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Character Creation - Eberron: Rising from the Last War - Dungeons & Dragons - Sources - D&D Beyond

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WELCOME TO EBERRON TABLE OF CONTENTS DRAGONMARKS Chapter 1: Character Creation

The skyscrapers of Sharn rise up before you, the spires glimmering with magical lights. Or wind rushes through your hair as the airship you’re riding races toward adventure in the jungles of Q’barra. Or you hunt Emerald Claw agents on the lightning rail, creeping through one train car after another. Or you chart another adventurous course on the war-torn continent of Khorvaire. Whatever path your character takes in Eberron, consider how the world affects your character.

WITH A HOMUNCULUS ON HER SHOULDER, THE GNOME ARTIFICER VI BRANDISHES HER ARCANE FIREARM, AS A HEAVILY ARMORED WARFORGED STANDS GUARD

Building on the book’s introduction, this chapter reveals how you can create a character shaped by Eberron and its war-filled history. The chapter offers you the following choices:

Race. Choose one of the playable races detailed in this chapter, or pick a race from the Player’s Handbook and learn here how Eberron has affected that species’ development.

Dragonmark. Decide whether your character bears one of the mystical marks associated with the dragonmarked houses.

Background. Choose the house agent background if your character has devoted themself to serving a dragonmarked house.

Artificer. You have the option of choosing the artificer as your character’s class, becoming an unmatched magical inventor.

Group Patron. Working with the other players in your group, decide which of the great powers in the world backs your group. This decision can shape your entire campaign.

Races

Humanoids of all kinds have made their mark on the continent of Khorvaire. Presented in alphabetical order, the playable races in this section have especially shaped the land’s recent history.

Each of the races described in the Player’s Handbook has a place in Eberron. As you make a character from one of these races, this section can help you understand your character’s place in the world.

This section also presents other playable races that have performed important roles in the world’s evolution:

Changelings are clever shapechangers who can disguise themselves as other people.

Goblinoids — bugbears, goblins, and hobgoblins — ruled Khorvaire long ago, before the madness of the daelkyr undermined them. After serving as mercenaries in the Last War, they now seek a place in the world’s new order.

Kalashtar are humanoids bound to spirits from the plane of dreams, imbued with wisdom and telepathic talent.

Orcs, along with their half-orc kin, are a fierce people who have fought world-threatening evils for centuries.

Shifters draw on their distant lycanthropic heritage to manifest bestial traits for short periods of time.

Warforged are artificial lifeforms built to fight in the Last War. Created as tools of battle, they now seek a place and purpose beyond war.

Changelings

Long ago there was a woman named Jes, and she had one hundred children. Her rivals conspired against her and swore to kill her children. Jes begged the Sovereigns for help, but their only answer was the wind and rain. In the depths of her despair, a lonely traveler took her hand. “I will protect your children if they follow my path. Let them wander the world. They may be shunned and feared, but they will never be destroyed.” Jes agreed, and the traveler gave her his cloak. When she draped it over her children, their old faces melted away and they could be whoever they wanted to be. And so it remains. Though the children are shunned by all, the gift of the Traveler protects them still.

— Chance, changeling priest

Changelings can shift their forms with a thought. Many changelings use this gift as a form of artistic and emotional expression. It’s also an invaluable tool for grifters, spies, and others who wish to deceive. This leads many people to treat changelings with suspicion.

A Hidden People

Wherever humans live, changelings reside also; the question is whether their presence is known.

Changelings are born to one of three paths. A few are raised in stable communities where changelings are true to their nature and deal openly with the people around them. Some are orphans, raised by other races, who find their way in the world without ever knowing another like themselves. Others are part of nomadic changeling clans spread across the Five Nations, families who keep their true nature hidden from the single-skins. Some clans maintain safe havens in major cities and communities, but most prefer to wander the unpredictable path of the god known as the Traveler.

In creating a changeling adventurer, consider the character’s relationships with people around them. Does the character conceal their true changeling nature? Do they embrace it? Do they have connections to other changelings or are they alone and in search of companions?

Masks and Personas

In their true form, changelings are pale, with colorless eyes and silver-white hair. It is rare to see a changeling in that form, for a typical changeling changes their shape the way others might change clothes. A casual shape — one created on the spur of the moment, with no depth or history — is called a mask. A mask can be used to express a mood or to serve a specific purpose and then might never be used again. However, many changelings develop identities that have more depth. They build an identity over time, crafting a persona with a history and beliefs. This focused identity helps a changeling pinpoint a particular skill or emotion. A changeling adventurer might have personas for many situations, including negotiation, investigation, and combat.

Personas can be shared by multiple changelings; there might be three healers in a community, but whoever is on duty will adopt the persona of Tek, the kindly old medic. Personas can even be passed down through a family, allowing a younger changeling to take advantage of contacts established by the persona’s previous users.

Changeling Names

A changeling might use a different name for each mask and persona and adopt new names as easily as they change faces. The true name of a changeling tends to be simple and monosyllabic; however, there are often accents to a changeling’s name that are expressed through shapeshifting, something single-skins will likely miss. So, two changelings might have the name Jin, but one is Jin-with-vivid-blue-eyes and one is Jin-with-golden-nails.

Changelings have a fluid relationship with gender, seeing it as one characteristic to change among many.

Changeling Names: Aunn, Bin, Cas, Dox, Fie, Hars, Jin, Lam, Mas, Nix, Ot, Paik, Ruz, Sim, Toox, Vil, Yug

Changeling Traits CHANGELING ADOPTING A PERSON’S APPEARANCE

Your changeling character has the following traits.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2. In addition, one other ability score of your choice increases by 1.

Age. Changelings mature slightly faster than humans but share a similar lifespan — typically a century or less. While a changeling can transform to conceal their age, the effects of aging affect them similarly to humans.

Alignment. Changelings tend toward pragmatic neutrality, and few changelings embrace evil.

Size. Your size is Medium. To set your height and weight randomly, start with rolling a size modifier:

Size modifier = 2d4

Height = 5 feet + 1 inch + your size modifier in inches

Weight in pounds = 115 + (2d4 × your size modifier)

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Shapechanger. As an action, you can change your appearance and your voice. You determine the specifics of the changes, including your coloration, hair length, and sex. You can also adjust your height and weight, but not so much that your size changes. You can make yourself appear as a member of another race, though none of your game statistics change. You can’t duplicate the appearance of a creature you’ve never seen, and you must adopt a form that has the same basic arrangement of limbs that you have. Your clothing and equipment aren’t changed by this trait.

You stay in the new form until you use an action to revert to your true form or until you die.

Changeling Instincts. You gain proficiency with two of the following skills of your choice: Deception, Insight, Intimidation, and Persuasion.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and two other languages of your choice.

Dragonborn

When the jungle’s hidden darkness stirs, the children of the dragon will scatter into shadow, keeping their eternal watch.

— The Draconic Prophecy, as recorded in the Mar’saval Scrolls

Tens of thousands of years ago, the dragons of Argonnessen established a garrison of dragonborn in what is now Q’barra. These warriors were assigned to protect the region against the influence of the Lords of Dust. Over time they drifted away from their duties, building a nation in eastern Khorvaire and clashing with the goblinoids of the Dhakaani Empire.

This dragonborn nation came crashing down when one of the ancient fiendish Overlords stirred, unleashing fiends and corrupting many of the dragonborn themselves. Their nation in ruins, the dragonborn retreated to the darkness of Q’barra. They have remained there ever since, guarding against corruption and fighting the evil forces of the Poison Dusk — which is sometimes described as a cult devoted to a dragon, and sometimes as an army gathering in the name of a fiendish Overlord.

To date the dragonborn have largely ignored the humans of Q’barra, and the few humans who’ve encountered dragonborn believe they’re some exotic type of lizardfolk. If you’re a dragonborn, what has caused you to emerge from Q’barra? Are you on a quest to help your people or to oppose the Lords of Dust? Are you driven by wanderlust or curiosity? Did you serve as a mercenary in the Last War? How might your travels tie to the fate of your people?

Dwarves DWARF WITH A TENTACLE WHIP

Gold is the gift of the mountains, but iron comes from blood and bone.

— Mror Proverb

The origin of the dwarves is shrouded in mystery. Some of their legends tell of a great migration that led the ancient dwarves to Khorvaire from “a land of endless ice.” Many believe this refers to the arctic lands of the Frostfell, while others claim that the first dwarves must have come from the frozen plane of Risia. Wherever their roots, these migrant dwarves established a mighty nation beneath the surface of Khorvaire.

