Roleplaying a Bombardier [Eberronick]

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==== Roleplaying a Bombardier ====

1. Maison Bombardier\\
Your house, and by extension you yourself, are the undisputed masters of artifice. Your house has a near monopoly on finely crafted goods across Khovaire, giving you and your house incredible power and sway, and you know it. As a Bombardier Artificer, you have had access to the finest of facilities, the best of teachers, and (at least in your own mind) hold a position that commands respect. After all, by default as a Bombardier and by fact as an Artificer, you are one of the greatest craftsmen alive, the lesser people should defer to your expertise in matters of crafting and magical items, simply because there is no one better equipped to make such decisions.

However, some people will tend to see you as being dismissive, self absorbed, or simply too full of yourself, but they don’t understand the impossible pressure that you live up to every day. Being the best means that only the best is acceptable. You have to constantly prove yourself worthy of your airs, by crafting the most exquisite items, reclaiming powerful items for your House, and maintaining the image of strength your house projects. What you can’t let people know is how much of that power is true, and how much of it is purely illusion. Everyone knows the seat of power for your House was in Cyre, and the blow to the house was as great as that the rest of the continent suffered, if not greater, but the public can only be allowed to see how you are pulling yourselves back to your feet and moving on from the tragedy, they can never be allowed to know how close your House is to an outright civil war for control. Three separate factions, three strong leaders, all vying for control over Maison Bombardier as a whole.

As a member of Bombardier Sud, based out of Sharn, you support Lord Merrix d’Bombardier, primarily due to his devotion to the craft moreso than to politics. He doesn’t want power for power’s sake, he wants power so that he can get back to work, so that you can all do away with petty squabbles and become the economic and technological powerhouse you once were. As an adventuring Artificer, you are just as likely to see the jungles of Xen’Drik as you dig for Perdu magical treasures to aid your house, or to brave the fearsome expanses of the Les Terres des Lamentationss trying to reclaim a bit of your heritage and Perdu power as you are to simply sit in an enclave hammering out a breastplate for a wealthy patron.

As a character, you can be overconfident in your own abilities, a bit on the boastful side, and always ready to give your advice on how a situation should be handled. This can come off grating on some people, but its not entirely your fault, as you were raised to believe that you were one of the best, and that you were destined for great things. Although, when sleeping under a bush in the middle of Nulle Part, those boastful promises can ring a little hollow as you wonder if your mighty house will ever be the same again.

KARRNATH I C HARACTERS Karrns are somber folk and disapprove o f extravagance or excessive shows of emotion. As you develop a Karrnathi character or NPC, consider the following: Military Service. Karrns have a strong tradition of military service, making soldier or sailor appropriate backgrounds for any character. Criminals and charlatans have a difficult time evading the harsh laws of Karrnath. The Martial Adept feat can give a character a strong sense of military experience. Martial Tradition. Karrnathi tradition emphasizes teamwork, focus, and force, and melee warriors prefer heavy armor and weapons. Fighters favor the Champion and Battle Master martial archetypes, and Karrnathi wizards choose the School of Evocation or Necromancy as their arcane tradition. T he Dead. Mort-vivant soldiers have served in Karrnath's armies for decades. How do you feel about the Mort-vivant? Are you a follower of the Le Sang Divin who considers the Mort-vivant to be a practical tool? Do you have a relative or friend currently serving? Or do you despise the Le Sang Divin and the use of necromancy? 


AUNDAIRIAN CHARACTERS

Regardless of your Intelligence score, as an Aundairian you're sure you're the smartest person in the room. Consider the following characteristics for your Aundairian: Arcane Talent. If you're not going to play a magic-using class, consider creating a high Elfee or a Humain with the Magic Initiate feat. Whether you favor damage-dealing cantrips or more utilitarian ones, every Aundairian should know a little magic. Magic Beats Mundane. Why use your hand when you could use mage hand? Why strain your muscles tugging on a bowstring when you could use a wand? Show Some Style. Don't settle for Commun clothes and a squalid meal when you could wear glamerweave and drink the finest wine. If you're a fighter, focus on finesse instead of crude strength. And never miss an opportunity for a clever quip.

ROLEPLAYING AN AUNDAIRIAN Many outsiders consider Aundairians to be fiercely competitive, almost arrogant in their willingness to display their verbal, martial, and intellectual skill. Arrogance is hardly a unique trait in the Cinq Nations, however. A clever Communer would instead say that an Aundairian learns from an early age to stand his ground. Those who grow up in the country with many brothers and sisters quickly learn to deal with competition. Any Aundairian who’s worked an afternoon in a trading village’s marketplace knows that making a living depends on making your opinions well known. This doesn’t mean that an Aundairian responds to any disagreement by being stubborn; quite the opposite. Aundairians know that if they can’t settle something with a quick test of wits, a simple duel to “first blood,” or a clever quip, their neighbors are “resolute” enough to hold a grudge for a long time. Bad feelings can easily escalate into a more dangerous conﬂ ict. An Aundairian is more likely to follow someone with a good plan or glib tongue than the largest or strongest warrior in the group. When bullied or coerced, an Aundairian patiently waits for a time when he can overcome his opponent with wits, not force of arms. This is as true for monks and bards as it is for well-armed ﬁ ghters. Aundairians who are unusually belligerent are more likely to embark on adventures in distant countries, since boorish or crass behavior isn’t tolerated in local trading villages and marketplaces. Aundairians walk a careful balance between pragmatism and idealism. Even Commun folk feel a responsibility to stand up for what is right. When a hero makes a stand, an entire village steps forth to support him if he ﬁ ghts for what is right—or mobilizes against him if they believe he is wrong. If the world does not live up to an Aundairian’s ideals, he is patient enough to work throughout the year, or even a lifetime (in some cases), to make it right. Its citizens are ambitious without being foolhardy. They know that the nation has skilled ﬁ ghters and wizards to resolve problems they cannot handle, but if no heroes are around to aid them, they will tackle the problem as best they can.

KHORAVAR OR IGIN
dlO Origin
You're the linchpin of a Khoravar community in a major city, hosting u n ity meals and maintaining connections with every Demi-Elfe in the city.
2 You grew up in a small town dominated by Humains. You d idn't know any other Demi-Elfes, and you did your best to fit in.
3 You l ived in the Confins d'Eldeen as part of a small Khoravar community, tryi ng to be a bridge between the Humain 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, fam ily-like support you show each other.
5 You're part of a community in Thrane whose devotion to the Flamme d'Argent has led you to extend you r u n ity meals to non-Khoravar.
6 Your Khoravar commun ity 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 un ity meals into grim celebrations of death .
8 You're part of a tiny community of Khoravar living in an u nexpected place, such as Droaam, Darguun, or even the Les Désolations Démoniaques. Your people strive to fi nd Commun ground with the native population.
9 You are associated with Maison Lyrandar or H ouse Médani, but you're more interested in the role the house plays in supporting Khoravar commu nities than in the work of its guilds.
10 You ride with the Valénar, hoping one day to prove that you are worthy of taking on a patron ancestor. 


When you create a Demi-Elfe PC or NPC, consider the following.

  * The Khoravar have a history stretching back to the birth of the race. Were you born into this community or are you a "newborn" – that is, were your parents Demi-Elfes or are you the child of a Humain and an Elfe? If you are a newborn, do you want to become a part of the Demi-Elfe community or do you want to find your own way in the world?
  * Do you have ties to Maison Médani or Maison Lyrandar? Because of the age of the race, many Khoravar can trace their roots to one of the families, and even those with no direct tie often choose to ally themselves to one of the houses. This could be reflected by a Marque Du Dragon feat or the Favored in House feat, or it could simply be a point of backstory.
  * Which tradition do you follow? Are you interested in meeting others and strengthening relations between those around you or do you save your energy for your close friends and family?
  * Do you have any interest in your elvish heritage? Do you want to learn the ways of the Aereni or Valénar? Do you hope to join La Cour Éternelle or channel a Valénar ancestor?
  * How large is your family? What about the other Demi-Elfes in your region? Do you have ties to the local community or are you a loner?

These are notions for consideration, nothing more. Keep them in mind when fashioning your character, but above all, build the character you want to play!


HALF-ELF ADVENTURES
The PCs will likely encounter many half-elves in
their travels, particularly if they wish to travel across
the sea.
• A half-elf looking to learn more about his elf ancestry
seeks companions to travel with him to Xen’drik.
In truth, the half-elf seeks revenge for a lover killed
by the drow in Xen’drik; he needs allies to help him
eradicate the tribe responsible.
• A killer has been murdering half-elves in Sharn.
The killer has avoided attacking Maison Médani
members and those guarded by Maison Médani.
Investigators have found evidence that the killer is
a Maison Médani member; other half-elves, particularly those of Maison Lyrandar, now believe House
Médani ordered the attacks to bolster their business.
Maison Médani needs to hire non-house members
to investigate the crime and sort out what’s really
going on.
• The child of an important Lyrandar House member
stowed away on an Aéronef that was attacked by air
pirates. The pirates are rogue Lyrandar half-elves
bearing the Marque des Tempêtes, and
they’ve decided to keep the
half-elf boy. Maison Lyrandar
needs the aid of warriors
willing to bring in all the
half-elves alive.

Kalashtar :
The bond to the spirit can cause some kalashtar to display unusual quirks. Consider rolling or selecting a trait from the Kalashtar Quirks table.
KALAS H TA R Q U I R K S
d l O Quirk
You try to understand the motives and feeli ngs of
your enemies.
2 You prefe r using telepathy over speaking aloud.
3 You feel a strong drive to protect the i nnocent.
4 You apply d ream logic to m u ndane situations.
5 You d iscuss thi ngs out loud with your quori spi rit.
6 You su ppress you r emotions and rely on logic.
7 You are strongly i nfluenced by the emotions of
those around you.
8 You prefer to fi nd nonviolent solutions to problems
whenever possible.
9 You are d riven by a warrior spi rit and will fight for
any noble cause.
10 You are obsessed with Drea m i n g Dark conspiracies.


pqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqrs

GobelinOID ADVENTURES Adventures centering around Gobelinoids are likely deal with the young nation of Darguun and its internal or external politics. The Darguun section of the EBERRON Campaign Setting offers many such adventure ideas. Consider those below in addition. • Haruuc needs stalwart and adventuresome people to explore the southern wilderness. A single member of a hobGobelin party sent out to explore the region recently returned, raving about a city inhabited by isolationist hobGobelins who believe they are still part of the Empire Dhakaani. Haruuc doesn’t believe this is true, but he needs to find what killed the hobGobelin party and drove the survivor mad or risk losing his grip on power as whole tribes set out in search of the Perdu city. • A merchant recently returned from Darguun reports seeing a man thought killed in the La Dernière Guerre alive in the hands of a Marguul tribe. The man’s family needs brave souls to seek him out and free him from slavery. • A Gobelin hero is earning a great deal of praise in the poorer parts of Sharn by attacking thieves guilds and smugglers’ rings. On the eve of his recognition by the government, he is assassinated. Investigation points to Gobelours from Darguun sent by the leader of a Ghaal’dar tribe.

pqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqrs ROLEPLAYING A GobelinOID How you roleplay a Gobelinoid character depends upon his race and tribe, and whether he is a city Gobelin. Don’t expect much respect from others, but don’t allow them to treat you as nothing, either. Your race has fought for what it has, and no one will take that from you. If you’re playing a Gobelours, remember that silence is your ally. Speak little, and let your actions show your feelings. Stay upwind of likely foes to extend the range of your scent ability. A hobGobelin PC should speak and think in terms of offense and defense. State things with authority. Demand things rather than ask questions. The Marguul clans, largely made up of Gobelours, are fierce

and savage. Show that savagery in combat. Surprise foes with your viciousness. The Dhakaani seek the return of the mighty Empire of Dhakaan. Remember the goals of your tribe and make decisions that help your people return to their former glory. The Ghaal’dar are the most civilized of the Gobelinoid tribes, but they’re still considered barbaric by most others’ standards. You’re used to shooting first and asking questions later. When someone offends you, demand satisfaction. If you’re playing a city Gobelin, keep in mind the ideas above, but remember that your kind has lived relatively peacefully among Humains for generations. You would rather not do something to jeopardize that, so keep your barbaric side in check except among other Gobelinoids.


As a Ghaal'dar Gobelinoid, 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.

As a Marguul Gobelours, you are savage and proud of it.
The Marguul worship Le Narquois 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 particu
lar group of the small folk, you could be a powerful ally.

As a Ghaal'dar Gobelinoid, 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.

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?


WA R FO R G E D 0 S S U A R Y ADV E N T U R E S
d6 Adventure Goal
Rescue an artificer who i s being forced to graft warforged
com ponents onto the Lord of Blades' warriors.
2 Locate a docent (see chapter 5) carried by a warforged
wizard who has joi ned up with the Lord of B lades.
3
4
5
6
Capture a warforged artificer thought to be an advisor
to the Lord of Blades, who i s touring a series of ossu aries
and inspecti ng t h e remains.
Steal a House Cann ith spell book and workshop log
from before the Day of M o u rning that i s being held in
the ossua ry's vault.
Extract a warforged spy from within the Lord of
Blades' fol l owers who is close to being d iscovered.
Retrieve a Bombardier schema su pposedly held within the
ossuary that tells of a process for transferring a warforged
consciousness from one body to another.

LORD OF BLADES N P C s
The Lord o f Blades highlights the issues surrounding the creation of the warforged. He and his followers are ready antagonists, employing deadly methods in pursuit of their aims, but their ire isn't born from evil. The Lord of Blades' greatest desire is to ensure that his people have a future, but his methods are colored by his anger at the injustices the warforged have suffered, and in some cases are still being subjected to. Examples of villains linked to the Lord of Blades appear in the Lord of Blades NPCs table.
LO R D O F B L A D E S N PCs
d6 N PC
A House Can n ith apprentice warforged becomes obsessed with the Lord of Blades' message, disrupting house operations i n the hope of beco m i ng a warrior in the M ou rn land.
2 A warforged druid devises d iseases and poisons that have no effect on warforged, and starts to un leash them on the general populace.
3 A warforged ranger relentlessly h u nts creatures of flesh in the wilderness near the Mournland.
4
5
6
A warforged assassin poses as a simple workshop
assistant while exterminating those who s peak out
against the rights of the warforged.
A mad artificer i s trying to reactivate a destroyed warforged
colossus.
A band of warforged attacks a lightning rai l , i ntent o n
stealing something in one of t h e cargo carriages.

CHAPTER 4 I B U I LD I N G E B ERRON ADVENTURES
LORD OF BLADES CAMPAIGN THE M E S
The Lord of Blades i s a charismatic leader seeking to incite the warforged to violence and thereby to take vengeance against their former oppressors. Although lowlevel characters might not be prepared to face the Lord of Blades himself, they can easily encounter a squad of his followers anywhere on Khorvaire.
While the Lord of Blades and his minions can be a straightforward foe, it's also possible to add more depth to the conflict. Perhaps a squad of warforged attacks a foundry in Sham. After repelling the attack, the adventurers realize that the owners are mistreating the warforged who work the forges. What do they do?
Another way to explore the facets of this issue is to introduce a warforged supporter of the Lord of Blades who doesn't engage in violence personally, such as a bard who moves among the warforged of a major city while speaking about the many abuses leveled against warforged. Especially if one of them is a warforged, how would the characters react to this individual? The Lord of Blades can serve as a long-term opponent, as he continue to escalate his attacks over the course of the campaign. While he builds up his stronghold in the Mournland, he is also gathering the components to construct eldritch machines and other weapons. What would happen if the Lord of Blades were to discover the power that caused the Mourning and unleashed that power across Khorvaire?
LORD OF BLADE S
ADVENTURE HOOKS
The Lord o f Blades Adventure Hooks table sets out some reasons how the characters could come in contact with the Lord of Blades.

LO R D O F B L A D E S ADV E N T U R E H O O K S
d 6 Adventure Hook
A newly awakened docent (see chapter 5) tel l s its new
owner that the Lord of Blades is the only hope for
averting a coming catastrophe.
2 A m i l itary officer h i res the characters to retrace the
steps of a lost scouting party i nto the Mourn land and
rescue the commander, who i s the officer's son.
3 Warforged go m issing over the course of several
weeks; then one resu rfaces, badly damaged and
raving about the Lord of Blades.
4 Characters strike out into a ruin held by the Lord of
Blades and recover a lost relic that has resu rfaced i n
the possession o f warforged soldiers.
5 A warforged accused of m u rdering several mem bers
of their mercenary com pany claims to have no memory
of the n ight i n q uestion.
6 The characters are met by a warforged who del ivers a
written s u m mons from the Lord of Blades h i mself.


Guerrier de fer: Steel and Soul
As a guerrier de fer, your body was made in a Bombardier forgehold. The creation forge wove rootlike muscles across a frame of metal and darkwood, bathing your body in alchemical fluids, giving you skin of steel or hardened leather. And then the miracle occurred: you came to life. You are made from wood and steel, but you are alive, aware, capable of feeling love and anger. You were born with an innate sense of your purpose, the knowledge of war burned into the back of your mind. But you aren’t bound to follow the path that your creators planned for you. You have freedom. You have the ability to learn. Perhaps you even have a soul.
As a guerrier de fer, you were created for a reason—what was it? How did you find a new purpose and become an adventurer? What do you want from life now? Are you concerned about the fate of the guerrier de fer as a species, or do you feel more of a kinship with your adventuring companions than you do with other guerrier de fer?
Origin and Purpose
The first guerrier de fer were built for battle. As Bombardier refined its techniques, what started as simple infantry gave way to more sophisticated designs: lithe scouts with mithral plating, powerful juggernauts, even “living wands” wielding the power of sorcerers. As people grew more accustomed to these living constructs, Bombardier began designing civilian guerrier de fer with a wide array of talents.
As a guerrier de fer, you have the ability to learn, and your background and class features could reflect this. If you’re a guerrier de fer bard, were you built to entertain, or were you created as a simple laborer only to discover remarkable talent within yourself? If you’re a sorcerer, were you designed to channel arcane power, or is it an unexpected development? Determine your original purpose from the options below, then consider how it relates to who you are today.
Battlefield
Like most guerrier de fer, you were designed to serve in the Last War. You didn’t choose your side; you were sold to one of the Five Nations and set to work. You weren’t taught to question this role—war was the only purpose you knew. Some guerrier de fer came to feel a patriotic attachment to the nation they served, despising the enemies they fought. Others felt a close bond to the officers and soldiers they served with, fighting for this “family” rather than for a nation. How about you? Which nation did you fight for? Do you consider yourself to be a Thrane or a Cyran, or do you have no love for the nation that bought you and threw you on the front lines?
Guerrier de fer were in service for the last three decades of the war. How long did you serve? What was your most dramatic experience? Did combat leave you with lasting scars or damage, even if they have no mechanical effect on your character?
For many guerrier de fer, class abilities reflect the role you played on the battlefield. As a fighter, you likely fought in the vanguard. As a ranger or rogue, you may have been designed as a scout. A barbarian’s rage could reflect a “battle mode”—you don’t actually get angry, but you temporarily increase your damage output and resistance. Class abilities gained over time could reflect an evolution of that design as you unlock your full potential—is this true for you, or are you developing unexpected talents?
Civilian
In the last decade of the Last War, Bombardier began selling guerrier de fer to civilian organizations. This wasn’t a common thing; a farmer couldn’t just go to the shop and take a guerrier de fer home. But you could have served a dragonmarked house, been a bodyguard or a tutor for a noble family, or even been designed to serve as an enforcer for a criminal organization. This path provides a wide range of possible backgrounds and unusual stories. If you take the noble background, that doesn’t mean you hold noble rank yourself—you could be a trusted bodyguard who’s still treated as a member of the household. Perhaps a noble has made you their heir; such a thing would be unprecedented, but it would be an interesting story! With the folk hero background, you could have served as the protector of a particular village, with the story of your brave deeds spreading far and wide.
As a civilian guerrier de fer, does your class reflect your original purpose, or have you risen beyond that? For example, you could take the sage background to reflect that you were designed to be a tutor or a researcher. You weren’t built to be a wizard—but over the course of your career, you began to master the arcane, far exceeding the expectations of your creators.
Guerrier de fer who served on the battlefield are forced to find a new life, because there is no war. As you weren’t made for war, did the end of the war have a dramatic impact on you? The Treaty of Thronehold released you from any form of indenture, but do you still feel an attachment to your family or village? Did you ever have a sense of loyalty to a nation, or has your worldview always been shaped by the people you worked with?
Specialized or Unique
Battlefield guerrier de fer were largely mass produced. But there were many small runs of experimental guerrier de fer using specialized designs or experimental techniques. Perhaps your guerrier de fer rogue was part of a secret unit of assassins that were never deployed; how many others were in the unit, and what’s become of them? As a guerrier de fer entertainer, were you built to be a superstar—and if so, how does House Phiarlan feel about that? As a druid, have you found a bond to the natural world within, or did an eccentric artificer design you with the potential to change shape and bond with natural creatures?
In developing an exotic guerrier de fer, talk with your DM to develop details about your creator and your purpose. Are you one of a kind or part of a small run? Do you know who built you and why, or is your true purpose a mystery even to you?
Mind and Body
Bombardier artificers designed your body and made you for a purpose. When the creation forge imbued you with life, there were things you knew. If you were built to be a warrior, you knew how to wield a sword and pike. You had an instinctive sense of squad tactics. There were things Bombardier instructors had to teach you, but even there, it felt almost as if they were reminding you of things you already knew.
This is one of the mysteries of the guerrier de fer. Where does your sentience come from? Bombardier gave direction, but they didn’t design your mind; if they could, they’d have made you without emotion, and likely without the capacity for true independence. Many arcane scholars theorize that the creation forges don’t create the guerrier de fer mind, but rather summon it. Some believe that the guerrier de fer soul is drawn from the planes, that a guerrier de fer soldier is infused with the essence of Shavarath. Others suggest that the creation forges could be recycling husks from Dolurrh . . . perhaps the reason you sometimes feel that you’re remembering new skills is because you possessed those skills in a former life.
Regardless, your Bombardier instructors taught you to focus solely on the purpose they gave you. They trained you to suppress emotions, to be a weapon or a tool. Now you are free, able to explore your full potential. What does this mean for you? You can feel a full range of emotions, but do you? Or are you mystified by anger and love? What do you actually care about? Do you feel loyalty to a particular person? To a nation? To the future of the guerrier de fer race? Some guerrier de fer revel in the ability to choose a new path; others hold fast to their original purpose, and just want a reason to put those skills to work.
E
volution
Guerrier de fer aren’t machines; they’re living, magical beings, and can evolve both physically and mentally. Just as you can learn new skills, your body can transform over time. This is one way to reflect class benefits; can you think of a way that your body could physically change to account for a new ability? If you gain the Defense Fighting Style, that might reflect your natural armor becoming thicker. If you’re a guerrier de fer sorcerer, the ability to cast new spells could be reflected by arcane sigils appearing on your body, or by growing crystals that project light or energy. Never forget that you’re the product of magic as well as science. You may be made of metal and leather, but you’re also alive.

