D&D 5E Running Eberron in 5e

[doctorbadwolf]

That's supposed to be easy...

House Cannith, Making -> Arcana + 1 Tool ('cos tool proficiency is mostly fluffy)
House Deneith, Sentinel -> Athletics (military, resistance, good with basic maneuvers like shove)
House Ghallanda, Hospitality -> Nature + "Cooking Tool" (or something like it)... (Nature is the closest skill to food)
House Jorasco, Healing -> Medicine
House Kundarak, Warding -> Perception (or Investigation)
House Lyrandar, Storm -> Survival? Nature? I don't remember what rules over driving a ship, if it's a tool should be a bonus
House Medani, Detection -> Insight (or Perception)
House Orien, Passage -> Acrobatics (?) (to stay foot on top of moving trains)
House Phiarlan, Shadow -> Performance (or Acrobatics)
House Sivis, Scribing -> Insight (or History)
House Tharashk -> Survival (just to get away from more Perception)
House Thuranni, Shadow -> Stealth (or Deception)
House Vadalis, Handling -> Handle Animal

I'd swap medani to investigation, and give tharashk perception.
Lyrander I would say Survival (for navigation) and Vehicles (air)
Orien I would say maybe Arcana. That is the skill I use when a character wants to interact with anything like a portal, or other Arcane device.
Deneith has the Sentinal Marshals, but they could be a background that gets investigation, and a Marshal's Authority feature.
The rest seems fine to me.

Inquisitives are already covered by Investigator background.

Doesn't Vadalis have some special griffon riders or something? Between them and Talenta Halflings, perhaps we need a Rider subclass for rangers?

Any other backgrounds, feats, or subclasses needed in Eberron?

 

[Gradine]

Insight feels right for Medeni, and Survival for Tharashk. Perception does feel like the right for Kundarak though.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Insight feels right for Medeni, and Survival for Tharashk. Perception does feel like the right for Kundarak though.

Why survival over perception for Tharashk? Mark of Finding seems really perception oriented to me. Or investigation, since it's more "search", to perception's "spot", in 5e. But then Mark of Detection is also very search friendly. Insight is such a social skill I can't really see it for Detection, even though it would help Medani Inquisitives be the best around.

I always liked that Medani and Tharashk bob have inquisitives, but they are more skilled at different kinds of jobs. Tharashk is your go to for finding a missing person, while Medani is better at figuring out if who is stealing from your shop.

So, I guess if you use survival for tracking, it works for Tharashk?

Perhaps each one should have a choice of 2 skills to gain a bonus in?

 

[Onslaught]

Why survival over perception for Tharashk?

I always saw Tharashk more as Trackers than Inquisitives, which would be the Medani... but it's been such a long time since I last played in Eberron and had a chance to read my books that I may be mixing things up

 

[Tersival]

That's supposed to be easy...

House Cannith, Making -> Arcana + 1 Tool ('cos tool proficiency is mostly fluffy)
House Deneith, Sentinel -> Athletics (Mercenary) or Investigation (Sentinel Marshal) ('cos military, resistance, good with basic maneuvers like shove)
House Ghallanda, Hospitality -> Diplomacy + "Cooking Tool" (or something like it)
House Jorasco, Healing -> Medicine
House Kundarak, Warding -> Investigation (or Perception)
House Lyrandar, Storm -> "Water (or Air) Vehicles", plus ... Survival? Nature? I don't remember what rules over driving a ship, if it's a tool should be a bonus
House Medani, Detection -> Insight (or Investigation)
House Orien, Passage -> Arcana and "Land Vehicles"
House Phiarlan, Shadow -> Performance (or Acrobatics)
House Sivis, Scribing -> Insight (or History)
House Tharashk -> Survival (Perception ?)
House Thuranni, Shadow -> Stealth (or Deception)
House Vadalis, Handling -> Handle Animal

Edited due to great suggestions below

Investigation for House Kindarak didn’t feel right so I went back to the Eberron Campaign Setting book, re-read the dragonmarks section (p.63-67) and realised each Least Mark gave a bonus to a certain proficiency. If we convert that to advantage on the 5E version of each, we get…

Detection/Medani +2 Spot = advantage to Perception

Finding/Tharashk +2 Search = advantage to Investigation

Handling/Vadalis +2 Handle Animal = advantage to the same

Healing/Jorasco +2 Heal = advantage Medicine

Hospitality/Ghallanda +2 Diplomacy = advantage Persuasion

Making/Cannith +2 Craft = advantage … on Arcana checks relating to magic items and ability checks to make or repair items generally? Seems like Cannith should have a business edge for low magic campaigns and the Insight or Persuasion Guild Artisan background choices just seem to too removed from Cannith’s core “we’re the best at making stuff” powered feel (sure, except airships and elemental ships sure, and except traps too, but adding those bits goes beyond a House slogan ).

Passage/Orien +2 Survival = advantage … I can see how Survival would match guiding caravans through the wilderness, but what the Couriers Guild in urban settings not so much. I’d suggest a choice between Survival, or Acrobatics (somehow Orien couriers parkouring across towns feels like it fits better).

Scribing/Sivis +2 Decipher Script = advantage on … Intelligence checks relating to understanding written languages or codes? It sounds a bit vague but feels like it has a ncw chunk of adventuring potential.

