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Eberron is a campaign setting created by author and game designer Keith Baker for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.
Baker's Eberron setting was the winning entry for Wizards of the Coast's Fantasy Setting Search, a competition run in 2002 to establish a new setting for the Dungeons and Dragons game. Eberron was chosen from more than 11,000 entries. Eberron combines a fantasy tone with pulp and dark adventure elements, and some non-traditional fantasy technologies such as trains and mechanical beings which are all powered by magic.
The setting is set on the world of Eberron, in a period after a vast destructive war on the continent of Khorvaire. Eberron is designed to accommodate traditional D&D elements and races within a differently toned setting.
The Eberron Campaign Setting hardback book was released in June 2004.
Noteworthy Differences From Other Official D&D Campaign Settings
High level magic, including Resurrection spells, is less
common than in most other settings. However, low level magic is
much more pervasive. Many cities have magical lanterns
throughout. A continent-wide, magical "Lightning Rail" provides
high speed transportation. Many fans use the term "wide magic" to describe this pattern of magic in Eberron.
Morality is slightly more muddied than in other official
settings. Evil beings of traditionally good races and good
beings of traditionally evil races are encouraged.
Religion is similarly less clear cut. The pantheon of Eberron
does not make itself overtly known. The existence of clerical
magic is not evidence of the gods as clerics who worship no
dieties but instead follow a path or belief system also receive
spells. A cleric can even actively work against their own
church and continue to receive spells. As a result,
religion is largely a matter of faith. Unlike in many other 3rd Edition D&D settings, a cleric does not have to be within one step of his deity's or religion's alignment, and is not restricted from casting certain spells because of alignment. [1] (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ebds/20040705a)
The setting adds a new character class, the artificer. Artificers are
spellcasters focusing on magical item creation. Artificer infusions
(their equivalent to spells) focus on temporarily imbuing objects with
the desired effects. For example, instead of casting Bull's Strength
on a character, an artificer would cast it upon a belt to create a short
term magical Belt of Bull's Strength. Artificers have access to
an extra pool of experience points that allows them to create magic items without sacrificing level attainment. This pool is refilled
when the artificer gains levels, or by draining power from an existing
magical item (destroying the item in the process).
Eberron also introduces a new NPC class known as the magewright, which is an arcane caster who has a limited selection of low-level spells. The existence of magewrights is part of the reason for the prevalence of low-level magic in Eberron. [2] (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ebds/20040823a)
Rules
To try and create a pulp setting, Eberron uses "action points" that allow
a player to add a six-sided die to the result of rolls made with a twenty-sided die.
Characters receive a set allotment of
single use action points each character level. The Eberron Campaign Setting also includes feats which grant additional uses for action points, such as allowing a player to add an eight-sided dice instead of a six-sided dice, or spending two actions points to grant your character an additional move or standard action.
World
The Eberron setting primarily takes place in Khorvaire, a continent that until
recently was primarily ruled by goblinoids. Humans are now the most populous race in Khorvaire. Southeast is the small
continent of Aerenal, ruled by elves. Due south is the jungle
continent of Xen'drik, once ruled by an empire of giants that
collapsed. The other two main continents are Sarlona (a continent ruled by creatures from the Region of Dreams) and
Argonnessen (a continent inhabited by dragons). The world of Eberron has twelve moons.
"Eberron" is also the name for the land of the world, and is also referred to as the Dragon Between. Siberys, the Dragon Above, is the name given to the planetary rings which surround the planet. Khyber, the Dragon Below, is the name given to the underworld, and is similar to the Underdark in many other settings. According to the creation story, the world was formed when the progenitor wyrms changed their form into what they are now. Siberys created the dragons, Eberron created humanoids and other "lower races", and Khyber created the "demons" of the world. (The term "demons" is meant to use the common definition, not the D&D Chaotic Evil outsider.) According to Keith Baker, there is some significance to the fact that each name contains "ber", but he has not stated what this is.
