Session Zero
GAME PROCESS CHANGES
Stars & Wishes
What is it?
Stars
At the end of the session, everyone gives some highlights, moments or techniques that they enjoyed. For me, these can be really flexible (I Just want to know what is grabbing yalls attention and continue building on what you enjoy.)Wishes
Everyone also gives some wishes, which can either be things they weren’t too keen on, or things they’d like to see more of. Again, the line between these is often a bit blurry, just include whatever pulls your or wish away the bad!Why it works
Predicated on all of this are some fundamental beliefs I have about how RPGs work – that the GM is as much a player as the rest of the table, and that we all share responsibility for the fun. The GM will also does stars and wishes, and their feedback is as equally valid as everyone else’s – it can be as much about player engagement and approaches as their own prep (often, my wishes are about my own prep though). I will be collecting all Stars & Wishes at the end of every session, and then either me or Katy will transcribe them into the below board for future reference.Some Things to Think About for Your Characters
What did you do during the Last War?
What did you do during the Last War?
For most of the last century, the continent of Galifar has been embroiled in a bitter civil war. If you’re human you’ve never known a world without war. If you’re a warforged, you were literally built to fight in it. The Last War came to an end two years ago, after the utter destruction of one of the warring nations. Think about how the war affected your character and their skills—for example, a rogue might’ve been a smuggler who avoided the war, or they might’ve used their skills to infiltrate enemy territory. Here are some questions to consider:How were you involved in the war? Eberron is a magical world; during the Last War, wizards, artificers, and all classes had roles on the battlefield. Were you a soldier? Or were you a criminal, a conscientious objector, a fugitive, or just a civilian whose connections or talents kept you off the front lines? If you fought, how did your service end? Are you still in good standing with the military, or did you leave that life behind? Are you proud of your service or would you rather not talk about it? Was a particular event a defining moment for you—a battle where you did something especially heroic or where you were one of the only survivors? How did the war affect you? Did you lose a loved one? Was your hometown destroyed—or your entire nation, in the case of Cyre? Did the things you saw during the war cause you to lose your faith, or did they actually strengthen it? A character who served in the Last War doesn’t have to take the soldier background, though the Military Rank feature is a good fit if your character is still respected by or tied to the military. An outlander could’ve been a scout; a sailor might’ve served in the navy; an entertainer could’ve been the musician for their troops; and an acolyte could’ve been a chaplain. Meanwhile, a criminal could’ve been dishonorably discharged, or a folk hero might be celebrated for heroic deeds they performed during the war ... even if their heroism went against orders.
What is your religion?
Eberron has many vastly different faith traditions across the world. If the player isn’t familiar with the setting, it helps to focus on the main options:The Sovereign Host’s pantheon of deities don’t manifest in the world, but their followers believe the Sovereigns are with them always, offering guidance. This is the most popular religion in the Five Nations, and it’s a casual faith that asks little of its followers. The Silver Flame is a tangible spiritual force that holds demons at bay. Followers of the Flame seek to protect innocents from supernatural evil and to encourage compassionate behavior. It’s sort of like a cross between the Jedi and the Men in Black; the faithful don’t believe in an anthropomorphic deity, but they can draw on the power of the Flame to fight evil. The Blood of Vol is a grim but practical faith that believes there’s no afterlife, the gods are cruel, and all we have is each other. Followers of this faith believe that all mortals have a spark of divinity within their blood, and Seeker clerics and paladins draw divine power from their own souls. Primal faiths include druids and other cultures that are devoted to the natural world and animistic spirits. Faithless people can be found throughout Eberron. After all, gods don’t physically manifest in the world, so many people either don’t believe the gods exist, or just don’t care whether they do. As a faithless character, did you lose your faith because of something terrible that happened, or have you just never been a believer? I might suggest other faiths—like those of the Path of Light, the Tairnadal, and the Dark Six—if they seem especially appropriate based on the player’s concept. Likewise, if they’re intrigued by the concept of a primal character, I suggest a specific option (Gatekeeper, Warden of the Wood, Talenta halfling) once I learn more about their character.
