The Ecology of Manifest Zones

The key to understanding Manifest Zones in Eberron is that they are not placed randomly. Almost always, a manifest zone of considerable size is located in a place with natural phenomena echoing that trait: Sharn is located in a place with high plateaus and strong winds, Greenheart in the Eldeen Reaches is a vast untamed wilderness, and Frostfell is a literal tundra. One possibility is that the Manifest Zone causes such regions, which is partly true; but we also have evidence in canon that the opposite is true. Valin Field, in southwestern Thane, became a manifest zone to Shavarath after a ritual and a terrible massacre, while a similar location called Tamor Gulch has been the traditional location of bloodsport for years. The Aerenal city of Shai Mordai is built on perhaps one of the largest Manifest Zones for Irian in Eberron, while the Gloaming in the Eldeen Reaches is growing.

This is my personal theory on how Manifest Zones in Eberron work. They are originally created during the coterminous phase between a plane and Eberron. The coterminous phase does not fall on all of Eberron at once; rather, the coterminous phases have a long line or shadow, similar affected area of an eclipse.

Within the shadow or coterminous area of a plane, the entire region is said to be similar to a manifest zone. Some areas will not be affected because they are shielded for some reason - for example, areas of strong light and joy are shielded from the full effects of being coterminous with Mabar - but the region in general is almost like a manifest zone, or a thousand little manifest zones.

As a plane moves out of its coterminous phase, most of these tiny manifest zones disappear. Some, however, hold on, encouraged by their locale. For example, a tiny manifest zone to Fernia might remain in an oven or fire pit after the heat of the Fernian summer has passed.

As the manifest zone remains, its influence grows, which means the manifest zone grows. However, if it were to lose the thing anchoring it to a region, its influence would wains. The Fernia manifest zone could cause a fire that burns down the bakery; for the brief time that the bakery was on fire, the manifest zone would grow, but once the fire was destroyed, the manifest zone's hold on this plane would be lost.

Most of the tiny manifest zones are extinguished in this way, but the larger a manifest zone becomes, the harder it becomes to extinguish.

The second thing to keep in mind is that there is only a limited amount of space that can be occupied by manifest zones in Eberron. Either because of the Manifest Zone cycle, or because the different types of zones cancel each other out, or for some unknown factor, most manifest zones stay long term in specific locations, and even as some grow, others shrink.

I divide Manifest Zones into several specific types.

Sybaris Manifest Zones are the largest, most powerful manifest zones. They act as a minor Gateway to their corresponding plane, and there is only one for each (except of course Dal Quor). The link to Shai Mordai in Aerenal has been the Sybaris Manifest Zone for around thirty millenia, growing slowly with the growth of the Court. A Sybaris Manifest Zone is just over 70 miles in diameter. The Sybaris Manifest Zone to Fernia is in Xen'Drik, while the one to Risia is in the Frostfell, and the one to Daanvi is in Sarlona. The rest tend to be located in Argonnessen, or perhaps in the ocean.

Greater Manifest Zones are generally 1-5 miles in diameter, though some larger have been recorded. These are the manifest zones, like the one in Sharn that most people think of, and they are usually the ones noted in canon. They act as minor Gateways to their corresponding planes in the weeks before and after a coterminous period. There are roughly 144 Greater Manifest Zones for each plane, except Dal Quor.

Lesser Manifest Zones are between 150 - 2,200 feet in diameter. They can act as a Minor Gateway for a fraction of the time that their corresponding plane is coterminous, and are strong enough to act as a conduit for Eldritch Machines. There are over 1,725 Lesser Manifest Zones per plane, except of course for Dal Quor.

Finally, Least Manifest Zones are 13-150 feet in diameter. They have only minor properties associated with a manifest zone, though they gain dramatically in strength to that of a Lesser Manifest Zone during coterminous phases. There are over 20,700 Least Manifest Zones per plane.

Phantom zones are no more than 13 feet in diameter, and only appear in the shadow of a Planar convergence. Uncounted numbers of them appear in the affected area, only for most of them to disappear shortly after the coterminous phase.

Due to Dal Quor being missing, the continent of Sarlona is home to two unique types of Manifest Zones. The first, Wild Zones, seem almost non-existent most of the time, and are quite small, but during Coterminous Phases of the correspondent plane bloom into actual portals to the planes. This type of Manifest Zone can be very dangerous, and access to them is tightly controlled by the Inspired. The second type of Manifest Zone native to Sarlona are the Aukaraks or "Reality Storms". Aukaraks are the leftover manifest zones from Dal Quor, from the Sybaris zone to the least Manifest Zones. They can't attach themselves to the world properly, so instead the Aukaraks cause ripples in reality, coming into being and disappearing much like the storms from whence they take their name.

In the deep and currents of the oceans, some Manifest Zones have been known to wander, attaching themselves to a cycle or current rather than a location. Merfolk and others take advantage of these wandering Manifest Zones to set up locations and pods. Wandering Manifest Zones make sea travel a little bit more dangerous.

Treasure Planet in Eberron (part II)

Previously, the PC's met Jaiem and his mother Soranda. Their inn was attacked and destroyed by pirates. Jaiem finds a Lyrandar-keyed docent which he can use to find the location of Skull Island, a fabled location of fantastic treasure. 

