Summary of Eberron - EverCrest Message Forums

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Topic: Summary of Eberron

Katrinity

Cookie Goddess!

posted 07-06-2004 03:49:06 PM

Alright, I tried to summerize the world and some of the new stuff that comes with it to give those who haven't picked up the book or aren't an idea of what the world is like. I love this setting and since it will be DnD's flagship setting for the next few years I'm glad I'll be able to see it grow and evolve.

quote:
Eberron
Theme/Flavor of the World: Eberron is WoTCs attempt to breathe new life into the DnD gaming system and draw in a new generation of players. With this in mind, Eberron was selected for its blending of swords and magic with the action/adventure from pulp noir. Think Indiana Jones + Dick Tracy + ((Steampunk Technology) + Magic) + Greyhawk/Forgotten Realms Elminister/Drizzt/etc. In the campaign setting, its been only 2 years since the Last War, a conflict that has lasted 102 years and has wiped out most of the worlds heroes and splintered the Five Nations into many. This makes the players a major force in the world being as there arent many powerful adventurers left out there. There are a lot of strange and wondrous weapons and other gadgets created before and during the Last War like the Lightning Rail (train), airships, and the warforged but unlike settings in Steampunk or the like, magic has become the driving science of everyday life.
New Additions
New Races:
Changeling Descended from the couplings of Humans and Dopplegangers, Changeling is a new race that breeds true. They look more human like than their Doppleganger ancestors with a distinct gender, eyes, hair, and the faint impression of a nose but no mouth. Their skin is a pale gray like a Doppleganger though. Changelings has the ability to alter their form like under the effects of a disguise self(alter self) spell. They have no real culture of themselves but blend in with the predominant culture of the lands they inhabit.
Kalashtar There are a race of outsider beings from one of Eberrons neighboring planes called the quori. They inhabit the Plane of Dreams and Nightmares, and thus are some scary things in their natural forms. There are two factions (known) of the quori, one good and one bad. The good are in the minority and persecuted by the bad so about 1500-1800 years ago, members of the good faction made pacts with human vessels upon Eberron to form a symbiotic relationship. All quori can do this, possessing the bodies of creatures on Eberron, but these particular ones only chose willing hosts. They fully bonded with their human companions to form a new race that now breed true, the kalashtar. Quori have strong ability of psionics and this ability with psionics passes down to their hosts, like the kalashtar.
Shifter Descended from the couplings of Humans and Lycanthropes, Shifter is a new race that breeds true. They look human in most aspects, though have several bestial traits about them (pointed teeth, more pronounced nose/snout, pointed ears, more hair/fur, longer tails, etc). From their lycanthrope ancestors, Shifters gain the ability to shift for a short time. These shifts dont turn them into full versions of their ancestors (wolves, tigers, etc) but make their bestial traits more pronounced. Their nails grow longer and turn into claws, their teeth grow longer, their faces shift a little more bestial, they grow a bit more fur/hair, etc.
Warforged A creation of the Last War, the Warforged were first made as slightly more intelligent golems to be used in the war. As the prototypes progressed on each new line of Warforged created, these constructs eventually took on a life of their own. These were not constructs but living beings with souls. Instead of blood, magic flowed through their bodies, instead of bones, a wood frame holds them up, instead of flesh, leather gives them form, instead of skin, metal plates protect their tender insides. Though created for war, the Warforged has the ability to be whatever they want to be as sentient beings. At the truce meetings that have put a stop for the time on the Last War, the creation forges that produced the Warforged were agreed upon to be dismantled but the Warforged were given status as living free-willed beings instead of property. A Warforged can take any class, even casters since magic flows through their bodies. They arent treated as constructs in that they can be affected by critical strikes, positive and negative energy, etc. Warforged dont heal naturally but either takes magic healing spells (divine cure spells or the new arcane spells Repair Wounds) or a Craft (Armorsmith, Blacksmith, Leather Working, and Wood Working) skill check to recover from damage.
New Class:
Artificer The ultimate magic item crafter, Artificers are similar to a cross between a sorcerer/wizard and a rogue. Artificers dont cast spells normally like other caster classes, but have a special list called their Infusion List. These infusions are spells that can only go into effect when they place them on items or warforged and generally take a full round or minute to infuse. Take for example a fireball spell (though not sure if its on their list), they Infuse the spell in a small rock or some other item then can either use it or have someone else use it to unleash the Fireball that is infused into the item. If using an infusion like a Bulls Strength spell, an Artificer can put that infusion straight on a warforged instead of an item. Artificers also gain the benefit of increased skill with crafting magical items and using any magic item created. They even have a special pool of points that refresh and increase in size with each level that they can draw from first when crafting items with EXP cost before pulling from the EXP pool.