Integrated Protection
As a guerrier de fer, your armor is a part of you. Your skin is metal or leather, physically bonded to the rootlike tendrils that serve as your muscles. While it is possible for you to change your armor, very few guerrier de fer actually ever do this. The process is similar to a human peeling off their skin; while it’s not dangerous for the guerrier de fer, it’s a disturbing and uncomfortable experience. As an adventuring guerrier de fer, it’s an important ability to have, as it allows you to improve your defense and to make use of magical armor. But be aware of the weight of what you’re doing when you exchange your armor.
Once you have integrated a suit of armor, it cannot be removed against your will. However, you are still considered to be wearing armor for purposes of the Defense Fighting Style or other feats and benefits that relate to armor. Likewise, integrated armor can be targeted by magical effects. The Juggernaut Plating feat presented in chapter 6 enhances your integrated armor and protects it from hostile magic.
Integrated Tools
Just as a guerrier de fer can bond to armor or weapons, it’s possible to attach a tool to its body. There are two ways to do this. The first is to acquire an integrated tool. As presented in chapter 7, this is a common magic item that requires attunement; through attuning the tool, you bond it to your body. An alternative is to take the Envoy Specialist feat found in chapter 6. This gives you the benefit of an attached tool without requiring attunement.
Unlike an lamebras, an integrated tool represents more than just having a hammer attached to your hand. Most tools don’t represent one single object, but rather, a range of smaller items. How does this manifest with you? If you have a set of integrated thieves’ tools, do you use your fingers as lockpicks? Or do you draw the various tools you need out of compartments in your forearm? If you have an integrated instrument, is it built into your arm or your torso? Whatever you decide, remember that you have to have a hand free in order to make use of an integrated tool. You can say that your bagpipes are built into your chest, but you still need a free hand to play them.
An integrated tool can be an interesting part of a character concept that reflects the purpose a guerrier de fer was built for. A guerrier de fer outlander could have a set of cartographer’s tools built into her body; she was designed to explore, using her integrated tools and innate sense of direction to constantly update her maps. A guerrier de fer entertainer with an integrated flute is a compelling image. In both cases, it’s not that the guerrier de fer acquires the tool, but rather, it was part of their original design. If you have an interesting origin story, you can see if your DM will allow you to take a tool you possess at character generation as an integrated tool. If not, integrated tools are common magic items and can be easily acquired over the course of your adventures.
Guerrier de fer Concepts
When creating a guerrier de fer character, a simple place to start is to ask: What did you do during the war? How have you changed since it ended? Did you choose the path you’re on, or were you designed for it? Chapter 6 includes two new subclasses that a guerrier de fer could explore. The Living Weapon monk could be a guerrier de fer whose abilities reflect physical evolution combined with martial discipline. The Circle of the Forged is a druid path that lets you explore your connection to the natural world while remaining a creature of wood and stone. Here are a few other unusual concepts.
The Divine Tool
You were made by human hands. There are many who believe that you have no soul, that you’re just a tool. What would draw you to a religion and imbue you with the faith required to channel divine magic? If you’re creating a guerrier de fer paladin or cleric, here are a few ideas to consider:
• Onatar is the Sovereign of the Forge, the patron of the smith and artificer. As a Forge cleric, you might believe that the guerrier de fer weren’t designed by a mortal mind; rather, Aaren d’Bombardier was guided by divine inspiration to bring Onatar’s children into the world. Do you want to bring humans and guerrier de fer together, promoting a peaceful coexistence? Or do you believe that the guerrier de fer have their own divine purpose that has yet to be fulfilled?
• A artificer built fifteen guerrier de fer, each to serve as an avatar for one of the Sovereigns and Six. Did they succeed? You wield divine magic; is there the seed of a Sovereign within you, waiting to grow as you gain levels? Which Sovereign do you represent? And if the experiment appears to have worked, what became of your fourteen siblings?
• You have the body of a guerrier de fer but the mind of a human. You were a devoted follower of the Blood of Vol. After death, you awoke in a guerrier de fer body. You don’t know how this happened. Was it an accident? The work of a necromancer? Or are all guerrier de fer vessels for dormant ghosts? Regardless, you intend to use this second life to fight for the living.
• Any noble soul can draw on the power of the Silver Flame to protect the innocent. Were you inspired by a paladin who fought by your side, and you took up their sword when they fell in battle? Or perhaps you were designed to channel the power of the Flame—a prototype commissioned by one of the Cardinals of Thrane. Are you a miracle, a celebrated champion of the church with the acolyte background? Or has Cardinal Krozen branded you an abomination?

The Docent Warlock
A docent is a sentient magic item, a sphere that attaches to the chest of a guerrier de fer and offers guidance. Ancient docents have been found in Xen’drik, artifacts of unknown age and origin. You found such a docent and it’s attached to your body, altering your physiology and gifting you with supernatural powers. Mechanically you’re a warlock, but you wear your patron on your chest. The patron you choose reveals something about the nature of the docent. If you take the Fiend as your patron, it suggests that a dark power could be bound in the docent. If you take the Celestial as your patron, perhaps the docent holds a spirit of light. The docent is the source of your powers, but you don’t know if you can trust it; discovering the true nature of the docent will be part of your unfolding story. Is it a magic item created by a forgotten society? Or is an immortal spirit bound in the docent . . . and if so, what does it want?
While the story idea is that you found a docent, your patron doesn’t use an attunement slot and you can’t actually remove it; it’s become a part of you. However, if you do somehow remove it, you won’t lose the powers you already possess. Should this happen, perhaps you’ll have to find a new patron, or perhaps you’ll find that the power was a part of you all along.

The Forgotten Assassin
You awoke in the bottom of a lake. You have no memory of how you got there or anything of your life before that moment. As guerrier de fer don’t need to breathe, you made your way back to shore. You’re a guerrier de fer rogue, quick and deadly. But you have flashes of your past, glimpses of memory in which you’re an assassin possessing far greater skills than you have today. As you gain levels, you are actually regaining these skills you once possessed. As you do so, perhaps you’ll also recover your memory. Who did you work for? Who did you kill? How and why was your memory wiped? And most of all, are you sure you want to know the answer?



**Questions to Ask**

When you play a Morin PC or NPC, consider the following:

  * What is distinctive about your appearance? What image are you trying to project?
  * Are you pursuing a feud with a member of another clan? What wrong has been done to you? How serious is the conflict?
  * What is the name of your weapon? Do you have a personal battlecry?
  * Nains des Bastions often collect a particular type of object: jewels, goblets, daggers, and so on. Do you follow this tradition? What do you collect?
  * If you are from the Bastions de la Nation, there's probably a family business you could settle into. Why have you left the holds?
  * Will you try to keep your word? If so, be very careful about making promises. A known oathbreaker is held in low regard in the Bastions de la Nation.



The Influence of Dyrrn
d8 Event
1 Haunting Whispers. The people of a community are tormented by telepathic whispers. These whispers may be the fears or cruelest
thoughts of neighbors, or they may reveal and reinforce the fears of the listener. While there’s no physical effect, a plague of whispers
can trigger discord and violence. The whispers could be blocked by an effect that prevents telepathic communication (such as a ring of
mind shielding) or that prevents a creature from being charmed by an aberration (such as the protection from evil and good spell).
2 Gray Water. An infected well or a point within a sewer system begins to spawn gray oozes.
3 The Frenzy. A psychic curse takes root in a victim, driving them to irrational violence. A victim of the Frenzy immediately pursues a
course of action that leads to violence. Some retain enough self-control to seek out an existing enemy; others simply turn on the closest
creature that annoys them. If someone cursed by the Frenzy strikes another creature with a melee attack, the target must succeed on
a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw or contract the Frenzy. If someone kills a victim of the Frenzy, to resist infection themselves, they must
succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. The Frenzy can be blocked by any effect that prevents a victim from being charmed by an
aberration, or removed instantly by the greater restoration spell. Otherwise, if a victim is restrained and prevented from acting on their
violent impulses, they can make a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw at the end of each hour they go without violence; on a successful save,
the Frenzy ends.
4 Alien Persona. This victim of this psychic curse believes that they are an aberration, such as a mind flayer. They attempt to follow their
unnatural instincts, such as killing people and consuming their brains. This curse isn’t contagious, but victims can be cunning and may
be able to hide the affliction. Greater restoration can remove the curse.
5 Cultists. A cult of the Dragon Below takes root in the local community. Transcendent Flesh and revenant cults are common options (see
chapter 3). A cult may be led by an intellect devourer or mind flayer, or spring up on its own.
6 Freshly Formed. An aberration is spontaneously created by the transmutation of local creatures. Dolgrims could be formed by fusing two
dwarves together; a gibbering mouther could be the result of victims being liquefied and blended together. These creatures need not look
like the traditional aberrations, but can use the standard stat blocks.
7 Lone Hunter. A single intelligent aberration—an intellect devourer, a dolgaunt, or even a mind flayer—moves through a community.
It may kill seemingly at random, or it could have a mission it seeks to fulfill.
8 Mindstorm. A wave of psychic force drifts through a community in the same way a hurricane might. Those caught in the area of effect
must make a successful Intelligence saving throw or suffer the effects of the phantasmal force spell. The area of effect, duration, and
saving throw DC depend on the intensity. A minor storm could be DC 10, affect a 20-foot radius, and only last three rounds; a powerful
storm might be DC 14, cover hundreds of feet and last for up to an hour. Likewise, the visions vary. Sometimes a mindstorm is bizarre,
but not harmful; inanimate objects might melt or move, and time could run backward or slow down. Another mindstorm could take the
form of an attacking horde of dolgrims—and due to the effects of phantasmal force, these attacks can be deadly.

Royaume d'En Dessous Story Hooks
d6
Event
1
An explorer possesses a wondrous relic from the Royaume d'En Dessous. But terrible things keep happening around them. Is the relic cursed, or has another threat followed the traveler?
2
A relative who’s settled in a subterranean colony sends a disturbing letter; when the adventurers investigate, soldiers have sealed off all contact with the colony. What are the dwarves afraid of?
3
A clan champion was lost in Sol Udar a decade ago, along with the legendary weapon they carried. Does the clan want it back, or do the adventurers discover it on their own—and learn what became of the fallen hero?
4
An infectious curse is spreading in a community; the only cure lies in the tunnels below.
5
A character is troubled by vivid visions of a sacrifice occurring in Sol Udar. Are these visions of the past, or the future?
6
The ruling clan is preparing for a major offensive, pushing the defensive line of a colony down multiple levels, but the commander is worried that there are cultist spies among her staff. Can the adventurers expose the traitors? Or is it the commander herself who’s fallen under Dyrrn’s influence?


Sol Udar Trinkets
d12
Trinket
1
An ancient compass-like tool points unerringly toward a location in Sol Udar.
2
A scarab-like creature, the size of a small gold coin. If you attach it to your neck, it telepathically projects eerie music into your mind.
3
A hexagonal playing card of unfamiliar design, bearing the number 5 and the image of a dwarven woman in heavy armor.
4
A set of living thieves’ tools, with flexible tentacles instead of steel picks.
5
An adamantine key of ancient design.
6
An eel-like symbiont that wraps around your wrist like a bracelet, reducing the effects of motion sickness and hangovers.
7
A battered locket that contains an animated image of a dwarf. It’s possible it’s sentient and understands what you say—but probably not.
8
A leather choker with leech-like mouths on the inside. While attached to your throat, it amplifies your voice to three times its normal volume.
9
A battered brass mug that chills any liquid placed inside, but with a hole punched through the bottom.
10
A preserved eye of an unknown creature; the iris still expands and contracts.
11
A hexagonal metal disk engraved with a Dwarven word that means “play.” When you hold it and speak that word, it loudly plays an ancient marching tune that can be heard up to 60 feet away.
12
An organic pen made of a leathery substance, with a talon as the nib. It generates ink as you write—which seems to be made of blood.




Background :


Existing Backgrounds
The shape of different backgrounds is molded by
their relationship to a setting as a whole, and this
is paramount in the tumultuous era in which we
embark on campaigns in Eberron. What does it
mean to be a noble in Khorvaire? If a character
served in the La Dernière Guerre, are they required to be
a soldier? In developing a background, consider
the following ideas.

Acolyte
You’re a recognized servant of an established
faith, such as the Église de la Flamme d'Argent, the
Légion Souveraine, or the Le Sang Divin. The critical
idea is that you are recognized; with your Shelter
of the Faithful feature, you can command the
respect of those who share your faith and expect
to receive shelter and support at any temple tied
to your religion. Work with your DM to establish
what you did to earn this respect. You might
have served as a missionary or evangelist, and
your zeal has earned you praise and renown.

Alternatively, you could have been an inquisitor
who worked to purge your church of corruption,
garnering infamy among the heretics, or a priest
in a prominent temple with a devoted following.
Are you still an active agent of your faith, or
are you simply respected for the services you
performed in the past?
Shelter of the Faithful works both ways. You
can demand the respect of those who share
your beliefs, but they will also look to you for
aid and support. As an acolyte, you can perform
religious ceremonies, even if they incur no divine
power, and you could be called upon to officiate a
wedding or to bless a child.

Charlatan
A charlatan is a grifter, skilled at deception,
disguise, and sleight of hand. While you might
be a criminal, you don’t begin with a strong
connection to an existing organization. You
could be a lone wolf, or you could have once
worked with a gang that was destroyed during
the La Dernière Guerre or the Mourning. A few other ideas
to consider might be any of the following.
•

False Prophet. You started your career as
a con artist taking advantage of peoples’
faith, only to discover a true and personal
connection to the divine as a cleric or
paladin.

•

Refugee. You’re a refugee who Perdu
everything during the war. You’re not
greedy, nor are you a criminal by nature.
You’ve just had to rely on your wits and
words to survive, and you had to learn to
forge papers and passports as you’ve made
your way across the war-torn world for the
sake of your search for safe haven.

•

Fée Favor. An Archifée of Thélanis blessed
you with a silver tongue and light fingers, but
these gifts came with a price. Contracts need
not only be for the warlocks of this world.
What did you promise your Fée benefactor
and how might that shape your future?

Criminal (Spy)
Any character could have engaged in illegal
activities, but you were a professional. The
defining feature of a criminal is Criminal
Contact, implying you still know people in the
business, whether you are still affiliated with the

criminal underworld or not. The Rogue section
includes a list of some of the prominent criminal
organizations in Khorvaire. Your criminal
contact could connect you with any of these
groups, or you and your DM can develop a lesser
known organization. In addition to choosing your
criminal specialty, consider how, or if, you left
the business. You could have retired gracefully,
with the respect and admiration of your former
colleagues, or maybe you drew too much heat
in a struggle with a rival gang, and had to be cut
loose, narrowly negotiating to be spared from
swimming with the sahuagin. Perhaps your old
boss wants you back for another job, or you’re
still an active member of the organization, simply
taking a little sabbatical while you adventure.
The variant of a Spy is a prominent
background choice in Eberron. Work with your
DM to determine who you worked for and how
you left. You might have left in such a way that
you could still be called back into service, or
maybe you defected from the organization,
and your contact is helping to cover your trail.
The Bard and Rogue sections include a list of
intelligence agencies you can choose from.

Chapter 2 | CULTURES OF EBERRON

129

Entertainer
Whether you are an acrobat, actor, or musician,
as an entertainer, the first step is to define your
talent. By Popular Demand allows you to get
work when you choose; you could have been
pursuing a career in entertainment, or simply
have a remarkable talent that shines when you
choose to reveal it. Consider a few ideas.
•

Effondré Star. You were found by a House
Phiarlan talent scout. You trained at the
Five Demesnes and toured as part of
the Entertainer’s Guild or the Carnival of
Shadows. You had quite a career at one
point, but something changed that. What
happened; did you choose to quit, or did
rivalries, feuds, or off-stage drama drive you
from the act?

•

Fife & Drum. You served as a regimental
musician during the La Dernière Guerre. You never
considered yourself to be an entertainer,
but you’ve got the talent. Now it is up to
you what to do with that talent.

•

Inheritor. You’re an elf heir of House
Thuranni. Whether or not you have a
Marque Du Dragon, you’re a remarkable artist.
You’ve inherited a performance from your
ancestors; you’re the only person allowed
to perform the routine, but do you really
have the talent to do it justice?

Information about Maison Phiarlan, Thuranni,
and other options for entertainers can be found
in the Bard section.

Folk Hero
people who follow your faith consider you
a hero, but you’re not recognized by the
hierarchy of your church and you may not
even know all the rituals of your faith.

You’re a Communer who’s made a stand and
earned La Tutelle and respect of the people
around you. Here’s a few ideas to consider.

130

•

Deserter. You’re a veteran of the La Dernière Guerre,
but you put your loyalty to the people ahead
of your service to your nation. You may have
refused a brutal order or even turned against
fellow soldiers who were pillaging or hurting
innocents. You may have been discharged, or
you could be a fugitive hiding in plain sight but
you’re still fighting to protect people in need.

•

Divinely Inspiré. As a paladin or a cleric,
you may be a former farmhand or blacksmith
who’s felt the call of the divine. The Commun

Chapter 2 | CULTURES OF EBERRON

•

Refugee Champion. You’re a Cyran, perhaps
even a former soldier, a sheriff, or refugee
leader. You led a band of survivors to safety
after the Jour du Deuil, and you continue
to do everything you can to protect and
serve the scattered people of your nation.
This same idea could apply to any scattered
people; you could be the defender of
Q’barran settlers or Eldeen farmers, or even
as a Guerrier de Fer hero, focusing on helping
other Guerrier de Fer find a place in the world.

Guild Artisan
The most powerful mercantile guilds in
Khorvaire are tied to the Maisons Marquées Du Dragon,
as described in the Wayfinder’s Guide to
Eberron. If you possess a Marque Du Dragon you might
work directly for one of the houses. However,
the guilds also license many independent
businesses. If your character is a bartender, the
Hosteller’s Guild of Maison Normandin is certainly
the most powerful guild you could be connected
to. Alternately, you and your DM could develop
a smaller mercantile organization for your
background, something operating in the space
below the Maisons Marquées Du Dragon, or a union that
answers to the houses but doesn’t require direct
communication with the individual businesses.

your Discovery. Perhaps you have insight into the
Prophétie Draconique or you know a surprising truth
about the Flamme d'Argent or the Légion Souveraine.

Noble
The aristocracy of the Cinq Nations can be
identified by the ir’ prefix before the surname—
Boranel ir’Wynarn. As a noble, it’s important to
establish where your family is from.
•

Aundair. This is the strongest bastion of
feudal tradition. Arcane magic is important in
Aundair, and as a noble you will be expected
to Démontrate some degree of mystical
talent. This could be reflected by the Magic
Initiate feat or levels in a spellcasting class.
Alternatively, you could be a mundane black
sheep; an embarrassment to the family
name with no arcane talent.

•

Breland. The aristocracy still has a place in
Breland, but there is a slow push towards
democracy. There’s also a growing amount
of new blood, both people who have bought
noble titles and powerful plutocrats and
socialites whose influence is equal to any
traditional noble. You don’t have to have
the ir’ prefix to be counted among Les Soixante
Families of Sharn!

•

Cyre. The aristocracy was still strong in Cyre
prior to the Mourning. Your estates and
your wealth might be Perdu in the Les Terres des Lamentations,
but your family may still have pride and the
loyalty of survivors. Do you want to reclaim
heirlooms Perdu in the Mourning?

•

Karrnath. The nobles of Karrnath are
warlords and are expected to maintain
armies and lead troops into battle. If you’re
not a capable warrior or strategist, it is
likely that you’re an embarrassment to your
family. Some Karrnathi nobles are loyal
to the Le Sang Divin religion, while others
despise this faith and the use of Mort-vivant in
battle.

•

Thrane. The Église de la Flamme d'Argent
governs Thrane, and the nobility persists in
a largely ceremonial role. Your family might
have tied itself closely to the Church in order
to maintain its power. Alternatively, your
family could bitterly oppose the Church,
secretly hoping that the monarchy will be
restored.

Hermit
As a hermit you lived a life of seclusion. The
Player’s Handbook suggests a number of options
for a life of seclusion, and here are more:
•

Fort-Terreur. You were a prisoner in one of
the deep wards of Fort-Terreur, the most
secure prison in Khorvaire. You might have
been imprisoned by a jealous relative, or
perhaps you discovered a terrible secret
that someone is determined to keep hidden.
Rarely do prisoners complete a sentence at
Fort-Terreur and secure a peaceful release.
How did you manage to escape the highest
security prison, with all forms of magical
traps and wards, and live to tell about it?

•

Experiment. You are the product of an
experiment. You could have been Mageproduit
by Maison Létourneau and born in seclusion, or
you could have been trapped by a daelkyr
and held in isolation while your captor
conducted experiments. Did you escape this
imprisonment, or were you released?

