IFAQ: War Crimes and Potatoes

I’ve been traveling and haven’t had much time to write. But whenever I have time, I like to answer interesting questions posed by my Patreon supporters. Here’s two that came up in June on clearly related topics: War crimes and potatoes.

What counted as a war crime during the Last War?

Looking to the definition of war crimes in our world is a good place to start. One of the key points is that in principle, the Last War was being fought with the intent of reuniting Galifar. As a result, causing unnecessary harm to civilians or civilian infrastructure was definitely an issue – consider the Geneva Convention’s censure of “taking of hostages and extensive destruction and appropriation of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly.” NOT JUSTIFIED BY MILITARY NECESSITY is the key point there. It’s understood that there will be a certain amount of collateral damage in military operations—but are we talking about justified destruction or about wanton, extreme actions that inflict avoidable harm on the civilian population?

Likewise, the development or deployment or weapons of war that would cause unnecessary suffering or collateral damage was also censured. Again, the key is MILITARY NECESSITY: is the use of this weapon justified, or is it a weapon that will clearly cause grievous and unnecessary harm to civilians or irreparable damage to what we one day hope will be a reunited Galifar?

The crucial underlying point is that the civilians were ultimately seen as the innocent people of a united Galifar. The monarchs were fighting over the succession, but they were fighting for the right to rule all of the people of Galifar—so don’t butcher civilians. Likewise, there was a general rule that you don’t target noncombatant members of dragonmarked houses (IE Jorasco healers)—though this only applies to NONCOMBATANTS, so a Deneith mercenary or a Jorasco healer who takes up arms would be valid targets.

A highly contentious point was the treatment of corpses. Four of the nations supported laws forbidding the desecration of corpses and gravesites. As a result, under the code of war Karrnathi necromancers could only animate the corpses of Karrnathi citizens. This is a rule that many frontline necromancers violated during the war, and there are active cases based on this—with Karrnathi counselors arguing the point of “military necessity.”

When would war crimes actually have been defined? Were they already on the books when the Last War began? Were they only defined with the Treaty of Thronehold?

The basic principle of the Last War is that the five heirs of King Jarot challenged the traditional succession… But that all sought to reunite Galifar under a particular leader. None of the Five Nations were trying to secede; it was a war about who should rule the united whole. So there was reasonable open communication between the warring powers from the very beginning, and I think the general terms of warfare were established early on; again, the war was fought over the question of who was worthy to rule Galifar, not to destroy any of the Five Nations. So I think basic agreements on the treatment of civilians and prisoners would have been established by the leaders of the Five Nations early in the war. Beyond this, the war lasted for a century and wasn’t going at a breakneck pace the whole time; there were certainly previous attempts at mediation and temporary ceasefires during which the rules of war could be renegotiated, prisoners exchanged, etc. There surely were additional clauses established in the Treaty of Thronehold—such as forbidding the creation of warforged—but the basic laws likely date back to the start of the war.

Would Cloudkill be outlawed under the rules of war? If not, why not?

There are banned weapons of war. And it’s easy to draw casual comparisons to our world: cloudkill is a form of poison gas, we banned poison gas, therefore wouldn’t they ban cloudkill? But with any comparison to our world, it’s important to look at the reasons we made the decisions we made and to see if they actually apply to D&D. Poison gas was banned because it horrified the public. Mustard gas was seen as a slow and agonizing way to die—slowly suffocating while your skin and lungs blister—and notably, had horrific long-term effects on the people who survived gas attacks. It also wasn’t especially EFFECTIVE; heck, if the wind changed it could threaten your own people. Essentially, it was a very traumatizing weapon, causing unnecessary suffering when considering its actual effectiveness.

Cloudkill, on the other hand, is none of these things. It inflicts 5d8 poison damage—even the half damage inflicted with a successful saving throw is sufficient to kill a typical commoner, so it kills just as quickly as a fireball. There’s no risk of wind blowing it out of your control. It has no effect OTHER than damage—no long-term side effects, nothing that indicates that it particularly causes pain; it doesn’t even inflict the Poisoned condition, which would be an easy way to represent debilitating pain. There’s nothing that makes cloudkill any more inhumane than a fireball; one could argue that swift death by gas might be MORE humane than death by fireball, and fireballs are a standard part of war in the Five Nations.

