Rules and other such nonsense

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A Story Telling Game vs A Role Playing Game:
Before we get started I want to underscore the difference between the setting (storytelling elements) and the characters’ abilities (within a technical rules based game.) From time to time the story telling apsects of the game may conjure dramatic and interesting settings without perfectly matching how things work in the game’s technical rules. This is the GM’s attempt to create an interesting world for the players to exist in. So basically, NPCs may have more flexibility than the PCs do in this regard. This will only be used to add flavor to the story, not for challenges posed against you.

If we were playing a modern spy/war roleplaying game I do not think the GM would be expected to explain how a nuclear bomb or a jet engine works in game mechanics. In that same way not all Eberron technologies need be covered in the rules.

Technology: How does that work?
“Dragonmarks (boosted by dragonshards) as well as the existence of the artificer and magewright classes has propelled Eberron’s modern arcane technologies.”

Item Creation: Though characters may have the ability to create their own items (some Eberron classes even encourage it) I want to put out this word of caution. The items created by the game developers tend to have an overall balance to them. Custom items (even built within the rule guidelines) can ultimately tilt that balance in ways unforeseen when first introduced. This can become an issue of balance between player characters in the group. It can also throw off balance between a character’s ability vs the challenges presented. Players and the GM should keep this in mind while considering the introduction of homemade/custom items.

He’s got Skills: Some skills have additional uses in Eberron.
Knowledge (nobility and royalty) provides information about Dragon Mark Houses (the people, politics, and some history.)
Knowledge (arcana) provides information about the actual Dragon Marks (and how they may function), dragon shards, and general information about airships, lightening rails, and other such contraptions. A knowledge (airship) or knowledge (lightening rail) could be taken for much more specific information.

[Rabbit]

Item Availability (This rule will come into play when a character is working within a set time frame/ during an adventure.)

Step 1) Roll a Gather Information against the Item Availability DC to determine if the search was a success.
Step 2) Roll 1d4+1 to determine how long the search took. Roll whether the search was a success or failure, the time is lost regardless.
Step 3) The character has either found an item they can now buy or failed to find the item. In case of a failure the character can choose to attempt another search, if time is available.

Item Availability*
DC 10 Common: most mundane equipment, weapons, and armor found in the Player’s Handbook and Eberron core book.
DC 15 Rare: many magic items and some specialty items.
DC 20 Unique: uncommon, special, and powerful items.
DC 20 Custom: items that do not readily exist and players seek to create.**

* Item DCs are subject to GM discretion. The above stats are for most cities and ‘civilized’ territories.
**This search is to find a crafter able and willing to make the item, it does not include creation time.

Gather Information: takes 1d4+1 hours. A single Gather Information roll can be used for multiple ‘similar’ items (DM’s discretion.) Using a single roll must be declared before the dice are rolled.

Gather Information Bonus:
Knowledge (Local): Add skill total to Gather Information results.
Profession (relevent): Add skill total to Gather Information results (GM’s discretion.)***
Craft (relevent): Add skill total to Gather Information results (GM’s discretion.)***

***Only one Profession or Craft can be added to a single Gather Information roll.

Taking 10: A character may take 10 on their Gather Information check, they may not take 20.

Aid Another: Up to one other character may aid another character’s Gather Information check. They must be with the primary character the entire search (otherwise they are making their own Gather Information check.) [DC: 10 to add +2]

[Rabbit]

Action Points! Characters begin play with action points equal to 4+ character level. They are replenished whenever a level is gained, or when an adventure concludes. Action points may also be given out at the GM's discretion when a PC performs an especially heroic, epic or otherwise amazing feat.

Main Use: You can spend an action point to improve the result of an attack roll, a skill check, an ability check, a level check, or a saving throw. Certain feats and prestige class features allow you to spend action points in different ways, but this is their most basic use. When you spend an action point, you add the result of a roll of 1d6 to your d20 roll to help you meet or exceed the target number for the roll. You can declare that you are spending an action point after you have already rolled the d20, but you must do so before the GM reveals the result of your roll (whether the attack roll or check or saving throw succeeded or failed).

You can not use an action point on a skill check or ability check when you are taking 10 or taking 20.

Instead of altering the result of a d20 roll, you can use action points to perform one of the special actions described below. In addition, some prestige classes and feats allow you to spend action points to gain or activate specific abilities.

Activate Class Feature: You can spend 2 action points to gain another use of one of the following class features that has a limited number of uses per day: bardic music, rage, smite evil, Stunning Fist, turn or rebuke undead, or wild shape.

Hasten Infusion: On his turn, an artificer can spend 1 action point to imbue an infusion in 1 round, even if the infusion’s casting time is normally longer than 1 round.

Stabilize: When your character is dying, you can spend 1 action point to stabilize at your current hit point total. Spending an action point does nothing for you if you’re already dead.

(Generally, monsters and enemy NPCs do not have action points. Some high level NPCs may have action points with a randomly determined amount of points remaining in their pool.)

[Rabbit]

Disarm
If you fail on the disarm attempt, the defender may immediately react and attempt to disarm you with the same sort of opposed melee attack roll. His attempt does not provoke an attack of opportunity from you. If he fails his disarm attempt, you do not subsequently get a free disarm attempt against him.

Trip
If you lose, the defender may immediately react and make a Strength check opposed by your Dexterity or Strength check to try to trip you.

Tripping with a Weapon
Some weapons can be used to make trip attacks. In this case, you make a melee touch attack with the weapon instead of an unarmed melee touch attack, and you don’t provoke an attack of opportunity.

If you are tripped during your own trip attempt, you can drop the weapon to avoid being tripped.

PRONE, TRIPPING, and ATTACKS OF OPPORTUNITY

When a character gets up from prone, when does the attack of opportunity take place? When he is still prone? When he is standing? Can the attacker choose when to attack? In one case, the attacker can get a +4 bonus to hit. In the other, he can make another trip attack.

All attacks of opportunity happen before the actions that trigger them (see Chapter 8 in the PH). When you make an attack of opportunity against someone who’s getting up, your target is effectively prone, and therefore cannot be tripped. You could ready an action to trip a prone foe after he gets up, however. ~DnD 3.5 FAQ