Most dwarven legends, unconcerned with the question of origin, dwell on the mighty artifacts and priceless treasures crafted by ancient deep-dwelling dwarves, and of the bloody wars they waged against the goblin Empire of Dhakaan. Dwarves today cherish the memory of this ancient nation, for all dwarves in Khorvaire are descended from exiles driven from the realm below — which was later destroyed by the daelkyr. Particularly in the Mror Holds, many dwarves cherish the idea of returning to the subterranean reaches and reestablishing their ancient nation, restoring them to a greatness they have all but forgotten.

Dwarves of the Mror Holds

The dwarves of the Mror Holds are defined in part by their relationship to the ancient Realm Below. In a desperate effort to rediscover and reclaim the holdings of their old nation, the dwarves have recovered many weapons of war created in the final days of the empire. Some of these weapons were forged by the dwarves to wield against the daelkyr, but others were made by the daelkyr for the use of their minions — strange symbiotic items (some of which appear in chapter 5) that use the life force of their hosts to power their magical abilities.

Some clans have banned the use of these symbiotic weapons and any exploration of daelkyr magic, notably the prominent Clan Mroranon. Others, particularly Clan Soldorak, have embraced this magic to use against the daelkyr. Defining a relationship to these discoveries can be an important element of your character’s background; you might be a Mroranon paladin or ranger dedicated to expunging any trace of daelkyr magic from the Realm Below, or a Soldorak warlock drawing on the magic of Xoriat in pursuit of your own power, as well as glory for your clan.

Another important question to consider in playing a Mrorian character is why you have left the Holds. The Leaving the Mror Holds table offers some suggestions that might spark further ideas.

Leaving the Mror Holds d8 Reason for Leaving 1 A feud with a rival clan has gotten out of hand, and it’s best that you spend a few decades away from the Holds while things cool down. 2 You come from a large family and there’s no room for you to shine in your hold, so you hope to make a name for yourself in the wider world. 3 Your clan has arranged your marriage and your future, and you’ve decided to have a few adventures before you settle down. 4 You’re pursuing a vendetta with a personal rival, seeking to defeat them either in battle or in business. 5 You’re searching for a legendary dwarven artifact, stolen centuries ago by a Karrnish noble. 6 You want to assemble champions who can help you explore the ancient ruins beneath your ancestral home. 7 You’ve rejected your clan’s attitude toward daelkyr magic, earning the enmity of powerful dwarves. 8 You want to understand how the other peoples of Khorvaire — especially the goblins and orcs — have fought the daelkyr. Dwarves of the Five Nations

Dwarves are spread across Khorvaire. Dwarf soldiers and engineers were part of the armies that united the Five Nations, and dwarf masons laid the foundations of the greatest cities of Galifar. Traditionally loyal to family and clan, dwarves who were born outside the Mror Holds tend to transfer their fierce clan loyalty to their new homes — and particularly to the edifices of stonework that symbolize the permanence and stability of those places. A Brelish dwarf might feel a deep, personal connection to the towers of Sharn or the great walls of Wroat; some dwarves love the great Cathedral of the Silver Flame in Thrane more than devout followers of the Silver Flame. Ultimately, the typical dwarf in wider Khorvaire is more patriotic than the average human of the Five Nations, and many dwarves fought for their nations in the Last War, at least for a time.

When creating a dwarf character from the Five Nations, consider both your national loyalty and the role your family plays in your life. Do you live near family? What kind of work do your closest family members pursue, and is that reflected in the background you choose? Are you close to your relatives, or have you had a falling out? Did you lose kin in the Last War?

Dwarves and Dragonmarks

The Mark of Warding appears on dwarves of House Kundarak, which had its origins as one of the clans of the Mror Holds. Kundarak dwarves live across Khorvaire while maintaining close ties to the Mror Holds and their loyalty to the house over any particular nation.

In addition to providing all manner of security, House Kundarak dominates Khorvaire’s banking industry. As a dragonmarked house, it is obliged to remain neutral in the politics of all nations, including its homeland. As a result, Clan Kundarak is no longer represented on the Iron Council that rules the Mror Holds. However, it wields an influence over the other clans that reflects its wealth and its status in the world beyond the Holds, and the voice of Kundarak members arguing against the use of daelkyr magic carries significant weight.

Elves

Put up your swords and talk of peace, or hide behind your walls of stone. When the host of Valenar thunders forth, neither will save you.

— Shaeras Vadallia, High King of Valenar

Tens of thousands of years ago, the elves of the distant continent of Xen’drik rose up against the giants who ruled over them. This rebellion is the defining event in elf history. As the ancient war progressed, the magebreeders of the giants bound magic into the elves who remained loyal to them, forming the drow — assassins bred to prey on their other kin. Ultimately, the elves fled from Xen’drik and settled the island nation of Aerenal, where they split into two distinct cultures: the introspective Aereni and the warlike Tairnadal. Thus, a war nearly forty thousand years ago established the pattern of how elves live today.

Neither the Aereni nor the Tairnadal (which include the elves of Valenar) have much interest in human activities, but small numbers of elves have immigrated to Khorvaire over the centuries and have more or less integrated with the cultures of the Five Nations. The drow, though, are virtually unknown on Khorvaire.

As a whole, elves are driven by tradition and respect for the past. Where humans value innovation, elves strive to master and perfect the techniques of their ancestors over the course of studies lasting centuries. Elf society has changed little over the last five thousand years, while Khorvaire is constantly evolving. Whatever the origin of your elf character, consider your relationship with the past: Do you value the traditions of your ancestors? Or do you fear that your people are too mired in the past, and need to find a way to adapt and move forward?

High Elves: The Aereni AERENI ELF WITH A SYMBOL OF THE UNDYING COURT

For thousands of years, the island nation of Aerenal has been ruled and protected by the godlike power of the Undying Court, a council of undead high elves. The greatest heroes of the Aereni join the Undying Court after death, joining their heroic ancestors in immortality.

The Aereni are isolationists who have little interest in the world beyond their island. The Five Nations are a place of chaos and war, so why would any sensible elf venture into that madness? As you make an Aereni elf character, decide what has caused you to leave your island home and the protection of the Undying Court in order to wander the world. Are you in search of a power that could earn you your place in the Undying Court? Have you been given a quest by one of your own deathless ancestors? Or are you an exile, banished from your homeland for some crime against your people’s rulers?

Consider your character’s personal and family history. What is your family known for, and how can you prove yourself to be a master of these skills? Do you have ancestors in the Undying Court, and if so, what’s your relationship with them? Do you find it challenging to deal with the short-lived races, or are you patient with them?

Wood Elves: The Tairnadal TAIRNADAL ELF IN VULKOORI ARMOR

Tairnadal elves dedicate themselves to the arts of war. The greatest heroes of the Tairnadal’s many wars — against giants, dragons, and the champions of Dhakaan — live on after death, becoming the patron ancestors of the Tairnadal. Upon reaching adulthood, a Tairnadal elf forms a bond with one of these ancestors and strives to follow in the footsteps of this ancestor, living as the patron did. In this way, the champion comes to embody their ancestor, allowing the dead to live on.

The Tairnadal have three distinct lines: the Draleus Tairn, the Silaes Tairn, and the Valaes Tairn. All three lines roam the northern plains of Aerenal, having left the forest long ago, but the Valaes Tairn now reside mostly in Valenar, being the Tairnadal most often encountered in Khorvaire. Despite sharing a homeland with the Aereni, the Tairnadal have distinct religious traditions, revering their patron ancestors rather than the Undying Court.

In creating a Tairnadal character, including a Valenar elf, think about your patron ancestor. Most Tairnadal pursue the same class as their patron, so if your character is a wizard, your ancestor was likely a legendary archmage. Was your ancestor a famous blademaster, a stealthy hunter, or a war chanter? Were they chivalrous or merciless? Bold or clever? Whatever their path, it is your duty to follow their example. Is this something you proudly embrace, or do you resist it? Do you know another elf with the same patron ancestor, and what’s your relationship to that character? Do you know an elf whose patron ancestor was a bitter rival of yours?

Also consider why you are traveling with a group of player characters (who are presumably not also members of your war band) instead of serving with the Tairnadal. Do you experience visions of your patron ancestor driving you on a particular course? Are you pursuing an epic quest that mirrors your ancestor’s legendary deeds? Are you seeking vengeance for the death of a friend or ally? Or have you turned away from your people, either by choice or because of the actions of a rival?

Double-Bladed Scimitar

The double-bladed scimitar is the signature weapon of Valenar elves. A haft of fine wood supports a long, curving blade on either end. Forged with techniques honed over centuries, these blades are strong, sharp, and remarkably light. Each scimitar is a masterpiece, and as a result the double-bladed scimitar is an expensive weapon (100 gp) — few though ever have the opportunity to purchase one. A Valenar blade in the hands of a non-elf is generally assumed to have been stolen or looted from a fallen foe, and a Valenar elf might feel entitled to demand its return or challenge the bearer to prove they’re worthy to wield it.

