Type: General
Source: Eberron Campaign Setting
You are a member of one of the dragonmarked mercantile houses and wield some influence 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.