Where are you from?
If my players don’t know the setting, I usually suggest a couple options for their origins once I know what kind of character they’re interested in. This can be less intimidating than trying to explain all the nations in sufficient detail for the player to make an informed decision—so instead, I say “tell me about your idea” and see if it lends itself to a particular nation ... especially when informed by their role in the war and their religion. A Silver Flame cleric who served in the war? That sure sounds like Thrane. A faithless or primal outlander ranger who didn’t serve in the war? Talenta or Eldeen, depending on your ancestry. If an entire group of players are new to the setting, I often suggest their characters are all survivors from Cyre—perhaps they served together during the Last War, or they could’ve been thrown together by the Mourning. This approach not only makes it simple for players to know little about their homeland (after all, they won’t be casually strolling its streets or navigating its politics), but being from Cyre gives the party a shared loss and an easy explanation for why they’re adventurers. They have no home to return to, and all they have is each other—now do they want to help other Cyrans, or are they just looking out for themselves?What do you want?
This question isn’t particularly tied to Eberron, but it’s a good question to ask. Why are you adventuring? Are you just in it for the gold—and if so, what do you want the gold for? In the introduction of Eberron: Rising from the Last War, “Why Do You Need 200 Gold Pieces?” suggests one way to inspire character flaws, debts, and motivations. If you’re not in it for the gold, are you fighting for a cause, and if so, what? Do you want to recover a lost heirloom? Are you seeking vengeance? In all these cases, my job as DM is to find a way to work that desire into the thread of the campaign. If you want vengeance against the man who killed your father, guess what—now he’s part of the Emerald Claw, the main villains of this arc! And he’s carrying the heirloom sword another character is determined to recover!What’s your background?
Backgrounds provide skills and proficiencies, but they also add depth to a story. It’s important to keep in mind that background is background; it’s typically what the character used to do, so why did they leave that life behind? Why isn’t the acolyte tending a shrine? How did the criminal turn their life around, and why? What guild is the guild artisan part of, and is it tied to a dragonmarked house? What’s the entertainer’s most popular song, and did they sell the rights to House Phiarlan?Origins
Luca
Origins : Lhazaar(pg.12), Aundair(pg.4), Dragonmarked Heir(pg.22)Sub origins : Privateer(pg,12), Urban Elite(pg.4), Socialite(pg.5), (Mark of the Storm)
Airship Lair Actions
Lair Actions
Any ship a merrenoloth is contracted to captain becomes the creature's lair. When fighting on the ship, the merrenoloth can invoke its ability to take lair actions. On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the merrenoloth can take one lair action to cause one of the following effects; it can't use the same effect two rounds in a row:
The ship regains 22 (4d10) 4d10 hit points.
- A strong wind propels the ship, increasing its speed by 30 feet until initiative count 20 on the next round.
The air within 60 feet of the ship is filled with howling wind. Until initiative count 20 on the next round, that area is difficult terrain, and when a Medium or smaller creature flies into that area or starts its turn flying there, it must succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Rye
Origins : Droaam (pg.9),Sub origins : Menyas Fist (pg.9), Mafioso(pg.5) Hunter(pg.18)
Beck
Origins : Mournland?(pg.13), Breland(pg.5)Sub origins : Magebred (pg.13), Nightwood Fugitve(pg.12)
Viktor
Origins : Karrnath(pg.11), , Dragonmarked Heir(pg.22)Sub origins : Academic(pg.5), Kech Hashraac(pg.8), Rekkenmark Elite(pg.11), Mark of Making(pg.22)
Steve
Origins : Aundair?(pg.4),Sub origins : Knight Arcane?(pg.4), Woeforged?(pg.14), Big Game Hunter?(pg.16) Thunder Guide (pg.19), Shipwright(pg.21)
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