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I’ve been talking about the new Eberron Campaign Setting an aweful lot lately. Most of this is because it’s what I’ve been reading, and I tend to think a lot about what I’m currently reading. It is also because I have a fairly high opinion of Eberron, though. I suppose you could take that statement as a disclaimer of sorts, though you should also know (and probably do know, if you’ve read my rant on Eberron, Unearthed Arcana, and WotC) that I didn’t always have such a high opinion of Keith Baker’s new setting. When it was first announced, I disliked it quite a lot. Most of this was probably pure jealousy (my setting ideas, after all, did not get chosen in WotC’s setting search), though a lot of it was also because the information that WotC released initially didn’t exactly make it seem all that original or necessary.

At any rate, I’ve now read the book cover to cover and, as promised, I’m going to give you a review of the setting. I’m breaking this review down to a chapter-by-chapter analysis, and I’ll be picking out my favorite and least favorite parts of each chapter. I’ll follow this up with my general opinion on the work as a whole, including the quality of the artwork and editing, and the general feel of the entire setting. Anyway, on to it.

Introduction

The first part of the Eberron Campaign Setting does a pretty good job of giving you a quick overview of what the setting is all about. There is a discussion on the tone of Eberron, as well as a list of ten “Things You Need to Know”. The list is probably the most useful part of this mini-chapter, as it makes for a good introduction for players who aren’t familiar with the world. I very much like the idea that “If it exists in D&D, then it has a place in Eberron”. This doesn’t necessarily mean that everything in the core rules is explicitly placed in Eberron; instead, it means that it’s not hard to find a logical place for just about anything you want to drop in (if you don’t believe me, look at my article on using Arcana Unearthed in Eberron; this was not a difficult article to write). Also of note is the fact that there is a brief list of “Movies to Inspire You”, including titles like Brotherhood of the Wolf, Casablanca, and Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Chapter One: Character Races

The chapter on races includes quite a lot of crunch, as well as a good dose of flavor. Each of the core races is described in this chapter, giving details on such things as their specific place in Eberron and how they interact with each other. Also included are four new races, the changeling, shifter, kalashtar, and warforged.

This chapter does a very good job of taking the standard D&D races and making them different. While it’s easy to play the old tropes, there is also plenty of room for new archetypes, such as the dwarven banker, the gnomish spy, or the dinosaur-riding halfling barbarain. My favorite change is that of the elves. Two distinct elven cultures are detailed, the Valenar and the Aereni. Valenar elves are fierce horse-warriors, and largely ignore the Treaty of Thronehold that ended the devastating Last War. The Aereni, on the other hand, are a strange and somewhat alien culture of semi-benevolant necromancers, ruled over by their positively-charged undead ancestors.

The new races are similarly interesting, though some seem to get less attention than others throughout the book (more on this later). Changelings are the descendants of humans and doppelgangers, and are capable of changing their appearance at will. Kalashtar are the product of a spiritual union between the extra-dimensional quori and their human hosts, and are a good way to integrate psionics seemlessly into your Eberron campaign, should you desire. Shifters are the descendants of humans and natural lycanthropes; though they cannot assume a full-on animal or hybrid form (at least, not initially), they do have the ability to shift into a slightly more bestial form once per day. Finally the warforged–quite possibly the most controversial of the Eberronian races–are a race of living constructs created as soldiers during the Last War. They have some fairly potent abilities and immunities, but there are also significant drawbacks to playing a warforged character.

Also included in the chapter on races is a section on Regions of Origin. While these regions have little mechanical impact, the choice of character region can significantly impact the way a character is role-played. For example, a human barbarian from Argonnessen is likely to be very different from a human barbarian from the Eldeen Reaches.

Chapter Two: Classes

The second chapter is similar in structure to the first, in that it details the roles of the various core classes in an Eberron campaign. Each class has a brief to long description, and each description points out new options available to that class. Also included is a short bit of fiction involving an “iconic” character of that class, followed by a descriptio of the specific character. A few small changes have been made to some of the core classes. For example, clerics no longer have to be of a similar alignment to their deities, allowing for corrupt clerics that still have spellcasting ability (and thus do not stick out like sore thumbs). Also of note is the fact that druids and rangers have region-specific lists of animal companions to choose from, so a druid of Aerenal will likely have a different animal companion than one from the Shadow Marches. Even the psionic classes are given a place in Eberron, though all four are lumped into a single entry.

The most significant part of this chapter, however, is the addition of a new core class: the artificer. Artificers are magical mechanics, capable of crafting magical items and creating short-term magical items with ease. They are an extraordinarily flexible class, giving the bard a run for his money as the quintessential fifth party member. Like all of the classes in the Player’s Handbook and the Expanded Psionics Handbook, the artificer is firmly grounded in the mythos of Eberron.

Chapter Three: Heroic Characteristics

This chapter is something of a hodge-podge, including rules for using Action Points, new uses for skills, a slew of new feats, and some more story-oriented stuff. The action point rules are well done (a step up from those presented in d20 Modern, in my opinion). For those unfamiliar with this mechanic, action points are a limited resource that is replenished (and increased) at every level. Points can be spent to improve die rolls, but they can also be spent to activate limited-use class abilities after these abilities have been used up for the day. Worth noting is the fact that NPCs do not gain action points unless they have a specific feat, Heroic Spirit, and even then they gain fewer than PCs do.

The feats are, on the whole, quite good. There are some warforged- and shifter-specific feats, as well as feats specific to certain druidic sects or monastic orders. There are some very intersting ones (like Favored in House or Right of Councel, both of which provide ample opportunity to role-play) and some that aren’t that good (Monastic Training and Knight Training, both of which lift multiclassing restrictions on Monks or Paladins; in my opinion, these restrictions shouldn’t even be there in the first place, and this is a somewhat sloppy fix). I was particularly pleased with the inclusion of Urban Tracking, as I’ve liked that feat a lot ever since I saw it in Unearthed Arcana.

After the feats comes a section on dragonmarks, unique magical “tatoos” that grant spell-like abilities to their bearers. Dragonmarks are gained by purchasing the appropriate feat, and are generally held by the various dragonmarked houses. These houses control trade and commerce on Khorvaire (the main continent of the game) through the edge that the marks give them.

The last section of Chapter Three is on religion in Eberron. Each deity and pantheon is given a brief description; I would have liked to see more information, however. The fact that this section is so short is probably the biggest shortcoming of this chapter, though it does provide enough informatio to whet your appetite.

Chapter Four: Prestige Classes

There are fewer prestige classes in the Eberron Campaign Setting than one might expect (only eight), but each is firmly grounded in the setting, and none of them seem superfluous. Classes range from the Dragonmark Heir, who makes greater use of her dragonmark and position in her House than most others, to the Weretouched Master, a shifter-specific class that allows a shifter to become more akin to his lycanthropic ancestors. Many of the prestige classes make use of action points, though only one of them specifically requires their use in order to activate class abilities. The Extreme Explorer is an Indiana Jones-esque class built around the use of action points, its philosophy seeming to be that it’s better to be lucky than good. While I have no specific problem with the class, itself, the name irritates me.

Most of the prestige classes seem well-balanced. However, there are a couple that should send up warning flags to DMs. The Heir of Syberis, while fine for the most part, has a problem when it comes to the Mark of Making. Upon actually gaining access to the Syberis Mark of Making, the character gains the ability to use true creation once per day as a spell-like ability (this spell allows the character to create matter permanently). While true creation normally requires an experience point cost, the Syberis Mark of Making (being a spell-like ability) does not. Some PCs might interpret this as a free ticket to create as much gold as they want from thin air.

The other major warning flag comes from the Weretouched Master. Upon attaining 5th level in this class, a shifter gains the ability to shift into the animal or hybrid form of his chosen lycanthrope. The problem is that, while the ability modifiers given do reflect those of the animals they represent, they are in no way balanced with one and other. The poor wererat gains a +6 to Dexterity and a +2 to Constitution, while the mighty werebear gains a +16 to Strength, a +2 to Dexterity, and a +8 to Constitution. DM beware.

Chapter Five: Magic

This chapter starts off by detailing the role of magic in the world of Eberron. Eberron is a decidedly high-magic setting, but not in the same way that, say, Toril is. Low-level working-class spellcasters are somewhat common, as are low-level spells. However, high-level magic (high-level being anything above 2nd level, generally) is considerably rarer and more wonderous. In addition, practitioners of divine magic are somewhat rare, particularly clerics. Most priests are adepts or experts; thus, it is uncommon to be able to go into the local temple and buy healing services. Most magical services are instead handled by the dragonmarked houses; for example, house Jorasco (which possesses the Mark of Healing) handles magical healing in Khorvaire. There are also a number of optional costly material components detailed, each of wich has a percent chance of enhancing a spell cast using it.

Next, Eberron’s cosmology is discussed, including descriptions of each of the planes. Eberron does not use the standard “Great Wheel” cosmology, opting instead for a sort of “orbital cosmology” in which the various outer planes orbit around the material plane, occasionally becoming coterminous or remote. Rules are also presented for demonic possession, as well as its celestial counterpart, channeling.

Finally, there are the spells. A list of infusions for artificers is given (infusions are like spells, but they are neither arcane nore divine and they can only be cast on objects or constructs), as well as new domain lists and a number of new spells for the core classes. They all seem quite good, and do a good job of integrating themselves into the flavor of Eberron.

Chapter Six: Adventuring Equipment

Eberron’s equipment chapter presents a few new exotic weapons, as well as some new alchemical items and specialty items. It also lists a number of magical services that one can purchase from the dragonmarked houses, including the price of a ride on the lightning rail (sort of like a magical train) or the use of a message station (sort of like a magical telegraph). There are also a number of new special materials, such as byeshk, soarwood, and flametouched iron.

Chapter Seven: Life in the World

If you’re a DM, you should probably keep your players from reading past this point. This chapter is really where the setting is defined, and it’s chocked full of a lot of good stuff. It’s also chocked full of a lot of secrets and adventure hooks that would ruin a lot of Eberron’s big mysteries, should a player read through it. It is also (deservedly) the longest chapter in the book, coming in at just under one hundred pages in length. There are notes on languages, education, the role of adventurers, and other general topics; however, the meat of the chapter is a series of segments (ranging from two to six pages each) on each of the various nations of Khorvaire. The chapter goes on to detail lands beyond Khorvaire, though they aren’t given quite as thorough a treatment. I guess that’s what sourcebooks are for. Finally, there’s a two-page timeline, starting in the distant past and ending at the start of the campaign. This entire chapter was, without a doubt, my favorite part of the book.

Of note is the fact that there are very few NPCs of high level in the world. Most rulers of nations are between levels 5 and 12, and the most powerful characters in the world tend to be severely restricted in some way or another. This reinforces the idea that the PCs are special, and that they will truly shape the world once they start to accumulate power.

Chapter Eight: Organizations

If Chapter Seven contained spoilers, then Chapter Eight contains even more. All of the major organizations–both public and clandestine–of Eberron are detailed in this chapter, including their secret masters and goals. This includes each of the dragonmarked houses, as well as more sinister organizations like the Aurum and the Dreaming Dark. Each of these organizations could be used potentially as an ally or an enemy, though some lend themselves more to one role than another.

Chapter Nine: An Eberron Campaign

Most of this chapter is simply advice on running an Eberron campaign, pointing out how it might be different from standard D&D. There are notes on Creating a Party, Styles of Play, and Story and Pacing. More useful to an experienced DM, however, is the inclusion of two recurring villains, each with stat blocks at two different levels. Demise is a low-ranking necromancer of the Order of the Emerald Claw, and makes a fairly clear-cut villain of the mastermind variety. Halas Martain, on the other hand, as an adventurer and treasure hunter, and could make a good thorn in the sides of the PCs, but could also be an ally under the right circumstances. There is also a section on Plot Themes, such as Exploration, Scavenger Hunt, and Evil Mastermind.

Also mentioned are the NPC classes, and the changes that have been made. The only change made to the core NPC classes is the adepts now get to choose a cleric domain. While they don’t get any of the domain’s spells, they do get its granted power. More significant, however, is the inclusion of a new NPC class, the magewright. The magewright is a sort of working-class mage. He has a very limited selection of spells, and mainly uses them for enhancing his more mundane profession.

Chapter Ten: Magic Items

Eberron introduces a few new types of magic items to the mix. Dragonshard items utilize the magical gems known as dragonshards to create potent magical items. They can be used to enhance the powers of a dragonmark, bind elementals for the creation of airships or lightning rail cars, or create the common magic items found throughout Eberron. Warforged components are magic items meant to be integrated into the body of a warforged character in some way. Wondrous locations are “items” that are far too large to move, and exist primarily as plot devices. Eberron also has its share of traditional magic items and potent artifacts.

Chapter Eleven: Monsters

Like any good campaign setting, Eberron has its share of unique monsters. Some are fairly weak and make good low-level threats, such as the dolgrim, while some are extraordinarily powerful, like the daelkyr (which can have as many as 50 hit dice). Each of the monsters if firmly grounded in the world of Eberron, and has a specific place and backstory. One of the more interesting creatures is the Living Spell, a template that can be added to a spell rather than another monster in order to create a unique creature.

The chapter goes on to detail specific places for various iconic D&D monsters, such as giants, goblinoids, orcs, rakshasas, and mind flayers. Each of these creatures has a specific place, and it might not be exactly the place you would expect. Furthermore, Eberron’s tendancy to muddy the waters of alignment means that it’s entirely possible for you to meet monsters that “play against type”. For example, it is entirely possible to meet an evil, scheming gold dragon, while one of the oldest and most benevolent of the druidic sects is made up primarily of orcs.

Chapter Twelve: The Forgotten Forge: A 1st-Level Adventure

The Eberron Campaign Setting even goes so far as to include a sample adventure, and the adventure itself is even quite good. It’s part mystery and part dungeon crawl, and does a good job of introducing player characters to the various elements of an Eberron campaign.

Final Word

I like Eberron. A lot. It has its share of problems; it has a few seemingly unbalanced rules (noted above), and it lacks a full-size, full-detail map of Khorvaire (you have to make do with maps of the individual countries, which are both small and somewhat inaccurate in terms of distance). However, aside from these few small problems, I have an overwhelmingly positive opinion of the setting. The writing is top-notch, the editing is very good, and the artwork is original and full of flavor. It does a very good job of creating a setting that is “D&D, but different”, and I, for one, can’t wait to start up a campaign.

Monte Cook's Arcana Unearthed offers a number of new classes and races that can be used independently of, or in conjunction with, standard D&D classes and races. Planning my upcoming Eberron campaign, as well as my growing obsession with the setting, has led me to wonder how the various elements of Arcana Unearthed would fit into the world of Eberron. The following is my take on that particular question.

Magic
Arcana Unearthed handles magic differently than core D&D does. There is no division between arcane and divine; there is simply magic. In addition, pure spell power has been toned down somewhat, while spellcaster versatility has been increased. Finally, metamagic has been expanded upon, and various levels of ‘spell proficiency' have been added to the magic system. So, how does one handle Arcana Unearthed spellcasters and spell-like abilities in the same campaign as their D&D counterparts?

My solution is quite simple: they practice a different form of magic. I have termed this magic “eldritch magic”, and it is a separate form from “divine” and “arcane”. Spellcasters from Arcana Unearthed use that game's magic system, while D&D spellcasters use the core magic system; multiclassing is handled in the same way that a multiclass wizard/cleric is handled. Finally, metamagic feats from Arcana Unearthed can only be applied to eldritch magic, and the same holds true for standard D&D metamagic and its relationship to arcane/divine magic.

So where, you ask, does eldritch magic come from in Eberron? Long ago, it was practiced widely by the giants of Xen'drik, when their great empire was still in full swing. Since the invasion from Dal Quor, eldritch magic has fallen by the wayside somewhat. However, the drow of Xen'drik (as well as a few giants) still practice eldritch magic, as do the elves of Aerenal and Valenar, though to a lesser extent.

Classes
So where do the various classes fit in? Some are easier to integrate than others, but they all have a place in Eberron.

Akashics: There are monasteries in Adar dedicated to unification with Eberron and its inhabitants. Through study and meditation, many of these monks have developed a connection to the askashic record, the communal memory of all living beings. While akashics are rare in Khorvaire, some of the monks of Adar believe that the best way to become one with the world is to travel it, learning through experience as well as memory.

Champions: Champions are to causes what paladins are to religions, and can be found virtually anywhere. It is not uncommon to find a champion of darkness in the ranks of the Order of the Emerald Claw, or to find a champion of life protecting the wilds of the Eldeen Reaches.

Greenbonds: The drow of Xen'drik seek to protect their land from the despoilers of Khorvaire. In order to more effectively do this, some of these drow use eldritch magic and various ceremonies to develop a strong spiritual connection with Eberron, itself. This connection is fundamentally different from that between a druid and the land, but is no less strong. Some who have gone to Xen'drik have learned the secrets of these drow greenbonds, and have brought them back to Khorvaire. Consequently, greenbonds can sometimes be found in the Shadow Marches or the Eldeen Reaches, and even beyond.

