Eberron Common Playable Races

Changelings

The changelings of Eberron are an enigmatic race of shapeshifters. Descended from doppelgangers and, presumably, humans, changelings have evolved into their own separate race, distinct from either heritage. Their ability to completely change their appearance at will lends them the potential to be consummate spies and criminals, and many changelings live up to that image.

While open changeling communities are quite rare, changelings themselves are spread out and fairly common in the Five Nations. So much so, that it is often standard practice for other people to associate themselves with a signature piece of jewelry or article of clothing—something distinctive enough to identify themselves as who they are, since changelings can’t mimic clothing and accessories.

Changelings adventurers come from a variety of backgrounds: They might be running from a criminal past, pursuing revenge, or seeking spiritual perfection through the use of their shapeshifting abilities. Some may be adventurers simply due to a lack of other palatable options: Changelings not inclined toward stealth or crime find their race's stereotype working against them.

• Source: Wayfinder’s Guide to Eberron, page 60
• D&D Beyond: Use Changeling

Dwarves

Dwarf: Dwarves are a common sight to the citizens of Khorvaire, but whether they were raised amongst the cities of the Five Nations or the stone keeps of the Mror Holds, their attitude can be summed up as such: Iron and Gold.

Most dwarves, even those not in the dragonmarked House Kundarak, are preoccupied with displays of wealth. Dwarves are completely capable of falling in love with objects and are more likely to do so the flashier and more valuable they are.

• Source: Player's Handbook, page 20
• D&D Beyond: Use Hill Dwarf

Mark of Warding Dwarf: The Mark of Warding helps its bearers protect things of value. Using the mark, a dwarf can weave wards and seal portals with mystic force. It also provides its bearer with an intuitive understanding of locks and mechanisms used to protect and seal. The decision each heir has to make is whether they’ll use this power to keep things safe, or whether they’re more interested in opening locks and taking what’s inside.

• Source: Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron, page 108
• D&D Beyond: Use Mark of Warding Dwarf

Elves

Aereni Elves: The Island of Aerenal is named after the great hero Aeren, liberator of the elven people from their giant slave-masters in ancient Xen'drik. Aeren's people grieved for her and followed her prophetic visions to their culmination generations after her death: the establishment of the divine Undying Court. This singular feat of necromantic mastery has shaped Aereni culture well into modern times.

• Source: Korranberg Chronicle, page 5
• D&D Beyond: Use Aereni Elf CW Campaign Version

Khorvaire Elves: The elves of Aerenal have not always lived in harmony with each other. Early in the settlement of Aerenal, there was an upheaval that saw an entire bloodline wiped out. Allies of this family, as well as neutral parties disturbed by the unilateral action taken against an entire lineage, decided it was best to move on, abandoning Aeren's promised land. These elves sailed north to Khorvaire and found themselves integrating into the burgeoning human nations growing there.

• Source: Korranberg Chronicle, page 5
• D&D Beyond: Use Khorvaire Elf

Valenar Elves: Tairnadal elves escaped Xen'drik to Aerenal along with those who founded the Undying Court, but they practice a different form of ancestor worship. Descended from the brave warrior elves who fought the giants with spell and blade, the Tairnadal believe the only way to honor them is to emulate their battles in the present day. The Valaes Tairn, the largest Tairnadal tribe, has even gone so far as to invade Khorvaire and establish the nation of Valenar, seeking any and every battle to bring glory to the Spirits of the Past.

• Source: Korranberg Chronicle, page 6
• D&D Beyond: Use Valenar Elf CW Campaign Version

Mark of Shadow Elves: The Mark of Shadows lets an elf weave illusions from shadows, crafting sounds and images to distract or delight. The mark also allows its bearer to draw on the shadows, making it an easy matter to avoid detection or even disappear while in plain sight. It is a valuable tool for an entertainer, a spy, or an assassin.

