EPG Excerpt: Rituals

[Orius]

Technically, since it's tied to the Mark of Warding, it can't show up outside of Eberron, unless you introduce dragonmarks into your game.

Ha! Like that's gonna stop players? Min-maxers and munchinkins never worry about such extremely mild quibbles.

Seriously, I'm sure there will be groups who will use it out of Eberron and out of context. It's always happened in D&D, there were people mixing all kinds of stuff from Greyhawk, Dragonlance and Mystara back in the 80's. Why would it stop now?

 

[Timeboxer]

Fliud funds seems useful, but the DM in me can't quite wrap my head around its logic. Where do the coins come from? And are they even legal tender? Do they raise suspiscion in local authorities, you know that kind of thing.

I have an amazing idea for a villain who's exploiting the Kundarak Fluid Funds services for money laundering.

 

[Starfox]

My issue with this is works of art. Because the ritual destroys works of art, it is a major vandal.

Also, works of art have a value depending on the buyer. It does not have an absolute value, that is an in-game simplification. How can the ritual determine the value of works of art without a buyer to bid on it?

Imagine the detective stories so popular in Eberon. Trace the stolen artwork. Only its been converted, and is now gone forever. And this just the tip of the money-laundering iceberg someone else mentioned.

Finally, value is set by rarity. Imagine I bought the last 1000 of a certain stamp and started converting them one by one. The value should increase with each conversion as the stamps become more and more rare.

I might allow this ritual, but it would not work on works of art.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

My issue with this is works of art. Because the ritual destroys works of art, it is a major vandal.

Also, works of art have a value depending on the buyer. It does not have an absolute value, that is an in-game simplification. How can the ritual determine the value of works of art without a buyer to bid on it?

Imagine the detective stories so popular in Eberon. Trace the stolen artwork. Only its been converted, and is now gone forever. And this just the tip of the money-laundering iceberg someone else mentioned.

Finally, value is set by rarity. Imagine I bought the last 1000 of a certain stamp and started converting them one by one. The value should increase with each conversion as the stamps become more and more rare.

I might allow this ritual, but it would not work on works of art.

I thought about artwork, too. Maybe it is considered a crime in most nations to use it on artwork?

Of course, artwork is never really "safe" in the presence of PCs - imagine all those Fireball or Scorching Burst slinging Wizards in the Archmages library.

Or alternatively - the items you convert via the ritual aren't destroyed. Instead, they land in one of the secret vaults of one of the Houses?
A plot might be:
1) Learning this fact.
2) Discovering who is diverting the "deliveries"? Money from the House of Warding disappears, but nothing appears in their Vault!

 

[Nymrohd]

Problem is that a scion of House Kundarak caught moneylaundering would face the extreme displeasure of the House that lives on it reputation for inpartiality and fair deals. Meaning they would likely excoriate him and maybe even kill him.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Problem is that a scion of House Kundarak caught moneylaundering would face the extreme displeasure of the House that lives on it reputation for inpartiality and fair deals. Meaning they would likely excoriate him and maybe even kill him.

Is that a problem or a story hook?

 

[Nymrohd]

Is that a problem or a story hook?

Both I guess. If the character wants to stay in the good graces of his house so he can use the many benefits of being a house member in good ranking he would never endanger his relation with the house by moneylaundering using a house-only ritual. If the player does not care, then he should expect that sooner or later he will have to start dodging the poisoned thrown knives of the Ghorad'din. And that is if Kundarak does not decide to get serious and hire Phiarlan to do the job.

 

[Leatherhead]

My issue with this is works of art. Because the ritual destroys works of art, it is a major vandal.

Er, no it doesn't. It quite plainly states that the objects are exchanged for their worth in coins.

But while we are on the topic, being worried about vandalism and money laundering when PC's have a habit of murderous kleptomania just seems like a joke to me.

 

[Timeboxer]

Both I guess. If the character wants to stay in the good graces of his house so he can use the many benefits of being a house member in good ranking he would never endanger his relation with the house by moneylaundering using a house-only ritual.

The trick here is to use Kundarak to do money laundering without them being aware that they are money laundering.

Though I am still thinking of a sufficiently tortuous explanation such that that could be the case.

Even still, though, the fundamental idea seems like it'll throw my players for a loop.