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With excitement for the upcoming Eberron campaign building, the RPGA has been deluged with questions about the program. Here are the highlights of those questions, and, of course, answers!
When does the campaign start?
The campaign officially launches Winter Fantasy 2005. There we'll be offering the first two regular campaign adventures, the opportunity for you to run or play in a special DM's Mark adventure during the Open Fiesta Slot (more on those later in the questions), and Mark of Heroes' first Delve, so you can play up to four Mark of Heroes adventures at Winter Fantasy! Even before the official start, we'll be offering a sneak peek at Gen Con So Cal. You can play the first adventure, EMH-1 Reflections of the Multiverse, at that show.
Will the campaign structure be similar to the Legacy of the Green Regent?
Yes, very similar, since both are part of the Dungeons & Dragons Campaigns program. There are a few changes, but if you are used to playing Legacy of the Green Regent, you'll find the rules and reporting for Mark of Heroes very familiar. What are some of the changes? We're glad you asked.
- Campaign Card rules are changing. The Mark of Heroes Campaign Cards work in concert with action points. They expand what you can do with your action points, and can even affect the number of action points your character has.
- We're lowing the number characters you can have registered to two. This will reduce confusion of character tracking, while still granting flexibility to character choice. You'll still be able to "take one for the team" by using a core four (cleric, fighter, rogue, and wizard) fastplay character to earn experience points and gold for one of your created characters.
- Mounts in Mark of Heroes won't cost five times the book price. Halflings, get ready to ride dinosaurs!
Will there be fastplay characters?
Yes. Early November heralds the release of six fastplay characters keyed to figures in the D&D Miniatures Aberrations set. We'll advance these core six characters throughout the campaign level kicks. With each new miniature set comes more fastplay characters. For instance, in late February we'll unleash four new fastplay characters keyed to figures featured in the D&D Miniatures Deathknell set. And starting with Deathknell, basic stats for those fastplay characters are featured on the roleplaying side of the stat cards, so you can play them right out of the box.
What races will Mark of Heroes support?
You'll be able to play all the Player's Handbook races along with the changeling, shifter, and warforged from the Eberron Campaign Setting without a Campaign Card. Campaign Cards from Set 1 unlock the goblin, hobgoblin, kalashtar, and whisper gnome (from Races of Stone) races. One of the fastplay characters also allows you to play a small and scaly critter. We'll give you a hint, the miniature appeared in Aberrations Preview 1. Check it out and see if you can guess which one will appear as a fastplay character.
When will we see the first campaign standards?
The first campaign standards will show up on the RPGA website early to mid November.
What are DM's Mark adventures?
DM's Mark adventures allow you, the DM, to design and run your own storyline within the structure of Mark of Heroes. Starting in March 2005 you'll be able to order special DM's Mark adventure. The download contains basic advice on how to structure the adventure's challenges (a spread of ELs and current campaign considerations), instructions for event reporting, and a small selection of special story objects that you can utilize. With that toolbox, you can write and report your own adventure! Players can only participate in one DM's Mark adventure a month, but DMs can run their adventure (or even multiple adventures) to as many groups as they can seat within the course of the month. Better still, ordering or running a DM's Mark adventure does not exclude you from playing in one later in the month. In other words, the only person who "eats" a DM's Mark adventure is the adventure designer.
If you already have a great Eberron storyline in mind, and can't wait until March to spring it, come to Winter Fantasy. During the Open Fiesta Slot on Saturday night, you can run your first DM's Mark adventure!
How will action points work?
Like consumable magic items, action points refresh each adventure. The number of action points you start will be slightly lower than the range given in the Eberron Campaign Setting, but you can affect your number of action points and expand the list of what they can do with Campaign Cards.
When will the first Mark of Heroes Campaign Cards hit my mailbox?
You should start seeing them at the end of October or early November. With that mailing you'll receive more reward for your points. For Mark of Heroes we have changed the D&D Rewards structure. We have increased the number of cards you earn, and you now receive three D&D Campaign Card for every 20 points earned from reported, RPGA-sanctioned play during each duration. For instance, if you earned 45 points in the last duration, you'll get six cards, with five points rolling over to the next mailing.
Will Mark of Heroes allow psionics?
Yes, in a limited format. Kalashtar characters (available with the appropriate Campaign Card) can be psionic characters. This also opens up the possibility of psionic enemies popping up in Mark of Heroes adventures. To support DMs unfamiliar with psionics, we'll be publishing a short primer to the psionic rules as a PDF download, and remember the main psionic rules are part of the Revised v.3.5 System Reference Document (SRD). Players with psionic kalashtar characters are required to bring the Expanded Psionics Handbook to the game table for reference.
Where in Eberron will the campaign take place?
All over Eberron, baby!
Every character in the campaign is a member of an adventuring society called the Diggers' Union. For over a century this semi-independent organization has supplied treasure hunters and adventurers to Morgrave University and its affiliates for various special projects. With the end of the Last War the organization has expanded to a full-grown adventures guild independent from, but still friendly with, the powerful dragonmark houses, supplying veterans and bored youth with hospice and employment from a variety of patrons. There are Diggers' Union halls throughout Khorvaire, and the organization even has outposts in far off Xen'drik and Aerenal.
The first few adventurers are set in Breland, on the high seas of the Dragonreach, and within the goblinoid nation of Darguun, so even early in the campaign adventures will take you along all across Khorvaire. Of course with the DM's Mark adventures, you can take the campaign wherever you like. Get ready to make Eberron your new gaming home!
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