Sentinel/Deneith +2 Sense Motive = advantage Insight (perfect for bodyguards trying to spot disguised would-be assassins and even for mercenary recruiters assessing candidates mettle)

Storm/Lyrandar +2 Balance = advantage … on ability checks relating to enduring, avoiding or taking advantage of weather effects? An instinctive feel for shifts in the wind helping balance checks on shifting ship decks, nascent abilities to summon sleet storms might call up the odd extra cool breeze in the desert (helping endure the elements), etc. Lyrandar scions might make great sailors but a feat is a hefty price tag, seems like it should be more broadly useful.

Warding/Kindarak +2 Search = advantage on … ability checks relating to finding, crafting or disabling traps?


It couldn’t wrap me head around it but Onslaught’s list mostly clicked, but the houses and the marks they’re built on seem more thematic than can be linked to just one proficiency sometimes.

Edit: i suggest Dragonmark feats give
- the Unearthed Arcana nominated spell like abilities, plus
- advantage to profiviency or ability checks as noted

i'd also go with one extra use per long rest of lesser mark powers each time your dragon mark leveled up to the next type, so by 9th level you can use a Least mark power 3 times per long rest and a lesser mark power twice per long rest.

 

[Onslaught]

Just noticed I used Diplomacy instead of Persuasion, outch.

The problem is 3.5 had skills based on senses (Spot and Search) and 5E have skills based on broad concepts (Insight, Perception, Investigation), so matching those is a bit tricky.

I still think Cannith should have some kind of crafting tool proficiency, which is the closest thing we have from 3.5 "Crafts"

And another option to Sivis would be +2 Languages!

Regarding rules, what would be better: Advantage or "Proficiency, double bonus if already proficient" (as Expertise)?

 

[Tersival]

And another option to Sivis would be +2 Languages!

Regarding rules, what would be better: Advantage or "Proficiency, double bonus if already proficient" (as Expertise)?

That would be a nice fit for Sivis for sure, but…

I’m inclined to agree with earlier comments along the lines that granting extra proficiencies encroaches too much on class abilities. Advantage is a nice general bonus that’s reliable enough to be appreciated, but not so much that you can count on it working as well as a class based ability. I.e. it’s noticeable and nice but less of a power creep.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I always saw Tharashk more as Trackers than Inquisitives, which would be the Medani... but it's been such a long time since I last played in Eberron and had a chance to read my books that I may be mixing things up

Both houses have Inquisitives, but Medani has had them for longer, and have a stronger reputation for it, but Tharashk is really good at finding things and people, and so has been pushing into that territory. I don't remember where I read about it, though, so it's possible it's unofficial stuff from Keith Baker's blog, which I consider cannon but technically isn't.

Or it may be from the 4e books, which I've read more than the 3.5 books.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

That would be a nice fit for Sivis for sure, but…

I’m inclined to agree with earlier comments along the lines that granting extra proficiencies encroaches too much on class abilities. Advantage is a nice general bonus that’s reliable enough to be appreciated, but not so much that you can count on it working as well as a class based ability. I.e. it’s noticeable and nice but less of a power creep.

Are there no feats currently that give proficiency? Also, backgrounds give them, and many races. Seems like it's just 5e's equivalent of giving a +2 bonus as a feature.

edit: I would also say that Advantage with a skill or tool is more power creep, because it stacks with proficiency.

 

[Gradine]

Are there no feats currently that give proficiency? Also, backgrounds give them, and many races. Seems like it's just 5e's equivalent of giving a +2 bonus as a feature.

edit: I would also say that Advantage with a skill or tool is more power creep, because it stacks with proficiency.

I'd personally stick with proficiency, or advantage on all active checks if already having proficiency. Remember though that my Dragonmarks aren't a player option, per se, but rather a type of Blessing manifested by the DM. Advantage has the added benefit of not applying to passive Perception.

Here's how I would handle proficiencies from the marks:

House Cannith, Making -> Athletics + 1 Artisans Tool (Endurance isn't a thing in 5e, and Athletics is the next best thing. Making anything with your hands is hard work. Arcana doesn't really fit, because I'd wager most Cannith artisans aren't magewrights or Artificers.)

House Deneith, Sentinel -> Insight (original mark gave bonus to Sense Motive)

House Ghallanda, Hospitality -> Persuasion + Cooks utensils

House Jorasco, Healing -> Medicine

House Kundarak, Warding -> Investigation (original bonus was to Search)

House Lyrandar, Storm -> Acrobatics + navigators tools (original bonus was to Balance.)

House Medani, Detection -> Perception

House Orien, Passage -> Survival + land vehicles (original bonus was also to Survival)

House Phiarlan & Thuranni, Shadow -> Deception + musical instrument or disguise kit (the benefits are a direct result of the mark, not any specialized training. Original bonus was to Gather Information. Deception seems like the best fit)

House Sivis, Scribing -> Investigation + calligraphers supplies (original bonus was Decipher Script; investigation seems to fit that niche of attention to detail and making connections)

House Tharashk -> Investigation (again, this was originally a bonus to Search)

House Vadalis, Handling -> Handle Animal

Although, my comments explaining coming the Mark of Shadow houses is making me second guess the added tool proficiencies. Maybe the skill bonuses are the power of the mark, but the tools reflect the specific House training.