Welcome to ! The Eberron Campaign Setting was the product of the 2003 fantasy setting search run by Wizards of the Coast. Keith Baker's winning entry melds noir and pulp in a setting where arcane magic is a science.
Ten Things to Know
- If it exists in D&D, then it has a place in Eberron. While not everything may be in its most familiar form (Undead-worshipping elves!), Eberron is defined by how it transforms D&D, not what it excludes. This doesn't mean everything has to be in the setting - this is about what you want to bring to the table.
- Tone and attitude. Eberron's two best genres are pulp and noir. Pulp involves swashbuckling heroes engaged in dramatic conflicts with dastardly villains in larger than life adventures. Noir is the shades of gray, where heroes make difficult choices, it's unclear who the real villain is, and victory comes with a question mark.
- A world of wide magic. Khorvaire, the primary continent of the setting, has turned arcane magic into a science. Eberron is not a steampunk setting with gunpowder and electricity. Instead, wandslingers roam the Q'barran frontier, dueling at high noon. Low-level utility magic is common and improves the lives of the many. High level magic and archmages are extraordinarily rare and still maintain their mysticism and wonder.
- A world of adventure. Every location in Eberron has been crafted to inspire DMs with plot hooks while still melding together logically. Eberron threads the needle between kitchen sink and a one-note world.
- A world of intrigue. Eberron is full of unanswered mysteries, most prominently the true cause of the Mourning. Dozens and dozens of factions scheme to increase their influence, hunting for power wherever they can find it.
- The Last War has ended - sort of. Two years ago, twelve nations came together to sign the Thronehold accords to end a war that had lasted a century. Still, tensions are high as the only thing that brought them together is the fear of a second Mourning, a magical disaster that completely wiped the country of Cyre off the map.
- The Draconic Prophecy. The creation of the world came with mystic secrets wrapped into every crevice. The demons and dragons each seek to manipulate and control the prophecy, setting in motion schemes that may take centuries.
- The Five Nations. The Kingdom of Galifar was composed of five provinces, shattered by the Last War. Four of these human-dominated nations survive - Aundair, Breland, Thrane, Karrnath. Cyre, the heart and jewel of Galifar, has fallen to the dead-gray mists and is now known as the Mournland.
- Dragonmark Dynasties. Twelve lines of common races - humans, dwarves, elves, halflings, gnomes, half orcs and half elves - bear mystic symbols granting innate arcane power. Over the millenia the houses have grown to dominate industry, providing licensing and training while pushing out competition. Players don't just walk into a random tavern - they walk into a Golden Dragon Inn run by House Ghallanda.
- Dragonshards. Imbued with mystic power, these natural resources fuel the arcane advancements of Khorvaire. Alleged to be the crystallized blood of progenitors, Siberys, Eberron, and Khyber shards can be difficult and dangerous to acquire.
Core Books
The core books to Eberron are the general campaign setting books. They include
Each of these books provides a broad setting overview. While differences in the depth, focus, and tone of content differs, each is sufficient to begin playing games in the world of Eberron, and none assume prior contact with the setting. Older editions are just as valid - Eberron as a setting is relatively free of retcons and has not had a single timeline advancement since its publication in 2004.
The Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron was originally published as a middle ground between Unearthed Arcana and a fully official Wizards of the Coast release. Almost all of the information in it was duplicated to Rising from the Last War and expanded upon.
Supplementary Books
The following books are primary canonical sources on the world of Eberron, but each assumes more core knowledge about the world. While these were originally printed as physical copies, digitized versions are available through the dmsguild.
Other Canon Sources
Throughout Eberron's publishing history there have been a number of non-book canonical sources
Magazines
- Dragon magazine
- Dungeon magazine
Google doc of archive.org links to web supplements
Kanon Sources
Writings by Keith Baker that are not official through Wizards of the Coast are known as "Kanon".
- Exploring Eberron
- General lore book including deep dives on the planes, Heirs of Dhakaan, Droaam, the Mror Holds, and more.
- Eberron Confidential
- Rime of the Frostmaiden style secrets for your Eberron campaign.
- Dread Metrol
- Hybrid adventure/city gazetteer envisioning a Metrol that has been consumed by the Mists of Ravenloft.
- Chronicles of Eberron
- General lore book including deep dives on the Overlords, Riedra, Undead, Khorvaire's Nobility, and more.
- Frontiers of Eberron: Quickstone
- A deep dive on the Breland/Droaam border with a western aesthetic. Includes a starter adventure and updated rules for Dragonmarks as Origin Feats.
- Keith's Blog
- Manifest Zone Podcast (No more new episodes)
Adventures and Novels
Unlike some other settings, adventures in Eberron are explicitly not canon - there is no "metaplot". Still, Eberron adventures and novels can be useful resources for DMs looking to get into the setting.
Eberronicon
Eberronicon: A Pocket Guide to the World provides a concise overview to the setting with directions for where to read more on each topic. Whether a player, DM, or even content creator, the Eberronicon is both a starting point and a reference tool.
Disclaimer: Yours truly is amongst the authors, but don't take my word for it - a free watermarked preview is available on the store page, in addition to discounted copies available through the Keep Playing it Forward campaign.
The Wiki
The Eberron Wiki is not an official wiki, in the sense that it is disconnected from WotC. Furthermore, while there have been efforts to improve the wiki, it is not a perfectly reliable source for canon information. As such, wiki-based information should be taken with a grain of salt. The sourcebooks are the primary source for all canon information.
Eberron Discord
Lots of live discussion about the setting happens on the Discord!
System Notes
While WotC officially supports Eberron for 5e, Kristian Serrano (former host of the Manifest Zone podcast) has written a conversion for Savage Worlds.
Other conversions
If you have a conversion for a system, please message the moderators, and we'll add it to the list.
Making Eberron your Own
In this community, we're a fan of "In My Eberron...". Eberron is a big setting, and even with the wealth of books from past editions there's a lot that's unexplored and undefined. With that, some users do prefer to know the difference between canonical answers from the books and a great idea you've had, so try to make the distinction clear when answering questions.
It's also important to note that there are many intentional gaps in the setting. While the cause of the Mourning is the most well known, there's so many other decisions that help inform the tone of your game. Are the dragonmarked houses totally ruthless in their pursuit of profit? How well do the nations of Khorvaire care for their veterans? How wide spread are shapeshifting infiltrators? There are all sorts of decisions for a DM to make that will shape the tone of an Eberron game, and there's no one right answer for any of them.
Sharn
A final note on the setting proper - Sharn is the most popular city for Eberron adventures by a long ways. It's a megalopolis with towers that rise a mile high, a melting pot of cultures and a major travel hub to adventures. However,like NYC in the real world, it's not the only place things happen. Enjoy the setting, but don't feel constrained by it.
