Tales from the Rollbooth: Eberron 5e Campaign Session 2: A Symbol of Demons; Codifying Favor Mechanics

Session 2: A Symbol of Demons


Our party collects themselves.


Rasdaar escorts the half orc and goblin prisoner to the holding cell cart.


Meanwhile, Orival takes Vedim’s rapier and jams it into the coupling gauges of the cart as the momentum sends the rocking carriage back into place again. Vedim attempts the same idea with his sheath and misses. The rapier breaks, sending the end skittering beneath the train as Norsys arrives holding forward a connector from her hip parts.


At this moment, a siege of arrows drops on the party from above, followed closely by a jar of alchemist’s fire. The three dodge out of the way as the slick material coated and flames up between the railway cars.


Agata accosts her countrymen, asking what he is doing here. What they want. The Cyran responded he only wanted the money--just like the others. Agata considers the truth in this, but when asked what he was doing with them, he responds, it doesn’t matter. What matters is what happens next.


He goes to jump off the train, and reconsiders when he sees the flailing cords just two cars back, sparking and carrying fields of lightning, and carving against trees in ways that would rend his flesh. He resigns himself to stay in the cart as Agata sees the fire burning two cars down and resolves to go after to help.


Abel Soulcrest, a local hired mercenary dwarven soldier for the train delivers a healing potion to Orival, who is pulling the remains of an arrow from his back, and attempting to seal it with a skittering unknown substance, which pulls the wound together. The potion makes quick work of the rest of the wound, and he sets himself on finding something to help pull the train together.


Agata passes by Vedim in the second class carriage, who is heading to his room to pick up his crowbar, and Norsys, who is retrieving her weapons. She jumps over the fire without issue--this is not her first encounter with fire. She remembers surviving it well.


She looks up in time to see Abel take a potion of climbling--and watches him go out the window--she sets a ward on him to help protect him. Norsys has the same idea, both climbing up atop the carriages to see the airship pursuing at about 80 feet above them. Norsys takes a shot at the undercarriage with her javelin. Abel with his longbow. Both find the attention of the crew, which is easily able to split attention--though they have trouble shooting lone targets atop the moving train.


Vedim returns to the fire and throws the crowbar across the carriages, stopping dead short of where a rain of arrows would fall on him. He then remembers a wive’s tale, and proceeds to attempt to urinate on the fire to put it out.


Orival jumps across the fire, through a rain of arrows, and as the couplings begin to buckle beneath his feet, finally secure the gauges in place with the crowbar and blackjack-- before leaping back, his shoes singed.


The ward protects Abel from arrows. As the alchemist’s fire would hit him, a shimmery veil comes between and the firey goop slides off in front of him. Norsys deflects some arrows with the iron bits of her chasis, but a vial strikes her across the chest, and she finds herself on fire as well.


She climbs back into the second class carriage and puts out the flames on another passenger’s bedsheets.


Vedim takes a chance at shooting his crossbow into the ship as well, landing a satisfying blow, as he hears someone scream--and presumably fall.


With the carriages secured, the ship takes flight once more--with Hatheril in sight. It is not worth pursuing the train into a town.


Rasdaar returns, flanked by two guards on each side. They set to work removing the harpoons from the train car. Rasdaar also climbs atop the train to get a good look at the ship. It bears the Lyrandar crest, but this has been hacked out--and in its place scarred in the wood is something rat-like in appearance, a face perhaps.


The train pulls to a stop in Hatheril a little around midnight. The passengers are told that it will be about midday before the train begins moving again. Repairs must be made. Once in town, Rasdaar gives a report to the local stationed guard, and questions the prisoners. They say nothing more than some rude gestures and imply that Prophecies will be Fulfilled in a dark voice.


Orival, Agata, and Norsys take a drink at the bar, talking about their capabilities. Vedim studies them closely, but opts to return to his room after a few minutes.


Abel checks on passengers in the meantime, making sure everyone is comfortable and unharmed. He ends up leaving the train to pursue conversation with other guards--young guards that far precede his dwarven age. He realizes he is the only one who served in the war among them, and the only one who has seen combat. He is alone, and he remembers the warforged, and wonders if he can find better conversation and camaraderie with her.


Orival and Agata return to their room. Orival confides in her the worry about this airship--that one of two possibilities exist. Either a turncoat of the Lyrandar House is controlling it, or whomever is flying it has figured out how to reverse engineer the magic. Either option is bad. He emphatically suggests that it should be caught and figured out. He reveals that he is d’Lyrandar to her, and it’s how he knows how dire this situation is. Agata is powerful, knowing and possessing the capabilities of casting powerful magics. Agata speaks passionately about the unknown origin of her magic. These are not the important things to her. She is traveling to Sharn to attempt to locate her six year old daughter--a girl who should not even exist. It is not allowed for priests of her kind to seek partners or have children.


The following day, Abel notices the nobles from the first class passenger car taking leave East on the road leaving Hatheril. The prisoners are taken off the train for execution, and the Cyran human bandit is not among them.


Vedim and Rasdaar speak plainly on their intentions once they arrive to Sharn. Vedim finds no interest in Rasdaar to become his employee--rather, equal business partners suits both parties better. Rasdaar is quick to wit, a proud knight of his house, and a lover of art. Vedim invites him to his family’s theater upon arrival to Sharn, revealing some Thruanni connections he possesses.


Agata confronts Norsys to find out what she had done during the war. If she was going to have any more company with the warforged, she needed to know. However, Norsys has fleeting, if any, memories of the tasks she performed. They are left stale--when they are invited to the captain’s quarters.


Orival spends the day working on his creation, breathing electricity and life into it. The life is like quicksilver, slipping away almost as soon as it is created. He makes a few other improvements over the course of the 12 hour voyage.