If I was to create an equivalent to mustard gas, I’d make it slow-acting—either 1d6/round or simply to say that it kills through suffocation—while adding additional effects to reflect the agonizing pain and long-term after-effects. Let’s say that it inflicts the Poisoned condition the first time a victim fails their saving throw and makes them Incapacitated on their second saving throw, as well as reducing Constitution by 1 every time they fail a saving throw (incidentally reducing their ability to resist suffocation). This Constitution damage would be permanent unless magically cured. You could also add a risk of blindness, which was another long-term side effect of mustard gas. The essential point is that a weapon like fireball—or, in my opinion, cloudkill—is seen as a valid, effective weapon of war. Weapons that will be banned are those seen as causing unnecessary suffering or which are specifically designed to cause mass civilian casualties.

What are a few specific ways the people of Khorvaire and beyond enjoy their potatoes?

Keep in mind that I myself am not an expert on all the ways one can prepare potatoes, and that someone with a stronger culinary background might be able to present more interesting and exotic alternatives to what I’m going to suggest. With that in mind…

  • While other sources may not agree with me, I’ve always personally seen Thrane as relatively ascetic in its cuisine. I see Thranish life as being largely driven by small farming communities. As a result, I see Thranish country cuisine as being more functional than exotic. So I’d say Thranish potatoes would be floury potatoes par-broiled to cook the outside while leaving the inside nearly raw, providing an immediate carb-hit from the outside, with a longer release of carbohydrates over time as the uncooked core is slowly digested. 
  • By contrast, I’ve always seen Aundairian cuisine as being both more dramatic and subtle, playing off the more widespread presence of prestidigitation. Likewise, I see the Aundairians being more inclined to show off with their cuisine, taking pride in delicate work. So I could see a sort of Hasselback potato with different flavors infused between the slices, or fine croquettes. 
  • Breland I’d lean toward a straightforward baked potato but with lots of extras piled on, with the specific extras varying by region (and also somewhat being a chance to show off one’s wealth). 
  • Karrnath I personally lean toward potato soup and stews. 
  • Cyre would of course borrow from everyone else, but I’d also be likely to make Cyre the place that’s developed the fried potato and dishes spinning off from them. Though House Ghallanda has picked up and popularized thin fried potatoes across the Five Nations—everyone loves dragon fries!

With that said, these are just MY ideas, and a better cook might be able to come up with more interesting options! Thanks as always to my Patreon supporters for keeping this site going and for asking these important questions!

54 thoughts on “IFAQ: War Crimes and Potatoes

  1. So with General Kolas Verdgrin, is his burning of the Cyran monasteries seen as worse than the potential use of bodies as undead by Karrnath? Or is his incarceration more to do with being Brelish, and therefore coming from a nation of LAWS that prides itself on strong ethics and has a King with moral compunctions and a closely aligned judicial system? Or could anti-monarchists in Breland argue that Boranel removed Verdgrin to prevent another charasmatic rival like Rand Faldren?

    Breland and Thrane have been noted for taking in Cyran refugees after the Mourning, are there long-term resentments from Thrane’s citizens towards Cyrans for the destruction of Shadukar by a Karrnath-Cyran alliance during the Last War?

    And of course, I loved the potatoes on Patreon and I love them now. Especially the maxed out jacket potatoes of Breland.

    • So with General Kolas Verdgrin, is his burning of the Cyran monasteries seen as worse than the potential use of bodies as undead by Karrnath?
      ABSOLUTELY. Again, note that one of the gravest issues is unnecessary harm to civilians. The underlying principle of the codes of military conduct was that the Last War was a just war fought to determine the rightful ruler of a united Galifar. All citizens of the Five Nations are citizens of Galifar and as such, while military forces are legitimate targets, you should treat civilians just as if they are citizens of your own nation, because if you win the war they will be. Desecration of corpses is a VERY minor crime compared to BUTCHERING INNOCENT CIVILIANS… and note that the monasteries Kolas burned were specifically called out as being PEACEFUL monasteries, not some valid military target. Beyond that, Kolas is described as “increasingly bloodthirsty and infamous for terror tactics, butchery, and the mistreatment of prisoners.” Interestingly enough, this conduct is also assigned to Breggan of the Company of the Black Crown, who people are currently dealing with in Threshold—but BREGGAN’S victims were Droaamites, and essentially weren’t given the same consideration as civilians of the Five Nations. Butchering innocent Cyran monks is an issue, but people were more willing to overlook Breggan butchering kobolds.

