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New Article and Call for Questions! (Patreon)

Published:
2021-07-12 19:07:48
Imported:
2026-06

Content

Lots to discuss today! I just posted a new article inspired by a question posed last month, dealing with improvisation and DMing. With that posted, it's time to get going with new questions for THIS month. For those who are new to the IFAQ process, here's how it works. 

In an ideal world, I would be able to answer everyone's questions every month. In THIS world, life continues to be hectic and it simply isn't possible. With that in mind, a few things to keep in mind...

Given the volume of questions I receive, I limit myself to answering one question per patron per month, to try to spread my time out as evenly as possible. You can ASK multiple questions, because it may be one is easier for me to answer than another—but if you ask seven questions, I'm only going to answer one of them.

If I can answer a question in 2-3 sentences, I will answer it here (as a reply to your comment). If I can answer a question in 2-3 paragraphs, it may be answered as an IFAQ article, but I only have time to post 1-3 IFAQs per month. If it would take me 2-3 pages to answer a question, odds are good I'm just not going to have time to take it on. So the tighter the focus of your question, the greater the chance I'll be able to answer it. In choosing topics for IFAQ articles, I look for questions that could interest a wide audience or be applicable to many campaigns.

If I have to do significant research to answer the question,  it's probably going to get shelved. A good example of this is "How does the textile industry of Khorvaire work?" It's a great question, but I don't know anything about textiles. So to answer the question, I'd first have to research textiles so I can UNDERSTAND how the industry would be affected by everyday magic. I wish I had the time to do that, but with all my IRL issues I definitely don't this month. So I love questions like this—but the simple fact is that if I need to do an hour of research to properly answer a question, it's not going to happen this month.

If you asked a question didn't get answered in a previous month, you're always welcome to ask it again, though consider how these guidelines apply! There's always good questions I just don't have time to answer. 

Meanwhile, I have a few quick updates for Threshold patrons: 

We're reaching the end of the current Discord  Story Hour, so check in on that if you're interested!

The deadline for applying to play in the next session is tomorrow night, so if you're on the fence, apply now! 

If you can't play in the session because of timing (or because you played recently), you're still welcome to submit an idea for a member of the Black Crowns. Even if your suggested NPC doesn't appear in the adventure, I could add them to the Black Crowns section of Frontiers of Eberron! 

That's it. As always, thanks for your support! 

Files

Gameplay: DM Improvisation

As time permits, I like to answer interesting questions posed by my Patreon supporters. Often those questions are tied to Eberron, but sometimes there's a more general topic. Case in point... I love the collaborative element of TTRPGs.

Comments

Joseph Meehan

(from last month) What are some of the significant families in each Dragonmarked House?

Paul Blank

How prevalent are gem dragons in terms of overall presence and influence in Argonnessen compared to metallic and chromatic dragons?

Constantine

Without the Blood War or the 14th Plane of Baator, how do you tend to differentiate Demons and Devils?

Pete Cotton

In many cases it seems like the magical "technology" of Eberron is roughly equivalent to things that existed in the early twentieth century in our world. However some things are advanced even beyond our current capabilities, and some other technologies seem conspicuously behind the times. I'm curious if there were ever equivalent designs for more everyday convenience items or if they could be in development. If not do you think their existence would hamper the setting or gameplay? Specifically: telephones, photography/moving pictures, radio broadcasts, early computing to name a few. Thanks!

Brian Higginbotham

How does the legal system in the Five Nations deal with changelings? It seems like their natural abilities would wreak havoc with eyewitness testimony, for a start. "It wasn't me . . . It was a changeling!"

Will Buck

In Graywall, what is the priestess Zerasha’s relationship with Xorchylic? What are her goals, and what might cause those goals to become so misaligned with Xorchylic’s as to cause open conflict?

Earth Seraph Edna

Who are the most likely candidates for the Syrkarn and Tashana Tundra overlords?

Anthony J. Turco

Currently, the Keeper of the Flame with the longest historical reign was Saren Rellek, who lead the church for 88 years. Would you say this is because they were a non-human Keeper? Is the tiefling sanctuary of Rellekor named after them?

Parker Wimberly

In regards to the Five Nation, who has the biggest navy and who as the most advance one. Connected to that, was there much naval combat during the last war.

Matt Brady

From the Provinces of Riedra full post: A question that occurred in the interim was how permeable are the borders to Syrkarn in Rhiavhaar, Borunan and Khalesh, and Tashana in Dor Maleer. This mostly because of the groups which pass them below: Secrets of Sarlona (in parts you may not have personally written) suggests the Inspired somewhat “allow” dissidents to flee to Syrkarn, as that nation’s diffused nature (and the Thousand Eyes infiltration) prevents large scale organizing. In the cases of Borunan and Khalesh I’m taken to understand these kingdoms have more desolate stretches which might see fewer patrols? Are Syrk merchants mostly confined to the provinces that border Syrkarn? Does Riedra still make use of Akiak slave labour in your Riedra? Or was destabilizing and driving a wedge between them and the humans and shifters enough?

Spike Hemphill

Which sea/ocean would you place Kuo Toa at? Do Kuo Toa have any history with Daelkyr or mind flayer in eberron?

