Favored In House [General, Eberron]

You are a member of one of the dragonmarked mercantile houses and wield some infl uence in that house.
Prerequisite: Member of appropriate dragonmarked race and house.
Benefit: Your family is influential and powerful, and you have the ability to call in favors from other members of your family and their extensive contacts. By making a favor check (see below), you can call upon contacts to gain important information without going through the time and trouble of a Gather Information check. Favors can also be used to acquire the loan of equipment or documents from influential acquaintances.
To call in a favor, you make a favor check. Roll a d20 and add a bonus based on your character level: +1 at 1st–2nd level, +2 at 3rd–6th level, +3 at 7th–11th level, +4 at 12th– 15th level, or +5 at 16th level or higher. The DM sets the DC based on the scope of the favor being requested; it can range from 10 for a simple favor to as high as 25 for highly dangerous, expensive, or illegal favors. You can’t take 10 or take 20 on this check, nor can you retry the check for the same (or virtually the same) favor. Favors should help advance the plot of an adventure. A favor that would enable you to circumvent an adventure will always be unavailable to you, regardless of the result of a favor check.
You can try to call in a favor a number of times per week equal to one-half your character level, rounded down (minimum one). You can never ask for more than one favor from any one contact in a given week.
For instance, at 7th level you can try to call in a favor as many as three times per week, but each attempt must involve a different contact from among those associated with your mercantile house. The DM will carefully monitor your use of favors to ensure that you don’t abuse this ability. The success or failure of a mission shouldn’t hinge on the use of a favor, and calling in favors shouldn’t replace good roleplaying or the use of other skills. The DM may disallow any favor he or she deems disruptive to the campaign.

Source: Eberron Campaign Setting

Favored in House

The EBERRON Campaign Setting introduced the Favored in House feat, allowing a character to call in favors from other members of his dragonmarked house. What does it mean to be favored, though? Characters can ask for special treatment, but do others recognize their status even when they don’t ask? What are the limits of the feat? Can it be taken away?
Whenever a character takes the Favored in House feat, especially in the middle of an ongoing campaign, an explanation is required. If a character has been a constant embarrassment to his house, opinions won’t suddenly change because he went up a level and gained a new feat slot. This is an unspoken prerequisite of the feat: It needs to be justified, and a DM is free to refuse the request. The roots of your character’s favored status have an impact on the way NPCs react, and might affect the types of favors he can obtain.
Service to the House: You earned your favor through devoted service to your family. This status is appropriate for a character who acquires the Favored in House feat over the course of a campaign, especially for an agent of the house. Your relatives appreciate and respect your work and bend the rules to help you out. Your strongest contacts are in the upper echelons of your house: the viceroys and ministers who are aware of your deeds.
Family Influence: You come from a particularly powerful branch of the dragonmarked family tree. Your ancestors were viceroys and patriarchs, and people respect your status. You might sometimes frame your requests as threats (“Help an old family friend out… or else.”) Of course, repeated abuse of your influence could lead to parental intervention.
The Gadabout: People like you. Since adolescence, you have drifted from enclave to enclave and party to party, making friends wherever you go. This approach is appropriate for characters with a high Charisma, especially bards, sorcerers, or rogues, but even the dour fighter might have been the life of the party in his impetuous youth. Gadabouts have their strongest connections among the lower ranks of a house, though you might have known a viceroy or minister when she was young and irresponsible herself. Base your requests on your shared experiences (“I covered for you when you broke that entire shelf of healing potions, and this is the thanks I get?”)
If you have levels in the dragonmark heir prestige class, your house status likely reflects this chosen path. However, even if your reputation is widespread throughout the house, is it as a dedicated servant, a charming courtier, or a spoiled brat?
Use of the Favored in House feat is not mind control, and each request for favor should be carefully thought out. Are you calling on old friendship? Demanding compensation for past services? Threatening a contact with family reprisals? If you come up with an excellent story, the DM might decide to give you a bonus on your check. On the other hand, the Dungeon Master is always the fi nal arbiter of what favors are available, and can dismiss a favor out of hand no matter how good your check result.
Favored in House is a privilege. As such, it can be stripped away. An excoriate might find himself unable to seek any favors whatsoever from his former house, while an adventurer whose actions have tarnished the reputation of her house might find the viceroys refusing to speak to her but the rank and file still sympathetic to her needs. Characters who redeem themselves in the eyes of the house might be able to regain their favored status, but Favored in House is ultimately a tool of the DM. It represents the influence you wield within your house, but the characters you seek to impress with that influence remain under the Dungeon Master’s control.
The feat description provides general guidelines for what you can do with Favored in House. However, the ease or difficulty of a favor varies according to the house you are dealing with. Asking a member of House Jorasco for free passage on the lightning rail is as difficult a proposition as convincing the viceroy of an Orien enclave to arrange a resurrection. There are tables below providing ideas and guidelines for appropriate favors and the difficulty of the request. Characters seeking favors from their house should be aware that those granting such favors often ask favors in return. In particular, any successful favor check with a DC of 20 or higher requires that the character asking the favor perform some service for the house (before or after the favor is granted, at the DM’s discretion).

