G A M E D E S I G N
JAMES WYATT, KEITH BAKER, LUKE JOHNSON, AND STAN! D E V E L O P M E N T
ANDY COLLINS E D I T O R S
MICHELE CARTER, SCOTT GRAY E D I T I N G M A N A G E R KIM MOHAN D E S I G N M A N A G E R CHRISTOPHER PERKINS D E V E L O P M E N T M A N A G E R JESSE DECKER D I R E C T O R O F R P G R & D BILL SLAVICSEK P R O D U C T I O N M A N A G E R S
JOSH FISCHER, RANDALL CREWS A R T D I R E C T O R RYAN SANSAVER C O V E R I L L U S T R A T I O N WAYNE REYNOLDS I N T E R I O R A R T I S T S ANNE STOKES BRENT CHUMLEY DAVID MICHAEL BECK
DRAXALL JUMP ENTERTAINMENT ERIC DESCHAMPS FRANCIS TSAI HOWARD LYON LUCIO PARRILLO STEVE ELLIS STEVE PRESCOTT G R A P H I C D E S I G N E R LISA HANSON CARTOGRAPHY LEE MOYER G R A P H I C P R O D U C T I O N S P E C I A L I S T ERIN DORRIES I M A G E T E C H N I C I A N ROBERT JORDAN
Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS* rules created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave A r n e s o n , and the new DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game designed by J o n a t h a n Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison.
T h i s product uses updated material from the v.3.5 revision. T h e Red Gauntlet Regiment was created by David N o o n a n .
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CONTENTS
Chapter 1: B u i l d i n g an E b e r r o n Character... 7 C h r o n i c l e r 7 Devotee of t h e H o s t 8 H o u s e R e n e g a d e 8 H o u s e S c i o n 9 I n n o c e n t V i c t i m 9 I n q u i s i t i v e 10 O u t l a n d e r 10 Restless W a n d e r e r 11 S c h o l a r - A d v e n t u r e r 12 S t r e e t w i s e S c o u n d r e l 12 W a r - T o r n H e r o 13 Chapter 2: A Guide to E b e r r o n 15 W h a t D o You K n o w ? 15 E x o t i c Classes a n d Races 15 P C O r g a n i z a t i o n s 15 A d v e n t u r i n g 16 D u n g e o n s of E b e r r o n 16 E p i c - L e v e l A d v e n t u r e s 17 A e r e n a l 18 L a n d of t h e D e a d 18 T h e D e a t h g u a r d 20 D e a d , D e a t h l e s s , a n d H a l f - L i v i n g 21 The B l o o d of Vol 2 2 H e i r s o f V o l 22 T h e B l o o d t o u c h e d R i t e 23 C h a n g e l i n g s 2 4 M a s t e r s of D i s g u i s e 24 How to S p o t a C h a n g e l i n g ...25 C h u r c h of the Silver F l a m e 26 T h e G l o r y of L i g h t 26 T e m p l a r s of the Silver F l a m e ...26 Creation Myths 30 T h e F i r s t A g e s of t h e W o r l d ... 30The Dark Six 3 2 Powers of D a r k n e s s 32 The D e m o n Wastes 34 A n c i e n t R u i n 34 T h e R a k s h a s a Rajahs 34 T h e S a k a h 35 T h e G h a a s h ' k a l a 36 H o r r o r s of t h e Wastes 37 T h e L a b y r i n t h 37 D o c u m e n t s 38 Rules a n d R e g u l a t i o n s 38 Dragons 4 2 Scaled M a s t e r s of A r g o n n e s s e n 42 T h e P r o p h e c y 42 T h e C h a m b e r 44 Seren 44 H e i r s of t h e D r a g o n s 44 D r a g o n m a r k s 4 6 H e i r s to Power 46 Power a n d P r o p h e c y 46 T h e K o r t h E d i c t s 47 T h e Twelve 47 D r a g o n m a r k T a l e n t s 48 A b e r r a n t D r a g o n m a r k s 48 D r a g o n s h a r d s 50 F r a g m e n t s of t h e F i r s t D r a g o n s 50 Droaam 5 2 M o n s t e r s of C i v i l i z a t i o n 52 G r a y w a l l : Gateway to D r o a a m 53 Dwarves 54 G o l d Fuels O l d F e u d s 54 E l d e e n Reaches 56 T h e W o o d s of t h e West 56 T h e D r u i d Sects 57 Everyday Magic 6 2 A L a n d S t e e p e d i n Magic 62 T h e M a n y Faces of t h e A r t i f i c e r 63 T h e Five N a t i o n s 6 4 H e i r s of G a l i f a r 64 Frostfell and Everice 66
N o r t h a n d S o u t h 66 G n o m e s 68 T h e H o m e of t h e Wise 68 T h e T r u s t 68 T h e L i b r a r y of K o r r a n b e r g 69 G o b l i n o i d s 7 0 Fallen f r o m D o m i n a n c e 70 H a l f - E l v e s & U r b a n Elves 7 2 O l d T r a d i t i o n s S e e n T h r o u g h New Eyes 72 U r b a n Elves 72 H a l f l i n g s 74 Life o n t h e P l a i n s 74 H i s t o r y 7 6 T h e Sweep of W o r l d Events...76 H i s t o r y b e y o n d K h o r v a i r e ...77 H u m a n s 7 8 A H i s t o r y of E x p l o r a t i o n a n d B l o o d 78 I n t r i g u e and Espionage 8 0 N o S e c r e t s 80 Kalashtar 8 2 T h e M o u n t a i n s of Refuge 82 T h e P a t h of L i g h t 82 P s i o n i c s b e y o n d S a r l o n a 83 Khyber 8 4 T h e D a r k n e s s W i t h i n 84 Gateways to K h y b e r 84 T h e D a e l k y r 85 A b e r r a t i o n s 86 T h e C u l t s of t h e D r a g o n Below 87 G a t e k e e p e r M y s t a g o g u e 88 T h e Last War 9 2 A C e n t u r y of C o n f l i c t 92 T h e Day of M o u r n i n g 93 T h r o n e h o l d 93 Red G a u n t l e t R e g i m e n t 94 Lhazaar P r i n c i p a l i t i e s 9 8 T i d e s of B l o o d a n d G o l d 98 T h e H e a v e n l y Fleet 99 Isles of Mystery 99 Magical T r a d i t i o n s 1 0 0 M o d e s of Power 100 T h e Passage I n s t i t u t e for t h e A r c a n e A r t s 102 A t u r A c a d e m y 103 H i g h E l e m e n t a l B i n d e r 104 Monastic T r a d i t i o n s 108 P e r f e c t i o n of t h e Body 108 Morgrave University 110 S c h o l a r s a n d Adventurers...110 T h e C a m p u s 111 M o r g r a v e O u t r e a c h A s s o c i a t i o n 112 T h e M o u r n l a n d 116 D e v a s t a t i o n E v e r y w h e r e 116 Orcs 118 T h e L a n d of t h e S h a d o w s 118 T h e O r c s of t h e Marches... 118 Life o n t h e F r o n t i e r 118 P l a n e s of Existence 1 2 0 W o r l d s b e y o n d t h e W o r l d 120 M a n i f e s t Z o n e s 122 Races of t h e P l a n e s 123 M a n i f e s t S p e l l s h a p e r 124 Q'barra 1 2 8 T h e F r o n t i e r 128 Riedra 1 3 0 T h e L a n d A c r o s s t h e Sea 130 Q u o r i a n d t h e Inspired...130 W o r s h i p i n g t h e I n s p i r e d ... 131 Seas of E b e r r o n 132 T h e T e n Seas 132 Races of t h e Seas 133 Shifters 1 3 4 T o u c h e d by t h e Beast 134
Society and Status 1 3 6 H o w t h e W o r l d Works 136 T h e Place of A d v e n t u r e r s ... 137 T h e Sovereign H o s t 1 3 8 Powers of L i g h t 138 Valenar 140 W a r r i o r s of G l o r y 140 Travel i n V a l e n a r 141 R e v e n a n t Blade 142 V i l l a i n o u s O r g a n i z a t i o n s 146 Forces of D a r k n e s s 146 The A u r u m 146 T h e D r e a m i n g D a r k 146 T h e L o r d s of D u s t 147 T h e O r d e r of the E m e r a l d Claw 148 Warforged 150 L i v i n g C o n s t r u c t s 150 N o New W a r f o r g e d 151 Xen'drik 1 5 2 C o n t i n e n t of Mysteries 152 Index 156
CHAPTER ONE
BUILDING AN
EBERRON CHARACTER
The EBERRON Campaign Setting provides all the rulesnecessary for c r e a t i n g a c h a r a c t e r to play in E b e r r o n . Key r u l e s e l e m e n t s i n t r o d u c e d i n t h a t b o o k for new c h a r a c t e r s i n c l u d e four new r a c e s — c h a n g e l i n g s , kalashtar, shifters, and warforged—and o n e new class, the a r t i f i c e r , as well as a n u m b e r of feats, p r e s t i g e classes, a n d s p e l l s . It also offers g u i d a n c e i n c h o o s i n g race, class, feats, a n d p r e s -tige class based o n a c h a r a c t e r ' s r e g i o n of o r i g i n , so you can make a B r e l i s h c h a r a c t e r feel m o r e B r e l i s h t h a n one from A u n d a i r .
