Originally posted by reveal
On the table on pages 46-47 under the Speak Language skill, it does not list "Gnome" under language. But on page 212, for the Zilargo region, it lists "Gnome" under languages spoken.

So is this a mistake in the table?
Yes. Gnome should be listed on the Speak Languages table.

Originally posted by MavrickWeirdo
What would be the reaction in Aerenal if Erandis d'Vol invoked "Right of Council"?
She could not do it. Note that Right of Counsel is a feat, like Favored in House. It represents a special favor and position held by the character in question. If there are any Undying of the House of Vol (which is questionable for many reasons) they have turned their back on the house; Erandis thus has no rights in the Court and would be destroyed by the Deathguard if she appeared to present this claim (at least, that would be the plan).

Would Lord of Blades be willing to negotiate with an ambassador from Droaam?
The Lord of Blades could negotiate with *anyone* if it suited his purposes, though House Cannith seems especially unlikely. If you mean "Does he consider the inhabitants of Droaam to be more acceptible in his worldview than humans and dwarves", I'd say no. They are still creatures of flesh and birth. But he might see them as tools he could use.

Originally posted by Stryfe_Raven
1) Do DragonShard replenish them selfs over time or once there found are they gone for good, making them a very limited and unrenewable resource.
As far as is known, they are a limited resource. Shards fall from the Ring of Siberys, so it is possible for new deposits to appear, however.

2) Is it or would it be possible to (create) artifical dragonshards.
No.

3) Is it possible to Bind elementials without a Dragonshard
Not for purposes of creating elemental-bound objects.

A Baker's Dozen. 13.
Now who designed Eberron?

Coincidence or cunning ploy?
You decide.

:rofl:

Best "crazy theory" yet.

Originally posted by Dex The King
Were the ancestors of House Vol wiped out with the living members? Or are there still undying councelors?
The key question is: were there *ever* Undying Councilors of the House of Vol? Aerenal has strong ties to both Irian and Mabar, and while the Priests of Transition and most of the Aereni drew on Irian to create the Undying Court, the line of Vol studied the secrets of Mabar and darker necromancy. The heirs of Vol believed in their own traditions and the religion that today forms the foundation of the Blood of Vol, and they did not associate with the Priests of the Transition. So if there are any members of House Vol in the Undying Court, they will have turned against their line (and earned the respect of others, since Undying Councilors are sustained by the reverance of the living).

What would happen if the thirteenth moon came back?
The question is whether bringing the moon back would restore a mark or planar connection, or whether the mark or planar connection must be restored before the moon will return. No one knows.

I wonder, after City of Towers, what can we look forward to in Eberron material (can you please just give us a hint)?
That would be Races of Eberron and Grasp of the Emerald Claw! Beyond that, nope, I really can't give a hint. Sorry!

As always, I thank you for answering all of our questions and putting so much time and effort into your responses, and for making such a great campaign setting in the first place.
Thanks to everyone here for your interest in the setting. I hope that you continue to enjoy it for years to come!

When I first heard of the Campaign Setting Search that WotC had in 2002, it was the first Eberron update in Dragon Magazine that I borrowed from the library - in March of this year! If I had known about it back then, I probably would've submitted something.

Kudos to you, being someone who had no previous experience getting something published. It shows the rest of us that if something is interesting, it has a chance to get published!

BTW, the ECS is one of the best settings I have ever had the privelige of reading. I have the Forgotten Realms CS, and I must say that I think that Eberron is way better!

Do you get a +3 to hit a warforged with Shocking Grasp?

Would a Halfling Paladin from the Talenta Plains get a Velociraptor as it's special mount?

ObCompliment
Wonderful sertting. I started reading the seperately published adventure... and stopped. I decided I'd rather play it than read it.
That's a first for me.

Originally posted by xnrdcorex
how come theres no secret harem of sexy warforged for house cannith higher-ups to enjoy them selves with their creations?! is this even possible?
The first rule of Warforged Fun Club?
There is no Warforged Fun Club.

Seriously, though? A creature made of metal and stone isn't exactly the coziest thing to snuggle up to, and it would involve some unusual engineering that I don't want to think about (warforged are not, after all, built with gender). Long story short, why put all that work into something for a questionably pleasant experience when you could get *exactly* what you want from the changeling escort service?

Originally posted by jtharpla
...For a Ravenloft-themed campaign, I'm thinking of a plot whereby the mists of Ravenloft are attempting to convert one of the nations of Eberron into a new domain...
I'm not, I'm afraid, personally familiar with Ravenloft. But all of your ideas sound good to me.

As for a Cthulu-themed Eberron campaign, I'm thinking much of nasties found in the Call of Cthulu book could easily originate from Xoriat. Add a pinch of cultists of the Dragon Below opening portals to this plane and there's probably good meat for a Lovecraftian adventure or two.
I'm a big fan of Lovecraft and CoC. I believe that Xoriat/the Cults of the Dragon Below and Dal Quor/The Dreaming Dark both provide a fair amount of room for Lovecraftian horror. Both deal with ancient alien horrors, the possible corruption of body or soul by these forces, and the potential for vast destruction should they be unleashed upon the world. It's a slightly different tone that the standard D&D adventure, but one I certainly think the world can support.

Originally posted by The Steve
1. From the ECS description of infusions, artificers can apply magic item feats to infusions.
This is an error that will be corrected in errata. Infusions that cannot be duplicated as either arcane or divine spells (IE, repair, which is both an infusion and a sor/wiz spell) cannot be used in conjunction with item creation feats.

2. A scroll or oil (or wand/staff etc) of armour/weapon augmentation would require the augmentation type to be specified at the time of creation (as the infusion is used at that point).
As noted above, you can't actually make a wand of weapon augmentation, so it becomes a non-issue.

3. Potions from infusions could only be drunk effectively by constructs, oils could be applied directly to items.
This is an intriguing idea, but since the current ruling is no infusion items, not an issue.

Sorry about the confusion!

Originally posted by xnrdcorex
how come theres no secret harem of sexy warforged for house cannith higher-ups to enjoy them selves with their creations?! is this even possible? or am i insane.

o_O
Talk about Buns of Steel!

Originally posted by Xyl
In the book, it says that the daelkyr seem to make an art form of destroying worlds. Since it would be hard to develop it into an art form when the only world available to destroy is Eberron, do they have access to other worlds? If so, how? If not, did they have access in the past, and how? Are there more daelkyr out there working to destroy other worlds? [/I]
This theory is based on the idea that there are other worlds in the material plane besides Eberron, and that Xoriat and the other planes may touch these worlds as well. Some sages believe this must be the case; others say it is a preposterous idea. Among those who do believe in other worlds, one claim is that the gith are survivors of a world destroyed by the Daelkyr. The gith fled to the outer planes to escape the destruction of their world. If this is true, the traditional gith hatred of the illithids should be extended to all forces of Xoriat. It is even possible that illithids are corrupted gith, just as dolgaunts are corrupted hobgoblins and chokers are (if the stories are to be believed) corrupted halflings.

in regards the the warforged harem keith i think the answer is obvious.


WARFORGRED FETISH!
also theyd do it to proove it can be done!

Originally posted by MarkB
This debate does bring up an interesting question: We know that Vol's Mark of Death has been inactive since she became undead, but would the same thing be true of the Mark of a Deathless? Deathless are quite different from undead in some respects. If a Marked elf becomes Deathless, would they retain their dragonmark powers?
Good question. My inclination would be to say that the mark would become inactive; while the character is sustained by positive energy, he has still been torn from the cycle of life and death. But it's a rare enough circumstance that it probably won't be officially covered in the books, so do as you see fit.

But as noted before, there are no councilors with the Mark of Death.

Originally posted by Hellcow
...and chokers are (if the stories are to be believed) corrupted halflings. My precious... my PRECIOUS.

:worried: wonder how my players would react to this...

Originally posted by crazysamaritan
My precious... my PRECIOUS.
You know, this hadn't even occured to me! Funny.
:)

Master Hellcow, on my earlier post you skipped right around the primary question I was asking, despite the fact that I tried to frame it clearly.

I asked what the Mourning looked like when it happened. I didn't ask for mechanics of it (where it originated, how it happened, who did it, etc) because I knew I'd get nowhere with it.

What I asked was what people saw. I noted there were a lot of survivors, and they'd certainly witnessed something that was bad and awful enough to get them fleeing for their lives.

Specifically, what exactly did the survivors see? A dome of grey mist expanding slowly across the lands? Gouts of grey mist blasting up out of the soil in an expanding ring, and trees wilting and dying around those mists? Tendrils of dark, condensed mist plummeting from a dark blot on the horizon and encompassing the land in pallor? A thousand foot high wall of dead grey shot thru with ghostly balefire rolling slowly across the land in awful silence?

From people in airships to those on the ground who managed to flee, there are people who witnessed the Mourning as it swept out across Cyre. the Central Big Event? No. But I don't want to know about the middle...I wanted to know what people saw as the Mourning devoured the land, and was obviously so awful just to look on that they ran for their lives.


ANd btw, is Valenar really supposed to have a population of only 70,000? Even with 30,000 elven mercs, that's a fairly small nation to sustain an armed force that size, since the elves have no interest in farming and are basically there to fight...but I suppose if you use the Mongol lifestyle it's possible.

What's even funnier is that the humans of Valenar are actually descendents of Cyrans, so they represent the biggest batch of Cyran descendents left on Khorvaire. The Prince in New Cyre should be recruiting them if he can (surely the elves wouldn't mind pitiful humans leaving their new lands, would they? Heheh).


===Aelryinth

oops

Silly WoTC board lag.

Is it common knowledge that Houses Phiarlan and Thuranni posess a dragonmark known as The Mark of Shadow?

If so, wouldn't it be hard to present a public facade of a house of entertainers and artisans given they're known to have a mark with such a dramatic name?

If not, what do the public know?

Originally posted by aelryinth ANd btw, is Valenar really supposed to have a population of only 70,000? Even with 30,000 elven mercs, that's a fairly small nation to sustain an armed force that size, since the elves have no interest in farming and are basically there to fight...but I suppose if you use the Mongol lifestyle it's possible.

Aelryinth -

Regarding population issues, check out this thread on the ENWorld site. Keith brought this to our attention about two weeks ago. An interesting debate ...

http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=94027

- Araelethe

Keith,
I want to apologize for everyone who plays a game to have fun rather than to nitpick population numbers. I quit volunteering for Wizkids because I was tired of people moaning and complaining about the least important things, and luckily looking at the thread mentioned below has kept me from going to Enworld. Thanks!
Originally posted by araelethe
Regarding population issues, check out this thread on the ENWorld site. Keith brought this to our attention about two weeks ago. An interesting debate ...

I wasn't much concerned with population density and reality. I was more concerned with a nation with 30,000 elves providing a realistic enemy for a nation with 2.5 million humans who really don't like them, fine cavalry or no.

i.e. I thought they missed a zero and it was a misprint. But then, Zilargo only has a quarter million people.

Hmm. That's lower then a sub-metropolis in the U.S., and that's not including nearly that much area.

==Aelryinth

Originally posted by Little Timmy Miller
As a big fan of rakshasas, I like their role in Eberron's backstory. I hope we see more of the Lords of Dust in days to come. Is there any history around the creation of the zakya sub-race? They're a pretty significant departure from the standard mindreading shapeshifting only-fight-through-my-duped-minions rak.
I warn you, Timmy, I have a hammer. If you don't tell me who you are, I may have to crush your 1/1000th scale replica New York skyline.

The rakshasa are native fiends of Eberron, and those mentioned in the MM are simply the most common form, just as the tsucora are the most common form of quori. In my opinion, rakshasa should share certain traits; notably, the zakya can still shift their shape and detect thoughts. They are warriors as opposed to sorcerers, but they are still sly and cunning; they are not simply bloodthirtsy brutes.

As a side plug, if you want more info on rakshasa, I recommend Goodman Games' Complete Guide to Rakshasa. I've only just started reading it myself, but from what I've seen and my knowledge of the author, I'm sure that there will be sneaky stuff that can be transfered to Eberron.

Originally posted by Steven Snyder
If The BlooD of Vol showed Karranthi's how to create the intelligent undead that they use in their legions...could there be a 'backdoor' that would allow the TBoV to usurp control of these undead from their Karrnathi masters?
That would be sneaky, wouldn't it?

Has anyone even searched for such a thing?
Where would you look? "Excuse me, Mr. Skeleton, is there any chance you may turn against me in the future?" I'm sure Kaius has his sages looking into the matter, but it's not an easy thing to identify.

So... it could happen...

Originally posted by Kobold Avenger
Were the Blackscale and Poison Dusk Lizardfolk in Q'barra originally supposed to get their own monster write-up, rather than a set of brackets with modifications to normal lizardfolk?

Since http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/eb_gallery/82159.jpg seems to be a picture of those two types.
That link is a picture of the two types of lizardfolk, yes. But since the description in Q'barra provides the required information to use them, a full write-up isn't really required.

Originally posted by The Sequal
One quick question: The Wheel of Wind and Water that is used to control Lyrandar airships says it can be used by someone with the Lesser Dragonmark of Storm. Would someone with the Siberys mark be able to utilize it as well?
I would allow a character with a Siberys or Greater mark to use the item; the lesser mark is the minimum requirement.

Originally posted by Stryfe_Raven
Is there any change we'll see the artifacter class go into the SRD. As it's a cool class that could be fantasic in other fantasy worlds.
I work with WotC in a freelance capacity -- as a result, I really have no idea as to whether this is being considered. Sorry!

Originally posted by Gurv
But how does one explain creatures such as this (an evil undying councilor)? Doesn't having an evil alignment and a touch designed to destroy evil things have an adverse effect?
Actually, in retrospect, I would have to agree with you on this one. But one way you could get around it would be to say that the cleansing touch is a conscious act -- that the councilor acts as a channel for a flow of positive energy. If it is a conscious act, then the evil undying councilor could simply refrain from ever using the ability; if he did, he would presumably suffer as if he had been struck by the attack himself, as the energy seeks to cleanse him. But a neutral councilor would do just fine.

Originally posted by MrFilthyIke
What's your G-Con schedule, so we can stal...um, ask questions in person? :P
I'm not entirely sure. But if you stop by the WotC booth I'm sure it will be posted somewhere. I believe I'll be around a a fair bit, so I wouldn't worry about missing the chance to chat (Of course, that restraining order may pose more of a problem...). My lovely wife Ellen "Honeycakes" Baker will also be appearing over the weekend, so there may yet be time for the "Ask Honeycakes" panel.

Originally posted by Splendide
I noticed that The Trust keeps gnomes in Zilargo in check, but does that extend to House Sivis internationally?
Officially, the legal authority of the Trust is limited to Zilargo. However, the Trust has eyes and ears in every gnome community in Khorvaire, and will do whatever it takes to protect Zil interests.

With that said, House Sivis is a powerful and extranational organization. House Sivis maintains a cordial relationship with the Trust, as this is in the interest of both powers. The Trust will move against Sivis if the house ever threatens the security of Zilargo itself. But otherwise, it is up to the house to police its members, especially when it comes to the international community. The reputation of House Sivis is not the direct concern of the Trust.

Of course, there are those who claim that the relationship between Sivis and the Trust is far closer than any believe, and that the Trust has access to every form of communication that passes across Khorvaire. But despite the occasional ramblings of a few paranoids, this has never been proven (and the King's Citadel, Royal Eyes of Aundaire, and many other organizations have looked into it).

Originally posted by Nul.Zim
Easy Question, I did a search and couldn't find an answer so forgive if I repeat: Do warforged "bleed"? Do they have some type of oil, gel, lubricants, anything that would leak or spurt due to battle damage?
I'd say no, which is why they automatically stabilize while at negative hit points.

Of course, this raises the issue of how they respond to creatures like stirges. We can't account for every special case, so you'll have to decide on your own how to handle these. If you don't think it's too powerful, a warforged could be immune to such bleeding effects. If your game is based around blood-drainers, perhaps stirges can drain reserves of alchemical fluid that a warforged uses for some purpose (though since it doesn't drink or suffer from thirst, this raises the question of why such a liquid doesn't ever need to be replenished).

So: I don't see them bleeding. But where you go from there is something you need to decide.

I am sure it has been answered, but almost fifty pages is to big for me to look through. I just do not have enough time. . .

I am wondering, does any healing work in the mournlands? I was curious if it was just spells and natural, or if it includes potions and everything else?

Maybe Spoilers!

I ask, becaus I am running shadows of the last war. Well, with the mournlands, and the characters level. . . How are they to survive in the mournlands? With the living spells, and then the ambush, it seems like the low level group of around four is doomed. They had enough trouble with the warforge ambush at the beginning, and they could heal with that. . .

Hi Keith! I love the setting, it's just the bees knees around here.

I'm wondering how the dragonmarked houses maintain neutrality when their business is often so political? I'm really referring specifically to the elven houses with the mark of shadow. The way I read it, it's their business to know what's happening in the world (though they have a legitimate front as a guild of entertainers). The way I'm seeing the elven houses, the general public doesn't know that they are really spies and information brokers, but it couldn't be a very well-kept secret, or else they wouldn't have any real customers. Phiarlan is spying on everyone at all times, so they always have the information at hand that a potential customer might want. Playing a Dragonmarked Heir of Phiarlan, I can't help but feel that I'm playing politics more than I'm playing merchant. I'm comfortable in the shade of gray that I'm playing, but why do the host kingdoms welcome the dragonmarked elves at all when the elves are pursuing their own political agendas?

Leave it to my players to come up with something wacky.

I ran my first Eberron game Friday night. It all went smooth and a fun, pulpy time was had by all. Of course, one of my players has to bust out with this on me. :rolleyes:

How difficult (if not impossible) would it be to forge letters of credit? I tried to explain that the arcane mark would make it nearly impossible, but he still wants to try to figure out a way to do it. I'm one of those consequence-driven DMs, and I figure he'll get found out eventually and have to suffer those consequences.

I guess my real question is; what safeguards are there against such an action? I'm of the mind that the arcane mark itself couldn't be forged, but then since it's a personal rune, would the banks have a list/description of each member of the dragonmarked that use the Mark of Scribing that they compare to to find out if it's legit?

what i think is more likely is that each bank has an outpost of Sivis inside so that they can confirm the validity using the messenger stones etc, because if they maintained written mark lists that would mean a thief need only steal/copy the code book then they could use that information to fake the marks

I'd suggest allowing any character possessing the ability to cast Arcane Mark to create false documents using a Forgery check. The result of this check, with Circumstance modifiers depending on the document's complexity and what sort of genuine examples you have to work from, sets the DC for the opposed check carried out by whoever examines the documents - as Alexius suggests, probably a House Sivis member. According to the SRD, Forgery is opposed by Forgery, which makes sense - presumably anyone qualified to create and verify genuine documents would also be able to forge them.

So put a House Sivis rep in the bank, levelled according to how large a branch it is, and give him a reasonable number of ranks in Forgery. You could have several such people per branch, with the very low-level ones checking routine transactions, whilst the higher-level ones check transfers of large amounts of funds. This gives the players a better chance of success if they're not too greedy.

Originally posted by kildaere007
Your world is AWESOME! (as I have said many times).
Thanks! While I don't generally respond to these comments, I certainly appreciate them, so thanks to everyone that has expressed a similar sentiment.

1.There is a reference to Thalin of Thrane but he doesn't sound like someone of the royal bloodline as he is always referred to as Thalin of Thrane (not Thalin ir'Wynarn)...so who did Thalin usurp control from when Jarot died?
Thalin is indeed Talin ir'Wyrnarn; we just say "Thalin of Thrane" because we like alliteration. Thalin was the last Wyrnarn to truly rule Thrane; after his death the church assumed its current level of power.

2. Were Thrane and Karnnath at war before Jarot died? I know Thrane is a pain in everyone’s rear but was there tension between the countries? Particularly, was Thrane really responsible for the "infamous air-raid of 874 YK" as that date would put it 20 years before the Last War (Jarot died in 894 YK)..the air raid is briefly detailed on page 182. Is the date wrong? (if so what is the correct date). Or is there more to this story?
The Last War was not the only war between the five nations of Galifar. It was simply far larger and longer than any previous conflict, and had a far greater impact on the shape of Khorvaire. The feud between Thrane and Karrnath has had its ups and downs, but it is far worse now than it ever was before, because of the influence of the Blood of Vol and the use of undead in battle. Thus, there have undoubtedly been small-scale conflicts between Thrane and Karrnath in the past.

3.Can you tell us anything about Mishaan ir'Wynarn?
Mishann liked long walks on the beach, studying arcane magic, and upholding the traditions of Galifar. Her turn-ons were... Um, never mind.

Seriously, I am hesitant to answer this question right now. Suffice to say that more information about Cyre and the Day of Mourning will appear in the near future.

Originally posted by Dex The King
What is with the number thirteen? ...Are all of these related, and, if so, how? ...And most importantly: is the number thirteen in any way related, as I suggest, to the Draconic Prophecy?
It's not my place to answer this question, I'm afraid (we're becoming the "Ask Keith Baker Questions He Won't Answer" thread). But you can be certain that the sages of Eberron have come to many of the same conclusions -- and yes, there is some belief that the number is connected to the Prophecy. But no human has ever truly gained a good glimpse of the prophecy; ask a dragon sage, and see if she'll give you a straight answer.

So, the thirteenth moon vanished during the Age of Giants. Let me guess when....Hidden moon, hidden plane. This leads me to thinking that the planes and moons are related even more than just there number. Perhaps the planes ARE the moons. I don't know.
Indeed, many planar scholars are convinced that the 13th moon vanished when Dal Quor was thrown off of its orbit; however, few agree on the nature of the relationship between the moons and the planes.