A double-bladed scimitar is a martial weapon, weighing 6 pounds and dealing 2d4 slashing damage on a hit. It has the two-handed property and the following special property:

If you attack with a double-bladed scimitar as part of the Attack action on your turn, you can use a bonus action immediately after to make a melee attack with it. This attack deals 1d4 slashing damage on a hit, instead of 2d4.

Feat: Revenant Blade

Prerequisite: Elf

You are descended from a master of the double-bladed scimitar, and some of that mastery has passed on to you. You gain the following benefits:

Increase your Dexterity or Strength score by 1, to a maximum of 20. While you are holding a double-bladed scimitar with two hands, you gain a +1 bonus to Armor Class. A double-bladed scimitar has the finesse property when you wield it. Elves of the Five Nations

Throughout history, elves have occasionally migrated to live among the other peoples of Khorvaire. On rare occasions, entire families have relocated (as House Phiarlan did, almost three thousand years ago), but more often wanderers and exiles have come to Khorvaire and made their way there. Many of the finest wizards and most renowned artisans in the Five Nations are high elves. Wood elves are found among the rangers and druids of the Eldeen Reaches and stalking the darkest alleys of Sharn.

As an elf born and raised in Khorvaire, your character has grown up among the shorter-lived races. You might not be as concerned with history and tradition as the Aereni and Tairnadal; you could even live your life entirely in the moment, with no care for your family or your legacy. Or you could be fascinated by the history and traditions of your ancestors and try to relearn the ways your family has forgotten.

Consider also whether you’ve outlived human friends and how that might affect you. Did you know the parents or grandparents of another member of your party? Are you trying to repay a debt or fulfill a promise to that long-dead friend, or are you trying to recapture some spark of the friendship you felt years ago? Do you remember a time before the Last War? Did you fight in the war?

Drow of Xen’drik

Long ago on the continent of Xen’drik, the first drow fought beside the giants against the other elves. Tens of thousands of years have passed, and drow and other elves remember each other only as figures in their legends. The Undying Court and the patron ancestors of the Tairnadal remember the drow, but they have little occasion to teach their living descendants about these shadows of the distant past.

When the elves fled to Aerenal, the drow remained on Xen’drik as subjects of the giants, and they were caught in the collapse of giant civilization. Today they linger on Xen’drik and have set their own course, free of the giants’ malevolent influence.

Three distinct drow cultures formed after the fall of the giants. The most numerous are the Vulkoori, hunters dedicated to a scorpion god called Vulkoor. They hunt giants and other dangers in their lands. Led by powerful druids and wizards, the Sulatar cling to traditions of elemental shaping that date back to the Age of Giants. They live in a handful of obsidian cities across Xen’drik, and believe that they are destined to cleanse the world in a fiery apocalypse. Finally, the Umbragen are descended from drow who fled into the depths of the earth when the giant civilization fell. They wield sophisticated magic in their unceasing battles against the daelkyr and the other aberrations of the underworld.

When creating a drow character, think about how you came to Khorvaire. Are you a Vulkoori hunter who accompanied an expedition home to Khorvaire, now seeking your way in this strange new world? Are you an Umbragen seeking powers that can help your people in their endless war? Or are you a Sulatar pursuing a personal path to glory?

How do you react to meeting members of other elven cultures during your journeys? You might quickly recognize that most bear little resemblance to the terrors described in your people’s legends, or you might have an almost instinctive reaction of distrust. You might have overcome your initial prejudices by the time the campaign begins, or perhaps you’re working to build trust with another elf member of your adventuring party.

Elves and Dragonmarks

The Mark of Shadow first appeared among the elves of the Phiarlan line, and the house quickly turned the mark’s powers of shadow and illusion into an economic dynasty. The suspicion of their kin drove them from Aerenal to Khorvaire, and the house splintered during the Last War, giving rise to House Thuranni. The two houses of shadow control the business of espionage throughout Khorvaire, but they also operate more legitimate ventures related to art and entertainment.

Phiarlan blood still runs among some of the Aereni elves, and the Mark of Shadow appears once or twice in each elven generation. Elves bearing this mark are always inducted into the elite force of the Cairdal Blades — an espionage agency in the service of Aerenal’s Sibling Kings (see chapter 2).

Gnomes

Five words can defeat a thousand swords.

— Zil proverb

The average gnome has a love of knowledge that borders on obsession, a curiosity that admits no limits, and a vast collection of potentially useful information on every personal acquaintance. Most gnomes detest physical violence and prefer to solve their problems with words — whether that’s a bard’s eloquent persuasion, a wizard’s words of power, or a rogue’s careful threat. They give an initial impression as friendly busybodies, always ready to lend a hand or share a story, while asking questions that tend toward the slightly-too-personal. Often, though, a cheerful and amiable gnome is methodically adding to a mental storehouse of knowledge that might one day provide important leverage.

Gnomes of Zilargo

To say that every Zil gnome is a ruthless schemer would be a hurtful exaggeration. Intrigue is the favorite pastime of most Zil, though. Every gnome child of Zilargo is taught to manipulate and deceive, and by the time they reach adulthood most have been involved in dozens of schemes and feuds, some of which persist well into adulthood. Even a gnome with a good heart and noble goals — of which there are many — often still prefers to use trickery and cunning rather than the unreliable tools of honesty or brute force.

Most Zil gnomes belong to the forest gnome subrace. Their natural talent for illusion aids them in trickery and entertaining, and they often use small animals as messengers and guides.

When you’re making a Zil gnome character, consider what kinds of schemes you or your family might be involved in. The Zil Schemes table offers some suggestions, but you should feel free to elaborate on these schemes, even to absurd extremes.

Zil Schemes d10 Scheme 1 Your family is working on a new form of elemental binding, but they need a lot of Khyber dragonshards. 2 You have an anonymous contact who sends you missions via the sending spell. When you do as you’re asked, you receive handsome rewards. 3 You’ve inherited a plot of land in Q’barra. If you don’t visit within a year, you’ll lose the claim. 4 Due to an unusual twist of Triumvirate law, you share the same name with a number of other Zil, and you’re all legally considered to be the same person. 5 You’ve acquired a spellshard (described in chapter 5) that contains a vast amount of text in a strange code. 6 You know the location of a wanted war criminal, and you’ve been trying to decide whether to turn them in or try to get something in exchange for your silence. 7 You’ve been selling false treasure maps, but now you’ve found one that might be real. 8 You’ve acquired a controlling stake in a dragonshard mine, which was abandoned long ago. But why? Kobolds? Aberrations? There’s only one way to find out! 9 Your family is facing financial ruin, and they’ve taken out a life insurance policy on you. It only pays out if you die under unusual circumstances, and they’re encouraging you to seek out more dangerous adventures. 10 You’re peddling a life-extension scheme where clients are petrified by a medusa and then restored later. ZIL GNOME

Additionally, consider your relationship to Zilargo: why you have left, and what ties do you still have to it? Your scheme could provide a good reason for you to leave. Or you could be a sage gathering information for the Library of Korranberg or an investigator sending stories of your adventures back to the Korranberg Chronicle. Family is important to the Zil, and you could be pursuing your family’s interests. You could even be working for the mysterious Trust, the conspiracy behind the Triumvirate’s throne that quietly maintains order in Zilargo. If you are working for the Trust, you could have a specific mission, but you could also be a sleeper agent — gathering information and allies until you’re activated and you are put to your intended use.

Zil Names. Zil society is divided into major houses, each of which is composed of multiple families. Each gnome carries the name of a house and of a family in addition to a personal name. For example, Alina Lorridan Lyrris and Tallian Talius Lyrris are members of different families (Lorridan and Talius) within House Lyrris. Gnome names are long and lyrical; a Zil proverb claims “the sweetest song is the name of a friend.” Personal and clan names are usually at least three syllables long, and there is a strong tradition of alliteration.

Gnomes of the Five Nations

As they have for countless generations, insatiable curiosity and endless opportunity draw gnomes from Zilargo into the wider lands of Khorvaire. Most of these dispersed gnomes find new homes and integrate easily into local cultures. Gnomes can be found in any walk of life, whether they be as merchants, magewrights, scholars, or scoundrels. While the gnomes of the Five Nations aren’t as inherently devious as their Zil cousins, they share the Zil emphasis on the importance of family.

As a gnome character from the Five Nations, you might have a network of connections to the community your grew up in, likely built on the exchange of information. Alternatively, you might seek your own path in life, avoiding the intrigues your cousins adore.

Gnomes and Dragonmarks

The Mark of Scribing appears among the gnomes of House Sivis. The gnomes of this house were among the first of their kind to leave Zilargo and live in human lands. They love bureaucracy and intrigue as much as the gnomes of their homeland, but they have carefully cultivated a reputation for impartiality and secrecy, since their services rely on trust.