In this post, the PC's must get a ship and a crew to head out to Skull Island. They must also get supplies for the journey.

The cheapest price for a chartered ship is 200 gp per day... money which the PC's won't have. They will need to turn to Dr. Devlin Dawnsquire from Morgrave University, or else use one of their personal contacts to finance the expedition.

[Page 64 in Eberron: Rising from the Last War describes Group Patrons. Besides Dr. Devlin, the PC's might work with the Boromar Clan, a halfling crime syndicate running things in the Callestan District where Jaiem and Soranda live. They could go to the Clifftop Adventurer's Guild, which has the added benefit of veteran explorers of Xen'drik. Members of the Clifftop Guild can be found in the Drunken Dragon, in Clifftop, Upper Dura. Your PC's could make up a relationship with one of the 60 families (the most prominent families of Sharn), one of the counselors of city government (pg. 156), or even the ir'Tain family, the richest and most powerful family in Sharn. Perhaps Matriarch Celyria ir'Tain somehow heard about the expedition and feels there might be some connection to her missing brother Lord Dalian, lost at sea for the past decade.]

Ship supplies: It would take too long to go over every item. Instead, one character from the party rolls a d20 Survival check - if they have a sailing background, they get Advantage on the check. Subtract that number from 20. (For example, if the party member rolled a 16, then 20-16 = 4) That number is how high the party must roll if they need to "remember" packing something useful on the ship. Feel free to raise the DC +5 for rarer items. If the party member rolled over a 20, how much over they rolled determines the number of uncommon magic items they stock the ship with. Have the PC's determine what these items are immediately, instead of half-way through the journey.

[For every five days at sea, raise the DC by +1 for subsequent Survival checks, as supplies on the ship slowly dwindle. Sailing to Skull Island takes 50 + 2d10 days.]

Crew: PC's may each hire a number of crew members equal to their Charisma modifier up to 7 total if they wish. The crew that the PC's hire can be friends and contacts, but cannot have character class levels. The rest of the ships compliment of 20 crew members, plus the captain and first mate, will be hired for them. The following crew members are always included:

Captain Amelia Smallpaw: Captain of the R.L.S. Legacy, who formerly served as part of the Brelish navy during the Last War. (Shifter Veteran CR 3)
First Mate Arrow: Stoic and uncompromising right-hand-man of Captain Amelia. (Warforged Soldier CR 1).
Jurin Silver: A large, friendly shifter who has had an arm, leg, and eye replaced with Warforged parts. His stats can be found at the bottom.
Morph: A Tiny mimic is acts as Jurin's "Pet". Always with Jurin, but considered crew, Morph is mischievous and playful, and understands Common. Morph's stats can be found at the bottom.
Blackhound: A Droaam mercenary who understands Common, but speaks only a few words. (Gnoll Hunter CR 1/2, Volo's Guide to Monsters.)
Poledryn Liadon: A wizened, blind, incredibly dangerous sailor who speaks with a soft voice and carries a big stick. (Elf Precognitive Mage CR 3, Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica).
Scroot: A powerful insectoid warrior with a gravelly voice and a bad attitude. (Thri-Kreen CR 1, Monster Manual)
Hands: A large 4-armed barely-sentient beast from Xen'drik. (Girallon CR 4, Volo's Guide to Monsters)

The rest of the crew are Bandits (Basic Rules CR 1/4) who have Proficiency 4 in Sailing Vehicles and  and Survival.

Next post will cover traveling to the island.

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Jurin Silver, Warlock

Medium humanoid (shifter), Chaotic Neutral
Armor Class 14 (Warforged Armor) / 15 (Shifting)
Hit Points 64 (10d8 + 20), 75 (shifting)
Speed 30 ft.

STR       DEX       CON       INT       WIS       CHA
14 (+2)   8 (-1)      14 (+2)   14 (+2)  12 (+1)  16 (+3)

Saving Throws Con +2, Int +4, Wis +6
Skills Athletics +5, Deception +6, History +5, Intimidation +6, Perception +4, Persuasion +6
Senses Darkvision 60 ft, passive Perception 14
Languages Common
Challenge 3 (700 XP)

Spellcasting. Silver is a 5th level spellcaster (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks). He has the following spells prepared:

• Cantrips (at will): eldritch blast, friends, minor illusion
• 3rd level (2 slots): command, major image, scorching ray, suggestion, summon lesser demons, unseen servant

Dark One’s Blessing. When Silver reduces an enemy to 0 HP, he regains 8 temp HP.

Shifting. When Silver shifts, he gains 11 (7 + 1d6) temp HP and his AC goes up by +1. Shifting lasts for 1 minute.

Inspiring Leader. When Silver gives a rousing shout, 6 allies he can see within 30 ft gain 8 temp HP for the next 5 minutes.

 ACTIONS

Multiattack. Silver makes two attacks with his longsword, or one attack with eldritch blast. His longsword disappears into his warforged arm when not in use.

Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) slashing damage.

