Keith Baker (creator of Eberron) Q & A thread

[Staffan]

Ok after reading some of the stuff in the Eberron book I have a question about Bronzewood. Could a Druid have created for him bronzewood weapons and not suffer ther penalties for them due to said weapons not being metal? The same goes for Leafweave armor and Darkleaf armor.

Druids don't have problems with metal weapons - they have a small list of weapons they're proficient in, but they can use any weapon if they get the training (this is a change in 3.5e). It would work for armor, though.

 

[ironmani]

Druids don't have problems with metal weapons - they have a small list of weapons they're proficient in, but they can use any weapon if they get the training (this is a change in 3.5e). It would work for armor, though.

Ah. Thanks for some reason I thought if they used certain weapons, they lost powers and stuff....

 

[Pseudonym]

One thing I've noticed with some of the prestige classes are the relatively low entry requirements. For example, the Master Inquisitive requires one feat, 6 ranks of Gather Information and Sense Motive and 3 ranks of Search. A bard or rogue could get all of those by 3rd level, and start in on their 4th.

Speaking from a mechanical perspective, isn't that a little low level to be taking a prestige class? Has this been errataed, or did you intend for the requirements to be attainable at a low level?

 

[Macbeth]

One thing I've noticed with some of the prestige classes are the relatively low entry requirements. For example, the Master Inquisitive requires one feat, 6 ranks of Gather Information and Sense Motive and 3 ranks of Search. A bard or rogue could get all of those by 3rd level, and start in on their 4th.

Speaking from a mechanical perspective, isn't that a little low level to be taking a prestige class? Has this been errataed, or did you intend for the requirements to be attainable at a low level?

Given the general low levels of Ebberon NPCs I wouldn't be suprised if they were right. I don't think 4th is too low, but it should be easy enough to house rule those up. Add another feat and raise the ranks in each skill by 2-3, and you've raised the minimum level by 2-3 (i.e. the same number as the increase in skill ranks).
But remember, not every PC will want to max out the skills required for the class. Sure, a PC can take it at 4th level, if they dedicate a fair amount of thier resources to it. Seems like a fair trade off. But that's just my opinion.

 

[MDSnowman]

One thing I've noticed with some of the prestige classes are the relatively low entry requirements. For example, the Master Inquisitive requires one feat, 6 ranks of Gather Information and Sense Motive and 3 ranks of Search. A bard or rogue could get all of those by 3rd level, and start in on their 4th.

Speaking from a mechanical perspective, isn't that a little low level to be taking a prestige class? Has this been errataed, or did you intend for the requirements to be attainable at a low level?

Man I hope that doesn't get Errated... once we inevitably get a TPK in the return to tomb of horrors we're starting an Eberron game... and I want to play a shifter Urban Ranger/Master Inquistive/Weretouched master like you wouldn't believe.

 

[ironmani]

How much "wiggle" room does one have with a Warforged body in terms of hiding small items? Is it possible to say have a Rogue Warforged who has a small compartment on its thigh or forearm where a set of lock picks or a small dagger could be hidden?

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

Given the general low levels of Ebberon NPCs I wouldn't be suprised if they were right.

I would guess that this is right. I would also guess that they came very close to statting up Inquisitor as a seperate core-class.

The world sort of needs something like that or an Akashic from AU, but I would guess that what with page length requirements they compromised with a very low level prestige class.

I do love the idea of a singing detective. So it all worked out ok in the end.

 

[mythusmage]

I would guess that this is right. I would also guess that they came very close to statting up Inquisitor as a seperate core-class.

The world sort of needs something like that or an Akashic from AU, but I would guess that what with page length requirements they compromised with a very low level prestige class.

I do love the idea of a singing detective. So it all worked out ok in the end.

Or they were going to include Advanced Classes (d20 Modern) but lack of space reared its head.

 

[Terramotus]

Clerical power in Eberron?

After reading the sections on Clerics and the gods, some things have been bugging me. I think I understand the direction that Eberron is taking religion - to more of a real-world situation. Not everyone who worships a good deity is necessarily a good person, and even if a church is mostly good, the best people may very well be the grunts.

That's all well and good, but the fact that I don't have to obey the tenets of the faith to keep spellcasting powers is... weird. So I could go around burning libraries and braining sages and Aureon's still going to grant me my spells? The Devourer's still down with giving me healing spells to heal the sick and be kind to small children and animals? That almost seems to be direct evidence that the gods don't exist, at least not in the way most people conceptualize them.

It's stated that clerics without a deity gain their power "from the spiritual remnants of the Dragon Above". Is this where all clerics gain their power? What's necessary to channel this power? Could I be an athiest priest? Is divine power simply a matter of learning how to go through the right motions similar to a wizard, completely disconnected from any actual divinities? If so, why can they turn and get domain powers while wizards don't? Were regular D&D clerics not actually part of the setting as originally conceptualized and then shoehorned in later?

Further, and I can't recall if I gathered this from somewhere I can't now find in the book, or whether I've pulled this from the numerous posts I've read about the setting, but I recall that religion is more of an article of faith - no direct communication from the gods, no obvious divine intervention. Some people believe, some people don't. This seems to jive with all of the above. Is this a correct interpretation of how religion works in Eberron? Am I missing something?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Plane Sailing]

and Aureon's still going to grant me my spells? The Devourer's still down with giving me healing spells to heal the sick and be kind to small children and animals?

In other threads I've seen it said that the spells don't come directly from the gods, they come from the faith of the spellcaster (which is why someone could serve a pantheon or even just a principle and get spells - a nice explanation for what is otherwise core rulebook strangeness in other words).

Personal opinion: When I run Eberron I'm going to be using a single caster class to replace clerics and wizards - something akin to the Magisters from Arcana Unearthed. This won't be suitable for nearly everyone else naturally, and Eberron is designed (quite properly) to support the standard PHB classes as-is.

I'm sure Keith will turn up with a succinct and accurate answer to your question shortly though