Eberron Bepop (3.5 edition DnD)

[Zaer Darkwail]

Now, if you were fan with anime series of Cowboy Bepop or was fan of the sci-fi series called Firely and are also interested on DnD and specifically in Eberron? Then this game is for you. If none the mentioned things apply, do not bother reading further :P.

Now, premise of the game is following; you all are part of the crew on a Blaze, a fire elemental powered airship. The crew was founded somewhere after Treaty of Thronehold was written and your crew's pilot is called Bael'vaenos ir'Lyrandar, or just Bael for short. However the actual commanding presence and captain of the crew is Vandros Derram, a cyran backgrounded former military officer who was first man recruited by Bael into the crew and he then one by one recruited rest of the crew.

Now you have no idea why a Lyrandar airship is independly flying and not doing house business usually and rather takes shady jobs than honest ones. However one thing is certain; the ship is your only home as for whatever reasons you were drifted on the mercenary crew, you were in trouble and had reason or another place to stay or your usual home was too dangerous to stay....or you brought danger to it if you had stayed there. You had been part of the crew for good two years now, drifting and doing varied jobs here and there. Some less shady and some so shady you are not even sure what 'shady' is.

Char generation

Starting level: A Last War veteran some fashion or other, 8th level. Your the guys what for Crimson Battallion was founded in Sharn.
Allowed Races: Any eberron specific. Including dhaelkyr half-bloods.
Stat generation: You can either roll in Invisible Castle with 5d6.takeHighest(3) formula (I accept only Ironman clasified results with your Elliquiy username tagged in same way as it looks on E) and if not happy with the rolls then use 34 point buy.
Sourcebooks allowed: All eberron books are accepted by default and if you can link on dragon magazine stuff I approve them also (so long Eberron specific). Otherwise I got damn big book collection what allow stuff pulled from. I can allow Faerun regional feats if they make sense in your background story. But otherwise no other setting material allowed. Psionics as note are allowed and so is Tome of Battle and so is Tome of Magic. Book of Exalted and Vile Deeds are not allowed as both have outdated and broken mechanics. In later publishments (Hordes of Abyss and Legions of Hell) the vile feats got updated and so you use them than Book of Vile Darkness.
Alignment Restriction: None, expect all must be party friendly personalities and not lone wolves. In Eberron alignment is in general in flux anyway.
Starting Gold: You start with 49,000gp (eguivalent of 10th level char thanks your mercenary careers and also career during Last War). However no item cannot go past 10,000gp in value (can allow expections if most cost is related to exotic material like enchanted mithril full plate).

RP Background Requirements: I need minimum 1 paragraph descripe your origin (friends, family, childhood), 1 paragraph descripe your time during Last War (who's side you fought and why? Which armies you fought against and nemesis if any?) and 1 paragraph descripe your time after the Last War (why you did not stay in army or why got unemployed merc and what you did to survive and get by) and then 1 parapgrah how you got into crew and what is your position in there. So total 4 paragraphs with each one around 4-6 lines. Lastly every char must include a reason why they do not have home to go to and why they consider ship as their only home for past two years. Take inspiration from backgrounds from chars in Cowboy Bepop and Firefly.

Appearance: Either decent long description or a pic. Accept manga/anime pics and also drawn pics and digital art. Just avoid RL pics as they deviate little from fantasy world by personal taste.

Organization/Secret Society Association: Any allowed but must not be binding ones compared being part of the crew. So a dragonmark heir can be part of the crew but somereason said heir is not heavily involved in his/her house own business (or somehow being drifter supports it).

Charsheet format: I prefer online ones with a link to them.
Devotion/Posting frequency: One post per 1-2 days. I myself try stick to that schelude.
Player slots: Total 4 + GMPC + pilot (can be PC) and mechanic (pilot's son/daugther). So total 4 spots needed, and two extra if someone willing take role of pilot and mechanic (and pilot and mechanic must be related, adopted child is allowed) and GMPC is the captain of the crew.
Game Style: Adventure/Action game with occassional brush on mystery/investigation and puzzles. Also rare oppoturnities to deal with social high life situations but considering your conartist and mercenaries you rarely get involved such sort of deals.

[kckolbe]

I am a fan of both Firefly and Eberron.  I especially love me some artificers.  I generally prefer skilled/hybrid characters, but pretty open on role, though since I am not a fan of playing young characters, mechanic probably wouldn't suit me.

[Zaer Darkwail]

Who said the mechanic daughter/son needed to be young? If your half-elf you could be easily be several years older (a human daughter could be even be older).

[kckolbe]

Good call.

[Muse]

 I've played a few Eberron games, Zaer, though the full metaplot is still a little bit beyond me.  If you'll have me in spite of that I'd love to play.  :) 

[Zaer Darkwail]

Nice see your interest Muse :). Anyways there is going to be bigger plot but at start we focus on bunch mini adventures to get players feel for their characters.