 REACTIONS

Parry. Jurin Silver adds 2 to its AC against one melee attack that would hit it. To do so, the captain must see the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon..

Riposte. When a creature makes an attack against a creature within 5 ft. of Silver, Jurin Silver can make a counterattack.

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Morph

Tiny monstrosity (shapechanger), neutral
Armor Class 13
Hit Points 10 (3d4 + 3)
Speed 15 ft, Fly 15 ft
STR        DEX        CON        INT        WIS        CHA
6 (-2)       17 (+3)    10 (+0)    7 (-2)      13 (+1)   12 (+1)

Skills Stealth +9
Damage Resistances Acid
Condition Immunities Prone
Senses Darkvision 60ft, assive Perception 11
Languages Understand Common, cannot speak except by mimicking 1-2 words.
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

Shapechanger. The mimic can use its action to polymorph into a Tiny object (Such as a dagger or water canteen) or back into its true, amorphous form. It can also take on the appearance of any creature it sees. Its statistics and size are the same in any form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.

False Appearance. While the mimic remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary object.

Adhesive. The mimic adheres to anything that touches it. A Small or smaller creature adhered to the mimic is also grappled by it (escape DC 7). Ability checks made to escape this grapple have disadvantage.

Treasure Planet in Eberron (Part I)

Why does your character need 200 gold? For this short adventure, treasure is a primary goal. Players should give their characters compelling reasons for seeking that treasure.

NPC's

Captain Sora Piatra: A legendary pirate who plundered the coasts of Khorvaire over 350 years ago.
Jaiem Hawkins: Adolescent pining for adventure. His father was a d'Lyrandar half-elf who abandoned his wife and five-year-old son.
Soranda Hawkins: Jaiem's mother, a human who runs the Benbow Inn.
Dr. Devlin Dawnsquire: Wildhunt shifter, astronomer, and student of the Draconic Prophecy, and professor of the Morgrave University.
Bilius Bones: An old tortle pirate in possession of a docent leading to Sora Piatra's treasure.

Note: Because this adventure follows a pre-established plot structure, parts of it (especially at the beginning) are intentionally railroaded. Give players a heads' up about this beforehand so they know what to expect, and suggest one of them play as Jaiem Hawkins (a central NPC in the adventure) if they want. Once the main plot-hook is established, feel free to allow players to improvise.

In the Lower Callestan district of Sharn, the adventurers meet in the Admiral Ambaar Inn. Sharn is a hot city, hot and muggy with rain. Monkeys and parrots and rats call the towers home as much as humans, elves, dwarves, and others.

The inn is a bustling tavern with an old copper Ghallanda license proudly displayed by the door, run by a beautiful 36-year-old human woman named Soranda Hawkins. The inn hangs precariously over the Cogs like a balcony, and a skysled terminal is located across a skyway bridge nearby. In the evening the streets are crowded, and the sky looks like it will rain soon. Deep in Lower Sharn, the Ambaar Inn is already in shadow.

[Use the Lower Sharn Street Events table on page 241 of Eberron: Rising from the Last War to give color to the scene outside the inn.]

Inside, the inn is warm, comfortable, and clean, with wooden floors and wall paneling, and windows spelled to show scenes of flowered mountain meadows. A bard is telling the tale of Sora Piatra and her crew of bloodthirsty pirates, a sea hag who looted and pillaged across Eberron with terrifying speed almost four hundred years ago. Legend says that her treasure lies buried somewhere in Shargon's Teeth, guarded by bloodthirsty Sahuagin and terrible giants.

[Have each player describe something they see inside, such as some of the patrons, the bard, the decorations, and the type of food their party is served that evening.]

Soranda's son, a young half-elf name Jaiem, is escorted to the door by a pair of the Sharn Watch, who claim he was caught riding a skysled through The Stores warehouse district and frightened some porters. Soranda berates him for his reckless behavior, and after defending himself a bit, he starts helping with patrons and bussing tables. When he gets to the PC's table, he notices they are adventurers. At first he tries to act disinterested, but soon he begs them to tell him stories about their adventures.

[At this point, have each of the PC's introduce themselves and tell what kind of adventure earned them their first class levels, as well as how they know each other]

As they PC's share their stories, the inn gradually quiets down, until they are the only patrons left.

Suddenly, the inn shakes and a loud boom is heard outside. Jaiam rushes out to see what happened. A skysled has crashed right next to the inn, and Jaiem is helping a mortally wounded old tortle with a buccaneer hat and an eyepatch out of the wreckage. Soranda sends a maid to get help from a Jorasco healer.

The tortle says his name is Billy Bones, and he clutches a bag of holding to his chest. Billy Bones hands the bag to Jaiem, and tells him to keep it safe and "beware the tiger!" Before a Jorasco healer can reach the inn, (if the PC's do not intervene), Billy Bones dies.

Note: If the PC's manage to save Billy Bone's life (which should require a bit more effort than a potion of healing or a healing word spell), he can become a valuable asset to the party. He is (to his knowledge) the last surviving crew member of Captain Flint's ship, an excellent sailor, and has valuable underworld connections. However, he cannot operate the map (as it is a Lyrandar focus object), he does not recognize the other pirates when they disguise themselves, and he is too old (323 years old) to be a good combatant. If they save his life, Billy Bones remains cagey about his past, but claims he knows the location of a fabulous treasure, and specifically needs Jaiem's help in finding it.