      Breland and Thrane have been noted for taking in Cyran refugees after the Mourning, are there long-term resentments from Thrane’s citizens towards Cyrans for the destruction of Shadukar by a Karrnath-Cyran alliance during the Last War?
      Absolutely. The Church preaches a message of compassion and Thranes strive to live up to that example, but that doesn’t mean all succeed.

      • Thank you for the answers! I’ve just always been intrigued by Verdgrin, he’s such a flavourful part of the history of Breland and been part of a few of my characters’ backstories (either having served under him being a point of shame or a source for trauma, or having been victimized by his crimes)

        Good point about the push for forgiveness and compassion in Thrane! The adventures begin to just spin out from there!

  2. I thought I had read something about this topic but I cannot for the life of my find the reference again: what is the treatment of identity theft in the 5 nations (particularly re: changelings), both in time of peace and during the Last War? How serious would it be to impersonate someone of importance, what would be the price/verdict under the law?

      • Thanks, I’m aware of the article on the subject (as well as the manifest zone podasts) but it only mentions possible punishment by changeling peers and not by the Five Nations at large.

    • what is the treatment of identity theft in the 5 nations
      It’s addressed on page 128 of Sharn: City of Towers. The charge is Counterfeit of Identity with Criminal Intent, and it’s that second part of the phrase that’s the key. When an actor pretends to be a real person on stage that’s not a crime, because there’s no criminal intent to the impersonation. A changeling throwing on Boranel’s face while making a speech at an anti-monarchy riot generally isn’t a crime, it’s a form of expression; it’s not like anyone actually thinks they ARE Boranel. On the other hand, if a changeling assumes Boranel’s identity and uses it to rob the royal treasury or to order Brelish soldiers to kill innocents, now it’s a crime. Essentially, was anyone hurt by the deception? Because that’s what will determine the response and the punishment. If no crime was actually committed, then the shapechanging alone isn’t an issue.

      • Thank you for your reply! I understood the general principle but could not find back the reference which mentioned the punishment for such a crime. City of Towers mentions fines, marking of the flesh, and exile as common answers depending on the gravity of the identity theft, so I’ll go from there!

  3. Couble of questions

    Who would brew Vodka out of Potato?

    Is the Potato wide spread in mror and karrnath due to it’s resilient nature?

    Would thronehold be Ok with cloudkill and why?

    How would thronehold put bounties when the suspect is unknown such as Crystalfall?

    Is the burnings in Thaliost seen as a warcrime or necessary suppression of insurrection?

    • Who would brew Vodka out of Potato?
      Karrns, but only in times and regions where other grains were in short supply due to famines.

      Is the Potato wide spread in mror and karrnath due to it’s resilient nature?
      Yes.

      Would thronehold be Ok with cloudkill and why?
      In making any sort of broad comparisons to our world (IE mustard gas was outlawed in our world, so wouldn’t cloudkill be outlawed in Eberron) it’s important to understand the reasons behind the actions in our world. Why was mustard gas forbidden when simple explosives were allowed? The primary reason is that gas attacks horrified the public: it was seen as a weapon that caused a particularly agonizing death and crippled survivors in horrific ways. The unpredictability (if the wind changes your own troops could die) further added to the psychological horror of gas attacks. By contrast, compare cloudkill (5d8 poison damage) to fireball (8d6 fire damage). Either one will kill a common soldier within six seconds. Cloudkill isn’t described as being especially painful and has no effects other than dealing damage—notably, it doesn’t inflict the poisoned condition, which could be described as debilitating pain. We’re back to military necessity. Fireball is allowed because we acknowledge that war requires weapons. Weapons that will be banned are those seen as causing unnecessary suffering or which are specifically designed to cause mass civilian casualties.