House Benefits

Favored in House Cannith

Though all members of House Cannith have a level of privilege, the split in the house has led to ill will between competing factions. Requests from members of Cannith East might be ignored by Cannith South unless the southern faction feels generous or will profit in some way. A party from Cannith West can ask for a warforged bodyguard from Cannith South, but have less chance of receiving them than a party affiliated with Merrix.
The following table indicates the types of favors a Cannith character with the Favored in House feat might request. In addition to general favors, each arm of the house can provide special favors, mainly to its members.

DC1 Benefit
10 One free use of the least Mark of Making; a loan of 100 gp at 10% per month3
15 One free use of the lesser Mark of Making
20 One free use of the greater Mark of Making; free use of a 3rd-level member of the Fabricators Guild or Tinkers Guild (least dragonmark) for 1 week
25 Free use of a 5th-level member of the Fabricators Guild or Tinkers Guild (lesser dragonmark) for 1 week
Cannith South Additional Benefits2
DC1 Benefit
10 Free passage with a house expedition to Xen’drik for four characters
15 A gift of a wand with base value 2,500 gp with 10 charges left (500 gp value)
20 Use of a warforged bodyguard (fighter 4) for 1 week
25 Free use of a nonexpendable medium wondrous item for 1 week
Cannith West Additional Benefits2
DC1 Benefit
15 Access to the Twelve’s magic library for 1 day
20 An introduction to a noble from Aundair or Thrane
25 Use of a sorcerer of the Twelve (sorcerer 5) for 1 week
Cannith East Additional Benefits2
DC1 Benefit
15 Training at the Rekkenmark Academy for 1 week4
20 Use of 1d4 Rekkenmark cadets (fighter 3) for 1 week
25 Free use of 1d4 Karrnathi zombie soldiers for 1 week

1 If a requested favor involves an illegal or dangerous act, increase the DC by 5. Favors with DCs of 20 or higher always require additional service to the house.
2 If the character requesting a favor is from a different branch of the house, increase the DC by 5.
3 A character can have no more than one loan at a time.
4 Individual benefit to be determined by the DM. See the book Five Nations for more information on Rekkenmark Academy.

Favored in House Deneith

Members of House Deneith have access to a wide range of martial benefits.

DC1 Benefit
10 One free use of the least Mark of Sentinel; loan of a +1 weapon for 1 week; free use of 1d4 black blade Blademarks for 1 day; a loan of 100 gp at 10% per month2
15 One free use of the lesser Mark of Sentinel; free use of 1d4 gray blade Blademarks for 1 week; one week’s training at the Rekkenmark Academy3; loan of a +1 weapon for 1 month
20 One free use of the greater Mark of Sentinel; free use of a 3rd-level member of the Defenders Guild (least dragonmark) for 1 week; free use of 1d4 white blade Blademarks for 1 week; one month’s training at the Rekkenmark Academy3; loan of a +2 weapon for 1 month; gift of a masterwork weapon (DM’s choice); a public border crossing for four characters without proper papers4
25 Free use of a 5th-level member of the Defenders Guild (lesser dragonmark) for 1 week; free use of 1d4 gold blade Blademarks for 1 week; free use of a +3 weapon for 1 month; a secret border crossing for four characters4

1 If a requested favor involves an illegal or dangerous act, increase the DC by 5. Favors with DCs of 20 or higher always require additional service to the house.
2 A character can have no more than one loan at a time.
3 Individual benefit to be determined by the DM. See Five Nations for more information on Rekkenmark Academy.
4 Characters cannot be fleeing prosecution or criminal charges that would make them the purview of the Sentinel Marshals.