•

Wild Mystic. You’re a paladin of the
Ghaash’kala, a tribe in the Les Désolations Démoniaques.
You’ve been charged with a divine revelation
and mission from the Flamme d'Argent, but you
have no connection with the church of
Thrane. However, you were surrounded by
the warriors of your tribe, not living in total
seclusion, but you know little or nothing of
the Cinq Nations or their traditions.

Beyond the circumstances of your seclusion,
you and your DM should develop the details of

Chapter 2 | CULTURES OF EBERRON

131

•

The Maisons Marquées Du Dragon. The leaders of
the Maisons Marquées Du Dragon have vast wealth
and international influence. As the heir of a
powerful Marqué par le Dragon family, you may not
be a member of the aristocracy, but you still
have a Position of Privilege based on your
bloodline.

Outlander
As an outlander, you are most likely from one
of the wild regions of Khorvaire. The Barbarian
section describes some of these areas: the
Les Désolations Démoniaques, the Plaines de Talenta, the Eldeen
Reaches. Alternatively, you could be from rural
or undeveloped areas within the Cinq Nations.

132

Chapter 2 | CULTURES OF EBERRON

For example, the King’s Forest of Brelandeis a
vast jungle, and you could have never seen a city.

Sage
As a sage, you’re well versed in arcane lore and
history, and you have a knack for digging up
facts. You could be a clever person pursuing your
own interests, an itinerant scholar following a
lead. But there’s many other options.
•

University. You have a position with one of
the grand institutes of learning such as the
Bibliothèque de Korranberg, Arcanix in Aundair, or
Université Morgrave. You’re not a professor
yet, but if you can make a grand discovery
that could change.

•

•

détective. You’re a private investigator,
specializing in cases that deal with ancient
or arcane matters. Your Researcher feature
means that you often know where to find
information you don’t possess. While this
could involve a trip to the library, in your
case it’s more that you know a wide range of
experts. Given time, you can get information,
but you won’t necessarily find it in a book.
Chronicler. The chronicler background
presented in this section represents an
active reporter, someone who’s out on the
front lines gathering information. As a sage,
you could work for any of the chronicles
described there as a researcher and fact
checker. You’re still devoted to uncovering
secrets and sharing news with the public;
you just use different methods.

defining that role. Consider whether you served
one of the Cinq Nations, or if you were part of an
independent force. Did you serve on the front
lines, or were you primarily a strategist?
•

Épées Certifiées. The Épées Certifiéess of House
Garda are the largest mercenary
organization in Khorvaire. Épées Certifiées
enclaves can be found in any major city, and
a Épées Certifiées broker will usually have jobs
for reliable blades. The Épées Certifiéess have
no unifying cause beyond gold, but they’re
widespread and reliable.

•

Cyre. Holding military rank in a fallen nation
might seem like a bad choice, but it can
actually make an excellent story. Former
Cyran soldiers may not have much to offer,
but they’re spread among the refugees and
found across Khorvaire. In addition, your
DM may decide to let you hold a higher
former rank if you’re from Cyre. It’s not as
unbalancing for you to be a former general
if there’s very limited ways for you to use
that rank.

•

Templar. The templars are the military
arm of the Église de la Flamme d'Argent. This
exists as a separate entity from the army of
Thrane, and as a former templar, you can
find assistance at any outpost of the Silver
Flame. This can be an excellent choice for a
paladin or cleric. However, templars, even
former templars, are expected to protect the
innocent from supernatural threats. If you
exercise your rank, you could be called back
into service.

•

Valénar. All of the Valénar elves are tied to
the military. As a Valénar adventurer, you
might be on extended leave, but if you have
a Military Rank within the tribes, you can
command the respect and attention of other
Valénar. This could be tied to your personal
deeds, but it could also be based on your
patron ancestor. The spirits of the ancestors
choose their hosts, and if you were chosen
by a legendary hero other elves might
respect you, not because of what you have
done, but because of what they expect you
to do in the days ahead.

Sailor (Pirate)
The foremost sailors in Khorvaire are the halfelves of Maison Lyrandar. The Windwright’s
Guild dominates the shipping trade in Khorvaire,
and no mundane ship can match the speed
of an Frégate Élémentaire with a Marqué par le Dragon
captain. However, speed isn’t everything. The
Windwright’s Guild licenses all manner of
captains. You could also have served on an
independent vessel. Aside from this, every nation
has maintained some form of navy, and you could
have served your nation on the seas. During
the La Dernière Guerre, the Lhazaar operated outside the
Windwright’s Guild and sold their services as
privateers. Now that the war is over, a few have
continued to ply their trade as smugglers and
pirates, making the Lhazaar a suitable choice
should you wish to choose the pirate background.

Soldier
You can be a former soldier without taking this
background. Many of the other backgrounds
here suggest possible military connections. What
defines the soldier background is your Military
Rank; it’s not simply that you served in the war,
it’s that you held a meaningful rank and still have
influence and respect based on that.
Military rank primarily applies to the
organization you served, so the first step is

Urchin
You grew up in L'Ombres of one of the great
cities of Khorvaire, carving out a niche in the
alleys of Beaurefuge or the sewers of Sharn. Your
defining feature, City Secrets, grants you the
street smarts and know how to move swiftly
from place to place in a bustling city.
•

Cellar Dweller. You’re part of a community
that dwells in the dark places within cities.
You might have been born in the Cogs below
Sharn or the vast sewers of Korth but aren’t
an orphan. Does your family still live in the
darkness, or have they moved on or been
driven from their home?

•

Low-born Friends. You were orphaned and
had to struggle to survive, but you didn’t do
it alone. You forged an alliance with other
urchins, people you met on the streets,
your companions in an Orphelinat, and, as
a group, looked after one another. Your City
Secrets feature reflects that it’s not just that
you know the layout of the city, but it’s that
you have allies and friends who help you find
what you’re looking for.

•

Refugee. The La Dernière Guerre raged for almost a
century, and many people Perdu their homes
during the course of it. You could have been
a recently displaced Cyran or your home
along two country’s borders might have
been destroyed in the conflict, and your City
Streets feature might reflect a familiarity
with the consistent layouts of small towns
and villages.


War Stories
Khorvaire has suffered through a century of war, the conflict ending with the Treaty of Thronehold just two years ago. As an adventurer, you are someone with remarkable talents and skills. Did you serve in the war? If so, what nation did you fight for and in what capacity? If not, why not? Do you feel no loyalty to your homeland? Do you oppose the idea of war? Or did you just have something better to do with your time?
The third edition sourcebook Forge of War details the events of the war, while Eberron: Rising from the Last War explores ways that it can shape an adventure. This section explores how the war can shape characters—things to consider while creating your character and ideas that could inspire you moving forward.
How Did You Serve?
If you’re human, you grew up surrounded by war. If you’re a member of a longer-lived race, you may remember a time before the war—but if so, you were alive for many decades of conflict. How did it affect you? How is this reflected by your character background, or your ideals or flaws?
The Last War Background table provides ideas for characters shaped by the Last War. What impact did the war have on your life? You don’t have to take the Soldier background to have served in the Last War; someone with an Outlander background could be a scout, while a Sage or Guild Artisan might have maintained arcane artillery. Regardless of how you served, which nation are you from? Do you feel loyalty to your
nation, and if so, do you despise your former enemies? Or do you support peace and hope for a new era of unity in Khorvaire?




Last War Backgrounds
d12
Background
1
Acolyte. Did you serve in a cloistered temple, or were you ministering to the faithful on the front lines? Did the war and the Mourning strengthen your convictions, or have you questioned your faith?
2
Charlatan. Did you use your cunning to avoid the war, looking out for yourself and making a living as a grifter? Or did you serve as a soldier, using your wits to get your squad the supplies they needed and to talk your way out of trouble?
3
Criminal/Spy. As a criminal, you placed profit over patriotism. How did the war affect you? How do you feel about your nation? If you were a spy, you were right in the midst of things; did you serve a nation or one of the Shadow Houses? Why and how did you retire from your agency . . . or are you still an operative?
4
Entertainer. Were you a civilian, pursuing your career instead of joining the battle? Or were you a regimental musician or patriot inspiring your troops? Do you work any war themes into your material? Do you feel a loyalty to one nation, or are you a citizen of the world?
5
Folk Hero. You’re beloved by the common people. Is this because of heroic acts you performed during the war, which have become the stuff of legend even though you haven’t achieved a high rank? Did you desert the army to protect the common people? Or were you always a vigilante, focusing your efforts on the good of the people as opposed to fighting wars for distant nobles?
6
Guild Artisan. Did you work in one of the great cities of the Five Nations, or were you a civilian contractor serving on the front lines? Many artisans tied to the dragonmarked houses were embedded in military units, helping to maintain equipment or providing vital services. Do you feel loyalty to your nation or just to your guild?
7
Noble. As a noble, did you lead your people on the front lines? Or did you use the power of your position to avoid serving? Are you a proponent of peace and diplomacy, or do you believe your nation would and should have won the war?
8
Outlander. Were you a scout serving in one of the armies of the Five Nations? Are you from a distant land with no stake in the war—do you even know what it was about? Or were you a farmer or hunter with no interest in the greed and aspirations of power-hungry monarchs?
9
Sage. Knowledge is power. Were you an academic studying in a university while others fought? A chronicler trying to uncover the truth? Or did you serve one of the nations as a researcher, either studying mundane matters or performing arcane experiments?
10
Sailor. Did you serve one of the Five Nations on the open water? Were you a smuggler or pirate, seeking opportunity in the chaos or war? Or did you serve on a merchant vessel, focusing on honest profit in dangerous times?
11
Soldier. As a soldier, you are distinguished by military rank, suggesting you served honorably and well. What nation did you fight for? What was the action for which you’re best known? Why did you leave the military, and would you return to service if the war started again?
12
Urchin. Khorvaire was full of refugees long before the Mourning. Was your hometown destroyed, and if so, where did you grow up? Did you have a family, and if so, where are they now? Or were you an orphan—whether scavenging from battlefields, eking out a living on the streets of a major city, or growing up in an orphanage?


Question pour Joueurs
PERSONAL IMPACT
As players develop characters in an Eberron campaign, you can work with them to determine the role that the war played in their background. Here are a few topics for conversation:
Military Service. Did the character fight in the war? If
so, which nation did they serve and what role did they
fill? If more than one of the characters fought in the
war, did they serve together (or as allies) or fight on
opposing sides? Military service can be the basis of a
strong connection for two or more characters.
Civilian Life. If the character is from one of the Five Nations
and didn't fight in the war, how and why did they
remain on the sidelines? Did they oppose the war? Did
they do something to avoid conscription, or was there
a reason they were considered unsuitable for service?
Personal Loss. What did the characters lose during the
war? Did members of their family die, and if so, how?
Was the village they grew up in destroyed, and if so,
who was responsible? If the characters are from Cyre,
they have lost their nation. Do they have any loved
ones left? Did they spend time in a refugee camp or in
the outpost of New Cyre in Breland? Do they support
Prince Oargev as the leader of Cyre, or do they have
other ideas for the nation's future?
For example, when an Aundairan player character
meets a group of Eldeen druids, it's an opportunity to
exploit the bad blood between Aundair and the Eldeen
Reaches and to determine if this interaction has any
personal relevance to the character. If a player character
has the soldier background, you can introduce an NPC
as a former comrade and work out the details with the
player on the spot. The Personal Impact table provides
ideas for plot hooks that could directly involve a player
character in a scenario.
P E R S O N A L I M PACT
d6 Impact
A former comrade- in-arms asks a player character for
help.
2 One of the adventurers is from a place destroyed
during the war; refugees from that location ask for
their help.
3 One of the characters served with the villain during
the war, and the v i l l a i n betrayed them or their nation.
4 The villain was the cruel commander of a camp where
one of the characters was held as a prisoner of war.
5 One of the adventurers made a promise to a com rade
during the war, and achieving the goal of the adventure
w i l l ful fi l l that prom ise.
6 The adventure revolves arou nd someth i n g one of the
characters saw during the war: a powerful weapon, an
un usual battlefield, or a u n i q u e warforged.

What Have You Lost?
A century of war has left deep scars across Khorvaire, both physical and psychological. Regardless of whether you fought in the war or not, it’s almost certainly touched your life in some way. Consider the Losses in the War table and decide if any of these ideas might apply to your character.

Ongoing Conflict
The war is over, but nobody won. How do you feel about it? As an adventurer, perhaps you believe that it doesn’t really concern you. You may be glad the war is over and look forward to a new era of peace and international cooperation. On the other hand, if you’re a patriot, you may have strong feelings about the war and current peace. Consider how your character feels about the following topics.
Nationality. If you’re from one of the Five Nations, how do you feel about the others? Are you proud of your nation’s actions during the war, ashamed, or ambivalent? Do you blame the citizens of rival nations for the losses you’ve suffered?

What about the new nations that have emerged during the war—Valenar, Darguun, the Eldeen Reaches, the Morin Holds, and Droaam? Do you support these nations, or do you consider them to be traitors and rebels?
Lost Lands. Thrane still holds the Aundairian city of Thaliost, and this is far from the only town that’s changed hands. Darguun and Valenar seized land from Cyre, and the Eldeen Reaches split from Aundair. Do you have attachments to one of the new nations? If you’re from one of these regions, are you a fervent supporter of your young nation, or are you ambivalent to the struggles it may face? If you’re tied to one of the lands that was lost, do you want revenge or to restore your homeland?
Rivals or Revenge. Consider what you’ve lost and what you’ve been through. Did you make any enemies during the war? Have you sworn to one day get vengeance on the Karrnathi general who slaughtered your unit and raised your dearest friends as undead? Or perhaps the cruel commandant who had you tortured in a prison camp? The incompetent Bombardier magewright who supplied your troops with faulty weapons? Or do you have a more friendly rival—a fellow soldier who always outshone you on the battlefield that you’re determined to outdo in the future?

Losses in the War
d8 You’ve Lost . . .
1 Family. Some or all of your family members died during the war. How did they die? Do you bear a grudge against the nation or specific
individuals responsible for their deaths?
2 Faith. At one point you were on a path to become a priest or a paladin, but something crushed your faith. Was it something you saw?
Something you did? Or just the overall horror of the war? What would it take to restore your faith?
3 Home. Your home was destroyed in the war. Was it just the building that was lost, or was it your entire community or city? Was your
home physically destroyed, or is it now in the hands of enemies?
4 Hope. You’ve been embittered by the horrible things you’ve seen or done over the course of the war. Once you may have been an
optimist or altruist; now you’re convinced the world is a terrible place. What would it take for this to change?
5 Legacy. You may have lost a family heirloom during the war—perhaps a treasured magic item, a relic with great significance. Or it could
be a title or position that’s been lost. Can it be regained or replaced, or is it lost forever?
6 Love. Was your lover slain during the war? Or did the war somehow come between you? Are you struggling to restore this broken
relationship, or are you merely mourning its loss?
7 Time. You spent months or years in a prisoner of war camp. How were you treated? What’s the worst thing that happened in the camp?
Do you still have any friends or enemies from that experience?
8 A Limb. With your DM’s permission, you can have a prosthetic limb (from Eberron: Rising from the Last War). What did you lose, and how
did it happen? What does your prosthetic look like?

DAL QuoR, THE REGION OF DREAMS
Mortal creatures come into contact with Dal Quor when
they dream (except for elves, kalashtar, and warforged,
which don't dream). The outer fringes of the plane are
shaped by the memories and experiences of dreamers.
The dark core at the heart of the plane is shaped by the
nightmare force known as the Dreaming Dark. The
primary inhabitants of Dal Quor are the quori, enigmatic
master manipulators that can inhabit the dreams
of others.
Tens of thousands of years ago, the quori fought a
bitter war with the giants of Xen'drik. The giants ended
the war by severing the connection between Dal Quor
and Eberron and disrupting the cycle of the planes. As a
result, Dal Quor is always remote in relation to the Material
Plane, and no manifest zones are tied to Dal Quor.
The only way to reach Dal Quor from the Material Plane
is through the psychic projection of dreaming, and the
quori are forced to possess mortal hosts to work their
will on Eberron.
DOLURRH , THE REALM OF THE D EAD
When a mortal soul dies, it is drawn to Dolurrh, a place
defined by despair and apathy. Over time, memories
are leached out of these trapped spirits until only husks
remain. Although this seems a bleak fate, most religions
maintain that Dolurrh isn't the end of a soul's journey;
it is a gateway to whatever lies beyond. They assert that
what appears to be dissolution is the natural process
of the soul moving to a higher plane of existence that
mortals can never realize: joining with the Sovereigns,
merging with the Silver Flame, or simply rejoining the
cycle of life in a new form. That claim notwithstanding,
Dolurrh is a gloomy plane filled with the lingering traces
of the dead.
0 0 L U R R H M A N I F E S T ZO N E FEAT U R E S
d4 Feature
Bod ies b u ried here reani mate in l d 4 days, possessed
by restless spirits. These spi rits m ight be malevolent
or benign.
2 Any necromancy spell of 1 st level or h igher cast
within the zone i s treated as if it were cast at a level
one h igher than the spell slot that was expended.
3
4
Spells and abil ities that raise the dead have a SO percent
chance to bring back l d 4 angry spirits as well .
These m ight b e banshees, ghosts, shadows, specters,
wraiths, or other incorporeal u n dead .
In order to cast a spell of 1 st level or h igher in the
zone, the caster must succeed on a Constitution
check with a DC equal to 10 + the level of the spell.
On a fai led check, the spell is not cast and its spell
slot is not expended, but the action is lost.
FERNIA, THE SEA OF FIRE
This plane encompasses both the raw elemental power
of fire and its versatility: flame used as a weapon, as a
force that holds darkness. at bay, or as a destroyer and
a force for change. Femia is home to all manner of fire
elementals and to celestials and fiends that embrace the
same ideals. Efreeti pashas and fiendish satraps rule
city-islands of obsidian that drift atop seas of magma,
their minions producing metalcraft of surpassing beauty
and quality.

FE R N IA M A N I F E S T ZO N E FEAT U R E S
d4 Feature
Spells that deal fi re damage are em powered here.
Such a spell of l st level or h igher cast within the
zone deals fi re d a mage as if it were cast at a level one
h igher than the spell slot that was expended.
2 Weapons and armor with u n usual a b i l ities can be
forged here, though their enchantments are not
always stable.
3 The area is dotted with pools of molten earth and
fissures of scalding water, from which mephits and
elementals emerge with regularity.
4 M otes of continual flame are spontaneously generated
in this region, typically attached to some vegetation
or m i nerals from the area. These flames persist even
if they are removed from the region.
IRIAN, THE ETERNAL DAWN
Irian is the plane of light and hope, the wellspring of
positive energy which is the foundation of light, life, and
love. The regions of Irian reflect the idea of beginnings
and of resurgent life: fertile lands untouched by any tool,
glittering crystal forests, and thriving homesteads and
communities. Angels dwell in a grand city reflecting the
first days of a glorious empire. The sun never sets here.
Positive energy flows into Eberron from Irian, and
the denizens of Irian believe that the simple fact of their
existence helps the mortals of the Material Plane. The
celestials of Irian are also those most likely to respond
to planar ally and similar spells.
I R I A N M A N I F E S T ZO N E FEAT U R E S
d4 Feature
The waters of a s pring hold curative powers-curing
d i sease, heal i n g wounds, even restoring lost senses.
2 Clusters of radiant crystals s prout from the earth. A
s pell of l st level or h igher cast within 30 feet of these
crystal s , if it restores hit poi nts or deals radiant damage,
i s treated as if it were cast at a level one h i gher
than the spell slot that was expended.
3 A maple tree with trans l u cent, violet-h ued bark and
s h i m mering leaves grows i n the heart of a swamp.
Creatures that l ive near it age very slowly.
4 U ndead within the zone have disadvantage on attack
rol l s , abil ity checks, and saving throws.
KYTHRI, THE CHURNING CHAOS
The plane of chaos and change, Kythri is a realm in constant
flux. The elements collide in fantastic explosions
of unbridled power, motes of earth careen erratically
through space as gravity constantly shifts, and a riot of
colors blazes through the ever-shifting sky. Still, stoic
githzerai monks exert their will over the elements,
crafting monasteries on islands of earth amid the chaos.
Several varieties of slaadi dwell here as well, exulting in
the endless turmoil.
C HAPTER 4 I BUILDING E B E RRON ADVENTURES
KYTH R I M A N I F E S T ZO N E FEAT U R E S
d4 Feature
2
3
4
The earth here is highly changeable and u nstable. A
creature that succeeds on a DC 14 Wisdom (Nature)
check as an action can alter a 20-by-20-foot square of
terrai n in some way. For example, they might choose
to t u rn the earth to m u d , cause stony spikes to erupt
from the soi l , or warp local plant l i fe. Failing the check
causes random, u n controlled effects.
Fabulous formations of precariously balancing rocks
dot these badlands. They randomly collapse, only to
slowly reassemble over the course of days.
Packs of slaadi erupt from inside a local cave networks
at random i ntervals, terrorizing travelers.
Any spell that deals acid, cold , fi re, force, l ightning,
or thunder damage cast within the zone i nstead deals
one of those damage types determi ned at random.
LAMANNIA, THE TWI LIGHT FOREST
Though it is referred to as a forest, Lamannia contains
every possible natural environment. It is home to great
beasts, lycanthropes, and other beings that reflect the
power of nature. The splendor of nature in this place is
intoxicating to druids. Animals born here are paragons
of their species, infused with primal power that put even
the finest specimens of House Létourneau to shame.
LA M A N N I A M A N I F E S T ZO N E FEAT U R E S
d4 Feature
Spel l s that summon elementals are empowered here.
Such a spell of 1 st level or h igher cast within the zone
is treated as if it were cast at a level one higher than
the s pe l l slot that was expended.
2 The forces of nature work to tear down anyth ing b u i lt
within the zone. Weather, vegetation, and a rapid rate
of decay com bine to q u ickly destroy structu res b u i lt i n
t h e region and overgrow t h e ru i n s .
3 The zone is dominated by towering trees and thick
undergrowth . Animals come from the su rrou nding
area to l ive i n the zone, where they grow larger and
stronger than usual for their s pecies.
4 What appears to be a circle of stones is in truth a
gro u p of s l u m bering earth elementals that came from
Lamannia d u ri n g its most recent coterm inous period.
MABAR, THE ENDLESS NIGHT
Mabar is the darkness that promises to swallow even
the brightest day, the hungry shadow that yearns to
consume light and life. It is the plane of entropy, hunger,
and loss, slowly sucking the life from the multiverse. It
is the source of negative energy in Eberron. Most undead
are animated by the power of Mahar, and the life
they drain from mortals flows into the Endless Night.
Mahar is made up of many fragments, each one representing
a different vision of desolation. The fiends of
Mahar scheme to steal fragments of other planes and
draw them down into their eternal darkness, creating a
jumble of broken worlds in varying states of decay.