After any actions the PC's might like to take concerning Billy Bones, and before they can come to any decisions, the inn is attacked by pirates.

Pirate Encounter
2 Gnolls (pg. 163 of the Monster Manual)
1 Half-ogre (pg. 238)
1 Thri-kreen (pg. 268)
5 Bandits (pg. 343)
1 Bandit Captain (pg. 344)

The PC's get a round to roll a Perception check and prepare. Otherwise, two of the bandits enter and immediately start casting fire bolts from their wands when they recognize Billy, shouting "There's the old turtle!" The inn soon catches fire, creating difficult terrain and burning debris each round that combat continues.

In 3 combat rounds, it will be too late to save the inn. On the 4th combat round, a large crack sounds throughout the building, and with a loud groan, the floor begins to sag. Frightened shouts can be heard outside. Anyone still in the building on the 6th round has one last action to try to escape the burning building as it falls below, deep into the underbelly of Sharn.

Jaiem and his mother Soranda will flee out a back door towards the beginning of combat, inviting the PC's to follow them into the central alleys and tunnels of their district. If the PC's stay and fight, one or both will wait for them at an alley entrance. Jaiem and Soranda know their way around this part of the city, and as long as the party follows close behind, they soon lose any pursuers.

Once they get to a safe stopping place away from prying eyes, Jaiem empties the bag of holding by turning it inside out. He finds a 1d8 pieces of Giant gold (worth x5 gp each), a large sapphire, a book labelled the Shepherd's Journal, 20 bolts and a handheld crossbow, two short swords, a crowbar, a hammer, hempen and silk ropes (50 ft each), a waterskin, an everbright torch, a compass, several dried fish snacks, and finally a bronze Lyrandar docent, used to control and steer their elemental galleons.

When Jaiem touches the docent, a glowing dragonmark of indigo and silver blazes across his left forearm, and the docent lights up and projects a holographic map illusion on the side of the nearest building, clearly labeling the location of Skull Island.

Jaiem is incredibly excited and immediately wants to go. He pleads with his mom, saying he can finally fix something instead of mess it up, and that he wants this chance to make things right. She is reluctant, but will eventually consent. She herself will be staying with relatives in Bluespire, a nearby town outside of Sharn.

[At this point, the party has a few things to consider. How are they going to get to Skull Island? Who will be the crew? What supplies will they prepare? Level 1 characters, as this adventure assumes, won't have the gold to hire a Lyrandar airship, or even an elemental galleon.]

Both Jaiem and Soranda are adamant that they not involve the Lyrandar Dragonmarked house, as they've been trying to keep it a secret that Jaiem bears the Mark of the Storm. Jaiem can use the docent to lead them without involving the House. Soranda suggests getting help from her old friend, Dr. Devlin Dawnsquire, a professor at Morgrave University who may be able to finance an expedition.

[Ask the players if their characters would have any contacts they might want to use instead. If they want to make up a contact on the spot, that's fine, as long as it makes sense]

Next: Choosing a crew, a ship, and supplies.

Aarakocra of Eberron

“It smells like a weird noble's pigeon house in here,” Ardiane complained, very pointedly not looking at the squishy substance she had just put her hand into. Rhen was standing at the entrance to the woven hut, seemingly oblivious to the swaying motion and the long drop just outside. For a moment, she considered pushing him. Just for a moment. After all, he'd promised they'd get out of here alive. She briefly glanced over at Immok. If it stank in here to her, what did it smell like to the gnoll?

Fortune9 didn’t even have a nose. She envied them. A particularly strong gust shook the floor and sent the whole building swaying. “

The word is aviary, love,” Rhen explained, after he'd found his feet after a heart-clenching few seconds. “And you're just tetchy because I haven't bought you a drink in a while.” The half-elf woman looked up from wiping her hand on the straw, a biting response already on her lips.

The warforged shifted from its statue-still position to look at the two. “Tavern visits are inconsistent with the number of drinks you have owed and fulfilled,” Fortune9 noted in that bland tone they got when meditating or thinking hard. “I have begun to believe that you do not mean beverages, alcoholic or not, when you speak of drinks.” Ardiane and Rhen looked at each other and laughed. “I do not understand. What is amusing?”

The silent debate between the couple on who would answer and how was interrupted by the arrival of one of their hosts, one of the bird-men of Daanvi, an aarakocra holding the dangling end of a rope ladder. “The elders have given the outsiders permission to plead their case for the use of the gate. Please follow me.”

          -Reddit user regitnui

Beak and Feather

Standing upright, aarakocra might reach 5 feet tall, but they are shorter than most of the common races in Khorvaire. They are still taller and heavier than halflings and gnomes, but at around ninety pounds, the aarakocra are about as small as a creature can be and still be in the Medium category.

Aarakocra are also remarkably short-lived; reaching adulthood at 3 and living only around 30 years, aarakocra are shorter-lived than any other intelligent race. They are agile, quick in the air though slower on land, and perceptive, with strong religious traditions and a reverence for the power of nature. Aarakocra also have talons which they can use as natural weapons.