• Source: Wayfinder’s Guide to Eberron, pg. 105
• D&D Beyond: Use Mark of Finding Elf subrace

Mark of Death Elves: The Dragonmark of Death manifested on the line of Vol, a noble house of elves in Aerenal. The mark granted horrifying powers, and the line of Vol allied with a clan of evil dragons, who planned to use the malevolent powers of the mark to dominate Aerenal and usher in an age of undead terrors. The elves of the Undying Court were forced to join forces with heroic dragons from Argonnessen. It was a bloody war, but ultimately the champions of light and life overcame the forces of darkness and death. After careful study, the Sibling Kings of Aerenal regretfully concluded that the Mark of Death was deemed too dangerous to exist, and must be completely eradicated for the greater good. This meant the execution of everyone with any connection to the bloodline of Vol, and the dragons and the Aereni solemnly carried out this sentence, erasing the Mark of Death from the world.

At least, this is the tale as it is recorded in the archives of Aerenal. Even though the line of Vol was wiped out, they had allies. Some of these allies were assimilated into the Aereni culture.Many were killed along with the Vol, but some fled to Khorvaire and spread out across the continent. Most of these refugees abandoned their old culture, though their beliefs inspired a religion called the Blood of Vol. Those who dig deep enough can find the history once told by these renegades. These hidden secrets present the line of Vol in a different light. The Vol were accomplished necromancers, and preserved their greatest citizens as mummies, liches, and other undead, as the edicts of Aerenal encourage. They practiced these techniques peacefully for many thousands of years, and their philosophies dominated southern Aerenal. When the Mark of Death manifested, they embraced it as a gift to further their contribution to their ancestors and society. The mark wasn’t a weapon, but a tool that facilitated interaction with the dead and undead. Its bearers were master mediums, not cruel tyrants.

• Source: Morgrave Miscellany, pg. 115

Gnomes

Gnomes are harmless industrious folk... or so they want people to think. The gnomish homeland of Zilargo attained its independence from Breland at the start of the Last War by announcing itself an ally of Breland. It seems no one realized that Breland surrendered the sovereignty it previously held over the territory in the process.

It was also the gnomes of House Sivis that anticipated the commercial impact of Dragonmarks and formed them into an extended network of industrial monopolies.

Gnomes might be small and jovial, but they are far more cunning and shrewd than they let on.

Zill Gnomes: The gnomes of Zilargo have a long and ancient tradition of guile and subterfuge. Though one would not guess to look at it, the peaceful surface of Zilargo is a status quo that runs on intrigue and scheming. While a human might find such conditions intolerable, the psychology of the gnomes is such that they seem most comfortable in this type of society.

• Source: Korranberg Chronicle, page 7
• D&D Beyond: Use Zil Gnome

Feyspire Gnomes: The Feyspire of Pylas Pyrial was once a legend out of Zilargo's fairy tales. The gnomes of this fabled city featured in the oldest of Zil bed-time stories and morality tales—stories of mischievous heroes outwitting ugly, dumb brutes. But now, Pylas Pyrial has manifested in the middle of the gnome homeland, bringing the whimsical gnomish figures of folk tales with it into the real world.

• Source: Korranberg Chronicle, page 7
• D&D Beyond: Use Feyspire Gnome

Mark of Scribing Gnomes: The Mark of Scribing deals with communication—both the written and spoken word. A gnome who bears the mark can feel words as though they are living creatures, struggling to make their meaning known. The mark provides a range of gifts. It translates languages, but it also allows its bearer to communicate with others at a distance.

• Source: Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron, page 103
• D&D Beyond: Use Mark of Scribing Gnome

Goblins

Goblins have an ancient and storied history acting as the scouts, spies, and assassins of the Dhakaani Empire. But since the fall of ancient Dhakaan, goblins have spent long millennia suffering oppression and ill fortune.

Though the ancient clans yet exist in secret, hiding until the true heirs of Dhakaan return once again to claim their services, most goblins live under the shadow of larger nations. Whether oppressed by the brutal cultures of Droaam and Darguun, or suffering the more civil ostracization of Thronehold nations, goblins are usually relegated to city slums and stick to their own.

City Goblins: The most common goblinoid people the citizens of Khorvaire are familiar with, goblins are often downtrodden and pushed into poverty by a cycle of bigotry and criminal retaliation. These "city goblins" learn to anticipate danger and escape swiftly from it. It's a lucky goblin that finds the opportunity to become an adventurer and gain respect.