Favored in House Ghallanda

A simple favor check can grant a character and his companions a night’s lodging, but Ghallanda’s social connections are sometimes its most useful tools. House Ghallanda’s information is acquired through connections with guildmasters, criminals, nobles, and the like, as opposed to active intelligence-gathering. As such, the DM might decide that Ghallanda simply does not have access to a particular piece of information.

DC1 Benefit
10 One free use of the least Mark of Hospitality; a night’s free lodging for four characters; use of house contacts to gain a +3 circumstance bonus on a Gather Information check; a loan of 100 gp at 10% per year2
15 One free use of the lesser Mark of Hospitality; an introduction to a well-placed guild official, skilled criminal, or similar NPC; an invitation to a gala event; use of house contacts to gain a +6 circumstance bonus on a Gather Information check
20 One free use of the greater Mark of Hospitality; free use of a 3rd-level member of the Hostelers Guild (least dragonmark) for 1 week; an introduction to a crime lord, guildmaster, or similar NPC; a chance for four characters to attend a royal banquet as servants; use of house contacts to gain a +9 circumstance bonus on a Gather Information check
25 Free use of a 5th-level member of the Hostelers Guild (lesser dragonmark) for 1 week; an invitation to a royal banquet for four characters; use of house contacts to gain a +12 circumstance bonus on a Gather Information check

1 If a requested favor involves an illegal or dangerous act, increase the DC by 5. Favors with DCs of 20 or higher always require additional service to the house.
2 A character can have no more than one loan at a time.

Favored in House Jorasco

Members of House Jorasco have access to a range of benefits.

DC1 Benefit
10 One free use of the least Mark of Healing; a night’s free stay in a Jorasco facility for four characters; a gift of a healer’s kit; a loan of 100 gp at 10% per month2
15 One free use of the lesser Mark of Healing; a gift of 1d6 potions of cure light wounds
20 One free use of the greater Mark of Healing; free use of a 3rd-level member of the Healers Guild (least dragonmark) for 1 week; a week’s free stay in a Jorasco facility for four characters; a gift of 1d4 potions of cure serious wounds
25 Free use of a 5th-level member of the Healer’s Guild (lesser dragonmark) for 1 week; resurrection on an altar of resurrection; 1 month’s free stay in a Jorasco facility for four characters

1 If a requested favor involves an illegal or dangerous act, increase the DC by 5. Favors with DCs of 20 or higher always require additional service to the house.
2 A character can have no more than one loan at a time.

Favored in House Kundarak

To the dwarves of House Kundarak, the Favored in House feat carries more weight than it does in most dragonmarked houses. In the same way that few house members question a character’s motives for requesting favors, fewer still will forgive a favored character who abuses the privilege.

DC1 Benefit
10 One free use of the least Mark of Warding; free use of an Iron Gate security regular (1st-level dwarf warrior) for 1 day; a loan of up to 100 gp/level at 10% per month, interest-free for 1 month2
15 One free use of the lesser Mark of Warding; free use of a Kundarak safe-deposit vault for 1 week; free use of 1d4 Iron Gate security regulars (1st-level dwarf fighters) for 1 week
20 One free use of the greater Mark of Warding; free use of a 3rd-level member of the Banking Guild or Warding Guild (least dragonmark) for 1 week; free use of 1d4 Iron Gate regulars (3rd-level dwarf fighters) for 1 day
25 Free use of a 5th-level member of the Banking Guild or Warding Guild (lesser dragonmark) for 1 week; free use of a Kundarak safe deposit vault for 1 year; free use of 1d4 Iron Gate elite (5th-level dwarf fighters) for 1 week

1 If a requested favor involves an illegal or dangerous act, increase the DC by 5. Favors with DCs of 20 or higher always require additional service to the house.
2 A character can have no more than one loan at a time.

Favored in House Lyrandar

Favored members of House Lyrandar have access to the house’s transportation services that makes them the envy of other adventurers.

