Home Creators Posts Import Register Favorites Logout

Content

Welcome to October! I've got a second gnome Dragonmark in the works, and I'll be making an announcement early next week. I'll post the October Dragonmark topic poll once I've posted the final gnome article. But for now, it's time for questions. As always:

With IFAQs I need questions I can answer in one to two paragraphs. So you need a clear, concise topic with a specific answer, not something abstract or broad. 

I'm more likely to answer questions that will interest a wide audience or that could come up in many campaigns, as opposed to  super-specific questions whose answers most people will never use.

I will NOT have time to answer all questions, but feel free to repost a question next moth if it doesn't make it this month!

Thanks again for your support!

Comments

Eric Irish

One of my players wants his next character to be from House Tarkanan, and he wants to take down the twelve dragonmarked houses. How hard would it be for him to accomplish this goal?

RGMD

Is arcane magic tied specifically to the ring of Siberys? If so how would travel to another plane affect arcane spells?

DasDom

Where would Blood Hunters fit into Eberron?

Eric Christian Berg

How long have their been changelings in Khorvaire? There seem to be some hints that they may have come from Sarlona with the second wave of immigrants.

LeatherKat

You've said before that Aerenai elves don't necessarily become as powerful as their age would suggest because the culture doesn't support innovation, but what about an elf born in Khorvaire? What's stopping them from being an epic level mage by the time they're 100?

Thomas Brøgger

Are there any democratic elections in Khorvaire and how do work?

Joseph Meehan

1. How would you use the Crimson Covenant in your Eberron? 2. What's going on with the Dreamspace? 3. What's a factory in Khorvaire like? 4. What's the status of arcane advancements in non-dragonmarked industries, like farming?

Jarrod Taylor

Some cultures in Eberron venerate ancestors, but are there any faiths that adhere to cultural reincarnation, that a particular person may be born again? (Dolurrh's Dawn not withstanding)

Adrian Burton

What, if any, would be the top few defining differences between an adventure on EverIce vs Frostfell?

Matt Brady

It's been mentioned in Exploring Eberron that Mror stew is sickening to the general population that isn't resistant to poison damage, and then further notes that stout halflings enjoy Mror cuisine. Is this including the stew, meaning that simply having a constitution boost is enough to occasionally handle this stew, like someone with a very minor gluten or lactose intolerance risking a reaction for a favoured dish? Or is this just in general and the stew is still horrific to non-dwarves (eneko/sekav/etc)? Related note, the population of the Mror Holds is 12% human, 8% gnome and 5% other, so about a quarter not dwarf or orc (source: ECS). Does this population simply have to keep itself guarded against the amazingly strong alcohol and possibly sickening slimes/fungi of Mror cuisine, or is it something you can get accustomed to? In an even more "in my Eberron" question, a little preamble (question at the bottom). In 3.0's Arms and Equipment Guide (going way back) it's noted that goblin beer (called thudrud there) is thoroughly disgusting (noted as tasting like "a rotting cow that caught fire"), though not requiring a save beyond alcoholic content, and orcs have a spirit called kragg which automatically nauseates anyone who isn't an orc, half-orc, goblin or hobgoblin (what bugbears lack I do not know). Kragg proved an interesting subject of debate among my players on how to fit it into Eberron, which necessitated figuring out what exactly this spirit might be (we determined either brandy or gin of a suitably repulsive strength), and questions of if the goblinoid immunity to its nausea might be better migrated to Marcher humans instead (making the drink something from the Shadow Marches) -Question- Would you say, when adapting racial details from other settings (generic or named) to Eberron that a good standard practice is to: A) keep the thing in question related to the race it was originally? B) change the details so it matches a race that covers the niche in question? For instance, Races of the Wild in 3.5 has a small bird called a chordevoc (a night hawk with blindsense) which is noted for halfling druids having an affinity with them as animal companions. If I was adapting it to Eberron, would it be better to reskin the bird into a terradon creature (much as the riding dog, another halfling favourite, was replaced by the clawfoot) and keep its statistics the same or divorce it from the halflings and make it a creature of the Eldeen or Xen'drik (or Lammania/Thelanis) instead (focusing on the wild nature side of the creature)?

C.K.

Any swear words specific to Khorvaire? I love creative swearing in fantasy settings (half my love of the Wheel of Time comes from the swearing).

Zed Bundershot

Widespread air-travel is so new, and no group except maybe the Argonnesson Dragons have generations of practical experience navigating in 3X13-dimensional spaces. So who navigates airships? I have some answers for my Eberron, but I wondered what possibilities interested you.