      How would thronehold put bounties when the suspect is unknown such as Crystalfall?
      How do law enforcement agencies in our world handle such things? Most likely they’d offer a reward for information leading to the identification and capture of the people responsible for the attack.

      Are the burnings in Thaliost seen as a warcrime or necessary suppression of insurrection?
      It’s not a war crime because the war is over. Under the treaty of Thronehold, Thrane holds dominion over Thaliost. Just as Karrnath is entitled to enforce the Code of Kaius in Karrnath, Thrane is entitled to administer justice however it sees fit within its own dominion. The fact that Aundair is bitter about the occupation and that the people of Thaliost oppose it doesn’t alter the fact that by the Treaty, Thrane holds Thaliost.

      • I always just kind of assumed cloudkill was comparable to mustard gas but that’s a good point about relative damage levels and the more contained/controlled aspect of magic!

        • Or really, the fact that the game will lean into simplicity with the massive number of spells. Many spells that by description could have much more complex effects end up reduced to simple damage because anything else would slow down the game even more. Cloudkill would probably be more evocative if it slowly suffocated people; fireball would be more interesting as a detonation that does less fire damage but also pushed (possibly even knocks you down) and does some physical damage as well). But then you have one standard action take so much more time to resolve.

          • This also ties to the point that standard D&D spells are designed for use by a small, elite squad typically dealing with enemies at close range and of relatively equal level. As a player character, a spell that can suffocate hundreds of people over the course of five minutes is unlikely to be useful because you’re not going to be fighting hundreds of people and it’s a rare combat that lasts for more than a minute. For a dedicated war mage serving in the last war, fireball isn’t actually a useful tool, because it does far more damage than the typical enemy conscript has in a relatively small area (if you’re facing an army); it’s essentially a powerful grenade, not an artillery strike. Hence all the various tools — siege staffs, long rods, etc — discussed in Exploring Eberron, along with the idea that there are war rituals PCs don’t learn because they aren’t effective tools in the situations PCs get into.

  4. Would any religion, or particular Soverign Host, have a dish that is reverent for them? Such as a bread that is baked in the ashes of your hearth on Boldrei’s holy days?

    • The Silver Flame DOES have Baker’s Night. In my Eberron, the typical food for that holiday is silver cinnamon flames, which are basically flame-shaped cinnamon rolls with silver-colored cinnamon.

      • Cinnamon flames! too cute!
        As we know all the best Cinnamon Rolls are connected to the Silver Flame.

        • Much better than the holiday cinnamon flames that House Ghallanda has begun making in non-silver colors. Can you believe they made some in green? And to think my neighbor has the nerve to say that Baker’s Night was invented by those halflings. (House Ghallanda is actually older than the Silver Flame religion practiced in Thrane. They could have totally tricked early believers into thinking Baker’s Night was a Silver Flame holy day practiced elsewhere, especially with House Sivis message stations not being around yet.)

  5. Given magic, i wonder how large potatoes can get? given how good they are health wise, i can see magic users who can assist in plant growth being rather valuable…

    Also Potato cake and Candy exist and are apparently good.
    wonder who would think of them first?

    • I’m Rather sure a lammania potato could be the size of a football field. A MZ potato would also be of a impressive size I imagine.

      Also Avassh would probably be interested in having people close to potatoes.

  6. In Xen’drik we get long corn, but in Khorvaire we have WIDE potato.

  7. Can Khorvairian potatoes actually compete with the nutrition value, flexibility, fecundity, and hardiness of the Riedran pomow?

    • Can Khorvairian potatoes actually compete with the nutrition value, flexibility, fecundity, and hardiness of the Riedran pomow?
      No. The pomow is a supernaturally engineered plant that is superior in most aspects to mundane vegetables. On the other hand, the BEST potatoes in Khorvaire are the druid-grown blue potatoes of the Towering Wood, which at least match the pomow when it comes to nutritional value…

      • Would it be a significant mission for Khorvaire to reverse-engineer the Riedran pomow and reproduce it through arcane methods?

