Review: Eberron Player’s Guide

Aside from Planescape, Eberron was really the only other campaign setting that ever clicked with me. Maybe it was the lack of established history, but I think it was mostly its unique tone and style. Eberron isnt like other campaign settings that have come before, meshing a pulp noir feel with swashbuckling action and magic-as-technology. I’m a huge fan of China Mieville’s stuff, and Eberron is a very natural fit.

I’m going to avoid talking about the mechanical aspects of this book where I can, since thats been done to death in many places (including here).

Eberron Player’s Guide is divided into five chapters. Life in Eberron is an overview of the world with a tiny map that details a single-page map of the Khorvaire (the starting continent) and the rest of the world. A poster map will be included in Eberron Campaign Setting, as it was in Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, so no need to fret about this.

Life across Khorvaire does a great job of setting the stage for the players. It describes everyday life, the popular perceptions of adventurers, and what to expect.

Movers and shakers briefs players on the Draconic Prophesy in more detail than what we initially saw, and I think this is an important concept for players to grasp right away. I’m also pleased that it touches on types of adventures, locations, and travel modes. This information is great to help players create characters consistent with the setting and provide excellent springboards for DMs.

Races presents us with slightly modified (again) warforged, heavily modified changlings, and (for the first time…again) kalashtar. Strangely, there arent any new shifter traits, which sucks because 3rd Edition provided a good number in Eberron Campaign Setting, and many more in Races of Eberron. Oh well, cant have it all.

Races from Player’s Handbook, Player’s Handbook 2, genasi, and orcs get some treatment/placement. Ironically, drow do not despite them being major players in Xen’drik. Anyway, most of these I found satisfying in the sense that its where I was going anyway (such as dragonborn “always being in Argonessen”), but there are a few origins that I am more than happy to work in in addition to the “official” descriptions (such as some tiefling families being the result of pacts with rakshasas).

Classes gives us the artificer in all her glory. Its been a long-time coming, and I am extremely pleased with the completed work after over a year. Good things take time, and this is a very awesome class that better captures the feel than 3rd Edition ever could.
I never really dug the original artificer since it felt like you had to burn your action points in order to use your abilities in a timely fashion. Sure, with enough prep time you could do some interesting shit, but in a lot of cases? Kiss your action points goodbye. The craft reserve and bonus Item Creation feats just made making magic items reasonable.
Even if you playtested it out of Dragon, this is a whole new animal. It has a lot of the original powers and class features, but most are renamed and/or changed in some way, and the list has more than doubled in size. Players out there with artificers can rejoice…a lot.

There are 22 paragon paths, 13 pertaining to Dragonmarked Houses, and the rest for races, classes, or other concepts specific to Eberron. The Dragonmarked paragon paths seem to fill in the niche left by the absense of the dragonmarked heir (ECS, pg X) in that they require a specific dragonmark and expand upon it in very cool ways.
I like that the Vadalis griffonmaster lets you swap out your beast companion for a griffon. Fucking rad.

Conversely, there are only four epic destinies. However, this is all forgiven thanks to the mourning savior, which is all about discovering the source of the Day of Mourning and reverse the process. It is hard to think of a cooler way to put a capper at the end of a epic-tier campaign.

Character Options has Dragonmark feats, which are now available to any race. The idea is that in the campaign world, only specific races have a certain Dragonmark, but PCs being special as they are can be recognized by the Draconic Prophecy regardless. At first I had reservations about this, but on the other hand the Draconic Prophecy can choose whoever the fuck it wants, and who am I to disagree?

Other feats provide expected benefits by boosting race/class features from the new races and classes, though there are a ton of Channel Divinity feats for Eberron’s own Sovereign Host and a feat that works for shifter rangers. Feats from Playing Warforged are reprinted here, which will draw nerd-rage from some but an apathetic shrug from myself.

World of Eberron wraps things up by providing information about the Five Nations, Khorvaire at large, and finally the areas beyond. Each area gets some description, adventurer concepts, and associated background skills. There is also a section on Dragonmarked House backgrounds if you want to go that route.