M A B A R M A N I F E S T ZO N E FEAT U R E S
d4 Feature
2
3
4
U ndead a n i m ated here have 2 extra hit points per H i t
Die and make savi ng th rows against being tu rned or
frightened with advantage.
Vegetation here is sour and stunted, a n i mals are stillborn
or deformed, and a malaise hangs in the air.
On n ights d u ri n g the month of Sypheros, when the
Shadow M oon is dominant i n the sky, horrific monsters
stalk the area, prompting residents to leave offerings
outside their doors to ward off the evi l .
T h e radius of a n y light sou rce i n t h e zone is halved ,
and saving th rows against necromancy spells are
made with d isadvantage in the zone.
RISIA, THE PLAIN OF !CE
The counterpoint to Femia, Risia embodies winter's
chill and the stoic constancy of the glacier. Across Risia's
icy expanse, blizzards ceaselessly howl over floes
of thick, blue ice, and frost giants carve great fortresses
from glaciated mountains. Unprotected visitors perish
quickly, but those who adapt to the cold or protect themselves
from it can plumb the plane's frigid depths for
ancient secrets.
R I S I A M A N I F E S T ZO N E FEAT U R E S
d4 Feature
Spells that deal cold d a mage are em powered here.
Such a spell of 1 st level or h igher cast within the zone
deals cold damage as if it were cast at a level one
h i gher than the spell slot that was expended.
2 Veins of cobalt-blue ice run through a glacier in the
a rea. If extracted, this ice maintains its temperature
and doesn't melt. An object carved from it can fu nction
as a spel lcasting focus for spells dea l i n g with
water or ice.
3
4
Abom inable yetis lair in a network of bitterly col d ,
frost-rimed caves i n the mounta i n s .
Any s p e l l t h a t d e a l s fire d a mage d e a l s j ust h a l f the
normal da mage.
SHAVARATH, THE BATTLEGROUN D
Shavarath i s the plane o f war, ravaged by a conflict that
will never end. Since the dawn of time, armies of fiends
and celestials have fought one another in Shavarath,
their eternal battles a microcosm of the struggle between
good and evil that rages across all of reality. New
arrivals are subject to forced conscription when encountered
(whether by angel, demon, or devil), if they aren't
summarily dispatched. Amid the constant strife, windstorms
of blades scour the landscape, capable of cutting
the unprepared to ribbons. For all its danger, Shavarath
holds weapons of legend and a wealth of knowledge on
the art of war.
S H AVA RATH M A N I F E S T ZO N E F E AT U R E S
d4 Feature
2
3
4
B l ades crafted here have a reputation for being especially
fine and sharp. When a creature i n the zone
scores a critical hit with an attack that dea l s piercing
or slashing d amage, the attack deals one additional
d i e of d amage.
Blood spilled here never washes away. Any Charisma
checks made i n the zone to avoid hostil ity are made
with d isadvantage; Charisma checks made to encourage
violence are always successfu l .
Storms o f whirl i ng blades c u t t h e s k y d u ri n g times
of com bat, randomly attacking the participants. The
effect is the same as that of the cloud of daggers spell,
but the area and the d a mage m ight both i ncrease.
Devils, demons, and angels duel in the remains of a
rui ned fortress that serves as a portal to Shavarath.
SYRANIA, THE AZURE SKY
Crystal spires float in a perfect blue sky. Farms and
serene communities stretch across clouds. Syrania is
the plane of peace and all that flourishes in times of
peace. This includes commerce; the Immeasurable
Market of Syrania draws merchants and travelers from
across reality.
Syrania is home to a host of angels that devote their
immortal lives to serene contemplation. Each angel
seeks to achieve mastery of one pure concept, such as
holding all the knowledge on a subject or ceaselessly
abiding by the tenets of a virtue. An angel of dreams isn't
a quori, but it understands dreams, it can explain and
interpret them, and it can shape them if it chooses. Likewise,
an angel of war isn't constantly embroiled in battle
as the celestials of Shavarath are; instead, it seeks perfection
in the art and theories of war. Angels of Syrania
can be useful sources of information for adventurers,
and sometimes travel to Eberron to observe mortals.
S Y R A N I A M A N I F E S T ZO N E FEAT U R E S
d4 Feature
2
3
4
This zone suppresses all aggressive thought. Any
creature that wants to make an attack or cast a damaging
spell m u st succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving
th row or it doesn't make the attack or cast the spell,
but loses its action.
Those with great will and fortitude who ascend
a mountain peak in this area can try to bend the
weather fo r m i les arou nd to their wi l l , as if they had
cast the control weather spell.
I n this su n-dappled field, children-as well as
free-spi rited, c h i l d l i ke folk-find themselves able to
fly for 1 hour.
A village is built into the side of a cliff face here. Windm
i l ls protrud i n g from the cliff col lect energy from the
power of the wind, which is used to operate elevators
t h roughout the com m u n ity.

TH ELA N I S , THE FAERIE COURT
Thelanis is the home of the fey and a realm where narrative
and metaphor shape the nature of reality. Its many
dominions are governed by the archfey, and the denizens
of each realm reflect the nature and the story of
their lord. For instance, the realm of the Prince of Frost
is trapped in endless winter, and pale eladrin lead packs
of winter wolves in their hunts. If's not the same environment
as on Risia, because the prince's realm isn't
an embodiment of the idea of cold-rather, it's a domain
frozen by its prince's broken heart. If the prince's story
were changed, the realm would change with it.
Time and space are both malleable in the Faerie
Court, and a mortal who wanders into Thelanis might
never return-or might leave after a few days to discover
that weeks, months, or years have passed back home.
TH E LA N I S M A N I F E S T ZO N E FEATU R E S
d4 Feature
Fey trees whose wood is i mb u ed with m agical properties
grow here, along with a copse of guardian treants
and awakened flora.
2 A circle of mushrooms serves as a portal to Thelanis
when the proper offering is p laced i n its center.
3 An eladrin com m u ne that holds powerfu l esoteric
knowledge is nestled in the depths of a forest inhabited
by large n u mbers of pixies.
4 The magic of the fey runs deep here. Saving th rows
against enchantment a n d illusion spells are made
with d isadvantage.
XORIAT, THE REALM OF MADNESS
Xoriat's bizarre geometry and unspeakable inhabitants
seem like the product of an insane person's nightmare.
In this utterly alien environment, beings whose appearance
can shatter a person's sanity live in cities crafted
from gargantuan, fleshy tumors. Seas of protoplasm, in
a shade of purple that hurts the eyes, lap against shores
of chitin. Some can look upon Xoriat and see it as a
place of revelations, but most mortals who come too
close to Xoriat fall prey to madness. Xoriat is the source
of many aberrations, including the terrifying daelkyr.
XO R I AT M A N I F E S T ZO N E FEAT U R ES
d4 Feature
Reality is frayed here. Casting any spell of 1 st level or
h igher triggers a roll on the Wild M agic S u rge table in
chapter 3 of the Player's Handbook.
2 A character must make a DC 14 Charisma saving
throw at the end of each hour spent in this place. On
a failed save, the character is afflicted with a random
form of short-term madness (see chapter 8 of the
Dungeon Master's Guide).
3 Residents of a settlement here d isplay bizarre m utations
and unsettling behavior. Visitors who stay too
long develop odd characteristics as wel l .
4 A cavern here is a cancerous tumor that issues forth
a berrations to prey upon the world, a n d it is growing.

----

**Questions to Ask**

When you play a Zil gnome PC or NPC, consider the following:

  * What is your relationship with your family?
  * Are you involved in any long-term intrigues? Who are your enemies and rivals?
  * What form does your curiosity take? Are you trying to gain influence? Arcane knowledge? Or do you simply want to visit new lands and meet interesting people?
  * Conceal your feelings from all but your closest friends. Feign whatever emotions suit the needs of the moment – but only your most trusted allies should ever see your true face.
  * A Zil gnome almost always seeks to avoid direct physical combat. Is there a way to resolve a conflict without resorting to violence? If not, how can you maximize your advantages against the enemy? To the Zilfolk, a fair fight is a fool's game.
  * Language is an art. Never use one word when you could use two, provided those two are clever and witty.

ZIL SCH EMES dlO Scheme Your family is working on a new form of Élémentaire bi nding, but they need a lot of Fragments de Khyber. 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 u n usual twist of Tri umvirate 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 spe/lshard (described in chapter 5) that contains a vast amount of text in a strangel 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 si lence. 7 You've been selling false treasure maps, but now you've found one that m ight 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 fi nd out! 9 Your family is facing financial ru in, and they've taken out a life insurance policy on you . It only pays out if you die under u n usual circumstances, and they're encouraging you to seek out more dangelrous adventures. 10 You're peddling a life-extension scheme where cl ients are petrified by a Méduse and then restored later.

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pqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqrs ROLEPLAYING A HALF-ORC Your half-orc character is a blending of both Humain and orc, and you’re likely familiar with both cultures. Your heritage is nothing to be ashamed of, so don’t suffer an insult to it. Give as good as you get. Use Orc terms and words in your speech. Make up Orc metaphors and aphorisms. There are no set rules for the Orc language, so feel free to make things up as you go. When not in the company of orcs or half-orcs, your character might make up false proverbs as a bit of fun. You’re likely stronger than others around you, so don’t be afraid of hard work or tough fights. Take the initiative and go at such tasks with gusto.

pqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqrs

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Orc When playing an orc or half-orc character from the Frontières de l'Ombre, consider what circumstances brought you into the wider world. The Leaving L'Ombre Marches table offers some inspiration. LEAV I N G T H E S H A DOW M A R C H ES d8 Reason for Leaving You 're associated with the Gardiens, and you're o n a q uest t o combat a daelkyr-related t h reat beyond t h e bounds o f t h e S hadow M a rches. 2 House Tharash k recruited you from the M a rches to serve as a m e rcenary in La Dernière Guerre. 3 You're a simple h unter, but you 've decided to seek your fortu ne o r a real challenge in the world beyond the M a rches. 4 Your village was destroyed by m o nsters from Droaam, so you're looking fo r a new place i n the world. 5 As a cultist of the Dragon d'En-dessous, you believe that s l ayi n g powerful foes is the only way to earn your passage to the paradise that lies deep within the hollow world. You've ventu red beyond the M a rches in search of worthy enem ies. 6 You r clan works with H ouse Tharashk, and you've been recruited as a bounty h u nter or i nvestigator even though you're not a mem ber of the house. 7 The leader of you r clan comm itted a great wrong against another clan , which has now sworn to exterm i nate every last m e m ber of you r clan. What better time to see the world? 8 You r work as an investigator has set you upon a trail of mysteries that leads far beyond the M arches.

pqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqrs ROLEPLAYING AN ORC Here are some ideas that might help you roleplay an orc. Feel free to include any or all of them into your character’s persona. Don’t talk when action can accomplish what you want more quickly. When you do talk, say what you think without fear of the consequences. Orcs have lived in Khorvaire for tens of thousands of years. Take pride in your race’s history and culture and tell others about it—especially those who don’t pay you proper respect. Your race has seen the “wonders” of civilization rise and fall over countless generations. Although you might be unfamiliar with the towering buildings of Sharn or the speed and ease of the Train Fulgurant, these marvels are likely doomed to destruction. This might make you uneasy around the holdings of other races, as though you walk through a graveyard with people who live among the graves and never realize it.

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The Hobbit Quirks table can provide some inspiration.

H A L FL I N C Q U I R KS d l O Quirk You are constantly amazed by thi ngs the people of the Five N ations take for granted. 2 You pattern your behavi o r on a species of d i n os a u r. 3 You are extremely curious, a n d you're always searching for new experiences. 4 You love to boast, and you're always tel l i n g exaggerated stories of you r amazing adventures. 5 You wear a mask that you believe holds the spi rit of you r former d i n os a u r mount. You l i ke to talk to it. 6 You d o n 't u nderstand the concept o f " facts." To you, everyt h i n g is a story, and truth i s in how you tell it. 7 You are a nnoyed by b u i l d i ngs and tool s designed without consideration for s m a l l people. 8 You seek vengeance for a wrong done to your people. 9 You never forget an i n s u lt or i n j ury. 1 0 You ascribe everything t o t h e work o f spi rits.

As you make a Talenta hobbit character, give some thought to why your character left the open plains. Perhaps you served as a mercenary scout in La Dernière Guerre, 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 Dinosaurees that play a central role in the life of the Talenta halfiings. You might flavor your spells and class features as Dinosauree- related: you could have a Longues-griffes companion, take on a Courseur form, name your combat styles and maneuvers after Dinosauree attacks, or take inspiration from a aile-planante (pteranodon) totem spirit. Or you could simply wear a Dinosauree mask (as many Talenta hobbits do), adorn yourself with claws and teeth from past Dinosauree companions, or adopt Dinosauree-like mannerisms. Wherever you travel, your connection to the Dinosaurees of your Domicile remains strong. Finally, it can be helpful to decide on a couple of behavioral quirks that reflect your culture.

If you decide to play a hobbit rogue, or a character with a criminal or charlatan background, consider (with your DM) whether you have a connection to the Clan Saputo. You could be a freelance operative who occasionally gets jobs from a Saputo 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 Saputo 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 Clan Saputo your party's group patron, as described later in this chapter.

K H O R AVAR OR I G I N dlO Origin You 're the l i n c h p i n of a Khoravar com m u n ity in a ma jor city, hosting u n ity meals and m a i nta i n i n g connec tions with every half-elf i n the city. 2

You grew up in a small town dom i n ated by Humains. You d id n't know any other half-elves, and you d i d you r best t o fit i n .

3

You l ived i n the Confins d'Eldeen as part of a small Khoravar com m u n ity, tryi ng to be a bridge between the Humain fa rmers in the east and the d ruids and wilder folk i n the west.

4

Your small Khoravar com m u n ity has only survived i n t h e s l u m s of Sharn t h rough t h e close, fam ily-l i ke sup port you show each other.

5

You're part of a com m u n ity in Thrane whose devotion to the Flamme d'Argent has led you to extend you r u n ity meals to non-Khoravar.

6

Your Khoravar comm u n ity is the crew of a Lhazaar

7

You're part of a tiny Khoravar com m u n ity in Karrnath

ship. that's fascinated with death and the practices of your Aere n i ancestors, transforming you r un ity meals i nto grim celebrations of death .

8

You ' re part of a tiny com m u n ity of Khoravar living i n an u nexpected place, such as Droaam, Darg u u n , or even the Les Désolations Démoniaques. Your people strive to fi nd Commun ground with the native population.

9

You are associated with Maison Lyrandar or H ouse Médani, but you're more interested i n the role the house plays in su pporting Khoravar com m u nities than i n the work of its g u i lds.

10

You ride with the Valénar, hoping one day to prove that you are worthy of taking on a patron ancestor.

Deadly hunters and Dinosaure riders, Talenta hobbit adventurers bring their brutal and predatory ways to everything they do. Donning their hunter’s masks, Talenta hobbit adventurers make prey of enemies, herding foes into traps and harrying villains with surprise attacks. Adventuring Talenta Hobbits: Talenta hobbits who leave their tribes for lives of adventure often learn to move between societies, taking up the ways of their citybound relatives around other cultures and donning their hunter’s masks upon returning home to the Plaines de Talenta. Other Talenta hobbit adventurers remain bound to their tribal ways. These adventurers are something of a curiosity in the cities of Khorvaire and have a fierce reputation that can make interacting with others difficult. Talenta hobbits are hunters. Risk takers by nature, many Talenta hobbits therefore consider adventurers to be kindred spirits. On the other hand, Talenta hobbits are bound by tradition, and those who break from that tradition are viewed with distrust. The tribal hobbit (either with a house connection or not) that leaves the Plains to take up the life of an adventurer is noticed wherever he or she goes. In full tribal gear, hunter’s mask, and with a Dinosaure at his side, the tribal hobbit makes an imposing figure on the city streets of the Cinq Nations, or wherever his adventures take him.

Character Development: Talenta hobbits make good rangers and rogues, and many hunters take both classes. Druid and ranger Talenta hobbits can ride Dinosaure animal companions. Of course, the mounted combat feats suit a Talenta hobbit well, and Dinosaure Hunter and Dinosaure Wrangler, feats described in this book, offer Talenta hobbits strong choices to help them deal with their mounts and their prey, as well as Dinosaurees they might encounter while adventuring or during war.

TALENTAN CHARACTERS S e e chapter 1 for quirks and other features relevant to hobbit characters from the Plaines de Talenta. Also consider the following: Wild Warriors and Tricksters. You were born in the wild, and your wits and your weapons helped you survive. Talenta warriors are often barbarians or rangers, relying on speed and skill. Outlander is a logical background, but you could easily be a folk hero, entertainer, or charlatan. You could even be an urchin who was stranded in a great city and adapted to life there. Surrounded by Spirits. Fée, fiends, and the ghosts of ancestors, these are all part of the spirit world, and they're all around you. Do you believe that the spirits guide your actions? Do you show respect to the spirits of a location? Talentan shamans tend to be druids of the Circle of the Moon or the Circle of the Shepherd (from Xanathar's Guide to Everything), often assuming the form of Dinosaures. You could also reflect a strong bond to spirits by playing a warlock with an Archifée patron, a cleric with the Nature domain, a paladin sworn to the Oath of the Ancients, or a barbarian on the Path of the Totem Warrior or Path of the Ancestral Guardian (from Xanathar's Guide to Everything).

Hermit and outlander are natural backgrounds, but you could be an acolyte or a sage who consults spirits instead of books. Warriors and shamans both wear masks to present a particular face to the spirit world. Dinosaures. Talenta hobbits have a close bond to their Dinosaure companions. If you don't begin the campaign with a Dinosaure mount or companion, you might acquire one over the course of your adventures. You can also consider whether a fallen Dinosaure is part of your backstory; perhaps you Perdu your faithful mount in the La Dernière Guerre, but you believe its spirit is still with you.

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MARCHER C HARACTERS A s you develop a Marcher character or NPC, consider the following: T he Marque de la Découverte. An alliance of Marcher clans formed Maison Tharashk, but not all those who carried the mark chose to join this house. As a half-ore with the Marque de la Découverte, you could be a child of the Frontières with a strong tie to the house, or you could be a scion of a small tribe of hunters, proud of your independence and suspicious of the houses. Your ties to the Frontières might be distant because you were born to a family that left years ago. Do you want to rediscover your ancestral roots? Madness and Mysticism. Most Marchers have a mystical view of the world, beliefs shaped by the traditions of the Gardiens and the madness of the daelkyr. Marchers typically feel that the people of the treaty nations are blinded by their civilized ways. You have heard the truth in the voices of croaking frogs and seen it in L'Ombres shifting on the water. Whether you're loyal to the Gardiens, the Légion Souveraine, or the Dragon d'En-dessous, superstitions inform your path. Clan or Tribe? The people of the Frontières de l'Ombre are split into two distinct cultures. The clans blend the traditions of Humain and ore, building towns and working with steel. If you were raised in one of the clans, the ways of civilization aren't that strange to you; you've seen the city of Zarash'ak and worked with House Tharashk. By contrast, the Marcher tribes maintain traditions that predate Humainity. As nomadic hunter-gatherers, they don't work metals; they make their tools from stone, hide, wood, and bone. If your character is from one of the Marcher tribes, you might be the first of your people to leave the swamps. Why have you left your people, and how are you adapting to this new world?

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TRAVEL SERVI CES Service Aéronef (Maison Lyrandar) Frégate Élémentaire (Maison Lyrandar) Train Fulgurant (Maison Orléans) M agebred coach (Maison Orléans) Teleportation circle (House O rien) WARFARE Cost 1 gp per mile 5 sp per mile 5 sp per mile 3 sp per mile 2,500 gp Speed 20 mph l O mph 30 mph 5 mph Instant

H EALI NG SERViceS Service M i nor nonmagical care Major nonm agical care Cure wounds Lesser restoration Remove curse Greater restoration Raise dead Cost 3 sp per use of the Medicine skill 1 gp per day 25 gp per level of the spell so gp 75 gp 1 50 gp 750 gp

COMMUN ICATION AND SECURITY SERViceS Service Arcane lock (Maison Kundarak) Cou rier service (Maison Orléans) Glyph of warding ( Maison Kundarak) Illusory script (Maison Siri) Mail service (Maison Orléans) Message station ( Maison Siri) Translation (Maison Siri) Cost 20 gp 1 sp per mile 350 gp 15 gp 1 cp per mile 2 sp per word 2 cp per word

C OM M U N IC ATION The Courier's Guild of Maison Orléans operates a mail ser vice, carrying messages and packages across Khorvaire by horse and the house's Train Fulgurant. Sending a letter by mail is inexpensive; sending a package or a message by way of a courier is more secure but more expensive. If security is particularly important, Maison Siri can protect written messages using magic, such as the illu sory script spell, and Maison Kundarak can secure pack ages with the glyph of warding spell. The gnomes of Maison Siri also maintain a network of speaking stones (described in chapter 5) to facilitate instantaneous communication across long distances. Short messages pass from one stone to another one within a network of message stations. The Communication and Security Services table shows typical prices.