        Would adventurers have to infiltrate the headquarters of the Bountiful Horn in Dul Maar (which is not actually on the map of Riedra) to retrieve the “recipe,” so to speak?

        Or does it absolutely require both psionics and a Lamannian wild zone?

        • Why would people of Khorvaire care about a foodstuff made in Reidra when Vadalis and Eldeen druids can make highly nutritional produce of their own?

          The way I see it, if it is a story you want to tell, do it.

          • I always assumed that House Vadalis cared mostly for cattle, since they don’t have any power over plants. In fact, the only dragonmarked house that as been said to engage in a way or another in the field of agriculture is Lyrandar, through the Raincaller Guild. It’s important to remember that land ownership, and as such farming, is what historically made the nobles houses of Khorvaire relevant, and agriculture is something the dragonmarked house could not legally engage in under the Korth Edict.

            Also, I personnally always keep in mind that the druids are mostly confined to the woods, and those who engage with the farmers are most of the time the one Greenweaver (I think that’s what Keith calls them?) of the village, with powers equivalent to a magewright. They just don’t have the ressources. I also keep in mind the core story of Eberron : In my Eberron, at least, it is that arcane magic provides for innovations and developments. While the Wardens of the Wood support and protect civilisation, I don’t think they’d be casual about twisting potatoes into super duper OGM potatoes like it’s noting. Their story is about keeping peace with the Ashbound and the Children of Winter, who I think would be really triggered by that, and protecting the peaceful agrarian society of the eastern reaches (not turning them into an economic superpower!).

            Now, about your question, why would people care about food? Well, based on what I previously said, could you think of one place with a powerful/power-hungry nobility, easy acess to arcane researchers, and where food is a core part of the story? Where access to a magical vegetable both resistant to weather and highly productive could CHANGE something? And where bountiful harvests could get in the way of the grand schemes of ancient beings?

            Karrns want Food, a campaign for level 1-20.

        • Or does it absolutely require both psionics and a Lamannian wild zone?
          There’s only one way to find out! If you want to run the adventure, run the adventure and people can find out if it can be duplicated once they obtain samples.

          • Riedra seems to be depicted as having an abundance of farmers, particularly in the “day in the life” section of pages 46 to 47 of 3.5 Secrets of Sarlona, which depicts an agricultural community.

            Does it really need so many, though, when Riedra has pomow, as per page 51 of the same book? You yourself say that “The pomow is a supernaturally engineered plant that is superior in most aspects to mundane vegetables.”

            Is Riedra stockpiling a surplus of pomow? If so, for what purpose?

            • Does it really need so many, though, when Riedra has pomow?
              Pomow doesn’t harvest itself. And while it’s a highly versatile crop, it’s not the only plant that Riedrans cultivate. Pomow is the mainstay of the Riedran diet, but some degree of diversity is good for the diet. Beyond that, even with pomow alone, page 51 of Secrets of Sarlona notes “Riedrans use a wide range of spices to add flavor and variety to their common meal of pomow gruel.” Spices are themselves an agricultural product, and other farms focus on herbs and plants with medicinal value or other uses.

              With that said, the Bountiful Horn unquestionably maintains a pomow surplus in preparation for any sort of unforeseen disaster—drought, unexpected planar impact, even the potential of rebellion.

              particularly in the “day in the life” section of pages 46 to 47 of 3.5 Secrets of Sarlona, which depicts an agricultural community.
              Note that Khelaar — the focal character of the “Day in the Life” — is a miner, not a farmer. Her village includes harvesters, but it’s also supporting an active mine.

          • In the Dragonshards articles on the Reach of Riedra, you write: “In the upper echelons of society, the Riedrans have been gaining influence. The Inspired have access to vast mineral and agricultural resources, along with the prosperity that comes from a thousand years of order. The Riedrans have been providing generous material aid to all of the Five Nations, helping repair the terrible damages of the Last War. This also allows the rulers of the nations to maintain their pride: It’s easier for Kaius to get grain from the Inspired than to have to beg Aundair for assistance.”

            Does this mean that pomow is becoming increasingly more common in Khorvaire?