Originally posted by Alexius D'Cannith
my thing question is about the lovely names we dont get any info on like the forest in central khorvaire called the Harrowcrowns i think its in thrane, we have such a lovely name for a place full of ominous implications and not even a mention
It's all about space. You'll see more details in the future.

a more important question is just how often will people find shards,
Think of dragonshards as panning for gold or finding diamonds. They are out there, and certain areas have high concentrations. The odds of just finding one lying on the ground in a populated region are low because someone else would have found it first. However, in the Demon Wastes, the local barbarians don't have an interest in the shards, and the region is dangerous enough that it hasn't been mined out by Tharashk. Likewise Q'barra. So it's certainly possible for parties to stumble across shards (though most would be buried and require actual prospecting) - but it would be similar to sticking a knife in the ground and finding oil, or stumbling across a rough diamond.

Originally posted by ieattrollsforbreakfast
Anyway, I was just wondering if you could shed any light on the abilities of dragonhawks. Do they have breath weapons or any other draconic traits or are they just exceptionally tough, large, scaly birds?
This is an excellent question! But, following the theme of the day, I don't know what the current answer is. Statistics for dragonhawks will be released in the future, and as things go through a lot of editing at WotC, the answer may be different now than it was a month ago. I'll see if I can confirm this one way or the other. But you will see stats for dragonhawks eventually.

Keith,

My game group has been playing Eberron for a few session now, but we have yet to grasp the true pulpy noir nature of the game. It's been fun and dark but not truly the essence of Eberron. Are there any pointers you could perhaps give me as to how to create the mood etc.?

Much obliged,
Kaerus

Double-post >_<

Stupid laggy boards... *grumble*

Originally posted by Saurenda
Are there any secret organizations which oppose the dragonhouse's monopoly on good and services?
Sure. The dragonmarked houses dominate their respective industries, but there are competitors in many of the fields. Many of the members of the Aurum are merchant princes with their own interests, who are always happy to usurp power and business from the houses. The ruler of a nation might very well try to set up a competing royal agency to reduce his nation's reliance on a house. But the houses have had a thousand years to get established across Khorvaire. Both from the standpoint of manpower, distribution, international agreement, trust, etc it would be very hard for someone to somehow replace House Sivis as a reliable service for international communication.

On the other hand, the houses themselves are competing in some arenas; House Tharashk has recently been selling the services of Droaam mercenaries, threatening to cut into the business of House Deneith.

Everyone is so worried about common everyday problems no one considers the possiblity that the dragon marked houses aren't making things any better.
All of the points you make in relation to this one are sound. The houses largely police themselves (though in the case of Sivis, maintaining this level of trust is a key element of maintaining its wealthy clientele). But there is no overall authority standing over them, and with the collapse of Galifar, it would be difficult for a single nation to establish itself in this way. If you check out "Death at Whitehearth", you have a dragonmark heir suggesting that with the change in the political climate the houses should be claiming more temporal authority; she's not alone here, even if this is a minority view.

Originally posted by PraetorX2
Um I one small question what if the player kill garrow at the end of the shadows of the last war I mean is he important the vampires blade thats comming out or any other adventures?:confused:
No, Garrow's death will not keep you from playing Whispers.

Of course, given his nature, I can think of one obvious way that Garrow could reappear even if killed (short form: what if Garrow has a brother or sister?). Part of the pulp aspect of the world is looking for things like this: for example, if you kill a changeling, are you sure you killed the *right* changeling? Any good pulp villian can find a way to come back from certain death -- count the times Doctor Doom has reappeared after "death"!

Two questions that arose in the process of preparing my War-Torn submission:

First: looking at the map of Breland vs. the map of Thrane, there is a discrepancy in the borders; on Thrane's, the border ends at the north shore of Lake Brey and the Brey River, whereas on Breland's the border extends beyond the lake as far as the Harrowcrowns. Is this disputed territory, and which nation actually controls it?

Second: I find that the generic currency names--'gold piece' and whatnot--smack too much of 'gamespeak' for writing. Assuming that the currency would have at least a colloquial name, if not an official one, what would it be? (I've been using 'wynarn' for gold piece in my sample so far, similar to the old French louis d'or).

A few questions for the great Keith Baker:

How does a Warforged react to (nat. 20) Criticals from Vorpal weapons? What about Brilliant Energy?

If a Warforged has lost his arm (or another limb) for one reason or another, can he re-attach it or a replacement with a Craft:*Insert your add here* check?

Originally posted by Hellcow
I'd say no, which is why they automatically stabilize while at negative hit points.

Of course, this raises the issue of how they respond to creatures like stirges. We can't account for every special case, so you'll have to decide on your own how to handle these. If you don't think it's too powerful, a warforged could be immune to such bleeding effects. If your game is based around blood-drainers, perhaps stirges can drain reserves of alchemical fluid that a warforged uses for some purpose (though since it doesn't drink or suffer from thirst, this raises the question of why such a liquid doesn't ever need to be replenished).

So: I don't see them bleeding. But where you go from there is something you need to decide.

Here is an idea. The warforged do have an alchemical fluid as part of their makeup. However, it congeals in contact with air, sealing the "leak." Thus, they don't "bleed", but can be drained.

Originally posted by DBlizzard
Here is an idea. The warforged do have an alchemical fluid as part of their makeup. However, it congeals in contact with air, sealing the "leak." Thus, they don't "bleed", but can be drained.

Boy, it better be a tasty alchemical fluid to keep those stirges coming back for more. Imagine what would happen if it metabolized into Alchemist's Fire. Swarms of flaming stirges causing havoc in various icky places.

Originally posted by darkthought
Boy, it better be a tasty alchemical fluid to keep those stirges coming back for more. Imagine what would happen if it metabolized into Alchemist's Fire. Swarms of flaming stirges causing havoc in various icky places.

I wouldn't be suprised if any warforged "experiments" took place in an area where blood drinkers were common, you'd see some variations on this fluid. The standard fluid, however, is probably edible. The nutritional value might be lacking as it's probably mostly a lubricant for warforged joints and such or maybe a coolant.

I have a minor ruling question if you have a moment, Mr. Baker.

On page 238 in the description of House Tharashk, it lists a member named Maagrim d'Tharashk who is a N female half-orc, druid 7/heir of Siberys 3.

In the requirements for the Heir of Siberys Prestige Class, it says that a person needs two skills with 15 ranks or more to qualify. Since this is not possible as a level 7 druid, I'm wondering if Maagrim should be a druid 12/heir of Siberys 3, or if the skill requirement for the HoS Prestige Class is listed as being too high?

I'm guessing that the former is true since the spell-like abilities of a Siberys mark typically are in the 9th level range, but I thought I would double-check in case one of my players decides to go after this PrC.

Thanks for your time!

Keith,

If you (or anyone else) could answer this before Tuesday night, that would be great, as I plan on running Shadows of the Last War that evening.

I found this (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/slw_gallery/84459.jpg) in the Art Gallery for Shadows of the Last War on WotC's web site. Whom does this portrait depict?

Thanks,
Galen

Heya Keith! Let me just say your setting has reinspired me for Dungeons and Dragons. In fact, its given me so many great ideas that I can't keep them all to myself, and so I will become a first time DM using the Eberron Setting. Before this, I've been exclusively a player, but now I just have to explore this world for all it has. In fact, I have some really good campaign ideas, and I've gotten a group of people together to play. I know you're really busy, but I was just wondering if maybe I could send you my ideas and get some feedback and perhaps some suggestions. I can't post them here though, since my players might get a sneak peak and ruin some of the surprise, so could I PM or e-mail them to you perhaps?

Also about game mechanics, I thought that since Warforged only receive half healing benefits from cure spells because they're only half-organic, I figured they would only receive half the benefits of a repair spell since they're only half construct. But my players disagree. They say full benefit of repair. Which is it?

Originally posted by DireHawk
Heya Keith! Let me just say your setting has reinspired me for Dungeons and Dragons. In fact, its given me so many great ideas that I can't keep them all to myself, and so I will become a first time DM using the Eberron Setting. Before this, I've been exclusively a player, but now I just have to explore this world for all it has. In fact, I have some really good campaign ideas, and I've gotten a group of people together to play. I know you're really busy, but I was just wondering if maybe I could send you my ideas and get some feedback and perhaps some suggestions. I can't post them here though, since my players might get a sneak peak and ruin some of the surprise, so could I PM or e-mail them to you perhaps?

Also about game mechanics, I thought that since Warforged only receive half healing benefits from cure spells because they're only half-organic, I figured they would only receive half the benefits of a repair spell since they're only half construct. But my players disagree. They say full benefit of repair. Which is it?

Repair heals a warforged the full amount, not half. Only spells with the "Healing" subtype get stuck with the half effective penalty in the Mournlands. The Repair Damage line of spells does not have that subtype. It's just plain Transmutation.

Why else would the Lord of Blades be trying to draw all the Warforged to the Mournland? They have a spell line that their wizards and artificers can use to heal themselves with 100% effectiveness, while the fleshy races are crippled in there.

Originally posted by Galen_Michael
Keith,

If you (or anyone else) could answer this before Tuesday night, that would be great, as I plan on running Shadows of the Last War that evening.

I found this (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/slw_gallery/84459.jpg) in the Art Gallery for Shadows of the Last War on WotC's web site. Whom does this portrait depict?

Thanks,
Galen

i don't have the adventure handy so i don't know his name, but i'm quite certain that he's the head of the city watch group in sharn.

Just another quick question. My players have been pronouncing House Orien's name differently and I'm not sure which one is right.

1) Orien (pronounced Oh-RYE-en, like the Greek hero)

and

2) Orien (pronounced OAR-ee-en)


Are either of these correct? It's not a big deal, I'm just a curious person. ;)

Originally posted by Hellcow
I warn you, Timmy, I have a hammer. If you don't tell me who you are, I may have to crush your 1/1000th scale replica New York skyline.

No! You wouldn't! It was my sixth birthday present -- and I'll never have a sixth birthday again!

Originally posted by Hellcow
The rakshasa are native fiends of Eberron, and those mentioned in the MM are simply the most common form, just as the tsucora are the most common form of quori.

I'd actually make the zakya more common in my games. They're better in a straight fight, so they're easier to work in. If the standard sneaky manipulator rakshasa is (relatively) common, I worry for the fate of Eberron's mortal races.

Originally posted by Hellcow
As a side plug, if you want more info on rakshasa, I recommend Goodman Games' Complete Guide to Rakshasa. I've only just started reading it myself, but from what I've seen and my knowledge of the author, I'm sure that there will be sneaky stuff that can be transfered to Eberron.

I'd second the recommendation as I think it's an excellent book and well worth the price. But I'm also the author, so I have a small bias.

Originally posted by Manzella
1. Xen'Drik Boomerangs deal bludgeoning damage, but the illustration is a sharp throwing star. Is this a misprint? Should it read slashing damage?
I'm not sure I'd say sharp as much as pointed; remember that the drow have a thing for scorpions. It's hard to tell from the image, but my guess is that it's made out of wood. And it does weigh 2 lbs, so it's got some weight for impact. As a house rule -- because it does look pointy -- I would allow the wielder to choose whether to inflict bludgeoning or piercing damage on a particular attack, based on the manner in which he throws it. This also allows the attacker to poison the tips, which is again in keeping with the scorpion. So that's what *I* would do.

2. In the description section on piloting an airship it only mentions how to fly with the elemental. Is an airship crew only required to be 1 pilot? I just thought it was weird to have such a large ship only need 1 person to be the crew, should there be Magewrights doing maintenance? What is an average crew for an airship, and what are the responsibilities of each job?
This entirely depends on the size of the vessel and the distances it is expected to travel. For example, if it is going to be traveling for a period of 24 hours each day, there will probably be 3 crew members with the Mark of Storm - the Captain and two mates - who can take shifts piloting. This also means that the death of a single pilot won't cripple the vehicle, since the copilot can work an extended shift if necessary. On smaller ships you will generally have one co-pilot in addition to the captain, to serve as back-up. Aside from this, think about what sort of crew you would have on a sea-faring vessel of that size, and you're going to be fairly close. You will have people who can serve the roles of cook and medic, though these may not be their only roles. You'll have people keeping the ship clean and shipshape; where you would normally have hands to raise the the rigging, you'll instead have craftsmen who maintain the ring assembly. You don't need quite as many of these deckhands as you would on a sailing vessel, since the ring is more solid than a sail -- so maybe cut these numbers in half. If the ship travels a dangerous route, you might also have a master at arms or a few Deneith mercenaries to protect the vessel.

3. In my campaign I alternately powered an airship with a Living Spell rather than an elemental, just for the asthetic flavor. Is there a reason that this wouldn't work, or is it a DM discression situation?
In my mind, living spells and elementals are distinct enough that the standard methods of elemental binding would not work on a living spell. So I wouldn't see this asa standard thing. However, if you have a mad gnome or Cannith artificer who has figured out a way to do it and created a unique vessel, I have no problem with it.

Originally posted by Ex Mudder
Do you get a +3 to hit a warforged with Shocking Grasp?
I would say yes. At the least, a warforged is "carrying a lot fo metal". One more thing to make life difficult for the warforged.

Would a Halfling Paladin from the Talenta Plains get a Velociraptor as it's special mount?
It seems like the most logical choice to me!

Keith Baker:

I just want to thank you a whole, whole lot for creating Eberron. It's as if Eberron was created for me. I love the "magically technological" feel, like the lightning rail and the services offered by the Houses. I love the concept of elemental binding (I'm an elementaly obsessed freak).

The categorized and orderly way that the houses, dragonmarks, and planes exist is amazing.

Thank you once again.

Originally posted by aelryinth
I asked what the Mourning looked like when it happened.
And my point is that no-one knows exactly what *IT* looked like. If you were far enough away, you would see an expanding cloud of mist (see the description of the dead-gray mist in the Mournlands entry). The initial appearance and expansion of the mists was so quick that there are no survivors who can say whether they just appeared, rose from the ground, or fell from the sky. You didn't have things dying around it because it wasn't the mists that killed; it was whatever was within. As for why people fled and survived if there were no obvious signs of destruction: Once the expansion of the mists began to slow, what you're dealing with is the fact that anyone who went in did not return, and that all forms of communication (speaking stones, etc) were cut off; when you combine this with "were in the midst of a magical war", evacuation is a logical step. Most of the survivors were either at the edge of the area affected (by which point the expansion had slowed considerably, given them time to decide that it was a bad thing) or were expeditionary soldiers fighting beyond those borders. But there were airships around observing the expansion and House Sivis noting the loss of its message stations; even without the clear knowledge that it was deadly, the power of an effect that could cover a nation was a clear threat (even if it was just obscuring mist -- who'd heard of an obscuring mist that could cover 1000 miles? Do you want to take the chance?), and most people who heard about it in time chose to flee -- though there were certainly some who heard of the mists and dismissed them as harmless.

Specifically, what exactly did the survivors see? A dome of grey mist expanding slowly across the lands?
That would be it. The mists are described on page 190, and look now as they did them. Things didn't die as the mists approached. I wouldn't say "shot thru with balefire", though it is a nice turn of phrase. So

I wanted to know what people saw as the Mourning devoured the land, and was obviously so awful just to look on that they ran for their lives.
As described above, it's not so much that it was so awful to look upon as fear of what an effect of such scope and power might mean. A cloudkill spell isn't awful to look upon, but it is deadly, and cloudkill had been employed frequently during the war.

ANd btw, is Valenar really supposed to have a population of only 70,000? Even with 30,000 elven mercs, that's a fairly small nation to sustain an armed force that size, since the elves have no interest in farming and are basically there to fight...but I suppose if you use the Mongol lifestyle it's possible
"The Mongol lifestyle" would be an accurate depiction. If the numbers don't work for you, go ahead and change them. The elves don't have any interest in farming, and thus rely on the 40,000 humans to maintain the agricultural base. We'll provide more information about Valenar in the future, because the relationship between the human residents and occupying elves is worth discussing in more detail.

What's even funnier is that the humans of Valenar are actually descendents of Cyrans, so they represent the biggest batch of Cyran descendents left on Khorvaire. The Prince in New Cyre should be recruiting them if he can (surely the elves wouldn't mind pitiful humans leaving their new lands, would they? Heheh).
The people of Valenar do represent the largest population of Cyrans, although as frontier folk they were less strongly attached to the ruler of the nation than those who lived at the heart (much like the humans of the Eldeen Reaches in relation to Aundair). The elves certainly would mind pitiful humans leaving the nation in large numbers, because those pitiful humans maintain the agriculture and do the work the elves don't want to do themselves. If a few humans choose to leave, that's fine -- but the elves would put a stop to Cyrans seeking to actively recruit humans and thus disrupt the nation.

Okay, now that I'm done raving, Keith, I have many unrelated questions:

1. The Giant Empire on Xen'drik. Was this a unified empire, or many smaller kingdoms? If it was unified, did good and evil giants get along?

2. Constellations. I was surprised to notice that the only mention of them is in a table that lists them as the draconic gods. What else can you tell me about them?

3. Mysterious Sarlona. Will there be a future product about this continent? After reading the ECSB, I feel that I don't really have a good sense of the realms of the Inspired and such.

4. Is it up to the DM to decide what caused the destruction of Cyre, or will this be revealed at some point?

5. Elements and planes. Earth, air, and water elementals all reside on Lamannia. If I wanted each element to be on a seperate plane, how would you suggest I divide them up? I was thinking I could combine Thelanis and Lamannia into one plane, leaving an empty plane for Earth. Air elementals would stay on Lamannia/Thelanis, and water elementals would share part of Risia. Does this make sense?

6. As each dragonmark is associated with one month, does it make sense to associate a plane with each month, as well? Or is this just my need to categorize everything acting up again?

7. Do the marks of Storm and Detection, which appear among half-elves only, or can humans and elves manifest one, too? If not, then is it safe to assume that all the half-elves of houses Lyrandar and Medani are all half-elves descended from other half-elves, rather than a human and an elf?

8. What is the creature that appears on the emblem of House Kundarak on page 234????? This has been driving me nuts!!!!

9. When stating, "alignment is unpredictable," do you mean that alignment is flexible (i.e. a good NPC being an enemy or an evil one an ally)? Or do you mean that creatures can have unusual alignments (i.e. a chaotic rakshasa or a good blue dragon)?



I'm sure that I will have more questions later on. Please don't answer these questions unless you have the time! Thanks!

Originally posted by Bluebrush
Is it common knowledge that Houses Phiarlan and Thuranni posess a dragonmark known as The Mark of Shadow?

If so, wouldn't it be hard to present a public facade of a house of entertainers and artisans given they're known to have a mark with such a dramatic name?
It's called the Mark of Shadow because it allows you to manipulate images - "Shadow" in the sense of "false image". The Entertainer's Guild uses the powers of the mark *for* entertainment; minor image and disguise self both have a lot of value when it comes to entertainment. The elves are also remarkably skilled at their chosen crafts, which helps most people believe that it's their primary focus. In addition, you usually have to have some sort of connections to employ the secret services of the House. If you just walk up to a Phiarlan actor and say "OK, I want you to spy for me," she'll look at you and say "I'm certain I don't know what you're talking about." It's possible that she doesn't. Thuranni has been taking a more proactive approach; if you put out the word that you're looking for a spy, a Thuranni spy may approach you.

In general, though, there are undoubtedly rumors drifting around about elven spies, but it's a sort of urban legend. When you go and see an excellent play and someone says "I'll bet the leading lady is an assassin", you may agree, or you may say "Yeah, right." Adventurers may know better, but that doesn't mean that the world at large accepts it. Remember that you also have changeling spies and sly gnomes to be concerned about, not to mentions the Royal Eyes of Aundair and the King's Dark Lanterns of Breland -- it's not like Phiarlan and Thuranni are the only spies and assassins in the world, they are just a) freelance and b) considered to be some of the best by those who know.

First I would like to say that I love the setting. My first question is what styles; colors of clothing do the humans of Khorvaire wear? Second what are the colors and style of the King’s Citadel?(formal, informal) What types of music do the people of Breland listen to? What are the royal colors of Breland and Cyre? What are the royal symbols of Breland and Cyre?

Have a question for Keith

Can the Warforged be Petrifide by a Cockatrice?

If it can be Petrifed then how is it changed back? Stone to flesh would not seem to make sense.

Or would Petrification have a different effect on a Warforge becuase some of there parts are organic?

So, am I missing something or does it seem like the artificer should have access to "magecraft" as an infusion? I may have missed this discussed elsewhere, but it seems like it should go right along with what the artificer does, but it's not listed as an infusion, and the spell list shows it as only a wizard/sorcerer spell.

Also, it seems to me that the peoples of khorvaire are all basically white/european (loosely) both physically and culturally. Where would you base a character who was more african, asian, or native american? Are there human people groups on xendrick? Are the argonessen people open for different human races? Or is there variation among the humans of Khorvaire?

Thanks!

Quick question:

Do you think that the prestige classes Shadowdancer and (from Faerun) Telflammar Shadowlord are appropriate choices for an elf with the Mark of Shadow? (Naturally Shadowlord would have to be adapted to fit the setting)

Sounds like a good match to me for both, was just wondering if it fit the idea for you.

So Keith, Any chance you will be at Worldcon/Noreascon 4 (In Boston, Sept. 2nd-6th)?

