Exploring Eberron is the new 240+ page sourcebook from Keith Baker (and company) that expands on Eberron lore, now available on the DMs Guild as a PDF or Print-on-Demand hardcover.

This article is one of a series looking at the contents of the book. It is too soon to call it a proper review; instead, it is my first impressions of the product. So far, I love the first chapter but am a bit more conflicted about the contents of the second. So, here we go into the third chapter, which deals with the deities and religious organisations of Eberron.

A reminder of the chapters in this work:

• Discovering Eberron
• Races of Eberron
• Faiths of Eberron
  
• Uncharted Domains
• Planes of Existence
• Character Options
• Treasures
• Friends and Foes

The Nature of Magic

The opening section of the “Faiths of Eberron” chapter looks at the differing natures of Arcane and Divine magic. It equates Arcane magic very clearly with science – which is very much a piece with the magic-as-technology feel of Eberron, but the Dungeons & Dragons system struggles more when it comes to divine magic.

Exploring Eberron suggests that on occasion – only once or twice a session – the Dungeon Master change the effects of divine magic. Perhaps one target is unaffected. Perhaps the spell works more effectively than usual. You use these techniques to give the idea that divine magic is not logical. That it responds to forces of which you are unaware. However, doing such in a game is problematic. It would be easy for a player to feel that they are being discriminated against if the effects always penalise them.

This advice works better when it comes to visions and omens. Characters access to divine power occasionally gain clues and prophecies from divine sources enhances the feeling of the campaign without potentially penalising their characters based on a DM’s whim.

The discussion of how ordinary people view divine magic also turns on that “divine magic is unpredictable” concept. I find this a problem within the framework of the game, but I am sure many people will find ways to make it entertaining and a crucial part of their games.

The Silver Flame

Four-and-a-half pages are devoted to discussing the church of the Silver Flame: its goals, its beliefs, and the various peoples and sects that follow it.

The Silver Flame is an excellent Dungeons & Dragons faith as it is explicitly for heroes: those who fight against the evil in the world. And I adore how the book handles them. It is worth pointing out that this section is entirely mechanics-free. This is material on what the faith is about, and how that translates into its expression in Eberron.

I find it fascinating that the Silver Flame is older than humanity – and, as such, has ancient adherents to the faith – but its current manifestation amongst the inhabitants of Khorvaire is based on the teachings and example of Tira Miron, about 700 years before the present. So, you can use these fascinating tensions to enhance stories. Passages on heresies and corruption within the faith help bring potential stories into focus.

The discussion ends with six “Paths of the Faith”, which look at various organisations or traditions related to the Silver Flame. These can be used by players to flesh out their background or by DMs to enhance their campaign. I am particularly fascinated by the Ghaash’kala, an organisation of predominantly orcs living in the Demon Wastes who protected innocents from fiends and the Carrion Tribes. This organisation is older than human civilisation, and it provides an elegant way to demonstrate to the players that the world is more ancient than they might expect!

The Blood of Vol

While the Silver Flame is very player-facing, the Blood of Vol is a more ambiguous philosophy, and the DM is more likely to use it. It is fascinating, though: a faith that is more than a little atheistic, whose followers believe more in the divine spark of their being rather than some – possibly imaginary – god.

This is the most mature and clearly stated examination of this topic that I’ve seen. In their original presentation in 2004’s Eberron Campaign Setting, the Blood of Vol were villains following an undead master. Even Faiths of Eberron did not look at their beliefs so well.

As such, it provides a lot of thought-provoking material. The followers of the faith significantly diverge in their approach to its tenets, and it is claimed by some that may not actually believe– witness the Emerald Claw and the Queen of Death!

So, while the Blood of Vol may have originally been one of the great opponents of Eberron, this treatment turns it into something far more intriguing. Simple villains are easy. Complex philosophies are less so! But I now very much want to try exploring this faith in a campaign.

Sovereigns and Six

The “traditional” deities of Eberron are the Sovereign Host and the Dark Six. This section brings a little more context on how the folk of Eberron worship the Sovereign Host, but most of the content relates to the Dark Six. In particular, it lays out descriptions of each of the Dark Six, including suggested Cleric Domains and Paladin Oaths for each of the deities.

These descriptions provide motivations and beliefs for followers of each of the Dark Six. And some of them are decidedly complex. The Traveller may grant gifts, but those gifts always lead to chaos. The Shadow is the keeper of forbidden magic; a sidebar provides suggestions as to how to represent that magic in the game. Honestly, it would be worth designing a small supplement of forbidden spells and magic items to introduce into the game – as the topic is good enough for more expansion beyond what is here. Perhaps an old-school fireball spell which expands to fill the available space rather than being confined in a 20-foot-radius sphere? Or other magics of that sort!

As is common with all of these sections, the book describes a few different groups that follow these gods and their beliefs and practices. This material doesn’t thrill me as much as the discussion of the Dark Six, but it is still interesting world-building material.

Cults of the Dragon Below

I am amused by the first few lines of this section, which explain that there is no such organisation that calls itself “the Cult of the Dragon Below” and no-one would describe themselves as belonging to such a cult. Instead, it is a term that we use to refer to all the cultish groups that exist in Eberron, mostly (if not all) dangerous and delusional.

Exploring Eberron spends a lot of space detailing each of the cults: giving them context as to how they fit into the world and the true desires of their various patrons – including the minions those patrons employ and the gifts they can give to seduce mortals. As with most things in Eberron, the cultists are not uniformly evil, and player characters might belong to one of the cults; the book provides suggestions for such.

It is good material, and though I spotted a few mentions of spells and magic items, like most of this chapter, it presents world- and character-building material rather than a look at the mechanics of the game.

Unusual Faiths and Aasimar

The chapter closes with a discussion of some of the less commonly believed faiths of Eberron – such as those who believe in the Draconic Prophecy or the Lord of Blades – before going on to discuss how aasimar fit into the world.

The material on the aasimar includes how they fit into each tradition: Aasimar of the Blood of Vol, of the Silver Flame, of the Undying Court, to name a few. This is excellent material for players, and also helps the DM place the aasimar within the context of the world.

As with much of the material in the book, while it presents a good base of information, it also challenges the players and DM to determine how things work in their version of Eberron. Unlike most D&D worlds, Eberron does not come down firmly on the side of “the gods are real”. Instead, an inhabitant in Eberron could very easily make the argument that there are no such things as gods, and all manifestations of faith come from within (as, indeed, the Blood of Vol do).

I find much to admire in this chapter. And next, “Uncharted Domains”!