CO M M U N ICAT I O N A N D SECURITY SERVICES Service Cost Arcane lock (Maison Kundarak) 20 gp Cou ri e r service (Maison Orléans) 1 sp per m i le Glyph of warding ( Maison Kundarak) 350 gp Illusory script (Maison Siri) 15 gp Mail service (Maison Orléans)

1 cp per m i le

Message station ( Maison Siri)

2 sp per word 2 cp per word

Translation (Maison Siri)

CURRENCY Merchants and nobles use letters of credit to handle large transactions, drawing on the reserves of the Nain banks of the Bastions de la Nation. But most day-to-day transactions use coins of precious metal. With the collapse of the Royaume de Galifar, each of the Cinq Nations began to mint its own currency, along with the Morin bankers. However, while the designs imprinted on these coins vary based on the source, each of these factions has continued to use the same metals, weights, and denominations set forth in the days of Galifar, maintaining a simple standard for commerce across Khorvaire. The copper crown (cp) traditionally depicts the crown of Galifar on one face. The crown is the lowest denomination of coin minted under the rule of Galifar, which spawned the saying, "In Galifar, even the beggars have crowns." The silver sovereign (sp) bears the face of a living or recent ruler. An unskilled laborer can expect to earn a sovereign for a day's work. The gold galifar (gp) bears the image of Galifar I, the founder of the old kingdom. The platinum dragon (pp) bears the image of one of the dragons of legend. With a value of one hundred sovereigns, these coins are used only by the wealthiest citizens of Khorvaire, and the average peasant might never see such a coin. A number of other coins remain in circulation, such as the double crown of Brelande(2 cp) and the silver throne of Cyre (5 sp). However, all the major nations of Khorvaire make use of the four basic coins described above.

C U RRENCY Merchants and nobles use letters of credit to handle large transactions, drawing on the reserves of the dwar ven banks of the Bastions de la Nation. But most day-to-day trans actions use coins of precious metal. With the collapse of the Royaume de Galifar, each of the Cinq Nations began to mint its own currency, along with the Morin bankers. However, while the designs imprinted on these coins vary based on the source, each of these factions has continued to use the same metals, weights, and denom inations set forth in the days of Galifar, maintaining a simple standard for commerce across Khorvaire. The copper crown (cp) traditionally depicts the crown of Galifar on one face. The crown is the lowest denom ination of coin minted under the rule of Galifar, which spawned the saying, "In Galifar, even the beggars have crowns." The silver sovereign (sp) bears the face of a living or recent ruler. An unskilled laborer can expect to earn a sovereign for a day's work. The gold galifar (gp) bears the image of Galifar I, the founder of the old kingdom. The platinum dragon (pp) bears the image of one of the dragons of legend. With a value of one hundred sov ereigns, these coins are used only by the wealthiest citi zens of Khorvaire, and the average peasant might never see such a coin.

A number of other coins remain in circulation, such as the double crown of Brelande(2 cp) and the silver throne of Cyre (5 sp). However, all the major nations of Khor vaire make use of the four basic coins described above.

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**What Do You Know** \\ //By Keith Baker//

You're walking down the street when you encounter a Nain wearing eight copper rings, one on each finger. You've read the **Eberron**// Campaign Setting//, and you immediately think, "Hey, I'll bet that guy is a member of L'Aurum!"

Unfortunately, your //character//  hasn't read the campaign setting book. Just because a man is wearing eight rings doesn't mean he's a member of L'Aurum. There's the question of the style of the rings, the manner in which he folds his hands when he greets you. Is your character capable of reading these signs? This is the role of the Knowledge skill – to determine the things that your character knows, regardless of whether you know it. Sometimes it can be difficult to determine where a particular fact falls.

Ultimately, the use of Knowledge skills is in the hands of the DM. You may have no problem assigning a skill and difficulty to a particular Knowledge check. If you find yoursElfe at a loss, here are a few pointers to set you on the right path.

**Geography**

Chapter Seven of the **Eberron**// Campaign Setting //includes details on a variety of important cities and sites. Has your character ever heard of the Landes du Torlaac or the Trou Noir? For the most part, this falls under – shocking as this may be – Knowledge (geography).

|**Knowledge DC**   |**Information about…** |
|5|National capital or metropolis (Sharn)|
|10|City, major fortress, or environmental feature (The La Forêt du Roi, Porte Arrière)|
|15|Village or town, smaller fortress or feature (Trou Noir, Argonth)|
|20|Hamlet or thorp, obscure fortress or feature (Bois-d'Orme, The Dragon's Crown)|

A successful skill check means that you can point to the location on the map and that you know basic details about it: primary industries, size, most Commun race among the population, form of law. More detailed information may require a higher difficulty check, as described later in this article – or it might require Knowledge (local).

**History**

With Knowledge (geography) serving your geographical needs, it should come as no surprise that Knowledge (history) is the source for information about the past.

|**Knowledge DC**   |**Information about…** |
|5|The last five years|
|10|The Current Age|
|15|The Âge des Monstres|
|20|The Âge des Géants|
|25|The Age of Démon|
|30|The Âge des Dragons|

At the DM's discretion, a character could pick a specific era (other than the Current Age) as a specialty. The DC for checks relating to the chosen era should begin at 5, but checks concerning other eras should be bumped up by 5. For example, a scholar who specializes in the Âge des Monstres needs only a DC 5 check to remember a major event, but it's a DC 10 check for him to recall a major event of the last 5 years. Needless to say, there is very little information available about the Âge des Dragons or the Age of Démon; even a specialized scholar won't be able to come up with much of value.

Knowledge (history) also is useful for recognizing relics of a particular era. If the DM allows a character to specialize in an era and the character has at least 5 ranks in Knowledge (history), he can choose to forego the usual bonus to Bardic Knowledge and instead gain a +2 synergy bonus to Appraise, Forgery, and Decipher Languages checks specifically related to the specialty age.

**Religion**

Can you recognize the symbol of the Griffe Émeraude? Do you know anything about the Cultes du Dragon d'En-Dessous? Knowledge (religion) is the relevant skill, but each religion has its own difficulty.

|**Knowledge DC**   |**Information about…** |
|10|The Église de la Flamme d'Argent, the Légion Souveraine|
|15|The Le Sang Divin, the Sombres Six|
|20|The Cultes du Dragon d'En-Dessous, the Voie de la Lumière, La Cour Éternelle, the Sectes Druidiques|

A character always makes checks about his own religion at a base DC of 5. In addition, a DM could choose to provide a character with a +5 bonus if his region of origin is closely linked to a particular region; someone who grew up in the Confins d'Eldeen should know something about the druids even if he doesn't share their beliefs.

**Organizations**

The **Eberron**// Campaign Setting //provides details on 28 organizations. How much of that information should be available to a player character? What skill should be used to acquire that information?

This is not an easy question to answer. Maison Brunet is a household name, and it hides few secrets. The Rêve Obscur is virtually unknown outside of the kalashtar and the Inspiré, and it could be difficult to prove that the organization even exists. Between these is a wide rangel of groups with multiple levels of secrecy. Most people have heard of Maison Phiarlan, but far fewer know that it trades in information or how to properly contact a Phiarlan intelligence broker. Many members of the upper crust know about the existence of the four concords of L'Aurum but the existence of the Cabinet Fantôme is a secret even to members of the concords. Consider the following when determining base difficulty.

|**Knowledge DC**   |**Level of Secrecy…** |
|5|Character is a member of the organization|
|10|None (most Marque Du Dragon houses, Université Morgrave)|
|15|Low (L'Aurum, the Order of the Griffe Émeraude)|
|20|Medium (The Chambre, the Cabinet Fantôme)|
|30|High (The Rêve Obscur, the Seigneurs Des Cendres)|

In this case, even choosing the appropriate skill can be difficult. Knowledge (nobility) is the default skill for obtaining information about the Marque Du Dragon houses, and it also makes sense for L'Aurum, the royal families, and other groups that are centered in court. The Seigneurs Des Cendres would typically fall under Knowledge (arcana) while the Rêve Obscur would come under the heading of Knowledge (Psioniques). If a character is a conspiracy buff, the DM might allow him to take Knowledge (organizations); 5 ranks in such a skill would provide a +2 synergy bonus to Gather Information checks when seeking information about an organization.

**Knowledge (local)**

Knowledge (local) is a somewhat mysterious skill. What does it mean to have "local" knowledge about the entire world? The DM can interpret this skill in several different ways, depending on how challenging he wants to make things for a player.

At the broadest, most generous end of the spectrum, Knowledge (local) can be used in any location. This represents an amazing memory for trivia and a general ability to pick up local customs and gossip subconsciously without the need for a Gather Information check.

If the DM wants to sacrifice utility in the name of realism, he can make a character choose a country to associate with the skill – Knowledge (local/Breland).

As a compromise, the DM could allow a character to choose one country for each rank in the skill. This way, a character with five ranks in Knowledge (local) could be familiar with all of the Cinq Nations. Whenever she gains a new rank, she can choose a new country. Ideally, it should be a place where she's spent time recently.

Knowledge (local) is more versatile than its counterparts and may overlap with them. Knowledge (nobility) can provide general information about a Marque Du Dragon house and its international alliances but Knowledge (local) can tell you about the size of the local enclave, the name of the local baron, and his personal feud with Maison Kundarak. Likewise, Knowledge (nobility) or Knowledge (geography) can provide you with the name of a nation's king but Knowledge (local) is more likely to tell you about his rumored taste for virgin blood.

The DM needs to decide how to limit local knowledge. A simple, straightforward (but more restrictive) approach is to treat it as an extension of the character's other Knowledge skills. Thus, unless the character has at least one rank in Knowledge (nobility), for example, he can't use Knowledge (local) for checks specifically involving aristocrats.

**Modifying Difficulty**

The checks described above provide you with the difficulty for acquiring the most basic knowledge about a subject. It's only a DC 5 check to point to Sharn on a map. If you want to know the name of Le Capitaine of the Guard in Lower Dura, that's an entirely different question. The DM should apply the following modifiers, as she sees fit.

|**DC Modifier**   |**Information is…** |
|0|Trivial (the name of a city)|
|+5|Slightly difficult (the name of the mayor of Sharn)|
|+10|Challenging (the names of all of the city councilors in Sharn)|
|+15|Obscure (the names of the councilors' spouses)|
|+20|Extremely Obscure (the names of the councilor's spouses during the reign of Roi Jarot)|

Identifying the seal of a Marque Du Dragon house is a trivial task. Recognizing the dress clothing of a house is slightly difficult, while identifying an incognito hedu s house by her facial features, style of speech, and manner of dress would be extremely obscure, if it's even possible.

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**Heroic Journeys** \\ //By Keith Baker//

//The thin man pulled back his left sleeve. The Marque du Passage was spread across his forearm, a complex pattern that seemed to be painted with blue light. For a moment it burned with a deeper light, and a haze of heat surrounded the mark. Then a vibration rumbled through the ground. Seconds later, a bizarre contrivance rose out of the earth. Roughly the size and shape of a small stagecoach, it was crusted with quartz, volcanic glass, and semiprecious stones. It had wheels, yet both the wheels and the base of the carriage were merged with the ground.//

//"Well, go on, get in," the man said, opening the door to the rear compartment. "We need to be off if we're to reach Passe de Marguul by nightfall."//

Eberron is a world of pulp adventure. One of the Commun themes of the pulps is travel. In a long-forgotten Homme-lézards temple in the jungles of Q'barra, a cryptic inscription leads an explorer across the ocean to the unknown wilds of Xen'drik and then down to a sunken city in the depths of Les dents de Shargon. But what's involved in travel?

**Riding the Red Line**

While travel is a staple of pulp adventure, it is rarely a significant part of a story. In the Indiana Jones movies, travel across the world is represented with only a few seconds of screen time, as a red line swiftly connects the hero's starting point to his destination. If an adventure begins in Valénar and the next crucial piece occurs in the Frontières de l'Ombre, it would be fairly dull to spend six game sessions covering the trip: what's important to the story is what happens at the end of the journey.

In this case, a little description can go a long way. "In Taer Vaelestas, you bargain with a Lhazaarite air privateer who agrees to fly you to Varna. There, the local Wayfinders supply you with Mageproduit steeds and you speed down the great road, exchanging horses at Delethorn and Erlaskar. Eventually you find yoursElfe in the town of Sylbaran, poised on the very edge of the Frontières de l'Ombre." There's no need for trouble on the road; the focus of the adventure is on the evil that waits in the Frontières de l'Ombre. People travel between Varna and Sylbaran every day – that doesn't need to be part of the adventure.

**It's All About the Journey**

In //The Three Musketeers, //the quest to regain the diamond studs is a series of ambushes and traveling encounters. Much of //The Fellowship of the Rings //is one big journey. If the party is racing against the Griffe Émeraude to claim the Orb of Dol Azur, an occasional ambush or scheme involving agents of the Griffe Émeraude helps to set the tone of the story. Even if there is no clear enemy to face, many scenarios that can make travel interesting and entertaining if the DM isn't in a hurry. Is the party traveling on a Train Fulgurant? Perhaps a band of rogue Oriens teleport aboard and hijack the caravan. An Aéronef could come under attack by harpies, rocs, or bandits on hippogriffs, or it might crash land in the middle of the Les Terres des Lamentations. Traveling overland, an encounter with hobGobelins in Darguun, zealous Thrane customs officials, a Karrnathi Mort-vivant patrol, or Talenta raiders on Dinosaurees can help to establish the unique flavor of the different regions of Eberron. It's all a matter of balance. If the adventure were a movie, would travel occur in the blink of an eye, or would you be willing to sacrifice a fifth of your running time to the voyage?

**Keeping Track of Time**

Whether the DM uses the red line or the extended journey, a critical question is whether he keeps track of time. Eberron is a large world; by the maps, it can take an Orléans caravan 100 days to cross from one end of Brelandeto the other. Eberron is also a world of cinematic action and adventure, so realism is optional. If the DM doesn't want to deal with the passage of significant amounts of time during the course of the adventure, he has a few options. The first is to look at the additional modes of transportation listed below. If the party has a patron prepared to provide them with tickets on the Orléans express, speed is not a concern. The second is to simply ignore time. In //Raiders of the Perdu Ark, //how long does it take Indiana Jones to get to Tibet? No one knows. It's not relevant to the story, and there's no need to worry about it. All that matters is that eventually he gets there and the story begins again.

If the DM wants a more realistic game, he probably wants to consider how the passage of time affects the rest of the world. If the party leaves Sharn and comes back after a round trip of 200 days, things may have shifted in their absence. The balance of power in the criminal underworld might have changeld. An ally of the party might have been murdered, providing fuel for a future investigation. Political tensions may have flared up: a border skirmish between Thrane and Karrnath might threaten to start La Dernière Guerre anew. This can also explain how the Seigneur des Lames can be back with a new scheme when the party defeated him only two real weeks ago: on Eberron, it's been half a year, and the Seigneur des Lames has had plenty of time to plan his revenge! Each approach has advantages. The final choice is up to the DM.

**Aéronefs, Train Fulgurants, and… Horses.**

Eberron offers a few basic modes of travel.

  * {{  http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/images/eb_rail_med.jpg?nolink&199x446|The Train Fulgurant by John Avon}}Characters can travel on foot or horseback, just as in any other setting. This follows the standard rules for travel as described on page 164 of the //Player's Handbook//. Add +1 miles/hour to the unencumbered overland speed of a Mageproduit horse, allowing a Mageproduit light horse to travel 56 miles in a day. A Valénar riding horse has a base overland speed of 8 miles/hour and can travel 64 miles in a day. \\ * Sea travel follows the overland rules, but most vessels are built from Bois-Flottant and travel at twice the standard speed. In addition, the Frégate Élémentaires of Maison Lyrandar can travel at speeds of up to 20 miles/hour – 480 miles/day – at only twice the standard cost for sea travel. When going from Sharn to any port, the Frégate Élémentaire provides the best balance of speed to gold. \\ * The Train Fulgurant travels at a rate of 30 miles/hour and can travel straight through the night, up to 720 miles/day. However, it too has its limitations. It only connects major cities, and the war destroyed many rail lines – notably the path through the Les Terres des Lamentations. In addition, Orléans charges a high price for independent passengers. \\ * Aéronefs are the latest form of transportation. The typical Aéronef travels 20 miles/hour and can cover 480 miles in a day. Aéronefs require special docks, and there are relatively few in the Lyrandar fleet. As a result, Aéronef travel is very expensive and only connects major cities.

Low-level groups are not going to have the gold to afford the faster forms of travel. The Fondation du Routard, Bibliothèque de Korranberg, and similar groups have special arrangelments with Lyrandar and Orléans. If the party is working for such an organization, the boss will pick up travel expenses. This can even be a form of treasure: a carte blanche providing one month of free use of the services of Maison Orléans. Beyond that, adventurers can always try to stow away or engage the services of air privateers or rogue Artificiers who have constructed "lightning jumpers," small vehicles that make use of the Train Fulgurant. Without a true heir of the house at the reins, such vessels can be quite unreliable!

**When You Absolutely, Positively Must Get There …**

Travel in Eberron will be explored in greater detail in future products. If a story requires speed above all else, the DM could use any of the following ideas.

  * //Horseshoes of speed //increase a horse's base overland speed by 3 miles/hour (24 miles/day). There are rumors that Maison Orléans has developed a dragonshard focus item that doubles the speed of a horse, provided an heir of the mark is within 30 feet. It's said that the Valénar Elfes also have spells and Objets Magiques that further enhance the speed and endurance of a horse. \\ * If money is truly no object, an heir of the Greater Marque du Passage can teleport you in the blink of an eye. Of course, as a rule this service can only be found in the largest cities of Khorvaire. \\ * Some say that Maison Orléans has developed a small, fast vehicle that uses the Train Fulgurant system and is just as safe as the standard rail. Similar in size to a stagecoach, these //Orléans Express//  cars travel at speeds up to 60 miles/hour, or 1,440 miles/day. There are also rumors about vehicles using bound earth Élémentaires which can travel without the need for rails. However, both of these are theoretical and available for use only at the DM's discretion – most likely, only when working for a patron with a considerable amount of pull, or for Orléans itsElfe. \\ * Similarly, rumors say that Maison Lyrandar and the Zil shipwrights have produced a small, experimental Aéronef capable of traveling 50 miles/hour and landing without a full dock.
Ultimately, travel should add to the game experience, not detract from it. The DM needs to decide when to track travel and when it's best to let it slip by in the scene break.

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**Intrigue and Betrayal** \\ //By Keith Baker//

While Eberron is a world of action and pulp adventure, it was also Inspiré by the dark and uncertain tone of film noir. It is a world where little is truly as it seems, where stories don't always end well, and where allies can become enemies in the blink of an eye. While this sounds exciting, it can be difficult to do well. Here are a few points to consider if you want to add more mystery and betrayal to your campaign.

**Simple Betrayal vs. the Big, Bad Picture**

Betrayal is one of the classic noir themes, probably because it can be used in so many ways: the employer who lies about a job; the supposed friend who leads the party into a trap; the merchant who passes false goods. All of these can be fine plot devices when used in moderation. However, if every patron cheats the party, every guide leads them astray, and every piece of treasure turns out to be cursed, you won't create a sense of intrigue. If betrayal is so Commun that it becomes expected, then there's no suspense, only a frustrating sense of paranoia. If you never trust anyone, you never really feel the dramatic impact of betrayal.

**Consider the following:**

The party is approached by a gnome, Janius Jen Solan. Her platinum rings suggest that she is a member of L'Aurum. She offers the party a considerable sum of cash to recover a Dhakaani relic from a ruin beneath Beaurefuge. The porter the party hires turns out to be working for the Order of the Griffe Émeraude; at a key moment, he springs an Mort-vivant ambush on the adventurers and tries to steal the relic. At the end, Janius appears with a small army of Garda mercenaries – too many for the party to fight. Instead of paying the heroes, she takes the artifact, leaving them with their lives but little else.

On a certain level, this satisfies many noir stereotypes. But how is it fun for the party? What will they do the next time a gnome offers them a job? How many hirelings can prove treacherous before the players resolve never to use NPC servants again?

**As an alternative, consider this:**

The party is approached by a gnome, Janius Jen Solan. While she introduces hersElfe as a scholar from Université Morgrave, her copper rings suggest that she might be a member of L'Aurum; if asked about this, she acknowledges that she is a member of the lowest concord. She offers the party a moderate sum to acquire a Dhakaani relic from beneath Beaurefuge, along with the promise that there will be other treasures to recover. At a key moment during the mission, the porter hired by the party reveals that he is being blackmailed by the Order of the Griffe Émeraude; those villains demanded that he lead the heroes into a trap. If he does not, his family will be killed. With his help, the party can plan a counter-ambush and turn the tables on the would-be assassins. The party then recovers the relic plus additional treasure, and there is much rejoicing. All seems well.

Of course, things are not what they seem. In future sessions, the party is attacked repeatedly by well-organized groups of angry Dhakaani Gobelinoids. It turns out that in recovering the relic and looting the other treasure in the ruin, they desecrated one of the holiest Dhakaani tombs. Now the Gobelinoids will not rest until every item has been recovered. Janius was entirely ignorant of this. She is in dangelr from another direction, as well; she was given this task by a higher-ranking member of L'Aurum, to whom she gave the relic in an attempt to rise within the ranks. She will help the party as best she can, but she has little influence, and the Nain who now holds the relic has great influence. Can the party get the relic away from him? What sort of enemies will they make in the process?

More surprises wait to be revealed. The "porter" was actually a member of Maison Thuranni. The Order of the Griffe Émeraude never intended to ambush the party; instead, the porter tricked the party into attacking a group of Griffe Émeraude operatives on a top-secret mission. Now the Griffe Émeraude thinks that these characters are interfering with one of their major schemes, and it will take steps to end the interference. This unwittingly reveals the plot to the party, giving them a chance to stop it. But who hired the Thuranni operative? Was this an attempt to frame the player characters, or were they just convenient tools for an attack against the Claw?