Today, House Sivis provides avenues of communication across Khorvaire. Translation, mediation, interpreting, and legal advocacy all fall within House Sivis’s broad purview, and they maintain the network of message stations that allow cross-continent communication.

Goblinoids

Hoisting the head by the fading plumes of the ruined helmet, still tied under the chin by a cord, Haruuc raised it in one hand and his bloody sword in the other. “Your lord is dead!” he howled in the human language. “The battle is done! By my sword, I claim this place and name it Rhukaan Draal, the crown city of Darguun, the land of the people!”

— Don Bassingthwaite, The Doom of Kings

The goblinoid species — goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears — were once the dominant civilization in Khorvaire, with the goblinoid Empire of Dhakaan ruling the continent for thousands of years. It was crippled by a long conflict with the daelkyr and their aberrant armies; even though the daelkyr were defeated, the seeds of madness took root in the empire and tore it apart. Today there are four primary goblinoid cultures in Khorvaire.

City Goblins

Goblins dwell in most of the major cities of the Five Nations. When humans first came to Khorvaire, they enslaved many goblins and built their cities on the foundations of Dhakaani ruins. Galifar ended the practice of slavery, and these goblins are now citizens of the Five Nations. Gifted goblins can be found in all walks of life, and goblins served in the armies of the Five Nations during the Last War.

The Ghaal’dar

The Ghaal’dar tribes arose from the remnants of the Dhakaani Empire. Hobgoblins are the leaders of the Ghaal’dar, enforcing their will on their goblin and bugbear peers. The history of the Ghaal’dar is filled with strife; when they weren’t fighting Galifar or Zilargo, the tribes usually turned on one another. This came to an end with the Last War. House Deneith hired Ghaal’dar mercenaries, and this gave focus to the divided tribes. A brilliant hobgoblin, Haruuc, united the Ghaal’dar, and under his leadership they seized control of what is now Darguun (see chapter 2). The aging Lhesh Haruuc remains as the ruler of Darguun, and many fear that his death could throw the region into chaos.

As a Ghaal’dar goblinoid, you hold your place through cunning and strength. You may have been a former mercenary now seeking adventure. You could be working as an emissary for one of the Ghaal’dar tribes or even Lhesh Haruuc himself. Or you could have been driven from your tribe by the actions of a rival; perhaps you’re seeking allies to reclaim your birthright.

The Marguul

The Marguul bugbears threw off the yoke of the Ghaal’dar long ago, seizing territory in the Seawall Mountains in the south of Darguun. They are infamous raiders, and while they have brokered a truce with the Ghaal’dar, anyone venturing into the Seawall Mountains had best travel with a Marguul guide.

As a Marguul bugbear, you are savage and proud of it. The Marguul worship the Mockery and believe in victory by any means necessary: there is no such thing as honor on the battlefield. It’s certainly an unusual choice for a player character, but if you’ve taken a liking to a particular group of the small folk, you could be a powerful ally.

The Heirs of Dhakaan

Though the Dhakaani Empire defeated the alien daelkyr, the war left seeds of corruption strewn throughout the empire. As Dhakaan began to fall, a number of generals and governors gathered their forces and retreated into shelters deep within the earth, determined to preserve their civilization until the Empire could finally be restored. After thousands of years, their descendants have finally emerged, competing among themselves to determine which leader deserves the imperial crown. Once this is settled, they will turn to the conquest of Darguun and Khorvaire.

The Dhakaani are far fewer in number than the Ghaal’dar; they had to carefully limit their population in the underground vaults they’ve dwelled in for the past age. However, they have held onto the martial discipline and techniques that allowed their ancestors to dominate the continent. Their weaponsmiths are superior even to the artificers of House Cannith, and they are experts in the working of adamantine and other exotic metals. Anyone who presumes to look down upon goblinoids should be surprised by the skills of the Dhakaani.

The Heirs of Dhakaan are an agnostic society and don’t have clerics, paladins, or druids. Their focus is on martial excellence, and their spiritual leaders are bards, who tell tales of past glory. Among the Dhakaan, goblinoids work together. Hobgoblins are the strategists and commanders, typically having the skills of fighters, bards, or rangers. Bugbears cultivate a focused battle rage and are typically barbarians. Goblins are largely artisans and laborers, but exceptional goblins join the khesh’dar (“silent folk”), learning the skills of rogues, monks, or rangers. The khesh’dar spread agents across the Five Nations, and one can never know when a city goblin might turn out to be an assassin.

As an adventurer from a Dhakaani clan, consider why are you working with the other player characters? Are you a scout gathering information? Are you searching for allies to defeat a rival clan, or to support your own unlikely bid for the Imperial throne? Are you an exile? If so, do you hope to regain your position, or have you abandoned your ties to the Dhakaani?

Goblinoid Names

Goblinoid names often feature drawn-out vowel sounds (represented by doubled letters), as seen in the names of both their ancient empire (Dhakaan) and their newborn country (Darguun). Goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears use the same names and naming conventions, despite their tribal differences.

Male Names: Aruget, Chetiin, Daavn, Dabrak, Dagii, Drevduul, Duulan, Fenic, Gudruun, Haluun, Haruuc, Jhazaal, Kallaad, Krakuul, Krootad, Mazaan, Munta, Nasaar, Rakari, Reksiit, Tariic, Taruuzh, Thuun, Vanii, Vanon, Wuudaraj

Female Names: Aaspar, Aguus, Belaluur, Denaal, Draraar, Duusha, Ekhaas, Eluun, Graal, Gaduul, Hashak, Jheluum, Kelaal, Mulaan, Nasree, Raleen, Razu, Rekseen, Senen, Shedroor, Tajiin, Tuneer, Valii, Wuun

Racial Traits

If you’re playing a goblinoid, your racial traits are determined by whether you’re a bugbear, goblin, or hobgoblin.

Bugbear Traits

Your bugbear character has the following racial traits.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Dexterity score increases by 1.

Age. Bugbears reach adulthood at age 16 and live up to 80 years.

Alignment. Bugbears live on the fringes of society even in Darguun, where they value self-sufficiency and violence. They are generally chaotic, organizing in loose tribes under charismatic and powerful leaders.

Size. Your size is Medium. To set your height and weight randomly, start with rolling a size modifier:

Size modifier = 2d12

Height = 6 feet + your size modifier in inches

Weight in pounds = 200 + (2d6 × your size modifier)

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Long-Limbed. When you make a melee attack on your turn, your reach for it is 5 feet greater than normal.

Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

Sneaky. You are proficient in the Stealth skill.

Surprise Attack. If you surprise a creature and hit it with an attack on your first turn in combat, the attack deals an extra 2d6 damage to it. You can use this trait only once per combat.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Goblin.

Goblin Traits

Your goblin character has the following racial traits.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Constitution score increases by 1.

Age. Goblins reach adulthood at age 8 and live up to 60 years.

Alignment. In Eberron, goblins are usually neutral. They tend to look out for themselves, preferably without drawing unwanted attention from any larger, more powerful people.

Size. Your size is Small. To set your height and weight randomly, start with rolling a size modifier:

Size modifier = 2d4

Height = 3 feet + 5 inches + your size modifier in inches

Weight in pounds = 35 + your size modifier

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can��t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Fury of the Small. When you damage a creature with an attack or a spell and the creature’s size is larger than yours, you can cause the attack or spell to deal extra damage to the creature. The extra damage equals your level. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Nimble Escape. You can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of your turns.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Goblin.

Hobgoblin Traits

Your hobgoblin character has the following racial traits.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2, and your Intelligence score increases by 1.

Age. Hobgoblins mature at the same rate as humans and have lifespans similar in length to theirs.

Alignment. Hobgoblin society in Eberron is shaped by the ideal of a strict code of honor and rigid martial discipline. Most hobgoblins are lawful, tending toward harsh enforcement of their laws.

Size. Your size is Medium. To set your height and weight randomly, start with rolling a size modifier:

Size modifier = 2d10

Height = 4 feet + 8 inches + your size modifier in inches

Weight in pounds = 110 + (2d4 × your size modifier)

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Martial Training. You are proficient with two martial weapons of your choice and with light armor.

Saving Face. Hobgoblins are careful not to show weakness in front of their allies, for fear of losing status among your allies. If you miss with an attack roll or fail an ability check or a saving throw, you can gain a bonus to the roll equal to the number of allies you can see within 30 feet of you (maximum bonus of +5). Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Goblin.

Half-Elves

I’m not half anything. You humans come from Sarlona. Elves are from Aerenal. Me? I’m a true child of Khorvaire.