Jarrod Taylor

Reincarnation is rare but not impossible, especially with things like a particular tree in Zilargo, and it's called out that you keep things like your dragonmark. My question was how cultures like the Dragonmarked Houses and the Tairnadal treat reincarnation/reincarnated individuals.

Zed Bundershot

Are there Eberron creatures/places/ideas etc., that you did not create, but once you became aware thereof, you enjoy including in your Eberron? In your Eberron, whom would deliver a written out sending stone message from a Sivis station, an Orion or Sivis courier, a Vadalis pigeon/owl/raven?

Joseph Meehan

How common are bags of holding/extradimensional space? Typical Orien Caravan? Lightning Rail?

Parker Wimberly

Are there any other feyspires in your eberron, like ones in the ocean. Adding on to that can the feyspires before becoming stuck on Eberron change the location where they shift to. It seems strange that they are all in khorvaire expect one being in Xen’drik

Earth Seraph Edna

Does Valaara have any relation to the dromite hives underneath Sarlona? Valaara favors insects, and the dromites are insects. Valaara lives underground, and the dromites live underground. Valaara has a hivemind theme, and Riedra is the Unity.

Felix Shafir

Does the King's Wands branch of the King's Citadel do no more than provide magical support for the other branches of the Citadel, or does it also run its own independent operations and, if so, could you offer any ideas for the kinds of independent operations the Wands may currently be running following the end of the Last War? Your posts have done such an awesome job of further fleshing out the Dark Lanterns and the Royal Eyes, and it would be interesting to learn about Wands operations and operatives too, to help get a better sense of how the organization can serve as a patron or antagonist.

Earth Seraph Edna

What are one or two examples of a major Chamber dragon operation currently operating in Sharn? The 3.5 Sharn: City of Towers book is very sparse on the Chamber.

Syltorian

I was wondering whether there is more information to be had about High Cardinal Krozen. 1) I cannot find his first name anywhere. 2) More in depth: I am having trouble coming to grasps with his motivations. He is presented as having been a faithful, if conservative follower of the Silver Flame until the Mourning, but has become increasingly corrupt since then. The 4E Campaign Guide says that he fears the Mourning as a ‘risk to the nation he considers his to govern as he pleases’ and that he is even conjuring fiends to help him keep his power and understand what happened to Cyre. But is he, or was he ever a Puritan (if not, how does ‘conservative’ differ)? Is he, like Kaius III, genuinely concerned with the well-being of Thrane and the Church, or is he self-serving? Does he realise or care that he is evil, or is he in denial and justifies his actions to himself as necessary for the greater good? Does he still believe in a ‘greater good’ or, for that matter, the Silver Flame? And finally, why does he have more power than the other twelve High Cardinals of the Diet? How does Jaela feel about him? Many thanks for the answers, though I fear this might be a longer topic. And I hope asking a lot of ‘subquestions’ isn’t cheating with regards to the 1 question per patron.

Thomas Brøgger

In what clever ways do the halfling of Gatherhold utilize their dinosaurs besides using them as beasts of burden?

Selerian

Are there psychotherapy services or schools in Eberron? Maybe wizards of the School of Enchantment, kalashtar (though they're not trustworthy in eyes of common people) or Morgrave psychologists provide such services?

Asmuz

1. Thoughts about the gnome monk order from Zilargo. How would you use it? 2. What Lhaazar Island you would use as start of a pirate campaign and how you would would do it? Any thoughts about what kind of plot you feel that fit with this more (as...become the High Prince or a adventure about a lost treasure) 3. What specific major plot you would use in Lorghalen? Overlord, Daelkyr, Quori or other things 4. Places beyond Morgrave in Eberron that you could see a Sphinx be there in a interesting way

Jason Godesky

If Domains of Dread are Hinterlands of Mabar, that seems to raise some questions about how Mabar works. Like you suggested in a previous article, Strahd would totally make sense as a pre-Karrn Karrnathi warlord, and I could imagine Har'Akir as some part of Sarlona plucked from the Sundering, but in both cases, that would mean that Mabar has been consuming these Hinterlands for thousands of years, and the Hunger of Mabar still hasn't taken hold. Sure, the Dark Powers like to take their time and enjoy the process, but how do we reconcile how long it takes in some of these cases, with the core concept of Mabar as hunger and entropy?

RGMD

Quick query: was Thronehold or Metrol the capital of United Galifar? Seems like Metrol had both the royal treasury and the royal library of Galifar.

RGMD

The idea that the fate of Metrol in the dread domains and the Mounring were related events is a very neat solution. However, how would you approach it if the Mourning was not related to Metrol’s current predicament?

John Barleycorn

Hi Keith! Were ancient Dhakaani really ruthless? Take torture and Grieving tree for example, how many of them were constructed? Were they seen as a horrible invention or as a useful and necessary tool? How are they seen by modern Kech Volaar, will they want to use/preserve or destroy them?

GhostOfEternalTime

The biggest cast members of Savage Tide I'm curious about are the obyriths. Obox-ob, Dagon, Pazuzu, Pale Night, etc. - how do they fit into Eberron?