to the other houses to cash in favors owed to hire trackers, assassins, and entrepreneuring adventurous troublestabbers to find the "trouble", and stab it.

As for PrCs, there are as many as plot allows. During the world wars, how many field agents in the SAS and OSI? How many knights attended aurthur's round table? How many individuals in the Tuskegee airmen? 19th century secret service agents at a given time? How many special forces are there as a percentage of overall soldiers?

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

I'm going to start a new campaign (3.5) as a DM, and (finally) it will be in Eberron.

(Un)fortunately I have a group of players extremely adept at finding plot and/or setting inconsistencies.

That's the reason why I have to verify what inconsistencies Eberron hides behind its wonderful scenario, and I'm asking help to the EnWorld crew to find (and possibly solve) them beforehand.

Maybe I should start citing a bunch of them I think I have found:

1) House Orien, that has been around for hundreds of years, offers expensive magical trains, but doesn't have a teleportation circle network between the major Metropolis and Cities; I don't get it.
Besides that, PC spellcasters could become rapidly rich attaining a level sufficient to cast Teleport, and offering their service.

Creating a teleportation circle requires a high-level character. I don't know if the Orien's mark allows it, but if so, you still need to be high level. I wouldn't be surprised if they simply couldn't manage the resources/XP to make more circles than already exist.

Orien d'marked can, given enough levels, use Teleport, and sell the service too, probably more cheaply due to background dragonmarked items that don't follow any particular rules but are an important part of the setting's flavor. Which means any PC selling the same service is a competitor, at greater cost, so they probably won't get much business from the few people wealthy enough to afford this service. But maybe they'll insist anyway. Don't mess with teleporting rogues, seriously. Make that into an encounter, kind of like a "warning shot".

Also, DMs should feel free to give stuff to the PCs, and take them away. PCs start a business like that? Let it grow, then have crime lords try to muscle in. The PCs win, feel complacent, and then Orien kills their support staff, makes off with their cash and burns down their HQ. (Otherwise it moves pretty far from DnD and becomes an accounting game.)

2) Eberron is supposed to be a low level type campaign. We read that "in a world where the average soldier is a 2nd-level warrior, a 5th-level fighter can be an important individual. This is the case in Eberron."
However, we also read, for example, in Five Nations (page 41) that, even if their number is diminished, "the knight phantoms remain in service to the Aundair crown after the end of the last war".

Elite organizations can have some levels. Also, not all Knight Phantoms are necessarily members of the Knight Phantom prestige class. And given how big Eberron is, I doubt you can find more than a squad of four of them at any place other than the capital of Aundair.

The same goes for the myriad of PrCs scattered in the Eberron books: they usually require a character of at least 5th level. How many of them can I assume existent at the moment?

Not many.

 

[RandomCitizenX]

IIRC House Orien has magical ships like the elemental galleons that cost 64,000 GP, and air ships that are around 92,000 GP, not to mention magical trains, which generally require a caster level 15.

Aren't those magical items expensive?

Not to mention that a Permanency spell on Teleportation Circle would be free, XP apart.

Well, it looks like they have 15 CL spellcasters (where are they???), so it doesn't appear to be so impossible to imagine a 17th level spellcaster in 1000 years.

I was always under the impression that house Lyrandar has the magic ships. Orien has the rail.

For the cost of magic items I think it is possible for them to afford it and to have someone in the house who can do it, I just don't think it would be cost efficient. (Although I haven't looked at the cost in a long time),

 

[Spatula]

Four words every DM should know, regardless of game or genre: "A wizard did it."

If that doesn't work, use the other four: "Rocks fall, everyone dies."

"An eldritch machine did it" would be the Eberron version.

Well, it looks like they have 15 CL spellcasters (where are they???)

Well, here's the setting's dirty little secret. Eberron cheats when it comes to NPC magic. The houses have access to stuff that the players don't, in the form of eldritch machines that require dragonmarks to use, or special dragonmark items, or special crafting spells, etc. that have been developed over the centuries. This allows the setting to have some high-magic flourishes without being FR. But this magic isn't detailed in the books because it isn't pertinent to adventuring.