New Prestige Classes: Some of the new Prestige classes include
Dragonmark Heir Those with a Dragonmark and a member of the House with that Dragonmark can take this class. It gradually improves the power and ability of that Dragonmark, allowing more uses, etc.
Eldeen Ranger The Eldeen Reaches is mostly a vast stretch of woodlands and fertile fields that lies on one side of the range of mountains while the other side is taken up by the Demon Wastes, a dangerous place full of fiends and aberrations. There are several druid/ranger sects in the Eldeen Reaches that each follow different mindsets (one hates aberrations above all else, one glorifies death in the natural order of things, etc). An Eldeen Ranger gains special abilities depending on which sect they are a member of.
Exorcist of the Silver Flame A strong follower of the Silver Flame can become this class. They are even better at destroying undead and evil outsiders in the name of righteousness and the Silver Flame.
Extreme Explorer An Extreme Explorer is the person who is goes out there to uncover ancient ruins or buried treasure in the most dangerous of places and is usually the first one to do such. They are the path-makers, the map-drawers, the uncoverers of ancient things. Being out there in the most dangerous of places, Extreme Explorers have more Action Points (Introduced from d20 Modern, Action Points are an optional thing in Eberron that refresh each level for characters and allows them to use points to add + modifiers to rolls and such.) to use than normal characters, allowing them to scrap through sticky situations by the seat of their pants.
Heir of Siberys The most powerful form of the Dragonmark is a Siberys Mark. A Heir of Siberys has gained this level of power and learns how better to control and use their gift.
Master Inquistive The Master Inquistive is the ace detective of Eberron. They hunt down clues to murders and such with a fine eye for details. With as much intrigue and plots that are going on in Eberron between the many factions and nations, they find plenty of work for Master Inquistives.
Warforged Juggernaut A Warforged Juggernaut is a Warforged who has fully embraced its construct side, gaining back some of the benefits of a construct (immunity to crits, etc) but also some of the weaknesses. They are fierce warriors, falling back to the purpose that the Warforged were initially created for, combat.
Weretouched Master A Weretouched Master is a class for Shifters who learn to tap more and more into their Lycanthrope background. They have a greater range of control over their shifting ability and increase its power.
New Feats: There are a ton of new feats in the book, a number deal with the new races. Also in the feats are the Dragonmarks which are gained in power by taking their feats. Some of the feats include:
Monastic Training A Monk with this feat can also level in any other class they want without losing the ability to level again as a Monk.
Knight Training - A Paladin with this feat can also level in any other class they want without losing the ability to level again as a Paladin.
Adamantine Body - At creation (1st level), the Warforged can take this feat to be created with stronger armor than a normal Warforged.
Mithril Body At creation (1st level), the Warforged can take this feat to be created with stronger armor than a normal Warforged.
Lesser Dragonmark Gives the bearer of the feat the use of a Dragonmarks lesser power, 1/day.
Other Races of Eberron
Humans Not much different from other campaigns. They are predominant race on Khorvaire.
Halflings Halflings on Khorvaire live in a desert, gorge filled land where they live in tribes and use tamed dinosaurs for mounts.
Dwarves Dwarves in Eberron are similar to their cousins in other campaigns in that they covet gold and gems, but they are also less grimy miners and more shrewd businessmen and bureaucrats.
Elves The Elves of Eberron have this fascination with knowledge in that they dont want dying to rob them of past knowledge, thus Elven culture has evolved around the Undying. The Undying are good undead elves that live in the City of the Dead. Only elves visiting an Undying ancestor with permission from their families can enter the city to gain knowledge from their ancestors. They still hate evil undead though. The elves of Aerenal think the elven descendants of settlers in Valenar on Khorvaire are savages compared to the sub-continents aristocratic families.
Gnomes Gnomes are similar to other campaigns in that they do covet knowledge and invention, but this can also come in a darker side in Eberron. The same love of knowledge that makes Gnomes great bards and wizards can also serve them well as assassins and spies. Knowledge is Power.
Half-elves Not much different from other campaigns. Many are great sailors.
Half-orcs Same as half-elves.
Goblinoids (Goblins, Orcs, Hobgoblins, etc) Goblinoids are a lot less savage than their cousins in other worlds. While they have declined from their civilized empire days and can be hostile, many tribes are willing to work well with other humanoids in Khorvaire and they arent as stupid as the stereotypical goblinoid.