Caelan Scott

How does magic influence the construction of buildings in Eberron. Are there mage wrights able to lay bricks in a matter of seconds? Can houses be built in just a few days? Could this form of magic have had an meaningful impact in rebuilding after The Last War?

michael merchant jr

What do you think of Rune arms and how would you handle them in-game?

Jasmino

•How much does Vol herself believe in the core tenets of the Blood of Vol religion? How independent of her is the main body of believers? Thanks! •Besides Thaliost, what are the other 'hot spots' of Khorvaire that could trigger a new large scale war similar to the last war? •To which degree are people aware of planar manifest zones and their influence on daily life?

David Mitchell

In the ancient history not much is known of "the age of dragons?" ( if that's the correct name). I'm referring to the period of time when the overlords were defeated the couatl largely sacrificed and the other mortal species including giants and elves were in a primitive state. It's been stated that dragons became expansionist and begun colonizing eberron until this expansion brought about the release (or partial release) of the overlord tiamat, and subsequent retreat to Argonessen. What was the nature of this expansion? Empire o r rival fiefdoms, did it expand to the planes of the cosmos? What were the buildings, technology and treasures like? Do remnants remain would some dragons seek to restore this age? What major figures existed (sovereign analogues have been mentioned befofe). How are the constellations and the thir religion related and were the progenitors significant to them. Really I'm after how this period could be used to make the story of the dragons relevant to adventures today the cold war with the lords of dust and to a degree the elves.

Earth Seraph Edna

How does the Twelve enable the dragonmarked houses to work together instead of stepping on each others' toes? For example, how do House Medani's Basilisk's Gaze, House Deneith's Sentinel Marshals, and House Tharashk's bounty hunters not step on each other's metaphorical toes as they hunt for war criminals? How do House Phiarlan and Thuranni's crystal theaters not completely blow away House Sivis's speaking stones for the purpose of long-distance communications? How does House Orien stay relevant in the face of the other houses? How was House Cannith even allowed to split into three factions?

Earth Seraph Edna

How common are warforged in Khorvaire, really? Taking into account the Mourning, what percentage of all manufactured warforged to date has been destroyed?

Samantha Flynn

What kind of role do constellations in Eberron play? The only canon constellations I can remember are the ones named after the dragon gods, which raises for me the following questions immediately: 1) Do people call constellations by the names of the dragon gods? 2) If so, do they know that it's the dragon gods' names they're using? Or do they have entirely other stories for it? Are constellations used in auguries or divinations the same way they can be in our world? If so, what kind of role might the Ring of Siberys play? Which also opens up the question of if any important is placed on the position of moons at certain events...is it considered auspicious to hold peace talks under a full Therendor (which is the moon connected to Syrania, if I remember correctly), for example?

Earth Seraph Edna

What are some recommended, possible locations for overlord prisons that have not already been suggested in the printed books?

Patrick Thompson

What would the tax system look like in Eberron? Does house Sivis handle it? And would you have to document the exchanging of types of magical goods separately from regular goods? Is there anything to help with that magically?

Earth Seraph Edna

What is the actual gimmick of the city of Making, compared to Metrol (former Cyran capital) and Eston (former headquarters of House Cannith)? For that matter, where does Whitehearth fit into this scheme of great ruins in the Mournland?

Alex Perez

Why did the Houses choose Korth as the location of the Twelve? Sivis and Cannith are mentioned as being the leaders of the Dragonmarked as far as framing the institutions and rules that the Houses operate by. With that in mind, Metrol might seem like a more suitable location, especially in that it is at the center of Khorvaire, and didn't try to conquer everyone like Karrnath had 500 years earlier. That said, we know that the Houses were coming together in the centuries after Karrn's attempted conquest, and Karrnath is the home of Deneith and Jorasco. Perhaps these two houses held a lot of sway after the War of the Mark due to their role on the frontlines? I'm curious how that decision was made. Thanks Keith!

Mariamow

Hey Keith! Patreon meta question here. How long after a post like this do you prefer questions to be left? I asked a question about goblins in the last one way after it was posted and you answered but was wondering how you felt about it. Also in this thread do we suggest dragonmarks poll options? If not here, then where do we suggest them or are questions asked here that have big answers are put up in the poll?

David Byrd

Two questions Keith!