I was just wondering if you happened to know (and were privy to tell me) whether or not "whispers of the vampire blade" will continue the plotline with the "schema"(the one in "shadows of the last war" and the "forgotten forge") or not. if it doesn't then what level would i need to bring my party to, to meet the reccomended level in the next of the "schema" series.. i am enjoying this plotline but am very eager to continue playing the setting and don't want to wait for whispers if it doesn't continue the plot.

Originally posted by TaintedShampoo
I was just wondering if you happened to know (and were privy to tell me) whether or not "whispers of the vampire blade" will continue the plotline with the "schema"(the one in "shadows of the last war" and the "forgotten forge") or not. This was covered in the recent Keith Baker online chat. Here's the appropriate extract: baloo says, "Will Whispers of the Vampire Blade and the newly announced Emerald Claw adventure also be about getting the rest of that schema? /ga"
keith_baker says, "I believe so, yes."
keith_baker says, "The Emerald Claw adventure will be the last in that path."
keith_baker says, "I think."

Now I'm sure this may have been asked about, but surveying some 44 pages of stuff ain't no small feat. And definately one feat I'm not up to.
How functional are the changes to sex(gender) introduced by a changeling's changing ability? Two examples to illustrate my wonderings:
1. Var the changeling is a spy, in a way. Or, as he'd put it, he just goes about discovering the right stuff for the right people and removing the wrong people for the right price. In order to assasinate a rather troublesome Karrnath warlord, he has to get in really close, and ensure that there are no guards about to threaten him with open conflict(he's not the most able of warriors). However, the old wretch is paranoid and leaves his guards behind only when pursuing carnal pleasures. With young girls collected from the villages in his power, mostly. This gives Var an idea and he takes the guise of a young girl.
Would Var's voice change enough for him to safely pass for a girl?
Would Var be discovered and executed when the guards strip him naked before the lord's bedroom(he's still trying to look like a girl).
2.Ery's village has been attacked by marauding raiders. The people of the village, including the humans that had taken her in when her real parents rejected her are being killed, and there's nothing she can do. All that is left is for her to ensure she survives to be able to later seek revenge. But the raiders go door to door, ransacking the village. They take anything shiny or valuable, kill the men and ravage the women. Ery takes to running, but one of the raiders spots her and goes after her. He gets her into a dead-end alleyway, but obviously has underestimated this simple-looking red-tressed girl, for moments later, her knife cuts his throat. Ery decides to take his clothes and his face, to avoid detection. Looking like one of the raiders, she wouldn't suffer the cruel fate of the villagers. However, these seem better organised than simple marauders. She finds out, they'd execute her alter-ego as a deserter if he tries to leave, so she is forced to go with them to their base of operations. That night, the marauders bathe in the river, to wash the sooth and blood off them and meet some merchants and higher-ups later.
Would Ery's true nature be discovered as she is forced to partake in the bathing?

And yes, I know the changes cannot be fully functional. Changelings are not sexeless and are largely human in nature.
But obviously, Dopelgangers can simulate sex openly, since the figure in the MM seems sexless, yet we have all those little Dopelgangers and all those changelings about...

Originally posted by Hellcow
it's not like Phiarlan and Thuranni are the only spies and assassins in the world, they are just a) freelance and b) considered to be some of the best by those who know.
This is a helpful response, Keith. Thank you and also thanks to the person who asked the original question.

It still doesn't address for me the issue of those who are in the know. Presumably this would include many of the very people that the Phiarlan and Thuranni are contracted to spy on, thus reducing the effectiveness of these groups.

It would be one thing if those Houses used their Shadow abilities to spy for their own purposes, but once they open themselves to being for hire, they are subject to market forces. The business of these Houses is dually entertainment and spying, and the only way they can make money from spying is to contract their services.

There is a historical tradition on Earth of entertainers who have been parts of spy networks; it's certainly a viable concept. The piece that makes it less viable for me is that the Shadow Houses spy not for a sovereign nation or their own interest, but rather for those who provide the appropriate amount of coin. I would think that, over time, the powerful forces of Khorvaire would grow highly suspicious of Shadow entertainers in their midst, to the point of declining their entertainment services, especially when one is defining an entity (the House) that has existed for hundreds of years.

IMO, the problem is one of exposition. The entries for these Houses focus on their spy networks, but without much detail for how it integrates with their other services. The way I will likely portray these Houses in my campaign is to have the older House be a House whose outward appearance is solely entertainment. Instead of being "for hire", they will broker information. They go to people in power or with money and say, "One of our actors overheard something you might be interested in." Over time, they may have built a relationship with certain patrons, where the patron says, "I would like to know what X is thinking/doing. Is there any way you could find out for me?" Such patrons may come to think of the Shadow House as a potential danger, and eventually likely pay the House money to not reveal their own secrets.

The newer House, however, is much more aggressive. They may still use the entertainment motif as a layer of covert deception, but they are much more clearly for hire as spies and are actively recruiting patrons. This creates even more tension between the two Houses, because the younger House is not only competing, they are doing so in a way that jeopardizes the centuries-long enterprise of the older House. This is not a situation that can be long tolerated, but it is difficult to thoroughly overthrow the younger House, because of their geographic location.

-*-*-

I came to the Boards on a separate matter today; I am troubled by the feat Investigate.

1. It seems to me that anyone with the Search skill should have the ability to discover clues, though I would not extend to such folk the ability to Analyze them in the way described by the Investigate feat.

2. More importantly, there is a 3.5e core feat titled Investigator, which provides bonuses to Search and Gather Information. It doesn't seem proper to me to require a player who has taken the Investigator feat to also take the Investigate feat in order to truly be an 'Investigator'.

My solution to this is to allow anyone with Search to find clues, and to alter the Investigator feat to include the abilities of the Investigate feat. I'll likely remove either the Gather Info or the Search skill bonus of the Investigator feat, and remove the Investigate feat altogether.

My question is: why were the Investigate abilities presented as a new feat instead of as an addition to the Search skill and an amendment to the previously existing Feat? I can only presume there was a conscious decision to do this, and I would like to consider that reasoning before pulling it apart unknowingly.

Thank you for your patience reading such a long post.

This theory is based on the idea that there are other worlds in the material plane besides Eberron, and that Xoriat and the other planes may touch these worlds as well. Some sages believe this must be the case; others say it is a preposterous idea. Among those who do believe in other worlds, one claim is that the gith are survivors of a world destroyed by the Daelkyr.

Keith, please, PLEASE tell us you'll ask WotC to explore this in the future! There's going to be a book on aberrations next year. I would love to see some Daelkyr stuff in there. I greatly look forward to a little history behind their schemes and what has become of their conquered worlds. Quick question: how does the Gith world fit into the timeline of Eberron? Was the world a separate progenitor dragon? Does it orbit the sun of Eberron or another star?

Speaking of the sun, can you give us a little background on the relationship between the sun and magic in Eberron? Is there only one sun? Can you give us a little flavor inspiration about the relationship between the sun and the gods (Dol Arrah)?

On aberrations, do you have any idea if dolgrims or dolgaunts will make it into the next miniatures booster?

And I couldn't find an answer to this, so I apologize if you've already read this. Will the adventure Shards of Eberron be available to people who can't attend Gen Con?

Originally posted by Takasi
Keith, please, PLEASE tell us you'll ask WotC to explore this in the future! There's going to be a book on aberrations next year. I would love to see some Daelkyr stuff in there.

Please, please don't do this - it's really bad form to put a page or two of relevant (and typically never-repeated) material in otherwise unneccessary splatbooks.

While I'd love to see more info on Eberron's baddies, I'd rather not have to buy additional Ebberon info at an effective cost of $10 per page.

Maybe a "Conspiracies of Eberron" book?

Originally posted by aelryinth
I wasn't much concerned with population density and reality. I was more concerned with a nation with 30,000 elves providing a realistic enemy for a nation with 2.5 million humans who really don't like them, fine cavalry or no.
There's a few factors here. The first is that the 30,000 elves of Valenar are almost entirely combatants, and skilled combatants at that (more so than the typical soldiers of the Five Nations). This is not the population of a country as much as a standing army. Second, the Valenar pose little direct threat in the sense of conquest -- it would be impossible for them to capture and hold a significant portion of Karrnath. However, conquest is not their goal. They are interested in glory in battle, and as a result they are all about raiding and pillaging; they move swiftly, strike quickly and move on before the Karrns, Darguuls, or Q'barrans can respond. If Karrnath decided to devote the full power of its military to crushing Valenar it might be able to do so (though the elves would most likely leave behind the locations they couldn't defend and move to a new location instead of fighting directly). But the Last War has already strained the resources of the five nations, and an extended campaign in Valenar would be costly for Karrnath -- on top of which, if they move the bulk of the military to Valenar, what happens if Thrane decides to take advantage of this weakness?

The Valenar are fundamentally guerrilas; in a straight up fight they won't have the numbers to challenge another nation, but they aren't interested in conquest and have little need to engage in toe-to-toe combat.

So, the Valenar are a small but highly skilled force. Purely on a percentage basis, they are probably the most skilled military force in Khorvaire; you're dealing with rangers and war-wizards with a century or two of experience backing them up. Do they present a threat to Khorvaire in the sense of "in 50 years, the world will be Valenar"? No, not really. But they still present a continuous danger to anyone who shares a border with them.

Hopefully that makes sense to you -- if not, change the numbers!

My questions are somewhat related to that of Yago Aginor, yet different.

1. Can a male (changeling) impersonating a female person, speak with a female voice?
2. Can a changeling impersonate a particular voice and what skill check would be appropriate, if any (bluff?, perform (something)?).

The question of voice impersonation mechanics was particulary important in my last campaign with players using spells like polymorph, alter self, etc., yet I still don't have an answer to it. Maybe I will post a topic in the Player's Handbook forum, because I know that you are not the man to ask about the rules...

Originally posted by NadalEttelbrae
I am wondering, does any healing work in the mournlands? I was curious if it was just spells and natural, or if it includes potions and everything else?
Straight by the book, nothing works. See the "Shadows of the Last War - Review" thread for more discussion of this topic and less severe options.

Originally posted by nameless
I'm wondering how the dragonmarked houses maintain neutrality when their business is often so political? I'm really referring specifically to the elven houses with the mark of shadow... I'm comfortable in the shade of gray that I'm playing, but why do the host kingdoms welcome the dragonmarked elves at all when the elves are pursuing their own political agendas?
The idea is that they do so because they themselves wish to benefit from the services of the houses. If Breland said "We are not going to allow House Phiarlan to operate in our borders, the House would certainly cut off all ties with Breland. But would this really stop Phiarlan elves from operating in Breland? Highly unlikely. They would just go undercover and continue their work, except now they wouldn't sell their services to Brelish nobles. As it stands, the House provides information and services impartially. If a nation makes an enemy of the house, suddenly it's no longer going to be impartial. It may decide to apply pressure on Breland; suddenly secrets may become public (with no fees being paid), or important individuals may develop a sudden case of the deads. By accepting the presence of the house, the royals can keep an eye on the house and comfort themselves with the idea that they are limiting its efficiency. Though for this very reason, you can be certain that for every Phiarlan entertainer there is an elf hidden in the masses who appears to have no connection whatsoever with the house. The actor may not ever act as a spy; instead, he perfects his craft, and makes contacts within the city, and earns money for the house. His theater provides a base of operations and resupply for the house, his contacts and connections allow him to gather information on behalf of an actual spy, his gold provides resources, and the spy can always pose as a member of his troop when he needs a cover. The actor knows no details about spy operations, so his mind cannot be read. However, he can serve as a point of contact for services; when someone says the right phrases, he can pass along messages or tell them who to meet with, setting up the services. Every Phiarlan elf is not a spy or assassin; but the overall structure of the House and its guilds serve to facilitate its espionage operations.

Originally posted by nightchilde-2
How difficult (if not impossible) would it be to forge letters of credit? I tried to explain that the arcane mark would make it nearly impossible, but he still wants to try to figure out a way to do it. I'm one of those consequence-driven DMs, and I figure he'll get found out eventually and have to suffer those consequences.

Rules for forging arcane marks are provided on page 46 of the Eberron campaign setting. A letter of credit does not use the personal mark of a gnome, since the gnome can only use his mark a few times per day. Instead, letters are marked using a Sivis seal, a dragonshard focus item that allows any character with the least (or above) mark of scribing to produce the standard mark of the house, along with a minor subsymbol distinct to the item (so that stolen seals can be declared invalid - though this would also require a rogue character with the mark of Scribing, and Sivis is *very* strict about policing this sort of activity). The bank will have a list of invalid seals, and at least one character with good skill at Forgery -- around +8 (total modifier) at a small bank, going much higher as you get to major enclaves.

Sivis will take the counterfeiting of its mark very seriously, and may call on House Thuranni, House Tharashk, and the Trust for assistance in identifying, tracking, and punishing the offenders.

Originally posted by Hellcow
Instead, letters are marked using a Sivis seal, a dragonshard focus item that allows any character with the least (or above) mark of scribing to produce the standard mark of the house...

Any chance we'll get to see what the standard mark of the house looks like? Is it just a duplicate of the least dragonmark of scribing, or something else? A picture would be great for making props for my players!

Thanks,
Galen

Hey guys. I just recently read something in this thread about the possibilty of warforged dragon discples. While I generally agree that warforged likely could not follow this path, I disagree that it is impossible, so long as you make a few changes as to the nature of the PrC.

For instance, the PrC explanation being based on the subject embracing his draconic heritage. If you to change this by saying that a character simply studies a form of magic, to which exposure would fundemantally alter their physical structure and other metaphysical properties into a more dragonesque form, a warforged could theoretically undertake this PrC. In this light, the actuality of needing a draconic ancestor is eliminated, as it should be since dragons are not the liberal fornicators of other settings in Eberron. In a sense, the name of the PrC comes from transmuting oneself into a more dragon-like form without any true link to dragons yourself.

We also know that warforged are able to be altered through transmutational means from the Warforged Juggernaut. They not only grow spikes, but they also physically become more construct and less like living creature.

So, if this is all logical, then why couldn't a warforged's armor look more like scalemail and grow mechanical wings to give him a more draconic appearance. The wings don't even need to flap, they could simply propel the 'forged through the air via magic and fold up when not in use. Anyways, I see it as possible. But then again, in a setting of fantasy, anything is really possible. It just depends on how you can explain it, justify it, and whether or not the dm wishes to include it.

Finally, I wanted to ask about raising warforged as undead creatures. I assume its possible, but I can't imagine them being raised as normal skeletons and zombies. I imagine something new as result of the necromantic energies investing themselves within something both organic and mechanical and heavily magical in nature. Something completely new as a result, akin in power level to a zombie or skeleton or greater, depending on the actual magic used to raise it, and yet more like a flesh golem in nature.

One other point on House Phiarlan: Stating that "the true business of the house is espionage" is somewhat misleading. Of the dragonmarked houses, the Houses of Shadow specialize in espionage. But the Entertainer's Guild is not simply a cover: it is a legitimate business, and its members are highly skilled at their chosen professions. From actors to escorts to musicians, if you are looking to hire the best in a field of entertainment, there's a good chance you'll find it at Phiarlan. If you hire a Phiarlan musician to play at your wedding, yes, there is a chance that he's going to be a spy; but
a) Are you worried about spies at your wedding (some people will be, others won't)?
b) If you hired a human, you might actually be hiring a changeling, a disguised member of House Phiarlan, or a rakshasa. Nothing is ever sure in Eberron. At least if you hire the Phiarlan, you know you're getting an excellent musician -- and if you know about the reputation of the house, you know to keep a sharp eye on them. And he's coming right out and saying "I am a member of House Phiarlan! I would like to play at your wedding!" then he's probably not going to kill the bride.

Again, many members of the house are serve the secret purposes of the house by building a network of eyes and ears, and by providing access; every single member of the house is not an active spy or an assassin. They *are* a house of entertainers, as well as a house of spies.

1. Can a male (changeling) impersonating a female person, speak with a female voice?
2. Can a changeling impersonate a particular voice and what skill check would be appropriate, if any (bluff?, perform (something)?).

I believe that the matter of impersonating a voice is covered in the Disguise check. But note that ranks in Bluff can grant a synergy bonus to Disguise checks, so it does play a role.

Although the skill description does focus on how the skill changes a person's appearance, it also notes that after the initial meeting a check needs to be made only ONCE PER HOUR thereafter.

My assumption is that if this is the case, it should be assumed that no other checks are required to pass detection during this time. If you have ranks in the skill, they represent both your mastery of make-up and wigs and your impressionist skill. An ability like shapechange, ploymorph, etc., adds +10 to the effect, quite possibly from alterations to the vocal cords themselves.

Naturally, allowing an hour to pass between checks is highly subjective. Any event that makes the disguise questionable should require a new check. Not knowing your role may mean you have to roll Bluff checks to cover for your lapses in knowledge, and having some ranks in Profession (acting) can't hurt, at least not if I'm the DM.

I posted this in the general, but decided to ask you too, Keith.

One requires Bind Elemental and planar binding to create a vessel powered by an elemental. My question is, how do all of the elementals feel? I understand that this may vary from situation to situation, but in general are the elementals upset about their forced servitude and may seek vengeance or are they so low in Intellegence that they can be tricked into not actually caring at all?

Originally posted by Galen_Michael
If you (or anyone else) could answer this before Tuesday night, that would be great, as I plan on running Shadows of the Last War that evening.

I found this (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/slw_gallery/84459.jpg) in the Art Gallery for Shadows of the Last War on WotC's web site. Whom does this portrait depict?

D'oh! I just noticed that it IS Tuesday night, so I'm probably too late. The answer? I'm not actually sure. The only dwarf in the adventure is the warrior at the camp with the highest hit points, but he was never fully statted out. So I'm afraid I don't know.

Originally posted by Kaerus B'aant
My game group has been playing Eberron for a few session now, but we have yet to grasp the true pulpy noir nature of the game. It's been fun and dark but not truly the essence of Eberron. Are there any pointers you could perhaps give me as to how to create the mood etc.?
Unfortunately, this is a really big question -- I could go on about this for pages, and I don't have the time to address it (since I still need to find time for work and Honeycakes). Chapter Nine provides some tips on this, and it is a subject I will continue to explore with the Dragonshards articles. I think it's also a good subject for a thread on the General board -- what have other folks done to address this?

Sorry I can't be more help, Kaerus -- keep an eye on the Dragonshards!

Originally posted by ChrisTheS
First: looking at the map of Breland vs. the map of Thrane, there is a discrepancy in the borders; on Thrane's, the border ends at the north shore of Lake Brey and the Brey River, whereas on Breland's the border extends beyond the lake as far as the Harrowcrowns. Is this disputed territory, and which nation actually controls it?
I would think that by the terms of the treaty, the Brey River & Lake Brey serve as the border between Breland and Thrane, in which case the map of Breland is sslightly inaccurate. Draw a line from the northwest corner of Lake Brey to the adjoining woods and you'll get the likely border; this runs through Sword Keep, which is one of Breland's border keeps.

With that said, this certainly is disputed territory that changed hands during the war. So go back four years and you will find maps of Breland that show territory on the north shore. The loyalty of the people who live in the region varies, as you have ancestral Thranes and Brelish settler families. This sort fo thing is fairly common across the borders, which are shaky at best.

Second: I find that the generic currency names--'gold piece' and whatnot--smack too much of 'gamespeak' for writing. Assuming that the currency would have at least a colloquial name, if not an official one, what would it be? (I've been using 'wynarn' for gold piece in my sample so far, similar to the old French louis d'or).
I replace copper, silver, and gold with crown, sovereign, and throne (the crown sits on the sovereign, who sits on the throne; plus cp = crown and sp = sovereign, giving an initial match for the metal and coin). But don't consider this official until you see it in print or as a dragonshard article. Until then, if you have ideas, start a thread and post 'em (there may be one already, I don't remember...).

Oh great and mighty (or perhaps just cool enough to hang with us all here) Mr. Baker, just have one question...

How much do we have to beg to get our dream (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?threadid=286958) made a reality?

Would you think that "Graphic Novel"-ization of Eberron would be a good thing? The art in the campaign setting just caught my eye so well, and part of that was the "comic" looking pages...

Or should I just dream on?

Oh great and mighty (or perhaps just cool enough to hang with us all here) Mr. Baker, just have one question...

How much do we have to beg to get our dream (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?threadid=286958) made a reality?

Would you think that "Graphic Novel"-ization of Eberron would be a good thing? The art in the campaign setting just caught my eye so well, and part of that was the "comic" looking pages...

Or should I just dream on?

Hello Keith,

Since Droaam is not officially recognized. Which nation do these lands fall under according to the Thronehold Accords?

Does Eberron revolve around a star or vice versa? Or are the days lit by another source altogether?

Thanks for your help.

double post

Now I'm sure this may have been asked about, but surveying some 44 pages of stuff ain't no small feat. And definately one feat I'm not up to.
This is something I'm starting to see more often. The issue is that readers may not have the time to search through the thread to see if their questions has been asked/answered already... but frankly, I don't have time to answer all the new questions, let alone answer the ones that have already been answered. Heck, *I* don't have time to search through to find my previous answer -- it's no easier for me than it is for you (and Yago, this is not directed at you - your question actually hasn't been asked before).

So, does anyone have any good ideas how to address this, or is the thread going to collapse under its sheer volume of answers?

double post

Originally posted by Hellcow

So, does anyone have any good ideas how to address this, or is the thread going to collapse under its sheer volume of answers?

There was a suggestion to keep a separate sticky thread with only the answers, where only you, Keith, may post. Since you are quoting the questions, it should be somewhat easyer to read and a good deal shorter. It will not solve the problem completely, though.