W h a t t h e EBERRON Campaign Setting d o e s n ' t tell you is how to m a k e y o u r c h a r a c t e r feel like he or she b e l o n g s in the world of E b e r r o n . T h a t ' s what t h i s s e c t i o n d o e s . It o u t l i n e s a d o z e n c h a r a c t e r archetypes—basic p e r s o n a l i t y and b a c k g r o u n d packages t h a t can h e l p you m a k e a c h a r -acter who feels like a c o h e r e n t p a r t of the s e t t i n g . Some of these a r c h e t y p e s are fairly g e n e r i c : A n y s e t t i n g could feature o u t l a n d e r s , for e x a m p l e , or restless w a n d e r e r s . O t h e r s are uite specific to E b e r r o n , i n c l u d i n g c h r o n i c l e r s and i n q u i s i t i v e s .
Most archetypes work j u s t fine for characters of any class and race. A n o u t l a n d e r , for example, could be a half-ling b a r b a r i a n from the Talenta Plains or a half-orc warlock from the Shadow M a r c h e s . Not every c o m b i n a t i o n of race, class, r e g i o n of o r i g i n , and a r c h e t y p e will make sense to you, t h o u g h . Try to find a c o m b i n a t i o n that appeals to you and work from t h e r e .
T h e r e is no g a m e - m e c h a n i c a l benefit to c h o o s i n g a character a r c h e t y p e . Rather, each archetype consists solely of suggestions for developing the b a c k g r o u n d , personality, and m a n n e r i s m s of your character.
CHRONICLER
'What a story!"-Kalva D a n n o r , g n o m e bard W h e n you can sell a story to a p u b l i c a t i o n such as the Korranberg Chronicle or t h e Sharn Inquisitive, e v e r y t h i n g t h a t h a p p e n s a r o u n d you s t a r t s to look like a story t h a t n e e d s to be w r i t t e n . You seek out a d v e n t u r e w h e r e v e r you can find it—but you s o m e t i m e s act m o r e like an o b s e r v e r t h a n a p a r t i c i p a n t .
A d v e n t u r i n g : You grew u p r e a d i n g a b o u t the Last War in the pages of the Korranberg Chronicle, and t h o u g h t that it s o u n d e d exciting. You i m a g i n e d y o u r s e l f h u d d l e d in a tent n e a r the f r o n t l i n e s , scrawling a d i s p a t c h t h a t you would send back to K o r r a n b e r g to be read across the Five
Nations. O f course, once you finally got a j o b w r i t i n g for a small local c h r o n i c l e , you spent more time t a l k i n g to f a r m -ers about t h e i r crops t h a n you did d o i n g a n y t h i n g remotely r e s e m b l i n g a d v e n t u r i n g . Now you've m a d e it: You travel with a g r o u p of a d v e n t u r e r s , write about your experiences, and sell the stories to any c h r o n i c l e that buys t h e m . At least, sometimes you sell the stories.
T h e p r i m a r y c r i t e r i o n by which you j u d g e whether to u n d e r t a k e an adventure is whether or not you t h i n k it will make a good story. By "good story,'' you might mean one that's d r a m a t i c and exciting, or you might m e a n one that will sell. O t h e r factors are less i m p o r t a n t : Will your p a r t i c i p a t i o n make a difference in the world? A r e i n n o c e n t lives at stake? Does the adventure itself pay well? It doesn't matter—as long as it makes a good story.
If n o t h i n g else, an adventure could at least get you close to a big story that's otherwise u n r e l a t e d to the adventure itself. If someone wants to h i r e a g r o u p of bodyguards for an airship j o u r n e y , you might not show any interest at all—until you l e a r n that an i m p o r t a n t noble or famous diplomat will be on the same a i r s h i p , on a mysterious mission. Now that's a good story!
P e r s o n a l i t y : Y o u n g c h r o n i c l e r s a p p r o a c h t h e i r task with e x u b e r a n t e n t h u s i a s m , excited at the prospect of t u r n -ing t h e i r experiences i n t o g r i p p i n g tales that will t h r i l l a new g e n e r a t i o n of r e a d e r s . Is that you, or has your attitude devolved into a bitter cynicism? It's easy to fall into the jaded view that c h r o n i c l i n g is a pretty word for lying, t r y i n g to make the h o r r o r s of war or the t e r r o r s of the world sound exciting. But hey, excitement sells stories, so you'll make the story as lurid as possible to make the sale.
B e h a v i o r : Take notes about e v e r y t h i n g y o u r com-p a n i o n s do. You might even be temcom-pted to h a n g back out of combat for a m o m e n t or two while you finish scribbling your notes about the events that led to the combat. (Don't take this to the p o i n t where your allies become angry at your i n a c t i o n . F i n i s h j o t t i n g down notes instead of moving in between spells or o t h e r helpful actions.) Most i m p o r t a n t , act as t h o u g h you were a character in an exciting story that will be told a r o u n d the world—be d r a m a t i c , be dynamic, take risks, and live large.
L a n g u a g e : Words are y o u r l i v e l i h o o d , so talk a lot. Describe your own actions as if you were w r i t i n g them for a p o p u l a r audience. You might refer to yourself in the t h i r d p e r s o n , e i t h e r by n a m e or as "your i n t r e p i d c h r o n i c l e r " or "your h u m b l e s c r i b e . " D e s c r i b e t h e a c t i o n s of your c o m p a n i o n s and your enemies in the same way. W h e n your c o m p a n i o n s do s o m e t h i n g d r a m a t i c or m e m o r a b l e , n a r r a t e what h a p p e n e d , even as you c o n t i n u e fighting.
V a r i a n t s : You could be an a s p i r i n g storyteller h o p i n g to gain e x p e r i e n c e so you can "write what you know." You might write for the chronicles, but with a focus on exposing c o r r u p t i o n or scandal r a t h e r t h a n t e l l i n g t h r i l l i n g tales. Or you m i g h t simply enjoy b e i n g where t h i n g s are h a p p e n -ing, or b e i n g a r o u n d famous and i m p o r t a n t p e o p l e , and w r i t i n g for a c h r o n i c l e is an effective way of a c c o m p l i s h i n g that goal.
DEVOTEE OF THE HOST
"Sovereigns preserve us."—Kuduth, half-elf cleric Even if you're not a cleric, the deities of the Sovereign Host are i m p o r t a n t to you. You were b r o u g h t up to show t h e m p r o p e r reverence, and devotion to the ideals they r e p r e s e n t guides your every step.
A d v e n t u r i n g : You have b e e n p r o f o u n d l y influenced by a p a r t i c u l a r cycle of myths r e l a t i n g to the Sovereign Host and the Dark Six—myths that are no l o n g e r widely told, but that have i n s p i r e d countless g e n e r a t i o n s of h e r o e s to take up arms against the forces of evil in the world. T h e s e myths are collectively called the Rebellion Saga, and they speak of the o r i g i n a l and o n g o i n g r e b e l l i o n of the Dark Six against the r u l e of the S o v e r e i g n s . A c c o r d i n g to these a n c i e n t tales, it is the work of the devout to b r i n g the Dark Six back into the fold, which will be accomplished by q u e l l i n g t h e i r rebellious followers.
Naturally, r e u n i t i n g the Dark Sixwith the rest of the p a n t h e o n is not likely
Gaven, a house renegade
to h a p p e n any t i m e s o o n , a l t h o u g h c e r t a i n apocalyptic g r o u p s believe in its inevitability. T h u s , for most a d v e n t u r -ing devotees, q u e l l i n g the r e b e l l i o n by slay-ing m o n s t e r s , i m p r i s o n i n g n e c r o m a n c e r s , and proselytizing changelings is little more t h a n a good l o n g - t e r m justification for actions that also make sense in the short t e r m , by m a k i n g the world safer for the civilized races of K h o r v a i r e .
Personality: Your devotion to the Host shines t h r o u g h e v e r y t h i n g you do—at least, you h o p e it d o e s . W h e n you e n t e r b a t t l e , you try to reflect the s t r e n g t h of Dol D o r n and the h o n o r of Dol A r r a h . You offer prayers to O l l a d r a , A r a w a i , a n d B a l i n o r b e f o r e e a t i n g , to O n a t a r before u s i n g y o u r c r a f t i n g skills, and to A u r e o n every t i m e you cast a s p e l l . You p r o t e c t families and villages in i m i t a t i o n of B o l d r e i , and you g u a r d caravans and m e r c h a n t s for Kol K o r r a n ' s sake.
