Exploring Eberron

This article related to Dungeons & Dragons is a stub. You can help 1d4chan by expanding it

Exploring Eberron is an Eberron splatbook released by Keith Baker for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition in August 2020. It is intended as a companion for "Eberron: Rising From the Last War", WoTC's official 5e campaign guide for the setting, although its own canonicity is... hard to place.

Chapter 1: Discovering Eberron

Talks in detail about Eberron's ancient and recent history, fleshes out what Cyre was like before the Mourning, expands upon the Last War, and talks about both Eberron's approach to magic and its relationship with artificers.

Chapter 2: Races of Eberron

Expands upon five major races unique to Eberron; Changelings, Kalashtar, Shifters, Warforged, and the Elves of Aerenal.

Chapter 3: Faiths of Eberron

Talks more about religion and how it works in the Eberron world, expanding upion the role of the divine and the place of aasimars in particular before generally expanding upon the Silver Flame, the Blood of Vol, the Sovereign Host, the Dark Six, the Cults of the Dragon Below, and other "unusual" faiths of the setting.

Chapter 4: Uncharted Domains

Expands upon four particular regions of Eberron glossed over in the official book; the monster nation of Droaam, the fledgling goblin nation called the Heirs of Dhakaan, the Mror Holds, and the Thunder Sea.

Chapter 5: Planes of Existence

Expands upon the planes unique to the Orrery, the defining cosmology of Eberron.

Chapter 6: Character Options

New backgrounds, new racial profiles, new racial feats, and new subclass options.

Aasimar: Eberron's unique cosmology leads to a few unique aasimar subraces.

Court Aasimar are born to elven parents, gaining +1 Dexterity, the Fey Ancestry and Trance traits, Elvish as a bonus language, and the trait Guidance from the Past; this only becomes available from 3rd level, and lets the aasimar spend an action to gain Advantage on all Wisdom checks and saves for 1 minute 1/day.

Seeker Aasimar draw power from blood - theirs, and that of those around them, living manifestations of the Blood of Vol's creed.

Fernian Aasimars are connected to the plane of Fernia; they use the stats of Scourge Aasimar, except they replace Celestial Resistance and Light Bearer with the traits Fernian Resistance (Fire and Necrotic), Shroud of Flame (Radiant Consumption does Fire damage, not Radiant), and Spirit of Fire (can cast Produce Flames cantrip with Charisma).

Mabaran Aasimars likewise are connected to the plane of Mabar. They use the stats of Fallen Aasimar, except they replace Healing Hands and Light Bearer with Consuming Touch (1/day, as an action, make a melee spell attack (Charisma); target takes Necrotic damage equal to your level, you regain HP equal to half damage inflicted) and Herald of Doom (you can cast Toll the Dead with Charisma).

Aereni Elves gain +1 to either Int or Wisdom, Expertise with one skill or tool proficiency granted by race, class or background, and a Cleric or Wizard cantrip of their choice.

Ruinbond Dwarves are aberrant-tainted dwarves from the Mror Holds, causing them to be born with "assimilated" aberrant symbionts and, optionally, further mutations. Dwarves with this subrace gain +1 Cha and the racial traits Personal Symbiont (you can cast 1 cantrip with Charisma from the following list, which you can change after completing a long rest, but only whilst you have the physical mutation embodying it exposed: Acid Splash, Guidance (Self Only), Infestation, Light, Mage Hand, Poison Spray, Ray of Frost) and Symbiont Mastery (you gain a bonus "magic item attunement slot" which can only be used with items that have Symbiotic Nature - also, you can freely end your attunement to such items after a long rest).

Dhakaani are the goblinoids of Eberron, gaining unique abilities compared to the "common" goblinoids offered by Volo's Guide. Basically, they're variant statblocks to replace the generic 5e Hobgoblin, Goblin and Bugbear with ones more rooted in Eberron lore.

Ghaal'dar are the Eberronian hobgoblins; +2 Constitution, Medium, Base speed 30 feet, Darkvision 60 feet, with the racial trait Discipline (Advantage on saves vs. Charm). They have to take one of two subraces, representing their racial castes; Guide or Soldier. Both subraces get a variant of the canon hobgob's "Saving Face" trait which only applies to two rolls instead of Saving Face's three.

Guide: +1 Int or Cha, Lead by Example (Saving Face, but only for ability checks and saving throws) and The Guiding Arts (free proficiency in 2 of the following skills: History, Medicine, Performance, Persuasion).

Soldier: +1 Str or Dex, Strength in Unity (Saving Face, but only for attack rolls and saving throws), and The Arts of War (free proficiency in 2 of the following sills: Athletics, Intimidation, Perception, Survival).

Golin'dar are the Eberronian goblins; +2 Dexterity, Small, speed 30 feet, Darkvision 60 feet, and the Lightfoot Halfling ability Naturally Stealthy. They too have a pair of subraces; Artisan or Kesh'dar.

Artisan: +2 Intelligence, free proficiency with one artisan's tool.

Kesh'dar: +1 Wisdom, The Silent Arts (Expertise with Stealth).

Guul'dar, the Eberronian bugbears, are characterized by their bravery, and are almost mechanically identical to the core version, except they can swap their +1 Dexterity for +1 Constitution and trade Sneaky and Sneak Attack for Brave (Advantage on saves vs. Fear) and Stand by the Strong (if an ally within 30 feet fails a save vs. Fear, you can spend your Reaction to let them reroll that save).

Gnolls on Eberron are not the mindless monsters of 5re lore, but a fully sapient and rational people who have turned their backs on their demon worshipping past. The WotC book acknowledges this, but doesn't make them playable. This book amends that mistake.

Artificer: This class gains a couple of new infusions, as well as two new subclasses. Gnoll PCs get +1 Constition, +2 Strength or Dexterity. They are Medium with base speed 30 feet and Darkvision 60 feet. Their racial traits are Bite (can do 1d4+Str bonus Piercing damage with unarmed strikes), Hunter's Senses (free proficiency with either Perception, Stealth or Survival), and Rampage (if you make a bite attack or reduce a creature to 0 HP, you can spend a bonus action to move up to half your speed and make either a weapon attack or a bite attack).

The Forge Adept practices a tradition developed by the ancient Dhakaani, focusing on augmenting weapons and armor, and learning how to wield a piece of their soul as a weapon.

The Maverick is a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none artificer whose chaotic experimentation has imbued them with spellcasting abilities beyond those of the common artificer.

Bard: College of the Dirge Singer

Cleric: Mind Domain

Druid: Circle of the Forged

'Monk: Way of the Living Weapon

Chapter 7: Treasures

New magical items; common, Dhakaani, dragonmarks, miscellaneous and symbionts.

Chapter 8: Friends and Foes

A brief assortment of new monsters for the Eberron setting.