Originally posted by Hellcow
So, does anyone have any good ideas how to address this, or is the thread going to collapse under its sheer volume of answers? I've begun going through this thread and extracting only the official answers, and posting the results in this thread (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=287579). So far, only the first page's worth is up, but I intend to keep working my way through it until I've got the whole thing. Once that's done, I'll request that it be stickied, and then try to keep it up to date.

Hello Keith.

Hope this question has not been asked before.

Well,the Vile damage from the BoVD "unlike regular damage can only be healed by magic cast within the area of a consecrate or hallow spell."

How should we handle this with the Juggernaut,that at 3d level becomes immune to all spells that have the Healing subschool?
Should we consider "Repairing" spells and psionic powers as "healing" spells for the Juggernaut?

Thank you for the great work you are doing here!

:D

Originally posted by Hellcow
Rules for forging arcane marks are provided on page 46 of the Eberron campaign setting.

Well..I'll be. How in the holy heck did I miss this? :embarrass

Thanks though, the entire response was illuminating. :D

Originally posted by Hellcow
So, does anyone have any good ideas how to address this, or is the thread going to collapse under its sheer volume of answers?

Suggestions in no particular order:

1) Keith only answers questions about game story and flavor. This means rules issues would go elsewhere.

2) Keith only answers questions that meet some other set of Keith-defined criteria. This means the rest of us would have to accept that our issue, however important to us, might not get an answer.

3) Keith gets help. If anyone else knows the mind of Hellcow well enough to speak on his behalf, they could be designated to answer stuff as well.

4) Nothing happens, and eventually either the thread collapses or Keith stops writing Eberron books so he can spend all day answering us instead.

If this were a democracy, I'd vote for #1 -- rules questions can go to dozens of sources (and ultimately are a matter for individual DMs to deal with anyway), but nobody knows the feel of the world like the man who made it.

Originally posted by MarkB
I've begun going through this thread and extracting only the official answers, and posting the results in this thread (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=287579). So far, only the first page's worth is up, but I intend to keep working my way through it until I've got the whole thing. Once that's done, I'll request that it be stickied, and then try to keep it up to date. A separate Sticky thread that Keith posts to is the easiest solution. If a community member is willing to compile all of Keith's previous answers chronologically, and that is created/added to the Keith Answers Sticky, then the Answers Sticky has more utility.

Ultimately, the best solution is an FAQ sorted into topics, in both HTML and Word format (for downloading). In order to be properly useful, the FAQ would need regular updates, which implies that it either be the task of a WotC employee or that of a dedicated fan who can commit to regular updates and gets some swag in exchange.

I'd also recommend that some of the most revelatory questions/responses, in Keith's opinion, be treated like a Sage's Corner article and be more widely published, for those Eberron players/DMs who do not frequent the boards.

Originally posted by Atlictoatl
Ultimately, the best solution is an FAQ sorted into topics, in both HTML and Word format (for downloading). I finished page three... give me awhile!

MarkB? This was even harder than I thought it'd be :( !

SPOILERS!

(Shadows of the Last War)


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Keith,

I just ran my group through Shadows of the Last War last night - great adventure (although we should have blocked out more time to play it. That thing is looooong). Other DMs, take note! :)

Anyway, on page 2 you state, in reference to the text that contains Kedran's notes on the pattern and the secrets of its creative powers, "Two incomplete copies of this text also exist - one that was used at the secret Cannith Research facility in Cyre, and the other in the hands of the Emerald Claw." (Merrix d'Cannith has the only complete copy.)

I assume the secret Cannith Research facility in Cyre referenced is in fact Whitehearth?

If so, are the PCs meant to find the second copy of the incomplete text in their explorations of Whitehearth? It is not listed anywhere amongst the treasure for that area.

If not, does it reside in a different facility? Is it important to the plotline? Could the PCs go retrieve it on their own (perhaps before Whispers of the Vampire's Blade) and get a hint as to what it is Elaydren and House Cannith are asking them to recover?

Thanks!

Galen

Hello Keith,

I've gone through this entire thread and had a few more questions...

1) Will there be a naming convention guide to all the nations in one of the articles? I'm writing up something for the Wartorn novel proposal and just winging it based off of the names that are given in the Eberron CS... such as Cryan names being Russian sounding (ex: Oargev). For the non-human races I'm just using the examples in the PHB as a guide. Any other ideas in regard to making appropriate Eberron names?

2) The information I've read so far in regards to healing in the Mournland seems to disallow natural, spell, and spell-like healing... but I did not see mention in the Mournland's text about supernatural healing... This seems to imply that supernatural healing works in the Mournland... Is this correct? If so, than paladins and monks would be the only classes that can heal in the Mournlands. Which I think is cool and makes them the perfect explorers of the mysteries of the Mournland.

3) How likely is it that a least dragonmarked character would work outside of the House? For example, a character loyal to one of the thrones (or religons) in Eberron manifests a dragonmark that would be helpful for his country (or faith) to have access to and chooses to remain loyal to his country (or faith). Would a House allow such a character to work for a particular country (or faith) if this were the case? Would the House frown on (or worse in the case of some houses) this choice?

4) If the above is frowned on (or worse) could a character keep his dragonmark (obviously not on a visible portion of the body) secret from anyone other then the members of the country he works with? For example, a character from house Thuranni works for the throne of Breland and manifests a dragonmark on her shoulderblade. As long as she keeps this mark covered up by her clothing and doesn't change her surname to "d'Thuranni"... would she be able to keep her secret?

Thanks.

Originally posted by MarkB
I've begun going through this thread and extracting only the official answers, and posting the results in this thread (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=287579). So far, only the first page's worth is up, but I intend to keep working my way through it until I've got the whole thing.
Thank you, Mark, much appreciated!

I am wondering, since the Kalashtar are *generally* Lawful Good, why their religion, the Path of Light, is with Lawful Neutral alignment? Shouldn't the religion reflect their philosophy and world view and as such - their alignment?

Originally posted by Joni-san
How does a Warforged react to (nat. 20) Criticals from Vorpal weapons? What about Brilliant Energy?
Keith's Unofficial Answer to Rules Question(tm): As a living construct, a warforged will die if its head is severed. If you want to be weird, you could rule that once the warforged gains immunity to critical hits, it is more like a golem and can therefore survive the loss of its head. However, it still keeps its sensory organs in its head, so it would be blind and deaf without it.

If a Warforged has lost his arm (or another limb) for one reason or another, can he re-attach it or a replacement with a Craft:*Insert your add here* check?
Officially? Use regeneration. Unofficially? I could see allowing a spellcaster or artificer to reattach a limb provided he had, say, Craft Construct, 13 ranks in an appropriate Craft skill, and spent, hmm, 500 gp and 50 XP. This shouldn't be something that presents a huge advantage to warforged; in a sense, reattaching the severed limb is reforging that section, and it's not a trivial task. (If you had access to a working creation forge, you could probably do it easily).

I could also see allowing an artificer to expend a 5th level infusion to reattach the severed limb of a construct or living construct, as if using regeneration. But again, U-N-O-F-F-I-C-I-A-L. That would be a Keith house rule, nothing more.

Originally posted by Joni-san
What about Brilliant Energy?
Missed this. The description of Brilliant Energy says "A brilliant energy weapon cannot harm constructs". A warforged is a construct (regardless of its subtype). Therefore, it is immune to damage from brilliant energy weapons.

(And hey, that one's even official!)

Originally posted by DBlizzard
Here is an idea. The warforged do have an alchemical fluid as part of their makeup. However, it congeals in contact with air, sealing the "leak." Thus, they don't "bleed", but can be drained.
Certainly an interesting idea, which works in conjunction with their using consumable magic items. Once a warforged becomes immune to ability damage (also losing the ability to use consumable items), this liquid could be assumed to have become irrelevant.

Originally posted by Selûnite
On page 238 in the description of House Tharashk, it lists a member named Maagrim d'Tharashk who is a N female half-orc, druid 7/heir of Siberys 3.

In the requirements for the Heir of Siberys Prestige Class, it says that a person needs two skills with 15 ranks or more to qualify. Since this is not possible as a level 7 druid, I'm wondering if Maagrim should be a druid 12/heir of Siberys 3, or if the skill requirement for the HoS Prestige Class is listed as being too high?
Maagrim's level is in error and will be addressed whenever errata is released. I'd make her Druid 9/Expert 3/Heir of Siberys 3. She's a powerful druid, but not level 12.

I think that refers to the Secret Cannithi workshop that was the epicenter of the destruction of Cyre.
Originally posted by Galen_Michael
SPOILERS!

(Shadows of the Last War)


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Keith,

I just ran my group through Shadows of the Last War last night - great adventure (although we should have blocked out more time to play it. That thing is looooong). Other DMs, take note! :)

Anyway, on page 2 you state, in reference to the text that contains Kedran's notes on the pattern and the secrets of its creative powers, "Two incomplete copies of this text also exist - one that was used at the secret Cannith Research facility in Cyre, and the other in the hands of the Emerald Claw." (Merrix d'Cannith has the only complete copy.)

I assume the secret Cannith Research facility in Cyre referenced is in fact Whitehearth?

If so, are the PCs meant to find the second copy of the incomplete text in their explorations of Whitehearth? It is not listed anywhere amongst the treasure for that area.

If not, does it reside in a different facility? Is it important to the plotline? Could the PCs go retrieve it on their own (perhaps before Whispers of the Vampire's Blade) and get a hint as to what it is Elaydren and House Cannith are asking them to recover?

Thanks!

Galen

First off, thanks to Keith for putting so much of his time into this thread! You rock!

My first question is about the pictures of warforged in the ECS. All of them are different. Do you attribute this to armor feats, Juggernaut levels, different artists ideas of what they look like, or personal modifications? Did the creation forges pop them out with slight variations? Some combination of the above, or none of them at all?

My other question is about the Ashbound sect. In the ECS it seems to imply that they feel it is wrong to cultivate crops and domesticate animals, because their extremist members attack farms. I'm okay with that. But how do they rationalize making clothing and manufactured weapons? Should true ashbound use only unworked branches, as clubs and quarterstaffs?

Thanks in advance!

First off, thanks to Keith for investing so much time into this forum! You rock!

My first question is about the art for the warforged in the ECS. Every warforged looks at least slightly different. Is this just different artists perceptions of how they would look, or was there some degree of variance in indivdual warforged made by the creation forges? Or can it all be rationalized away as armor feats, Juggernaut levels, and personal modifications?

Anyway, my other question is about the Ashbound sect. In the ECS it mention Ashbound extremists attacking farms. I'm guessing this is because they see cultivating crops and domesticating animals as going against natural order, "Man controlling nature rather than being part of nature" per se. That's fine with me, but how do they rationalize clothing and maufactured weapons? Do "true" ashbound go around in nothing but leaves and whole animal skins, with unworked branches for clubs and quarterstaves?

Thanks in advance!

Hi Keith, and thanks for answering the questions we've been bringing up. :)

My questions may not seem all that interesting to most people but I'm bringing them up just for a matter of flavour in the campaign I'm planning.

First, there seems to be a taste for curved blades among the people of Khorvaire, especially in Talenta and Valenar. My questions is, how hard would it be to find a japanese style blade [a katana or wakizashi, just as examples] in one of those countries? How "strange" would a katana-wielder be considered in those places, and perhaps the rest of Khorvaire?

Second, and this might seem pretty stupid... is it even possible to see a snow storm in the southern/eastern face of the Seawall Mountains [the "Darguun side" of them], close to Marguul Pass? I'd like to use that for some kind of effect on PCs, but I'm not sure how to do it since this seems to be a warmer region of Khorvaire...

That's all for now, I guess. Thanks again for your time!

not that i want to jump in the deep end but almost every character image that seems to be Shadow marches (or is it marshes?) seems to be in japanese style clothing, (with one or 2 VERY obvious japanese clothing pieces)
So personally id say that Katanas and such llike would most probably come from that area

And if an Old Orc with a broom smiles at you remember rule 1

my computer needs a kick every now and again

I have a question on dragonshards. How much do the "raw" dragonshard sell for? I'm looking for uncut Eberron, Khyber, and Siberius shards. I'm thinking of having my characters get a quest to find some Sib shards that just fell to Xen'Drik. And they may stumble on a crashed airship that they can try to salvage. ;)

Originally posted by Alexius D'Cannith
And if an Old Orc with a broom smiles at you remember rule 1

Do you mean "Pillage, then burn"? (http://www.schlockmercenary.com/d/20040722.html)


Simon Jester :devil:

(Frackin' double post)

So, can I get a ruling if the Psionic ability Body Adjustment will work as designed in the Mournland? I am wondering if it is affected by the restrictions on healing or otherwise. My part has a player who will likely play a Psion Egoist, considering that it can work as an effective Cleric in addition to its main role of effective Wizard.

Empathic Transfer: 2d10 HP transferred from yourself to an ally.
Body Adjustment: d12 HP restored to yourself.

...

What if the Psion was a warforged... he could effectively heal the entire party and repair himself at the same time... that could put the pieces back together really quickly.

So, can I get a ruling if the Psionic ability Body Adjustment will work as designed in the Mournland? I am wondering if it is affected by the restrictions on healing or otherwise.

Keith doesn't answer rules questions, so this question might be better asked in a different thread.

But...here is my 2 cents, (and I think many will agree with me): Like Conjuration spells with the healing subschool, Psychometabolism powers with the healing subdiscipline shouldn't work in the Mournlands.

This is entirely my opinion, and may be proven wrong if the reason for the lack of healing in Mournlands is told to us in a later release. I argue for this ruling for game balance purposes: for too long psionics has been a way to get around the barriers designed to keep magic in check, and they have been vilified for it. Psionics are finally reasonable, and we should try to keep them that way.

Do what you wish in your own game though.



Gurv

"People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true."
-Wizard's First Rule

First let me say I love the setting and thank you for helping me to find the excitement in D&D again. Eberron has inspired me to adventure ideas I had never thought of before.

I posted a question earlier on the general board asking about the Silent Knives, and I found out why I could not find a specific reference to them in the SB. I'm interested in them for two reasons I want to use them as recurring NPC/thorns in the sides of a group of PC's. And, I have a player that wants to have his charater have an association and if possible be an active (yet secret to the other PC's) member of the Sharaat'Khesh.

Now onto the questions.
1. Are they called Sharaat'Khesh? I'm unsure of the spelling and pronunciation.

2. (Sorry, this may be too broad and I probably know the answer but I'll throw it in there.)Will there be any more detailed information on them in future products? (Like, perhaps in Adventure Mods or Novels or maybe the Races of Eb SB.)

3. Are they specific to just the Dhakaani clans. If so are they associted with the powerful Dhakaani clan mentioned on pg.153.

4. How are they used? By this I mean are they only used as an assassination/espionge group? And, are they only used by and for the clan, only for clan business?

5. This is kind of related to #4. How secret are they? Are they a Dhakaani secret group only, or are they or can they be employed by say an individual or government or even a House? How far does their reputation reach?

6. What is the racial make-up of the group and size? Is it a mixture of goblinoid races like the Dhakaani clan itself?

7. I know that they have been described as a monastic order of monk/rogues and I am wondering what the general leadership hierachy is? To clarify, is it a sect set up like a traditional martial arts monestary or more like mercenaries?

8. This kind of relates to #4 and #5. Who do they show favor or loyalty to in the struggle for clan supremacy among the leaders mentioned on pg.154. The chieftain Ruus Dhakaan, Turra Dhakaan, Kurac Thaar, or some other faction not mention. Or would it be everyone and/or no one at all?

Thanks for any help you could provide. If you can't because of future releases or whatever I understand and will be looking forward to it then. Again, It's a great setting and many thanks.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by crazysamaritan
[B]I finished page three... give me awhile!

Page three of what?

Hey all!

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to answer as many questions as I'd like to have these last few days. More unfortunately, I'm going on yet another trip, so there is a good chance that I won't be able to answer any more questions until Monday (it will all depend on whether I have internet access on the road). For anyone in the area, I will be speaking at Turbine Nation in Providence, RI this Saturday, and they'll also be doing some sort of drawing to play in a special adventure I'm putting together. So if you're at the convention, catch me in the hall and say howdy!

Originally posted by crazysamaritan
I finished page three... give me awhile!

MarkB? This was even harder than I thought it'd be :( ! Yes, given how long it takes just to cut'n'paste them, I'm gaining new respect for Keith, who has to write them from scratch - and come up with the answers. :cool:

Can you tell us a little about umbragen? Are they official? We'll see them in Races if Eberron?

How does Vol look alike? Sha has wings, she has a dragon like head or what?

Originally posted by seint_83
How does Vol look alike? Sha has wings

As a medium half-dragon, she doesn't have wings.

"Master Keith, as a man blind since birth, I have never looked upon Siberys and the rings that cross the sky above. Nor have I gazed upon the moons in the night sky. Please tell a humble blind man, what do the heavens look like?"

...

In your mind's eye, how do you see the night and day skys of the world of Eberron. Is there any artwork of what the skies of Eberrron might look like? Do the rings around Eberron case shadows upon its surface like the rings of Saturn. Do the moons all travel from east to west? And how are they distinct, if at all?

A simple fool,

dana. (a.k.a. sheik)

I don't know if this has been asked, so here goes:

On the map of Breland, for the mileage ruler, it shows that Breland could be considered 1000 miles long, so therefore each of the alternating bands would be 200 miles each. However, if that was the case then the mileage ruler should say 1200, considering that there are three shaded portions and three blank portions. Was this in error?

In either case, what is the mileage for each of these portions?

Originally posted by Treefrog
I don't know if this has been asked, so here goes:

On the map of Breland, for the mileage ruler, it shows that Breland could be considered 1000 miles long, so therefore each of the alternating bands would be 200 miles each. However, if that was the case then the mileage ruler should say 1200, considering that there are three shaded portions and three blank portions. Was this in error?

In either case, what is the mileage for each of these portions?

Simple. 1000 divided by 6. (6 sections). That would make roughly 167 miles per shaded portion. It's actually 166.6 repeating... so round up to 167 for ease of use.

For the Armblade and Armbow warforged attachments, how long does it take to attach them? 1 round? 1 move action? Could it be used with quickdraw, just slam the hand into place and it's as smooth of an action as a cowboy drawing his six-shooter? Or maybe it's longer, taking a few minutes to bolt it into place, and only useful when expecting battle? In the same way, how quickly can it be removed? Is it a matter of just dropping it to draw another weapon? Is it attached magically or mechanically?

On a similar note, with the Wand Sheath warforged component, it states the want cannot be ejected until all the charges are used up. What if the warforged inserts an eternal wand? Technically it never runs out of charges, but if they used all the charges for the day, would they then be able to eject it?

Before my question, thanks so much for Eberron Keith!

On to my question... About Armblades and Armbows; I was curious of how that idea could be used for other weapons. What struck my curiosity on the subject was the Warforged Juggernaut's example character. In it's possessions is lists a "swordbond with +1 battleaxe."

Was there supposed to be a special system for weapon components? If there was, was it scrapped for space (as I can assume much was) and the Juggernaut's description missed?

On top of that, although it is a rules question, do you have any idea on how I could implement a "swordbond" type system? Is this type of system yet to be described in another book? And finally, how would you do it in your campaign?

Thanks in advance!

Keith

My question is mostly for flavor text. Which dragonmark do you think Vol Has?

Im starting a campain where a heir to the House of Vol has finally surfaced. He has a Mark of Siberys that I have given the ability to Control Undead. Vol is going to be the PC's patrons. All though they won't know it.

Originally posted by lostone
On a similar note, with the Wand Sheath warforged component, it states the want cannot be ejected until all the charges are used up. What if the warforged inserts an eternal wand? Technically it never runs out of charges, but if they used all the charges for the day, would they then be able to eject it?

I can answer this one. The wand can be removed once its daily allotment of charges have been used up.

Keith,

How common (and how detailed) are maps of Khorvaire? Could someone purchase a map of the entire continent at the local "Map Shoppe"? If so, how detailed would it be? If not, how could one procure such a map, and how much would it cost? How accurate would it be? How available and detailed (and accurate) are maps of individual nations/geographic areas?

Thanks,
Galen

Darkstar: I would say Either Least or Lesser Mark of Death. Abilities... well I would guess either gentle repose or inflict light wounds. For te Lesser Mark it would probably be something like false life or vampiric touch.

All of this is a moot point because Vol can't actuall use any of her DrM abilities due to her state of Undeath.

Keith: Just out of curiousity, if I were to tell you my theory on what created the mournland effect, would you tell me if I was on the right track. The reason I'm asking is, I've got a PC master inquisitve who wants the party to embark on a mission to discover the secrets of the mournland, when they're high enough level, that is. Now, The only question left is, fruitless search or amazing discovery?:smirk:

A swordbond, i would assume is just a peice of metal that allows Warforged X to put a weapon in place of a hand. I wouldn't have it that expensive, maybe 500 thrones(gp).

Originally posted by Cyrian Darkstar
My question is mostly for flavor text. Which dragonmark do you think Vol Has?

Least. She was still a child when her dragonmark became useless, and I don't think it has grown since.

Originally posted by Endless_Helix


Keith: Just out of curiousity, if I were to tell you my theory on what created the mournland effect, would you tell me if I was on the right track. The reason I'm asking is, I've got a PC master inquisitve who wants the party to embark on a mission to discover the secrets of the mournland, when they're high enough level, that is. Now, The only question left is, fruitless search or amazing discovery?:smirk:



Keith has already stated that it is unknown...and I speculate that it might not even have ever been decided. Ie, the designers just decided that 'something' happened, with no intention to elaborate on it.