• Source: Korranberg Chronicle, page 8
• D&D Beyond: Use City Goblin

Dhakaani Goblins: Among the most infamous of Dhakaani Clans were the "Silent Clans". Comprised entirely of goblins, the taarka'kesh ("Silent Wolves") and shaarat'kesh ("Silent Knives") were renowned for their skill and stealth. Dhakaani goblins may become adventurers in order to function as scouts for their clans, taking in the lay of the land and the changes in the political landscape since their millennia-long seclusion began. Others may just be driven by wanderlust, finally free from their underground homes for the first time in living history and eager to experience all Khorvaire has to offer.

• Source: Korranberg Chronicle, page 8
• D&D Beyond: Use Dhakaani Goblin

Half-Elves

When elves first emigrated to Khorvaire, they found human nations expanding and solidifying their power. Fascinated by these people, many elves attempted to marry into their nobility. The elves anticipated that their longer-lived progeny would eventually supplant the human nobility but were disappointed with the results. They found their hybrid offspring to possess too many human qualities to be easily controlled and were astonished to find them bucking elven traditions.

Eventually the elves acclimated to their new neighbors and, for the most part, kept to themselves. First-generation half-elves, those born from the union of an elf and a human, occurred less and less frequently. Nowadays, the most frequent half-elven births are bred true from half-elven parents, and these half-elves call themselves Khoravar, meaning "Children of Khorvaire" in the elvish language.

Khoravar Half-Elves: The khoravar see themselves as true natives of Khorvaire. Humans and elves both migrated to this land but came together to birth children never before seen in history. They have a strong cultural identity of socialization and hospitality, and no khoravar feels like an outcast just because of the blood that flows through their veins.

• Source: Korranberg Chronicle, page 9
• D&D Beyond: Use Khoravar Half-Elf

Mark of Detection Half-Elves: The Mark of Detection is an inquisitive’s dream. It sharpens powers of observation and intuition, allowing the bearer to draw connections and interpret clues others might miss. By actively drawing on its powers, the bearer can detect poisons and study the energies of magic.

• Source: Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron, page 96
• D&D Beyond: Use Mark of Detection Half-Elf

Mark of Storm Half-Elves: Wind and water welcome the half-elf who carries the Mark of Storms. The wind catches them when they fall, and they swim with remarkable speed. Those who possess the Greater Dragonmark and dragonshard focus items can call on even greater powers, shaping the weather and calling on the power of the storm.

• Source: Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron, page 106
• D&D Beyond: Use Mark of Storm Half-Elf

Half-Orcs

Half-Orcs: In the present day, most half-orcs in Khorvaire can trace their ancestry directly back to the Shadow Marches. Thousands of years ago, a second migration of humans reached the west coast oh Khorvaire, where they encountered the orcs of the Shadow Marches. Though initial contact was violent, over millennia the two people grew closer together, and it wasn't long before the first Jhorgun'taal, or "children of two bloods" were born.

Punctuating the commingling of these two people, half-orcs and humans are the only two races to share a dragonmark. House Tharashk, the youngest of the Dragonmarked Houses, built itself to have a monopoly on dragonshard prospecting by exploiting the Mark of Finding. This caused an influx of gold and development to the coasts of the Shadow Marches and improved the standing of half-orcs and orcs in modern Khorvarian society.

Nowadays, Half-Orcs are completely accepted in any civilized settlement, and are rarely looked down upon. A shifter is more likely to draw nervous glances than one of these folk. Unlike the khoravar half-elves, the half-orcs did not create their own distinct culture, instead embracing the position of being a bridge between orc and human peoples.

• Source: Korranberg Chronicle, page 10
• D&D Beyond: Use Eberron Half-Orc

Mark of Finding Half-Orcs: The Mark of Finding sharpens the senses, guiding the hunter to prey. Alone among the dragonmarks, the Mark of Finding is carried by two races: humans and half-orcs. It first appeared in the Shadow Marches, where clan hunters used it to find their prey. The mark helped unite humans and orcs in the Marches and brought House Tharashk to the Five Nations.