Compared to the aarakocra of the surface, the aven of the the Rings of Siberys are taller (around 6-7 feet) and can live around 900 years. Aven of the Ring of Siberys are also more owl-like than the hawk-like aarakocra living on the World Below. They view themselves as a completely different species, similar to the difference between an elf and a human. These Siberyne aven possess darkvision and are highly intelligent.

Other planes of existence have birdlike humanoids that will intermingle with aarakocra and avens. From Daanvi are the Apkallu, librarians obsessively measuring and categorizing the most obscure phenomena with absolute dedication. They have the appearance of herons or ibis. In Lamania are the Garuda, fierce celestials with vibrant wings of red and green and gold. Syrania Dovriel tend to have a softer, more gentle appearance, as a dove or songbird, and are as small as halflings or gnomes. In Irian, noble Avoral Agathions take on the appearance of fierce eagles or falcons with eyes that glow like suns. In Thelanis are shapeshifting Tengu, often associated with ravens. If an aarakocra's lineage include one of these extraplanar denizens, they might have similar features.

Aarakocra in the World

Aarakocra favor high places, mostly mountaintops in Argonnessen and Sarlona, though a respectable population lives in Xen'drik as well. Argonnessen in particular has a several flights, as flying servants are quite useful to the dragons of the region. Never populous, the Aarakocra stay safe by staying on the move, though they don't lack for courage and will fight to protect their nests when the need arises.

In Khorvaire, there are a only few flights in the Starpeaks of Aundair, as well as a small colony in mountains of Questor in the Lhazaar Principalities. They are popular to hire for work on House Lyrandar Elemental airships, so this formerly obscure people have lately become a more common sight, among the elite of society at least.

Adventuring is not uncommon among the free-loving folk of the air, who often scout out possible new nesting sites in high mountains and steep cliffs. Uneasy below ground, they are nevertheless sought-after companions and guides for explorers in Xen'drik, who value their keen eyesight and rapid scouting abilities over rough and shifting terrain. Among the scarce flights of Khorvaire, it is rumored that a whole city of Aarakocra might be found in the heart of the mysterious continent.

Aarakocra from Argonnessen may be sent from their eyries on special scouting missions by the dragons of the Chamber. Though rare, these aarakocra have a proud sense of purpose and an ancient culture in marked contrast to the wanderers of Khorvaire.

Others find it harder and harder to subsist among the cliffs and mountains of Adar as the long siege of the Inspired continues. They flee to western Khorvaire, mingling with orcs in the Shadow Marches and the monster communities of Droaam, and farther east into the Eldeen Reaches. A few were even rumored to have fled to the Demon Wastes, where they took up service with one of the Rajahs, or else battled for a meager place among the Carrion Tribes.

Aven of of the Ring of Sybaris rarely descend to the World Below. Faithful servants of the celestial couatl, they descend to the surface world to combat fiendish and extraplanar threats wherever they may arise.

How Big is Eberron? (Part III Siberys)

The Rings of Siberys are always visible in the sky of Eberron. In Stormreach and Sharn, the rings are thinner, while in northern Aundair, Karrnath, or the Mror Holds, the rings form great bands of light across the southern portion of the sky. Even during the day the rings are pale but visible; at night, their bright light is interrupted only between the hours of about 10:30 pm and 1:30 am, when the massive shadow of Eberron itself crosses them. Together with the massive moons, Eberron is rarely darker than dusk on earth.

RINGS OF SIBERYS

First Ring's Distance: 8,264 miles

   Circumference: 51,924 miles

Second Ring's Distance: 8,414 miles

   Circumference: 52,867 miles

Third Ring's Distance: 8,564 miles

   Circumference: 53,811 miles

Fourth Ring's Distance: 8,714 miles

   Circumference: 54,754 miles

Fifth Ring's Distance: 8,865 miles

   Circumference: 55,697 miles

Sixth Ring's Distance: 9,015 miles

   Circumference: 56,641 miles

Seventh Ring's Distance: 9,165 miles

   Circumference: 57,584 miles

Eighth Ring's Distance: 9,315 miles

   Circumference: 58,527 miles

Ninth Ring's Distance: 9,465 miles

   Circumference: 59,471 miles

The most common mortal denizens are aarakocra; more often, extraplanar Celestials from Daanvi and Syrania, Thelanis and Irian, Shavarath and Lamannia, and even Risia and Fernia dwell here among clouds and ice and crystals, watching over ancient strongholds of the couatl and guarding imprisoned Overlords. But the Rings are more space than material, and have less land then the smallest of the 5 Nations.

Total physical surface area: 502,500 mi²

How big is Eberron? (Part II: Khyber)

Eberron is only one dragon among the three Progenitors; the depths of the Dragon Below teem with horrors, while above even the Ring of Siberys has its own denizens.

KHYBER

The Khyber underground is made up of five interconnecting cave systems, each more than a dozen miles deeper than the last. In addition is the Blackwater Abyss, a vast interconnected web of spindly submerged tunnels that winds through the other layers.