The individual DMs can of course decide on their own, and I suspect, that is the intention.

Yet another one to be added to the 13 conspiracies list (I bet there's 12 places where there's 13 things and one is missing, how many do we got now?)

Ignore this, it has been answered. Question: Is the Kalashtar the 13th race of the Quori's? (I haven't completely understood those buggers yet, so I might be totally off here)

And what is the continent below Xen'Drik? Couldn't find it in the ECS.

Does the half-elven race have a name? Having been established for centuries, I can't imagine them calling themselves half-elves?

It doesn't say anywhere in the book, but I'm wondering. Can warforged swim? Do they get any penalties? Do they just sink? Can they just walk on the bottom of the water, as they don't breath?

Also, can a warforged ride a horse without breaking the horses' back? Or does it have to be a magebred horse that has a strong back and legs to hold a warforged up?

If this has been asked before, please forgive me, as I didn't have the time to read through all the pages to find my answer.

One last thing, what is this History table that Keith has been talking about, and if it's done, where can I find it?

Originally posted by hailstop
Keith has already stated that it is unknown...and I speculate that it might not even have ever been decided. Ie, the designers just decided that 'something' happened, with no intention to elaborate on it.

The individual DMs can of course decide on their own, and I suspect, that is the intention.
Since we will never get an official answer to this question, I just created a thread here (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=288984) where people can post their ideas about what might have happened on the Day of Mourning. Hopefully we'll get a bunch of ideas and you'll then be able to choose the one you like best! Got ideas? Post em!

Galen

Originally posted by Kashiko
It doesn't say anywhere in the book, but I'm wondering. Can warforged swim? Do they get any penalties? Do they just sink? Can they just walk on the bottom of the water, as they don't breath?

Also, can a warforged ride a horse without breaking the horses' back? Or does it have to be a magebred horse that has a strong back and legs to hold a warforged up?

If this has been asked before, please forgive me, as I didn't have the time to read through all the pages to find my answer.

One last thing, what is this History table that Keith has been talking about, and if it's done, where can I find it?

Well, Warforged are at least partially wood, and since wood has some buoancy, I'd say they probably can swim, but its hard since they are more dense than living things. Also, about the horses, just think, could a horse support a person between 250 and 350 lbs? (I'm using approximations since I dont have their stat block in front of me) I'm pretty sure they can, and just at a horses weight allowance in the MM. I'm pretty sure it would work.

Originally posted by Kashiko
It doesn't say anywhere in the book, but I'm wondering. Can warforged swim? Do they get any penalties? Do they just sink? Can they just walk on the bottom of the water, as they don't breath?
Also, can a warforged ride a horse without breaking the horses' back? Or does it have to be a magebred horse that has a strong back and legs to hold a warforged up?


For these purposes I'd treat the adamantine body warforged as a human in full plate (or equivalent armor for mithral body, or none), so they'd have swimming penalties based on the armor, and any knight wearing full plate is going to want a heavy warhorse, it'll have the best strength and endurance to handle the extra weight.

Originally posted by Kashiko
Also, can a warforged ride a horse without breaking the horses' back? Or does it have to be a magebred horse that has a strong back and legs to hold a warforged up?


A warforged can ride a horse if the horse can carry his weight. There is a table for weights for the new races in the Races chapter.

What happens if a Dragonmarked character dies, is subjected to a Reincarnation spell, and comes back as a different race? For example, a human with the Mark of Making dies, and is brought back as a dwarf.

What happens if said dwarf breeds with non-dragonmarked house dwarves? Might you get dwarves with the Mark of Making?

Other than the political fallout from possibly creating a new dragonmarked house.

Also, if you take the Heir of Siberys PrC, is there a racial limit on what marks you can choose? As amusing as the thought of a dwarf with the Siberys mark of Shadow is, it doesn't seem likely.

I'm pretty sure I didn't see this asked before, but:
- What would happen if you took one of the "preserved" bodies out of the Mournland? Any possibility you could resurrect or reincarnate one of those individuals?
- Are there any areas anywhere on Eberron that are similar to the Mournlands? I can imagine how exciting it would be to people for somebody to find something similar (even if smaller) on another continent (especially if found on Xen'drik). Which could of course be some kind of clue as to what caused the Mourning.

Originally posted by Cernunnos
I'm pretty sure I didn't see this asked before, but:
- What would happen if you took one of the "preserved" bodies out of the Mournland? Any possibility you could resurrect or reincarnate one of those individuals?
- Are there any areas anywhere on Eberron that are similar to the Mournlands? I can imagine how exciting it would be to people for somebody to find something similar (even if smaller) on another continent (especially if found on Xen'drik). Which could of course be some kind of clue as to what caused the Mourning.

I'm not sure what the official answer might be, but in my game, it can't happen. For those bodies and animated corpses unlucky to have been trapped in the Mournland on the Day of Mourning the wall of fog actually acts as a physical barrier, preventing them from escaping their fate of eternal torment and unrest. There are creatures which are exempt from this, but they are the ones which have only malice in their hearts or who have been corrupted by the power of the Mournland. In fact, in my game, the Mournland is only a step away from being an entity of its own, with an ego and everything.

Originally posted by Kashiko
It doesn't say anywhere in the book, but I'm wondering. Can warforged swim? Do they get any penalties? Do they just sink? Can they just walk on the bottom of the water, as they don't breath? There was a thread about this, in the Classes, Races and Monsters forum as I recall. The general upshot was that the Warforgeds' given body weight and size were not incompatible with them having neutral or slightly positive buoyancy if they were deliberately built that way. I'd tend not to give them any particular Swim penalty.

Originally posted by Sarig the Genie

Question: Is the Kalashtar the 13th race of the Quori's? (I haven't completely understood those buggers yet, so I might be totally off here)

Keith said somewhere on this big long thread that the Kalashtar aren't a Quori racial group, they're a Quori philosophical/religious group. Most of the Kalashtar are Tsucora Quori, just like the ones that possess the Inspired.

edit:Aha! MarkB's compilation of answers has caught up to the point in the thread I'm remembering: The question/answer pair is near the end of the most recent post on the Ask Keith Baker FAQ (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=287579)

edit2: well it WAS the most recent post when I first edited this message to reference it.

Originally posted by MarkB
There was a thread about this, in the Classes, Races and Monsters forum as I recall. The general upshot was that the Warforgeds' given body weight and size were not incompatible with them having neutral or slightly positive buoyancy if they were deliberately built that way. I'd tend not to give them any particular Swim penalty.

Remember that if you take mythral or adamantine body you get an armor check penalty, which applies to swim, and that a 'forged cannot take off that armor if it's drowning. So as far as I'm concerned, the penalty to swim has already been accounted for. I don't think anyone should have a problem with composit warforged, rare as they are, swimming to it's clockwork heart's content.

This is new and from another thread. The Warforged Juggernaut PRC makes the PC immune to spells of the healing subschool. I just noticed that Raise Dead, Ressurection, & True Ressurection are all part of the healing subschool. That means that a warforgred juggernaut cannot come back from the dead. I wondering that was done on purpose and is that how you would run it in your games. Thank you

Originally posted by Reader
Keith said somewhere on this big long thread that the Kalashtar aren't a Quori racial group, they're a Quori philosophical/religious group. Most of the Kalashtar are Tsucora Quori, just like the ones that possess the Inspired.

edit:Aha! MarkB's compilation of answers has caught up to the point in the thread I'm remembering: The question/answer pair is near the end of the most recent post on the Ask Keith Baker FAQ (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=287579)

edit2: well it WAS the most recent post when I first edited this message to reference it.

Okay. Thanks for the info. but I have another question. Because the warforged have a mostly metal body, would they suffer rust damage after awhile from being in water? Just curious.

Originally posted by urzafrank
This is new and from another thread. The Warforged Juggernaut PRC makes the PC immune to spells of the healing subschool. I just noticed that Raise Dead, Ressurection, & True Ressurection are all part of the healing subschool. That means that a warforgred juggernaut cannot come back from the dead. I wondering that was done on purpose and is that how you would run it in your games. Thank you

A juggernaut is closer to a construct than a living being. Just as you can't bring that Iron Golem back from the dead, you can't bring a Juggernaut back from the dead. If a certain warforged want's the "safety net" of the Raise Dead type of spells, then he shouldn't take The Juggernaut PRC.

Originally posted by darkthought
A juggernaut is closer to a construct than a living being. Just as you can't bring that Iron Golem back from the dead, you can't bring a Juggernaut back from the dead. If a certain warforged want's the "safety net" of the Raise Dead type of spells, then he shouldn't take The Juggernaut PRC.

If you want a Warforged Juggernaut, its best to invest in that item that can save their essence.

Originally posted by DireHawk
If you want a Warforged Juggernaut, its best to invest in that item that can save their essence.
That's an artifact from Xen'drik, "powerful components beyond the skills of modern artificers to create." Not exactly something you can buy at the Ye Old Magic Shoppe.

Oh, that was an artifact? Hmmm... I guess I should reread that. Still from the description it seems like they may be at least somewhat available, more so than normal artifacts that is...

Hello,

I understand the point of the craft reserve for artificers, but in our campaign, we have a small issue. Our artificer was broke and couldn't really afford too many scrolls at the beginning of our adventure. We went through the book initial adventure, and got to level 2.

So, our artificer would like to spend "all" of his craft reserve "before" going up a level, so that he won't waste any of his craft reserve. The players handbook says that once you get enough xp to go up to next level, you "immediately" go up to next level. Can our artificer hold off going up a level in order to spend a few weeks writing up scrolls? Or is he forced to waste his craft reserve?

The main issue we're having is that before the adventure, the artificer didn't have enough money to make use of his craft reserve, after the adventure he got enough money and xp to go to next level, depriving him the use of his craft reserve. Of what use is the craft reserve at lvl 1, if its extremly unlikely he'll be able to make use of it?

Thank you for your time,

A question about the -Steel Strike monk feats. Under the assumption that all the martial weapons are roughly equal to each other, would it be reasonable to invent another feat that makes a monk weapon out of a different weapon? Say, a style devoted to handaxes, or even 10 ft poles.

My specific intent was to see if it would be out of the question to substitute the Valenar double scimitar for Double Steel Strike. I love the illustration for it, and it looks like it would be a lot more graceful and monkish than two longswords on a stick.

Keith,

What do living spells with no visible effects look like?

(Spells like dictum, fear, holy word, shout, etc.)

I assume they are not actually invisible, as that would give them an additional advantage.

Thanks,
Galen

P.S. How cool would a living gate spell be? :)

The Ask Keith Baker FAQ (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=4119368#post4119368) is now up-to-date. I'll be adding pages from this thread to it as they are completed, so you should only need to check the last page of this thread to find any answers that aren't yet in the FAQ.

The FAQ consists only of Keith's answers, so some of the answers may lack context. I've included page numbers at the start of each section, so if anything is unclear, you can refer back to the main thread for clarification.

Two things:

1) MarkB , you rule! Thank you so much for your FAQ page!

2) Keith, do all living spells conform to the size/type specifications described in the template?

Ex: Is a living Mordenkainen's sword (caster level 13) actually huge, or is it the size of the sword itself(medium)? Is it still an ooze?

Thanks,
Galen

Originally posted by MarkB
The Ask Keith Baker FAQ is now up-to-date.
WOW! You got these 47 pages distilled down to 2! I'm stunned! Great job! Thanks on behalf of both Hellcow and the woman who tries to keep him sane! :D

H.Cakes

Originally posted by Galen_Michael
Two things:

1) MarkB , you rule! Thank you so much for your FAQ page!

My pleasure. :)

2) Keith, do all living spells conform to the size/type specifications described in the template?

Ex: Is a living Mordenkainen's sword (caster level 13) actually huge, or is it the size of the sword itself(medium)? Is it still an ooze? That's a neat idea. I could see a Mordenkainen's Sword as an ooze - make it a huge, translucent jelly with a metallic sheen, full of swordlike blades that shift and swirl within it, pushing against its skin to give it a spiky appearance. Whenever it slam-attacks someone, one of the blades pierces through the skin to strike simultaneously with the slam, dealing both sets of damage (but on separate attack rolls) - and those engulfed are subjected to equivalent attacks from the swirling blades.

I'll look forward to Keith's take on this - I've been wondering whether Living Spells are always oozes, or if something with a distinct form, like Mordenkainen's Sword, could retain that form.

I had a scary thought when reading the Living Spell template...living Prismatic Sphere. A large sphere shaped ooze of scintilating colors that rolls over it's prey leaving nothing in it's wake. The only way to truly kill it is to take it apart one color at a time like the actual spell prismatic sphere or wall, because any weapons that strike it do their damage and are then subject to the effects of the prismatic sphere :D :smirk:. And since there's most likely never been a wizard on Eberron named Mordenkainen, they probably don't have mordenkainen's disjunction (unless it's known by a different wizard's name). :devil:

Living Maze:angel:

Master Baker (snicker) the question I pose is this :

For item creation as an Artificer they must make a UMD check DC of 20 + Caster level of the spell they are emulating.
How do you determine the caster level of that spell?
Or is it a typo and you mean Spell level..

Or is it "If the player were to be a Wizard"?

danke danke

(btw awesome game)

Originally posted by Alexius D'Cannith
Living Maze:angel:

Since Eberron by default goes by psionics/magic transparency, then powers are basically spells, and in theory you could have living spells based on psionic powers. I think a living Fusion would be especially enteresting, a swirling blob that goes around engulfing and combining creatures at random. Reminds me a little of the Descolada virus from Orson Scott Card's Speaker books.

DM: the ooze stretches out to engulf you, make a reflex save!

Paladin: augh! I fail!

DM: You and your mount are engulfed, each taking x damage. Do you survive?

Paladin: We both do.

DM: Your relationship with your special mount just got a little more special, Horse-Boy.

Originally posted by Alexius D'Cannith
Living Maze:angel:

Since Eberron by default goes by psionics/magic transparency, then powers are basically spells, and in theory you could have living spells based on psionic powers. I think a living Fusion would be especially interesting, a swirling blob that goes around engulfing and combining creatures at random. Reminds me a little of the Descolada virus from Orson Scott Card's Speaker books.

DM: the ooze stretches out to engulf you, make a reflex save!

Paladin: augh! I fail!

DM: You and your mount are engulfed, each taking x damage. Do you survive?

Paladin: We both do.

DM: Your relationship with your special mount just got a little more special, Horse-Boy.

I asked this in the "Magic, Deities and Cosmology" section, but I think I'd like your take on the question -- plus, I would like to recommend that you address it in the errata.

Is it the alignment of the cleric, or of the religion he belongs to, that determines whether he channels positive or negative energy? Would a good cleric of the Blood of Vol turn and destroy undead, or would he rebuke and command them instead? Would his spontaneous casting ability be for healing spells, or harming ones?

In my original thread, everyone who's posted so far has said that it should come from the faith, not the individual. There are several reasons why we prefer it that way, both from a metagame standpoint and from the interesting situations we could develop from that rule.

What do you think?

TOGM

P.S.: As I mentioned in the original thread, your good cleric of the Blood of Vol wouldn't think in terms of rebuking or commanding undead -- he'd think in terms of asking these exalted beings to stand aside or do him a favor.

Originally posted by nick012000
What happens if a Dragonmarked character dies, is subjected to a Reincarnation spell, and comes back as a different race? For example, a human with the Mark of Making dies, and is brought back as a dwarf.

What happens if said dwarf breeds with non-dragonmarked house dwarves? Might you get dwarves with the Mark of Making?

Other than the political fallout from possibly creating a new dragonmarked house.

Also, if you take the Heir of Siberys PrC, is there a racial limit on what marks you can choose? As amusing as the thought of a dwarf with the Siberys mark of Shadow is, it doesn't seem likely.

I know it's bad netiquette to quote myself, but I haven't been answered yet.

Be patient. Keith has a large backlog of questions to answer, and as sson as he gets one answered, three more get posted. He will get to yours in time. Repeatedly drawing attention to it won't speed it up any.

You asked this question only one page back in the thread. You may have to wait a while for a response from Mr. Baker

What happens if a Dragonmarked character dies, is subjected to a Reincarnation spell, and comes back as a different race?

Thats a rough one- I look forward to Keith's answer. But technically, you're screwed: failing to have the prerequisite for a feat usually means it stops working. And being a particular race is one of the prerequisites for the Dragonmark feats. You are even more damned if you have the Dragonmarked Heir or Heir of Siberys class, cause I think they'd stop working too.

Personally, I'd give the player his feat back, at least. But I don't know what I'd do about someone with levels in the prestige classes.

On the same note, what about warforged with the body feats? Or levels in warforged juggernaut? Those don't translate very well to new races

About warforged juggernaughts being brought back to life: Couldn't you "just" Clone it?

I don't think you could apply the clone spell to a warforged since the clone spell. Clone merely induces cells to reproduce in a way that replicates cell division as an embryo undergoes. Since warforged A) do not heal naturally, this assumes it is because their cells do not reproduce, and B) do not begin life as an embryo, the spell could not affect them. Or if you could use clone, it would merely reproduce a body which could not sustain another entities life force, since it was not magically prepared to hold a soul as one created by House Cannith is.

Hi folks!

I'm back from my latest trip, but I have a lot of work on my plate and about 3 pages of questions to get through here. So it may be days before the current crop is answered. Patience!
Originally posted by DireHawk
I know you're really busy, but I was just wondering if maybe I could send you my ideas and get some feedback and perhaps some suggestions... could I PM or e-mail them to you perhaps?
Sure, go ahead and PM me! But be warned, I *am* very busy, so don't expect a speedy or too in-depth response...

Also about game mechanics, I thought that since Warforged only receive half healing benefits from cure spells because they're only half-organic, I figured they would only receive half the benefits of a repair spell since they're only half construct. But my players disagree. They say full benefit of repair. Which is it?
Warforged are constructs, and the repair spell is designed to fix constructs, regardless of what material they are made of (don't forget the flesh golem!). So repair spells are fully effective on warforged.

Just as a cheerful note, I was wrong earlier -- I'm still answering questions on page 44 of this thread. So those of you on pages 47-48, you're just going to have to wait for a while...
Originally posted by Selûnite
Just another quick question. My players have been pronouncing House Orien's name differently and I'm not sure which one is right.
2) Orien (pronounced OAR-ee-en)

Your second choice is the way that I pronounce it.

Originally posted by Little Timmy Miller
I'd actually make the zakya more common in my games. They're better in a straight fight, so they're easier to work in. If the standard sneaky manipulator rakshasa is (relatively) common, I worry for the fate of Eberron's mortal races.
You make a good point; the zakya are a little more grunt-like, which makes them more suitable for the common role. But lest I be misunderstood, neither are "common" -- it's just a matter of the balance between the subspecies among the Lords of Dust.

Originally posted by LewisLlynn
1. The Giant Empire on Xen'drik. Was this a unified empire, or many smaller kingdoms? If it was unified, did good and evil giants get along?
Very little is known about the giant nation of Xen'drik; the continent hasn't been explored deeply enough for scholars to come to that many conclusions. But the diversity of ruins would indicate the existence of multiple giant nations. As for good and evil, remember that in Eberron, alignment is not fixed by race or species -- so there's nothing that says fire giants have to be evil, for example.

2. Constellations. I was surprised to notice that the only mention of them is in a table that lists them as the draconic gods. What else can you tell me about them?
Given the five pages of wuestions I have to get through and the scope of this as a question, I'm going to have to put this off as a possible dragonshard article.

3. Mysterious Sarlona. Will there be a future product about this continent?
I would imagine so, though I'm not the person who makes these decisions.

4. Is it up to the DM to decide what caused the destruction of Cyre, or will this be revealed at some point?
Currently, there are no plans to reveal it. Personally, I wouldn't be in a rush to answer it, as the existence of it as a mystery is something that holds a lot of forces at bay. But ultimately, that's your decision. I believe it was discussed earlier in the thread, so check out the answer thread.

5. Elements and planes. Earth, air, and water elementals all reside on Lamannia. If I wanted each element to be on a seperate plane, how would you suggest I divide them up? I was thinking I could combine Thelanis and Lamannia into one plane, leaving an empty plane for Earth. Air elementals would stay on Lamannia/Thelanis, and water elementals would share part of Risia. Does this make sense?
Needless to say, I like things as they are. The reason for earth and water (and to a lesser degree air) in Lammannia is the idea that it is a plane of primal nature, where the very elements are alive. In Lammannia, the earth itself has spirit. But, if you feel the need to move them, I'd actually move air to Syrania. Water could go to Risia, and you could either leave earth on Lammania or do your combination. But in my mind, Lammannia and Thelanis are significantly different. One is a fey realm of flowing magic; the other is primal nature.

6. As each dragonmark is associated with one month, does it make sense to associate a plane with each month, as well? Or is this just my need to categorize everything acting up again?
Might do. Some sages believe that the moons are associated with the planes, after all, and the moons define the months. But that's up to you. :)

7. Do the marks of Storm and Detection, which appear among half-elves only, or can humans and elves manifest one, too? If not, then is it safe to assume that all the half-elves of houses Lyrandar and Medani are all half-elves descended from other half-elves, rather than a human and an elf?
The marks only manifest on half-elves. The vast majority of the nobles of the house are half-elves descended from half-elves; especially in the case of the dragonmark half-elves, they see themselves as a distinct race, not as hybrids. However, humans and elves may work for the house in umarked capacity. A marked half-elf choosing to marry a human or elf (or something else) would have a very difficult time, since the house wouldn't want him squandering his mark. However, it is possible for a human and half-elf or half-elf and elf to have a half-elf child.