Aside from that, it's likely that the more powerful effects are generated by members with dragonmarks.

so it doesn't appear to be so impossible to imagine a 17th level spellcaster in 1000 years.

Talking about spellcasters, Oalian is a 20th Druid.

And Oalian is over 1000 years old.

That's what I was inclined to say too, but Five Nations even provide a quote from a Karrnathi soldier suggesting a Knight Phantom division during the Last War (page 43).

I will echo the others who have said membership in an organization does not equal levels in a prestige class named after said organization.

 

[RainOfSteel]

House Orien's Lightning Rails, the rails themselves, are primarly built using conductor stones, wondrous magical items. Laid out along thousands of miles of tracks. Magic items. Out there in the wilderness along the rails.

People would steal them. In droves. They would steal entire lines. Just to sell back to House Orien through fences, or to anyone who didn't want the rails running. No matter how many examples House Orien made, there would be hordes of desperate people willing to do it because the act of the theft itself, out in the middle of nowhere, was very low risk. That would pretty much be the end of the rails.

I did not see where the Eberron Campaign Setting book explains why this does not occur. Did I miss it? Did some other book mention it?

 

[pawsplay]

2) Eberron is supposed to be a low level type campaign. We read that "in a world where the average soldier is a 2nd-level warrior, a 5th-level fighter can be an important individual. This is the case in Eberron."
However, we also read, for example, in Five Nations (page 41) that, even if their number is diminished, "the knight phantoms remain in service to the Aundair crown after the end of the last war".

The point is, in order to qualify for the Knight Phantom PrC you must be at least a 5th level wizard, or a 6th level sorcerer, or a 7th level bard. According to Keith, these should be all important individuals. How many Knight Phantoms serve the crown at the moment?

Obviously not very many. I don't see an inconsistency, unless the Knight Phantoms don't have the potential to be important.

 

[Dr. Confoundo]

House Orien's Lightning Rails, the rails themselves, are primarly built using conductor stones, wondrous magical items. Laid out along thousands of miles of tracks. Magic items. Out there in the wilderness along the rails.

They aren't called 'conductor stones' for nothing... anyone attempting to mess with them will get a nice electrical shock for their trouble.

 

[coce]

Wouldnt a permanent teleportation circle be a security threat to the city itself?

If an invading force that conquers one city gets hold of your "teleporting station", it now has an access to all of your designated destinations. If i were in charge there, permanent teleportation circles that are used for public transport - hence have publicly known location - would be soon found illegal.

 

[Stormonu]

Wouldnt a permanent teleportation circle be a security threat to the city itself?

If an invading force that conquers one city gets hold of your "teleporting station", it now has an access to all of your designated destinations. If i were in charge there, permanent teleportation circles that are used for public transport - hence have publicly known location - would be soon found illegal.

Depends on the size of the teleportation circle. A 10' diameter circle isn't teleporting in an army. Bigger ones probably have some sort of security detail and possibly even plans in case of war or threat of invasion (Imagine teleporting into a circle filled with spears pointed in all directions or filled with stone/rubble). If one circle falls into enemy hands, you can make the others inaccessible either by destroying or boobytrapping them.

 

[Thanael]

House Orien *does* have teleportation circles. They're the big unicorn sigils in the middle of their passage houses, heavily guarded against unauthorized use, and only Orien heirs can access them. There's a whole scene centered on that in Keith Baker's novel The Fading Dream.

As for PCs getting rich selling their spells, sure. If that's what they want, you just say "for the rest of your careers you earn your upkeep by selling your spells. End campaign. Now who wants to play some heroes

As for the Knight Phantoms (and all other organizations), they're a plot point. Not all NPCs will ever qualify for the Prestige Class, as NPCs and PCs are different things.

You all seem to have missed this.