Does it matter if you skip around?
D&D General Let's Talk About Eberron
doctorbadwolf
Heretic of The Seventh Circle
oh no just listen to whatever topics interest you!
So my players have suggested they want a home base as opposed to constant travel. I like that since you can develop relationships with NPCs and build stories around the immediate area. But I also want to make sure they get a lot of exposure to the different factions, races, threats, etc of Eberron. But I also dont want to run an urban campaign so Sharn is out.
What is a good location for bring lots of Eberron to one place? I am initially think Q'Barra but I am not certain yet and I don't know if there are better choices.
What is a good location for bring lots of Eberron to one place? I am initially think Q'Barra but I am not certain yet and I don't know if there are better choices.
MarkB
Legend
I think to a large extent it'll depend on what sort of campaign you want to run. If you want some amount of travel and investigation with a stable hub, they could be working for the university at Arcanix. That places them within easy reach of three of the Five Nations plus the Eldeen Reaches, and plenty of interesting people will visit the university.
For somewhere a bit more urban but not to the level of Sharn, you could go with Krona Peak, get into the politics of the Mror Holds, with Karrnath and the Talenta Plains close at hand.
Or, if you want to seriously play up the Last War angle, consider New Cyre. Nestled on the southern borders of Breland, it's within the Five Nations and is an expanding town looking to employ the services of the Dragonmarked Houses - but it's also a little remote, its people aren't entirely welcome there, and the scars of the recent conflict are as raw there as they are anywhere on the continent.
Levistus's_Leviathan
5e Freelancer
Or the Eberron Wiki. Or any trove of lore.
EpicureanDM
Explorer
An Adventurer's Guide to Eberron is an old 3.5 sourcebook that provides a perfect introduction to Eberron for new players. It's a big, glossy brochure about the setting, filled mostly with art rather than text. You can give it to your players and tell them to flip through it to get the basics of the setting. It's a little light on information outside the Five Nations, but that's a minor complaint.
Honestly, centering an Eberron campaign in a place that "brings lots of Eberron to one place" would dilute the potential of the setting. I recommend finding a good, dynamic, Eberron-based situation and digging into it. You'll get better traction. Fortunately, I have just the thing. I'll lay out the bones of a campaign that never quite got off the ground. If it sounds interesting, I'll put more meat on it.
The Wardens of the Wood
It's been one year since the Treaty of Thronehold ended the Last War and the Eldeen Reaches might not be around in another year. Late in the Last War, Western Aundair, fed up with being exploited and looked down on by those in the East, seceded from Aundair, declaring their independence. The Treaty of Thronehold cemented their victory, establishing the Reaches as a new nation in Khorvaire. Now the fledgling country finds itself alone in the Great Game of Nations, exhausted by the war and vulnerable to their old enemies, Aundair, along with rapacious Dragonmarked Houses looking for profit. The only thing holding the Reaches together are the Wardens of the Wood.
Initially formed to lead the resistance against Aundair during the Last War, the Wardens now find themselves as the new government of the Eldeen Reaches. Formerly an army of guerrilla fighters, they've now got to navigate the tricky transition to peace-time governing over a population that prides itself on its fierce independence. The characters are a group of Wardens, a combination of sheriff, magistrate, and U.S. Marshal (think of Western movies and books). They travel across the Reaches, fighting the forces that seek to tear the nation apart from without and within. (I know your players said they don't want to travel, but this is relatively limited! Just inside one country!) What are these threats?
Aundair: The simple existence of the Eldeen Reaches is a deep insult to Aundarian pride. The Queen and her citizens would dearly love to regain their "lost provinces." The Wynarn River serves as a "hot border" between the two nations. Aundarian agents constantly cross into the Reaches to conduct sabotage and espionage missions, hoping to weaken the resolve of the Reachers living along the border. What's worse, some older Reachers are still very much sympathetic to Aundair, even if it's just culturally. After all, they were Aundarians just a few decades ago! Old habits and identities die hard. (This is essentially a Britain vs. Revolutionary U.S.A. scenario).
The Ashbound: A rival sect of Druids who abhor arcane magic, their ranks have swelled since the end of the Last War. The arcane power used by Aundair to fight the Last War left deep scars in the land and people of the Eldeen Reaches. They seek to destroy all arcane magic within the Eldeen Reaches, creating a sort of druidic refuge. But Reachers rely on many of the modern conveniences and improvements that magewrights provide. Are the Ashbound a natural ally for the Wardens? Not necessarily. They'll turn on the Wardens, too, if they rely on arcane magic. And the Ashbound would happily burn the Reaches down in order to rebuild from the ashes. The Wardens worked hard to create this new nation. They don't want it dismantled just yet.