B e h a v i o r : Y o u r devotion is your d e f i n i n g c h a r a c -teristic, but it describes little about your p e r s o n a l i t y . You are not necessarily a p r u d e , a pacifist, or a p h i l a n t h r o p i s t , t h o u g h you m i g h t be any of those t h i n g s . You try to wrap e v e r y t h i n g you do in a s h r o u d of r e l i g i o u s d e v o t i o n . You probably d o n ' t do it consciously to try to impress o t h e r s ; r a t h e r , you do it because that's how you've l e a r n e d to do t h i n g s . You m i g h t feel that e v e r y t h i n g you make s h o u l d be d e d i c a t e d to O n a t a r , but the prayers you recite out of habit while crafting are only the outward expression of that i n t r i n s i c belief.
L a n g u a g e : P r a y e r s , o a t h s , a n d i n v o c a t i o n s p e p p e r your speech. G e n e r i c invocations of the Sovereigns serve many p u r p o s e s , such as "Sovereigns preserve us! " or simply "Sovereigns!" used as an expression of s u r p r i s e or f r u s t r a -tion. Curses often use the names of the Dark Six: "Aureon's Shadow!" or " K e e p e r take you!" are c o m m o n o n e s . Feel free to improvise short prayers to Dol D o r n for wading into battle, to O l l a d r a before eating, and so on.
Variants: You might be devoted to a p a r t i c u l a r deity of the Sovereign Host r a t h e r t h a n the e n t i r e p a n t h e o n . If you worship the Silver Flame, look at the T e m p l a r of the Silver Flame prestige class instead. If you follow the Path of Light or revere the U n d y i n g C o u r t , your specific motivations and oaths will vary, but your basic personality could resemble either this archetype or the Silver Flame templar.
HOUSE RENEGADE
"I prefer not to use my family name, thank you."-Gaven, half-elf r a n g e r S o m e t i m e s b e i n g a m e m b e r of a d r a g o n m a r k e d h o u s e means power, prestige, and influence. S o m e t i m e s it means l i v i n g firmly u n d e r the t h u m b of a c o n t r o l l i n g relative u n t i l you can find a way to escape. Congratulations—you've found a way.
A d v e n t u r i n g : You adventure because it's b e t t e r t h a n the alternative, a tightly controlled life as part of a d r a g o n -marked h o u s e . Y o u r family t h i n k s you should be h o m e , p u t t i n g your talents to use in the service of your h o u s e . Your m o t h e r wants you where she can keep an eye on you and make s u r e you don't get i n t o any t r o u b l e . Y o u r father wants to find you someone a p p r o p r i a t e to m a r r y and keep your c h i l d r e n close at h a n d .
F u n d a m e n t a l l y , you adventure because you know your family hates it. You might not know yet what you want to do with your life—adventuring might j u s t be s o m e t h i n g you're
doing to kill time u n t i l you figure it out—but you know it won't involve the work of your h o u s e .
P e r s o n a l i t y : Clearly, you've got a r e b e l l i o u s s t r e a k . You don't necessarily reject all authority, but you certainly don't like to be u n d e r anyone's t h u m b . You can be s a r d o n i c , cynical, and h a r s h sometimes, especially when the people a r o u n d you start s o u n d i n g like they t h i n k they own you. But you're not bad at h e a r t . Is it so w r o n g to want to shape your own destiny?
B e h a v i o r : Even t h o u g h you've probably b e e n d i s -owned, you're used to a life of relative l u x u r y , a n d your habits a n d m a n n e r i s m s reflect t h a t . You prefer to stay in u p p e r - c l a s s hotels r a t h e r t h a n c o m m o n i n n s , and to feast in a private d i n i n g r o o m r a t h e r t h a n squeeze in to a spot at the b o a r d to get your share of stew with the peasants. T h a t said, you have a lot more respect for the working classes than most people of your station, and you're not i n c l i n e d to boss people a r o u n d or expect d o t i n g service. T h e s e people have aspirations and d r e a m s of t h e i r own—you can't followyours without e n c o u r a g i n g t h e m to follow t h e i r s .
Language: You were brought up well, and your m a n n e r of speaking reflects that. You have an educated vocabulary and a solid g r a s p of c o r r e c t g r a m m a r . You avoid slang and vulgar l a n g u a g e , u n l e s s you i n t e n d to shock or p r o v o k e . Of c o u r s e , h o u s e r e n e g a d e s live to shock a n d provoke, especially when they know t h a t o t h e r s have p r e c o n c e i v e d notions of how they ought to behave and want to shake up those o p i n i o n s .
V a r i a n t s : You m i g h t be a y o u n g e r c h i l d of a noble family r a t h e r t h a n a d r a g o n m a r k e d house, or even a former rising star in a c h u r c h h i e r a r c h y fleeing from the c o n t r o l -l i n g i n f -l u e n c e of a r e -l i g i o u s m e n t o r . I n a d d i t i o n , your r e a s o n s for fleeing y o u r family m i g h t vary: P e r h a p s you c o m m i t t e d a c r i m e , or a change in power in your house left you out of favor.
HOUSE SCION
"Yes, father, I realize this reflects poorly on our house. I apologize." —Ural d ' O r i e n , h u m a n sorcerer Forget the noble families of Galifar—the real power lies in the h a n d s of the d r a g o n m a r k e d houses. You are a m e m b e r of one of those h o u s e s , a n d t h o u g h power comes with any n u m b e r of r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s , you welcome y o u r familial duties as a reasonable price to pay for the social, political, economic, and magical power to which you are heir.
A d v e n t u r i n g : A d v e n t u r i n g has to fit in with the duties that come to you by virtue of your house m e m b e r s h i p . With luck, the two coincide perfectly: You u n d e r t a k e adventures at the behest of the head of your house or some o t h e r p r o m i -nent figure (perhaps a p a r e n t ) , p e r f o r m i n g missions that advance the aims of the house or simply b r i n g treasures into its coffers. W h e n you're not so lucky, you still need to bear your house's interests in mind—looking for o p p o r t u n i t i e s to advance your own house or deal a setback to a c o m p e t i n g o n e . Any secrets you u n e a r t h or t r e a s u r e s you claim can benefit your house, and a n y t h i n g that h u r t s a n o t h e r house helps yours.
Personality: You were b o r n to power and have come to view it as your b i r t h r i g h t . You can be i m p e r i o u s , a r r o g a n t , and spoiled at times, and at the best of times you are smugly s u p e r i o r . You can also be c a l c u l a t i n g , d i s p a s s i o n a t e , a n d even a m o r a l , d e p e n d i n g on your alignment—the d e m a n d s
of your house sometimes do not coincide with the expecta-tions of t r a d i t i o n a l morality. You are comfortable in rigid, well-defined s t r u c t u r e s of authority, as long as you know your place in t h e m .
Behavior: You are used to a life of comfort, and take p a i n s to keep up to t h a t s t a n d a r d while a d v e n t u r i n g , p e r -haps even to the p o i n t of u s i n g Leomund's secure shelter while traveling t h r o u g h the j u n g l e so that you can rest comfortably at night. D e p e n d i n g on who your a d v e n t u r i n g c o m p a n i o n s are, you might see t h e i r company as a necessary evil for the work you must do, p r e f e r r i n g the company of others while you are in cities between adventures. You might even spend the e v e n i n g s , while y o u r c o m p a n i o n s are s h a r i n g tales a r o u n d the campfire, w r i t i n g letters to your t r u e friends and dear family m e m b e r s back h o m e .
Language: You were brought up well, and your m a n n e r of s p e a k i n g reflects it. You have an e d u c a t e d v o c a b u l a r y and a solid grasp of correct g r a m m a r . Avoid slang, vulgar language, and even c o n t r a c t i o n s .
Variants: R a t h e r t h a n a m e m b e r of a d r a g o n m a r k e d house, you could be part of a noble family, such as one of the noble houses of Galifar or a p r o m i n e n t family of A e r e n a l . Alternatively, you could be p a r t of the r i s i n g m i d d l e class
in one of Khorvaire's splendid metropolises, b o r n to wealth without any privilege of n a m e or title.
INNOCENT VICTIM
"Why is all this happening to me?"-Lira Raevan, h u m a n bard Bad t h i n g s h a p p e n to you all the t i m e , but t h r o u g h a com-b i n a t i o n of a m a z i n g luck, p h e n o m e n a l r e s o u r c e f u l n e s s , and maybe a dash of a greater destiny, you always seem to come t h r o u g h .
A d v e n t u r i n g : Most p e o p l e a d v e n t u r e because they choose to, for one r e a s o n or a n o t h e r . N o t you. If you had a choice in the m a t t e r , you'd be back h o m e living a quiet life where n o t h i n g e x t r a o r d i n a r y ever h a p p e n s . But ever since the day when the E m e r a l d Claw agents b u r s t i n t o your home l o o k i n g for you, or you woke up and found yourself in a strange forest with a d r a g o n saying you were p a r t of the Prophecy, or you manifested psionic or magical powers you never knew you had—ever since t h e n , this l i g h t n i n g - r a i l ride of a life has been moving so quickly that you don't know how to j u m p off and get t h i n g s back to n o r m a l .
