Eberron
D&D v3.5
4th edition 5th edition | |
Chance | Dice rolling |
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Eberron is a
Eberron was created by author and game designer Keith Baker as the winning entry for Wizards of the Coast's Fantasy Setting Search, a competition run in 2002 to establish a new setting for the D&D game. Eberron was chosen from more than 11,000 entries, and was officially released with the publication of the Eberron Campaign Setting hardback book in June 2004.[3][4]
Creative origins
Keith Baker's Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting of Eberron was chosen as the winner among the 11,000 submissions to the Wizards of the Coast Fantasy Setting Search in 2002.[4][5]: 291 Baker won $100,000 for his contest submission.[6] The original title of Baker's setting was the Thrilling Tales of Swords and Sorcery. Baker highlighted that the setting went through multiple stages of development:
Thrilling Tales wasn't Eberron. It went through four stages of development. First there was the original one page concept, which went up against thousands of others. The next step was expanding that into ten pages, fleshing out the core idea. From there I wrote a hundred page story bible. But even then, it was still Thrilling Tales of Swords and Sorcery. Once Thrilling Tales was chosen as the final setting, I went to Seattle and spent weeks working with an amazing team of people at Wizards of the Coast: Bill Slavicsek, Chris Perkins, James Wyatt, and many others. Together we isolated the best parts of Thrilling Tales, as well as identifying the elements that didn't work and finding ways to improve them. [...] [It] was Bill Slavicsek who named the world Eberron.[7]
On the Fantasy Setting Search contest, Slavicsek highlighted that four subteams reduced the 11,000 submissions to 120 entries which were then reviewed by a panel who whittled it down to eleven proposals. These eleven contest submitters were then asked to expand their one-page submissions and from these new ten-page submissions, the panel further reduced the proposals to just three entries. Slavicsek said:
[A]t this point, we learned the names of the authors and we flew each of them to Wizards of the Coast's offices to meet with them. During those meetings, I began to direct each project in earnest, just as I would direct any product published through the efforts of my R&D team. It was great meeting Keith Baker, Rich Burlew, and Nathan Toomey in person, getting to talk about their worlds with them, and getting to help them each make their vision come alive. We gave them an outline form to follow so they could create 125-page world bibles [...]. All three [proposals] were great, but we had to select the one we were going to put our efforts behind. That one was Keith Baker's world, the world that became Eberron.[8]
The inspiration for Eberron came when Baker was working on VR-1's cancelled
Publication history
The 2004 campaign setting book for
In June 2009, the Players were wondering if Eberron would also be changed to more closely match the Points of Light ideals and surprisingly … it wasn't. Instead, Eberron appears much as it did before. There wasn't even a timeline change; though rumors at one points suggested a two-year advancement was in the works, the world ended up remaining in 998YK. Eberron's designers and developers said that players interested in metaplot should read the novels and decide themselves whether they wanted to include those events in their games. Though Eberron didn't become a Points of Light world, it did adopt many of the other assumptions of 4e.[13]
In February 2015, the very first instance of the online feature "Unearthed Arcana" provided Eberron content for public playtesting for the
very different type of campaign from what has come before [in Adventurers League]. The story presented in Oracle of War plays out in 20 Core Storyline adventures that take characters from level 1 to 20. [...] Core Storyline adventures are placed on the DMs Guild at the rate of one per month, giving the campaign an active play period of approximately 2 years.[29]
Characteristics
One of the most obvious differences between Eberron and generic Dungeons & Dragons is the level of
Alignment is slightly more muddied than in other official settings. Evil beings of traditionally good races and good beings of traditionally evil races are encouraged, but alignment definition remains true to D&D standards, with good and evil retaining their meanings. However, the situation often arises in the campaign world that oppositely aligned characters will side with each other briefly if a threat looms over all, and also both good and evil characters will infiltrate each other's organizations for purposes of espionage.[31][32][33]