• Source: Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron, page 97
• D&D Beyond: Use Mark of Finding Half-Orc

Halflings

The halflings of Eberron began in the east of Khorvaire, and nomadic tribes still wander the Talenta Plains. However, many halflings followed their dragonmarked houses into the lands to the west, and they’ve been a part of the Five Nations since before the rise of Galifar.

Urban Halflings: Halflings have survived in the Talenta Plains for thousands upon thousands of years as a nomadic people. Within the last millennium, however, many have integrated into the culture of greater Khorvaire.

Lightfoot and Stout halflings represent halflings who have moved away from their tribal roots. While such halflings might be found on the Talenta Plains in small numbers, they are the ones looking to progress society there to be closer to the Five Nations.

• Source: The Player's Handbook, page 26
• D&D Beyond: Use Lightfoot Halfling or Stout Halfling

Talenta Plains Halflings: The Talenta Plains has been the homeland of the halflings for as far back as anyone can record. These small, hardy folk have stood up to ancient empires and yet continue to live humble lives as nomads.

• Source: Morgrave Miscellany, page 91; Eberron Archetypes, page 5; Korranberg Chronicle, page 11
• D&D Beyond: Use Talenta Plains Halfling (combo of Talenta Halflings found in Eberron Archetypes and Korranberg Chronicle)

Mark of Healing Halflings: A halfling with the Mark of Healing can save a life with a touch, restoring vitality and the will to live. When dealing with mundane medicine, the mark helps its bearer sense the nature of maladies and afflictions and find the best solution. When equipped with dragonshard focus items, the mark can even draw the dead back from the depths of Dolurrh.

• Source: Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron, page 99
• D&D Beyond: Mark of Healing Halfling

Mark of Hospitality Halflings: They may not always have gold, but a halfling with the Mark of Hospitality is sure to be rich in friends. The magic of the mark allows the bearer to keep a place clean, and to heat, chill, and season food. But it also helps the bearer connect with others, setting troubled minds at ease—a powerful tool, though it can cause anger if abused.

• Source: Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron, page 100
• D&D Beyond: Mark of Hospitality Halfling

Humans

Humans migrated to Khorvaire in two major waves and have been in that land for several thousand years. They are largely responsible for the cultural development of its nations. The Kingdom of Galifar was a realm united in progress and prosperity, until the Last War set the Five Nations against each other.

The Last War may have ended two years ago, but not without a cost. The nation of Cyre, the Jewel of Galifar and rightful successor to the crown, was wiped out on the Day of Mourning. The people of the Five Nations are still in shock over this catastrophe. But even in the face of this unprecedented disaster and the death of their thousand-year kingdom, humanity's ambition cannot be broken.

Throughout history, humanity has been there. Inexplicably they have not only survived, or even just thrived, but dominated in a world populated by all manner of races and beasts with innate abilities and talents.

Paragon Humans: Though most non-dragonmarked humans are hard to define as a whole, you are set apart from your fellows by an inexorable determination and a will to etch your name in the history books.

• Source: Korranberg Chronicle, page 12
• D&D Beyond: Paragon Human

Mark of Finding Humans: The Mark of Finding sharpens the senses, guiding the hunter to prey. Alone among the dragonmarks, the Mark of Finding is carried by two races: humans and half-orcs. It first appeared in the Shadow Marches, where clan hunters used it to find their prey. The mark helped unite humans and orcs in the Marches and brought House Tharashk to the Five Nations.

• Source: Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron, page 97
• D&D Beyond: Mark of Finding Half-Orc

Mark of Handling Humans: The Mark of Handling gives its bearer a primal connection to beasts and the natural world, granting the power to calm and coax. This extends beyond purely natural animals; the mark allows its bearer to guide a hippogriff as easily as a horse.

• Source: Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron, page 98
• D&D Beyond: Mark of Handling Human

Mark of Making Humans: The Mark of Making guides its bearer through any act of creation. The bearer of the mark can mend broken things with a touch, and always has a minor magic item they’ve been working on. An artificer or a wizard will get the most out of the mark, but anyone can find a use for an enchanted blade.