[Kunoichi]

This idea certainly has my interest.  I'll work up a character concept when I get off work in a few hours.

[kckolbe]

As always, I am very open to warping my concept to fit group needs, and actually prefer feedback on which route to go.  For this game, here are the classes that interest me in some way along with what about them catches my fancy:

Spellthief
Pro: 6 sp/lvl, trapfinding, slightly better saves.  Also, flavor-wise, this just seems the Eberron version of a standard rogue, which appeals to me.
Con: Not as strong in combat, might enjoy playing a multiclass rogue/warmage more and get pretty much the same thing
Warmage
Pro: Int mod dmg on spells.  I like this because it is good for multiclassing.  With 3-4 levels of warmage and the Practiced Spellcaster feat, I can do very decent damage and still have 4 levels in any other class to fit his new life.  Also, Warmage definitely fits the idea of a war veteran.  These guys are made for war.
Con: No utility spells, only 2 sp/lvl.  I like my skills.
Artificer
Pro: Trapfinding, cheap item creation, ability to repair damage, overall solid utility character, and obviously a perfect fit for the setting.
Con: Almost useless in combat unless using wands, which would counter the cheap item creation perk
Marshal
Pro: A little healthier than the rest of the classes (d8 hit die), his auras are an excellent passive buff in and out of combat, and another good class for a war vet.  Additionally, could be fun to multiclass with the Warmage
Con: Auras are all he has going for him, possibly the weakest solo class in D&D
Beguiler
Pro: 6 sp/lvl, trapfinding, and lots of random spells
Con: Poor BAB, and no direct combat spells, would require focus toward raising spell DCs

Let me know if any of those sound good/bad or step on a concept you were thinking of playing.  I'm confident that at least a couple of these classes aren't on anyone's radar. 

[Zaer Darkwail]

Actually Vandros Deram is a Marshal 7/Sorcerer 1 class wise, so you get the marshal auras and he is support character (and his sorcery spells would focus on verbal component only category, he plans head to Cyran Avenger PrC).

[Muse]

  A few questions. 

  Are you going to allow flaws and racial paragon classes from Unearthed Arcana? 

  If I played a war forged, would there be sexiness to miss out on? 

[Kunoichi]

I've got a question, as well.

Would there be any objections to me playing a Ghost? ^^; There's an online savage progression that would let me get away with just losing one or two levels, if you'll allow it, or I'd be willing to take the full +5 LA template if the online progression looks too powerful.  I could use the Ghostly Grasp feat and a Hat of Disguise to pass for normal, as well.

Backstory-wise, I'm thinking the character would probably have been on a battlefield in Cyre when the Day of Mourning happened, though I'm still undecided on which side she would have been fighting on.

[Muse]

  My war forged concept would be Artifcer 7, Fighter 1. 

  If it's better to be someone anotomicly endowed, I could do any number of concepts, of either gender. 

[Teo Torriatte]

I would love to join this as well, if I may? Muse and I were discussing the possibility of us both playing war forged. We wanted to experiment with gender rolls so his character altered both of us.

[kckolbe]

Zaer, you are playing a marshal?!  No one EVER likes that class!  With that taken and Muse going artificer, I think I will go Warmage for at least 4 levels to give us some light firepower.  Maybe even Mystic Theurge, though that would leave me with no skill points.

Kunoichi, I think she ghost sounds cool, especially if that feat allows ghostly handjobs.  ~grins~

Muse, is your character going to be able to handle traps? 

[Zekromnomnom]

If I didn't have so many plays going right now, I would have loved to join this. I'm definitely going to read along with you guys. I LOVE Eberron.

[Teo Torriatte]

I'm gonna be playing a cleric, she will be fairly decent at melee for one, though, with a halberd and an adamant body.

[Muse]

John Smith and Gold Heart

   Cyre’s 17th Heavy Infantry Armored Corps was manufactured in the last seven years of the war.  An entire company armored and armored with adamantine, we soon found ourselves on the front lines of a number of engagements, destroying enemy soldiers and enemy fortifications with equal ease. 

   At first, we didn’t truly understand what we were doing.  Empowered with an assortment of skills and knowledge, we found books in sacked cities and began to read in our down time. 

   While the being who fought at my right hand studied books on faith, religion and healing, I took an interest in how things were created—from tools to artwork.  I learned to repair myself and other members of our unit.  Before the end of the war, I had developed from mundane crafts into a full fledged artificer.  The being who fought at my right hand found an injured child in a city we had sacked.  She prayed for the girl so hard Dol Arrah answered.  Flesh and bone knit, the child was restored and the being who fought at my right hand became a cleric. 

   This act of mercy struck me as a very enlightened thing, a way that it had moved beyond what we were made to be, so I offered that being the name Gold Heart. 