Maybe t h e r e is s o m e t h i n g special a b o u t you. You could have u n u s u a l powers, or play a key role in a prophecy ( d r a c o n i c or o t h e r w i s e ) , or maybe a s h a r d of an a n c i e n t artifact is e m b e d d e d in y o u r flesh. For whatever r e a s o n , o t h e r people are far m o r e interested in your life t h a n you yourself used to be. You've m a n a g e d to keep one step ahead of t h e m so far—or maybe you haven't, and "they" are your a d v e n t u r i n g c o m p a n i o n s .
Personality: You are somewhat bewildered about all the events that have b r o u g h t you to this p o i n t in your life. You don't u n d e r s t a n d why people are so interested in you, and you often wish they'd just leave you alone. You'd r a t h e r not go t h r o u g h all these h a r r o w i n g adventures, but some greater force in the world seems to have decreed that adven-t u r i n g is your loadven-t in life, so you've had adven-to figure ouadven-t how adven-to make the best of it.
Take care not to degenerate i n t o constant w h i n i n g and complaining, or your c o m p a n i o n s will quickly tire of both it
and you. You've b e e n t h r u s t i n t o the spotlight against your will; if you speak softly a n d try to deflect that a t t e n t i o n , maybe t h i n g s will quiet down s o o n . Also, don't assume that every a d v e n t u r e should be about you and the people who are after you. D o n ' t ever believe that you are as i m p o r t a n t as people seem to t h i n k you a r e .
B e h a v i o r : C l i n g to the i l l u s i o n of b e i n g an o r d i n a r y p e r s o n yanked u n w i l l i n g l y i n t o a life of a d v e n t u r e for as l o n g as p o s s i b l e . P r a c t i c e y o u r c r a f t i n g , p r o f e s s i o n , or p e r f o r m i n g skills as if you i n t e n d to m a k e a living with t h e m someday. Rely on y o u r a d v e n t u r i n g c o m p a n i o n s for some d e g r e e of p r o t e c t i o n , while l o o k i n g for ways to c o n -t r i b u -t e m a -t e r i a l l y -to any s i -t u a -t i o n w i -t h o u -t i n -t e n -t i o n a l l y m e a n i n g to.
L a n g u a g e : You a r e s o f t - s p o k e n a n d u n a s s u m i n g . Downplay y o u r own i m p o r t a n c e a n d any successes you accomplish. If you kill a grick with your sword—well, that sure was lucky, wasn't it? A n d those agents of the C h a m b e r , they c o u l d n ' t possibly be l o o k i n g for you.
V a r i a n t s : You m i g h t suffer from a m n e s i a , a n d your a d v e n t u r i n g career is an attempt to recover the knowledge and abilities you have lost. If others are interested in you, it's because of who you were before losing your memory—in which case your enemies might hold the secret to uncovering your own past.
INQUISITIVE
"If you're the ambassador, I'm the Lord of Blades. Now, how about the truth? " —Creilath Movanek, half-elf master inquisitive As a resident of one of K h o r v a i r e ' s great cities, you've spent far too m u c h time i m m e r s e d in its shadows. You've seen it all, and n o t h i n g fazes you a n y m o r e .
A d v e n t u r i n g : A d v e n t u r i n g , to you, is all about investi-gating crimes and m a k i n g sure the c r i m i n a l s get what they're due. You p r o b e m u r d e r s , find missing people, stop black-mailers, and break up smuggling r i n g s . Your investigations are not necessarily limited to such m u n d a n e p r o b l e m s : You might u n m a s k a rakshasa p o s i n g as a city councilor, find the possessed ancient mask that forced the professor to commit all those grisly m u r d e r s , or dispel the magic keeping the house scion's son in his comatose slumber.
T h i s a r c h e t y p e is best s u i t e d for a c a m p a i g n w i t h a l i m i t e d g e o g r a p h i c a l s c o p e , w h e t h e r it takes place in a single m e t r o p o l i s (such as S h a r n ) or h o p s f r o m city to city. O c c a s i o n a l a d v e n t u r e s m i g h t take you out i n t o the
w i l d e r n e s s , but you're most at h o m e in d a r k alleys and b u s t l i n g roadways.
Personality: T h e city's underbelly can be a bleak place, and that fact has certainly had an effect on your disposi-tion. You're so used to c o r r u p t i o n and crime that you don't expect to meet honest people, and you're s u r p r i s e d at acts of selflessness and sacrifice. "Jaded" doesn't begin to describe how cynical and bitter you can be in your worst m o m e n t s . You've been cheated so many times that you always ask for money up front. You've seen so m u c h h a t r e d and death that n o t h i n g shocks you at this point—or at least that's the image you project.
Deep inside, there might be a part ofyou that still mourns over every corpseyou find sprawled in an alley, still grieVes for the lost soul of humanity and its kin, and still believers there might be some hope and goodness left in the world. But you know full well that if anyone sees that tiny p a r t of you, they'll exploit it—or at least mock it mercilessly.
Behavior: Cultivate behavior that conveys j u s t how tough you are. S h a r p e n your sword or fiddle with a dagger d u r i n g down t i m e . Never open a d o o r when you can kick it in. You might be able to talk your way out of tricky situa-tions, but you should also be p r e p a r e d to fight your way out: T h e k i n d s of people you deal with usually prefer to fight.
L a n g u a g e : T h e wisecrack is like an off-hand weapon for you. In every battle, you can attack with your p r i m a r y weapon and get in a verbal b a r b or two as well. Even when you're not in combat, your speech reflects your cynicism.
Variants: You might be a freelance investigator or work for a law-enforcement o r g a n i z a t i o n . For a slightly different take on this archetype, you could work in espionage, focus-ing on i n t r i g u e a m o n g n a t i o n s or d r a g o n m a r k e d houses r a t h e r t h a n c r i m e on a local scale.
OUTLANDER
"Your cities have made you soft and weak!"—Corrash, halfling b a r b a r i a n Like a wolf cut off from its pack, you are a m e m b e r of a b a r b a r i a n c u l t u r e ( n o t necessarily an actual b a r b a r i a n ) away from y o u r t r i b e . You w a n d e r t h r o u g h the civilized world b e w i l d e r e d a n d isolated, l o o k i n g for c o m p a n i o n s you can rely o n .
A d v e n t u r i n g : Y o u r goals and approach to a d v e n t u r -ing are probably closely linked to the reason you left your h o m e l a n d and family. You might be on a quest to find some
PLAYING AN INQUISITIVE
T h e r e ' s a fine line between playing an archetype and p a r o d y i n g a stereotype, and the inquisitive might be the
most prone to crossing that line—if only because the fine
prose of Raymond Chandler (The Big Sleep) has itself been
subjected to so much parody and unflattering imitation.
Playing an Eberron inquisitive as a bad Philip Marlowe imitation can drive the whole world into parody. If you drink Zil brandy, wait for a call on the speaking stone, and talk like Humphrey Bogart on a bad day, then Eberron starts to look like a ridiculous parody of the modern world, with
magic simply duplicating all the technological wizardry of Earth's 1930s.
You can be hard-bitten and tough as nails and still fit into the magical/medieval world of E b e r r o n . T h i n k about the essence of your character—a tough nut who has seen the worst the world has to offer but refuses to
be corrupted by it—and strip away the elements that have
become stereotypical. You don't need to rely on old cliches of behavior and language.
item or piece of knowledge of significance to your people—a relic that can cure the plague ravagingyour clan, a tome that will reveal the n a t u r e of the d e m o n that h u n t s t h e m , or an artifact that explains your people's history or some aspect of it. Alternatively, you might be seeking to prove yourself—to exonerate yourself of a c r i m e , to win the h a n d of the chief-tain, or simply to secure your p o s i t i o n as an adult in your c o m m u n i t y . O r you m i g h t have b e e n b a n i s h e d from your clan for a c r i m e you actually did c o m m i t , and are forever unable to r e t u r n .
You might eventually grow so accustomed to life among m o r e civilized p e o p l e t h a t you d o n ' t want to r e t u r n , or become restless and uneasy a m o n g your own people when you see t h e m again.
Personality: Your attitude toward civilization is your defining c h a r a c t e r i s t i c . Decide how you view the civilized society a r o u n d you as well as your sophisticated allies, and try to see e v e r y t h i n g a r o u n d you t h r o u g h that lens. Do you m a i n t a i n a s u p e r i o r c o n t e m p t for t h e i r soft and weak ways, or do you find those ways a l l u r i n g ? Do you w a n d e r wide-eyed t h r o u g h the magnificent towers of S h a r n , m a r v e l i n g at the achievements of magic and technology, or do you feel trapped any t i m e you're forced to r e m a i n i n d o o r s ?