I’ve read a couple criticisms about the book. One is that you “need” Player’s Handbook 2 to get full use out of this book, which isnt necessarily true. There are a few things in here that cater to primal classes, but then druids are pretty major players in Eberron so this was unavoidable.

Having read every other Eberron supplement ever released by Wizards of the Coast, I can say that while EPG isnt nearly as comprehensive as its numerous forebears (for very obvious reasons), I enjoy it a lot more as it crams the most important information relevant to players in a single book. I dont need to reference Eberron Campaign Setting, Races of Eberron, Explorer’s Handbook, and Player’s Guide to Eberron in order to feel like I’ve covered all the bases.

If you are an Eberron fan, then you probably already have this book, are waiting til tomorrow, or your pre-order is on the way (and if not you are probably broke). If you are not an Eberron fan, then I’d say that its still a great buy if you are a DM/player-with-a-DM who doesnt mind stealing ideas from other campaigns to use (the races, class, and feats are great).
Otherwise, you can easily afford to pass this up. Its not very large and runs $30, so…yeah.

Excerpts: EPG Rituals

Nothing much to write home about, here. Just a list of rituals in Eberron Player’s Guide, with writeups for two of them.

Fluid Funds lets you drop shit into a coffer and have it transform into whatever types of coins you want. The ritual specifies changing art, gems, and silver into gold pieces, but I’m assuming that it lets you exchange items for any combination of coins that totals the item’s value.
Strangely, it doesnt affect magic items or “mundane” equipment. I can understand magical goods, but I’m going to immediately houserule that you can swap out non-magical loot (for the item’s sale price, of course).

You need the Mark of Warding to master and use this ritual, which they also preview.

Mark of Warding
When you use a power that grants a bonus to a defense, it increases by 1. When you mark an enemy, it takes a -3 to attack rolls instead of a -2. Finally, you can master and use rituals in the warding category, as well as Fluid Funds, Knock, and Leomund’s Secret Chest.

Fantastic Recuperation lets you take an extended rest in only an hour’s time (instead of the normal six). You can only use it when you could take an extended rest. It runs 3,600 gp up until epic tier when it costs 9,000 gp, and finally tops out at 45,000 gp per use at level 26. Cripes.

"Prerelease": Eberron Player’s Guide

Note: This is big enough, and I still havent gotten through the entire thread. I’ma start another post with more info later.

Its that time of the month. Well, its a bit different seeing as I’m cribbing an EnWorld thread instead of in addition to RPGnet. Jack99 also has Kingdom of Ghouls, but no one really cares about that. Anywho. There are five chapters in all:

• Life in Eberron
• Races (including changelings, kalashtar, and warforged)
• Classes (including artificer, nine paragon paths, thirteen dragonmarked paragon paths, four epic destinies)
• Character Options (roughly 50 heroic feats, but only four paragon and epic feats)
• The World of Eberron

The Feywild is called Thelanis, and the Shadowfell is called Dolurrh. There is mention of the planes affecting Eberron when coterminous as well as mention of manifest zones.

Races

Changlings get some nifty stuff!

• +2 Dex or Int, +2 Cha
• +2 Bluff, +2 Insight
• +1 Will defense
• Changling disguise (at-will change self)
• Changling trick (minor encounter that grants you combat advantage until the end of your next turn)

Devas are former allies of the couatls. They still dont like demons and rakshasas.

Dragonborn have been ret-conned to originate from Argonnessen, where there may-or-may-not be dragonborn city states bickering over the Dragon Prophecy. I have no problem with this, but I know others will for whatever reason. They also gets props from Q’barra, which also makes sense to me.

Eladrin were apparently, “there the whole time.” They just got stuck out of the Feywild Thelanis on the Day of Mourning. I guess they are still trying to get back? Keith Baker said that there is more to the story than that, but its in Eberron Campaign Guide.

Goliaths are from Xen’drik, which is a place that everything non-standard comes from. In all seriousness, it makes sense to a degree, though I could also see a few coming from Mror Holds.

Genasi are super rare and dont even know what they are. They have no homelands at all.

Kalashtar are revealed!