The setting adds a new base character class, the artificer. Artificers are spellcasters focusing on magical item creation. Artificer infusions (their equivalent to spells) focus on temporarily imbuing objects with the desired effects. For example, instead of casting bull's strength on a character, an artificer would cast it upon a belt to create a short term magical Belt of Bull's Strength. Artificers have access to a pool of "craft points" which act as extra experience points (only) for use in creating magical items without sacrificing level attainment. This pool is refilled when the artificer gains levels, or by draining power from an existing magical item (destroying the item in the process).[35]
Eberron also introduced a new non-player character class known as the magewright, which is an arcane caster who has a limited selection of low-level spells. The existence of magewrights is part of the reason for the prevalence of low-level magic in Eberron.[36]
To try to create a pulp setting, Eberron initially used "action points" that allow a player to add a six-sided die to the result of rolls made with a twenty-sided die. Characters receive a set allotment of single-use action points each character level. The Eberron Campaign Setting also includes feats which grant additional uses for action points, such as allowing a player to add an eight-sided die instead of a six-sided die, or spending two action points to grant your character an additional move or standard action. Certain class features with uses per day, like a barbarian's rage ability, a cleric's turn/rebuke undead ability, or a druid's wild shape ability, can be used again by spending 2 action points. The final use for action points is to spend one to stabilize a dying character.[37][38][39]
Fictional setting
World
The world of Eberron contains seven continents. The setting primarily takes place in Khorvaire, the most populated continent. Humans are the most populous race in Khorvaire, living primarily in the area known as the Five Nations.
The World of Eberron comprises a number of features for the Eberron campaign setting. The number 13, also known as a "
"Eberron" is also the name for the land of the world, and is referred to as the Dragon Between. Siberys, the Dragon Above, is the name given to the
Creatures
Eberron utilized traditional Dungeons & Dragons races but gave them entirely localized lore, history and national ties. Eberron emphasizes national and cultural ties over racial ties. Sean K. Reynolds wrote that "for example, the elves of House Phiarlan are an old dragonmarked house with a centuries-long history of entertainment and artistry; most common folk praise them and their work. In contrast to that house, the elves of the new nation of Valenar are seen as land thieves and a threat to the peace established by the Treaty of Thronehold".[46] Gabrielle Lissauer, in The Tropes of Fantasy Fiction, highlighted that the Eberron campaign setting subverts the classical racial presentation of orcs as savages. Instead, Lissauer wrote that "these orcs are interested in peace and keeping the world safe. [...] They just want to live in harmony with nature".[47]
The setting also added four new races to Dungeons & Dragons: Changelings,
Kalashtar
The kalashtar are a race of psionic people; they are the descendants of a group of human monks from Adar, a nation on the continent of Sarlona, who allowed themselves to be possessed by the planar entities known as the Quori. These entities were good-aligned Quori who rebelled and thus had to flee the plane of dreams known as Dal Quor. This merger was permanent leading their descendants to become a hybrid-type race. The spiritual essence of each Quori is divided out amongst many Kalashtar, known collectively as a lineage. Thus, the only way to completely destroy one of the good-aligned Quori is to exterminate its entire lineage. The evil-aligned Quori, known as the Dreaming Dark, seek to hunt and destroy the Kalashtar so many Kalashtar live in either the fortified temple-keeps of Adar or live in hiding amongst the wider world of Eberron. The Dreaming Dark have their own possessed creatures known as the Inspired who rule most of the continent of Sarlona.[51][54]