— Nandon Tam, Khoravar activist

From the Towering Woods of the Eldeen Reaches to the slums of Sharn, half-elves are found across Khorvaire. New half-elves are born in every generation from pairings between humans, elves, and other half-elves, with children typically clinging to a parent’s culture. Over centuries, though, half-elves have developed their own communities and traditions, giving them an identity strengthened by the rise of House Lyrandar and House Medani. Members of these communities generally dislike the term “half-elf,” instead calling themselves Khoravar, an Elvish term meaning “children of Khorvaire.”

The elves of Aerenal have never allowed a half-elf into the Undying Court, and the Valenar elves don’t consider half-elves capable of channeling a Valenar ancestral spirit. Among humans, though, half-elves don’t experience any more prejudice or bias than members of other races, and some half-elves could easily be mistaken for human.

In making a half-elf character, consider whether you were born in a Khoravar community, or if your parents were members of different races. Is your half-elf identity a source of pride, a simple fact of life, or something that has been difficult for you?

Khoravar

The culture that has developed among Khorvaire’s native half-elves places a strong emphasis on hospitality toward other Khoravar. They don’t expect each other to put themselves in danger for strangers’ sake, but when possible, half-elves do what they can to help others with information, shelter, and the like. Khoravar communities have weekly unity dinners where local news and events are shared; these meals are a great chance to hear about local events and opportunities.

Many Khoravar espouse the idea of “the bridge between,” the notion that the Khoravar are called to facilitate communication and cooperation between members of different cultures or species. Khoravar who follow this philosophy often become bards, diplomats, mediators, or translators. Others are fascinated by their distant connection to the fey and seek to build bridges between the Material Plane and the Feywild of Thelanis. These Khoravar often become Greensinger druids or warlocks with Archfey patrons.

Khoravar speak both Common and Elvish, and among themselves they often blend these two together. This pidgin makes perfect sense to anyone who speaks both languages, but someone who speaks only one of them will miss some words and subtlety of meaning.

As you create a Khoravar character, you have a wide range of options to describe your backstory. The Khoravar Origin table can provide inspiration for it.

Khoravar Origin d10 Origin 1 You’re the linchpin of a Khoravar community in a major city, hosting unity meals and maintaining connections with every half-elf in the city. 2 You grew up in a small town dominated by humans. You didn’t know any other half-elves, and you did your best to fit in. 3 You lived in the Eldeen Reaches as part of a small Khoravar community, trying to be a bridge between the human farmers in the east and the druids and wilder folk in the west. 4 Your small Khoravar community has only survived in the slums of Sharn through the close, family-like support you show each other. 5 You’re part of a community in Thrane whose devotion to the Silver Flame has led you to extend your unity meals to non-Khoravar. 6 Your Khoravar community is the crew of a Lhazaar ship. 7 You’re part of a tiny Khoravar community in Karrnath that’s fascinated with death and the practices of your Aereni ancestors, transforming your unity meals into grim celebrations of death. 8 You’re part of a tiny community of Khoravar living in an unexpected place, such as Droaam, Darguun, or even the Demon Wastes. Your people strive to find common ground with the native population. 9 You are associated with House Lyrandar or House Medani, but you’re more interested in the role the house plays in supporting Khoravar communities than in the work of its guilds. 10 You ride with the Valenar, hoping one day to prove that you are worthy of taking on a patron ancestor. Half-Elves and Dragonmarks

Two dragonmarks appear among half-elf families: the Mark of Detection is found in House Medani and the Mark of Storm in House Lyrandar. Both houses were established families among the Khoravar by the time their dragonmarks appeared, and they remain pillars of the Khoravar’s diverse culture. The Khoravar ideal of building bridges supports the work of both houses.

With the Mark of Storm, House Lyrandar operates sailing ships and flying vessels, as well as bringing rain to farmlands. House Medani uses the Mark of Detection to offer services of personal protection.

Halflings

Zombies? Minotaurs? They don’t scare me a bit. But a howling halfling warrior charging in on a clawfoot raptor? Most terrifying thing I’ve ever seen.

— Sir Danton ir’Lain, Brelish knight

The halflings of Eberron originate from eastern Khorvaire, and many nomadic tribes of halflings still travel the Talenta Plains. The appearance of dragonmarks among the halflings spurred their slow migration across Khorvaire, spreading their services of healing and hospitality along with the migration of the earliest humans across the continent. Now they are found in every part of Khorvaire, putting their distinctive talents to use.

Lightfoot halflings are the more widespread halfling subrace, especially in the Talenta Plains, but stout halflings are found within nearly every halfling community.

Talenta Halflings

The halflings who migrated across Khorvaire in the company of humans ended up looking very human in dress, manners, and customs. Their cousins who remain in the Talenta Plains could hardly appear more different. In their homeland, halflings are nomads who ride domesticated dinosaurs across the wide plains. Those few Talenta halflings who journey across Khorvaire are visibly out of place, both attracting curious stares and expressing plenty of curiosity of their own about the strange ways of Khorvaire’s cities and towns.

As you make a Talenta halfling character, give some thought to why your character left the open plains. Perhaps you served as a mercenary scout in the Last War, and you’ve remained with the comrades you met in the conflict. Maybe your tribe was wiped out by a foreign enemy, spurring you to travel the wider world in search of information and revenge. You might be guided by the spirits, who send you whispers and visions that lead you on your adventures. You could be an official envoy of your tribe seeking allies in the world, or simply sent to learn more about the lands beyond the plains.

Also, consider your relationship to the dinosaurs that play a central role in the life of the Talenta halflings. You might flavor your spells and class features as dinosaur-related: you could have a clawfoot companion, take on a fastieth form, name your combat styles and maneuvers after dinosaur attacks, or take inspiration from a glidewing (pteranodon) totem spirit. Or you could simply wear a dinosaur mask (as many Talenta halflings do), adorn yourself with claws and teeth from past dinosaur companions, or adopt dinosaur-like mannerisms. Wherever you travel, your connection to the dinosaurs of your home remains strong.

Finally, it can be helpful to decide on a couple of behavioral quirks that reflect your culture. The Halfling Quirks table can provide some inspiration.

Halfling Quirks d10 Quirk 1 You are constantly amazed by things the people of the Five Nations take for granted. 2 You pattern your behavior on a species of dinosaur. 3 You are extremely curious, and you’re always searching for new experiences. 4 You love to boast, and you’re always telling exaggerated stories of your amazing adventures. 5 You wear a mask that you believe holds the spirit of your former dinosaur mount. You like to talk to it. 6 You don’t understand the concept of “facts.” To you, everything is a story, and truth is in how you tell it. 7 You are annoyed by buildings and tools designed without consideration for small people. 8 You seek vengeance for a wrong done to your people. 9 You never forget an insult or injury. 10 You ascribe everything to the work of spirits. Halflings of the Five Nations

Quick and charming, many halflings put their natural talents to use as bards, barristers, merchants, and politicians throughout Khorvaire. Of course, these same talents prove equally useful for burglars, grifters, and other criminals.

Of particular note is the halfling-run criminal enterprise of the Boromar Clan, the most powerful crime syndicate in Breland. The Boromars are based in Sharn, but their influence reaches across the nation and even to the distant city of Stormreach. If you decide to play a halfling rogue, or a character with a criminal or charlatan background, consider (with your DM) whether you have a connection to the Boromar Clan. You could be a freelance operative who occasionally gets jobs from a Boromar underboss. You might have a cousin in the syndicate, who occasionally pulls you in to criminal affairs. Or you could even be the reluctant heir of a Boromar leader; perhaps you’ve gone on the run rather than take your appointed place in the criminal empire, but your past may yet catch up with you. You could also be the point of contact who has made the Boromar Clan your party’s group patron, as described later in this chapter.

Halflings and Dragonmarks

Two dragonmarks appear among the halflings of Khorvaire, the Mark of Healing in House Jorasco and House Ghallanda’s Mark of Hospitality. Both marks are ancient, first manifesting among the halflings about the same time that the elves of Aerenal received their first marks — centuries before the arrival of humans on Khorvaire. Sometimes halflings of House Ghallanda joke that their mark prepared them for the arrival of humans by allowing them to make their new guests comfortable in Khorvaire. There’s actually some truth in the humor: the services provided by both halfling houses helped enable the spread of humanity across the continent.

With its powers related to food and shelter, the Mark of Hospitality was a boon to the early halfling nomads, but now it allows House Ghallanda to run the best inns, hostels, and taverns in the land. Similarly, the Mark of Healing has always been a boon to both nomads and settlers facing dangerous wilds, and House Jorasco still employs both magical and mundane healing techniques to tend to the well-being of patients across Khorvaire.

Humans

Dwarves are stoic. Elves are wise. Gnomes are cunning. And humans? They can’t make up their mind, so they try to be all of these things at once.