Alignment: In Eberron, alignment isnt as all binding as in most other campaigns. Its more of an outlook on life. While there are black and white in the world, most of Eberron is shades of gray. A good organization might try to stop the heroes from some task even if its for the good of everyone, while an evil organization might just as easily help the PCs out, using them for their own purposes. With so many factions and intrigue running rampant across Khorvaire, the heroes will find sometimes their worst enemies will be friends, and their best friends will be enemies and visa-versa.
Technology: The tech of Eberron is solely based around magic and not what we would consider technology. Artificers and the Dragonmark Houses use their abilities to produce a number of wondrous things, the Warforged being one of them, though there are no firearms in Eberron, others are:
Lightning Rail A train with a series of passenger cars that floats above a raised track with specially enchanted stones lined down the middle of the track that provide lift and propulsion of the train. Top speed for the Lightning Rail is 30 miles an hour
Airship It looks similar to a sailing ship though is bereft of mast or sail but usually has a wheel around the middle, perpendicular to the length of the ship, of it alight in fire. The Airship harnesses the power of trapped elementals in Khyber Dragonshards to keep it afloat and propel it through the air. An Airship can move around 25-30 miles an hour max speed.
Bank One of the Dragonmark Houses has set up a series of banks in most major cities of Khorvaire. Any item a customer places in one of the banks special personal vaults can be retrieved at any other bank location.
The World: The world of Eberron is split into many parts. The actual planet comes in three layers. The legends go that three great dragons first created the world and their bodies make up the layers. Siberys is the outermost layer and consists of a huge ring of rocks and dragonshards that orbit around Eberron like the rings of Saturn. Eberron is the middle layer, it is the surface of the world, its continents and oceans. Deep below Eberron is Khyber, the Dragon Below. Khyber is the Underdark of Eberron, where many nasty creatures and fiends lurk or are sealed up. Twelve moons orbit around the entire planet.
The actual surface of Eberron is broken into four main continents and one sub-continent. Khorvaire is the main continent where all the action of the campaign setting takes place. It is the continent where humans, goblinoids, elves, dwarves, halflings, gnomes, etc, live. Xendrik is the continent directly south of Khorvaire that was once home to the ancient empire of the giants. Many thousands of years ago, giants had a vast empire there with the elves as their slaves. Eventually the elves rebelled and left Xendrik for the sub-continent, Aerenal, directly northeast of Xendrik and southeast of Khorvaire. It wasnt long before the giant empire fell. Today, Xendrik is a wild and dangerous place of lost ruins and cities, savage tribes of giants left over from their fall, and vast riches (mostly in Siberys Dragonshards which only seem to fall in this continent, none other). To the east of Xendrik and southeast of Khorvaire is the continent of the dragons, Argonnessen. The dragons rarely allow any of the lesser races onto their lands so much of Argonnessen is a mystery. The dragons are handled differently in Eberron. No longer are they the big bad monsters at the end of an adventurers career of carnage. Most dragons sit and watch the world from Argonnessen, keeping track of everything and how it relates to their grand Prophecy. They make sure the Prophecy is on track. The last continent is the land of Sarlona. On the other side of the world, directly west or east of Khorvaire, Sarlona is the ancient home of the humans. Humans first migrated from here over to Khorvaire many years ago. Now Sarlona is a land of the Inspired (evil quori with willing hosts) and their slaves (normal humans). Psionicts and psionics are numerous in Sarlona.
The Planes: Eberron has a unique cosmology with its own special planes of existence rotating around it like planets around a sun. Each plane has times (which is different for each plane, some are 1 day out of every year, others every 5 years, etc) when it is close (coterminous) with Eberron and times when it is far away(remote) from Eberron. When a plane is coterminous with Eberron, whatever that plane represents, be it fire, or madness, or chaos, etc, that element is stronger in Eberron. So when the Plane of Fire is coterminous, all fires, fire elementals, volcanoes, and heat are stronger than normal. Also when a plane is coterminous with Eberron, outsiders from that plane can cross over into Eberron easily. The opposite is true when a plane is remote. When the plane of Fire is remote, fires are weaker, it is neigh impossible for an outsider from there to cross here, etc.
The List of Planes are:
Daanvi, the Perfect Order Plane of Law
Dal Quor, the Region of Dreams Plane of Dreams, home of the quori
Dolurrh, the Realm of the Dead Plane of the Dead, where all dead souls go and forget their past life.
