Earthdawn Survival Guide

* Secret Societies: Naaman’s Hand

* Living Legend Cult

* First appeared in Barsaive Boxed Set

* Devoted to the pre-Scourge hero Naaman Y’ross

* Multiple cults, conflicting beliefs about his fate

* Overview of mentions in the published works.

* History of Naaman’s Hand as presented in Secret Societies

* Some background spoilers

* Weird magical theorizing

* Example of early seed being brought back later.

* Not presented as a setting-shaking group.

* Ideas for using the cult in adventures and campaigns.

* Live Q&A from FreedoniaCon!

* Questions from LouP: Talent Pattern and Attribute Pattern talents in Fourth Edition?

* Why only one talent option per Discipline Circle?

* Questions from Svenn: Status of Magic: Deeper Secrets?

* Spell design rules and updating older spells?

* How large is Deeper Secrets going to be?

* Looking at third party material (Codex Arcanum)?

* Contest for fan content as part of new book?

* English publication of German Kaers book?

* Status of Grand Bazaar?

* Questions from Joel: Favorite bit of Earthdawn lore?

* Where would you start a Barsaivian campaign (running or playing)?

* Where would you set a non-Barsaivian campaign?

* What areas in Barsaive not yet developed would you like to explore?

* Thoughts on other Great Dragons relations to Barsaive?

* Plans for Fekara?

* Morgan working up a non-caster thing?

* Questions from Chad: Duration of spells and damage?

* Questions from K Scott: Expanding elemental planes or other netherworlds?

* Question from Lee B: Status of House Syrtis and the Prophetess?

* Status of Vivane and southwest Barsaive?

* House K’tenshin? Iopos?

* Cara Fahd and Landis?

* Future of the Legends of Barsaive?

* Questions from Lee A: Thanks to the EDSG for our work!

* Strategies for regularly using Surprise Strike in combat?

* What if the Thief delays their entry into combat?

* Damage potential for Thief Discipline?

* Can you use Great Leap every round to trigger Down Strike?

* Changes to racial Karma in fourth (and third) edition?

* Would changing the karma die back to first edition rules break the game?

* Do the Legends of Barsaive adventures require any special background or setup?

* Cross-Discipline talent synergies are an intentional design choice to encourage cooperation within a group.

* Question from Josh: Why is his cat clawing his leg?

* Thank you everyone for your questions and feedback!

* The live show from FreedoniaCon will be in the feed next week!

* Secret Societies: The Fellowship of Night

* Order of Nethermancers

* Quick sidebar about Virag and whether she would be interested in the Fellowship.

* History of the Fellowship

* Based in the Delaris Mountains

* A Horror corrupted a Liferock, it was killed by a Nethermancer banished from Landis.

* The Fellowhip tapped into the Liferock’s magic to survive the Scourge.

* Loosely associated with the Skyseeker trollmoot.

* Dedicated to the study of astral space and the netherworlds.

* Thera has interest in the Fellowship because of their connection with the Liferock, and how they might use that on Ayodhya.

* Note: This is less of a concern in the fourth edition timeline.

* Possible consequences of the Fellowship’s use of the Liferock.

* Black Guard: Reanimated former members of the Liferock.

* Membership includes Journeyman-tier and better Nethermancers.

* Group True pattern, each member also bonded with a Black Guard.

* Lifeshard: Magical item owned by each member of the Fellowship.

* Discussion of the Fellowship as a possible Path.

* The Chain of Skulls – the collected magical knowledge of the Fellowship

* It has been stolen, and the Fellowship wants it back.

* Many people would be interested in finding it, either for the knowledge it contains or to leverage favors from the Fellowship.

* No updated information in ED4 about what is currently up with the Fellowship.

* Adventure and campaign hooks involving the Fellowship.

* Current goals of the Fellowship’s current Grand Master.

* Warden and Master Tier Archer

* Reminder: EDSG Live at FreedoniaCon Sunday February 20

* Warden Discipline Ability: Blood Bound Bow

* Recap of Archer Discipline themes.

* Warden Discipline Talents: Blind Fire, Spirit Strike, Eagle Eye, Missile Lock

* Warden Tier Talent Options

* New talents: Chameleon, Critical Hit, Defensive Posture, Ethereal Weapon, Matrix Sight

* Master Tier Discipline Ability: Perfect Shot

* Master Discipline Talents: Influence Missile, Snapshot, Multi-Shot

* Master Tier Talent Options

* New Talents: Relentless Recovery, Second Chance, Soul Aegis, Venom, Vital Strike, Vital Ward

* Wind Bow is now a Missile Weapons Knack at Rank 8.

* Josh’s Master Tier analysis and talent choices.

* Reminder: Get us your questions for the live show!

Find and Follow:

* Email from Nanander: Origin of the Name of the Gauntlet Discipline.

* Bonus accidental etymology lesson!

* Live Earthdawn Survival Guide Podcast on February 20!

* Secret Societies: The Crownbreakers

* Cult of the Mad Passion Raggok

* Small organization devoted to overthrowing any kind of authority.

* Infiltrate communities and sow discord against its leaders.

* Long term goal of undermining Throal and its authority by causing strife in its mountain communities.

* No official fourth edition info but could have a role in present-day Barsaive.

* Led by a high-rank questor Endaren Oakhaft.

* Generational cult; very clear villains and antagonists.

* Other agents of the cult.

* Potential goals and activities of the Crownbreakers in the current timeline.

* Another Raggok cult: The Hive of Ashes and Crarites.

* Using the Crownbreakers in other parts of Barsaive, or as inspiration for similar cults.

* The Wizard: Warden and Master tiers.

* Review of themes and core concepts.