W h e n you r e t u r n to lands that are m o r e comfortable and familiar to you, change your behavior drastically—take on m o r e of a leadership role, or revert to a role like the one you have in your h o m e l a n d , whatever that role might be.
Behavior: Most o u t l a n d e r s make some effort to p r a c -tice the t r a d i t i o n s and rituals of t h e i r h o m e l a n d no matter how far they travel. You might do this simply out of habit, even if you r e p u d i a t e the beliefs and mores of your people. These m i n o r rituals might include h a n g i n g c h a r m s a r o u n d a sleeping place, p o u r i n g out wine to the c a r d i n a l directions before d r i n k i n g , t a k i n g souvenir body parts from slain foes, or invoking the names of p a t r o n spirits or totems at frequent intervals.
L a n g u a g e : Even if you are not e n t i r e l y comfortable s p e a k i n g C o m m o n , you a r e j u s t as capable as a n y o n e of e x p r e s s i n g complex t h o u g h t s a n d s o p h i s t i c a t e d ideas in your own l a n g u a g e . Scatter phrases of your native language i n t o y o u r s p e e c h . S t r u g g l e for words s o m e t i m e s , as if t r y i n g to find the r i g h t way to express s o m e t h i n g complex or i d i o m a t i c t h a t comes n a t u r a l l y to you in y o u r native t o n g u e . Avoid accents u n l e s s you can pull one off w i t h o u t s o u n d i n g goofy.
Variants: Warforged as a race are similar to outlanders in that h u m a n society can seem strange and alien to t h e m , but they have n o t h i n g to c o m p a r e it to, except p e r h a p s a life in the military d u r i n g the Last War. As an alternative, your b a c k g r o u n d m i g h t be c o n s i d e r a b l y m o r e exotic: P e r h a p s you were raised by wolves or a l a m m a s u , or b r o u g h t up on a different plane of existence.
RESTLESS WANDERER
"It's time to stretch my legs, flex my sword arm, and give this quill something worthwhile to record."
—Thunvarch, h a l f - o r c bard T h e world is a big place, and you have no desire to settle down u n t i l you've seen it all. You move from place to place as freely as the wind—blowing t h r o u g h the b o r i n g spots, l i n g e r i n g for a while in m o r e i n t e r e s t i n g l o c a t i o n s , and sometimes kicking up a s t o r m .
A d v e n t u r i n g : A d v e n t u r e s are what h a p p e n s to you while you travel. If you seek out a d v e n t u r e , it's because a place s o u n d s i n t e r e s t i n g , not because there's a n y t h i n g in p a r t i c u l a r you want to accomplish t h e r e . You are eager to visit new places, try new modes of t r a n s p o r t a t i o n , see crea-tures you've never seen before, and (at least to some extent) do t h i n g s you've never d o n e . If you can also l e a r n new abili-ties, acquire more t r e a s u r e , and otherwise improve yourself along the way, that's even better.
Personality: You've always had trouble sitting still. P e r h a p s you grew up i n a tiny village where t h e r e was n o t h i n g to do, a n d yearned for a taste of the wider world. Some e x p e r i e n c e of the world beyond your village might have sparked your wanderlust: Perhaps a traveling t r o u p e of actors or musicians came t h r o u g h , or a party of a d v e n t u r -ers stayed in the village for a couple of weeks while explor-i n g nearby r u explor-i n s . T h a t experexplor-ience gave substance to your d r e a m s of a different life—you might even have followed the travelers out of town, l a u n c h i n g your life of w a n d e r i n g in a d r a m a t i c way. You still r e t a i n some of that youthful, wide-eyed d r e a m i n e s s and a sense that the world is full of wonders just waiting to be explored. You are not necessar-ily naive about life's h a r s h realities, but you r e t a i n a sense
Thunvarch, a restless wanderer
of w o n d e r that no a m o u n t of bitter experience has yet b e e n able to quash.
You might have a p a r t i c u l a r interest that gives a focus to your w a n d e r i n g . Perhaps you are particularly drawn to spectacular n a t u r a l wonders such as the G o r a d r a Gap or the G u a r d i a n T r e e s . O r maybe you're fascinated with a n c i e n t r u i n s , great m o n u m e n t s , or exotic c u l t u r e s .
Behavior: Stay on the move. W h e n e v e r you feel that a dungeon room, a site, a nation, or even a continent has shown you all it has to reveal, it's time to move on. You can spend all the time you want searching the r o o m s of a dungeon—as long as there are i n t e r e s t i n g things to find. But you should be the first m e m b e r of your party to call a halt to t e d i u m whenever it arises and get t h i n g s m o v i n g again.
L a n g u a g e : Y o u r m i n d w a n d e r s even faster t h a n your body, m a k i n g y o u r speech seem d i s c o n n e c t e d at t i m e s . P e p p e r y o u r c o n v e r s a t i o n with w i d e - e y e d o b s e r v a t i o n s about the sights, s o u n d s , a n d smells of whatever place you're e x p l o r i n g now a n d c o m p a r i s o n s to places you've b e e n b e f o r e .
Variants: Not all w a n d e r e r s are motivated by w a n d e r -lust. I n s t e a d , you m i g h t be on the run—a fugitive h u n t e d by agents of a widespread o r g a n i z a t i o n , such as the D r e a m -i n g D a r k , t h e A u r u m , the C h a m b e r , the L o r d s of D u s t , or a d r a g o n m a r k e d h o u s e . If you stay in any one place too long, they're c e r t a i n to find you. So you keep moving, you try to avoid a t t r a c t i n g n o t i c e , a n d you d o n ' t talk m u c h about y o u r past.
SCHOLAR-ADVENTURER
"What I haven't figured out yet is whether there's any connection between the Tablet of Shummarak and the Place of Imprisonment mentioned in the S e r -p e n t e s F r a g m e n t s . If there is, that could ex-plain a lot."
—Janik Martell, h u m a n extreme explorer E b e r r o n is rich in history, and equally rich in people who study h i s t o r y . N o t c o n t e n t to sit in a l i b r a r y s u r r o u n d e d by dusty t o m e s a n d c r u m b l i n g p o t s h e r d s , you do y o u r r e s e a r c h in the field—whether i n the c y c l o p e a n r u i n s of X e n ' d r i k or the a n c i e n t t u n n e l s of D o r a s h a r n b e n e a t h the City of Towers.
A d v e n t u r i n g : For you, h i s t o r y is a b o u t d i s c o v e r i n g the mysteries of E b e r r o n ' s a n c i e n t e m p i r e s by e x p l o r i n g the r u i n s of X e n ' d r i k ' s lost k i n g d o m s and the r e m n a n t s of g o b l i n civilization in K h o r v a i r e . You y e a r n to discover mighty artifacts and lost magical secrets. You h u n g e r for knowledge about the past, and you have never b e e n c o n t e n t to g a i n y o u r k n o w l e d g e from o t h e r p e o p l e or the books they w r i t e . You want to d r i n k from the s o u r c e , a n d t h a t m e a n s a d v e n t u r e .
Personality: You c o m b i n e a solid g r o u n d i n g in aca-demic research and established knowledge with a t h i r s t for action and a d v e n t u r e . You have an inquisitive m i n d and are always w o n d e r i n g about the reasons why t h i n g s h a p p e n and possible c o n n e c t i o n s between apparently u n r e l a t e d events. Y o u r c o l l e c t i o n of scholarly t o m e s is like a g r o u p of old friends—you don't necessarily see t h e m every day, but you're happy to spend h o u r s in t h e i r company whenever you can. Y o u r n a m e is well known in academic circles: Some of your fellow scholars praise you to the skies, while o t h e r s dismiss you as a hack.
B e h a v i o r : Take notes on e v e r y t h i n g . Copy d i a g r a m s and i n s c r i p t i o n s i n t o your notebooks. Collect samples of
body p a r t s from u n u s u a l m o n s t e r s — o r even e n t i r e m o n -sters, if you can t r a n s p o r t t h e m . T r e a t s h a t t e r e d c e r a m i c s and magical relics as equally i n t e r e s t i n g , even as you recog-nize that magic items are more valuable and far more useful. You might be hesitant to use a n y t h i n g or go anywhere u n t i l you have properly researched it, or you might r u s h in to do your research o n - s i t e .
Look for o p p o r t u n i t i e s to use y o u r v a r i o u s areas of k n o w l e d g e . T h e y m i g h t n o t h a p p e n very o f t e n , but t h a t j u s t makes it all the m o r e m e m o r a b l e when you do glean some useful i n f o r m a t i o n from your studies of a r c h i t e c t u r e and e n g i n e e r i n g !
Language: D r o p the names of scholars both renowned and obscure i n t o your conversations. I n t r o d u c e theories and observations by citing tangentially relevant research. W h e n you e n c o u n t e r a monster, try to come up with a useful r e m i n d e r about its capabilities to share with your c o m p a n -ions, gleaned from the knowledge you've accumulated.
