Who wants to be a Wayfinder?

[Ozmar]

OK, here are some knowledge checks, using Local, History and Geography for all checks except Khyber, for which I used Dungeoneering:

Xen'drik - 12
Frostfell - 15
Argonessen - 10
Khyber - 18
Q'barra - 4
Demon Wastes - 19
Mournlands - 12
Aerenal - 19
Riedra - 5

Let me know what he doesn't know, and I'll remove it or replace it with erroneous "knowledge". How does that sound?

[I was assuming that we had learned a great deal of "general" knowledge at the university, and I thought I had avoided the "secret" stuff. Maybe I just know more than I think I know...]

Ozmar the Over-Educated

 

[jkason]

Ozmar:

I know you were trying to play up your Warforged's nature as a talkative know-it-all who over-explains things. However, many of the things that he just said are not common knowledge to most people of Khorvaire. Knowledge Checks would be required to know about the legends speaking of Frostfell as the original homeland of the dwarves. And my internet is acting wonky, but I can't really go through the post point by point. I suggest you edit that last post, making knowledge checks for each locale seperately and let me tell you exactly what it is that Boroman knows.

D'oh! I posted Midian's reply before I read this. I don't have the Eberron books, so really the "no healing in the mournland" thing is about the only thing I probably know as a player about the setting in specific (I think I found an online reference on Dragonmarks, but that's about the extent of it), so it probably won't happen again even if I try.

I had Midian phrase it as a rumor, but let me know if you want me to take it out.

jason

 

[Ozmar]

Primus, perhaps you can give us some clear guidelines on what our characters do or do not know? As jkason just noted, and as my long, rambling post clearly illustrates, we have as players a bit of knowledge about the setting, and our understanding of what our characters should know differs from yours. So if you can give us guidelines so we can RP our characters with your understanding of appropriate character knowledge, then things will run more smoothly.

Ozmar the Curious

 

[Primus]

That's the point of the knowledge checks. Points spent in Knowledge (Geography), Knowledge(Religion), Knowledge (The Planes) and all that represent your learning at the university. Now, in reading the Eberron Campaign Setting you know WAY more than the average person. Your education at the University doesn't just give you, for free, THAT much information about the ancient andf lost regions of Riedra, Xen'Drik, Frostfell, etc... its not Morgrave and the focus is not on expeditions to lost and dangerous locations.

I guess we can just leave your post as is and move on, but we really need to worry about IC versus OOC knowledge in a game like this, guys. These regions I have given you to explore are all VERY unknown to most people. Knowledge checks won't even be able to name the monsters that you're facing in the Frostfell - only one person has ever been there and returned. Khyber is a place of monsters and horrors, the Mournland is a land of demons, noone's ever been to Riedra but both Inspired and Kalashtar are in the world spinning their own slants on the events on that continent. Etc.

 

[Ozmar]

OK. So in the future, how do you want to handle it? Should we post here with a relevant knowledge check so you can let us know what we do know? Or should we assume the barest minimum of knowledge and reserve knowledge checks for when you specifically request them? I guess I just want some guidelines so I don't accidentally step over into OOC knowledge again.

(This would be easy for me if I was playing an ignorant character, because then I could just assume I know nothing. But I conceived of this character as having lots of knowledge (gained at the university) and curiosity. So I will need to understand what he should and should not already know...)

Ozmar the Careful Player

 

[ShaggySpellsword]

Was my take on "IC" knowledge on Reidra okay? I as a player know that the Inspired are inhabited by Quori and that they are they few powerful psions that run the country, but Tel thinks all Redrans can mind control you, read your mind, and force you to dance around if they get a yen to. Overblown amounts of little knowledge is how rumors end up getting spread.

 

[Primus]

Yea, your take on Riedra was alright. Though, let it be known that for all the stories about scary Inspired persecuting Kalashtar (tales you will all have heard since there is a significant kalashtar enclave in the Knollwedge Ward of Fairhaven, you will probably also have heard stories of the Kalashtar being dangerous radicals and terrorists.

I really don't know, Ozmar. For the most part climate, inhabitants who regularly interact with mortals and a few smatterings of lore (most gleaned for adventurers and expeditions and stuff) about the place can be done without knowledge checks. Most people know that a race of primitive dark-skinned elves lives in Xen'Drik, but a successful Knowledge Geography check will reveal a bit more about the drow culture. Riedra you'll know little about except for what you've heard from Professors (who are probably towing the Inspired line as the Inspired have insinuated themselves nicely into Khorvairan high scoiety) or from the few nontalkative Kalashtar of Fairhaven. You will know of the Mourning, of how Cyre no longer exists, but the Lord of Blades takes a knowledge check to know anything about him other than the rumor of his name. You know that there are monsters and that the laws of nature are wacky, but you have no real knowledge of what the plains are like beyond those dead gray mists. Aerenal, you know the elves live there in there great cities and the dead live amongst the living, but the exact nature of Aerenal cities and court structure is usually kept secret from outsiders.

If there is any doubt as to wheher or not you know something (and this goes for everyone) IM me at TheOneandPrime or go to Psionics.net on IRC and go into #realmsofevil, I'm always in there.

 

[Ozmar]

OK, will do.

That helps a bit. It helps to know where you're coming from in terms of assumed character knowledge. I know I tend to assume very knowledgable characters (not just as a player, but as a DM as well) and as I have run Eberron for a while, I guess I've built up a bit of knowledge about the setting.

I'll try to conform more to your understanding of character knowledge from here on out. Boromar promptly forgets most of whatever it was he just said.

Ozmar the Forgetful

 

[SelcSilverhand]

Group 2, I haven't forgot about you! Your first post will go up Saturday morning. If J Semlak shows up he'll join the debate on where to go, otherwise we'll pick up a new 12th man.

A suggestion for actions: When you make a post feel free to use descriptive text but put skill checks in [ SBlock ] For example:


Bob runs toward the ogre and dodges right, then vaulting past it past to flank from the far side! He then lashes out with his dagger at the ogre's unguarded side.
[SBLOCK]
I move half speed tumbling past the ogre. Tumble +8. Attack Ogre Dagger +5 1d4+1
[/SBLOCK]


This will help me keep track of actions easier. Also, if you prepare spells, please post them in SBLOCK's in the morning. I'll roll d20's for the checks online so I just needs the skill modifiers so I don't have to hunt through player sheets each time.

 

[Bront]

Best way to handle potentialy unknown info is to simply ask the GM where you would post it (For example, like I did asking about the professors, which is definately GM only knowledge). Also, I would avoid looking at the book for anything beyond what your character knows, particularly where it is involved around other continents or exotic or new location.

If in doubt, ask first, even if it breaks the flow a bit. You might learn more. Remember, the GM has absolute control, so you might think you know something (particularly anything about he mournland) and find out that it's wrong, because the GM has chosen it to be different.