The Midnight Realm - 2,002,000 mi²

   The first coil of the Dragon Below is considered the refuge of the Mockery, the location where he fled the justice of Dol Dorn and Dol Arrah. This layer has many enormous open caverns and immense crevices leading to lower layers as well as enormous, strangely coiled columns stretching from the floor to the ceiling, fancifully called the chains of the dragon. The most extensive of the layers of Khyber, and the most frequently explored, the Midnight Realm is often simply called the Dragon Below. Most of the mortal races that call the underground home live in this layer, and while no layer of the Dragon Below is actually safe, this one is perhaps the most familiar to the citizens of the surface world.

The Mad Labyrinth - 1,813,000 mi²

   The second coil of the Dragon Below, home of the Shadow and of madness, the Mad Labyrinth is the abode of the Daelkyr and other aberrations of Xoriat and Kythri. Relatively recent immigrants from an extra-planar incursion less than a millennia gone, the Daelkyr and their agents wage war with the deeper denizens of the Dragon Below, at the same time twisting all forms of the life they encounter according to their own bizarre aesthetics.

The Spearshards - 1,093,000 mi²

   The third coil of the Dragon Below, domain of the Devourer, the Spearshards is riddled with massive Khyber dragonshards the size of mountains. This region has long decades of quiet punctuated by violent shifting and earthquakes, with new caverns opening and old ones shuddering closed in massive earthquakes. Hurricane force winds howl through the tunnels, lightning thunders between the rocks, and stone burns. Then, once again, all is quiet.

The Crypt of the Keeper - 710,000 mi²

   The fourth coil of the Dragon Below, the Crypt of the Keeper is rumored to host all manner of undead and souls which the Keeper has snatched from their journey to Dolurrh. Large manifest zones to Mabar can be found in this region, so the undead are far from uncommon, but something stranger, and perhaps more horrifying, lurks in these dark and twisting tunnels.

The Burning Pit - 346,000 mi²

   The fifth coil of the Dragon Below, home of the Fury in the minds of the populace of Khorvaire, the Burning Pit is a morass of bubbling metallic pools and hissing, cracking stones, rivers of lava, and massive burning lakes of fire. Home of burning fiends, large reptilian monsters, and icebreath remorhaz, the Burning Pit is hostile to most lesser forms of life. Even the trees catch fire at will, and will use their limbs like claws to tear apart any who venture too close.

The Orvault - 168,000 mi²

   The final coil of the Dragon Below, and rumored resting place of Khyber herself, none know the true extent of these deepest caverns, for none have returned alive from them. It is said that a most wondrous treasure, the Or Infinite, lies clutched between the claws of a mountain-sized dragon resting in the heart of the world, granting immortality and apotheosis to any brave and powerful enough to steal it.

The Blackwater Abyss - 2,002,000 mi²

   Considered separate from the coils of the Dragon Beneath and associated with the Traveler, the Blackwater Abyss is a vast interconnected web of spindly submerged tunnels that winds through the other layers, rather than its own specific layer; however, a large oceanic trench does exist between the Crypts and the Orvault, an icy sea of sleeping horrors beyond death and sanity.

At least, these are the mostly physical regions of the Dragon Below; much of the subterranean world is riddled with manifest zones and demiplanes, a thousand layers of infinite abyss for the myriad horrors conjured by the Overlords and their fiendish disciples. 

Total (physical) subterranean space: 8,809,000 mi²

How big is Eberron?

EBERRON

Radius - 2,963 miles
Diameter - 5,926 miles
Circumference - 18,617 miles
Surface Area - 110,324,805 mi²

Aerenal - 1,025,000 mi²
Argonnessen - 5,140,000 mi²
Everice - 2,378,000 mi²
Islands - 670,000 mi²
Khorvaire - 6,975,000 mi²
Sarlona - 7,520,000 mi²
Zendikar - 12,724,000 mi²

Total land area - 36,432,000 mi²
Percentage - 33%

Total area covered in water - 73,892,800 mi²
Percentage - 67%

Comparatively, the subcontinent of Aerenal is about half the size of Australia, while Argonnessen is slightly smaller than Antarctica. The Everice, south of Zendikar, is of a comparable size with Australia. The islands of Eberron compose about a 3rd again more land area than the islands of earth. Khorvaire is slightly larger than South America and twice the size of the United States. Sarlona is larger than North America, and Zendikar is slightly larger than Africa, about half the size of Eurasia.

Khorvaire's land area is taken from the new 5th edition maps. The other continents were scaled according to personal preference. The precise circumference of Eberron is difficult to parse, but is generally agreed to be somewhere between that of Mars and Earth. I opted for a larger size than previous estimates (16,513 miles) because it gave a more comparable land-to-water ratio.

Oceanic Trade

Using this scale, Eberron can be circumnavigated in a Lyrandar Elemental Galleon sailing at 20 mph in roughly 50 days; a traditional sailing ship would take 6 months, or about half a year. The trip is faster than a comparable journey on earth because of the size of the planet, but also because Eberron's continents do not block the way. Argonnessen and Zendikar are primarily in the southern hemisphere, while Khorvaire and Sarlona are primarily in the northern, leaving the equator open to shipping lanes.