• Source: Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron, page 101
• D&D Beyond: Mark of Making Human

Mark of Passage Humans: The Mark of Passage governs motion, allowing its bearer to move with uncanny speed and precision. Running, leaping, climbing—the Mark of Passage enhances every form of movement. The bearer of the mark can even slip through space, leaping from point to point in the blink of an eye.

• Source: Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron, page 102
• D&D Beyond: Mark of Passage Human

Mark of Sentinel Humans: The Mark of Sentinel warns and protects. It heightens senses and reflexes, allowing an heir to respond to threats with uncanny speed. It can shield its bearer from harm. Whether on the battlefield or the ballroom, someone who carries the Mark of Sentinel is prepared for danger.

• Source: Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron, page 104
• D&D Beyond: Mark of Sentinel Human

Kalashtar

Kalashtar: Born from a merging between Dreams and Reality, kalashtar possess an unearthly serenity. As compound beings, the kalashtar have a both a human mind, body, and soul, and a connection to an incorporeal entity of dreams called a quori. Each quori spirit is divided among a bloodline of kalashtar, making the connection too tenuous to allow perfect communication, though every kalashtar can feel their patron spirit guide them, unlocking the secrets of psionic power and acting as a kind of second conscience.

Driven to battle against Darkness, many kalashtar take up arms in this spiritual war only metaphorically, preferring to meditate on the Great Light. But there are plenty among them who start the life of an adventurer, calling themselves "shadow walkers", taking a more active role in the fight, confronting evil where they can.

Some kalashtar are orphans, raised outside of their culture and heritage, leading to confusion and isolation as their natural powers manifest and set them apart from their human peers. Many of these orphaned kalashtar pursue a life of adventuring to relieve themselves of the feelings of ostracization. Some even become mentally unbalanced, alienated by the influence of their patron spirit, unable to explain or escape the second ego living inside their minds.

• Source: Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron, page 62; Korranberg Chronicle, page 35
• D&D Beyond: Use Kalashtar

Shifters

Originally descended from the interbreeding of humans and lycanthropes, shifters (otherwise known as "the weretouched") have evolved into a true breeding race with its own cultural identity and traditions. Though not capable of completely changing forms as their ancestors did, shifters are capable of taking on highly animalistic aspects—a state they call shifting.

Since most shifters lead a rugged, self-reliant lifestyle, the jump to adventuring is not a big step. Many shifters begin adventuring when some event intrudes on their normal routines, such as an invading monster, or a guide job gone wrong.

Beasthide Shifters: Stoic and solid, a beasthide shifter draws strength and stability from the beast within. Beasthide shifters are typically tied to the bear or the boar, but any creature known for its toughness could apply.

• Source: Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron, pages 12-13; Morgrave Miscellany, page 94
• D&D Beyond: Beasthide Shifter

Cliffwalk Shifters: Your cliffwalk aspect grants you the ability to ascend steep surfaces with agility. Common bestial traits for shifters with this aspect include small but sharp claws on the hands, and the morphing of feet into canine or feline paws. Many cliffwalk shifters may display rat-like qualities when shifting instead, including long furless tails.

• Source: Korranberg Chronicle, page 13; Morgrave Miscellany, page 94
• D&D Beyond: Cliffwalk Shifter

Dreamsight Shifters: Those born to dreamsight are usually calm and contemplative relative to other members of their race. Rather than being associated with any particular heritage, dreamsight is a rare shamanic inheritance that occurs among all shifter bloodlines. Your dreamsight blood grants you a deeper connection to the natural world around you. Dreamsight shifters do not seem to trend toward any specific bestial appearances but are often born as albinos and have pale coloration even when not shifted. When they do shift, in addition to a more bestial appearance, their eyes take on an eerie glow.

• Source: Korranberg Chronicle, page 13; Eberron Archetypes, page 1

Gorebrute Shifters: As a gorebrute shifter, your instinct is to charge directly at your prey, leaving you vulnerable to subsequent attacks. Gorebrute shifters tend to have wereboar ancestry. They are more likely to be loud and aggressive, and to threaten violence, than most individuals.

• Source: Eberron Archetypes, page 1

Longtooth Shifters: Longtooth shifters are fierce and aggressive, but they form deep bonds with their friends. Many longtooth shifters have canine traits that become more pronounced as they shift, but they might instead draw on tigers, hyenas, or other predators.