8. What is the creature that appears on the emblem of House Kundarak on page 234????? This has been driving me nuts!!!!
Kundarak? Manticore.

9. When stating, "alignment is unpredictable," do you mean that alignment is flexible (i.e. a good NPC being an enemy or an evil one an ally)? Or do you mean that creatures can have unusual alignments (i.e. a chaotic rakshasa or a good blue dragon)?
Both. No sentient mortal creature should be fixed in its alignment; you can have a good blue dragon or an evil one. But likewise, a good creature can (intentionally or unintentionally) do evil, and an evil creature can do good. The Lawful Evil inquisitor serving the Church of the Silver Flame firmly believes in the cause of the Flame, and may serve the greater cause of good -- but will do so in ways that a paladin would find abhorrent. Should you encounter such a character, you'll have to decide whether the ends justify the means!

Once again, I just wanted to warn people that if I can't answer a question in a few sentences, I just can't answer it in this forum -- I simply don't have the time to elaborate on every undiscolsed element of Eberron, much as I would like to. So the more specific your questiosn, the more chance I'll answer them. "Tell me more about Xen'drik" is just to broad for me to do anything with; "Would Xen'drik be a good place for half-giants" is much better.

Thanks!

Originally posted by knight of the white rose
My first question is what styles; colors of clothing do the humans of Khorvaire wear? Second what are the colors and style of the King’s Citadel?(formal, informal) What types of music do the people of Breland listen to? What are the royal colors of Breland and Cyre? What are the royal symbols of Breland and Cyre?
For various reasons, I can't answer these questions at the moment, but I didn't want you to think that I'd simply overlooked the question. I'm starting a file of such unanswered questions, and I will provide what answers I can as soon as I can. Certainly, more details about the cultures of the Five Nations and the other nations of Eberron is something you can expect to see at some point in the future.

My apologies for the delayed response.

Hello Keith,

just a quick question:

does the Warforged Juggernaut gains immunity to critical hits,and then immunity to Coup' de grace,Stunning and so on,or it simply becomes immune to the Extra damage from critical hits?

Thank you in advance!

Originally posted by Egres
Hello Keith,

just a quick question:

does the Warforged Juggernaut gains immunity to critical hits,and then immunity to Coup' de grace,Stunning and so on,or it simply becomes immune to the Extra damage from critical hits?

Thank you in advance! For any creature that is immune to critical hits, if you roll a hit that would have been a potential critical, you don't even bother trying to roll the confirmation - it's just a normal hit. Juggernauts would work the same way.

Originally posted by wolfgar_of_darkdale
Can the Warforged be Petrifide by a Cockatrice?
The description of the cockatrice says "creatures hit by a cockatrice's bite attack must succeed on a DC 12 Fortitude save or instantly turn to stone. It says nothing about flesh, and most depictions of petrification have a creature's armor and weapons becoming stone as well. So I'd say yes, a warforged can be petrified.

Originally posted by wolfgar_of_darkdale
If it can be Petrifed then how is it changed back? Stone to flesh would not seem to make sense.
If you read the description of the spell, the first sentence of stone to flesh says "This spell restores a petrified creature to its normal state, restoring life and goods." (emphasis added) Thus I would say that despite the presence of "flesh" in the title, this spell also restores petrified inorganic objects. And don't forget break enchantment!

Originally posted by phantarch
So, am I missing something or does it seem like the artificer should have access to "magecraft" as an infusion? I may have missed this discussed elsewhere, but it seems like it should go right along with what the artificer does, but it's not listed as an infusion, and the spell list shows it as only a wizard/sorcerer spell.
Maybe yes, maybe no. It's like saying that the artificer designs aquaducts and the magewright is a plumber. The artificer specializes in the creation of magical objects; magecraft is about weaving magic into the creation of mundane objects. Frankly, my inclination would be to pull it out of the Wizard list, on the theory that it may be both more involved than a normal spell and specific to a particular craft; the blacksmith who uses magecraft may be doing something entirely different than the alchemist. Since an artificer has access to every infusion on the list, I don't have a problem with magecraft not being on that list; spell-storing item is more of the artificer's focus than magecraft.

Also, it seems to me that the peoples of khorvaire are all basically white/european (loosely) both physically and culturally. Where would you base a character who was more african, asian, or native american? Are there human people groups on xendrick? Are the argonessen people open for different human races? Or is there variation among the humans of Khorvaire?
This has come up elsewhere, so let me try to sum up a few points:
* Eberron is not a direct parallel to Earth... just something to bear in mind. Argonnessen and Sarlona have their own distinct cultures, and people across the world have adapted to their different environments in different ways -- but that doesn't mean that "Argonnessen is Africa and Sarlona is Asia".
* As a player, you are completely free to choose your character's ethnicity and appearance. Just as Sharn includes elves, dwarves, half-orcs, and kalashtar, it's a safe bet it includes any variation of humanity you can find on the world. Due to travel and cultural integration, physical appearance alone is not much of an indicator of anything. What is a factor is culture -- dress, accent, mannerisms. Whether they are black, white, or green, you'll see some differences between someone from Texas, someone from New York, and someone from New Zealand. Your appearance is thus up to you; the question is whether you're from Breland or Argonnessen.
* These cultural elements are things that will be explored in more detail in the future.
* There are humans on Xen'drik. Notably, there are the descendants of the first settlers of Stormreach, who have developed their own culture. Beyond that, are their humans in the interior? And if so, what are they like? Only one way to find out, and that's to going exploring and find them...

Originally posted by MarkB
For any creature that is immune to critical hits, if you roll a hit that would have been a potential critical, you don't even bother trying to roll the confirmation - it's just a normal hit. Juggernauts would work the same way.
What he said.

Originally posted by EscherEnigma
Do you think that the prestige classes Shadowdancer and (from Faerun) Telflammar Shadowlord are appropriate choices for an elf with the Mark of Shadow? (Naturally Shadowlord would have to be adapted to fit the setting)
I don't know the Shadowlord PrC. Shadowdancer is certainly a good choice.

Originally posted by MavrickWeirdo
So Keith, Any chance you will be at Worldcon/Noreascon 4 (In Boston, Sept. 2nd-6th)?
Not at the moment. Sorry!

Originally posted by DireHawk
I don't think you could apply the clone spell to a warforged since the clone spell. Clone merely induces cells to reproduce in a way that replicates cell division as an embryo undergoes. Since warforged A) do not heal naturally, this assumes it is because their cells do not reproduce, and B) do not begin life as an embryo, the spell could not affect them. Or if you could use clone, it would merely reproduce a body which could not sustain another entities life force, since it was not magically prepared to hold a soul as one created by House Cannith is.

But that is the scientific explanation of clone spell, we are not sure that wizards even know about cells division, embryos and whatsnot, for what we know the spell could work using the law of magic that say that "the part is equivalent to the integer" (IIRC it is one of the "true" laws of magic but I can't remember the name) to recreate a body from a single fragment of it, no matter if is biological or mechanical, basically is a very high level Mending spell. ;)

Originally posted by MarkB
For any creature that is immune to critical hits, if you roll a hit that would have been a potential critical, you don't even bother trying to roll the confirmation - it's just a normal hit. Juggernauts would work the same way.
Being immune to critical hits means that you are also immune to many other things,like Coup'de Grace, Stunning, Death from Massive Damage and so on: does this means that the Juggernaut has also all of these immunities?

And if this is so,why the Improved Fortification feat says:"You become immune to the extra damage from critical hits AND to sneak attacks"?

If being immune to extra damage from critical hits means being immune to critical hits at all,the part about sneak attacks would be useless and redundant,cause creatures immune to critical hits are already immune to sneak attacks.

nvm

Originally posted by Hellcow
quote:Originally posted by MarkB
For any creature that is immune to critical hits, if you roll a hit that would have been a potential critical, you don't even bother trying to roll the confirmation - it's just a normal hit. Juggernauts would work the same way.


What he said. Well, what he said is correct. Except that it isn't an answer to the question (except the last sentence, but that's just a statement, not an explanation). ;)

Is there a difference between being 'immune to critical hits' and being 'immune to extra damage from critical hits'? The 'same way' statement above would indicate there isn't, but that would also imply Juggernauts are immune to stunning (which they aren't, by the write-up of iconic Juggernaut Battering Ram).

Just a question about the nature of the lakes and such on Khorvaire: which of the water bodies (Lakes Galifar, Brey, Cyre, Dark, etc.) freeze in the winter? What about the inner areas of Scions Sound?, the Hilt?

Do the people of Khorvaire make use of the ice to cross between points that would otherwise require ships? How would this effect Houses like Orien and Lyrandar?

Do winters have other effects on the way of life in Khorvaire? How well do the trade roads hold up? Does bad weather stop the lightning rail? Airships must be affected, and water vessels are either hindered or stopped, right?


Gurv
"Life in the future, not the past."
-Wizard's Seventh Rule

Originally posted by Egres
Being immune to critical hits means that you are also immune to many other things,like Coup'de Grace, Stunning, Death from Massive Damage and so on: does this means that the Juggernaut has also all of these immunities?
Coup de Grace: Yes (PHB page 306).
Sneak Attack: Yes (PHB page 50).
Stunning Fist: Yes (PHB page 101). I assume that this is what you mean by Stunning, since there is nothing in the description of the "stunned" condition that says it does not work against creatures that are immune to critical hits.
Death From Massive Damage: I see nothing in the PHB description on page 145 that links this to immunity from critical hits.

The short form here is that the warforged gains "Immunity to critical hits" -- no more, no less. It gains immunity to anything that says "this does not affect creatures that are immune to critical hits".

This comes back to the rules issue. How did I answer this? I looked up each thing in the PHB to see if it mentioned critical hits. As I've said before, I wasn't the main mechanics guy for the Eberron CSB -- that would be James and Bill. I'm confidant that this is correct, because the warforged gains immunity to critical hits and that in turn provides immunity to the things provided above. But all I've done is look up things in the PHB -- so in this case, it's not like I have access to secret information you don't. Everything is exactly as it appears to be.

And if this is so,why the Improved Fortification feat says:"You become immune to the extra damage from critical hits AND to sneak attacks"?
Because it's redundant wording. Sometimes us writers make slips like that. I suspect that it's because the fortification armor ability allows you to resist both sneak attacks and critical hits (and as far as I know, has no effect on Stunning Fist or death from massive damage); the writer just had those two linked in his mind. But immunity to critical hits means immunity to critical hits, and I see no reason that it would not include everything that goes along with it. You're moving towards being a full construct, and a construct is immune to all of those things.

Originally posted by Hellcow
Once again, I just wanted to warn people that if I can't answer a question in a few sentences, I just can't answer it in this forum -- I simply don't have the time to elaborate on every undiscolsed element of Eberron, much as I would like to. So the more specific your questiosn, the more chance I'll answer them.

Every answer you can give is more then welcome ;-)

Thanks.

Double post.
Sorry.

Originally posted by Hellcow
Coup de Grace: Yes (PHB page 306).
Sneak Attack: Yes (PHB page 50).
Stunning Fist: Yes (PHB page 101). I assume that this is what you mean by Stunning, since there is nothing in the description of the "stunned" condition that says it does not work against creatures that are immune to critical hits.
Death From Massive Damage: I see nothing in the PHB description on page 145 that links this to immunity from critical hits.

The short form here is that the warforged gains "Immunity to critical hits" -- no more, no less. It gains immunity to anything that says "this does not affect creatures that are immune to critical hits".

This comes back to the rules issue. How did I answer this? I looked up each thing in the PHB to see if it mentioned critical hits. As I've said before, I wasn't the main mechanics guy for the Eberron CSB -- that would be James and Bill. I'm confidant that this is correct, because the warforged gains immunity to critical hits and that in turn provides immunity to the things provided above. But all I've done is look up things in the PHB -- so in this case, it's not like I have access to secret information you don't. Everything is exactly as it appears to be.


Because it's redundant wording. Sometimes us writers make slips like that. I suspect that it's because the fortification armor ability allows you to resist both sneak attacks and critical hits (and as far as I know, has no effect on Stunning Fist or death from massive damage); the writer just had those two linked in his mind. But immunity to critical hits means immunity to critical hits, and I see no reason that it would not include everything that goes along with it. You're moving towards being a full construct, and a construct is immune to all of those things.
Keith,you say that the juggernaut is immune to Critical Hits.

But then,why did you choose to write it in this strange and without precedents way?

I—At 2nd level, a warforged juggernaut
is no longer subject to nonlethal damage or extra
damage from critical hits.

I just can't see any reason.

Besides that,the sample Juggernaut,Battering Ram,can still be stunned,in spite of,according to what you are saying here,being immune to stunning cause it's immune to critical hits.

Why?

This is what the PHB says about the Stunning vs immune to Critical hits:

. Constructs, oozes, plants, undead, incorporeal creatures, and creatures immune to critical hits cannot be stunned.

Originally posted by malisteen
DM: the ooze stretches out to engulf you, make a reflex save!

Paladin: augh! I fail!

DM: You and your mount are engulfed, each taking x damage. Do you survive?

Paladin: We both do.

DM: Your relationship with your special mount just got a little more special, Horse-Boy.

That's how you get centaurs.;)

Originally posted by Egres
Keith,you say that the juggernaut is immune to Critical Hits.

But then,why did you choose to write it in this strange and without precedents way?
.[/I] [/B]

Keith didn't write the mechanics of the book. Mr. Baker is the writer an creator of the world, meaning he's done most all the work to add flavor and history to Eberron.

And like he stated, the strange wording is probably just chalked up to a screw up in the writing/editing process. It's most likely not meant to look like that, hence it will be erratated.

Originally posted by ChronosCrow
Keith didn't write the mechanics of the book. Mr. Baker is the writer an creator of the world, meaning he's done most all the work to add flavor and history to Eberron.

And like he stated, the strange wording is probably just chalked up to a screw up in the writing/editing process. It's most likely not meant to look like that, hence it will be erratated.
Can you imagine how big is the difference between the two wordings?

I can see one or two words..but an entire sentence..IMHO they had seek a compromise:the Juggernaut isn't immune to Critical Hits,but it's immune to one of the most feared consequences of a Critical Hit:the Extra Damage.

Edit:if i can't ask about rules mechanics to Keith ,beyond the Sage,who can i ask about this strange wording to?

On a side note:Keith answered,about the Improved Fortification feat:

Because it's redundant wording. Sometimes us writers make slips like that. I suspect that it's because the fortification armor ability allows you to resist both sneak attacks and critical hits (and as far as I know, has no effect on Stunning Fist or death from massive damage);
But the Improved Fortification feat has the same wording of the Perfection 1 Juggernaut's feature!

People, it's the 'Ask Keith' thread, not the 'discuss everything you want to ask Keith here' thread. We have an entire board for that. Let's keep this one clean, shall we?

Then again, since I'm already posting this: Keith's view is probably correct, since I just saw that normal constructs, who by the core rules are fully immune to crits and all that that entails, get the same phrase as Juggernauts do to indicate their crit immunity. So I revised my opinion: Juggers get full immunity to crits (which must include immunity to stunning) and the sample write-up for Battering Ram is wrong (not the first time a sample write-up contains errors anyway).

Originally posted by Egres
I—At 2nd level, a warforged juggernaut
is no longer subject to nonlethal damage or extra
damage from critical hits..
Ah! I actually didn't see this wording in the previous question, thus I assumed that the book said "immune to critical hits". Actually, as it does instead say "immune to the extra damage from critical hits", my guess is that this is the only benefit that it provides and it does not grant immunity to Stunning Fist, or in the case of perfection 1, Sneak Attacks. As Egres is guessing, it may very well be that the wording is intentional and specific for purposes of giving a limited advantage.

However, as others have guessed, the basic answer here is "Beats me." I *didn't* determine the mechanics for either the warforged juggernaut or Improved Fortification feat; most of my work is Chapter 7 and beyond. I'll ask James next chance I get and post the answer here. But at the moment, I'm afraid that on this type of thing your guess is as good as mine.

Personally, I would give a warforged that is immune to critical hits and sneak attacks immunity to a coup de grace simply because it makes sense; the point of the damage immunity is that the creature has no single vulnerable point, and a coup de grace is a matter of striking a helpless creature in a vulnerable point. In my opinion, this isn't going to make the warforged astonishingly powerful and it makes logical sense.

Anyhow, I'll post if I get a clearer answer from WotC, but I have nothing more to say on the subject, so let's move forward.

Now, getting ALL the way back to page 45 (having answered that critical hits question simply because I thought "Oh, this is quick & easy!)...

Originally posted by Yago Aginor
How functional are the changes to sex(gender) introduced by a changeling's changing ability?
Absolute. A changeling's gender is its default that it will revert to if it, for example, dies. But a "male" changeling could actually assume a female form, become pregnant, and carry a child to term (it loses the ability to shift gender while pregnant). This will be covered in more detail in Races of Eberron.

Would Var's voice change enough for him to safely pass for a girl?
He'd get a -2 to his Disguise check, but that's what the +10 bonus is there to offset. Yes, change in voice is part of the transformation.

Would Ery's true nature be discovered as she is forced to partake in the bathing?
No.

And yes, I know the changes cannot be fully functional.
And yet, they can! Creepy!

Originally posted by Hellcow
Absolute. A changeling's gender is its default that it will revert to if it, for example, dies. But a "male" changeling could actually assume a female form, become pregnant, and carry a child to term (it loses the ability to shift gender while pregnant). This will be covered in more detail in Races of Eberron.
Presumably, a quick presto-change-o, done soon enough, would act as an effective contraceptive if necessary. It does raise questions, which are probably verging a little close to the boards' usage restrictions, but I'll try not to cross the line.

Would the child of a particular race and a changeling who has taken on that race's form be part-changeling, or would they be a member of that race?

EDIT: Actually, question 2 was probably pushing it.

And yet, they can! Creepy!
Suddenly, Changeling brothels seem like more of an adventure than previously imagined.

Originally posted by Atlictoatl
There is a historical tradition on Earth of entertainers who have been parts of spy networks; it's certainly a viable concept. The piece that makes it less viable for me is that the Shadow Houses spy not for a sovereign nation or their own interest, but rather for those who provide the appropriate amount of coin. I would think that, over time, the powerful forces of Khorvaire would grow highly suspicious of Shadow entertainers in their midst, to the point of declining their entertainment services, especially when one is defining an entity (the House) that has existed for hundreds of years.
As I said elsewhere, there's a few key factors:
* Entertainment is a legitimate business for Phiarlan. There are entertainers who do nothing but entertainer... and the best spies will not simply pose as entertainers.
* Refusing Phiarlan doesn't mean that your enemies can't use them against you -- it simply means that you will have no idea about their presence, and that they may take hostile actions against you without being paid to do so.

With that said, your ideas sound good; it's all a matter of what fits best in your game.

I came to the Boards on a separate matter today; I am troubled by the feat Investigate.
Which I didn't create, and thus may not be able to help you with, but I'll see what I can do. If you want to see my take mechanically on investigation [shameless plug] take a look at Crime and Punishment by Atlas Games, which I think works well with Eberron -- but it's a more complicated system. [/shameless plug] Investigate is intended to be a simple quick way of handling things.

1. It seems to me that anyone with the Search skill should have the ability to discover clues, though I would not extend to such folk the ability to Analyze them in the way described by the Investigate feat.
In some cases this makes sense... in others I'd say it doesn't. If the clue is a piece of dropped jewelery, then Search alone should certainly find it (though it may not explain its significance). If the clue is a book in a library that doesn't fit in the section it's in... it's a book in a library. Not out of place. The analysis IS what makes it a clue.

2. More importantly, there is a 3.5e core feat titled Investigator, which provides bonuses to Search and Gather Information. It doesn't seem proper to me to require a player who has taken the Investigator feat to also take the Investigate feat in order to truly be an 'Investigator'.
This, I have no problems with. I'd just change the name of the feat if it bothers you. That feat already has a clear value: +2 bonus to 2 skills. You don't gain anything from Magical Aptitude but a bonus to 2 skills. "Negotiator" doesn't make you a trained mediator... that's what "Profession: advocate" is for. If you say that "Investigator" should duplicate "Investigate", it seems to me you have to start giving all of those double-bonus feat titles more weight, and I think that's a shaky path to follow. Now, if you want to remove the Investigate feat altogether and have this take its place, fair 'nuff -- but I still might say "so what do I get for my Magical Aptitude?" If you remove Investigate, I'd either make it entirely part of Search or require Profession (Inquisitive).

My question is: why were the Investigate abilities presented as a new feat instead of as an addition to the Search skill and an amendment to the previously existing Feat?
This was not a decision that I was involved in, so I can't tell you.

Originally posted by Takasi
Quick question: how does the Gith world fit into the timeline of Eberron? Was the world a separate progenitor dragon? Does it orbit the sun of Eberron or another star?
Since the people of Eberron have not developed space travel, no one knows (and my expectation is that this is something that will jbe left in the hands of you as a DM). At the moment, the only way to reach another world would be through a planar bridge.

Speaking of the sun, can you give us a little background on the relationship between the sun and magic in Eberron? Is there only one sun? Can you give us a little flavor inspiration about the relationship between the sun and the gods (Dol Arrah)?
There is no particular relationship between the sun and magic; most see magic as being tied to the dragons. There is only one sun. Dol Arrah is seen as bearing the light of the sun and bringing this purifying radiance to dark places; like the sun, she banishes darkness before her. But she's not supposed to physically be the sun.