            • Does this mean that pomow is becoming increasingly more common in Khorvaire?
              The article specifically uses the word GRAIN, not pomow. AFAIK we’ve never mentioned pomow in any sourcebook aside from Secrets of Sarlona. I generally think that the Bountiful Horn prefers to keep pomow within Riedra, trading with outsiders using more familiar crops. With this in mind, it’s quite likely that there are farming communities farming wheat specifically as a trade resource. Dreamlily is another example of a known Riedran crop that does make its way to Khorvaire.

  8. Various subfactions have been stated as having jurisdiction over war criminals, such as House Tharashk’s bounty hunters, House Medani’s Basilisk’s Gaze, and House Deneith’s Sentinel Marshals. Do these subfactions cooperate under the Twelve to catch war criminals together?

    • Do these subfactions cooperate under the Twelve to catch war criminals together?
      Generally, no. First of all, Tharashk bounty hunters and the Sentinel Marshals are loose organizations in which individual hunters and marshals largely operate independently. We’ve called out in the past that Tharashk and Deneith actively compete. The 4E ECG says of House Tharashk the Finders Guild trains and licenses bounty hunters—both those who hunt fugitives (and who must compete with the Sentinel Marshals of House Deneith) and those who eliminate dangerous monsters.

      So Tharashk hunters and Deneith marshals are semi-autonomous agents who broadly pursue all manner of criminals and fugitives. By contrast, the Basilisk’s Gaze is a small organization with a single purpose: apprehending war criminals specifically identified in the codicils of the Treaty of Thronehold. They DON’T pursue other criminals, usually work in units, and also generally work somewhat undercover so as not to alert their prey. A Gaze hunter might request assistance from a Sentinel Marshal if their paths cross, but it’s up to the Marshal whether or not to comply; the Basilisk’s Gaze doesn’t have any authority over the Marshals.

      • Then what *does* the Twelve actually do to help facilitate law enforcement against war criminals?

        Page 223 of the 4e Eberron Campaign Guide mentions “secret codicils to the Treaty of Thronehold” in reference to the Basilisk’s Gaze. Why are these even secrets? Can the Treaty of Thronehold be revised by “secret codicils” whenever convenient?

        • Then what *does* the Twelve actually do to help facilitate law enforcement against war criminals?
          Nothing. The Twelve is, essentially, a corporate alliance. The Basilisk’s Gaze is paid for its work, as are the Sentinel Marshals. The reason the Basilisk’s Gaze exists — why the nations are willing to pay for it — is because it is a NEUTRAL FORCE that has no allegiance to any nation — and thus, no sympathies from criminals from any particular nation.

          Page 223 of the 4e Eberron Campaign Guide mentions “secret codicils to the Treaty of Thronehold” in reference to the Basilisk’s Gaze. Why are these even secrets?
          Beats me. I can’t explain every unusual word choice in canon material. I’d be fine with the list being public knowledge. But if I was to move forward with it being secret, I’d play up the neutrality of the Gaze and say that the nations submitted their lists of criminals in secret, because they know the other nations may not agree and may try to shield these criminals. The job of the Gaze is to bring all these accused criminals to Thronehold where they can be tried. Essentially, if Thrane brings a case against a Brelish general, Breland can’t argue it and doesn’t even know the general is being hunted until the Gaze brings him to Thronehold — at which point the Thranes present their case and the Brelish choose whether to contest.

  9. I apologize in advance for my totally shameless post. In my bestselling Eberron adventure, “Sins of war: an Eberron story”, the villain is a giant mutated by Aundairian arcanists into a deadly war machine. Would the magic alteration of sentient but unwilling creatures for military goals be considered as a “war crime”?

    • Would the magic alteration of sentient but unwilling creatures for military goals be considered as a “war crime”?
      “Unwilling” is an important element, because the Code of Galifar outlaws slavery. The question is whether your sentient creatures are recognized as such by the general public. By comparison, the people of Galifar didn’t consider elemental binding to be slavery as defined by the law, and no one felt that it applied to warforged throughout the war because they were artificially created; it was only the Treaty of Thronehold that asserted that warforged qualified for protection under the Code. No one has ever challenged Vadalis for magebreeding tribex. So certainly, altering unwilling humans and forcing them into service would be a crime… but if your giant is someone who’s neither human nor a citizen of Galifar, there’s certainly wiggle room. But this is certainly the sort of thing that might have gone under the radar during the war but that could be called out as a crime after the war.