House Vadalis: The primary focus of the wrath of the Ashbound, but a source of concern for the Wardens. With the economy of the Reaches on very shaky ground, House Vadalis can bring a lot of money and investment into the Reaches, get its people on their feet. House Vadalis is keenly aware of this power, however, and stands to gain a lot of control over the Reaches in exchange for their aid. Plus, didn't the heir to the House just marry the Queen of Aundair? What should be made of that? And finally, let's talk about magebreeding. A valuable service that creates durable domestic animals on whose backs the rebuilding of the Eldeen Reaches will occur. But does Vadalis' skill with magebreeding end with cows and horses? Not at all. During the Last War, they bred many monstrosities (manticores, etc.) and sold them to the Five Nations. Their skill goes well beyond creating dragonhawks! And what about the rumor that no Nation was willing to pay the exorbitant prices for the House's most spectacular weapons of war? Did the war kraken that Vadalis bred now lie captive in Lake Galifar, waiting to be unleashed? And finally, finally, isn't it curious how House Vadalis seems to produce so many sets of identical twins, triplets, and quadruplets? Do they use their magebreeding skills on the sentient races?! (This is a creepy mega-corporation foe who's into eugenics and bizarre breeding experiments)
The Daelkyr: How has House Vadalis become so adept at shaping flesh? The secret lies in these ancient enemies of Eberron. House Vadalis has been infiltrated by these monstrous beings from Xoriat. The Daelkyr have taught their servants some of their alien flesh bending techniques. This is part of a larger infiltration of Khorvaire as certain Daelkyr Lords are finally making their move to escape from Khyber, bringing beautiful madness and ruin to the world again. This is the big, hidden threat and villains of the campaign. The party will start to learn about this emerging threat, but they'll face a huge problem. Virtually everyone they will meet considers the Daelkyr to be a myth. They've been absent for so long that the party will shout warnings into people's faces and be almost laughed out of the room. Only one group will believe them...the Gatekeepers.
The Gatekeepers: A tiny druidic sect comprised mostly of orcs and half-orcs. Really tiny, like 50 people or so. Millenia ago, it was the Gatekeepers who banished the Daelkyr from Eberron, locking them in Khyber. Since that time, they've maintained a vigil over the great Seals that keep the Daelkyr locked away. They've done such a good job, in fact, that most people think that the Gakekeepers are cranks, believers in an ancient set of folklore that was never true to begin with. So the Gatekeepers have gradually declined over time until there's barely any left. Those who remain take lonely, dangerous trips across Khorvaire to check on the Seals and make sure they aren't going to break. Because if they do, nightmares will be unleashed. It just so happens that most of the Seals are located in the Eldeen Reaches, in the Towering Wood. The Gatekeepers will be important allies for the party against the Daelkyr, but there's only a handful left and most of them are old.
There are lots of other sub-factions and groups that can resonate with this campaign, depending on what you and your players might be interested in, including:
I can say a little more about this campaign framework if anyone's interested.
Honestly, centering an Eberron campaign in a place that "brings lots of Eberron to one place" would dilute the potential of the setting. I recommend finding a good, dynamic, Eberron-based situation and digging into it. You'll get better traction. Fortunately, I have just the thing. I'll lay out the bones of a campaign that never quite got off the ground. If it sounds interesting, I'll put more meat on it.
The Wardens of the Wood
It's been one year since the Treaty of Thronehold ended the Last War and the Eldeen Reaches might not be around in another year. Late in the Last War, Western Aundair, fed up with being exploited and looked down on by those in the East, seceded from Aundair, declaring their independence. The Treaty of Thronehold cemented their victory, establishing the Reaches as a new nation in Khorvaire. Now the fledgling country finds itself alone in the Great Game of Nations, exhausted by the war and vulnerable to their old enemies, Aundair, along with rapacious Dragonmarked Houses looking for profit. The only thing holding the Reaches together are the Wardens of the Wood.
Initially formed to lead the resistance against Aundair during the Last War, the Wardens now find themselves as the new government of the Eldeen Reaches. Formerly an army of guerrilla fighters, they've now got to navigate the tricky transition to peace-time governing over a population that prides itself on its fierce independence. The characters are a group of Wardens, a combination of sheriff, magistrate, and U.S. Marshal (think of Western movies and books). They travel across the Reaches, fighting the forces that seek to tear the nation apart from without and within. (I know your players said they don't want to travel, but this is relatively limited! Just inside one country!) What are these threats?
Aundair: The simple existence of the Eldeen Reaches is a deep insult to Aundarian pride. The Queen and her citizens would dearly love to regain their "lost provinces." The Wynarn River serves as a "hot border" between the two nations. Aundarian agents constantly cross into the Reaches to conduct sabotage and espionage missions, hoping to weaken the resolve of the Reachers living along the border. What's worse, some older Reachers are still very much sympathetic to Aundair, even if it's just culturally. After all, they were Aundarians just a few decades ago! Old habits and identities die hard. (This is essentially a Britain vs. Revolutionary U.S.A. scenario).