— Kessler, bard of Sharn

The first human settlers came to Khorvaire about 3,000 years ago, landing in the area now known as the Lhazaar Principalities. From there, they began a slow but inexorable spread across the continent, disrupting the placid elven empire of Aerenal and leaving further ruined remnants of fallen Dhakaani goblin kingdoms in their wake. During this migration, they founded the settlements that would grow into the Five Nations. Even today humans make up the majority of the population in these countries. Despite their relatively short lifespans — or perhaps because of them — humans are innovative, adaptable, and aggressive, always pushing their limits and pursuing new ideas.

Humans prove extremely diverse; a barbarian from the Demon Wastes has little in common with a Brelish rogue. When creating a human character, consider where you’re from and how that’s reflected in your class and background. Chapter 2 presents an overview of the nations of Khorvaire and ideas for characters tied to those lands. Aundair is a logical place of origin for a wizard character, but your wizard could be a down-and-out arcanist from the alleys of Sharn or a Lhazaar pirate with a knack for the mystic arts.

If you want to jump-start your ideas for a human character’s origins, you can roll on the Human Origins table.

Human Origins d10 Origin 1 An impoverished wizard from Aundair, striving to prove you’re as intelligent as any other Aundairian 2 A streetwise rogue from Breland who wants nothing more than to escape the bustle of Sharn forever 3 A displaced Cyran fighter who was engaged in war outside Cyre at the time of the Mourning and is now stranded with no home 4 A barbarian from the Demon Wastes who repented from a life of cruelty and hopes to atone for past evils 5 A kindly druid from the Eldeen Reaches who wants to learn about the flora and fauna of the rest of Khorvaire and beyond 6 A cleric from Karrnath who aspires to learn the arts of necromancy — for the noblest aims, of course 7 A piratical bard from the Lhazaar Principalities who loves sea shanties but also wants to immortalize the deeds of great heroes in song 8 A ranger trained to hunt the jungles of Q’barra who harbors a grudge against dragons 9 A warlock from the Shadow Marches, teetering on the edge of sanity while contemplating the daelkyr 10 A Thrane paladin of the Silver Flame who’s looking for something to prove the truth underpinning belief Humans and Dragonmarks

Five different dragonmarks appear among humans, reflecting their dominant status among the races of Khorvaire:

The Mark of Making is found in House Cannith, which has used it to become one of the most powerful houses, creating an abundance of both magical and technological wonders. The Mark of Passage aids the humans of House Orien in operating the lightning rail and trade caravans running across the continent. The Mark of Sentinel makes the bodyguards, mercenaries, and Sentinel Marshals of House Deneith widely respected across Khorvaire. The Mark of Handling appears in House Vadalis, which uses it to breed fine mounts and other creatures. Humans also number among House Tharashk and manifest the Mark of Finding with their half-orc kin. Kalashtar

I am kalashtar, born of two worlds. Over a thousand years ago, my ancestor bound her bloodline to the spirit Kashtai, and I am a child of that union. Kashtai moves within me. Her memories come to me in dreams, and at times her voice whispers in the silence of my mind. As long as at least one of my sisters is alive, Kashtai will survive — and as long as she lives, she will fight il-Lashtavar.

— Lakashtai, servant of the light

The kalashtar are a compound people, created from the union of humanity and renegade spirits from the plane of dreams — spirits called quori. Kalashtar are often seen as wise, spiritual people with great compassion for others. There is an unmistakable alien quality to the kalashtar, though, as they are haunted by the conflicts of their otherworldly spirits.

Bound to Spirits KALASHTAR

Every kalashtar has a connection to a spirit of light, a bond shared by other members of their bloodline. Kalashtar appear human, but their spiritual connection affects them in a variety of ways. Kalashtar have symmetrical, slightly angular features, and their eyes often glow when they are focused or expressing strong emotions.

Kalashtar can’t directly communicate with their quori spirits. Rather, they might experience this relationship as a sense of instinct and inspiration, drawing on the memories of the spirit when they dream. This connection grants kalashtar minor psionic abilities, as well as protection from psychic attacks. All of these quori dream-spirits are virtuous, but some are warriors and others are more contemplative. Work together with the DM to determine the nature of your linked spirit. Typically, a kalashtar knows the name and nature of their spirit, but some may know nothing of their spirit or the source of their psychic gifts, such as an orphan kalashtar raised among strangers.

The bond to the spirit can cause some kalashtar to display unusual quirks. Consider rolling or selecting a trait from the Kalashtar Quirks table.

Kalashtar Quirks d10 Quirk 1 You try to understand the motives and feelings of your enemies. 2 You prefer using telepathy over speaking aloud. 3 You feel a strong drive to protect the innocent. 4 You apply dream logic to mundane situations. 5 You discuss things out loud with your quori spirit. 6 You suppress your emotions and rely on logic. 7 You are strongly influenced by the emotions of those around you. 8 You prefer to find nonviolent solutions to problems whenever possible. 9 You are driven by a warrior spirit and will fight for any noble cause. 10 You are obsessed with Dreaming Dark conspiracies. Hunted by Nightmares

The virtuous spirits tied to the kalashtar fled from the dream-realm of Dal Quor to escape evil spirits that dominate it. The rebel quori believe that through meditation and devotion, they can change the fundamental nature of Dal Quor, shifting the balance from darkness to light. Most kalashtar communities focus on acts of devotion known as the Path of Light. But the dark powers of Dal Quor have their own plans for Eberron. Through the force known as the Dreaming Dark, these monsters manipulate the folk of Khorvaire to eliminate kalashtar whenever possible.

Many kalashtar defend themselves from the Dreaming Dark by focusing on devotion to the Path of Light. Others, though, seek out the agents of the Dreaming Dark and oppose their plans, or protect the innocent however they can. Still other kalashtar grow up isolated, knowing nothing about Dal Quor or the Dreaming Dark. Such orphans might use their abilities for personal gain or otherwise act against the virtuous instincts of their quori spirits; this can cause internal conflicts and violent mood swings.

Kalashtar Names

A kalashtar name adds a personal prefix to the name of the quori spirit within the kalashtar. Such names have no relation to the kalashtar’s gender.

Kalashtar orphans are unlikely to know the name of their spirit and take names from another source.

Quori Names: Ashana, Ashtai, Ishara, Hareth, Khad, Kosh, Melk, Nari, Tana, Tari, Tash, Ulad, Vakri, Vash

Kalashtar Names: Coratash, Dalavash, Dolishara, Halakosh, Khoratari, Koratana, Lanhareth, Molavakri, Nevitash, Sorashana, Torashtai, Valakhad, Vishara

Kalashtar Traits

Your kalashtar character has the following traits.

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.

Age. Kalashtar mature and age at the same rate as humans.

Alignment. The noble spirit tied to a kalashtar drives it toward lawful and good behavior. Most kalashtar combine strong self-discipline with compassion for all beings, but some kalashtar resist the virtuous influence of their spirit.

Size. Your size is Medium. To set your height and weight randomly, start with rolling a size modifier:

Size modifier = 2d6

Height = 5 feet + 4 inches + your size modifier in inches

Weight in pounds = 110 + (1d6 × your size modifier)

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Dual Mind. You have advantage on all Wisdom saving throws.

Mental Discipline. You have resistance to psychic damage.

Mind Link. You can speak telepathically to any creature you can see, provided the creature is within a number of feet of you equal to 10 times your level. You don’t need to share a language with the creature for it to understand your telepathic utterances, but the creature must be able to understand at least one language.

When you’re using this trait to speak telepathically to a creature, you can use your action to give that creature the ability to speak telepathically with you for 1 hour or until you end this effect as an action. To use this ability, the creature must be able to see you and must be within this trait’s range. You can give this ability to only one creature at a time; giving it to a creature takes it away from another creature who has it.

Severed from Dreams. Kalashtar sleep, but they don’t connect to the plane of dreams as other creatures do. Instead, their minds draw from the memories of their otherworldly spirit while they sleep. As such, you are immune to spells and other magical effects that require you to dream, like dream, but not to spells and other magical effects that put you to sleep, like sleep.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common, Quori, and one other language of your choice.

Orcs and Half-Orcs

We are hunters in a world of sheep.

— Kalaash’arna, Tharashk inquisitive

Thousands of years before humans came to Khorvaire, the land was dominated by wild orcs and goblinoids of the Dhakaani Empire. The goblin empire scattered the orc tribes and forced them into harsh and unwanted lands: the swamps of the Shadow Marches, the Demon Wastes, and the depths of the Ironroot Mountains. But in the Shadow Marches, the orcs learned the secrets of druidic magic from the dragon Vvaraak, becoming the first of the Gatekeepers. With the invasion of the alien daelkyr from Xoriat, the Gatekeepers put the dragon’s teaching to the test, creating magical seals that bound the daelkyr in the depths of Khyber and protected Eberron against further incursion from the plane of madness.