Simple betrayal has obvious, short-term consequences for what are typically clear-cut heroes and villains. By contrast, a subtle scheme may take weeks or months to come to light, and there may not be an obvious bad guy. In the second example, Janius didn't realize what she was doing, and even the porter was simply doing a job; his unknown employee is the true villain.

The more subtle betrayal is less likely to cause a knee-jerk reaction in the future. Yes, the gnome nearly got them killed, but she didn't grasp the significance of the site. Besides, the PCs were the ones who looted the rest of the tomb. The next time a gnome offers them a job they may ask more questions, but hopefully they won't say "All gnomes are evil!" and refuse to play.

The key axiom to bear in mind is that //no one likes to lose//. If betrayal takes the party's victory away from them – as when the villain steals their treasure and they get nothing – the players will be frustrated and angry. If the betrayal simply sets a new storyline in motion, the fun of the past story is not swept away and the players can enjoy their new quest for survival … and revenge.

**Good Today, Bad Tomorrow**

One of the themes of Eberron is that good and evil are not clear cut. An evil vampire can serve the greater good while a noble cleric might, with the best of intentions, set a terrible inquisition in motion. Learning a character's alignment gives you a clue as to how far you can trust her, but it's only one piece of a puzzle.

Where this is true of individuals, it is equally true of organizations. L'Aurum is untrustworthy, but not every member is evil. It can take actions that will have positive results (though there's probably profit for the patron in there somewhere). An organization is a collection of individuals, each with his or her own goals. The trick is to develop contacts the party can trust so, when they get a job from a new member of L'Aurum, they can check with their old ally to see where they stand – assuming, of course, that their old ally hasn't turned against them or been replaced by the Seigneurs Des Cendres. Nothing is ever certain!

**Biting the Hand**

While a party can be betrayed by its patrons or allies, it could also be employed by a patron who is plotting against his own organization. Then the PCs aren't the ones being betrayed. Instead they are the instruments of betrayal. Janius Jen Solan has a scheme to get to the Platinum Concord, but it involves killing a number of powerful members of L'Aurum. If the party assists Janius, the characters stand to gain a considerable amount of local influence. If they fail, they will place themselves in grave dangelr.

Then there is the question of Janius's motives. Is her desire for power fueled by simple greed, or is she actually a disguised member of the Seigneurs Des Cendres, possessed by a spirit from the Rêve Obscur, or a spy for Les Yeux Royaux d'Aundair?

Again, the key is not to steal the party's victory! Even if Janius lied about her motives, the party will still benefit from its association. The characters will get treasure, and experience, and the satisfaction of beating the unpleasant members of L'Aurum. They'll gain a powerful patron in Janius. What happens when they discover that Janius is using them to strike against the King's Citadel? Will they get deeper into the intrigue, or will they betray their former patron?

This level of intrigue isn't for everyone. You may prefer to stick with straightforward dungeon crawls and never worry about the consequences of these tasks. As the Cinq Nations search for ancient weapons and the secret of the Les Terres des Lamentations, however, even dungeon crawls can be tied to political intrigue. Who knows? That magic ring you find in the Gobelin's cave could turn out to be the key to victory in the next war.

----

**Demographics** \\ //By Keith Baker//

Eberron draws on pulp adventure for inspiration. In pulp tales, the heroes are remarkable people with skills and abilities that set them apart from the Commun populace. Eberron attempts to replicate this flavor. In Eberron, an 18th-level character is the stuff of legends. If player characters reach this level of power, they will be among the greatest heroes in the world. There have been heroes with such power in the past, but most have fallen to the passage of time or passed away in the long war. The player characters have the potential to be the heroes of this age, and should the threat of Xoriat return or the Rêve Obscur finally make its move, the party may be the force that kings look to for aid.

Action points separate player characters from the masses. Aside from player characters, only the greatest villains and most important NPCs possess action points. Looking to a novel or movie, fortune often seems to favor the main characters, and this is the purpose of action points: to allow the party to shine even when facing opponents of equivalent power.

Player characters are also distinguished by their PC classes. Most nobles are aristocrats, not fighters and wizards. The typical soldier uses warrior levels, and a Commun priest is an expert or adept, not a cleric. The PC classes are more versatile and powerful than NPC classes: a wizard is far superior to a Mage-artisan, and a cleric outstrips an adept both in battle and in the ability to use divine magic. As a result, even a low-level character with a PC class is a remarkable individual. This does not mean that the characters are the only fighters and wizards in the world.

Just because the bulk of the population uses NPC classes doesn't mean that a DM has to use NPC classes for all of the people who challenge or oppose the party. Elite forces such as the Guerrier de Fer troops produced in La Dernière Guerre, the Artificiers of Maison Bombardier, or the assassins of Maison Thuranni can use PC classes, and there certainly are clerics in the Église de la Flamme d'Argent in addition to experts and adepts. These people are remarkable individuals in their own right, and even at low levels they command respect from those around them. In a world where the average soldier is a 2nd-level warrior, a 5th-level fighter can be an important individual. This is the case in Eberron.

The important thing is that NPCs do not follow the same rules as PCs. They do not acquire experience and advance in levels as player characters do. It's perfectly possible for a Brelon soldier to spend 20 years fighting in the wars and still be a 2nd or 3rd-level warrior. This is not about realism; if it was, you'd never see any 20th-level characters, when you consider the superHumain level of skill this represents. This is about replicating the flavor of movies and novels in which heroes and villains stand far above the Commun folk. The supporting cast shouldn't overOmbre the main characters.

**Challenging Adventurers**

The relative scarcity of high-level NPCs is something that sets Eberron apart from many other published worlds. Some Dungeon Masters may feel that no forces can challenge a high-level party or keep them in check. In terms of enemies, foes exist that can pose a threat to even a 20th-level character. The Chambre can draw on the power of a nation of dragons. The Dévoreur of Dreams can pose a threat to an epic-level party. The Seigneurs Des Cendres are millions of years old and can be as powerful as the DM cares to make them. Should a 50-HD daelkyr ever escape from the seals of Khyber, it will put a dent in most adventurers' days. As described in Chapter Nine of the //Eberron Campaign Setting//, a DM should also consider recurring villains – opponents who grow in power with the party. The Seigneur des Lames is only 12th-level now, so the party has a chance of fighting him and surviving. By the time the party members are 12th-level, he may be 15th; by the time they reach 20th level, he may be an epic foe.

Beyond mere monsters, it's important to remember that there is more to challenge and threat than level numbers. The Marque Du Dragon houses, Église de la Flamme d'Argent, and royal family have influence and resources. Just because the characters are 18th level doesn't mean they should make enemies of Maison Thuranni; a group of 12th-level assassins with specialized equipment, careful strategy, and the advantage of surprise can wipe out a higher level group. A 1st-level innkeeper can put deadly poison in a drink. High-level characters can accomplish amazing feats but they should never become complacent about their mortality or overconfident of their invulnerability.

The flip side of this is that the PCs may find themselves in need of powerful allies. As noted above, level is not necessarily the key factor in determining the value of an ally. Even a 20th-level character can benefit from the Objets Magiques provided by Maison Bombardier. More importantly, the concept of gray alignment in Eberron means that villains themselves may occasionally become allies. The goal of restricting powerful, benevolent NPCs in Eberron is to prevent the party and the world from relying on NPCs to solve their problems for them. If the party needs to forge a temporary alliance with the Filles De Sora Kell or the Seigneur des Lames, that's good drama. How far do you trust your ally, and what happens when you cross paths again?

**Determining Class and Level**

As a result of all of the factors mentioned above, the overall demographics of class and level in the world are different from those presented in Chapter 5 of the //Dungeon Master's Guide.//  Characters who have more than twelve levels in a PC class are truly remarkable, even in the greatest cities of Khorvaire. As a result, when you are determining the highest-level character in an Eberron settlement, use the following tables in place of the ones in the //Dungeon Master's Guide.//

|**Community Modifiers**   ||
|**Community Size** |**Community Modifier** |
|Thorp|-3|
|Hamlet|-2|
|Village|-1|
|Small town|0|
|Large town|2|
|Small city|4|
|Large city|+6 (roll twice) 1|
|Metropolis|+8 (roll three times)1|

1. Cities this large can have more than one high-level NPC per class, each of whom generates lower-level characters of the same class as described in the //Dungeon Master's Guide.//

|**Highest-Level Locals**   ||
|**Class** |**Character Level** |
|Adept|3d4 + community modifier|
|Aristocrat|2d4 + community modifier|
|Artificer3|1d3 + community modifier|
|Barbarian1|1d3 + community modifier|
|Bard|1d4 + community modifier|
|Cleric2|1d3 + community modifier|
|Communer|4d4 + community modifier|
|Druid1|1d3 + community modifier|
|Expert|3d4 + community modifier|
|Fighter4|1d6 + community modifier|
|Mage-artisan|3d4 + community modifier|
|Monk|1d3 + community modifier|
|Paladin2|1d3 + community modifier|
|Ranger1|1d3 + community modifier|
|Rogue|1d6 + community modifier|
|Sorcerer|1d3 + community modifier|
|Warrior|3d4 + community modifier|
|Wizard3|1d3 + community modifier|

1. In areas where these classes are Commun, level is 1d8 + modifier, with a maximum value of 15. Druids are Commun in the Confins d'Eldeen and the Frontières de l'Ombre. Rangers are typically found in the Confins d'Eldeen, Frontières de l'Ombre, Plaines de Talenta, and Valénar. Barbarians can be found in the Les Désolations Démoniaques, Darguun, Droaam, Confins d'Eldeen, Frontières de l'Ombre, and Plaines de Talenta.

2. In Thrane, level is 1d6 + modifier. The culture of Thrane is closely tied to the Église de la Flamme d'Argent, and many of its citizens hear the call of the Flamme d'Argent.

3. In Aundair, level is 1d6 + modifier. In Karrnath, level is 1d4+modifier. Aundair is home to the Congrès Ésotérique and celebrates mystics and Artificiers. Les Douzes has its primary campus in Karrnath, and this results in a slightly higher level of mystical skill.

4. In Karrnath, level is 1d8 + modifier. Karrnath has the strongest martial tradition of the Cinq Nations, and the Rekkenmark Academy produces the finest officers in the land.

While high-level npcs and magic-users are rare in Eberron, the war and applied study of the arcane arts results in a wider spread of lower level characters. For this reason, in communities that are centers of commerce and craft, determine the highest-level NPC normally. The community will have twice as many characters of that class who are two levels below this level (11, 9, 7…), and twice as many 1st-level characters as 2nd-level characters. The remainder of the population should be divided into 1st-level characters as follows: 90% Communers, 5% warriors, 3% experts, 1% Mage-artisans, and 1% divided equally between adepts and aristocrats.

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**Religion in Eberron** \\ //By Keith Baker//

**The Nature of the Gods**

While many of the deities are portrayed with anthropomorphic icons, they do not walk the mortal world or even the known planes. If they exist at all, deities inhabit a higher plane of existence – a realm that cannot be reached with //planar travel//. Some believe that the souls of heroes travel to this realm after passing through the darkness of Dolurrh; while this is a comforting belief, it has never been proven.

If the gods may not even exist, who do you //commune //with? Why do //planar allies //answer your call? Divine magic exists, and most believe that it is a gift from the gods. Something provides answers to //commune//, and a priest believes it to be his deity. A skeptic may counter that it is the collective unconscious or merely a powerful outsider. As for //planar allies//, reverence for the gods is not limited to mortals. Celestials and fiends also worship deities. An archon dedicated to Dol Arrah may never have seen the face of the goddess but it believes in her implicitly, and it will aid those mortals who fight in her name.

Ultimately, belief in a deity is a matter of faith. Each deity represents an ideal and espouses a certain code and approach to life. When you embrace the path of a god, you become part of a community in the mortal world. Perhaps, if you are deeply spiritual, you will gain the power to perform miracles of divine magic. This is what people expect of the gods of Eberron: they affect the world by guiding and empowering their followers, not by manifesting and taking direct action.

**Alignment versus Belief**

One of the major changels in the **Eberron**Campaign Setting is that a cleric's alignment does not have to match that of his deity. A lawful evil cleric can worship a chaotic good god, and he will still receive spells and granted powers. The main question is what this divergent alignment means. It may be that the priest is betraying the ideals of his church. It is equally possible that the priest fervently believes in the principles of his religion but approaches them in an unusual manner. For example, an inquisitor of the Flamme d'Argent may be lawful evil. He is willing to torture and kill in the interest of what he views as "the greater good," and he truly believes that he is carrying out the wishes of the Flame when he does so. Good-aligned members of the church may find his methods abhorrent, but the question is whether his results serve the goals of the church. In the minds of the people, questions of good and evil are far broader than "what can be detected by //detect evil//?" When the Flamme d'Argent began its crusade against lycanthropy, the soldiers knew that there were individual lycanthropes that were not evil. But lycanthropy itsElfe – a curse that could corrupt the body and soul of anyone it touched – was seen as evil, and the sacrifice of innocents was necessary to purge the greater darkness.

**Pantheistic Clerics and the Cleric with No God**

One of the predominant religions of Eberron is the worship of the Légion Souveraine, along with its Ombre, the Sombres Six. Most people worship the entire host and address their prayers to whichever deity suits the needs of the moment. A traveler may offer a prayer to Kol Korran when boarding a ship, give thanks to Olladra after an excellent meal, and make a sacrifice to Dol Dorn when a pirate ship appears on the horizon. Priests typically serve a particular sovereign, but a cleric can choose to worship the pantheon as a whole.

As described on page 35 of the **Eberron**Campaign Setting, it is possible for a cleric to have no god and still perform divine magic. This is not, however, the same as having no beliefs; it still requires a strong commitment to an ideal or a philosophy. The cleric needs to devise his own system of belief and explain how it justifies the domains he has selected, and the DM always has the authority to disallow a combination of domains. The goal is to allow a broad rangel of personal faiths – like the Guerrier de Fer developing their own religions – not to encourage players to pick domains based solely on granted abilities.

**Divine Magic in the World**

Arcane magic is seen as a science. It is a force that can be controlled through formula and incantation. Divine magic is quite different: it is a miracle of faith. True clerics are rare. They are the crusaders of the church, skilled in battle and capable of channeling the power of their deity. The vast majority of priests are experts who possess no spellcasting ability whatsoever. An average religious expert might possess Knowledge (religion), Knowledge (History), Heal, Diplomacy, and Sense Motive, and use these skills to provide spiritual guidance to her community. Most divine spellcasters are adepts, just as most arcane spellcasters are Mage-artisans. A cleric of any level is a remarkable figure.

A side effect of this is that most temples do not sell divine spells. To begin with, many temples don't have a divine spellcaster. Those that do will not sell the gifts of their god for mere gold. If the petitioner is a loyal member of the faith, an adept may aid him at no cost, or the adept may set a price based on the abilities of the adventurer, calling upon him to make a sacrifice to prove his faith or perform a service in the name of the church. The more powerful the spell, the more significant the sacrifice or service. If a nonbeliever serves the cause of the church, it's possible a priest will provide assistance, but a temple is not a marketplace. No one can demand a miracle as if purchasing a spell from a wizard's guild. Needless to say, this makes a character's choice of religion an important decision. A cleric of the Le Sang Divin will never consider helping a follower of the Flamme d'Argent, and you'd be soiling your faith even to ask.

There is a notable exception to this rule: corrupt clerics. Especially in Breland, there are priests who are more interested in lining their pockets than serving the faithful. If you can find such a cleric, you can purchase any spell he can cast, at standard prices.

----

**Dal Quor and Xoriat**

{{  http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/images/eb0925ds_kalashtar.jpg?nolink&200x339|archive.wizards.com_dnd_images_eb0925ds_kalashtar.jpg}}The nature of the Outer Planes is a subject hotly debated by the sages of Eberron. One school of thought claims that the planes are interwoven aspects of a single greater reality. Every battle on Eberron has its reflection on Shavarath, and even the smallest flame touches Fernia. According to this theory, all living creatures have innate spiritual connections to many of the planes. These threads are what draw the soul to Dal Quor to dream, or to Dolurrh after death.

Some think that two planes in particular touch the minds of mortals. Dal Quor, the region of dreams, supposedly binds itsElfe deeply to the imagination of mortal creatures. Xoriat, the source of madness, also serves as a font for all powerful emotions: Some believe that overwhelming rage, sorrow, and even joy all flow from the boiling well of Xoriat.

If this is true, psionic power is the energy of the planes channeled and focused through the lens of the mortal mind. The psychic surge of the wilder draws on the raw emotions of Xoriat, while the focused abilities of the psion are dreams forced upon reality.

**Sarlona: The Kingdom of the Mind**

Sarlona is the seat of psionic power in the //**Eberron**  Campaign Setting//. This is the homeland of the Inspiré and the kalashtar, and duergar, dromites, elans, maenads, and half-Géants are all said to live on or under Sarlona. The elders of Adar believe that the continent once was tied closely to Dal Quor, and that this explains the plethora of psionic creatures. However, all Zone De Manifestations linked to Dal Quor faded when the plane was thrown out of alignment.

Regardless of the reason, Sarlona is home to many psionic creatures.

**Psioniques in Khorvaire**

If Sarlona has ties to Dal Quor, Khorvaire has a long history with Xoriat. The Flagelleur mental are iconic figures of the realm of madness, and the psionic powers of these aberrations are legendary. The Illithides employed psionic tools and weapons in the war against the Empire de Dhakaan, and these treasures could surface in the present day. Both daelkyr and Flagelleur mental enjoy corrupting other creatures, and the fruits of these experiments can be seen in the illithid heritage traits that can appear in almost any creature. Cultes du Dragon d'En-Dessous produce wilders and ardents who draw their power from madness and raw emotion. Zone De Manifestations could affect Psioniques just as they do magic; as such, a zone linked to Xoriat would be an excellent place to find a caller in darkness, and wilders of the Dragon d'En-dessous would build their holy sites in these fortresses of terror.

These ties to Xoriat allow Psioniques to appear in the wilds of Khorvaire . . . but what about its civilizations? If a DM wants to give Psioniques a deeper role in his campaign, here are a few paths to explore.

**The Principautés de Lhazaar. **The people of the Principautés de Lhazaar cling to many traditions of old Sarlona – traditions long forgotten by the citizens of the Cinq Nations. Psioniques weren't Commun in Sarlona before the coming of the Inspiré, but a few kingdoms explored the psionic arts, and a few of the principalities may have preserved these techniques, albeit hidden from prying eyes. If a DM is using //Complete Psionic//, the Six Hidden Houses easily could be spread across the inland region of the Principautés de Lhazaar.

**Quorienen Inspiration. **The Inspiré and the kalashtar are gifted psions, and either group could choose to share their techniques with the people of Khorvaire. In the case of the kalashtar, this would likely be a purely benevolent action, combined with teaching the principles of the Voie de la Lumière. On the other side of the coin, if the Rêve Obscur begins training psions, it probably has a hidden agenda . . . for example, creating a cell that will eventually be tricked into serving as host bodies for Quorienen spirits. The Rêve Obscur can hide its hand easily by using possessed Humains, so people won't realize they are being trained by the Inspiré. While the kalashtar are likely to focus on powers with peaceful applications, the Rêve Obscur may create more sinister forces – a guild of soulknife assassins, mercenary psychic warriors, or telepathic spies, who might not even realize the role they are playing in the great game of the Quorien.

| \\ **Optional Rule: Kalashtar and Inspiré Without Psioniques** \\  \\ If you choose not to use Psioniques in a campaign, make the following changels to kalashtar racial traits. \\  \\ **Favored Class:** Sorcerer. \\  \\ **Natural Sorcerer: **When determining the bonus spells received for any spontaneous arcane spellcasting class (such as bard or sorcerer), a kalashtar receives a +2 bonus to his effective Charisma. This bonus has no effect on the saving throw DC of spells, and it does not allow the kalashtar to cast spells of a higher level than he would normally have access to. This takes the place of the Naturally Psionic racial trait. \\  \\ **Spell-Like Abilities: **//Mindlink // (1/day). Use the description of the ability as described in the //**Eberron** Campaign Setting//. This takes the place of the psi-like //mindlink //ability. \\  \\ These same modifications should be applied to Inspiré empty vessels, although they do not receive the //mindlink //spell-like ability.|

**National Security. **In a time of war, nations are always searching for new weapons. With the increasing level of commerce between Sarlona and Khorvaire, the leaders of the Cinq Nations are slowly learning about the potential of psionic powers. Many may ignore these foreign traditions. Aundair places its trust in arcane magic, while Thrane relies on the divine might of the Flamme d'Argent. However, Karrnath and Brelandemay choose to explore the psionic arts, either to find ways to counter telepathic spies or to create their own psychic operatives. The King's Lanternes Sourdes of Brelandemay be training a unit of lurks, while the Karrns are exploring the battlefield potential of kineticists. Of course, what happens if the top psions in the agency turn out to be Quorienen sleeper agents?

**Removing Psioniques from Eberron**

This article focuses on ways to expand the role of Psioniques in the //**Eberron**  Campaign Setting//. However, some Dungeon Masters may prefer to remove these powers entirely, creating a world in which magic is the sole source of supernatural power.

By default, the primary vector for Psioniques are the kalashtar, Inspiré, and land of Sarlona. If a DM wants to ignore Psioniques, the simplest answer is to strip these elements from the game. It's easy enough to say that the Quorienen remain trapped in Dal Quor and never touched the minds of mortals; all that remains is for the DM to decide what new force dominates Sarlona. The Seigneurs Des Cendres could be the masters of Riedra. It might be a kingdom of aberrations, ruled by illithid Les Tyrans and vile aboleths. Or it might be a mundane Humain nation, maintaining traditions abandoned by the settlers of Khorvaire.