The party, perhaps an hour outside of Sharn, is spoken to by Analeith and Gain. They thank them for their services, pay the Abel and Rasdaar for their work, and offer to refund the cost of the tickets that were bought. They give Agata a house name she can follow to find better work than is what is normally afforded to Cyrans in the area--though not explicitly said, this work is normally sex work. They give her instead the name Wyrriseyn, a house she recognizes as an upper middle House of Cyre. Gain informs Agata that the Wyrriseyn house is the point of contact for Cyran refugees seeking to join the Silver Flame.


The nightis warm, the streets are wet and well lit by everburning lamps along the streets of Sharn.


Vedim traveled to the theater to find his lodgings in the mid Central Plateau.


Abel goes to Northedge.


Norsys goes to Cliffside.


Agata finds rest in mid-level Tavick’s Landing, where the Wyrriseyn House is located. She is given a room and told they were sent for ahead of her--and that Mr. Wyrriseyn would like to speak with her tomorrow.


Orival goes to find his own living arrangement, likely through the Lyrandar house.

Rasdaar finds housing easily in the Central Plateau with his connections to House Deneith.





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Design notes:

I had offered a buy-in for a train tickets which was, in essence, a sort of narrative prisoner's dilemma. This happened as a part of session 0.

Players chose how they received their tickets, and the risk or strings they would be pulling to achieve this.

PCs who had the greatest risks in this case got the greatest rewards and some narrative strings to pull later.

PCs who had no risk associated still benefited from the train ride, but with no tangible reward other than arrival at the destination.

This was all supported. I was transparent on the idea that train rides are very expensive and worked with each player to find the most logical and satisfying way for them that they would come into possession of a ticket.




This pulls into my Favors System.




A Favor is a task or deed that any NPC or group would not normally do for you. This is generally classified by a Charisma-based check to persuade an NPC to perform an action. You can be assured that the Favor is completed, however you lose your ability to sway them. You can also use a Favor to sway a hostile NPC in the same group to the same benefit, and lose advantage this way.




Favors are a way of allowing your players to create bookkeeping on the advantage/disadvantage system with specific groups. Bookkeeping is player-facing on this end. I tend to keep a record, but I'm also attempting to document this campaign, so it follows suit.




At first tier, the favors should be location specific, or limited to one person, and is effective once per day.

Nothing technically stops a PC from trying to use this advantage more than once per day, but asking too much is a way to diminish Favor. This level of diminishing returns on favors should be transparent to players, letting them know when NPCs are irked, or if they are asking so much it is necessary to cash in.




What you need are a list of your interested parties, their values, and how the party as a group or individuals acted within the interest of the parties.




On the train we had Orien envoys, City Guard Envoys, and Informants.




The Hobgoblin Paladin, and Dwarven Fighter who had picked up mercenary work with the train, for their deeds are currently enjoying a ripe +2gp for play, but also advantage on dealing with all guards in Sharn-- Until they cash in their good fortune with the Guard for a Favor.




The Artificer gained Favor with House Orien, to the same ends of the Favor gained with the City Guards. He gains advantage on social checks made in engaging with envoys of House Orien, until he asks a favor.




For our favorite Human refugee, she is currently staying with a house which supports exemplary refugees--those who have proven to be successful and powerful magewrights or soldiers on the field of battle come to the Wyrriseyn house to find footing in the world where their talents will be recognized. As a Favor, the Wyrriseyn house secured her passage to and boarding in Sharn, and the Favor is owed.




The Warforged and the Rogue represent the other side of the coin of Favors. They leaned into the idea of having strings attached to their tickets and owing a party later.




In the Rogue's case, he accepted a favor from family. The reimbursement of his ticket scored him an extra 200gp, but he has a favor to return now. In dealing with his family, he now has disadvantage on social checks to deal with them until he accepts and completes a task for them.




In the Warforged's case, Favor is juxtaposed against Bounty. She gains 200gp as well, but it won't be long until the bounty on her head goes live. She will have disadvantage on social checks in dealing with hunters and the guards until she pays off her bounty or does a task in the realm of community service. A Bounty in this way is another way of saying a poor or bad Favor.




The Informant works in secret, and was undiscovered.




200gp to two party members is a lot of Galifar. I can't wait to see how they spend it.




I will be updating and codifying Favors into a balanced mode of play through the tiers as we play. This is in playtesting, but the players seem happy with how transparent and measurable their deeds are regarding NPCs. There are a lot of nuances here, and I'm certain we'll discover those bumps--especially when it comes to performing work for NPCs who are at odds, or having party members who have known individual deals with parties another has a Bounty or Favor with.







For now:




All checks are with regard to a relevant party. This is subject to change--we're going to explore interesting social metrics as we play.




Tier 1 = Advantage once per day on social checks, or a favor = DC 10-15 or CR 1-4 Task/ Imposed Disadvantage on one social check of DM's choosing




Tier 2 = Advantage twice per day on social checks, or a favor = DC 15-20, CR 4-8 Task/ Imposed Disadvantage on up to two social checks of DM's choosing




Tier 3 = Advantage thrice per day on social checks, or a favor = DC 20-25, CR 8-12 Task/ Imposed Disadvantage on up to three social checks of DM's choosing




Tier 4 = Advantage four times per day on social checks, or a favor = DC 25-30, CR 12-16 Task/ Imposed Disadvantage on up to four social checks of DM's choosing




Tier 5 = Advantage five times per day on social checks, or a favor = DC 30+, CR 16 + Task/Imposed Disadvantage on up to five social checks of DM's choosing







The next session is The Midnight Opera.