The Ashbound: A rival sect of Druids who abhor arcane magic, their ranks have swelled since the end of the Last War. The arcane power used by Aundair to fight the Last War left deep scars in the land and people of the Eldeen Reaches. They seek to destroy all arcane magic within the Eldeen Reaches, creating a sort of druidic refuge. But Reachers rely on many of the modern conveniences and improvements that magewrights provide. Are the Ashbound a natural ally for the Wardens? Not necessarily. They'll turn on the Wardens, too, if they rely on arcane magic. And the Ashbound would happily burn the Reaches down in order to rebuild from the ashes. The Wardens worked hard to create this new nation. They don't want it dismantled just yet.
House Vadalis: The primary focus of the wrath of the Ashbound, but a source of concern for the Wardens. With the economy of the Reaches on very shaky ground, House Vadalis can bring a lot of money and investment into the Reaches, get its people on their feet. House Vadalis is keenly aware of this power, however, and stands to gain a lot of control over the Reaches in exchange for their aid. Plus, didn't the heir to the House just marry the Queen of Aundair? What should be made of that? And finally, let's talk about magebreeding. A valuable service that creates durable domestic animals on whose backs the rebuilding of the Eldeen Reaches will occur. But does Vadalis' skill with magebreeding end with cows and horses? Not at all. During the Last War, they bred many monstrosities (manticores, etc.) and sold them to the Five Nations. Their skill goes well beyond creating dragonhawks! And what about the rumor that no Nation was willing to pay the exorbitant prices for the House's most spectacular weapons of war? Did the war kraken that Vadalis bred now lie captive in Lake Galifar, waiting to be unleashed? And finally, finally, isn't it curious how House Vadalis seems to produce so many sets of identical twins, triplets, and quadruplets? Do they use their magebreeding skills on the sentient races?! (This is a creepy mega-corporation foe who's into eugenics and bizarre breeding experiments)
The Daelkyr: How has House Vadalis become so adept at shaping flesh? The secret lies in these ancient enemies of Eberron. House Vadalis has been infiltrated by these monstrous beings from Xoriat. The Daelkyr have taught their servants some of their alien flesh bending techniques. This is part of a larger infiltration of Khorvaire as certain Daelkyr Lords are finally making their move to escape from Khyber, bringing beautiful madness and ruin to the world again. This is the big, hidden threat and villains of the campaign. The party will start to learn about this emerging threat, but they'll face a huge problem. Virtually everyone they will meet considers the Daelkyr to be a myth. They've been absent for so long that the party will shout warnings into people's faces and be almost laughed out of the room. Only one group will believe them...the Gatekeepers.
The Gatekeepers: A tiny druidic sect comprised mostly of orcs and half-orcs. Really tiny, like 50 people or so. Millenia ago, it was the Gatekeepers who banished the Daelkyr from Eberron, locking them in Khyber. Since that time, they've maintained a vigil over the great Seals that keep the Daelkyr locked away. They've done such a good job, in fact, that most people think that the Gakekeepers are cranks, believers in an ancient set of folklore that was never true to begin with. So the Gatekeepers have gradually declined over time until there's barely any left. Those who remain take lonely, dangerous trips across Khorvaire to check on the Seals and make sure they aren't going to break. Because if they do, nightmares will be unleashed. It just so happens that most of the Seals are located in the Eldeen Reaches, in the Towering Wood. The Gatekeepers will be important allies for the party against the Daelkyr, but there's only a handful left and most of them are old.
There are lots of other sub-factions and groups that can resonate with this campaign, depending on what you and your players might be interested in, including:
- Shifters/lycanthropes
- The Prophecy
- Aberrant dragonmarks
- House Tharashk (the half-orc House)
- The Royal Eyes of Aundair
- The Arcane Congress of Aundair
- Breland (seeing the opportunity to take the southern part of the Reaches away from the stretched-thin Wardens)
- Oalian the Great Druid
- The Children of Winter
- Belashyrra (my favorite Daelkyr and pick for the one who's going to break free)
I can say a little more about this campaign framework if anyone's interested.
doctorbadwolf
Heretic of The Seventh Circle
There is an article on Kieths blog about running a western in Qabarra using a small frontier town that the player characters are invested in.
Yeah, I found that and decided to go with it.ialso nabbed the two 4e Dungeon issues with the Q'Barra articles. It seems like as good a place as any to start and there's natural development into the Principalities and Valenar.
doctorbadwolf
Heretic of The Seventh Circle
Nice!
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