• Source: Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron, pages 12-13
• D&D Beyond: Longtooth Shifter

Razorclaw Shifters: As a razorclaw shifter, you make swift, slashing strikes in battle. The most common bestial trait for these shifters is, of course, razor-sharp claws, but they will often display secondary characteristics of their bestial appearance as well, such as slit pupils, or patterned fur.

• Source: Korranberg Chronicle, page 13; Eberron Archetypes, page 2

Swiftstride Shifters: Swiftstride shifters are graceful and quick. Typically feline in nature, swiftstride shifters are often aloof and difficult to pin down physically or socially.

• Source: Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron, pages 12-13
• D&D Beyond: Swiftstride Shifter

Swiftwing Shifters: Swiftwing shifters often come across impatient and distracted, always eager to be somewhere else while their feet are on the ground. When shifting, the arms of a swiftwing shifter significantly change to allow them the power of flight, usually displaying the ebony plumage of ravens, or the leathery membranes of bat wings.

• Source: Korranberg Chronicle, page 14; Eberron Archetypes, page 2; Morgrave Miscellany, page 94

Truedive Shifters: Truedive shifters are patient and quiet, though not necessarily antisocial. Traits prominent to crocodiles and sharks are the most commonly seen on truedive shifters while they are shifting. Unlike most aspects, truedive shifters are recognizably different from other shifters even when not shifting, displaying little in the way of body hair and having pale skin with a faint aquatic hue to it such as pale blue or green. Some even have unnervingly cold, black eyes.

• Source: Korranberg Chronicle, page 14; Eberron Archetypes, page 3; Morgrave Miscellany, page 94

Wildhunt Shifters: Wildhunt shifters are sharp and insightful. Some are constantly alert, ever wary for possible threats. Others focus on their intuition, searching within. Wildhunt shifters are excellent hunters, and they also tend to become the spiritual leaders of shifter communities.

• Source: Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron, pages 12-13
• D&D Beyond: Wildhunt Shifter

Winterhide Shifters: Winterhide shifters are acclimated to harsh, cold environments. Bestial traits common to arctic predators are common among winterhide shifters, such as thick white fur and hair, but sometimes they can display the same aquatic traits as a truedive shifter, with bodies adapted to the dark chill of the depths.

• Source: Korranberg Chronicle, page 14

Warforged

Originally intended to be mindless machines to fight in the Last War, the warforged developed sentience unintentionally. As House Cannith strove to make them the ultimate tools of war, each successive generation of warforged to emerge from the creation forges saw them become more intuitive and capable of growth, until they became a new kind of creature.

Since the Treaty of Thronehold, the warforged have been recognized as living creatures, setting them free. For many warforged, this freedom merely confuses them. Born to be soldiers and take orders, many join adventuring parties just to be directed toward the next fight. Other warforged seek a deeper meaning to their existence and become adventurers to find their answers.

Envoy Warforged: As an envoy, you were designed with a certain specialized function in mind. You might be an assassin, a healer, or an entertainer, to name a few possibilities. Envoys are the rarest of the warforged subraces, and yours could be a unique design.

• Source: Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron, page 67
• D&D Beyond: Envoy Warforged

Frontliner Warforged: You were forged to be an infantry soldier

• Source: Eberron Archetypes, page 4

Juggernaut Warforged: You’re an imposing war machine built for close combat and raw might. You tower over your comrades; juggernaut warforged stand between 6 and 7 feet in height and can weigh up to 450 pounds.

• Source: Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron, page 67
• D&D Beyond: Juggernaut Warforged

Psiforged Warforged: You were made using trace amounts of psionically resonant deep crystal, providing you with the ability to store psionic energy in your body and use it for a handful of psychic effects.

• Source: Eberron Archetypes, page 4

Skirmisher Warforged: You were built to scout the edges of battle and outmaneuver your enemies. You are lean and designed for speed.

• Source: Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron, page 67
• D&D Beyond: Skirmisher Warforged

Tactician Warforged: You were designed to analyze enemy strategies, determine appropriate countermeasures, and communicate the insights to your comrades.

• Source: Eberron Archetypes, page 4