Due to this fact, as well as the size of the metropolis Sharn, I would imagine that trade between the 6 major continents of Khorvaire, as well as numerous smaller islands, is actually quite robust, similar to the spice road of the medieval period. The major ports of call would be Sharn, travelling along the southern coast of Khorvaire through Zolanport and Korranberg, before crossing the Kraken bay and making port in Pylas Maradal, in Valenar. Before the Mourning, Seaside in Cyre was an important stop, and Darguun has tried making Wyvernskull more attractive to sea trade as well. Another likely port, heading south from Korranberg, is Pylas Talaear in Aerenal. Crossing the Dragonreach sea, Seren likely has a large city for trading as well, though it is not mentioned in any source materials that I have found. From there, ships cross the Sea of Rage to Dar Ulatesh, the largest and most important port city of Riedra, before heading south to Syrkarn and rounding the treacherous horn of Adar, with few if any hospitable ports. From Adar is the long stretch of the Barren Sea, comparable to the Pacific, filled with small islands, before finally reaching the Kapaerian Island, or perhaps being waylaid by a storm and being driven south into the Sea of Lost Souls, to Dar Qat in Menechtarun. From there, the coast leads to Stormreach, and then across the Straights of Shargon back to Sharn.

Everything has a place in Eberron.

If it exists in D&D, then it has a place in Eberron. 

A monster or spell or magic item from the core game may require some modification in its lore to match Eberron’s tone and overarching story, but otherwise, everything that appears in any of the core rulebooks or sourcebooks has a place somewhere in Eberron. It’s a big world; there’s a place for everything.

This is one of the core tenets of the Eberron setting; however, in practice, most official products are geared for a different kind of game than the low-level, pulp-noir kind of intrigue, globe-trotting adventure, and relativity of Alignments that so characterize it. Many products are explicitly set in or around the Sword Coast of the Forgotten Realms setting.

My goal with this blog is to find a place for all the official published adventures, as well as other products such as Magic: The Gathering cards and Plane Shift publications, and settings and other materials from the Pathfinder game. These notes are primarily for my own use, and will be interspersed with house rules; but if someone else finds anything in this blog useful for their own games, they are welcome to it.

Keith Baker often references his Eberron as a different place from the official published setting; needless to say, this blog represents my own campaign world, and should not be taken as indicative of official published material.

HOMEBREW: CREATURE STATS

I'd like to have a bit more variety in my bestiary than the traditional 5E fair; I've always liked the more granulated size ranges of Pathfinder, and I've found that some of the simplifications of the system are a bit too simple. At the same time, I'd like my Homebrew creations to be easily ported to others games.

Here are my modifications:

Size Categories are the same as Pathfinder: Fine, Diminutive, Tiny, Small, Medium, Large, Huge, Gargantuan, and Colossal. Creatures smaller than Fine cannot be interacted with individually, while only portions of a creature larger than Colossal can be interacted with at a time. I also further subdivide Size Categories from 1-8; Mass 1 creatures can sometimes be the size category smaller, while Mass 8 creatures can sometimes be the size category larger. Each Class is equivalent to the full category below it: Small is up to 60 lbs, so each Class in Medium is a 60 lb step. For example, a Medium human is a Class 2 (120 - 180 lbs) creature, while a Medium wolf is a Class 1 (60 - 120 lbs) creature. A tiger would be a Class 7-8 Medium sized creature, depending on the tiger. Class sizes don't matter too much except for some background mechanics.

Perception is more specific, and includes ranges for different senses. For example, a Human has Diurnal Sight 60 ft, Hearing 30 ft, Minor Smell, Sensitive Touch, Moderate Taste. The ranges for a Sight and Hearing have a -1 accumulative penalty for each additional step, so trying to see something 100 feet away has a -1 penalty, and trying to hear something 100 feet away has a -3 penalty. Other senses can be Poor, Minor, Moderate, Good, and Sensitive. If they are more powerful than Sensitive, they will have a range. Poor has a -5 to notice, Minor has -4 to notice, Moderate has -3 to notice, Good has -2 to notice, and Sensitive has -1 to notice. Also, creatures don't have Darkvision as much; instead, they have other types of perception which don't rely on sight.

Habitat refers to the natural niche or preferred biome a creature or character inhabits. It can be urban, rural, plains, forest, jungle, mountains, coasts, deserts, tundra, arctic, arctic seas, deep sea, river, coral reefs, kelp forests, and others. Creatures get a +2 bonus on Nature and Survival checks within their preferred biome or habitat.

Environmental Effects are

Health is how much damage you can take before you fall unconscious, and has an average based on Race and Constitution. Health can be healed through the Medicine skill, magic, or rest and nutrition. It takes about a week for most creatures to heal 1/6th their Health; this Recovery Rate will be noted. Some injuries, such as broken bones, will not heal correctly without medical attention, and take 4x the normal Recovery Rate to heal. These are called Serious Injuries. A serious injury has a 1d10 chance of happening any time a character takes a Critical Hit or Massive Damage, bypassing Hit Dice; any time a character falls unconscious, they have suffered a serious injury.