DC1 Benefit
10 One free use of the least Mark of Storm; free oneway fare passage (any distance) for four characters on a Lyrandar sailing ship2; information regarding cargo manifest, passenger list, and so on for any Lyrandar vessel; a loan of 100 gp at 10% per month3
15 One free use of the lesser Mark of Storm; free oneway fare passage (any distance) for four characters on an elemental galleon2; use of a Lyrandar-trained crew for an independent vessel at half normal cost
20 One free use of the greater Mark of Storm; free use of a 3rd-level member of the Windwrights Guild or Raincallers Guild (least dragonmark) for 1 week; free one-way fare passage (any distance) for four characters on an airship2; one free use of house contacts to openly move cargo without a letter of marque3
25 Free use of a 5th-level member of the Windwrights Guild or Raincallers Guild (lesser dragonmark) for 1 week; free use of a chartered elemental galleon and crew for 1 week; free use of a chartered airship and crew for 1 day; one free use of house contacts to secretly move cargo without a letter of marque4

1 If a requested favor involves an illegal or dangerous act, increase the DC by 5. Favors with DCs of 20 or higher always require additional service to the house.
2 Regular routes only. Available destinations and departure times to be determined by the DM. Non-paying passengers are expected to work. See Explorer’s Handbook for more information on air and sea travel in Eberron.
3 A character can have no more than one loan at a time.
4 Though this activity is already illegal, add another 5 to the check DC for dangerous activity.

Favored in House Medani

House Medani’s narrow commercial focus provides its members with an equally narrow range of benefits.

DC1 Benefit
10 One free use of the least Mark of Detection; free use of a 1st-level member of the Warning Guild for 1 day; use of house contacts to gain a +3 circumstance bonus on a Gather Information check; a loan of 100 gp at 10% per month2
15 One free use of the lesser Mark of Detection; free use of 1d4 2nd-level members of the Warning Guild for 1 week; use of house contacts to gain a +6 circumstance bonus on a Gather Information check; free use of house contacts to have minor trouble with the law disappear3
20 One free use of the greater Mark of Detection; free use of a 3rd-level member of the Warning Guild (least dragonmark) for 1 week; use of house contacts to gain a +9 circumstance bonus on a Gather Information check; free use of a secured safe house for four characters for 1 week4
25 Free use of a 5th-level member of the Warding Guild (lesser dragonmark) for 1 week; free use of a secured safe house for four characters for 1 month4; use of house contacts to gain a +12 circumstance bonus on a Gather Information check

1 If a requested favor involves an illegal or dangerous act, increase the DC by 5. Favors with DCs of 20 or higher always require additional service to the house.
2 A character can have no more than one loan at a time.
3 At the DM’s discretion.
4 Nonmagical attempts to locate characters in a Medani safe house (for example, using the Urban Tracking feat) take a –20 penalty

Favored in House Orien

For characters on the move, the favor of House Orien translates into a number of ways to travel. The following table indicates the types of favors an Orien character with the Favored in House feat might request.

DC1 Benefit
10 One free use of the least Mark of Passage; a voucher for 1000 miles worth of travel by lightning rail (standard cart)2; a loan of 100 gp at 10% per month3
15 One free use of the lesser Mark of Passage; a voucher for 2,000 miles worth of travel by lightning rail (first class cart)2; free use of mundane Couriers Guild services to openly send or receive one letter or small package (any distance)
20 One free use of the greater Mark of Passage; free use of a chartered lightning rail passenger cart and crew for 1 day2; free use of a 3rd-level member of the Couriers Guild or Transportation Guild (least dragonmark) for 1 week; free use of mundane Couriers Guild services to openly send or receive one large package or discreetly send or receive one small package (any distance)
25 Free use of a 5th-level member of the Couriers Guild or Transportation Guild (lesser dragonmark) for 1 week; free use of a chartered lightning rail custom cart and crew for 1 week2; free use of mundane Couriers Guild services to secretly send or receive one large package (any distance)

1 If a requested favor involves an illegal or dangerous act, increase the DC by 5. Favors with DCs of 20 or higher always require additional service to the house.
2 Regular routes only. Available destinations and departure times to be determined by the DM. Vouchers can be divided among multiple riders/trips. See Explorer’s Handbook for more information on lightning rail travel in Eberron.
3 A character can have no more than one loan at a time.