Three prominent groups of orcs have survived into the present age:

The Ghaash’kala are servants of the Silver Flame (which they call Kalok Shash, the “binding flame”), who devote their lives to battling the fiends of the Demon Wastes. Humans from the Carrion Tribes of the wastes sometimes hear the call of Kalok Shash and join the Ghaash’kala, leading to a significant population of half-orcs there. The Jhorash’tar orcs are a perpetual threat in and around the Ironroot Mountains, shaped by their resentment of the Mror dwarves who drove them underground. These orcs are isolated from humans, so half-orcs here are rare. The Shadow Marches holds the largest numbers of orcs and the most significant population of half-orcs. Orcs of the Shadow Marches

The orc Gatekeepers played a crucial role in defeating the daelkyr and binding their evil in Khyber, and their descendants continue to maintain the ancient seals and fight aberrations spawned by the daelkyr’s corruption. However, many orcs succumbed to that same corruption and embraced the madness of the cults of the Dragon Below. Orcs who follow both of these paths continue to live in the Shadow Marches, and centuries of battles between them have diminished both sides.

Humans settled in the Shadow Marches long ago, and the first half-orcs helped to cement the bond between these outsiders and the native orcs. Certain Marcher clans contain humans, orcs, and half-orcs in roughly equal numbers.

When playing an orc or half-orc character from the Shadow Marches, consider what circumstances brought you into the wider world. The Leaving the Shadow Marches table offers some inspiration.

Leaving the Shadow Marches d8 Reason for Leaving 1 You’re associated with the Gatekeepers, and you’re on a quest to combat a daelkyr-related threat beyond the bounds of the Shadow Marches. 2 House Tharashk recruited you from the Marches to serve as a mercenary in the Last War. 3 You’re a simple hunter, but you’ve decided to seek your fortune or a real challenge in the world beyond the Marches. 4 Your village was destroyed by monsters from Droaam, so you’re looking for a new place in the world. 5 As a cultist of the Dragon Below, you believe that slaying powerful foes is the only way to earn your passage to the paradise that lies deep within the hollow world. You’ve ventured beyond the Marches in search of worthy enemies. 6 Your clan works with House Tharashk, and you’ve been recruited as a bounty hunter or investigator even though you’re not a member of the house. 7 The leader of your clan committed a great wrong against another clan, which has now sworn to exterminate every last member of your clan. What better time to see the world? 8 Your work as an investigator has set you upon a trail of mysteries that leads far beyond the Marches. Half-Orcs of Khorvaire

With the rise of the dragonmarked House Tharashk, orcs and half-orcs have spread through the Five Nations and beyond. In general, the people of the Five Nations know little about half-orcs. When people imagine a half-orc, they usually think of a Tharashk bounty hunter or dogged inquisitive, but a few ignorant sorts might still hold the stereotype of a “simpleton from the swamps.”

Half-Orcs and Dragonmarks

The Mark of Finding appears among half-orcs and humans of House Tharashk. Strangely, orcs associated with the house cannot develop this mark. Dragonmarked half-orcs work extensively with humans, orcs, and unmarked half-orcs in pursuit of the house’s mission of bounty hunting, inquisitive work, and prospecting. Across Khorvaire, anyone who wants to find something or someone turns to House Tharashk.

Orc Traits

An orc character has the following racial traits.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Constitution score increases by 1.

Age. Orcs reach adulthood at age 12 and live up to 50 years.

Alignment. The orcs of Eberron are a passionate people, given to powerful emotion and deep faith. They are generally chaotic, but can be any alignment.

Size. Your size is Medium. To set your height and weight randomly, start with rolling a size modifier:

Size modifier = 2d8

Height = 5 feet + 4 inches + your size modifier in inches

Weight in pounds = 175 + (2d6 × your size modifier)

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Aggressive. As a bonus action, you can move up to your speed toward an enemy of your choice that you can see or hear. You must end this move closer to the enemy than you started.

Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

Primal Intuition. You have proficiency in two of the following skills of your choice: Animal Handling, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, and Survival.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Orc.

Shifters

Geth’s ancient heritage rose up from deep within him, spreading out from the core of his being. Some shifters manifested terrible claws, others massive fangs, still others astounding speed or heightened senses. Geth’s gift from his lycanthrope ancestors was sheer toughness. Strength seeped into his bones and flooded his flesh. His skin hardened, and his hair became coarse like an animal’s tough hide. A sense of invincibility spread through him. For the moment at least, he felt unstoppable!

• Don Bassingthwaite, The Binding Stone

Shifters are sometimes called the weretouched, as many believe they are the descendants of humans and lycanthropes. Whatever their origins, shifters have evolved into a unique race. They are humanoids with a bestial aspect; while they can’t fully change shape, they can temporarily enhance their animalistic features — a state they call shifting. Each shifter walks on the knife’s edge between the wilds and the world around them. Do they embrace their primal instincts or the path of civilization?

The Beast Within WILDHUNT SHIFTER

Early in childhood, a shifter forms a bond with a beast within, a totemic force that shapes their body and mind. Some shifters believe that these spirits are independent entities, and they may speak of Bear or Wolf as ancestors or guides. Most just see the beast within as a formidable expression of their inner nature, something that emerges as the shifter’s personality takes shape. The beast within is a pool of powerful instincts, and its influence is revealed by a shifter’s personality: a feline shifter may be cool and distant, driven by predatory instincts, while a shifter with a lupine spirit might be drawn to find and protect a pack. When a shifter fully embraces this beast within they physically transform for a short time.

A shifter’s beast within is reflected by the shifter’s subrace. Four subraces are especially common:

Beasthide often signifies the bear or boar: stoic, stubborn, and thick-skinned.

Longtooth shifters typically have lupine traits and prefer to run with a pack.

Swiftstride are often predatory and feline, but a swiftstride could also be a cunning rat who darts through the shadows.

Wildhunt shifters are born from any creature that tracks its prey.

While the beast within certainly has a physical impact on a shifter, it has a spiritual and psychological effect, as well. Two beasthide shifters share the same special ability, but if one has the aspect of the boar and the other is more like a bear, they’ll be quite different in personality. With any shifter, identifying the beast within is a crucial part of understanding the character.

Similar and Diverse

Shifters are similar to humans in height and build but are typically more lithe and flexible. Their facial features have a bestial cast, often with large eyes, flat noses, and pointed ears; most shifters also have prominent canine teeth. They grow fur-like hair on nearly every part of their bodies.

The traits of the beast within affect a shifter’s appearance as well. A swiftstride shifter may have catlike eyes and delicate build, while a beasthide shifter might be a massive brute built like a bear. While a shifter’s appearance might remind an onlooker of an animal, they remain clearly identifiable as shifters even when at their most feral.

The Journey Yet to Come

Shifters have a strong presence in the Eldeen Reaches but can be found in rural areas across Khorvaire, where they often live among humans. While they form powerful bonds to friends and kin, shifters place great value on self-reliance and freedom. It’s a shifter proverb to “always be prepared for the journey yet to come,” and most shifters strive to be ready for change or opportunity.

Shifters have a natural inclination toward classes with a primal connection. A shifter barbarian draws their rage from the beast within. A shifter ranger indulges their urge to wander and hunt. A shifter rogue harnesses their own predatory instincts. But shifters can pursue any path or faith.

Shifter Names

Shifters have no language of their own and often live in blended communities. Their names typically overlap with the names of other cultures in their region. Many shifters prefer to keep their personal names for their friends and use “wandering names” with strangers. These are usually tied to a physical or personality trait.

Shifter Names: Badger, Bear, Cat, Fang, Grace, Grim, Moon, Rain, Red, Scar, Stripe, Swift, Talon, Wolf

Shifter Traits

Your shifter character has the following traits.

Age. Shifters are quick to mature both physically and emotionally, reaching young adulthood at age 10. They rarely live to be more than 70 years old.

Alignment. Shifters tend toward neutrality, being more focused on survival than concepts of good and evil. A love of personal freedom can drive shifters toward chaotic alignments.

Size. Your size is Medium. To set your height and weight randomly, start with rolling a size modifier:

Size modifier = 2d8

Height = 4 feet + 6 inches + your size modifier in inches

Weight in pounds = 90 + (2d4 × your size modifier)

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision. You have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Shifting. As a bonus action, you can assume a more bestial appearance. This transformation lasts for 1 minute, until you die, or until you revert to your normal appearance as a bonus action. When you shift, you gain temporary hit points equal to your level + your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1 temporary hit point). You also gain additional benefits that depend on your shifter subrace, described below.