Hit Dice are plot armor, and represent luck, skill, and story importance. They are determined by Class. When a character goes up in level, they gain a Hit Die. Hit Dice are recovered by a Short or Long rest, and are unresponsive to healing magic. Hit Die can also be used like Action Points. When using a Hit Dice in this way, you can add one of your Hit Die to an Ability Check, Attack Roll, or Saving Throw. You don't have to decide to use the Hit Dice until you learn if you make the roll and learn if you succeeded or failed. You can also spend a Hit Die activate a class ability, to boost defense up to the number rolled, to gain an extra attack, to add damage to an attack, to increase the level of a spell by 1, or to recover Mana, You can only spend one Hit Dice per round of combat.

Hit Dice are reduced before Health is touched. If a 3rd Level Human Fighter has Con Modifier +2, they will have 16 Health and 3d10 Hit Dice. For ease of use, Hit Dice confer their full score as Hit Points, and you must subtract full Hit Dice from your Hit Points to use it. This human fighter started off with 46 HP at the beginning of the day, but has to spend 1 Hit Dice to burst through a locked door, and takes 18 damage when the troll attacks her. She now has 18 HP, and will most likely start taking Injuries on the next hit, requiring Medicine or healing magic. If she manages to survive this fight, she can take a Short or Long Rest to recover some Hit Dice.

Short Rests for humans are 30 minutes, but must have at least 3 hours between them to be beneficial; long rests are 8 hours and include at least 6 hours of sleep. Where a creature has a different rest cycle from humans, it will be noted. On a Short Rest, a character regains 1 Hit Dice, while on a Long Rest, a character regains full Hit Dice.

Mana determines how many spells a creature can cast in a day, as well as how many magic items they can attune to. It is based on Race and Intelligence. Mana is recovered through rest and nutrition as well as some magic items and rituals. Mana can be expanded through the use of spell-casting focus items, material components, magical language, and magical symbols. When a character gains a level, you can choose to gain Mana instead of Hit Dice.

The Grid System for Weight: Encumbrance determines how much you can carry. Take a piece of grid paper; each square is equal to about a pound of weight. On the short side, mark a line for your 1/2 your Strength score - 4 squares for a strength score of 8, 9 squares for a strength score of 18. Next, how much does your character weigh? This is their ideal weight, without any extra padding. Use the random height and weight tables for your character's race to determine this number. Then divide that number by 20, rounding up. That's how many pounds your character can carry without being Encumbered.

Now when you keep track of inventory, you can draw pictures of each item, showing its size based on how many squares it takes up. If you want to adjust the

Smaller creatures can carry more relative to their weight. For Small characters divide the weight by 15, for Tiny characters divide the weight by 10, for Diminutive characters divide the weight by 5, and for Fine characters divide the weight by 2.

Larger creatures carry less, relative to their weight; for Large characters divide the weight by 40, for Huge creatures divide the weight by 80, for Gargantuan creatures divide the weight by 160, and for Colossal creatures divide the weight by 320.

For myself, my ideal weight (not my real one!) is about 140 lbs, and I have a Str of 11; slightly better than average, but nothing remarkable. Therefore, I should be able to carry roughly 5x7 squares, or 35 lbs, without strain. Doubling that number (by putting another rectangle next to the first one on my grid paper) shows how much I can carry before being Heavily Encumbered (70 lbs). Quadrupling that number (140 lbs) is my Carrying Capacity.

Compare that to a Strength 10 human in traditional 5E rules, who would be able to carry 50 lbs, up to 100 lbs while encumbered, up to 150 lbs while heavily encumbered, and 150 lbs as their carrying capacity.

A horse with a Strength of 16 and weighing about 960 lbs can carry up to 8x24 squares, or 192 lbs, without being Encumbered. This compares favorably to the 240 lbs maximum recommended weight for a horse of that size to carry. A horse (Strength 16) in 5E rules can carry 480 lbs at a maximum, and 160 lbs without being Encumbered. A Huge elephant, meanwhile, with a Strength score of 22, can carry 1,788 lbs without strain, or the equivalent of about 10 regular humanoids. Sources on how much an elephant can carry at a time without strain vary, but this seems reasonable.

Further rules for Encumbrance. 

You can only have two items in your hands at a time; everything else needs to be stored in something. Anything large enough to cause encumbrance all by itself requires both hands.

Being Encumbered while swimming halves your swim speed; swimming while Heavily Encumbered causes you to sink 5 ft per round. Swimming while carrying over your Carrying Capacity causes you to sink 10 or more feet per round, depending on what you are trying to carry.

You cannot be Encumbered while flying without losing altitude 30 ft per round, and you cannot be Heavily Encumbered while flying without falling 60 ft per round; if you are carrying over your Carrying Capacity, you fall precipitously fast, and take damage as if you did not have a fly speed once you hit the ground.

For every 6 hours you are Encumbered, you must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or take a level of Exhaustion. For every additional 6 hours, the DC goes up by 1. For every hour you are Heavily Encumbered, you must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or take a level of Exhaustion. For every additional hour, the DC goes up by 1.