Baker highlighted the design differences between the Dreaming Dark and the kalashtar: "Quori possession is entirely different from the relationship between a kalashtar and their quori spirit. With the kalashtar, the quori is a passive presence that simultaneously guides many kalashtar. With the Inspired (voluntary or otherwise) the quori is an active presence that controls a single body at a time, and it fully dominates the host".[55] Glenn Carreau, for GameRant, highlighted the roleplaying potential of kalashtar player characters: "While separate from most of Khorvaire's drama, Sarlona has plenty of its own: kalashtar are a hunted race, shuttered into their monastic country of Adar and constantly besieged by their Inspired enemies in the neighboring nation of Riedra. Still, those who want to play kalashtar in a campaign based elsewhere in Eberron can do so without disrupting the setting's narrative; small numbers of kalashtar do inhabit cities across Khorvaire, quietly continuing their battle against the Inspired even far from home".[51]
Warforged
The warforged are a race of living, sentient constructs, superficially similar to
Reception
Gabrielle Lissauer, in The Tropes of Fantasy Fiction, emphasized that Eberron helped move Dungeons & Dragons past the tropes established by Tolkien. She wrote that "Eberron changed several ideas that were considered fundamental to the concept of Dungeons and Dragons for the past thirty years, both mechanically and in the flavor of the worlds. [...] With changes to things that most players considered being fundamental to the game, Eberron subverts and yet at the same time shows what the game could be". Lissauer highlighted that alignment was no longer clear cut and that the players were "unable to use their meta-knowledge of years of playing Dungeons and Dragons in other settings to judge who is friend and who is foe".[47]
Geek & Sundry wrote: "Winner of Wizards of the Coast's Fantasy Setting Search contest in 2002, Eberron marries magic with steampunk's technology, offering a world of elemental-powered airships, industrial nobility, and arcane tinkerers. [...] I dig the playable Warforged race, which puts you in the mind of a soldier drone seeking purpose (although their explicit maleness serves a pedantic point). If you want to sling spells in a tailored coat, check out Eberron".[57]
On the release of the 5th Edition Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron, Richard Jansen-Parkes, for the UK print magazine Tabletop Gaming, wrote: "Originally created by Gloom designer Keith Baker for a competition some 16 years ago, Eberron is a wonderful example of how to take the standard fantasy setting and twist it into something fresh. While many of the standard fantasy tropes are still accounted for – there are still dragons to battle and dungeons to delve – there is a deliberate effort to shift away from Tolkien rip-offs and instead start ripping off everything from Jurassic Park to Casablanca. If that sounds like a criticism, it really isn't. [...] The entire setting is packed with magical gadgets and gizmos, but at the same time it manages to feel a little more down-to-earth and dirtier than the Forgotten Realms [...]. Where more traditional worlds have played host to battles between good and evil on a vast scale, Eberron is gripped in a cold war where there is very little black-and-white morality to spare".[59]
References
- ^ Przybyszewski, Chris (2004). "Eberron Campaign Setting". SF Site. Retrieved April 22, 2008.
- ^ Smith, Mat (December 16, 2002). "Gearing Up for Eberron: Overview". archive.wizards.com. Archived from the original on October 2, 2015. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
- ^ OCLC 1033548473.
- ^ a b "Pyramid: Keith Baker Wins WotC Fantasy Setting Search". www.sjgames.com. February 4, 2003. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
- ISBN 978-1-907702-58-7.
- ^ "Pyramid Review: Eberron (for Dungeons & Dragons)". September 17, 2004.
- ^ a b Baker, Keith (April 28, 2019). "The Origins of Eberron: Bill Slavicsek". Archived from the original on August 7, 2019. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
- ^ Ryan, Michael (June 4, 2004). "Product Spotlight: Eberron Campaign Setting Designer Interview". archive.wizards.com. Archived from the original on October 3, 2014. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
- ^ "Interview with Turbine and Keith Baker, the Creator of Eberron". July 8, 2004. Archived from the original on June 24, 2006. Retrieved December 30, 2005.
- Colorado Springs Gazette. Archived from the original on April 9, 2016. Retrieved September 10, 2012 – via HighBeam Research.