Variants: You need not be obsessed with ancient history and longlost secrets—the world has its share of c o n t e m p o -rary secrets as well. W h a t caused the M o u r n i n g ? What is the t r u t h b e h i n d the Blood of Vol? W h a t lies in the i n t e r i o r of A r g o n n e s s e n ? W h o are the mysterious r u l e r s of R i e d r a ? These questions are out t h e r e , waiting for you to explore them and p l u m b t h e i r d e p t h s .
STREETWISE SCOUNDREL
"Don't ask how I know this guy, I just know this guy who can help us out, all right?"—R'kash, shifter rogue Not every h e r o is b o r n to privilege in a n o b l e family o r a d r a g o n m a r k e d h o u s e . You c e r t a i n l y w e r e n ' t , t h o u g h you might hesitate to call yourself a h e r o . T h e streets are your home—the g u t t e r s , t r u t h be told—and you know the back alleys and the c r i m i n a l s of your home city as well as you know your own gear.
A d v e n t u r i n g : If t h e r e ' s a b e t t e r way t h a n a d v e n t u r -ing to e a r n a quick f o r t u n e , you haven't f o u n d it yet. It's a perfect deal: You can make use of the survival skills you learned g r o w i n g u p on the streets, you gain some measure of respectability, and you occasionally find bags of gold pieces, which hold more money t h a n you can i m a g i n e anyone actu-ally using. ( T h o u g h you're m o r e t h a n willing to try.)
T h e driving force in your a d v e n t u r i n g life is, whether you a d m i t it or not, a b u r n i n g desire to escape the c i r c u m -stances you grew up i n . You want to make a life for yourself that's b e t t e r t h a n the poverty and c r i m e that defined your youth. You want money, certainly, but m o r e t h a n that you want respect, dignity, a sense of m e a n i n g and p u r p o s e , and a s h r e d of h o p e . You d e f i n i t e l y do not want to d i e , alone and f r i e n d l e s s , a n d be left to rot in an a b a n d o n e d sewer t u n n e l . In y o u r a d v e n t u r i n g c a r e e r , t h a t ' s o n e risk you would j u s t as s o o n not take. You want to live to enjoy your h a r d - e a r n e d wealth.
P e r s o n a l i t y : You know the ways of the street. You're a c q u a i n t e d with unsavory c h a r a c t e r s , you know how to get certain t h i n g s done even if they're not quite legal, and you have more t h a n a passing familiarity with the slang, signals, and m e t h o d s used by c r i m i n a l s . You might not be an outlaw yourself—at least, not now—but the c r i m i n a l u n d e r w o r l d is your world, for b e t t e r or worse. You have a sense of ethics and honor, p r i m a r i l y focused on the idea that you don't t u r n
on your f r i e n d s . But actions that m i g h t make a p a l a d i n of the Silver F l a m e c r i n g e are j u s t the way t h i n g s get d o n e to your mind—actions such as paying b r i b e s , fencing valuable goods, or s t e a l i n g magic tomes from y o u r e n e m i e s . You're wary of officers of the law, even if you have c o m m i t t e d no crimes. You've had too many bad experiences with the town watch a r r e s t i n g you or your friends for no good reason other than your poverty.
Behavior: You're fidgety. You pick t h i n g s up and put them back down, fiddle with m o v i n g p a r t s , or pace if you have n o t h i n g i n t e r e s t i n g to hold in your h a n d s . W h e n you're in a small r o o m , you stay on your feet n e a r the door—you don't want to be t r a p p e d . W h e n your c o m p a n i o n s are talk-ing to the city watch, you stay in the back of the g r o u p or out of sight completely. But when they need to find the lost goblin s h r i n e in the d e p t h s of S h a r n , you step right up and lead the way. T h a t ' s your chance to s h i n e .
L a n g u a g e : You speak the language of the street. Slang is your native language, and your g r a m m a r is probably p o o r by the s t a n d a r d s of a noble or otherwise welleducated i n d i -vidual. You talk tough to back up your swagger and wisecrack to deflect any p r o b i n g questions about your b a c k g r o u n d . You probably know words and expressions that would make a sailor b l u s h , a n d you m i g h t forget not to use t h e m in respectable company—especially when you're very angry.
V a r i a n t s : Perhaps you were not b o r n p o o r , but fell into poverty at a y o u n g age. Y o u r p a r e n t s might have been disowned by t h e i r d r a g o n m a r k e d house, or they staked all their money on a business v e n t u r e that failed. Perhaps they were natives of Cyre who lost e v e r y t h i n g they had on the Day of M o u r n i n g . I n t h i s case, y o u r d r i v i n g a m b i t i o n is not so much a m a t t e r of w a n t i n g what you could never have as a child, but of r e g a i n i n g the status that should have been yours by b i r t h r i g h t — t h e wealth and power you deserve.
WAR-TORN HERO
"After a hundred years of fighting, any idiot could see that the whole war was pointless."
—Dania i r ' V r a n , - h u m a n fighter K h o r v a i r e is largely defined by the travails of the LastWar, and that is just as t r u e of its a d v e n t u r e r s . You fought on the front lines of the Last War. You killed a great many enemy soldiers, and you carry plenty of scars—on your body and on your soul.
A d v e n t u r i n g : You a d v e n t u r e because you can't t h i n k of a n y t h i n g else to d o . You j o i n e d the army as soon as you were old e n o u g h a n d never l e a r n e d a p e a c e t i m e t r a d e . Alter years spent in war, you can't just go back to your place of b i r t h and l e a r n to be a b l a c k s m i t h . Y o u r h o m e might not even be t h e r e a n y m o r e . A d v e n t u r i n g seems like the only o p t i o n left to you, a n d it offers the o p p o r t u n i t y to c o n t i n u e u s i n g the skills you l e a r n e d on t h e b a t t l e f i e l d . In some cases, it m i g h t even be a l i t e r a l c o n t i n u a t i o n of your w a r t i m e activities—such as c h a s i n g V a l e n a r r a i d e r s across the T a l e n t a P l a i n s or r a c i n g E m e r a l d Claw agents to X e n ' d r i k r u i n s .
As a m e m b e r of an a d v e n t u r i n g party, you have a sense of b e l o n g i n g and c o m p a n i o n s h i p . You have a steady source of wealth, m o r e t h a n e n o u g h to live comfortably. You have some sense of p u r p o s e and m e a n i n g in y o u r life. You've made a reasonable approximation of the one t h i n g y o u really want and can never again have: a h o m e where you belong.
P e r s o n a l i t y : T h e war savaged y o u r soul far worse t h a n it could ever h u r t your body, and you r e m a i n bitterly wounded. Your life is a c o n t r a d i c t i o n . Violence sickens you. You saw so m u c h death and m u t i l a t i o n in the course of the war t h a t you had to steel yourself to it; still, you can never shake the waves of disgust t h a t c o u r s e t h r o u g h you when violence is necessary. But you live by violence, and you're not sure you know how to give it u p .
Behavior: You cling to the discipline of m i l i t a r y life because it is comfortable and familiar. You rise early in the m o r n i n g and practice weapon or spell r o u t i n e s . You like to know the chain of c o m m a n d in your a d v e n t u r i n g party and p r e f e r clear o r d e r s a b o u t s t a n d a r d o p e r a t i n g p r o c e d u r e . Even if some c h a o t i c p a r t of y o u r belief system chafes at these disciplines, a larger p a r t of you relies on t h e m to give m e a n i n g and s t r u c t u r e to every day. Without t h e m , your life might just fall apart.
Language: Yours is the language of combat. You have a rich vocabulary to describe the maneuvers of the battlefield and various aspects of your daily life. You speak of base camps and rations, of reconnaissance and sabotage. To some extent, just like your practice of m i l i t a r y discipline, using military terminology helps to keep your life ordered in your m i n d .
Variants: T h e warforged as a race are almost by defini-tion w a r - t o r n h e r o e s . However, t h e i r e m o t i o n a l response to the t r a n s i t i o n from w a r t i m e to peace varies widely, and warforged are less b i t t e r and w o u n d e d t h a n w a r - t o r n h u m a n o i d s . Awarforged has no m e m o r y of a life before the war to idealize a n d a t t e m p t to r e c r e a t e . W a r f o r g e d find it e x t r e m e l y difficult to shake m i l i t a r y practices and j a r g o n that are p a r t of t h e i r earliest formative experiences.
CHAPTER TWO
A GUIDE
TO EBERRON
he r e m a i n d e r of this book, s t a r t i n g on thefol-lowing page, is organized into entries similar to those you might find in an encyclopedia. You'll find extensive entries on topics r a n g i n g from A d v e n t u r i n g to X e n ' d r i k . Each entry contains the most i m p o r t a n t things you need to know in an EBERRON c a m p a i g n : where the d u n g e o n s are, who pulls the strings, what organizations you can j o i n , and what new feats you can learn. Tucked among these entries are a few new pres-tige classes, rules for playing some n o n s t a n d a r d races, and new information about some of Eberron's r e m o t e r regions.