Once you shift, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common.

Subrace. The beast within shapes each shifter physically and mentally. The four major subraces of shifter include: beasthide, longtooth, swiftstride, and wildhunt. Choose a subrace for your shifter.

Beasthide

Stoic and solid, a beasthide shifter draws strength and stability from the beast within. Beasthide shifters are typically tied to the bear or the boar, but this subrace could embody any creature known for its toughness.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2, and your Strength score increases by 1.

Natural Athlete. You have proficiency in the Athletics skill.

Shifting Feature. Whenever you shift, you gain 1d6 additional temporary hit points. While shifted, you have a +1 bonus to your Armor Class.

Longtooth

Longtooth shifters are fierce and aggressive, but they form deep bonds with their friends. Many longtooth shifters have canine traits that become more pronounced as they shift, but they might instead draw on tigers, hyenas, or other predators.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Dexterity score increases by 1.

Fierce. You have proficiency in the Intimidation skill.

Shifting Feature. While shifted, you can use your elongated fangs to make an unarmed strike as a bonus action. If you hit with your fangs, you can deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Swiftstride

Swiftstride shifters are graceful and quick. Typically feline in nature, swiftstride shifters are often aloof and difficult to pin down physically or socially.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.

Graceful. You have proficiency in the Acrobatics skill.

Shifting Feature. While shifted, your walking speed increases by 10 feet. Additionally, you can move up to 10 feet as a reaction when a creature ends its turn within 5 feet of you. This reactive movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks.

Wildhunt

Wildhunt shifters are sharp and insightful. Many are constantly alert, ever wary for possible threats. Others focus on their intuition, searching within. Wildhunt shifters are excellent hunters, and they also tend to become the spiritual leaders of shifter communities.

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2, and your Dexterity increases by 1.

Natural Tracker. You have proficiency in the Survival skill.

Shifting Feature. While shifted, you have advantage on Wisdom checks, and no creature within 30 feet of you can make an attack roll with advantage against you, unless you’re incapacitated.

Tieflings

"The Chieftain Who Leads them," Thuel asked, "what do we know of him?"

“His name is Kathrik Mel. He inspires tremendous loyalty in the barbarians, an almost religious fervor.”

“He’s a demon?”

“I don’t think so. The Ghaash’kala call him a sak’vanarrak — it translates as something like ‘fiend-touched.’ A Karrn scholar coined the word tiefling. I think he’s some mixture of fiend and mortal, more like a savior than a god.”

Thuel frowned. “Their savior, our damnation.”

— James Wyatt, Dragon Forge

Tieflings rarely appear in the cities and towns of Khorvaire, with most dwelling at the fringes of civilization.

Many tieflings are born to the Carrion Tribes, the barbarians who live in the Demon Wastes. Such tieflings are touched by the fiendish forces bound beneath the Wastes, and the tribes consider them to be blessed. If you’re playing such a tiefling, why have you left the Wastes? It could be that you were destined for some evil purpose — perhaps even serving as an avatar for an imprisoned Overlord — and you are fleeing that destiny.

Other tieflings are shaped not by fiendish powers, but by the influence of the fiend-tainted planes. Such tieflings might be born in manifest zones, where a plane exerts influence over a region. Planar tieflings are oddities, often seen as strange but not necessarily evil.

Finally, the Venomous Demesne — a city-state hidden on the far side of Droaam — is populated by tieflings. These tieflings descend from Sarlonan mages who bargained with dark powers, with the Demesne’s lords being powerful warlocks and wizards. The Venomous Demesne has had no significant contact with the Five Nations and few know it exists. Your character could be an envoy or exile from it, or simply an adventurer driven by a desire to see what lies beyond your homeland.

Warforged

“Pierce was built by design, while you were built by accident,” Lakashtai said. “The soul is what matters, not the shape of the vessel.”

“What makes you think he has a soul?” Gerrion said.

“What makes you think you do?”

— Keith Baker, The Shattered Land

The warforged were built to fight in the Last War. While the first warforged were mindless automatons, House Cannith devoted vast resources to improving these steel soldiers. An unexpected breakthrough produced sapient soldiers, giving rise to what some have only grudgingly accepted as a new species. Warforged are made from wood and metal, but they can feel pain and emotion. Built as weapons, they must now find a purpose beyond war. A warforged can be a steadfast ally, a cold-hearted killer, or a visionary in search of meaning.

Living Steel and Stone

Warforged are formed from a blend of organic and inorganic materials. Root-like cords infused with alchemical fluids serve as their muscles, wrapped around a framework of steel, darkwood, or stone. Armored plates form a protective outer shell and reinforce joints. Warforged share a common facial design, with a hinged jaw and crystal eyes embedded beneath a reinforced brow ridge. Beyond these common elements of warforged design, the precise materials and build of a warforged vary based on the purpose for which it was designed.

Although they were manufactured, warforged are living humanoids. Resting, healing magic, and the Medicine skill all provide the same benefits to warforged that they do to other humanoids.

Warforged Personality WARFORGED

The warforged were built to serve and to fight. For most of their existence, warforged had a clearly defined function and were encouraged to focus purely on that role. The Treaty of Thronehold gave them freedom, but many still struggle both to find a place in the post-war world and to relate to the creatures who created them.

The typical warforged shows little emotion. Many warforged embrace a concrete purpose — such as protecting allies, completing a contract, or exploring a land — and embrace this task as they once did war. However, there are warforged who delight in exploring their feelings, their freedom, and their relationships with others. Most warforged have no interest in religion, but some embrace faith and mysticism, seeking higher purpose and deeper meaning.

The typical warforged has a sexless body shape. Some warforged ignore the concept of gender entirely, while others adopt a gender identity.

The more a warforged develops its individuality, the more likely it is to modify its body, seeking out an artificer to customize the look of its face, limbs, and plating.

Quirks

Warforged often display an odd personality trait or two, given how new they are to the world. The Warforged Quirks table contains example quirks.

Warforged Quirks d8 Quirk 1 You analyze — out loud — the potential threat posed by every creature you meet. 2 You often misread emotional cues. 3 You are fiercely protective of your friends. 4 You try to apply wartime discipline to every situation. 5 You don’t know how to filter your feelings and are prone to dramatic emotional outbursts. 6 You don’t understand clothing beyond its utility and assume it denotes a person’s function. 7 You are obsessed with your appearance and constantly polish and buff yourself. 8 War is the only thing that makes sense to you, and you’re always looking for a fight. Warforged Names

Most warforged were assigned numerical designations for use in military service. Many of them adopted nicknames, often given to them by their comrades. As independent individuals, some have chosen new names as a way to express their path in life. A few take on human names, often the name of a fallen friend or mentor.

Warforged Names: Anchor, Banner, Bastion, Blade, Blue, Bow, Cart, Church, Crunch, Crystal, Dagger, Dent, Five, Glaive, Hammer, Iron, Lucky, Mace, Oak, Onyx, Pants, Pierce, Red, Rod, Rusty, Scout, Seven, Shield, Slash, Smith, Spike, Temple, Vault, Wall

Warforged Traits

Your warforged character has the following traits. A few of the traits give you a choice; consider how your choice reflects the purpose for which your character was built.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2, and one other ability score of your choice increases by 1.

Age. A typical warforged is between two and thirty years old. The maximum warforged lifespan remains a mystery; so far, warforged have shown no signs of deterioration due to age. You are immune to magical aging effects.

Alignment. Most warforged take comfort in order and discipline, tending toward law and neutrality. But some have absorbed the morality, or lack thereof, of the beings with which they served.

Size. Your size is Medium. To set your height and weight randomly, start with rolling a size modifier:

Size modifier = 2d6

Height = 5 feet + 10 inches + your size modifier in inches

Weight in pounds = 270 + (4 × your size modifier)

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Constructed Resilience. You were created to have remarkable fortitude, represented by the following benefits:

You have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned, and you have resistance to poison damage. You don’t need to eat, drink, or breathe. You are immune to disease. You don’t need to sleep, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

Sentry’s Rest. When you take a long rest, you must spend at least six hours in an inactive, motionless state, rather than sleeping. In this state, you appear inert, but it doesn’t render you unconscious, and you can see and hear as normal.

Integrated Protection. Your body has built-in defensive layers, which can be enhanced with armor:

You gain a +1 bonus to Armor Class. You can don only armor with which you have proficiency. To don armor other than a shield, you must incorporate it into your body over the course of 1 hour, during which you remain in contact with the armor. To doff armor, you must spend 1 hour removing it. You can rest while donning or doffing armor in this way. While you live, the armor incorporated into your body can’t be removed against your will.

Specialized Design. You gain one skill proficiency and one tool proficiency of your choice.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice.