Races of Eberron

This document presents versions of several races from the D&D world of Eberron: changelings, kalashtar, shifters, and warforged. For more information about that world, see Wayfinder’s Guide to Eberron, available on the Dungeon Masters Guild (dmsguild.com).

This Is Playtest Content The material here is presented for playtesting and to spark your imagination. These game mechanics are in draft form, usable in your campaign but not refined by final game design and editing. They aren’t officially part of the game and aren’t permitted in D&D Adventurers League events. If we decide to make this material official, it will be refined based on your feedback, and then it will appear in a D&D book.

Changelings

Long ago there was a woman named Jes, and she had one hundred children. Her rivals conspired against her and swore to kill her children. Jes begged the Sovereigns for help, but their only answer was the wind and rain. In the depths of her despair, a lonely traveler took her hand. “I will protect your children if they follow my path. Let them wander the world. They may be shunned and feared, but they will never be destroyed.” Jes agreed, and the traveler gave her his cloak. When she draped it over her children their old faces melted away, and they could be whoever they wanted to be. And so it remains. Though the Children are shunned by all, the gift of the Traveler protects them still.

— Chance, changeling priest

A changeling can shift its face and form with a thought. Many changelings use this gift as a form of artistic and emotional expression, but it is an invaluable tool for grifters, spies, and others who wish to deceive. This leads many people to treat known changelings with fear and suspicion.

Hidden People

Changelings are spread across Khorvaire. Wherever humans can be found, there are changelings; the question is whether their presence is known.

Changelings are born to one of three paths. A few are born and raised in stable communities, where changelings are true to their nature and deal openly with the people around them. Some are orphans, raised by other races, who find their way in the world without ever knowing another like themselves. Still others are part of the nomadic changeling clans spread across the Five Nations who keep their true nature hidden from the single-skins. Some of these clans maintain safe havens in major cities and communities, but most prefer to wander, following the unpredictable path of the Traveler.

In creating a changeling adventurer, consider the character’s relationships with the people around them. Does the character conceal their true changeling nature, or do they embrace it? Do they have connections to a changeling community or clan, or are they alone and in search of companions?

Masks and Personas

In their natural form, changelings are slender and pale with colorless eyes and silver-white hair. A changeling can alter its physical appearance with a thought. While this can be used to deceive others, it is a natural form of expression for the changeling. A changeling shifts shapes the way others might change clothes. A casual shape—one created on the spur of the moment, with no depth or history—is called a mask. A changeling mask can be used to express a mood or to serve a specific purpose and then never used again. However, many changelings develop identities that have more depth. They build an identity over time, crafting a persona, with history and beliefs. This focused identity helps a changeling pinpoint a particular skill or emotion. A changeling adventurer might have personas for many situations, including negotiation, investigation, and combat. Personas can be shared by multiple changelings; there might be three healers in a community, but whoever is on duty will adopt the persona of Tek, the kindly old medic. Personas can even be passed down through a family, allowing a younger changeling to take advantage of contacts established by previous users of the persona.

Changeling Names

A changeling might use a different name for each mask and persona, adopting new names as easily as they develop new faces. The true name of a changeling tends to be monosyllabic; however, there are often accents to a changeling’s name that are expressed through shapeshifting, something single-skins will likely miss. For instance, two changelings might have the name Jin, but one is Jin-with-vivid-blue-eyes and one is Jin-with-golden-cheeks.

Changelings have a fluid relationship with gender, seeing it as one characteristic to change among many others.

Changeling Names: Bin, Cas, Dox, Fie, Hars, Jin, Lam, Mas, Nix, Ot, Paik, Ruz, Sim, Toox, Vil, Yug

Changeling Traits

Your changeling character has the following traits.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2, and either your Dexterity or your Intelligence increases by 1 (your choice).
Age. Changelings mature slightly faster than humans but share a similar lifespan—typically a century or less. While a changeling can shapeshift to conceal their age, the effects of aging still catch up to them.
Alignment. Changelings hate to be bound in any way, and those who follow the path of the Traveler believe that chaos and change are important aspects of life. Most tend toward pragmatic neutrality as opposed to being concerned with lofty ideals. Few changelings embrace evil.
Size. In their natural forms, changelings average between 5 and 6 feet in height, with a slender build. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Change Appearance. As an action, you can transform your appearance or revert to your natural form. You can’t duplicate the appearance of a creature you’ve never seen, and you revert to your natural form if you die.
You decide what you look like, including your height, weight, facial features, the sound of your voice, coloration, hair length, sex, and any other distinguishing characteristics. You can make yourself appear as a member of another race, though none of your game statistics change. You also can’t appear as a creature of a different size than you, and your basic shape stays the same; if you’re bipedal, you can’t use this trait to become quadrupedal, for instance. Your clothing and other equipment don’t change in appearance, size, or shape to match your new form, requiring you to keep a few extra outfits on hand to make the most compelling disguise possible.
Even to the most astute observers, your ruse is usually indiscernible. If you rouse suspicion, or if a wary creature suspects something is amiss, you have advantage on any Charisma (Deception) check you make to avoid detection.
Changeling Instincts. You gain proficiency with two of the following skills of your choice: Deception, Insight, Intimidation, or Persuasion.
Unsettling Visage. When a creature you can see makes an attack roll against you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the roll. You must use this feature before knowing whether the attack hits or misses.
Divergent Persona. You gain proficiency with one tool of your choice. Define a persona associated with that proficiency: establish the name, race, gender, age, and other details. While you are in the form of this persona, the related proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses that proficiency.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and two other languages of your choice.

Kalashtar

I am kalashtar, born of two worlds. Over a thousand years ago, my ancestor bound her bloodline to the spirit Kashtai, and I am a child of that union. Kashtai moves within me. Her memories come to me in dreams, and at times her voice whispers in the silence of my mind. As long as at least one of my sisters is alive, Kashtai will survive—and as long as she lives, she will fight il-Lashtavar.

—Lakashtai, servant of the light

The kalashtar are a compound race created from the union of humanity with renegade spirits from the plane of dreams—spirits called the quori. Kalashtar are often seen as wise, spiritual people with great compassion for others. But there is an unmistakable alien quality to the kalashtar, and they are haunted by the conflicts of their otherworldly spirits.

Bound to Spirits

Every kalashtar has a connection to a spirit of light, shared by other members of their bloodline. Physically, kalashtar appear human, but the spiritual connection affects them in a variety of ways. Kalashtar have symmetrical, slightly angular features. Their movements and body language are different from those of humans; most beings find it graceful, but to some it feels unnerving. The eyes of a kalashtar often glow when it is focused on a task or feeling strong emotions.

The kalashtar can’t directly communicate with their quori spirits. A kalashtar might experience the relationship as a sense of instinct and inspiration, drawing on the memories of the spirit when they dream. This connection grants the kalashtar minor psionic abilities, as well as protection from psychic attacks. All of these dream-spirits are virtuous, but some are warriors, while others are more contemplative or kind; a kalashtar player and DM can work together to determine the nature of the linked spirit. Typically, a kalashtar knows the name and nature of their spirit, but some—for instance, an orphan kalashtar raised among outsiders— might know nothing of their spirit or the source of their psychic gifts.

The bond to the spirit can cause some kalashtar to display unusual quirks of behavior. A kalashtar player can roll or select a trait from the following table.

Kalashtar Quirks

d10	Quirk
1	You try to understand the motives and feelings of your enemies.
2	You prefer using telepathy over speaking aloud.
3	You feel a strong drive to protect the innocent.
4	You apply dream logic to mundane situations.
5	You discuss things out loud with your quori spirit.
6	You suppress your emotions and rely on logic.
7	You are strongly influenced by the emotions of those around you.
8	You prefer to find nonviolent solutions to problems whenever possible.
9	You are driven by a warrior spirit and will fight for any noble cause
10	You are obsessed with Dreaming Dark conspiracies.

Hunted by Nightmares

The virtuous spirits tied to the kalashtar fled from the dream realm of Dal Quor to escape the evil spirits that dominate the realm. The rebel quori believe that through meditation and devotion, they can eventually change the fundamental nature of Dal Quor, shifting the balance from darkness to light. Thus, most kalashtar communities focus on acts of devotion to the faith known as the Path of Light. But the dark powers of Dal Quor have their own plans on Eberron. Through the force known as the Dreaming Dark, these monsters are manipulating the people of Khorvaire and eliminating kalashtar whenever possible.

Many kalashtar defend themselves from the Dreaming Dark by living in close-knit communities, focusing on devotion to the Path of Light. But some among the kalashtar feel obliged to seek out the agents of the Dreaming Dark and oppose their plans, or simply to protect the innocent however they can. There are some kalashtar who have grown up isolated from their kind, who know nothing about Dal Quor or the Dreaming Dark. Such orphans may use their abilities for personal gain or otherwise act against the virtuous instincts of their quori spirits; this can often cause internal conflicts and violent mood swings.

Kalashtar Names

A kalashtar name is formed by the blend of a personal prefix tied to the name of the quori spirit within the kalashtar. Each spirit has a gender identity, but this may or may not match the gender identity of the kalashtar host. Thus, a female kalashtar might have what others would consider a masculine name, because she’s tied to a spirit with a masculine identity. Kalashtar orphans are unlikely to know the names of their spirits and instead take names from the cultures they’re raised in.

Male Quori Names: Hareth, Khad, Kosh, Melk, Tash, Ulad, Vash
Female Quori Names: Ashana, Ashtai, Ishara, Nari, Tana, Tari, Vakri
Kalashtar Names: Coratash, Dalavash, Dolishara, Halakosh, Khoratari, Koratana, Lanhareth, Molavakri, Nevitash, Sorashana, Torashtai, Valakhad, Vishara

Kalashtar Traits

Your kalashtar character has the following traits.

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom and Charisma scores both increase by 1. In addition, one ability score of your choice increases by 1.
Age. Kalashtar develop physically at the same rate as humans do and have similar lifespans.
Alignment. The noble spirit tied to a kalashtar drives it toward lawful and good behavior. Most kalashtar combine self-discipline with compassion for all sentient beings, but some kalashtar resist the virtuous influence of their spirit.
Size. Kalashtar are similar in build to humans, though they are typically a few inches taller. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Dual Mind. When you make a Wisdom saving throw, you can use your reaction to gain advantage on the roll. You can use this trait immediately before or after you roll, but before any of the roll’s effects occur.
Mental Discipline. You have resistance to psychic damage.
Mind Link. You can speak telepathically to any creature you can see within 60 feet of you. You don’t need to share a language with the creature for it to understand your telepathic messages, but the creature must be able to understand at least one language or be telepathic itself.
As a bonus action when you’re speaking telepathically to a creature, you can give that creature the ability to speak telepathically to you until the start of your next turn. To use this ability, the creature must be within 60 feet of you and able to see you.
Psychic Glamour. Choose one of the following skills: Insight, Intimidation, Performance, or Persuasion. You have advantage on all ability checks you make with that skill.
Severed from Dreams. Kalashtar sleep, but they don’t connect to the plane of dreams as other creatures do. Instead, their minds draw from the memories of their otherworldly spirit while they sleep. As such, you are immune to spells and other magical effects that require you to dream, like the dream spell, but not to spells and effects that put you to sleep, like the sleep spell.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common, Quori, and one other language of your choice.

Shifters

Geth’s ancient heritage rose up from deep within him, spreading out from the core of his being. Some shifters manifested terrible claws, massive fangs, astounding speed, or heightened senses. Geth’s gift from his lycanthrope ancestors was sheer toughness. Strength seeped into his bones and flooded his flesh. His skin hardened, and his hair became coarse like an animal’s tough hide. A sense of invincibility spread through him. For the moment, at least, he felt unstoppable!

—Don Bassingthwaite, The Binding Stone

Shifters are sometimes called the weretouched, as many believe that they are the descendants of humans and lycanthropes. They are humanoids with a bestial aspect. While they can’t fully change shape, they can temporarily enhance their animalistic features—a state they call shifting. Whatever their origins, shifters have evolved into a unique race. A shifter walks on the knife’s edge between the wilds and the world around them. Do they embrace their primal instincts or the path of civilization?

The Beast Within

Early in childhood, a shifter forms a bond with a beast within: a totemic force that shapes their body and mind. Some shifters believe that these spirits are independent entities, and they might speak of Bear or Wolf as ancestors or guides. Most just see the beast within as a formidable expression of their inner nature, something that emerges over time as the shifter’s personality takes shape. The beast within is a pool of powerful instincts, and its influence is revealed by the shifter’s personality: a feline shifter might be cool and distant, driven by predatory instincts, while a shifter with a lupine spirit is drawn to find and protect a pack. When a shifter fully embraces this beast within, they physically transform for a short time.

This beast within is reflected by the shifter’s subrace. The following subraces are especially common:

Beasthide often signifies the bear or boar: stoic, stubborn and thick-skinned.
Longtooth shifters typically have lupine traits and are attracted to pack life.
Swiftstride shifters are often predatory and feline, but a swiftstride could also be a cunning rat who darts through the shadows.
Wildhunt shifters are born from any creature that tracks its prey.

While the beast within certainly has a physical impact on a shifter, it also has a spiritual and psychological effect. Two beasthide shifters share the same special ability, but if one has the aspect of the boar and the other is more like a bear, they’ll be quite different in personality. With any shifter, identifying the beast within is a crucial part of understanding the character.

Similar and Diverse

Shifters are similar to humans in height and build but are more naturally lithe and flexible. Their facial features have a bestial cast, with large eyes, flat noses, and pointed ears; most shifters also have prominent canine teeth. They grow fur-like hair on nearly every part of their bodies.

The traits of the beast within affect a shifter’s appearance as well. A swiftstride shifter might have catlike eyes and delicate build, while a beasthide shifter is likely a massive brute built like a bear. While a shifter’s appearance might remind an onlooker of an animal, they remain clearly identifiable as shifters even when at their most feral.

The Journey Yet to Come

Shifters have a strong presence in the Eldeen Reaches, and they often live among humans and can be found in rural areas across Khorvaire. While they form powerful bonds with friends and kin, shifters place great value on self- reliance and freedom. It’s a shifter proverb to “always be prepared for the journey yet to come,” and most shifters strive to be ready for change or opportunity.

Shifters have a natural inclination toward classes with a primal connection. A shifter barbarian draws their rage from the beast within. A shifter ranger indulges their urge to wander and hunt. A shifter rogue harnesses their own predatory instincts. But shifters can pursue any path or faith.

Shifter Names

Shifters have no language of their own and often live in blended communities. As such, shifter names typically overlap with the names of other cultures in their region. Many shifters prefer to keep their personal names for their friends and use “wandering names” with strangers. These are usually tied to an obvious physical or personality trait.

Shifter Names: Badger, Bear, Cat, Fang, Grace, Grim, Moon, Rain, Red, Scar, Stripe, Swift, Whiskers, Wolf

Shifter Traits

Your shifter character has the following traits.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
Age. Shifters are quick to mature both physically and emotionally, reaching young adulthood at age 10. They rarely live to be more than 70 years old.
Alignment. Shifters tend toward neutrality, being more focused on survival than concepts of good and evil. A love of personal freedom can drive shifters toward chaotic alignments.
Size. Shifters range from 5 to almost 7 feet tall, depending on their subrace. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. You have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Keen Senses. You have proficiency with the Perception skill.
Shifting. As a bonus action, you can assume a more bestial appearance. This transformation lasts for 1 minute, until you die, or until you revert to your normal appearance as a bonus action. When you shift, you gain temporary hit points equal to your level + your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1 temporary hit point). You also gain additional benefits that depend on your shifter subrace, described below.
Once you shift, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common.
Subrace. Choose one of the following subraces, representing the beast within: beasthide, longtooth, swiftstride, or wildhunt.