The Last War
The most recent significant event in the Eberron Campaign Setting is an event called the Last War, so-called because the people of Khorvaire believed that after the war was over everybody would grow tired of war. It refers to a series of conflicts in Khorvaire over 102 years that began with a dispute over the throne of the Kingdom of Galifar and the ruling of the Five Nations. During the Last War, various new nations split off from the Five Nations.
Two years prior to the end of the Last War, the nation of Cyre was destroyed in an incident known as the Day of Mourning. (The Eberron Campaign Setting does not give an official cause for this disaster.) This event helped expedite the end of the Last War. Now, the region is referred to as the Mournland and is the home of living spells, preserved dead bodies, and a militant sect of warforged (see Races) led by one called the Lord of Blades who desires to kill all humanoids. Natural and magical healing has no effect in the Mournland, and few people enter the region.
The Last War officially ended two years prior to the start of the campaign, with the Treaty of Thronehold, as each of the Five Nations and most of the nations that broke off officially became independent. [3] (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ebds/20040629a)
The Dragonmarked Houses
The Dragonmarked Houses are thirteen extended families which control most business throughout Khorvaire. Within the houses, many of the people develop dragonmarks, granting a spell-like ability associated with the mark (designated by taking the Least Dragonmark feat or taking levels in the Heir of Siberys prestige class). Each family possesses only one type of mark, and only one or two races can manifest a particular type of mark. Additionally, only races listed in the Player's Handbook can manifest a dragonmark at all. With the exception of House Phiarlan and House Thuranni (which both possess the Mark of Shadow), each house exclusively has one type of dragonmark.
Dragonmarks come in five forms: aberrant, least, lesser, greater, and Siberys. Aberrant dragonmarks are deviations from normal marks and are not recognized by the dragonmarked houses. People who have aberrant dragonmarks are commonly believed to have been warped by Khyber, the Dragon Below. Least, lesser, and greater dragonmarks can be gained by taking the appropriate feats or taking levels in the Dragonmarked Heir prestige class. These types of marks must be taken in order. The Siberys mark is the greatest mark, but someone cannot have both a least, lesser, or greater mark along with a Siberys mark. As mentioned, a Siberys mark is gained by taking the Heir of Siberys prestige class.
Another dragonmarked house of elves once existed known as House Vol which possessed the Mark of Death, but they were mostly destroyed in a conflict between dragons and other elves. Only one heir remains today (named Erandis d'Vol), but because she is a lich she cannot use her dragonmark. However, she tries to gather information to restore the mark through the Order of the Emerald Claw and the religion known as the Blood of Vol.
Planes
Like most other D&D campaign settings, Eberron has a number of planes. Besides the Prime Material Plane, the Ethereal Plane, the Plane of Shadow, and the Astral Plane, the Eberron Campaign Setting has thirteen relatively unique planes. Gates or portals to any of the planes are very rare. These thirteen planes "orbit" around Eberron and depending on where they are at are considered in one of four states. [4] (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/eb/20040309a)
- Waxing/Waning - The plane is either approaching or moving away from Eberron. Planar travel occurs as normal.
- Coterminous - The plane actually touches Eberron, and certain effects are strengthened in Eberron. Also, it may be possible to travel between planes by going to an appropriate spot. For example, when Risia, the Plain of Ice (correct spelling) is coterminous, one may enter the plane from Eberron by walking into a blizzard. Because of seals placed by the Gatekeeper druids, Xoriat, the Realm of Madness, is incapable of becoming coterminous with Eberron.
- Remote - The plane is furthest from Eberron, and certain effects are weakened in Eberron. Also, reaching a remote plane with the spell plane shift is difficult and requires a difficult Spellcraft check. Because of the battles between the Quori and the giants of Xen'drik, Dal Quor is always considered remote from Eberron.
Also, certain places in Eberron have a manifest zone, which is a permanent connection to the plane regardless of the plane's distance from Eberron. Similar to when a plane is coterminous, certain effects of the plane appear in the manifest zone. However, unlike when a plane is coterminous, one cannot pass between planes in a manifest zone.