Fernia, the Sea of Fire Plane of Fire
Irian, the Eternal Day Plane of Life and Light, Positive Energy Plane
Kythri, the Churning Chaos Plane of Chaos
Lamannia, the Twilight Forest Plane of Nature and Wildlife
Mabar, the Endless Night Plane of Darkness, Negative Energy Plane
Risia, the Plain of Ice Plane of Ice
Shavarath, the Battleground Plane of Battle
Syrania, the Azure Sky Plane of Good, Perfect Paradise, home of the angels
Thelanis, the Faerie Court Plane of the Fae
Xoriat, the Realm of Madness Plane of Madness, home of the daelkyr
Dragonshards: Dragonshards look like crystals or gems and can be found in each of the layers of the planet. Depending on which layer they come from they possess differing abilities.
Siberys Dragonshards float in the ring around the planet until a few drop in orbit to fall to Eberron. Siberys Dragonshards only land on the continent of Xendrik , setting off a ton of expeditions by Dragonmark Houses to collect the valuable shards. Siberys Dragonshards are highly valued by the Dragonmarked because they are used to create magical focus items that enhance and use the powers of the Dragonmarks.
Eberron Dragonshards can be found in the mines and quarries on the surface of the planet, that dont go deep enough to broach into Khyber. Eberron Dragonshards are used commonly for normal magical items that can be used by all. One of these is Eternal Wands that use the power of the dragonshard instead of having a limited number of charges.
Lastly are the Khyber Dragonshards that are located deep below the surface in lava tunnels and such. Khyber Dragonshards are also highly sought after since they are used in the trapping of elementals and outsiders and harnessing the trapped elemental power for creations such as Warforged, the Lightning Rail, and the Airships.
Dragonmarks: The Dragonmarks first showed up around the time the first humans came to live on Khorvaire. Mysteriously showing up on several of the races (humans, halflings, dwarves, elves, half-elves, and half-orcs), they gave their bearers amazing spell-like abilities. The Dragonmarks show up as Celtic-looking tattoos that grow in size and complexity as they grow in power. Originally there were 13 different types of Dragonmarks with each mark usually only showing up on one kind of race (Elves got the Mark of Shadow and Mark of Death, Halflings got the Mark of Hospitality, etc). Those with the Dragonmarks formed into Houses and soon became powerful merchant houses. They to this day use the abilities given by the Dragonmarks for commerce and to increase the holdings of their Houses. They are similar in present day Eberron to corporations nowodays in that they can exert some influence in the governments of the land when they want. In present day Eberron, there are only 12 Dragonmarks left. Back a number of centuries (even a millennium or so) the thirteenth Dragonmark (the Mark of Death) was wiped out with the House. The soul survivor of that House is the Lady Vol, a powerful Half-Dragon/Elf Lich who was given undeath after being killed. Since she is dead, the Dragonmark doesnt work anymore since it can only work on a living creature. Along with this loss of the 13th Dragonmark, the one of the moons orbiting Eberron vanished. There are now only 12 moons circling the planet.
History: The history of Eberron is littered with many empires and kingdoms and the wars that brought them down. The earliest rulers of the planet were the rakshasa and demons. They dominated Khorvaire and other parts of the world until the dragons and the couatls (winged serpents of good) joined forces to banish or seal most of the demons and rakshasa in the depths of Khyber.
After this came the Giants Empire on Xendrik. The giants actually created or had plans for much of the magical technology and techniques used to this day and coveted by artificers and the like. Their empire came to an end after a disastrous battle with the quori from the Plane of Dreams when the quori invaded while their plane was coterminous with Eberron. The Giants were able to repel the invasion, but their civilization crumbled shortly after.
The next big empire that sprang up was on Khorvaire again with the Goblinoids. They formed a vast and powerful empire on that continent. At the height of their power, Xoriat became coterminous with Eberron and the flesh-shapers, the daelkyr invaded Khorvaire. The daelkyr destroyed much of the Goblinoid empire with their biologically engineered and mutated troops before the goblinoid druids were able to banish the daelkyr back to Xoriat and then hurtled the plane far away from Eberron. For the time, Xoriat cant become coterminous with Eberron again. Only six (that are known) daelkyr were left in this world, but they were sealed up below in Khyber. Many of their mutated troops remain around to this day. After all this, the goblinoid empire fell into decline before the humans first arrived on Khorvaire. The opportunistic humans quickly settled and became to claim more and more land from the weakened goblinoid tribes.