      • Dear Mr. Baker,

        thanks for your really complete reply, therefore I consider the title I chose for the product to be sufficiently right after all 🙂

  10. Part of a prior conversation I was in involved the timing of war crimes classification. Basically, with Galifar having been so peaceful, relative to the war, for so long prior to the Last War would they have had any war crimes defined prior to 894YK?

    If yes, that’s interesting and I wonder how far back they date (conquests of Mror, etc or further to the human nation-states) given that IRL war crimes being formalized is a relatively recent development.

    If no, then did the individual nations codify them during the war and the Treaty just hash out the differences between nations; or did the Treaty establish what would be retroactively considered a war crime (as opposed to just a Code of Justice violation) thanks to the new levels and types of violence the war brought? (Aka: We’ve never had crimes of this scale/nature, so we never needed laws for them before.)

    I could see either of these cases being valid and it might be more of an “in your Eberron” thing since the effect on a game is mostly the same no matter which case is true, but at the same time the discussion left me thinking and this seems like the thread to bring it up in. Thanks for the consideration!

    • I’ve added my answer to this in the main article, but both are true. The leaders of the Five Nations established the basic rules of war early in the Last War and these were updated over the course of the war — for example, the prohibition on desecration of enemy corpses came up after Karrnath began its large-scale use of necromancy. Other things were codified in hindsight with the Treaty of Thronehold, such as the ban on the creation of warforged. But there were ongoing negotiations, prisoner exchanges, and agreements on the conduct of the war throughout it; again, the long-term goal was to reunite the Five Nations, with the issue being who would rule the restored Galifar.

  11. So per your cloudkill answer. I’ve always been of the mindset that the most “evil” school of magic (if there is one) has to be enchantment not necromancy. So while cloudkill wouldn’t be horrifying to the public due to how quickly it kills would spells like dominate person and enemies abound fall into the category of potential war crimes? Yea dying by fireball is bad but having to strike down your brother in arms because he turned around and began firing his wand at his fellow soldiers is an even more psychologically terrifying prospect, even if the overall casualties are less.

  12. So I know what nation best deserves my support – which nation or nations make mashed potatoes?

    • Mashed potatoes a’la:

      Thrane: Minimal boil with saltwater and stomp the cooked potatoes into the boiling water. Mix in some veggies if desired and/or available. Shoving the mash into a hollowed out loaf of bread makes for a stout meal that travels well.

      Aundair: A light fluffy mash with lots of butter delicately infused with flowers and herbs. Served as a side.

      Karrnath: A stout minimal mash with added salt and herbs for it to keep longer. Often baked into loaves or bricks, again, for keeping. Cut into slices and served with butter or cheese.

      Breland: A fluffy but stout mash, lots of butter and cream.
      Can be served as a side or treated like a baked potato.

      Cyre: Basically a free for all of all the above.

  13. I’d say Aundair uses some magical method of cooking that takes the work out of mashing potatoes but also makes them better nutritionally (like a pressure cooker, which preserves most nutritional value and reduces mashed potatoes to washing, adding small amount of salt water, cooking for a few minutes and some light pressing with a masher then stirring in any additions desired) while Thrane, by contrast, makes mashed potatoes using minimal water for boiling and recycles that water into the potatoes (ala WW2 rationing instructions) to be efficient in nutrition.

    (Seriously, if you don’t pressure cook mashed potatoes, you’re missing out. It’s half of what I use my pressure cooker for. The remaining 45% is potato heavy stews)

  14. Speaking of potatoes… Most D&D settings, Eberron included, seem to have all the major food animals and plants we find on Earth, plus some curiosities for “flavor”, shall we say? On Earth, though, some species originated in one locale, some in another. Were there important food species that were transported by sentients, say, from Sarlona to Khorvaire by humans, or from Xen’drik to Aerenal to Khorvaire by elves? Have the various Eberronian regions had problems with invasive species (not counting humans, the most dagnerous invasive species of all)?

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