The most well-known manifest zone in Eberron is in the metropolis of Sharn: this manifest zone to Syrania, the Azure Sky improves levitation and flying magic and allows for the buildings to reach the sky. For this reason, Sharn is known as the City of Towers.
Races and Monsters
New player-character races include the warforged and shifters.
Warforged are sentinent constructs, similar to golems but capable of independent thought, created during the
Last War by House Cannith. In the truce ending the Last War, further warforged construction was
banned and the existing ones were given freedom. Shifters, or "weretouched", are a true race that developed through the breeding of humans and lycanthropes, resulting in a race that developed the ability to temporarily gain an increase in speed, natural weapon (bite or claw), climbing ability, or other abilities as appropriate to their individual heritage.
Other new races include changelings, a race that developed through the breeding of humans and doppelgangers. While they do not have the full shapechanging abilities as doppelgangers, they still have a minor change shape ability. Finally, Eberron introduces the Kalashtar -- humans bound with a spiritual psychic connection to a Quori, a creature originally from Dal Quor, the Region of Dreams [5] (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ebds/20050110a).
As for traditional races, elves are relative newcomers to the continent of Khorvaire. Originally the elves were slaves to a race of giants on the continent of Xen'drik. They escaped to and founded a nation on the smaller continent of Aerenal. Aerenal elves in Eberron practice a form of ancestor worship. On Aerenal, those elves deemed to be particularly benefitial to the race are magically revived as Undying. The lich-like beings are enchanted with positive energy instead of the negative energy that animates undead. The Undying act as counselors to the Aerenal elves. Elves have occupied parts of Khorvaire sporatically, only recently forming their own nation there known as Valenar. Valenar elves hold different traditions from Aerenal elves, and stress bringing glory to their Xen'drik ancestors through combat. [6] (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ebds/20041004a) [7] (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ebds/20041011a)
Dwarves, by legend, originated from the arctic subcontinent of Frostfell and now live in a region called the Mror Holds. In addition to their traditional role as elite warriors, they also put much importance on wealth, and their dragonmarked house -- House Kundarak -- is used throughout Khorvaire for banking. [8] (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ebds/20041101a) [9] (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ebds/20041108a) Halflings usually live in nomadic tribes in the Talenta Plains where they train dinosaurs as mounts.
Gnomes commonly live in their own country of Zilargo and are considered excellent shipwrights, the masters of elemental binding, information seekers, and social manipulators. [10] (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ebds/20041129a) [11] (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ebds/20041206a) Orcs and half-orcs often live in the Shadow Marches: a country with many cults to Khyber, a secretive druidic sect known as the Gatekeepers, and many manifest zones to Xoriat, the Realm of Madness. Because of widespread immigration though, any race can for the most part be found anywhere on Khorvaire.
Other significant races and monsters to Eberron include goblins and hobgoblins who had an empire which once dominated Khorvaire, but after a period of decline now are reduced to a single country. [12] (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ebds/20040816a) Drow, like elves, were also once slaves to the giants, but unlike the elves they still exist on Eberron in Xen'drik. They use scorpion imagery, but they do not venerate scorpions as drow in Greyhawk or the Forgotten Realms do for spiders. Rather than being a subrace of elves, Keith Baker considers drow their own distinctive race. The computer game Dragonshard is supposed to introduce a subculture of drow known as the Umbragen (or shadow elves), but little is known about them at this time.
Couatl -- good creatures of positive energy -- are responsible (with the aid of the dragons) for bringing an end to the Age of Demons 100,000 years before the campaign begins. Most couatl have bound themselves to the force known as the Silver Flame, which now has a church devoted to it. Rakshasas are part of an evil organization called the Lords of Dust who scheme in Khorvaire to get their masters released from Khyber. Daelkyr are extremely powerful, evil creatures from Xoriat bound within Khyber who seek to eventually break their seals and bring madness to Eberron.
Books
Novels
Video Games
- Dragonshard (PC, To be released: March 2005)
- "D&D Online" (PC, To be released: November 2005)
External links
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