Favored in House Phiarlan

Heirs of House Phiarlan can call on the entertainment arm of the house or the Serpentine Table for assistance, as outlined below. An opportunity to infiltrate a social event refers to the chance to participate in an event specified by the heir. The house will always help a bard find day-to-day work for wealthy patrons, but an agent wanting to take the place of a singer scheduled to perform for the Karrnathi ambassador needs to call in a favor.

DC1 Benefit
10 One free use of the least Mark of Shadow; use of house contacts to gain a +5 circumstance bonus on a Gather Information check; a loan of 100 gp at 10% per month2
15 One free use of the lesser Mark of Shadow; an introduction to a well-placed guild official, successful criminal, or similar NPC; use of house contacts to gain a +10 circumstance bonus on a Gather Information check; free use of house contacts to purchase poisons or buy and sell stolen goods3
20 One free use of the greater Mark of Shadow; free use of a 3rd-level member of the Entertainers and Artisans Guild (least dragonmark) for 1 week4; an introduction to a crime lord, guildmaster, or similar NPC; a chance for four characters to infiltrate an exclusive social event as entertainers; use of house contacts to gain a +15 circumstance bonus on a Gather Information check; use of house contacts to send a message through a scrystone
25 Free use of a 5th-level member of the Entertainers and Artisans Guild or the Serpentine Table (lesser dragonmark) for 1 week4; an invitation to an exclusive social event for four characters; use of house contacts to gain a +20 circumstance bonus on a Gather Information check; a free poem written about the character’s or party’s exploits

1 If a requested favor involves an illegal or dangerous act, increase the DC by 5. Favors with DCs of 20 or higher always require additional service to the house.
2 A character can have no more than one loan at a time.
3 Availability of poisons and prices for stolen goods to be determined by the DM.
4 For legal activities only.

Favored in House Sivis

Favored in House benefits for a Sivis heir vary depending on whether the heir approaches his own family or another member of the house. A favor requested from family grants a character a +1 bonus on favor checks made with the Favored in House feat.
Members of House Sivis take their neutrality seriously. A character is free to ask another member of the house to violate the trust of a client as a favor. However, should the information gleaned from such a favor be abused, the character’s favored status will not protect him from censure by Oversight, nor from possible retaliation by the gnome whose favor was misused.

DC1 Benefit
10 One free use of the least Mark of Scribing; free use of house contacts to gain a +5 circumstance bonus on a Knowledge, bardic knowledge, or lore check2; A loan of 100 gp at 10% per month3
15 One free use of the lesser Mark of Scribing; a gift of 1d4 1st-level scrolls; free use of house contacts to gain a +10 circumstance bonus on a Knowledge, bardic knowledge, or lore check2
20 One free use of the greater Mark of Scribing; free use of a 3rd-level member of the Notaries Guild or Speakers Guild (least dragonmark) for 1 week; a gift of 1d4 2nd-level scrolls; free use of house contacts to gain a +15 circumstance bonus on a Knowledge, bardic knowledge, or lore check2; free priority use of Sivis message stations for 1 week
25 Free use of a 5th-level member of the Notaries Guild or Speakers Guild (lesser dragonmark) for 1 week; a gift of 1d4 3rd-level scrolls; free priority use of Sivis message stations for 1 month; free use of house contacts to gain a +20 circumstance bonus on a Knowledge, bardic knowledge, or lore check2

1 If a requested favor involves an illegal or dangerous act, increase the DC by 5. Favors with DCs of 20 or higher always require additional service to the house.
2 Such checks can involve confidential information about a Sivis client, but the character making the check risks censure from Oversight if the information is abused or publicly revealed.
3 A character can have no more than one loan at a time.

Favored in House Tharashk

Favored Tharashk heirs can use their connections to call in services from their relatives, or to gain monstrous assistance through the Dragonne’s Roar. More so than for most houses, heirs of Tharashk often find that geography is a factor in obtaining favors. An adventurer might convince the house to grant her the services of a 5th-level spellcaster, but the house’s small number of such spellcasters might be deep within the Shadow Marches or Droaam at the time.