On aberrations, do you have any idea if dolgrims or dolgaunts will make it into the next miniatures booster?
Not a clue. Being as how it's "Aberrations", it seems like a good set for them... but I have no idea if they are in there.

And I couldn't find an answer to this, so I apologize if you've already read this. Will the adventure Shards of Eberron be available to people who can't attend Gen Con?
I don't know. What's usually done with RPGA modules?

Originally posted by Blizzard_Bobsan
1. Can a male (changeling) impersonating a female person, speak with a female voice?
Yes, as noted above.

Originally posted by Blizzard_Bobsan
2. Can a changeling impersonate a particular voice and what skill check would be appropriate, if any (bluff?, perform (something)?).
To my mind, this is included as part of Disguise. I'd require the standard Disguise checks, and provide the standard bonus to the "victim" based on familiarity with the voice in question.

But you're right, I'm not the rules guy.

Originally posted by Galen_Michael
Any chance we'll get to see what the standard mark of the house looks like? Is it just a duplicate of the least dragonmark of scribing, or something else? A picture would be great for making props for my players!

Page 123 of the CSB shows it as the least mark of Scribing. I think this migh tbe too simple, but it's certainly valid for the moment.

Originally posted by Hellcow
Page 123 of the CSB shows it as the least mark of Scribing. I think this migh tbe too simple, but it's certainly valid for the moment.
Heh, that's actually what I ended up using ;)

Great minds...

Galen

Originally posted by Atlictoatl
There is a historical tradition on Earth of entertainers who have been parts of spy networks; it's certainly a viable concept. The piece that makes it less viable for me is that the Shadow Houses spy not for a sovereign nation or their own interest, but rather for those who provide the appropriate amount of coin. I would think that, over time, the powerful forces of Khorvaire would grow highly suspicious of Shadow entertainers in their midst, to the point of declining their entertainment services, especially when one is defining an entity (the House) that has existed for hundreds of years.

Seeing this quoted by Hellcow reminded me that I had a take on it, too. =]

I think the assumption that the Shadow Houses don't spy for a sovereign nation or their own interest is a bit too limited. The other houses certainly have political interests. Technically they are neutral, but like any good organization, self-interest and corruption complicate things on an individual basis. In any case, all of the houses could be considered (unusual) sovereign nations; I consider a house enclave to be a bit like a common law embassy to a dragonmarked house.

Basically, I'm saying that there is a little reading between the lines that needs to be done. Technically, the houses are just business organizations. Technically, they are politically neutral. Realistically, the houses are more powerful than some of the nations of Khorvaire. Realistically, the houses do have self-interest that lies beyond a paycheck. If the Shadow Houses know all of the dirty secrets that their spies collect for clients, they clearly have leverage against other power groups. Add all of that together, you get politics. If it's not in a Phiarlan's interest to take a job, the house probably won't take it just because someone has a little pouch full of gold.

Hellcow's point is important, too, and I don't think I contradict him. Assuming that the houses aren't trustworthy isn't a big leap for those in the know. The houses don't stay dominant just by DM fiat. They stay dominant because despite all of the negatives, the houses run a tight ship, and are useful on the whole.

This may have already been answered, but what accessory/adventure books can we expect post Sharn: City of Towers and Whispers of the Vampire's Blade?


Also what is the exact ruling on Warforged Monks and those Claw Component thingys? (I'm at work and don't have my Eberron book, sorry.)


And just as a note the Eberron Campaign setting is awesome. It’s the breath of fresh air that everyone needed.

Originally posted by JDubTrafficGod
Also what is the exact ruling on Warforged Monks and those Claw Component thingys? (I'm at work and don't have my Eberron book, sorry.)

Battlefist? It says in the book, you deal unarmed damage as if you were one size larger.

Presumably you're not just punching with the same fist over and over, but you have a good option at your disposal which you can use when your enemy gives you the opening you need.

Originally posted by Bluebrush
Battlefist? It says in the book, you deal unarmed damage as if you were one size larger.

Presumably you're not just punching with the same fist over and over, but you have a good option at your disposal which you can use when your enemy gives you the opening you need.

What I mean is will a monk with the battle fist taking a full attack action get one attack at Increased Size (assuming the 'forged only bought one fist), one at Normal Size, and then a Slam attack at increased damage?

I know it makes me sound stupid, but I've been wondering as one of the PCs in the game I'm running is a Warforged monk who has a battle fist. So far I've been house ruling it, but I'd like to get the semi-official word on it.

Originally posted by JDubTrafficGod
This may have already been answered, but what accessory/adventure books can we expect post Sharn: City of Towers and Whispers of the Vampire's Blade?

The City of Towers (Novel by Keith Baker)

Grasp of the Emerald Claw (Adventure)

Marked for Death (Novel by Matt Forbeck)

Races of Eberron (A Race Series Supplement)

Got a question for any of the Eberron design guys (apologies if its been asked before, but I really didn't feel like reading through fifty pages for one question. If it has been answered, just point me to the appropriate page, por favor).

Eberron has Living Spells in it's monsters section.
I have heard that there was a Dragon article saying that these things were made specifically for Eberron.
I also remember that last year on these very boards (the monster's lair board to be exact) during UnCon that someone posted a monster they called "Living Spell" as a contest entry, and the way they went about it was virtually identical to how it was done in Eberron (if memory serves, and it usually doesn't).

So, did the Living Spells originate from the boards, fluke coincidence of "Great Minds Think Alike", or what exactly?

Edymnion, while I don't belive that one have been adressed, if you had read only the last two pages, you'd find out that there's a thread with only the questions and answers, so that's just two or three pages to read through. Not too much effort is it? If you who asks the question can't be bothered, why should anyone else?

Sorry, just had to say this.

Originally posted by DireHawk
Hey guys. I just recently read something in this thread about the possibilty of warforged dragon discples. While I generally agree that warforged likely could not follow this path, I disagree that it is impossible, so long as you make a few changes as to the nature of the PrC.
Is this a question for me? Because back on page 29, I said "...having read the Dragon Disciple PrC, the backstory as it stands makes no sense for warforged. If you wanted to look at it as a variation of the warforged juggernaut -- evolving into a new combat configuration -- I think that's fine, but you wouldn't actually have draconic blood, and I would remove the idea that you eventually gain the dragon type."

Finally, I wanted to ask about raising warforged as undead creatures. I assume its possible, but I can't imagine them being raised as normal skeletons and zombies. I imagine something new as result of the necromantic energies investing themselves within something both organic and mechanical and heavily magical in nature.
I agree. As warforged are living creatures, I believe that the idea of an undead warforged makes sense. Likewise, I would not use the standard skeleton or zombie templates; I think it makes more sense come up with something similar but unique to warforged.

As a side note, vampires can only be humanoid or monstrous humanoids, and liches can only be humanoid (though I have less trouble with the idea of a warforged lich than a warforged vampire), so warforged are off the hook on those counts.

Originally posted by ChronosCrow
One requires Bind Elemental and planar binding to create a vessel powered by an elemental. My question is, how do all of the elementals feel? I understand that this may vary from situation to situation, but in general are the elementals upset about their forced servitude and may seek vengeance or are they so low in Intellegence that they can be tricked into not actually caring at all?
I would say that this is largely up to the DM. If you want to make it a plot point, run with it. My personal feeling is that while bound, an elemental is held in a dormant state and is only vaguely aware of its surroundings. I don't see elementals as being sophisticated enough to seek a complex revenge, but if an elemental was freed I would expect it to lash out at its surroundings. Mind you, my general feeling is that the destruction of a vessel will cause the elemental to be pulled back into the shard -- and even destroying the shard may just release the elemental back to its home plane; you don't get a free bonus "summon elemental" effect from your elemental item.

Also, bear in mind that the average citizen of Khorvaire really doesn't know much about elementals, and most will not look at an airship and say "They are using a sentient being as a power source." It's a magic vessel; most people don't care about the actual source of its power.

Originally posted by greatfrito
How much do we have to beg to get our dream (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?threadid=286958) made a reality?
I honestly couldn't tell you, Greatfrito -- and the question is not only "how much", but "who", because "who" is "not me". I think it's a great idea, but I don't know who at WotC handles such things or if they'd even consider it. But I'll ask around at GenCon. :)

Originally posted by brayabbitt
Since Droaam is not officially recognized. Which nation do these lands fall under according to the Thronehold Accords?
Breland, as they have since the foundation of Galifar. But humans never settled the region, so little has truly changed. Some maps show the area as being divided between Breland and the Shadow Marches, but many mapmakers will show the territory of Droaam; even if it isn't recognized by the treaties, most travelers put practicality ahead of politics, and you want to know when you're about to stumble into a nation of monsters.

Does Eberron revolve around a star or vice versa?
I imagine that this is a subject of fevered debate at Morgrave University, the colleges of Korranberg, and the Arcane Congress! There is a single sun, but as for whether Eberron is the center of the universe or whether it orbits -- at this point, we don't know. ;)

Originally posted by Egres
Well,the Vile damage from the BoVD "unlike regular damage can only be healed by magic cast within the area of a consecrate or hallow spell."

How should we handle this with the Juggernaut,that at 3d level becomes immune to all spells that have the Healing subschool?
Should we consider "Repairing" spells and psionic powers as "healing" spells for the Juggernaut?
This seems like a simple and logical approach to me. The net effect is the same for a warforged and a normal creature; the vile damage can only be countered in a consecrated area.

Originally posted by Hellcow
Is this a question for me? Because back on page 29, I said "...having read the Dragon Disciple PrC, the backstory as it stands makes no sense for warforged. If you wanted to look at it as a variation of the warforged juggernaut -- evolving into a new combat configuration -- I think that's fine, but you wouldn't actually have draconic blood, and I would remove the idea that you eventually gain the dragon type."

Sorry about that one. It wasn't so much a question for you as a comment to the idea in general.


As a side note, vampires can only be humanoid or monstrous humanoids, and liches can only be humanoid (though I have less trouble with the idea of a warforged lich than a warforged vampire), so warforged are off the hook on those counts.

Well, if you think about it, Warforged don't really need to seek undeath. They don't die naturally, and the main pressure for becoming a lich is to avoid death and as a means to continue on their path of arcane study. So when you think about it, it becomes redundant for a warforged to seek undeath when they really don't fear a natural death to begin with.

This leads to another thing. What would a warforged's concept of death be like? Being able to practically, as far as they know, live forever, kinda makes you take a whole new perspective on the concept of death. Also, as a result, do they perhaps feel any kind of connection with undead, intelligent creatures since they also can continue their existence while others pass with the sands time time?

This is an idea that I started in the general forum, we bounced around a few ideas and I think it came out very nicely:


ChronosCrow: The Kalashtar are concerned with the matter of where the souls are coming from for the Warforged (I've seen this previously stated somewhere on the forums). They want to know where they are coming from and if it’s morally all right I'll bet. There are plenty of possible hypothesis to go with that one.

What if it were possible to bind a specific soul to a warforge like an elemental can be bound to a vessel? Dead PC's could, possibly, be in turn resurrected at a lower level as warforged.

What you would need:
A warforge creation forge
A spell similar to bind planar binding that would deal with targeting specific souls (maybe to keep the spell a little lower in level the subject must be accpeting of the binding?).
A feat similar to Bind Elemental except for binding souls
much deniro (that's money)


How 'bout it? It actually doesn't sound to unphesable to me as per how the world Eberron goes. The complicationI see is figuring out how to target a certain soul, finding it excetra. Maybe you must catch the soul before it leaves the Material plan of Eberron, that would make things easier.

The Pinata: That would be a bit of a dark secret that House Cannith wouldn't have mentioned in the creation of living warforged. Intriguing.

Eagle Prince: Supposedly there was some kind of ancient race of warforged, right? Maybe the warforged weren't invented, just someone found an old book about them or something. And where the souls come from is why they stopped making them back then.

I have a (rule) question, from a doubt in another thread. Hope that keith can solve it.

The Warforged have a slam attack. As vampires does. In the vampire text, it is said that a vampire can use a weapon and use his slam attack as a secondary natural attack (-5 to attack, but no other penalty to the first attack). My question is: is this a "regular" rule for all creatures with slam attacks? Does this mean that the warforged can slam as a secondary attack?

More doubts from that thread. Slam is a "natural attack done by an apendage". Without referring to easy jokes about it :angel: , does this mean that he can kick as a slam attack? if so, does this mean that he threaten every range if armed with a pike, for example? and would it means (in case the first answer was yes) that he could use a 2 handed weapon and as a secondary attack slam with his kick (or any other "apendage" he has ready :smirk: )?
Thx in advance. Oh, and GREAT game...

Quick question about binding elementals:

Can any creature with the elemental subtype be bound, or is it just plain air, earth, water, and fire elementals? What about paraelementals?

Minor point, but it nabbed my curiosity when I saw it and it didn't seem too out there, so...

Rierdran Crysteel's name come about in anyway from mild Ayn Rand inspiration in the form of Rearden Steel, hmm?

It's been itching away at me since I first saw it and made the connection.

Originally posted by bloodwynd
I believe that warrior as an NPC class is much more along the line of the city watch man or millitia man who does not actually see that much combat in his life. He is not a specialist fighter, it is just a key skill assosiated with his work.
*shrug* I hold that most soldiers are warriors. PC classes are for remarkable individuals and heroes... like the PCs. One of the things that makes warforged special is that they *are* generally fighters, as compared to human warriors. In my campaign, a guard who sees little combat would simply be lower level than the veteran. Which is not to say that I don't use NPC fighters, just that they are remarkable characters. In Shadows of the Last War, the Emerald Claw soldiers are warriors, while the squad leader is a fighter.

I would most probably just be cheaper to build golems of some sort or a hundred other alternatives that would be cheaper and more efficient than a half-cast construct who does not get all the benefits, cost half a kings ransom and well if it does some fighting, then cool, if not, oh well that is life. Cost vs HD/CR, I am sure that golems would be loads better.
I'll discuss metal in a moment. The key feature on cost is that the warforged were mass-produced using creation forges. If an iron golem can't be mass produced -- then that's a huge issue. The cost of producing a *single* warforged would undoubtedly be too high to be worthwhile. The cost of producing 10,000 warforged is a different issue -- and the point is that there's something about the warforged design that allows them to be mass produced, which is not the case with standard golems. Ask Merrix d'Cannith! Next you have the ability of the warforged to show tactical initiative -- something a golem can't do.

As for class and level, I tend to think that the average warforged veteran should be a second level fighter; as for why your PC warforged isn't, that's really up to you. But given the speed at which your warforged will gain levels compared to most NPCs, it's hardly going to be an issue for long.

I mean, the first time my characters ran into one of these creatures (warforged with Adamantine body feat) and defeated it they were gutted when I had to say to them that it used to be a living creature and I did not think that salvaging its body parts for smelting down to make themselves rich really matched thier alignments.
This is a subject that has been debated long before. I'm going to reprint something I posted to another board; I really don't have much more to add.

Originally posted by Hellcow
<<Scott Nimmo says: Other games seem to suggest a value for mithril at about 300-500gp per pound.>>

Bear in mind that a lot of the value of an object comes from the effort that goes into forging it, not simply the raw material. A pound of steel is technically worth 1sp. So if you took a suit of full plate and said "I want to melt it down and sell the steel", you've got material with a base market value of 5 gp – 1/300th the value of the armor. Following this formula, a suit of adamantine full plate generates a cost of 55gp/lb, and a suit of mithral full plate would generate a cost of 35 gp/lb. On the other hand, the steel content of a chain shirt is 1/40th of the cost of the armor; by that formula, you get a price of 127.5 gp/lb for adamantine or 44 gp/lb for mithral. So if you average it out, you get about 91 gp for a pound of adamantine, and 40 gp for a pound of mithral. If you're selling, you're presumably taking the usual 50% seller's penalty. And if the case of the warforged, as noted, there is the issue of how much usable metal can be recovered.

I've discussed this on the WotC board and don't intend to go into it again -- you should feel free to handle it as you will in your campaign. But in my opinion the description of the feat "Adamantine Body" is poorly worded. The feat is not simply a layer of adamantine stuck on the outside of the warforged; if this was the case, why couldn't you take the feat after first level? Instead, it is supposed to reflect the fundamental design of the warforged: more metal in general (primarily steel), reinforced design with fewer weak points (adding to the DR) and reinforced with small amounts of adamantine and adamantine alloy at key points throughout the body. So you aren't just pulling a plate off; you'd literally have to "boil down" the warforged and try to separate small chunks of more valuable metal. If they want to go to all this trouble -- and have a forge that can melt adamantine, and a buyer who can work adamantine, and don't run afoul of the forces of the law, since warforged are free, sentient beings and you may find yourself questioned if you're carting a body around and trying to find some way to melt it down -- I'd say let them make an appropriate craft check (DC of say, 15), recover that many pounds of adamantine or mithral, with a maximum of around 3d4+5 pounds, and use a sale value of around 45 gp/pound for adamantine or 20 gp/pound for mithral.

<<Roland says: I hold that once adamantine has been forged the first time it is not able to be re-forged and therefore your doors would make nice doors somewhere else but nothing more.>>
<<MythusMage says: Why isn't adamantium 're-forgeable'?>>

An interesting choice, MM -- you said "adamantIUM" instead of "adamantINE" (or "adamant", the original mythic substance you'll find in the dictionary). Adamantium is the metal Wolverine's claws are made of in Marvel Comics, and it is fact specifically defined as an indestructible metal that cannot be damaged, destroyed, or reshaped once it has been cast. Which brings up the key point here: we are not dealing with the real world. This is a FANTASY world, and it does not have to follow the laws of our reality! Why might you say that adamantine can't be reforged? Perhaps because:

1) It's a metal unlike anything that exists in reality, unless you can find a knife that can cut diamonds.

2) This is a world of magic, where magic -- specifically magecraft -- is used by common folk. Who knows what that means, or how those magics work?

I think that it is actually quite interesting and reasonable to say that adamant ore is actually not as strong as the final material -- that when it is forged, magecraft and various components are used that strengthen it into its final form -- and that once cast into that final form, it cannot be reshaped. I don't see a need to make a special spell for this; in my mind, it's sufficient to say that it requires a skilled metalworker with the magecraft spell. In fact, I'm adopting it as a house rule in my campaign right now!

Does this mean that it can't be destroyed or melted? No -- unlike Marvel's adamantium, adamantine has hardness and hit points, and can therefore be destroyed. But just because it can be destroyed -- potentially even by heat-- doesn't mean that it can be usefully reforged. Perhaps once the bond is broken, the metal crystalizes, crumbles, or reverts to its natural state. It's an unnatural metal to begin with -- nothing about it has to behave in a natural manner.

I do believe that adamantine is more common in Eberron than in some settings -- but you'll note that where it appears in the Forgotten Forge and Shadows of the Last War, it is always used by *House Cannith*, who can certainly weave magic into their creations -- supporting the "some sort of magecraft is involved". You don't see people with adamantine doors on their houses, and an adamantine sword is just as expensive as ever. The city guards in Sharn aren't using adamantine weapons.

To me, the idea of adamantine being a "onceforged" metal is a convenient way to have it serve its purpose in the game *without* having to worry about people wanting to sell doors or warforged. As I said, I'm going to use that as a house rule. But again, if you *want* that to be a player activity, do what you feel is right for you and your players, and assign a value that seems fair based on the factors mentioned above. But it doesn't fit *my* vision of a fun and exciting adventure!

Originally posted by Galen_Michael
SPOILERS! (Shadows of the Last War)

I assume the secret Cannith Research facility in Cyre referenced is in fact Whitehearth?
Yes. However, calling Whitehearth "THE" secret research facility is probably an overstatement; there are certainly others waiting to be found.

If so, are the PCs meant to find the second copy of the incomplete text in their explorations of Whitehearth? It is not listed anywhere amongst the treasure for that area.
No, there are areas that PCs can't get to in Whitehearth. Perhaps they will return to Whitehearth with a new keycharm in a future adventure.

Originally posted by jaldaen
1) Will there be a naming convention guide to all the nations in one of the articles?
More information about the nations will be presented in the future, and this will be addressed then. However, you certainly shouldn't worry about a wartorn submission being dismissed because "That's not a Brelish name."

2) The information I've read so far in regards to healing in the Mournland seems to disallow natural, spell, and spell-like healing... but I did not see mention in the Mournland's text about supernatural healing... This seems to imply that supernatural healing works in the Mournland... Is this correct? If so, than paladins and monks would be the only classes that can heal in the Mournlands. Which I think is cool and makes them the perfect explorers of the mysteries of the Mournland.
My inclination would be to treat these as any other form of healing; I see laying on hands as being divine in nature, so if divine magic doesn't work, it shouldn't either. But I really think that Mournland healing is something you need to work out based on the tone of your campaign and the level of danger you're looking for. As for perfect explorers of the Mournland, well, that would be warforged artificers, who can heal themselves. (Why do you think the Lord of Blades has set up shop in the Mournland?)

3) How likely is it that a least dragonmarked character would work outside of the House? For example, a character loyal to one of the thrones (or religons) in Eberron manifests a dragonmark that would be helpful for his country (or faith) to have access to and chooses to remain loyal to his country (or faith). Would a House allow such a character to work for a particular country (or faith) if this were the case? Would the House frown on (or worse in the case of some houses) this choice?
The house would encourage the character to join the house. However, if he refused they would not interfere, provided that his actions did not threaten the business or reputation of the house. For example, House Deneith probably won't care if you use the Mark of Sentinel as a private employee of the King's Citadel -- but if you use your Mark of Scribing to start counterfeiting letters of credit, expect Sivis and Kundarak to take decisive action.