• +2 Wis, +2 Cha
• +2 Insight, +2 to any skill you fucking want
• Make saves at the start of your turn against daze and dominate effects
• Bastion of Mental Clarity: You and allies within 5 a +4 to Will as an immediate interrupt

That? That makes me actually want to play one. The only player to touch the kalashtar race in the years we played Eberron was Bat Jew. In fact, I’ma work on an Eberron character after this… Also, feats!

• Quori Shield grants resist 5 + half-level psychic damage.
• Telepathic Sensitivity grants a +5 bonus to Perception when detecting creatures.
• Group Mindlink lets all allies communicate via telepathy. Fucking rad.
• Extended Telepathy (paragon) increases your telepathy range to 10.
• Quori Backlash (paragon) deals psychic damage to any creature that dazes, dominates, or deals any psychic damage at all to you.
• Quori Desperation (epic) prevents you from dying or falling unconscious when you are reduced to 0 or less hit points once during an encounter until the end of your next turn. Neat!

Shifters have no new types, but get three Heroic feats:

• Eldeen Champion lets your beast companion benefit from your shifter powers.
• Sturdy Shifter gives you temporary hit points when you use your racial power.
• Shifter’s Agility gives you a +5 to Athletics and Acrobatics when shifting.

Tieflings mostly come from corrupted bloodlines in Sarlona before the Inspired took over. Personally, I like the idea of tieflings striking bargains with/corrupted by rakshasa. Of course, I can always do both.

No information on playing goblinoids. Oh well, we at least have them as Monster Manual races, and that works for me.

Backgrounds are included, but mechanically work as they always have. New stuff by region and whatnot.

Classes

Artificer
Good god, its like the entire class is online already… This section started as four lines, then just grew and fucking grew. Enjoy.

• The other artificer build is the tinkerer, which emphasizes building constructs. I guess he functions a lot like a summoner build. Too fucking cool.
• Artificers have four at-wills to choose from at this point.
• Artifices follow the rules for summoned creatures, so its less wonky and more standardized. I can dig it.
• One artificer daily has her conjure an elemental spirit that she binds to an object, animating it.

Someone was also kind enough to post up some artificer powers:

• Static shock: Melee/ranged 5; Int vs. Reflex; 1d8 + Int mod lightning damage, and the next attack made by the target takes a penalty equal to your Con modifier.
• Magic weapon is mostly the same, except the damage bonus equals your Con or Wis modifier.
• Thundering armor: Close burst 10; you or one ally gains a +1 power bonus to AC, and you make an Int vs. Fort attack against an adjacent enemy; 1d8 + Int modifier thunder damage, and push 1.

Addendum: we have the class features, too.

• Arcane Empowerment gives you one charge, plus one charge every milestone. You can use this to recharge a daily magic item power, but it can only be recharged once. You can also burn a charge to instead to supercharge a weapon or implement once per day. This charge gives you a +2 bonus to one attack roll that must be made before your next extended rest.
• Arcane Rejuvination: When an ally uses a magic item daily, they gain temp hp equal to your level + Int mod.

Healing Infusion got a major overhaul. You get two healing infusions during an extended rest that you can burn in order to trigger either curative admixture or resistative formula.

• Curative admixture burns a healing surge, adds your Wisdom modifier, and scales up with your level.
• Resistive formula grants a +1 bonus to AC for the entire encounter. The target can end the effect whenever to gain temp hp equal to their surge value plus your Con modifier. It scales with level.

Allies can burn healing surges during a short rest to restore spend infusions. Essentially, you pool your healing surges as a party, which evokes the idea that an artificer is creating healing potions in her free time.

Addendum-dum: MOAR artificer powers. I guess half their dailies are called sigils, they seem to be activated using minor actions, and apparently stack.