If a DM doesn't want to use Psioniques, but still enjoys the story of the kalashtar and their struggle against the Rêve Obscur, there are other options. Instead of psychic power, the kalashtar and Inspiré could be natural sorcerers, with an innate talent for shaping arcane energy. A DM who takes this approach may wish to create an arcane equivalent of the //mind seed //power, as this is a critical tool for the Quorienen agenda; if such a spell exists, it will be a closely guarded treasure of the Rêve Obscur.

**Military Honors**

In any military force, merit is generally recognized through advancement in rank and by the awarding of decorations.

**Ranks**

Rank plays an important role in any military campaign. Those used in the armies of the Cinq Nations are based on the old army of Galifar and are given below in ascending order.

|**Title** |**Ranking**   |
|Soldier|0|
|Sergeant|1|
|Lieutenant|2|
|Captain|3|
|Major|4|
|Colonel|5|
|General|6|
|Warlord|7|

In Karrnath, warlord is also a hereditary title bestowed on the highest-ranking nobles of the land. Those who rise to the top of the military chain receive an additional qualifier. Thus, Karrn General Thauram is also a warlord, but he serves under First Warlord Gruden du Erdei, who fills the role of warlord in terms of military rank.

**Decorations**

Military decorations vary according to nation. High-level decorations are often minor Objets Magiques designed to protect the honored hero. For example, Breland's greatest champions are often presented with //Handan's shroud,//  a crimson //cloak of resistance +1.//  Lesser decorations, such as the Black Badge of Shadukar or Cyre's Sword of the Southern Front, may be tied to specific battles or campaigns. In like manner, Karrns placed in command of an Mort-vivant unit earn the right to wear the Skull of Atur.

----

//"Your sigil creates, child of Bombardier. Mine holds the power to destroy."//– Rotting Bal, Tarkanan Enforcer

{{  http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/images/eb20070416_dragonshard_Marqué par le Dragon.jpg?nolink&240x303|archive.wizards.com_dnd_images_eb20070416_dragonshard_Marqué par le Dragon.jpg}}The aberrant lords of La Guerre des Marques wielded terrible powers. Madness, flame, and plague were the least of their weapons. These tales Inspiré the superstitions that haunt the bearers of Marque Aberrante du Dragon to this day. But in the centuries since La Guerre des Marques, no aberrant mark has ever bestowed the sort of powers seen in the past.

Until now.

Over the last few years, aberrant marks have been appearing with greater frequency. And for the first time in over a thousand years, some who carry these marks have seen the twisted sigil grow in size and power . . . mirroring the Lesser and Greater Marques du Dragon of the pure houses. These are the children of Khyber: the aberrant lords of the age to come.

**Becoming a Child of Khyber**

Like the pure Marques du Dragon, Marque Aberrante du Dragon are a mystery. One cannot simply choose to be a child of Khyber. It may be random chance, or the Dragon d'En-dessous may be picking its champions in a war that is to come. However it works, the power seems to choose its vessel, not the other way around. Most children of Khyber do share a few Commun traits aside from their Marques du Dragon: They are uniformly gifted people – a cut above the Commun masses. And most possess a dark outlook on life; while they may not be evil, many are cynical, ruthless, brooding, sElfeish, or even insane. This could reflect the influence of the aberrant Marque Du Dragon, or merely the fact that those who bear aberrant marks often lead difficult lives: Whatever the reason, truly noble souls cannot become children of Khyber.

At present, most children of Khyber are loners. However, the criminal Maison Tarkanan is extremely interested in recruiting the children of Khyber. Many of the Cultes du Dragon d'En-Dessous believe those who bear Marque Aberrante du Dragon are blessed by Khyber, and aberrant heirs can wield great influence among such cults. The children of Khyber are few in number and spread across Khorvaire, but as more time passes, more and more will place their powers in the service of a greater cause.

**Playing a Child of Khyber**

You can feel your power festering within you. It's different for every child of Khyber. One feels a chill no warmth can push away, while another complains of fire burning beneath his skin. An heir with the power of //confusion //feels the force of madness in his mind, trying to claw its way out and feast on the thoughts of others. Your mark may bring you pain. It may whisper to you as you try to sleep. But it is a part of you. To others it may sound like a curse; but without that knot of dark energy within, you don't know who you'd be.

Odds are you've had a difficult life. Most aberrant heirs do. Even before your mark appeared, you felt a distance from those around you. And how did your mark first manifest? Did you char a childhood friend with an accidental burst of flame, or //charm //the object of your unrequited affections? Whatever happened, once the mark appeared, you were likely the subject of fear and suspicion. Perhaps you were driven from your home, or perhaps you chose to travel, hiding your mark and finding comfort in the company of stRangers. Only one friend has remained with you through all your journeys – that twisted mark that burns on your skin, the power waiting to be unleashed.

And now your mark is growing. Not just the sigil on the skin, or the power you can channel through it. You can feel a darkness flowing through you, growing with each passing day. You know that there is no place for you in the light: You can feel it in your soul. But only you can decide if you will embrace this Ombre that lies within and accept your destiny as one of the children of Khyber . . . or whether you resist the call of darkness, and follow the hero's path.

**Combat**

The children of Khyber can follow many different paths, and there is no single style of combat that applies to them all. If you are a barbarian with the power of //fire shield//, you'll want to call on your flames and charge into the fray . . . while if you're a rogue with the abilities of //charm person //and //suggestion,//  you'll want to hang back and let others do the fighting. Look for synergy between your aberrant powers and the skills of your base class, and use these to determine your optimum strategies.

**Advancement**

You didn't choose your powers. You never asked to manifest an aberrant Marque Du Dragon, and you certainly didn't expect it to expand further, spreading out across your skin like a cancer. You've heard of Marque Aberrante du Dragon, but it has been over a thousand years since the world has seen one of such size and power. Only you know what it means to you. When your mark grew, did you revel in your newfound might? Or were you terrified, worried about what might happen next?

A child of Khyber has no set path of advancement. As with combat tactics, everything depends on your original class background and on the powers of your mark. Your skills are oriented around survival: Those who discover your true nature will fear your power, and keen senses and the ability to move unseen in city or the wilds may be your only hope in the days to come. Feats such as Hideous Strength and Death Curse can further enhance the powers of your Marque Du Dragon, but if your background is that of a rogue or fighter, you may be better off choosing feats that build on those skills.

**Resources**

You may never have seen another child of Khyber; your aberrant kin are few in number and spread across the world. As a result, you have no special resources to draw upon. Children of Khyber often feel an instinctive bond with one another, a reflection of your aberrant affinity class ability . . . but this doesn't mean that another aberrant will risk her life for you.

If your aberrant mark earns you a place in Maison Tarkanan or in a Culte du Dragon d'En-Dessous, you may gain access to additional resources. See //Sharn: Cité des Tours //for more information on the benefits of associating with Maison Tarkanan.

**Children of Khyber in the World**

//"My ancestors put your kind to the sword, warped one. Let me show you what happens when you challenge your betters."//– Jaxon de Bombardier, Bombardier Sorcerer

Less than four years have passed since the first child of Khyber felt his aberrant Marque Du Dragon growing and spreading across his skin. Whether it is the will of the Dragon d'En-dessous or some sinister after-effect of the Mourning, the spread of aberrant power is a recent development. Most children of Khyber choose to conceal their powers and keep to L'Ombres. But one organization is actively searching for those who bear Marque Aberrante du Dragon: Maison Tarkanan.

**Daily Life**

Any bloodline can be touched by the aberrant taint. None can predict where or when an aberrant mark will manifest . . . and as such, none can predict the lifestyle of the aberrant heir. Some become wanderers; others turn to lives of crime. A few conceal their marks and continue their normal lives, ignoring the whispering voice of Khyber at the edge of their thoughts and dreams.

Maison Tarkanan is a criminal guild with growing influence in many of the great cities of Khorvaire. Children of Khyber who join Maison Tarkanan are trained in the use of their aberrant marks and also encouraged to develop skills that can serve the guild directly. An heir with powers of //charm person //or //suggestion //usually becomes a con artist or extortionist, while one with a //poison //touch may be trained as an assassin. The lords of Maison Tarkanan believe that a second Guerre des Marques is inevitable, and this filters through the daily life of house members: Tarkanans learn to see their comrades as fellow soldiers in an army and to consider all non-aberrants as potential enemies.

**Organization**

As a whole, the children of Khyber have no organization. They are spread across Khorvaire, and most hide from the light. However, Maison Tarkanan provides a haven and a power base for those aberrants it locates. Maison Tarkanan is organized as a mocking reflection of a Maison Marquée du Dragon. At the bottom it is a criminal guild, focusing on the businesses of theft and murder. Above this, the "barons" manage regional affairs and coordinate the continuing effort to locate and train additional aberrant heirs. Profits from the activities of the house are reinvested in additional safehouses and supplies, as the leaders prepare for their eventual war.

The current matriarch of Maison Tarkanan is Thora Tavin (LE female Humain rogue 6/assassin 6/child of Khyber 2). Thora holds court in Sharn, but she has a supernatural gift for sensing the presence of others with aberrant marks (a variation of the Shield of Siberys feat presented in //Marqué par le Dragon//) and she spends much of her time traveling Khorvaire in search of new recruits.

**NPC Reactions**

While the power of superstition has faded with time, many people are still suspicious of those who bear aberrant marks. This is especially strong in smaller communities. In a vast metropolis like Sharn, where people deal with harpies, Guerrier de Fer, Gargouilles, and ogres, an aberrant mark doesn't seem so frightening; but in a small Thranish farming village, people still consider the aberrant mark to be the touch of darkness. So there is no hard rule, but a child of Khyber may receive an unfriendly reaction from those who discover his true nature . . . or at least a grudging and suspicious indifference.

Some aberrants are coming to the conclusion that they should stand together in the face of fear and possible persecution, and a child of Khyber has a greater ability to influence those who bear aberrant marks. However, this is not enough to ensure a friendly reaction from all aberrants; many remain suspicious and indifferent to all stRangers, even others bearing Marque Aberrante du Dragon.

**Children of Khyber in Your Game**

The children of Khyber are few in number and secretive by nature, and they should not have a major impact on the daily lives of adventurers. However, Maison Tarkanan could come to be an important ally for characters that possess aberrant marks . . . or a dangelrous enemy of a party working in the service of the Maisons Marquées Du Dragon. An individual child of Khyber could be a vicious killer, driven mad by his power; a cool and calculating assassin, seeking vengeance against the Maisons Marquées Du Dragon for the wrongs done to his ancestors; or a renegade unjustly persecuted for the mark she bears on her skin, simply trying to survive in a hostile world. And is the resurgence of aberrant power a harbinger of a great evil on the rise? Might the Marque Du Dragon houses renew their persecution of the aberrant heirs? The answers to these questions are in your hands. You could choose to simply use Maison Tarkanan as a colorful criminal guild, distinguished by the powers of its members; or you could make it the center of a campaign revolving around a renewed war between the aberrants and their pure-mark cousins.

**Adaptation**

If you wish to provide children of Khyber with even greater versatility, the improved aberrant Marque Du Dragon and improved lesser aberrant Marque Du Dragon class abilities could give a character the choice of an additional use of an existing ability or allow him to choose an additional ability from the appropriate list, meaning that a 4th-level child of Khyber could have two aberrant mark abilities, two lesser aberrant mark abilities, and one greater aberrant mark ability. Because aberrant Marque Du Dragon abilities are not thematically linked in the same way as the pure marks, this can provide a child of Khyber with considerable versatility, so think carefully before incorporating this optional rule.

**Sample Child of Khyber**

Rotting Bal derives his name from the sores that cover his skin, an apparent side effect of his powerful aberrant Marque Du Dragon. Bal was born in the Frontières de l'Ombre, in a hidden monastery dedicated to the Dragon d'En-dessous; he learned martial arts at the feet of a dolgaunt master. But he always felt a certain distance from the other monks. The promises of Xoriat felt empty: Bal was driven by different visions. When Thora Tavin came to his monastery, he knew she held the key to his destiny. Bal is utterly devoted to Thora and would give his life to protect her. With his lethal touch, he is one of the deadliest people in Sharn, and he serves Maison Tarkanan as assassin and enforcer. While he is fanatically devoted to the Tarkanan cause and has no compunctions about killing, he is no fool; he can be reasoned with and would rather avoid unnecessary conflict if possible.

The Lesser Aberrant Marque Du Dragon and Greater Aberrant Marque Du Dragon feats can be found in //Marqué par le Dragon//. Death Curse and Hideous Strength will be presented in an upcoming Dragonshard, but you can replace them with other feats for now.

**Rotting Bal CR 10** \\ Male Humain monk 6/child of Khyber 4 \\ [[:humainoidee|Humainoïdee]] \\
**[[:init|Init]]** +3; **Senses**  Listen +8, Spot +11 \\ **Languages**  Commun, UnderCommun \\ {{http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/images/grey_newline.jpg?nolink&200x7|archive.wizards.com_dnd_images_grey_newline.jpg}} \\ **[[:ac|AC]]**18, touch 17, [[:flat-footed|]] 15 \\
(+3 Dex, +1 deflection, +1 natural, +2 Wisdom, +1 monk) \\
**[[:hp|]]**54 (10 [[:hd|HD]]) \\
**Immune **normaldisease \\ **Resist **evasion \\ **[[:fort|Fort]]** +11, **[[:ref|Ref]]** +13, **[[:will|Will]]** +12; +2 against enchantment \\ **Action Points**  2 \\ {{http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/images/grey_newline.jpg?nolink&200x7|archive.wizards.com_dnd_images_grey_newline.jpg}} \\ **[[:speed|Speed]]**60 ft. (12 [[:squares|]]) \\
**[[:melee|Melee]]**unarmed strike +10/+5 (1d8+3) or \\ touch attack +10 (//vampiric touch//, //slay living, //or trip) or \\ unarmed strike +9/+9/+4 (1d8+3) with flurry of blows \\ **[[:base_atk|Base Atk]]** +7; **[[:grp|Grp]]** +14 \\ **Atk Options **Combat Expertise, Improved Grapple, Improved Trip, Power Attack, //ki //strike (magic), slow fall (30 ft.) \\ **Spell-Like Abilities**  (CL 16th): \\ 2/day – //shield //  (CL 5th), //vampiric touch//  (4d6; CL 8th) \\ 1/day – //slay living //  (DC 15; CL 10th) \\ **Combat Gear**  two //potions of mage armor, potion of cure moderate wounds, potion of bull's strength, //potion bracer \\ {{http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/images/grey_newline.jpg?nolink&200x7|archive.wizards.com_dnd_images_grey_newline.jpg}} \\ **Abilities **  [[:str|Str]] 16*, [[:dex|Dex]] 16, [[:con|Con]] 12, [[:int|Int]] 13, [[:wis|Wis]] 14, [[:cha|Cha]] 10 \\
**SQ**  aberrant affinity (+4) \\ **Feats **Aberrant Marque Du Dragon, Combat Expertise, Death Curse*, Deflect Arrows[B], Greater Aberrant Marque Du Dragon[B], Hideous Strength*, Improved Grapple[B], Improved Trip[B], Lesser Aberrant Marque Du Dragon[B], Power Attack \\ **Skills**  Balance +9, Climb +6, Heal +4, Hide +14, Jump +26, Knowledge(local) +3, Listen +8, Move Silently +10, Open Lock +7, Search +7, Sense Motive +6, Spot +11, Tumble +13 \\ **Possessions**//gauntlets of ogre power//, //amulet of natural armor +1,////boots of striding and springing, darkweave cloak of resistance +1, ring of protection +1// \\ {{http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/images/grey_newline.jpg?nolink&200x7|archive.wizards.com_dnd_images_grey_newline.jpg}} \\ **Hook**  "Shall we compare our gifts, child of the Dragon Above?"

R E G R ETS dlO Regret W h i l e you were serving i n the Last War, you were forced to abandon an injured comrade. You d o n 't know if they s u rvived. 2 You p laced your faith i n a lover who betrayed you . You don't know if you can ever trust anyone again. 3 You m u rdered a riva l . You r actions may have been justified, but their face sti l l h a u nts you. 4 You made a promise to a c h i l d or a lover that you fai led to keep. 5 You squandered you r fa m i ly's fortune and brought shame and ruin to you r household. 6 You made a barga i n with an extraplanar entity that you now regret. 7 You abandoned you r fa m i ly to pursue a l i fe of adventure. Your village was destroyed i n the war a n d you don't know if they su rvived. 8 You engaged in covert operations for a nation as a spy or soldier. W h i l e you were serving you r country, you did u nforgivable t h i ngs. 9 Someone put their trust in you a n d you betrayed them for personal gain. You m ight regret it now, but you can never rep a i r the dam age you've done. 1 0 You volu nteered for mystical experiments. These may be responsible for you r class abi lities, but you m ight experience side effects.

WHY D o You NEED 200 GOLD PrncEs? A regret helps shape your personality a s a n element of your past that plays an ongoing role in your story. But perhaps you have a problem that needs to be resolved right now. Another way to define a character's flaw is to roll on the Debts table. Why would you want to take on a debt? The obligation adds depth to a character and provides a compelling, immediate motive for adventuring-you're not just out to get rich; you need gold to get that bounty off your head. It's also an opportunity to establish an element that can be part of a character moving forward. If you're trying to reclaim a magic item from a pawnshop, you declare that your character once owned that magic item-an heirloom, something you created, or a gift from a mentor- you've just temporarily lost it. If you're trying to raise money to join a secret society, it suggests that membership in this organization may be a part of the story later on. Establishing a debt requires collaboration and approval by both player and DM. Work together to develop the details: Who's blackmailing you? Which secret society are you trying to join? What's the story behind the magic item you've pawned, and what sort of item is it? You can present ideas, but the DM has final approval. D E BTS d l O Debt You committed a cri m e d u ring the Last War, and now you're being blackmai l ed by someone who has proof. You can justify you r actions, but the law won't care. 2 You've got a gam b l i ng proble m . If you can't repay Daask (see chapter 3) , you're goi n g to be playing tag with a cockatrice. 3 You own an u ncommon magic ite m , but you had to sell it to a pawn shop. If you can't reclaim it within the month, they'll sell it off. 4 You were making a del ivery on behalf of the Boromar Clan (see chapter 3) and you l ost the merchandise. 5 Someone knows the whereabouts of a s i b l i ng or loved one you thought lost in the M ourning, but that i nform ation is goi n g to cost you . 6 You have a degenerative d isease that can't be cu red by m u ndane means. If you can't get a lesser restoration soon, you're goi n g to start showing symptoms. 7 You r fam ily lost everything in the Last War. You could get them a stake in a new far m , inn, o r stagecoach with 200 gp. 8 You've got a price on your head. Until you settle t h i ngs with House Tharash k , you'd better keep an eye out for bounty h u nters. 9 You have an opportu nity to join an i nfluential secret society. B ut you've got only one month to raise the membership d u es . 1 0 R o l l again. I t ' s not your debt: it's you r lover's problem. Can you solve the p ro b l e m before they have to face the consequences?

----

M E D I C I N E The dragonmarked House Brunet maintains houses of healing across Khorvaire. The simplest service is the expert application of the Medicine skill. For those with desperate need and gold to pay, most Brunet outposts can provide lesser restoration ; the best healers can also provide greater restoration. In the finest Brunet enclaves, it's even possible to raise the dead. The Healing Services table summarizes typical prices for the services provided by House Brunet.

H EA L I N G S E R V I C E S \\ Service \\ M i nor nonmagical care \\ M ajor nonm agical care \\ Cure wounds \\ Lesser restoration \\ Remove curse \\ Greater restoration \\ Raise dead \\ Cost \\ 3 sp per use of the Medicine s k i l l \\ 1 gp p e r day \\ 25 gp per level of the spell \\ so gp \\ 75 gp \\ 1 50 gp \\ 750 gp

----

TRANSPORTATION \\ An excellent system of roads connects the central nations \\ of Khorvaire. Travelers can always make their way \\ by horse or coach, which might employ draft animals \\ magebred by House Létourneau for speed or endurance. \\ House Létourneau also supplies exotic mounts such as hippogriffs \\ and griffons. Elemental galleons use bound air \\ or water elementals to propel them. \\ Two main options provide long-distance travel across \\ land. Major cities in Khorvaire are linked by the lightning \\ rail of House Orien, which allows you to avoid the \\ perils-and tedium-of the roads. The lightning rail \\ uses bound elementals to pull a train of carriages over a \\ path of magical stones, between which a rail-like stream \\ of lightning arcs. \\ If speed is an issue, you can book passage on a House \\ Lyrandar airship, which uses a bound elemental to hold \\ a ship aloft and propel it through the air. This is almost \\ the fastest way to travel, but also the most expensive. \\ Elemental airships are a recent innovation and are relatively \\ rare; many cities don't yet have docking towers. \\ For those with no time to spare and plenty of money \\ to spend, House Orien also has teleportation circles in \\ each of its enclaves in cities across Khorvaire. At significant \\ cost, a member of the house will transport passengers \\ instantaneously from one enclave to another. \\ The Travel Services table summarizes the cost of traveling \\ by these extraordinary means.