It was many centuries before the Kingdom of Galifer came to being on Khorvaire. The kingdom united the five civilized nations of Khorvaire under one ruler. This lasted for several generations until the last king died. His five sons and scions however refused to honor the tradition of the next ruler being chosen and instead started a bloody war that would come to be known as the Last War. It lasted one hundred and two years all told and saw the creation of many wonders, the Warforged, the Airships, etc. During the long and bloody war, the five nations splintered into 12 nations. It was not until the utter destruction of the nation of Cyre by an unknown faction that a halt was brought to the war. Where Cyre once stood is now the vast and deadly Mournlands, a place of almost certain death for all who enter either from the hideous monsters that have arisen in it since the destruction or the left over magics of the battles that have taken living form. The Treaty of Thronehold was signed by the 12 nations that put a truce (temporary or lasting?) on the Last War. It was this treaty that also had the dismantling of the Warforged Creation Forges and giving the freedom to Warforged as individuals. It has been 2 years since the Treaty went into effect and now the nations of Khorvaire are licking their wounds and plotting how to gain more power and territory. The heroes of the world are almost all gone, many have died in the numerous battles of the Last War. The world is dire need of individuals of amazing talent and skill to help fight off the many factions or creatures that could threaten the fragile peace that has fallen over Khorvaire.
Religion: Eberron is vastly different than Forgotten Realms in that the Gods never take a direct role in the world. Some on Eberron even doubt the existence of the Gods since a cleric can still gain his divine magic even if he becomes corrupted from his faith, his god will still give him power. The major religions and cults of Eberron are as follows:
The Sovereign Host The main good/neutral gods of Eberron that the people worship. They consist of around ten or so deities but usually are worshiped as a whole instead of as individuals, though clerics do usually signify one deity of the Host over another.
The Dark Six The main evil gods of Eberron that people worship. They consist of six deities but like the Sovereign Host, are usually feared/worshiped as a whole, though clerics do usually signify one deity of the Six over another.
Blood of Vol A cult worshiping death and undeath has been around for a while, but personifies the Lady Vol as their ideal. She uses the cult and its followers for her own purposes.
Cult of the Dragon Below A cult worshipping Khyber and all the fiends and monsters found buried in its gullet far below. They are usually plotting some method to free many of the creatures locked below.
The Church of the Silver Flame A church has sprung up around a living silver flame that spews forth from the ground. They built their temple around it. The Flame itself is actually the merging of couatl spirits that was used long ago to seal up the rakshasa and demons in Khyber. The church is lawful good and believe in eradicating all evil things from the world, this includes their long campaign to eradicate the lycanthropes which they believe they have accomplished (but a few lycanthropes still exist in hiding).
The Path of Light The kalashtar follow an ideal of good and oneness with reality. Tis not really a deity, but more of a force.
The Undying Court The Elves worship their ancestors, many of whom become good undead known as Undying. They live in the City of the Dead, offering advice and hording knowledge for the Elven Race.
Bad Guys: Eberron has more than its fair share of dark groups bidding their time out there. Here are a few
Order of the Emerald Claw Supposedly an order of good and justice, this military order is secretly tools of Vol. She uses them to carry out many of her schemes.
Lords of Dust When the rakshasa rajahs and other demons were banished to Khybers depths long ago, many of the lesser kinds of rakshasa were left behind. Now the most powerful of those along with many powerful outsiders/demons have formed a cabal who seek to either unlock their brethren from Khyber or gain their lost power.
Lord of Blades A powerful Warforged who has set up operations in the Mournlands. He is calling for all Warforged to join together as one people, to known the truth that they are the superior race, and eventually hopes to lead a war against the masters who created and owned them. The Warforged who follow him look upon him as a Prophet.
Daelkyr The six daelkyr who are locked up in Khyber are always searching for a way to get free and hopefully back to Xoriat and so are their creations in Khyber and on Eberron searching for ways to free their masters. Most of the aberrations in the world are creations of the daelkyr, the flesh-shapers. Beholders (Mobile Artillery of the daelkyr), Mind Flayers (Lieutenants of the daelkyr from Xoriat), Dolgaunts (mutated hobgoblins with no eyes and two giant tentacles coming from their backs, they serve as sergeants over the dolgrims), and Dolgrims (two goblins crunched together into one, has four arms and two mouths, they are the grunts of the daelkyr army) are some of the creations by the daelkyr.
Vol The Lady Vol is always searching for a way to bring life back into her Dragonmark and resurrect her House. She has at her call many followers.
The Dark Dreaming - The evil quori from the Plane of Dreams are always using their agents upon Eberron to further their own plots and intrigues. What those plots are is still a mystery. Prehaps they are paving the way for another invasion when the Plane of Dreams is coterminous with Eberron again.

Katrinity fucked around with this message on 07-06-2004 at 04:02 PM.

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