• Icebound sigil (level 1 daily) lets you add your Con modifier in cold damage to all attacks to an ally’s weapon for the entire encounter. You can end this effect to immobilize (save ends) a target.
• Corrosive sigil (level 5 daily) causes you to deal ongoing 5 acid (save ends) every time you hit someone. If you end the effect, the creature takes an AC penalty (save ends) equal to your Con modifier. Holy shit.
• Obedient servant (level 1 daily) is a summoning daily that creatures a Medium sized construct that has a melee and ranged attack that deals 1d10 + Int modifier damage. If it nails someone with an opportunity attack, that critter is also marked. Enemies starting adjacent to it take Wis modifier damage automatically.
• Vorpal edge (level 16) causes a weapon to crit on a natural 18+ for the entire encounter.
• Diminutive bodyguard is a level 22 utility that grants all adjacent allies resist 5 all, and can grant an ally within 5 a +4 bonus to all defenses as an immediate interrupt when hit by an attack.

Paragon Paths

• Alchemist Savant
• Battle Engineer
• Chameleon
• Clockwork Engineer
• Exorcist of the Silver Flame
• Gatekeeper Mystagogue
• Lightwalker
• Self-forged
• Warforged Juggernaut

Dragonmarked Paragon Paths

• Cannith Mastermaker
• Deneith Protector
• Ghallanda Sanctuary Guardian
• Jorasco Jadehand
• Kundarak Ghorad’din
• Lyrandar Wind-rider
• Medani True-seer
• Orien Swiftblade
• Philarlan Phantasmist
• Sivis Truenamer
• Tharashk Wayfinder
• Thuranni Shadowkiller
• Vadalis Griffonmaster

Epic Destinies

• Champion of Prophecy
• Dispossessed Champion
• Mourning Savior: You are destined to lift the curse on Cyre. I love it!
• Sublime Flame

Feats
Master Crafter is an artificer feat that lets you create magic items of your level + Int modifier using Enchant Item. Nifty, given that item creation in 4E isnt punishing, now.

Dragonmarks are handled by taking a feat. Benefits include a bonus and access to rituals, regardless of your ability to otherwise handle rituals. Me likey. Me likey a lot. I might actually pick up a dragonmark, now.

• Mark of Passage gives a +1 to all shifts and teleports granted by a power. Rituals not mentioned.
• Mark of Storms lets you slide when you hit with a thunder/lightning power, gain a +1 bonus to Speed when flying, and master the rituals Endure Elements, Enhance Vessel, Summons Winds, and Water Walk.
• Mark of Hospitality makes it so that when you use healing powers during a rest, that it heals the maximum possible. You can also master and use the ritualsEye of Alarm, Fantastic Recuperation, Secure Shelter, and Traveler’s Feast.

Aberrant Dragonmarks

• Mark of Contagion: Enemies hit by your dailies take a -2 against ongoing damage until the end of the encounter.
• Mark of Madness: Enemies hit by your dailies take a -2 to Will for the entire encounter.
• Mark of Terror: Enemies hit by your dailies take a -1 to attacks for the entire fucking encounter.

Equipment
Universally superior weapons.

Superior one-handed weapons

• Cutting Wheel, +2, 1d6 | light blade | defensive, off-hand.
• Drow long knife +3, 1d6, 5/1 | heavy blade | heavy thrown, off-hand.
• Talenta tangat, +2 1d8 | heavy blade | high crit, versatile, can be used 1-handed by small characters.

Superior 2H weapons:

• Talenta sharrash, +3, 1d8 | heavy blade, polearm | high crit, can be wielded two-handed by a small character.

Superior Double Weapons:

• Double Scimitar, +2, 1d6/1d6 | heavy blade | defensive, high crit, off-hand.
• Zulaat +2, 2d4/2d4 | heavy blade, polearm | defensive, off-hand.

Superior one-handed ranged weapons:

• Talenta boomerang, +2, 1d4, 10/20, | light blade | light thrown
• Xen’drink boomerang, +2, 1d6, 6/12 | light blade | light thrown

Dragonshards
These are magic items you can affix to magic weapons for an extra property.
The siberys shard of merciless cold, aside from having a long fucking name, gives you a +1 bonus to damage rolls with Cold attacks using that weapon.
On the other hand, the khyber shard of life drinking gives you a daily power that triggers when you bloody a target: regain 10+ hit points depending on the tier.

Command circlet is a warforged component that gives you telepathy 20 as well as an immediate reaction that lets an ally make a save against a Fear effect.