* Ninth Circle Discipline Ability: Matrix Split

* New Discipline talents: Eidetic Memory, Glyph of Unweaving, Glyph of Shielding, Concise Casting.

* Circle Eleven Karma Ability.

* Review of Warden tier talent options.

* Thirteenth Circle Discipline Ability: Mystic Triangle

* New Discipline talents: Glyph of Attunement, Glyph of Reversal, Spliced Weave.

* Review of Master tier talent options.

* Josh’s Master tier talent picks and high Circle analysis.

* Looking back at the Wizard progression in third edition.

Find and Follow:

* Email from Aaron: Another Outcast pop culture reference.

* Email from Ted: Access to enchanting for the Shaman Discipline?

* Email from Chad: Apologies for forgetting Dan. Question about Discipline talents versus Talent Options in the “All Talents to Advance” rule.

* Secret Societies of Barsaive

* Updates or changes to information in the book as of the current timeline.

* A bit of development history and where Secret Societies fits in to events in Barsaive.

* Essays are in-character as various reports and intelligence from Theran agents.

* The Songbirds: Alachia’s espionage and intelligence network.

* Headed up by Vistrosh, the “exiled” blood elf in Kratas and head of Brocher’s Brood.

* Nobody knows Vistrosh’s role in the organization.

* Major focus of the Songbirds at the time of the book’s release is on Aardela and her connection with the dragons.

* Interested in information or events that would be of interest to the Alachia’s Court.

* Especially notable: Politics and machinations among the elven Wyrm Wood diaspora, especially Shosara, Sereatha, and the Seekers of the Heart.

* Vistrosh’s potential involvement or role in the new situation in Kratas.

* Other Songbird hooks: Therans, Holders of Trust/Denairastas, House Ishkarat.

* How Vistrosh sends information through the network.

* Overview of Vistrosh’s game statistics from the Third Edition Kratas book.

* Songbird agent blood oath, possibility of the agents following a dedicated Path.

* Adventure hooks from the original book.

* Using the Songbirds in adventures or campaigns.

* Warden and Master tier Air Sailor.

* Go back to Episode 9 from Jan 22, 2020 for the Novice and Journeyman tiers and more commentary.

* Brief recap of the themes and ideas.

* More development work on the higher Circles than lower ones.

* Warden tier abilities, bonuses, and Discipline talents.

* Focus on talents in the Companion.

* Warden talent options.

* Master tier abilities, bonuses, and Discipline talents.

* Master talent options.

* Discussion of talent choices based on style.

* Happy New Year!

* Email from Ted: Outcast pop culture reference.

* Enchanting

* Disclaimer about optional status of enchanting rules.

* Problems and hazards of enchanting rules and systems.

* Goals of enchanting rules in fourth edition.

* Primary methods of enchanting.

* Alchemy skill: blood charms, common magic items, and consumables.

* Role of alchemical enchanting in the setting.

* Talent Knack enchanting: Living Armor, Spell Matrix Items, and Thread Items.

* Knacks can allow an adept to make alchemical items.

* Enchanting Process

* Step One: Obtain the enchanting pattern.

* The recipe or formula used to create a magical item.

* Every formula has a rank that represents the complexity of the process and sets the minimum ability level required to make the item.

* Multiple enchanting patterns can (and do) exist for each item.

* This variety can be used to add color to the world, clues, or other story aspects based on the item’s origin.

* Learned like learning a spell, but no associated Legend Point cost.

* Once learned, can make the item as often as time and materials allow.

* Enchanting patterns can be learned from other enchanters, found in a forgotten kaer or as another reward, or made from scratch.

* Obtaining the pattern should not be difficult unless dealing with potent or rare items.

* Step Two: Gather the Materials.

* Best source for adventure hooks and story content.

* Generic alchemical materials and reagents of a value based on the item being made.

* Expensive, special, or rare materials (e.g., magic creature parts, living crystal, orichalcum, True elements).

* Left flexible for the GM to justify ingredients based on story needs, and the artisanal nature of enchanting.

* Skills and talents that can be used to find ingredients.

* Downtime gathering versus adventure based.

* True elements

* Step Three: Perform the Enchantment

* Relevant skill or talent test against the EDN of the item.

* High results can create additional doses or reduce time of the process.

* Working as a group.

* Living armor and shields follow the process of crafting in the Player’s Guide.

* Designing your own items.

* The more different design aspects you use, the easier the EDN, but the harder it is to create the custom formula in the first place.

* Reiterating tying the enchanting process into adventures and story arcs.

* Questions? Send them in!

* Paths in Depth: The Outcast

* Development background for the path.

* Originally the “Outcast Warrior” racial Discipline for trolls.

* Very tied into highland troll concepts of honor as presented in the original Denizens of Earthdawn.

* Path leans into the idea of an individual sacrificing something in the name of honor and gaining magical power in return.

* Unlike other paths, no greater organization or structure. Intensely personal.

* Review of three aspects of troll honor.

* Comparison to Asimov’s Laws of Robotics.

* Ka’tosh – a category of honor Outcasts hold that is considered higher than the other aspects.

* Starting as an Outcast versus having it develop during a campaign.

* Doesn’t necessarily warp the narrative the way some paths do.

* Very heavy on the story and role-play.

* Discussion of the essay and opposing points of view.

* Pop culture references.

* Josh disputes Dan’s focus on redemption rather than sacrifice.

* Becoming an Outcast.

* Discipline affinities.

* Passions and Questors.

* Possibility of becoming eligible for the Path before Circle 5.

* Ordeals and Advancement.

* Outcast Half-Magic.

* Path bonuses.

* Path talents; new talent: Rite of Khopesh.

* Honor points.

* Outcast Path Knacks.