Asmuz

Hey, Keith! I will repost some of last month and add new ones. 1. What's Kaius I Been Doing For Almost a Century? (this is a funny version of a old forum topic that I found yours haha, but about Vol) 2. What are the themes of all feyspires? (I know that near half them have one, but idea here would be a table with all themes and just that, something as “Shae Joridal is about optimism even in dark times”) 3. Jorasco and Karnathi Culture (It is easy understand how Deneith was influece by Karrnath culture, but can you talk about how House Jorasco was and is? This is my perception that a House having a main enclave in some place will make it more cultural attached and influenced by it) 4. Do you have some idea about gnomes origin? I know is strange ask, because a lot of origins are a mistery, but gnomes usually have origin in fey planes, but in your Eberron it is not. 5. If there is some new idea about using or place of deep gnomes, I always will love to know. 6. Can you talk about “wide elemental” or ways about how elementals are use in day life on Lorghalen? 7. Can you talk more about Tolanen ? It is easy understand the exacly plot of New Zalanberg, but this one I am not sure. 8. Besides not be a culture as Lorghalen, can you talk about how is be a gnome on Mror? How would be the diferences of a players character there or what special this can add to a gnome story.

Constantine

So, Transportation question today! How ubiquitus was the lighting rail before/during the last war? Going from the map, it doesn't look like it actully connects to all that much. Are there private branch/spur lines not shown on the map, reaching out to run cargo? How much are lightning rail lines run like trail lines in our world? What oddies from them being arcane help distinguish them?

Mariamow

How far in the future do you pitch House Lyrandar demiplane transportation? Could it be introduced tomorrow or is it still a few years away in your mind?

anth

I wanted to ask a question about land vehicles. I know Sharn has different types of air vehicles, but that's because of the Manifest Zone, and then we have the lightning rail and the airships, that can only be used by dragonmarked heirs of specific Houses. But does Eberron have something like cars or motorcycles? Would they be a Dragonmarked-exclusive technology, like the lightning rail, or more something like the skycoaches? If exclusive, which house would they be connected to?

Mike Mateer

The disadvantage of Mabaaran Undead is supposed to be that they need to steal the life energy in order to exist. That makes sense for some of the advanced undead, but what about the "run of the mill" undead, like skeletons and zombies? What about the Karnathi versions of skeletons and zombies? Do they somehow drain life around them?

Omnificer

Happy October Keith! Since Exploring Eberron I've seen a lot of chatter questioning where Djinni and Marids fit into the planes, now that Efreeti and Dao have been given explicit roles in Fernia. A lot of people see the Endless Market in Syrania fitting Djinni with Marid being harder to place (I've seen one suggestion for Marid be Thelanis). Do you have a vision for how Djinni and Marids fit in the planes?

Earth Seraph Edna

How religious are the dragonmarked houses usually? I know that, for example, House Lyrandar is particularly religious, but what about the dragonmarked houses as a whole?

Thomas Fletcher

If a Brelish war criminal escapes to Graywall, how likely are the Daughters or Xor'chylic to agree to a Brelish request for extradition? In general, how do extradition requests function with non-Treaty nations?

Matthew Szlucha

How do genasi fit into Eberron? And how would a fire genasi influenced by Lamannia differ from one influenced by Fernia?

Joseph Meehan

What's the role of mummies in the Blood of Vol? Are they particularly common and Malevenor is simply the strongest, or is he a unique specimen?

Asmuz

A little late and I did a fair amount of questions and maybe the answer is just “this is something without a answer, just a question without a answer” or maybe this already was discuss in some place. But... in the sameway that Mourning, Warforged have or not a soul and other mysteries of the set, you can see the question “Why Sarlona is not on draconic prophecy” as the major question of a adventure or a arc? Because I understand that this secret have some practical uses in “macro political logic” of the world, this is the reason that dragons and the chamber don’t act directly there, but I was asking myself if there is answers that could make a good adventure about discover the reasons of it.

Michael Mitchell

What do the sahuagin of the Eternal Dominion base their timekeeping off of? In the darkness of the depths the solar cycle seems like an unlikely basis for days. What about longer time periods, like months or years?

Jamie Bernstein

Where is the influence of Avassh, the Twister of Roots, most felt in Eberron? Is the daelkyr in 'conflict' with any of it's brethren, like with Orlassk and Belashyrra? Thanks!

Derek Roy

I've heard plenty of mentions of the Queen of Frost and the Giants of Everice, but outside of the fact that they exist there is little more info to work off of. Does the Queen of Ice have any goals? I'd just love to see an info dump about Everice/The Queen of Frost basically.