DC1 Benefit
10 One free use of the least Mark of Finding; a loan of 100 gp at 10% per month2; free use of a monstrous Droaam mercenary (CR 1) for 1 day3
15 One free use of the lesser Mark of Finding; free use of a monstrous Droaam mercenary (CR 3 or lower) for 1 week3; use of house contacts to obtain a token of safe passage in the Shadow Marches for 1 month
20 One free use of the greater Mark of Finding; free use of a 3rd-level member of the Finders Guild (least dragonmark) for 1 week; free use of 1d4 monstrous Droaam mercenaries (CR 5 or lower) for 1 week3; use of house contacts to purchase Eberron dragonshards at half normal price4
25 Free use of a 5th-level member of the Finders Guild (lesser dragonmark) for 1 week; free use of house contacts to obtain a token of safe passage in Droaam for 1 month5

1 If a requested favor involves an illegal or dangerous act, increase the DC by 5. Favors with DCs of 20 or higher always require additional service to the house.
2 A character can have no more than one loan at a time.
3 If the mercenary does not survive the period of employment, the character must pay for a funeral and the house’s cost to recruit a replacement.
4 See page 50 of Player’s Guide to Eberron for information on dragonshard pricing.
5 Effectiveness to be determined by the DM.

Favored in House Thuranni

Members of House Thuranni can call on the Shadow Network for aid or information, as outlined below. An opportunity to attend a social event refers to the chance to participate in an event specified by the heir. The house will always help an artist connect with dealers or patrons, but an agent wanting access to a benefit at the Dezina Museum of Antiquities needs to call in a favor.

DC1 Benefit
10 One free use of the least Mark of Shadow; use of house contacts to gain a +5 circumstance bonus on a Gather Information check; a loan of 100 gp at 10% per month2
15 One free use of the lesser Mark of Shadow; an introduction to a well-placed guild official, successful criminal, or similar NPC; an invitation to a gala event; use of house contacts to gain a +10 circumstance bonus on a Gather Information check; use of house contacts to purchase poisons or buy and sell stolen goods3
20 One free use of the greater Mark of Shadow; free use of a 3rd-level member of the Shadow Network (least dragonmark) for 1 week4; an introduction to a crime lord, guildmaster, or similar NPC; a chance for four characters to infiltrate an exclusive social event as artisans; use of house contacts to gain a +15 circumstance bonus on a Gather Information check; use of house contacts to send a message through a scrystone
25 Free use of a 5th-level member of the Shadow Network (lesser dragonmark) for 1 week4; an invitation to an exclusive social event for four characters; use of house contacts to gain a +20 circumstance bonus on a Gather Information check; a free portrait of up to five people

1 If a requested favor involves an illegal or dangerous act, increase the DC by 5. Favors with DCs of 20 or higher always require additional service to the house.
2 A character can have no more than one loan at a time.
3 Availability of poisons and prices for stolen goods to be determined by the DM.
4 For legal activities only.

Favored in House Vadalis

Members of House Vadalis have access to a wide range of benefits of use to adventuring characters. The following table indicates the types of favors a Vadalis character with the Favored in House feat might request.

DC1 Benefit
10 One free use of the least Mark of Handling; an introduction to a friendly druidic sect in the Eldeen Reaches; free feed and stabling for up to four animals for 1 week at any House Vadalis outpost or enclave; a loan of 100 gp at 10% per month2
15 One free use of the lesser Mark of Handling; free feed and stabling for up to four animals for 1 month at any House Vadalis outpost or enclave; the use of a magebred animal (CR 1) for 1 week
20 One free use of the greater Mark of Handling; free use of a 3rd-level member of the Handlers Guild (least dragonmark) for 1 week; the use of up to four magebred animals (CR 2) for 1 week; free feed and stabling for up to four animals for 3 months at any House Vadalis outpost or enclave
25 Free use of a 5th-level member of the Handlers Guild (lesser dragonmark) for 1 week; the gift of a magebred animal (CR 3); the use of up to four magebred animals for 1 month; free feed and stabling for up to four animals for 6 months at any House Vadalis outpost or enclave

1 If a requested favor involves an illegal or dangerous act, increase the DC by 5. Favors with DCs of 20 or higher always require additional service to the house.
2 A character can have no more than one loan at a time.

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