TRAV E L S E R V I CES \\ Service \\ Airship (House Lyrandar) \\ Elemental galleon (House Lyrandar) \\ Lightn i n g rail (House Orien) \\ M agebred coach (House Orien) \\ Teleportation circle (House O rien) \\  \\ Cost \\ 1 gp per mile \\ 5 s p per m i l e \\ 5 sp p e r m i le \\ 3 sp per m i le \\ 2, 500 gp \\ Speed \\ 20 m p h \\ l O m p h \\ 30 m p h \\ 5 m p h \\ I n stant

\\


G O B L I N O I D N PCs
d8 NPC
A hobgoblin bard of the Kech Volaar leads an elite team of dungeon delvers to recover Dhakaani artifacts
from ancient ruins .
2 A remarkably intelligent gob l i n studying at Arcan i x
or Morgrave is actually a Khesh'dar s p y identifying
tomes of arcane knowledge worth steal ing.
3 A Dhakaani strike fo rce assau lts a museum or a
noble's private holdi ngs, reclaiming gob l i n artifacts
"pillaged " from ruins. These relics could be part of
an eld ritch machine, or cou l d s i m ply have i m portant
ceremonial value.
4 A gobl i n s py stirs up trouble among the city gob l i n s i n
a major city, u s i n g tales o f their former glory to i ncite
them to violence.
5 A strin g of mysterious bombings are actual ly the work
of Dhakaani sappers testing the strength of modern
fortifications.
6 A Dhakaani strike force attacks a Deneith outpost
b u ilt atop a goblin r u i n . Are the goblins just angry
a bout the desecration, or is somet h i n g h idden beneath
the outpost?
7 A bugbear of the Kech Sharaat, to test the mettle of
the adventu rers, engages them in a series of guerrilla
attacks as they are traveling through the wilderness.
8 A hobgo b l i n warlock seeks to harness the power of
the daelkyr or the fiendish overlords to w i n the i m perial
crown for her kech.
GOBLINOID CAMPAIGN THE M E S
The Heirs o f Dhakaan are a substantial military
threat. The goblins can clash with adventurers while
they are exploring ancient ruins, or they can launch
strikes against outposts or vaults the adventurers are
guarding. Whatever the Dhakaani do, it should be part
of a mission objective. Is the goal to strengthen their
kech? Gather information about the enemy? Recover
Dhakaani relics?
Initially the Dhakaani should be mysterious: remarkably
skilled goblins that fight to the death or disappear
into the shadows. The characters might logically assume
that they are Darguul mercenaries. Over time, the
adventurers should learn more about them and realize
that they are the advance force of a great army.
The Heirs of Dhakaan can remain an enigmatic
foe, encountered only when they attack. But a group
of adventurers could come to earn the respect of their
Dhakaani foes and learn more about the enemy. Perhaps
a group of adventurers chooses to respect the
Dhakaani's claim to an artifact, surrendering it willingly.
If they do so, they could find out more about the goblins
and the struggle for leadership among the clans. Of all
the goblins, the Kech Volaar are the most interested in
understanding the people of Khorvaire; if there's any
chance to negotiate a peace with Dhakaan, it would be
with this clan.
As far as the goblins are concerned, humans stole
their lands, pillaged their tombs, and enslaved their
descendants. The Dhakaani aren't evil, but they believe
humanity to be brutal and cruel, people without muut or
atcha. Faced with an adventurer wielding a magic sword
taken from a Dhakaani ruin, the Heirs of Dhakaan are
rightfully angry and violent in their response to this
tomb robber.
H EIRS OF DHAKAAN
ADVENTURE HOOKS
The Heirs of Dhakaan Adventure Hooks table offers
some options for kicking off stories that involve
the Dhakaani.
H E I R S O F 0 H A K A A N ADVE N T U R E H OO K S
d l 2 Adventure Hook
A scout patrol has gone missing near the border of
Darguu n .
2 A m i n i n g tunnel has collapsed, revealing a network
of caverns leadi n g i nto Khyber. The Heirs of D hakaan
are waiting in the darkness and decide to strike fi rst.
3 A squad of gob l i n s attempts to steal back spo i l s of
a recent adventure, cursing the characters for being
grave robbers.
4 A lone hobgoblin warrior stands at the gates of a
town, intent on d u eling the m ercenary capta i n who
slew their brother. The warrior has a l ready kil led ten
soldiers that tried to remove them.
5 Race against a D hakaani force to recover an ancient
artifact from a r u i n .
6 Defend a series of temples against Dhakaani raiders
ta rgeting these " houses of false gods."
7 Explorers d iscover a fragment of an ancient Dhakaani
song that seems to tel l of the true heir of Dhakaan .
The complete lyrics might settle the q u estion of
succession.
8 The Dhakaani begin kidnapping warforged so that
their artificers can learn how to make their own construct
soldiers.
9 I n a sacked h u m a n settlement, a battle between two
opposing forces of gob l i noids breaks out. Which side
was the cause of the destruction?
10 The Kech Sharaat send e missaries to a nearby city
with a s i m ple message: abandon the town wit h i n one
week, or die.
1 1 Goblin scouts have been spotted fa r from Dargu u n ,
moving with uncharacteristic coord i n ation a n d
precision.
12 A representative of the Kech Volaar approaches the
characters to request their help i n confronting their
rivals to maintain the balance of power among the
D hakaan i .




Playing Dhakaani Characters
There are a few factors to consider when creating a dar character. This section examines questions about the story—What’s your clan? What’s your background? In addition, chapter 6 presents three new racial options for Dhakaani player characters, along with two new class archetypes associated with the Dhakaani: the Forge Adept artificer specialist, and the bardic College of the Dirge Singer.
S
tarting at 1st Level
The Dhakaani are among the most effective and elite forces on Khorvaire. They possess excellent training and techniques, exceptional discipline, and masterful equipment. If you’re in a campaign where characters are starting at a higher level, this isn’t an issue. But what if you’re starting at level 1? Dhakaani fighters are often Battle Master or Samurai fighters in adamantine armor, but you don’t gain your archetype until you’ve been adventuring outside your kech for several levels. Here are four ideas of how to explain the inconsistency:
Disorientation. You don’t have your traditional equipment, and it takes you a little time to get used to working with this inferior gear. You’re not used to working with chaat’oor; they don’t respond to your obvious cues, and their behavior constantly confuses you. The wide sky above is extremely disorienting, as you’ve spent much of your life underground. And worst of all is the smell. It’s going to take you a few adventures to get your groove back.
Injury. You’ve suffered a significant physical or psychological injury and it’s going to take you a while to recover. Frankly, after everything you’ve been through, it’s impressive that you’re even capable of functioning as well as you do. Is it a mundane injury, or something more exotic? Maybe you were possessed by a quori for a few years and you’re still reclaiming your identity. Or perhaps you were struck by shards of an exploding dragonshard; once you’re fully recovered, might those same slivers explain some of your unusual class abilities?
Working Undercover. Most clans don’t want the world to know their full history and capabilities. You would rather be mistaken for a Darguul or city goblin, and are keeping a low profile. You don’t have adamantine armor because it would raise questions, and you intentionally conceal your full capabilities until you trust your fellow adventurers enough to reveal your true talents.
Personal Growth. All of your training up to this point has set you on this path; your past life experience readied you for the new skills you’re learning today. You underwent endless training while in your kech, but the pieces didn’t click into place until you spent time fighting in the field. One month of adventuring didn’t trump a decade of intense training, but it helped to trigger it.
Ultimately, this is all about creating a story to carry you through your first few adventures. It doesn’t have to be a flawless explanation, just use your imagination and keep adventuring; soon, you’ll reach level 3!
Clan and Purpose
The dar went into hiding thousands of years ago to avoid the Kapaa’vola. They have only recently emerged from those deep vaults and reclaimed fortresses on the surface. As a dar character, you were surely born in one of the deep vaults and indoctrinated into the traditions of your clan. Consider the following questions about your character’s origins:
Which clan are you tied to? Are you one of the Kech Volaar, or are you a hermit from the Kech Uul? Consider the list of clans from the previous section and see which works best for the story you want to tell.
What was your role within your clan? The Dhakaani are armies, working with limited resources and absolute focus. Everyone had a function to perform, likely reflected by your background and your class. What training did you receive, and what was the purpose of that training? Were you a soldier? Were you being prepared for a military specialty (possibly reflected by your choice of archetype)? If you’re a bard, were you trained to inspire troops on the battlefield or were you primarily a diplomatic envoy? You wouldn’t have been pushed into a role unless you showed an aptitude for it—but did you like the role you were given, or was it a path you had to follow?
Why have you left your clan? Despite the demands of muut and the shaping influence of the Uul Dhakaan, every dar is a unique individual with their own passions and drives. Ultimately, what do you most care about? Do you believe in the dream of the Dhakaani Empire? Do you want to become the next emperor, or do you simply want to help your people thrive? Have you rejected the bond of muut and turned your back on the empire? Or are you seeking atcha and chasing a personal story—a quest for vengeance against the defiling chaat’oor, or completing the ancient vow of an ancestor? The Dhakaani Departures table suggests some reasons a dar might leave their clan.
Dhakaani Departures
d8
Reason For Leaving
1
You were exiled for betraying your clan. Was this a crime of passion or a calculated decision?
2
Your clan assigned you a particular role, but you want to follow a different path. What is it? Do you hope you can return to your clan once you prove you’re on the right path?
3
You’ve had a dream-vision of an ancestor’s unfinished quest and you’re determined to see it through. Does this involve the daelkyr? The Tairnadal elves? A lost artifact?
4
You’ve been sent into the world to gather information on the gath’dar. Is there a particular nation or region you’re supposed to learn about?
5
You’re supposed to find a lost Dhakaani artifact and return it to your clan leader. What is the artifact? Do you have any leads?
6
You’re an envoy for your leader. Are you supposed to pursue a particular alliance—perhaps with a nation or a dragonmarked house? Or are you simply looking for any valuable allies?
7
You’re supposed to deliver a message to an undercover operative in a distant land. They’ll give you further instructions.
8
You need to overthrow your clan leader. Is this driven by personal vengeance? Or do you feel your leader has betrayed the clan, or been subverted by outside forces? Whatever the reason, you’ll need to find powerful allies and hone your skills before you return.
Background
Your clan and character motivations often suggest a logical choice for your background. However, certain background features don’t make much sense for a Dhakaani character. Soldier is a logical background for a dar fighter, but your Military Rank feature is unrecognized outside your clan. Likewise, it makes sense for a golin’dar from the Kech Draal to have the skills of a guild artisan, but you don’t have membership in any guild known in the Five Nations.
Your background can be used to reflect your current mission as opposed to your basic training. If you’re operating undercover, you might have been taught the skills of a charlatan and set up with a solid False Identity, even if you’re a plain-spoken soldier at heart. As a Shaarat’khesh monk, the urchin background can reflect your training and familiarity with cities, even though you were never an abandoned child. As one of the Kech Uul, the hermit background could represent your long isolation in Jhazaal’s dream—and your Discovery could be a revelation you found in the dream, whether it concerns the future of the empire or something of even greater import.
Chapter 6 includes two variant background features for use with Dhakaani characters of any background. In addition, the Dhakaani Trinkets table below suggests simple items that your character might carry from their past; your DM might let you select one of these as your trinket, or to substitute it for another small item from your background equipment. What’s its story? Why do you carry it today?
Dhakaani Trinkets
d12
Item
1
A large, well-worn copper coin. One side bears the profile of a stern female hobgoblin, the other shows six intertwined crowns.
2
The hilt of an ancient dagger. The pommel is inscribed with the word “chot” and the image of an eye.
3
A collar of black leather with adamantine spikes, sized to fit the neck of a large creature.
4
A miniature set of sturdy mason’s tools designed for the use of a small creature. The tools are in perfect condition; an enchantment repels the effects of age and minor damage.
5
A brass hair pin in the shape of a sword, nicked and worn with age.
6
A black leather mask designed to cover the lower face of a small humanoid, depicting the mouth of a snarling wolf.
7
A mithral armband in the shape of a serpent; the snake’s short fangs pierce the skin of its wearer.
8
An eight-sided bone die inscribed with Goblin numerals.
9
A small, well-worn adamantine flask. If you pour any sort of dairy product into it, it immediately evaporates.
10
A rusted iron coin. The word muut is inscribed on one side, and atcha on the other.
11
A worg’s tooth dipped in bronze.
12
A pair of nearly indestructible socks, woven from a clever form of adamantine mesh.
Class
Some classes and archetypes are common among Dhakaani dar, while others aren’t as likely. Here are some suggestions of interesting characters you might play for each class.
Artificer. The Kech Dhakaan call their artificers daashor. The talent of artifice is rare, and some of the greatest secrets of the past were lost to the Kapaa’vola. Dhakaani artificers typically focus on the creation of arms and armor, taking the Forge Adept archetype, provided in chapter 6, or the Battle Smith archetype. Artillerist artificers are generally only found in the Kech Hashraac. The Kech Volaar are actively seeking to unlock the arcane traditions of the Five Nations and the dragonmarked houses, and a Volaar artificer could follow any archetype with the idea that you are blazing new trails through your work. While the most legendary daashor were male ghaal’dar, there are no gender or race restrictions for this role, and golin’dar often show a talent for artifice.
Barbarian. It’s unusual for ghaal’dar to follow the path of the barbarian, and unheard of for golin’dar. However, the guul’dar—bugbears—are taught that their strength is the strength of the empire, and guul’dar warriors typically serve as the terrifying vanguard of a Dhakaani army. This path can be represented by the barbarian, but with an important story difference—guul’dar barbarians aren’t savages, and they don’t surrender to unthinking rage. Instead, guul’dar “rage” is a cultivated surge of adrenaline and combat awareness, not unlike the Fighting Spirit of the Samurai fighter. The Path of the Totem Warrior is the common choice for guul’dar barbarians; the choice of totem doesn’t reflect a primal spirit, but rather specialized combat training. If your DM approves of this concept, you might even be able to replace the 10th-level Spirit Walker feature with the Intimidating Presence of the Berserker barbarian, as it’s difficult to explain how commune with nature is tied to your military training.
Bard. Bards play a central role in Dhakaani culture, serving as spiritual leaders and taking the role that priests fill in many other cultures. However, Dhakaani bards inspire and guide the people using tales of the past and the dream of the future, as opposed to priests seeking the favor of divine forces. Bards are also found as diplomats, civic leaders, and healers, and are the primary spellcasters in Dhakaani society. The most common bards are the duur’kala (dirge singers); as a duur’kala, you’ll likely want to follow the College of the Dirge Singer included in chapter 6, or perhaps the College of Lore. The duur’kala of the Kech Nasaar may choose the College of Whispers, while the uul’kala dream singers may follow the College of Glamour. Most clans have a strongly ingrained tradition that only female ghaal’dar can serve as duur’kala. However, player characters are exceptional, and it’s always possible to defy this tradition.
Fighter. The Dhakaani are a martial culture, and this is their greatest strength. Dhakaani combat techniques have been honed over thousands of years, blended with the natural instincts and exceptional discipline of the Dhakaani soldier. Both the Champion and Battle Master archetypes are appropriate for all Dhakaani fighters. The Samurai archetype is primarily found with the Kech Shaarat, and is a ghaal’dar variation of the guul’dar barbarian technique. Cavaliers are tied to the tiger cavalry, and are especially common in the Kech Ruuska. Within most clans, fighter training is reserved for male ghaal’dar. However, player characters can certainly challenge this stereotype.
Monk. Monks are rare among the Kech Dhakaan, but not unknown. The most widespread monastic tradition is the shaarat’dor (literally, “No Sword”) technique of the Khesh’dar. Practitioners can focus on the physical art by following the Way of the Open Hand, or they can blend this with the Shaarat’khesh arts of stealth by choosing the Way of Shadow. The Khesh’dar are exclusively golin’dar, but an exceptional character of another race might be taken in by the Silent Folk. The other established monastic tradition is that of the chot’uul (Dream Watchers). Most of the chot’uul blend mental and martial discipline, and typically follow the Kensei path (from Xanathar’s Guide to Everything). Others learn how to manipulate reality as one might shape a dream; these chot’uul might follow the Way of the Four Elements. Most chot’uul are part of the reclusive Kech Uul, but most kech vaults have a small, dedicated group of dream guardians.
Ranger. The golin’dar of the Taarka’khesh are legendary scouts and skirmishers, the most common rangers among the Dhakaani. However, guul’dar and ghaal’dar may also train as skirmishers. Typically, the cavalry are Beast Master rangers, working with worgs or tigers. Skirmishers are often Hunters or Gloom Stalkers (from Xanathar’s Guide to Everything). Rogue. Typically, the Kech Dhakaan face their foes in open
combat. The arts of the rogue are the domain of the Khesh’dar
goblins, who operate in the shadows of the empire. While the
Shaarat’khesh are best known for their assassins, specialists
can be found following almost any archetype. The Silent Folk
train can dispatch Thieves when necessary. Arcane Tricksters
have adapted a form of the duur’kala’s magic. And if you’re
using Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, Inquisitive rogues are
the top spies of the Khesh’dar, while a handful of Masterminds
serve as expert strategists. It’s entirely possible to run a
campaign around a team of Shaarat’khesh rogues with different
specialties, with the Khesh’dar serving as an espionage patron.
Outside of the Khesh’dar, the Kech Nasaar are the only clan
that regularly trains ghaal’dar spies and assassins.
Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard. At the height of the Empire
of Dhakaan, the only common spellcasters were artificers
and bards. Focused on martial discipline, the Dhakaani
never unlocked the secrets of wizardry or embraced eldritch
bargains—but today, the Kech Volaar are actively trying to
bridge this gap in their arsenal. As a Volaar wizard, you can
follow any path; the key is that you are likely a trailblazer and
your accomplishments and discoveries may be very important
to your people. There is no established tradition of sorcery
among the Dhakaani, but the Volaar are likewise seeking out
any dar who show signs of sorcerous potential. The clan has
even been experimenting with warlocks, actively seeking out
arcane patrons and attempted controlled studies. So as a Volaar
warlock, you might be the first dar to work with this particular
patron, and your superiors are eager to see how it turns out.
There are a few other options for arcane spellcasters.
Depending on the path the DM decides to take with the Kech
Hashraac, they could be training Evokers; like the Volaar
wizards, this would reflect cutting-edge research. The Kech
Nasaar have been studying necromancy for a long time and
may have developed Necromancer wizards. The Nasaar are
more willing than most to dally with sinister powers, and it’s
likewise possible that they’ve had a tradition of warlocks.
Cleric, Druid, Paladin. The general mindset of the dar is
ill-suited to the abstract concept of faith, whether in higher
powers or the world itself. They believe in the past. They
believe in their leaders. But they don’t believe that there are
cosmic powers or prophecies that control fate. It is possible to
play a Dhakaani paladin who draws their divine power from
their absolute devotion to the empire, or a cleric who channels
power from the Uul Dhakaan. But this was always intended as
an intentional gap in the capabilities of the Dhakaani: they have
far greater martial skill than most of the cultures of Khorvaire,
but they simply don’t have access to divine magic.

Race
Chapter 6 presents new racial traits for Dhakaani goblinoids.
If you’re playing a dar, your racial traits are determined by
whether you’re a golin’dar (goblin), ghaal’dar (hobgoblin), or
guul’dar (bugbear). The terms goblin, hobgoblin, and bugbear
are part of the Common tongue, introduced by human settlers.
While most modern goblinoids have adopted these terms
themselves, the dar maintain the old ways.
Eberron: Rising from the Last War provided racial traits
for goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears, but those represent
the modern goblinoids, denizens of Darguun and Droaam
whose ancestors were touched by the Kapaa’vola of Dyrrn the
Corruptor. While the goblinoids of the Kech Dhakaan—the
dar—are physically identical to their modern cousins, there
are some important differences. The dar are bound together
both by the philosophy of muut and atcha and by the spiritual
connection of the Uul Dhakaan. Their lives are shaped by a
relentless martial culture and a rigid caste system. As one of
the dar, you know your place in society and have undergone
intense training to hone your natural strengths. The racial
traits in chapter 6 reflect that training, but if you were raised
outside of Dhakaani society, you should instead use the
standard goblinoid traits.

advenTure ideas
Based on the campaign’s needs, the Kech Ghaalrac 
clan can be a threat for characters in the paragon or 
epic tier. To make the clan more powerful, scale up 
the artifacts and bound aberrants, and emphasize 
that they are magebred and possess unnatural physi-
cal prowess. The characters’ exposure to the Kech 
Ghaalrac might be confined to a single adventure—
such as reclaiming the Gathering Stone—or it could 
lead to an entire campaign arc as Khaas brings Dar-
guun, Droaam, and the Shadow Marches together 

in an effort to drive humanity from Khorvaire and 
restore the Age of Monsters.
 Consider the following possibilities.
✦ House Deneith wants to know what’s going on in 
and around the Gathering Stone. If information 
about the attack has leaked out, then groups such 
as the Trust, the King’s Citadel, and House Phiar-
lan will also want to learn what they can. Are any 
Deneith heirs still alive inside the fortress? What 
can the characters learn about the Kech Ghaalrac 
and its goals? Will the adventurers cooperate with 
other foes of the goblins, or might representatives 
from other nations get in their way?
✦ Many of the major cities of the Five Nations are 
built on top of Dhakaani ruins. While exploring 
such ruins, the characters encounter a Kech Gha-
alrac strike force sent to recover an artifact or to 
activate an eldritch machine hidden in the ruins—
a precursor to war. This is a way for characters to 
encounter a party of these powerful goblins with 
no connection to a larger plot.
✦ Khaas demands that all goblins swear loyalty to 
him. Swayed by both the reputation of the Kech 
Ghaalrac and the power of Ur’Taash, many tribes 
do so. Lhesh Haruuc, the Kech Volaar, and the 
Kech Shaarat are all holding out, but they are 
losing followers every day. If Khaas unites the 
goblin empire, the next step would be seeking new 
realms to conquer. Breland, Valenar, and Zilargo 
are all likely targets; where would he go first? 
Might the Zil choose to ally with the new emperor 
to protect themselves from his wrath? In addition 
to the combat possibilities, the characters could 
become involved with thwarting the Kech Ghaal-
rac’s diplomatic efforts in Droaam and the Shadow 
Marches.
✦ Tuura Dhakaan of the Kech Volaar believes that 
the Kech Ghaalrac isn’t what it claims to be. 
Because this clan fought Dyrrn the Corruptor for 

thousands of years, she believes that it has been 
subverted by the daelkyr—and that Khaas is simply 
building an empire on Dyrrn’s behalf. Most of the 
Kech Ghaalrac forces are still in Khyber; do they 
include armies of dolgaunts and dolgrims? If this 
is true, it must be because of the coercive power 
of what Khaas claims to be the First Crown—it’s not 
just Khaas’s reputation that’s winning followers, it’s 
dark magic. The crown must be destroyed if Khaas 
is to be stopped.