WHAT D O YOU KNOW?
Each entry includes a section titled "What Do You K n o w ? " This i n f o r m a t i o n gives you an o p p o r t u n i t y to put your Knowledge skills to use. It notes a p p r o p r i a t e skills (with check DCs) that allow your c h a r a c t e r to share the i n f o r m a -tion you gain from r e a d i n g these e n t r i e s .If you just want a general idea of how much your character knows about the macharacterial in an entry, assume your c h a r -acter takes 10 on all a p p r o p r i a t e Knowledge checks. T h u s , any fact with a D C of 10 or lower is considered c o m m o n knowledge and is accessible to every character with average or better I n t e l l i g e n c e , regardless of whether the character has any r a n k s in Knowledge skills. If you have a Knowledge (religion) modifier of +5, you know every fact associated with that skill that has a D C of 15 or lower.
EXOTIC CLASSES AND RACES
The EBERRON Campaign Setting discusses the role that each character class presented in the Player's Handbook plays in Eberron, and also addresses psionic classes. Complete Warrior, Complete Divine, Complete Arcane, Complete Adventurer, and the Miniatures Handbook all present new standard classes (as well as a wealth of prestige classes). Since the rule of t h u m b is "If it exists in D&D, then it has a place in Eberron," characters of all these new classes exist in Eberron. Similarly, new races designed to be played as characters have appeared in books such as Races of Stone, Races of Destiny, Races of the Wild, Frostburn, Sandstorm, and Stormwrack.Scattered t h r o u g h o u t these entries, you'll find sidebars detailing the roles that specific new classes and races play in E b e r r o n . S o m e t i m e s , i n f o r m a t i o n on new races appears in the r u n n i n g text—for example, in the discussion of the races of X e n ' d r i k on page 154. Occasionally, sidebars discuss the use of o t h e r new rules i n t r o d u c e d in D&D supplements— such as the Heroes of Battle i n f o r m a t i o n in the Red G a u n t l e t Regiment entry on page 95.
PC ORGANIZATIONS
Several entries in this book describe some of the o r g a n i z a -tions of E b e r r o n , from the w o r l d - s p a n n i n g C h u r c h of the Silver F l a m e to the elite R e v e n a n t Blades. A few of these organizations are so broad that they would make excellent frameworks to build a c a m p a i g n a r o u n d . T h e s e work best if every character in an a d v e n t u r i n g party is a m e m b e r of the same o r g a n i z a t i o n , allowing the goals of the party to be shaped by the goals of the organization. These organizations are t h e T e m p l a r s of the Silver F l a m e , the M o r g r a v e O u t -reach A s s o c i a t i o n , a n d the Red G a u n t l e t R e g i m e n t . T h e t e m p l a r s can b r i n g the P C s t o g e t h e r based on a c o m m o n religious tie, the Red G a u n t l e t s have a m i l i t a r y t h e m e , and the Morgrave O u t r e a c h Association focuses on exploration and adventure in keeping with the t r a d i t i o n a l emphasis of the D & D g a m e : d u n g e o n delving. L a r g e s c a l e o r g a n i z a -tions such as these are discussed in m o r e detail in Dungeon Master's Guide II, but in g e n e r a l , these o r g a n i z a t i o n s improve the sense of cohesion in the player party, i m m e r s e the PCs in the game world, and make the DM's life easier by h e l p i n g get adventures rolling.
ADVENTURING
DUNGEONS OF EBERRON
F r o m m i l l i o n - y e a r - o l d r u i n s in the D e m o n Wastes to the secret magical c h a m b e r s j u s t completed b e n e a t h the L i b r a r y of K o r r a n b e r g , E b e r r o n is a world strewn with d u n g e o n s . Countless ancient r u i n s dot the landscape, a n d the Last War created a s i g n i f i c a n t n u m b e r of r u i n s of m u c h m o r e recent p r o v e n a n c e . At the same t i m e , the widespread use of magic makes u n d e r g r o u n d spaces—and e x t r a d i m e n s i o n a l locations—both relatively easy to c o n s t r u c t and remarkably safe for s t o r i n g p r e c i o u s g o o d s . T h e s e sites r e p r e s e n t p r i m e locations for a d v e n t u r i n g .
Ruins from the Age of D e m o n s are rarely found intact, but some do r e m a i n , kept relatively u n d a m a g e d by the powerful a n c i e n t magic of the fiends. In some cases, the p r e s e r v a t i o n of the r u i n s can be traced to the influence of a rakshasa rajah i m p r i s o n e d b e n e a t h the r u i n s , so a d v e n t u r -ers e x p l o r i n g such a site are well advised to be wary of releasing a terrible foe. Ruins of such incredibly ancient date are most c o m m o n in the Demon Wastes, t h o u g h several exist in Q ' b a r r a and X e n ' d r i k as well, such as the lizardfolk city of K a ' r h a s h a n in Q ' b a r r a .
T h e Age of Giants left n u m e r o u s r u i n s strewn across the landscape of X e n ' d r i k , causing the word "cyclopean" to be inextricably associated with that c o n t i n e n t in p o p u l a r i m a g i n a t i o n . ( C o n s u l t the e n t r y on X e n ' d r i k b e g i n n i n g on page 152 for m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n about those r u i n s . ) T h e a n c i e n t giants of X e n ' d r i k b u i l t o u t p o s t s in o t h e r lands as well, so r u i n s from t h i s era can also be f o u n d in t h e S h a d o w M a r c h e s a n d in p a r t s of S a r l o n a .
T h e Age of M o n s t e r s m i g h t m o r e p r o p e r l y be called the Age of Dhakaan, and this goblinoid empire left the most n u m e r o u s ancient r u i n s across K h o r v a i r e . T h e s e r u i n s are most c o m m o n in the s o u t h w e s t e r n part of K h o r v a i r e , in m o d e r n D r o a a m , B r e l a n d , Zilargo, and D a r g u u n . However, Valenar c o n t a i n s both elf and goblin r u i n s from this p e r i o d , and before the Day of M o u r n i n g , scholars p e r f o r m e d extensive excavation of D h a k a a n i r u i n s w i t h i n Cyre.
M u c h m o r e r e c e n t l y , t h e Last War left r u i n s s c a t t e r e d across the c o n t i n e n t . T h e M o u r n l a n d is a vast, devastated n a t i o n r i p e for e x p l o -r a t i o n , a l t h o u g h the c o n d i t i o n s a-re q u i t e h o s t i l e to l i v i n g a d v e n t u -r e -r s . T h e war also left r u i n s i n B r e l a n d ( p a r t i c u l a r l y i n the n o r t h e a s t a n d a l o n g the f o r m e r C y r a n b o r d e r ) , b e t w e e n A u n d a i r a n d T h r a n e , a n d in t h e T a l e n t a P l a i n s . A n y n u m b e r of f a m i l i e s w o u l d like to recover h e i r l o o m s lost i n r a z e d cities, b u t t h e s e areas have b e c o m e h o m e to d a n g e r o u s m o n s t e r s .
Not every r u i n a n d d u n g e o n in E b e r r o n is c o n n e c t e d to one of its great ancient civilizations or more recent catastrophic events. A b a n d o n e d settlements such as Desolate (in the D e m o n Wastes) and N o l d r u n h o l d (in the M r o r Holds) are the victims of isolated c i r c u m s t a n c e s . Somewhere in the Blade Desert, a small s h r i n e lies mostly covered with blowing sand, the last r e m a i n s of a civilization now otherwise completely forgotten. A castle in the Shadow Marches is a rare r e m i n d e r of the first wave of h u m a n settlement in that r e g i o n . I n the h e a r t of the Eldeen Reaches stands an a n c i e n t tower, not c r u m b l i n g to r u i n despite its evidently very a n c i e n t o r i g i n , its b u i l d e r s u n k n o w n and its secrets as yet u n p l u m b e d .
Finally, the vast e x p a n s e s of K h y b e r , u n t o u c h e d by any m o r t a l i n t r u s i o n , p r o v i d e a f e r t i l e g r o u n d for e x p l o r a t i o n a n d a d v e n t u r e . In places, the t u n n e l s of K h y b e r r e s e m b l e the m u n d a n e l i m e s t o n e caves and o t h e r c a v e r n s f o u n d n e a r the s u r f a c e . E l s e w h e r e , l o n g t u n n e l s , strangely s m o o t h and even, extend for miles without b r a n c h i n g , perhaps shaped by the daelkyr and t h e i r m i n i o n s in a n c i e n t e o n s . K h y b e r is an alien e n v i r o n m e n t , h o s t i l e to surface life but full of a n c i e n t secrets to u n e a r t h , magical and m o n e t a r y t r e a s u r e s to a c q u i r e , and alien m o n s t e r s to overcome.