- ^ "List of Winners - Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design". Origins Awards. Archived from the original on June 3, 2008. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
- ^ "NEWS: Wizards of the Coast Receives Origins Award for Eberron". 3.5 D&D Archive. Wizards of the Coast. June 30, 2005. Archived from the original on January 23, 2016. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
- ^ a b c d Appelcline, Shannon. "Eberron Campaign Guide (4e) - Product History". Dungeon Masters Guild. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
- ^ Appelcline, Shannon. "Eberron Player's Guide (4e) - Product History". Dungeon Masters Guild. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
- ^ Appelcline, Shannon. "Dungeon Master's Guide (4e) | Product History". Dungeon Masters Guild. Archived from the original on November 3, 2016. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
- ^ Mearls, Mike (February 2, 2015). "Unearthed Arcana: Eberron". Retrieved September 7, 2015.
- ^ "Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron (5e) - Wizards of the Coast | Dungeon Masters Guild". www.dmsguild.com. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
- ^ Baker, Keith; Crawford, Jeremy; Mearls, Mike; Rutenberg, Ruty; Welch, Kate (July 23, 2018). "Unearthed Arcana: Races of Eberron". Archived from the original on July 24, 2018. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
- ^ Baker, Keith; Rutenberg, Ruty; Petrisor, Ben (September 10, 2018). "Unearthed Arcana: Dragonmarks". Archived from the original on September 10, 2018. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
- ^ Baker, Keith; Rutenberg, Ruty; Petrisor, Ben (October 8, 2018). "Unearthed Arcana: Magic Items of Eberron". Archived from the original on October 11, 2018. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
- ^ Crawford, Jeremy; Baker, Keith; Mearls, Mike; Petrisor, Ben; Wyatt, James (February 28, 2019). "Unearthed Arcana: The Artificer Revisited". Archived from the original on March 1, 2019. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
- ^ Crawford, Jeremy; Baker, Keith; Mearls, Mike; Petrisor, Ben; Wyatt, James (May 14, 2019). "Unearthed Arcana: The Artificer Returns". Archived from the original on May 15, 2019. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
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- ^ Heller, Emily (August 19, 2019). "Fantasy steampunk setting Eberron finally comes to Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition". Polygon. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
- ^ Ryan, Jon (August 19, 2019). "Dungeons & Dragons Announces New Sourcebook and Player Class". IGN. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
- ^ a b Sheehan, Gavin (August 19, 2019). ""Dungeons & Dragons" Announces "Eberron: Rising From The Last War"". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
- ^ Tito, Greg (August 19, 2019). "Eberron! Check out this alternate cover for Eberron: Rising from the Last War designed by @VanceKelly available only through game stores on November 17!". Twitter @Gregtito. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
- ^ Merwin, Shawn (October 18, 2019). "Behold the Oracle of War!". Dungeons & Dragons. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
- ^ Smith, Mat (December 16, 2002). "Gearing Up for Eberron: Overview". 3.5 D&D Archive. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on October 2, 2015. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
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- ^ Baker, Keith (August 9, 2004). "Dragonshards - Intrigue and Betrayal". 3.5 D&D Archive. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on October 28, 2017. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
- ^ Baker, Keith (March 28, 2018). "Eberron Flashback: Good and Evil". Keith Baker. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
- ^ Baker, Keith (July 5, 2004). "Religion in Eberron". Archived from the original on February 4, 2005. Retrieved April 9, 2006.
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- ^ Eberron creator Keith Baker used this play on words when he created a page on his website entitled, "Baker's Dozen". This page dates back to at least fall of 2004. Baker, Keith (September 14, 2006). "Baker's Dozen". Archived from the original on October 10, 2004. Retrieved September 30, 2006.
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- ^ a b "Baldur's Gate 3 Needs These 5 Unique Dungeons & Dragons Races". CBR. October 23, 2020. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
- ^ "D&D: 10 Things You Need To Know About The Shifter Class". CBR. April 8, 2020. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
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- ^ a b Hoffer, Christian (July 31, 2018). "'Dungeons & Dragons' Has a New Powerhouse Race: the Warforged". Comicbook.com. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
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