    The destruction of Cyre brought our world an uneasy peace.  My countrymen were scattered across Argonesen and beyond.   What remained of the 17th spent some time escorting refugees as they saught new homes.  In the end, we found we had no homes for ourselves.  The remainder of the 17th remained dedicated soldiers and found a mercenary army to enlist in.  Gold Heart and I were fascinated by the other races of the world.  After some study, we determined that we would alter ourselves to be more like them. 

   We would take on genders. 

   With the limited senses of a war forged, I never imagined the pleasure and pain I could experience as a being with gender.  Even with most of our armor grafts still immobile, I altered us so that the most sensitive parts could be revealed for each other’s pleasure. 

   There was pain too, intensities of emotion that nothing ever prepared us for.  For a time, we couldn’t stand each other, but eventually the bonds we forged fighting together as nameless soldiers drew us back together, and grew stronger than ever before. 

   Our experiments at a pausing point and our resources running low, we sought a new adventure.  We have all the future ahead of us, theoretically eternal lives.  Boredom could be our undoing, we reasoned, so we set out to see the world. 
 

[Kunoichi]

If Zaer approves a Ghost character, then I'll have a few follow-up questions that will determine my own build. ^^; At the very least, though, I'll be combining nearly unassailable AC with good mobility, so I'll at least be able to act as a fairly competent tank.

[Rhaegar14]

I'll post tentative interest, based on the other types of characters that show interest and whether or not I realistically have time for this game.

I'm thinking I'll play a battle-hardened, elite veteran of the Last War, either a Knight Arcane/Phantom of Aundair or a Karrnathi Bone Knight. Depending on what everybody else wants to play and whether or not the rest of the party will get along with a Bone Knight.

[Kunoichi]

Considering that I'm planning to be an undead character, myself, I certainly don't have any problems with a Bone Knight in the party. ^^

[Rhaegar14]

Well, one of the other issues with the Bone Knight idea is that one of their greatest strengths -- the ability to control ridiculously huge hordes of undead -- really isn't well-suited to this campaign model.

Although, Command Undead could have some other uses... ;-)

[Kunoichi]

Depending on which build I go with, you may have some difficulty beating my Will save. :P

Of course, if armies of undead won't be that useful in a game like this one, the Knight Phantom prestige class does look like a pretty good alternative.  I'm guessing you want a gish build of some sort?

[Rhaegar14]

I'm pretty sure Turn/Rebuke Undead doesn't allow a Will save, but I'd have to get a very high roll on a Rebuke check to command you if being a Ghost doesn't cost you a pretty significant number of Hit Dice.

And no, I'm looking at a Prestige Class with full BAB and nearly full arcane casting progression, but I was thinking I might build a healer. :-P

On a more serious note, I might roll up a Valenar battle Cleric if nobody brings divine spellcasting. Gotta have those wands of cure light wounds lol.

[Muse]

*points at Luna*  She's working on a warforged cleric of Dol Arrah. 

[Rhaegar14]

As always, I am very open to warping my concept to fit group needs, and actually prefer feedback on which route to go.  For this game, here are the classes that interest me in some way along with what about them catches my fancy:

Spellthief
Pro: 6 sp/lvl, trapfinding, slightly better saves.  Also, flavor-wise, this just seems the Eberron version of a standard rogue, which appeals to me.
Con: Not as strong in combat, might enjoy playing a multiclass rogue/warmage more and get pretty much the same thing
Warmage
Pro: Int mod dmg on spells.  I like this because it is good for multiclassing.  With 3-4 levels of warmage and the Practiced Spellcaster feat, I can do very decent damage and still have 4 levels in any other class to fit his new life.  Also, Warmage definitely fits the idea of a war veteran.  These guys are made for war.
Con: No utility spells, only 2 sp/lvl.  I like my skills.
Artificer
Pro: Trapfinding, cheap item creation, ability to repair damage, overall solid utility character, and obviously a perfect fit for the setting.
Con: Almost useless in combat unless using wands, which would counter the cheap item creation perk
Marshal
Pro: A little healthier than the rest of the classes (d8 hit die), his auras are an excellent passive buff in and out of combat, and another good class for a war vet.  Additionally, could be fun to multiclass with the Warmage
Con: Auras are all he has going for him, possibly the weakest solo class in D&D
Beguiler
Pro: 6 sp/lvl, trapfinding, and lots of random spells
Con: Poor BAB, and no direct combat spells, would require focus toward raising spell DCs

Let me know if any of those sound good/bad or step on a concept you were thinking of playing.  I'm confident that at least a couple of these classes aren't on anyone's radar.

I don't know what splat you have access to or are familiar with, but based on a couple of these ideas, I might recommend you take a look at the Factotum class (Dungeonscape) and the Psychic Rogue.

*points at Luna*  She's working on a warforged cleric of Dol Arrah. 

Perfect.