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
K n o w l e d g e (arcana)D C 3 0 : It is p o s s i b l e t h a t m a g i c m o r e p o w e r f u l t h a n any c u r r e n t l y k n o w n flourished i n the ancient giant e m p i r e of Xen'drik, learned from the dragons. T h e r u i n s of X e n ' d r i k might provide clues to this truly epic magic, and the elves of A e r e n a l may also hold keys to this lost knowledge.
K n o w l e d g e ( d u n g e o n e e r i n g ) DC 10: T h e Last War left dozens of towns
and cities across K h o r v a i r e lying i n r u i n s , to say n o t h i n g of the M o u r n -l a n d . T h e s e r u i n s are now i n h a b i t e d by m o n s t r o u s c r e a t u r e s . D C 15: G o b l i n o i d r u i n s b u i l t d u r i n g the D h a k a a n i E m p i r e dot t h e l a n d -scape of K h o r v a i r e , p a r t i c u l a r l y i n the southwest. X e n ' d r i k , meanwhile, is sometimes called the R u i n e d L a n d for the n u m b e r of g i a n t - b u i l t s t r u c t u r e s that now lie in r u i n s t h e r e . B o t h the D h a k a a n i a n d giant r u i n s are l u c r a -tive p r o s p e c t s for a d v e n t u r e r s a n d archaeologists l o o k i n g for knowledge, a d v e n t u r e , a n d t r e a s u r e .
D C 2 0 : A h a n d f u l of r u i n s f r o m t h e Age of D e m o n s are scattered a r o u n d K h o r v a i r e , particularly in the D e m o n Wastes. T h e s e areas are typically very d a n g e r o u s .
D C 2 5 : T h e d e p t h s of K h y b e r a r e a n alien, s u b t e r r a n e a n landscape, r a n g -ing from n a t u r a l - s e e m i n g caverns to b i z a r r e , s m o o t h t u n n e l s shaped by no k n o w n force of n a t u r e .
K n o w l e d g e (history)
DC 10: If you are interested in the history of X e n ' d r i k , r u i n s lie scattered across the continent. T h e r u i n s on the n o r t h -e r n p -e n i n s u l a ar-e t h -e b-est k n o w n , b u t few have b e e n fully e x p l o r e d . Much r e m a i n s to be l e a r n e d about the ancient giant civilizations.
R u i n s f r o m the g o b l i n o i d e m p i r e of D h a k a a n can be found across K h o r -vaire, p a r t i c u l a r l y in the south. D C 15: Before the start of recorded h i s
-tory, fiends ruled the world u n t i l they were overthrown by dragons and their couatl allies. R e m n a n t s of this i n c r e d -ibly ancient era can still be found in the D e m o n Wastes, Q'barra, Xen'drik, and o t h e r remote locations.
EPIC-LEVEL ADVENTURES
The Dungeon Master's Guide provides basic rules for advancing characters beyond 20th level, with m o r e details a p p e a r i n g in the Epic Level Handbook. (All the c r e a t u r e s a n d templates mentioned in this section can be found in that book.) Eberron,however, is n o t an epic world—at least, not as it stands now. If your characters advance to 21st level, the campaign is going to need a few adjustments.
First, it's probably best to assume that player characters who reach epic levels are a m o n g the first people to accom-plish such a feat, at least in r e c e n t m e m o r y . C e r t a i n l y the great h e r o e s of ages past—the m i g h t i e s t c h a m p i o n s of the Dhakaani E m p i r e , n o t to m e n t i o n the g i a n t a n d d r a g o n heroes of even e a r l i e r eras—reached epic levels. In the current age, it is possible that no one has ever exceeded 20th level, which m e a n s no m e m b e r of the c o m m o n h u m a n o i d races has ever d o n e so before.
T h a t fact m e a n s , a m o n g o t h e r t h i n g s , t h a t the world of the c u r r e n t age has little to challenge epiclevel c h a r a c -ters. T h e d r a g o n s of A r g o n n e s s e n , the I n s p i r e d l o r d s of Riedra, and the few daelkyr that lurk in Khyber are possible exceptions. If the PCs have advanced to epic levels without previously facing Vol the l i c h - q u e e n or the L o r d of Blades, these powerful N P C s m i g h t be of epic level themselves. Alternatively, Vol might have become a d e m i l i c h .
It is probably best, however, to i n t r o d u c e a new t h r e a t to E b e r r o n to match the epic heroes who have arisen to defend it. Perhaps the work of the a n c i e n t Gatekeepers is finally u n d o n e and Xoriat spills forth o n t o E b e r r o n once more, as the daelkyr l a u n c h a new full-scale invasion. T h e daelkyr statistics p r e s e n t e d in the EBERRON Campaign Setting could be considered to depict a weak example of t h e i r kind, with p a r a g o n daelkyr (using the p a r a g o n template from Epic Level Handbook) a c t u a l l y i n h a b i t i n g X o r i a t . Epic Level Handbook also presents several a b e r r a t i o n s that could accompany the daelkyr in a new invasion of E b e r r o n , as well as the uvuu¬ daum and creatures with the p s e u d o n a t u r a l template.
A s i m i l a r t h r e a t could arise from a p l a n e o t h e r t h a n Xoriat. T h e q u o r i m i g h t discover a way to r e o p e n c o n -nections b e t w e e n Dal Q u o r a n d E b e r r o n , or T h e l a n i s might u n l e a s h a wild h u n t led by the leShay. I n E b e r r o n , abominations arise from the planes themselves r a t h e r t h a n from deities, and they could come from almost any o t h e r plane—anaxims from D a a n v i , a t r o p a l s from Mabar, chi¬ chimecs from L a m a n n i a , hecatoncheires from Shavarath, phaetons from Fernia, xixecals from Risia, and so o n . Every plane holds creatures hostile to life on the Material Plane, so the o p e n i n g of a significant n u m b e r of p o r t a l s to any plane could invite a new invasion like the ones that b r o u g h t the great civilizations of the past to an end.
Of course, a new threat to E b e r r o n need not come from the planes beyond. Perhaps the egg of a force d r a g o n or a prismatic d r a g o n that was laid on A r g o n n e s s e n d u r i n g the Age of Dragons has at last hatched, s t i r r i n g a flurry of activity among the dragons. O r a mighty dragon of a more o r d i n a r y sort might seek divine ascension (adopting the dragon ascen-dant p r e s t i g e class from Draconomicon). Worldwide t h r e a t s could even arise from far m o r e m u n d a n e sources. W h a t if the m i g h t y wealth of t h e A u r u m , the r e s o u r c e s of H o u s e C a n n i t h , or the madness of the Lord of Blades was put to use in c o n s t r u c t i n g an epic golem or colossus? A new o u t b r e a k of hostilities a m o n g the n a t i o n s of K h o r v a i r e , l a u n c h i n g a second great war, could also provide a fitting b a c k g r o u n d
to an epic campaign, especially if this war escalated beyond K h o r v a i r e to include Riedra, A e r e n a l , or A r g o n n e s s e n .
A n epic campaign set in E b e r r o n strays far afield from the way the campaign setting has been described previously, but is certainly rife with i n t e r e s t i n g o p t i o n s . It presents an exciting o p p o r t u n i t y for PCs to break new g r o u n d in epic t e r r i t o r y , a n d the c a m p a i g n can take on a majestic scope, with the fate of the world h a n g i n g in the balance.
T h e Epic A r t i f i c e r
T h e epic artificer r e m a i n s a master of item c r e a t i o n , g a i n -ing an i n c r e a s i n g craft reserve and plenty of b o n u s feats to l e a r n the craft of epic item c r e a t i o n .
H i t D i e : d6.
S k i l l P o i n t s at E a c h A d d i t i o n a l L e v e l : 4 + I n t m o d i f i e r .
I n f u s i o n s : A n epic artificer's caster level is equal to h i s class level. T h e artificer's n u m b e r of infusions p e r day does not increase after 20th level.
A n epic artificer doesn't automatically gain infusion slots above 6 t h level, t h o u g h he can select the I m p r o v e d Spell Capacity feat to g a i n i n f u s i o n slots above 6th level (which can be used to hold lower-level i n f u s i o n s or i n f u -sions whose level has been increased above 6th by the use of metamagic feats).
C r a f t Reserve: An epic artificer's craft reserve increases by 1,000 p o i n t s per level beyond 20th (6,000 p o i n t s at 21st level. 7,000 p o i n t s at 22nd level, and so o n ) .
A r t i f i c e r Knowledge: Add the artificer's class level + Int modifier to artificer knowledge checks, as n o r m a l .
B o n u s F e a t s : A n epic a r t i f i c e r does not a u t o m a t i -cally gain epic item c r e a t i o n feats as b o n u s feats. H e does. however, g a i n a b o n u s feat for every t h r e e levels b e y o n d 2 0 t h ( 2 3 r d , 2 6 t h , a n d so o n ) , a n d he can choose epic item creation feats for which he meets the p r e r e q u i s i t e s .