But there are certainly some characters who possess marks but operate independantly of the houses (usually descended from people who have been expelled from the house). Among other things, there are still a few Aereni elves who possess the Mark of Shadow, and work in the service of the Undying Court.

What role does women play in the societies of Koirvare? Is a woman as likely as a man to have a job, or does the wife take care of the house and the children while her husband is out working? Do they have equal rights? Did they fight in the frontlines during the Last War?

How rare is the Mark of Siberys?

Do you have any house-rules you use in your campaign(s)?

Originally posted by Blizzard_Bobsan
I am wondering, since the Kalashtar are *generally* Lawful Good, why their religion, the Path of Light, is with Lawful Neutral alignment? Shouldn't the religion reflect their philosophy and world view and as such - their alignment?
Remember that in Eberron, there is nothing that specifically ties the alignment of the worshipper to the religion. il-Yannah itself is not a personified force; il-Yannah is not a "god". The Path of Light focuses on internal discipline and the perfection of mind and body. In and of itself, it does not demand good or evil; this choice must be made by the follower.

Originally posted by Raster
My first question is about the pictures of warforged in the ECS. All of them are different. Do you attribute this to armor feats, Juggernaut levels, different artists ideas of what they look like, or personal modifications? Did the creation forges pop them out with slight variations? Some combination of the above, or none of them at all?
House Cannith designed different models of warforged. Armor feats in particular would reflect the military specialty of the warforged: skirmisher (mithral barbarian), scout (unarmored rogue or ranger), infantry (adamantine fighter), and so on. Even within a specific role, you'd see variations over the years as new designs are implemented. Furthermore, Cannith made some adjustments to appearance for the soldiers of different nations, just so it would be easy to identify friendly troops. So largely what you're seeing is different designs.

With that said, the juggernaut PrC shows that warforged can physically transform over time, so that's also something that could be explored as a rationale for variations in personal appearance. And nothing stops a warforged from customizing himself -- get a fresh coat of paint or enamel to look sharp!

Originally posted by Raster
My other question is about the Ashbound sect. In the ECS it seems to imply that they feel it is wrong to cultivate crops and domesticate animals, because their extremist members attack farms. I'm okay with that. But how do they rationalize making clothing and manufactured weapons? Should true ashbound use only unworked branches, as clubs and quarterstaffs?
Only the most extreme of the Ashbound are against small-scale cultivation, and these zealots would probably follow the path you describe. Most Ashbound are willing to accept a certain level of agriculture, provided that livestock and the environment are treated in a respectful manner and there is no threat of urban sprawl. Such Ashbound are thus willing to wear weapons and clothes (including hide and leather; there's nothing wrong with killing an animal, as long as it's part of the natural cycle, and there's no reason to let the hide go to waste). What the Ashbound are most concerned about is the use of arcane magic, which they see as a fundamental violation of the natural order. So magewrights, magecraft, magebred animals -- these will all bring down the wrath of the Ashbound. These druids blame the Mourning on the general use of magic, which is one of the reasons for their increased agression. Any sort of excessive modernization of agriculture also risks Ashbound aggression.

Ashbound are not all crazed fanatics, however. Moderate Ashbound will actually travel within the world attempting to reason with magi and show the harm that they have done, and to find ways to prevent greater disasters from occuring. So the Ashbound PC is not out of the question, even in a party with a wizard. They'll never be friends, and will most likely argue continuously, but if the wizard restricts his use of magic to the most vital situations that the druid sees as serving a greater good, they could work together.

Originally posted by Lyros Kaimelar
First, there seems to be a taste for curved blades among the people of Khorvaire, especially in Talenta and Valenar. My questions is, how hard would it be to find a japanese style blade [a katana or wakizashi, just as examples] in one of those countries? How "strange" would a katana-wielder be considered in those places, and perhaps the rest of Khorvaire?
One quick note: The image labeled as a "tangat" on page 119 is actually a Valenar scimatar. A tangat can be seen in the hand of the halfling warrior on page 17.

If you want to find a place for katanas in the game, I'd say that the Valenar are a good choice; they have a preference for curved blades, as you have said, but they also take the craft of war very seriously and I could certainly see them investing the amount of time and work into a single blade that is required for the katana. So that seems like a reasonable place to make the source of these blades. How strange would the person be? That's up to you. If you want, you could say all Valenar use katanas. Or it could be the hallmark of a particular line or warband.

Originally posted by Alexius D'Cannith
not that i want to jump in the deep end but almost every character image that seems to be Shadow marches (or is it marshes?) seems to be in japanese style clothing, (with one or 2 VERY obvious japanese clothing pieces)
So personally id say that Katanas and such llike would most probably come from that area
While there's some truth to overlap in Marcher clothing, that doesn't necessarily extend any farther; the nations in Eberron are not mapped to the nations of Earth. I don't see the Marcher families as having the sophisticated smithing techniques nor the martial tradition that would lead to the production of katanas.

Originally posted by Lyros Kaimelar
Second, and this might seem pretty stupid... is it even possible to see a snow storm in the southern/eastern face of the Seawall Mountains [the "Darguun side" of them], close to Marguul Pass? I'd like to use that for some kind of effect on PCs, but I'm not sure how to do it since this seems to be a warmer region of Khorvaire...
This is a temperate region, it's true. But you know, anything can happen when Risia is coterminous...

I've sorted questions into categories for easier reading and, hopefully, answering. Forgive me if I've restated something already asked.

[EDIT:] I snipped out some questions after posting this, once my sleep-addled brain realized they had already been answered.


1. Lightning rail organization
*snipped because it was answered*

Though in disuse, is the lightning rail through the Mournlands actuall is disrepair, or does a significant part of it still function?


2. Quori
*snipped because it was answered*

Although I realize the chances of a direct confrontation are slim, do you visualize the highest tiers of Quori being able to rival the Daelkyr or powerful fiends in terms of direct individual power (i.e. HD, ability scores, spell/psi -like abilities, and all the other stuff that contributes to CR)?


3. Shifting dragonmarks
Do dragonmarks have a discernably peculiar texture, or are they like tatoos (different color, same skin)?

How quickly does the physical appearance of a dragonmark change when a character gains a higher form from feats or the Dragonmark Heir prestige class? (or, as alluded to previously, when a character's physiology changes through, say, amputation?) Would it be fair to say, based on the description for using dragonmark abilities, that such a shift would be accompanied by an intense burning sensation?

Since dragonmarks do shift in response to mundane changes in anatomy, what happens when magic is involved? Would a dragonmarked druid still have a dragonmark as a bear? Would someone permanently polymorphed into another body slowly manifest a dragonmark? Can shapeshifting abilities such as a changeling's Minor Shape Change or a druid's Thousand Faces mimic dragonmarks?


4. Awesomeness
Your setting is wonderful. Though I view most gaming products with cynicism, I have nothing but praise for Eberron. The hand-crafted beauty of the whole thing is amazing. Opening the sourcebook gave me an amazing surge of DM creativity, and I've managed to craft more good adventures in a week than I did in a month of trying to plan some generic stuff. Superb!
(Okay, that wasn't a question.)

Originally posted by a_psh
Without asking you to reveal too much, I hope, can you give us an idea of the power of the Tsucora relative to other (as yet unrevealed) varieties of Quori? Where would they fall in a heirarchy of Quori types?

They're the weakest and most common.

Originally posted by The White Sorcerer
They're the weakest and most common.

Thanks. Between that and some random info I found on lightning rails, I've now been able to crop out half of my questions since they've already been answered.

Thank you, Keith, for your responses to my earlier questions. I actually hadn't seen them until just now, after reading through my (160 page!) printout of MarkB's answer thread (thanks again for that, MarkB!). I'm happy to hear that winning the Setting Search has given you the stability to more fully pursue a profession that appears as though it will benefit us all.

I have a few new questions, ones which I hope will stay in the realm of world-content (unlike my Investigate feat question, which I'm frankly surprised you answered .:cool: )

1. Early in the thread, someone asked about the number of Warforged that currently exist in Khorvaire. Have you been able to confer with your colleagues on a likely number?

2. I had the pleasure a few weeks ago of being outside in the country on a full-moon night. It's astounding how brightly our moon can light the ground, and I found myself wondering how bright it would be with two or three full moons in the sky. I'm curious what your thoughts are on the subject of how the thirteen moons illuminate Eberron. This may be a topic requiring a lengthier article, but a few brief words here would be helpful. Since there hasn't been any Eberron-specific change to the night-time visibility rules, the obvious effects don't seem to apply here.

3. House Cannith. Does their power derive more from having a near-monopoly on the most skilled crafters, artisans, artificers, and magewrights in Khorvaire, or is it more due to having magical forges powered by their dragonmarks (or some combination of the two)?

In attempting to envision their forges, is it appropriate to consider them to be the Eberron equivalent to manufacturing plants/assembly lines?

If so, would their quality generally be somewhat lower than those of a handcrafted master crafter, or given the prevalence of Cannith magecrafters, is the quality of Cannith items generally higher or equal to what non-Cannith artisans/crafters produce?

What types of items tend to be mass-produced?

Are these done on special order, or to stock Cannith mercantile stores?

If the latter, should DMs adjust pricing for items, either lower for Cannith goods or higher for non-Cannith?

I see House Cannith's ability as allowing humans to better compete with the fine craftsmanship of dwarves and elves, who have the advantage of long life to master a trade and ancient culture. Or has House Cannith tended to attract a large number of dwarven craftspeople and artisans to its service as well over the two thousand or so years of Cannith's existence, thus tipping that competitive balance?

Finally, the Races of Stone supplement apparently details magical forges for the dwarven people, which give them substantial advantages to crafting stone and metal, including magical items. I'm guessing this particular racial feature would not fit into the Eberron setting without unbalancing the Dragonmarked House system, but am curious what your take on that would be.

A lot of questions, but Cannith has been particularly difficult for me to satisfactorily get my head around.

Edit: arrgh, forgot one (I hope I'm not pushing patience):

What do you envision to be the average number of living Greater Dragonmark bearers a House typically has? Is it on the order of hundreds, dozens, or a handful? Similarly the Syberis mark.

I am creating an adventure in which the players will be investigating a Xen'drik ruin where the giants and their elven slaves once worked to develop ways to beat back the quori. Several things have come to mind, and I'd like to clairify them and see if there is any concepts I am not catching.

Present day quori can possess Inspired, or -willing- humans, correct? I wasn't sure if the description of the quori purposely made that distinction or if quori could possess any willing humanoid.

When the giants fought the quori in the Age of Giants, it was before the quori knew how to possess others, right? Or was this a problem back then as well?

My plot will suggest that the reason that the giants favored elf and drow slaves was partly due to their resistance/immunity to enchantment/sleep effects; also warforged-like beings made good sense to the giants for similar reasons.

What effect does not having to sleep have on someone who deals with the quori? Do elves project themselves to Dal Quor during their sleep-like trance? How similar are the elven trance and the kalashtar's sleep? They are both immune to dream spells, but kalashtar are not immune to sleep...so I'd like to know what they are doing to refresh themselves.

Any input on this subject would be hugely appreciated.


Gurv
"People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true."
-Wizard's First Rule

The description of warforged seems to do a good job explaining exactly what construct traits they have and which they do not. However, the one thing I can find that's missing is death from massive damage. Constructs are normally immune to this, but the warforged description doesn't say anything either way. Any chance you can clear this up?

Three questions (third one I accidentally posted in the wrong place, mea culpa).

#1
Do you see anything wrong with a psychic equivilent of the Artificer binding Astral Constructs or Astral Elementals to create vehicles similar to the Lightning Rail and Sky Ships?

#2
Already Answered

#3
Couldn't find anything on this subject. What happens when / can Kalashtar be reincarnated? It would be a bummer if the poor Kalashtari lost half of his souls. Bad enough he'd have to adapt to a new body, but to lose half his spiritual identity as well... :(

Originally posted by klyre
The description of warforged seems to do a good job explaining exactly what construct traits they have and which they do not. However, the one thing I can find that's missing is death from massive damage. Constructs are normally immune to this, but the warforged description doesn't say anything either way. Any chance you can clear this up?
Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe this is considered part of being immune to critical hits. So a Warforged is not immune to death from massive damage, but a Warforged Juggernaut would be.

Originally posted by Jaremy Rykker
So, can I get a ruling if the Psionic ability Body Adjustment will work as designed in the Mournland? I am wondering if it is affected by the restrictions on healing or otherwise.
I would rule that powers of the healing subdiscipline would be affected just like spells of the healing subschool. The restriction is not on magic but on the act of healing, as shown by the fact that non-native creatures do not naturally heal in the region. Healing spells and healing powers both mimic natural healing, and therefore will not work.

However, effects that do not have the healing subschool or subdiscipline -- say, vampiric touch, empathic transfer, or hostile empathic transfer -- will still work.

Originally posted by Zen Storm
I posted a question earlier on the general board asking about the Silent Knives...
1. Are they called Sharaat'Khesh? I'm unsure of the spelling and pronunciation.
They are called the shaarat'khesh (SHAH-rat khesh); it's not capitalized. "Shaarat" is losely translated as "blade" (hence the linguisitcally similar Kech Shaarat), while "khesh" is "silence". It's generally translated as "silent knives", but they could also be "blades of silence".
2. (Sorry, this may be too broad and I probably know the answer but I'll throw it in there.)Will there be any more detailed information on them in future products?
That would be a big "maybe". ;)
3. Are they specific to just the Dhakaani clans. If so are they associted with the powerful Dhakaani clan mentioned on pg.153.
Thay are a Dhakaani clan -- a separate clan that operates independantly of the Kech Volaar, Kech Shaarat, and the other would-be heirs of the empire. They sell their services to all of the clans, much as the dragonmark houses work for all nations.

4. How are they used? By this I mean are they only used as an assassination/espionge group? And, are they only used by and for the clan, only for clan business?
Yes, the shaarat'khesh are a highly specialized order of spies and assassins. There is another silent clan -- the taarka'khesh, "silent wolves" -- who serve as rangers and battlefield scouts.

Generally speaking, the shaarat'kesh will perform any task. THe one restriction is that they will not assassinate a member of the (Dhakaani) royal family. As a result, they may be sent after generals and the like (at a high cost), but they would not accept a commission against Tuura Dhakaan or Ruus Dhakaan.

5. This is kind of related to #4. How secret are they? Are they a Dhakaani secret group only, or are they or can they be employed by say an individual or government or even a House? How far does their reputation reach?
The shaarat'khesh are not deeply secretive, but they do not go out of their way to advertise their services, either. There's a lot of tradition involved to their services; the heirs of Dhakaan know how to contact them, the forms to respect, traditional payments, etc. They are a small clan and aren't generally struggling to drum up business. There's nothing stopping them for working for humans (since there weren't any humans on Khorvaire when the order was founded), but most of the elders would disapprove of it; they are the silent knives of the empire, and humans have usurped the lands that rightfully belong to Dhakaan. It's more of a calling than a business.

So, unless someone is a scholar of the Age of Monsters or has spent a lot of time in Darguun, it's unlikely that they will have heard of the shaarat'khesh. But an adventurer who spends a significant amount of time in Darguun could build up contacts in the clan -- so, for example, you have Halas Martain show up with a few taarka'khesh rangers at his side.

6. What is the racial make-up of the group and size? Is it a mixture of goblinoid races like the Dhakaani clan itself?
The silent clans are purely goblins (thought there are stories that they've taken in a few changelings...).

7. I know that they have been described as a monastic order of monk/rogues and I am wondering what the general leadership hierachy is? To clarify, is it a sect set up like a traditional martial arts monestary or more like mercenaries?
More like a monastary.

8.This kind of relates to #4 and #5. Who do they show favor or loyalty to in the struggle for clan supremacy among the leaders mentioned on pg.154. The chieftain Ruus Dhakaan, Turra Dhakaan, Kurac Thaar, or some other faction not mention. Or would it be everyone and/or no one at all?
The silent clans are completely impartial and serve all clans.

Originally posted by seint_83
Can you tell us a little about umbragen? Are they official? We'll see them in Races if Eberron?
My NDA prevents me from saying anything about the Umbragen. They are not covered in Races of Eberron, but they have a place in the history of Eberron and you may see D20 information about them and other aspects of Dragonshard after the game is released; it's really up to WotC.

How does Vol look alike? Sha has wings, she has a dragon like head or what?
Take a look at the half-dragon in the Monster Manual, then make it an elf, then make it a lich. She does not have wings, and she does not have a literal dragon's head, but she has draconian features, scales, and emerald claws. :)

Of course, given her access to disguise self, "whatever she wants".

Originally posted by sheik
"Master Keith, as a man blind since birth, I have never looked upon Siberys and the rings that cross the sky above. Nor have I gazed upon the moons in the night sky. Please tell a humble blind man, what do the heavens look like?"
This is an excellent question, and I think that I'm going ot save the answer for an astrology/astronomy dragonshards article. Thanks for your continued patience!

Originally posted by lostone
For the Armblade and Armbow warforged attachments, how long does it take to attach them? 1 round? 1 move action?
These are attached components; as noted on page 268, attaching or detaching a component is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity.

Could it be used with quickdraw, just slam the hand into place and it's as smooth of an action as a cowboy drawing his six-shooter?
As it stands? No. DM's decision.

Is it attached magically or mechanically?
Magically and mechanically. So dispel magic doesn't cause all of your components to pop off.

On a similar note, with the Wand Sheath warforged component, it states the want cannot be ejected until all the charges are used up. What if the warforged inserts an eternal wand? Technically it never runs out of charges, but if they used all the charges for the day, would they then be able to eject it?
Yes.

Originally posted by Alketar
On to my question... About Armblades and Armbows; I was curious of how that idea could be used for other weapons. What struck my curiosity on the subject was the Warforged Juggernaut's example character. In it's possessions is lists a "swordbond with +1 battleaxe."
This is errata. The warforged went through lots of revisions during testing, and this slipped through the cracks.

On top of that, although it is a rules question, do you have any idea on how I could implement a "swordbond" type system? Is this type of system yet to be described in another book?
Well, this is the sort of thing that might be covered in Races of Eberron. But the simple answer? A +1 bastard sword costs 2,335 gp. An armblade costs 2,300 gp, apparently picking up a slight discount because of the racial restriction. So hey, knock 35 gp off the price and you're good... though I'd require the item to have an enchantment of at least +1, and it's up to the DM to decide what weapons can be bonded. Just because you want a bonded spiked chain doesn't mean the DM has to allow it; perhaps some weapons just don't bond well.

Well, that brings us to the end of page 46, and that's it for the day!

This is the ask Keith forum right?

If so i got question about warforged (suprise, suprise)

Can Warforged smell? How about taste.
if you can answer this thank you.

Originally posted by Neofish
This is the ask Keith forum right?

If so i got question about warforged (suprise, suprise)

Can Warforged smell? How about taste.
if you can answer this thank you.

After a month without getting hosed down (at the very least) warforged can get downright funky. If that month included a bit of fighting, downing noxious concoctions of arcane and/or supernatural nature it could be powerful enough to kill flies in a sewer.

As to taste. That, I suspect, depends on the warforged's upbringing and the condition of its mind. Though in music they do tend to techno and industrial.

Wow your funny

I meant does a Warforged pocess any means to register any olfactory impulse and would he be able to tell if something was sour, sweet, or bitter if he put it in his mouth?
is that better
do you understand now...
not if a warforged resonates a stench after a long period without a bath or if he perfers red or white wine.
So Ha-Ha-Ha to your cheep joke, now if you don't mind i'd like a actual answer - thanks

How are Warforged Sentient?
How did they develop a sence of self?
How did they develop a language?
Are they created with an infant's sensibiltiies?
Are they given a set of knowledge at the get go? Who imparts/ gives them this knowledge? If they are created as just children are they easilly impressionable/manipulated?

Who trains them? Do they really want to be trained?

Seems to me that with only 33 years to work with many being only 2 to 5 years old that they would have minimal time to truly develop and discover the skills that make up many classes.

Warforged seem to be walking lethal childen.

Who would trust them? Who would teach them? I mean they are feared and mistrusted.

One minute its a screwdriver, the next minute its a talking thinking screwdriver - does it stop being a screwdriver?


Maybe they are something like the APES in Planet of the Apes movies in particular the one Conquest of the Planet of the Apes. Even then it seems it would take decades to get a simplistic lifeform to truly begin to "think" for itself.

Its late I ramble, but maybe the warforged are not as free willed as one may think, maybe at this juncture the best they could try to do is imitate what is around them haphazardly with many failures.

Something akin to the movie/TV show Alien Nation culture acclimation but 100x more difficult.

I have a question, I am not sure if it has been asked (and subsequently answered), but let me say, I love Eberron. To be honest, all campaign books released by WotC have been boring to read through. Eberron is the first book that I could read through without being bored and be inspired; the amount of info and plot hooks is overwhelming.

That said, I have one question about the tsuccora quori; it says that in order to possess a creature, the target must have a Charisma equal to or greater than the quori; I assumed this was an error, since the average human does not have a Charisma score equal to the quori, and in fact it is the quori who must have a Charisma score equal to or greater than the targets creature.

Also, when installing advanced offensive and defensive subroutines, do you pay the cycle cost once or each time you use the subroutine? The text isn't quite clear on that.

Anyway, excellent work on Eberron, I am eagerly looking forward to the Sharn sourcebook and to picking up the modules for Eberron.

(Double Post)