Mage Blades: The Valenar have allowed their tie to eldritch magic to atrophy somewhat; however, the bond is not completely gone. Occasionally, a Valenar elf is interested enough in eldritch magic to learn what he needs in order to supplement his combat prowess. Through this union of eldritch magic and swordplay, the mage blade is born.

Magisters: Magisters are the undisputed masters of eldritch magic. They are most common among the drow of Xen'drik and the elves of Aerenal, though some members of the Arcane Congress and the Twelve have learned to harness the magister's powers, as well.

Oathsworn: Oathsworn are often found in the service of various causes or religions. The Gatekeepers of the Eldeen Reaches claim more than a few in their ranks, as does the Church of the Silver Flame. The strict discipline required by the oathsworn also appeals to the kalashtar.

Runethanes: The art of runic spellcasting is uniquely giantish, and many giant runethanes can be found in the wilds of Xen'drik. Some explorers have brought this knowledge back with them, and House Kundarak has grown particularly interested in the arts of the runethane.

Totem Warriors: The Eldeen Reaches and the Shadow Marches are home to a number of totem warriors, as are the Talenta Planes. Many are shifters seeking to become closer to their lycanthropic heritage, while others are members of various druidic sects. In addition, many of the barbarians of Argonessen are totem warriors, though they choose dragons rather than animals as their totem spirits.

Unfettered: These daring swashbucklers can be found virtually anywhere in Khorvaire. Whether captaining a pirate vessel in the Lazhaar Principalities or battling criminals in Sharn, unfettered are no more or less common than fighters or rogues.

Warmains: During the Last War, warmains often led squads of soldiers, using their superior fighting ability and their tactical knowledge to win the day. Now that the Last War is over, many warmains have turned to more mercenary activities in order to make a living. However, there are still more than a few warmains acting as professional soldiers, particularly in Karrnath and the Mror Holds.

Witches: Most drow eldritch spellcasters are witches; this represents their innate connection to the magic of their former masters. Witches are extremely uncommon outside of the drow culture, but occasionally an explorer or an Aereni elf can be found who practices the strange arts of the witch. The Inspired of Riedra have developed particular interest in the mind witch, due its ability to produce effects similar to their own psionic powers. Thus far, however, they have not managed to master witchery.

Races
There are a number of races, as well, that can fit into Eberron with relative ease. If nothing else, many of these races can be used to add an exotic flare to places like Xen'drik or Argonessen.

Faen: The faen are most commonly found in the Eldeen Reaches. With its tie to nature and fey creatures, the faen are a natural fit. Some adventurous faen have taken to venturing further out into civilized areas, as well.

Giants: The easiest place to put giants is in Xen'drik. They can be used either to replace the existing D&D giants who once ruled the continent, or they can be used as a sort of ‘half-breed' giant that arose from the coupling of the true giants and their elven and drow slaves.

Litorians: The halflings of the Talenta Planes share their territory with other races, once of which is a race of leonine humanoids known as the litorians. The litorians keep to themselves for the most part, but have been known to deal with strangers from time to time.

Mojh: The barbarians of Argonessen have long worshipped the dragons that call the continent their own. Some have taken this worship so far as to undergo a ritual that physically makes them resemble the dragons they revere. Many mojh serve as the leaders of various barbarian tribes, or as spiritual guides. Some also serve as go-betweens and diplomats between the barbarians and the dragons, themselves.

Sibeccai: The wildlands of Xen'drik hold a number of mysterious races and cultures. One of these is the race known as the sibeccai. In recent years, they have made overtures to the Khorvarian settlement of Stormreach, offering to trade their exotic wares and the knowledge of eldritch magic for the secrets of elemental binding and artifice.

Verrik: The incursion from Xoriat wreaked havoc upon Khorvaire long ago, and many people believe that those days are long over. However, while the daelkyr and their aberrations are, for the most part, bound within the depths of Khyber, they have left a living legacy on Khorvaire. When the daelkyr came to Eberron, they brought with them a slave race, the verrik. With the defeat of the daelkyr, the verrik were freed from their servitude. Many of them still live in the Demon Wastes, and a few even venture out, despite the fact that their connection the Xoriat makes others feel ill at ease around them.

Ok, we’ve got the RSS newsfeed up and running. Currently we only have a feed from EN World, but more may appear at some point.

The idea is really very simple. Basically, you assume that PCs have basic adventuring gear. Clothing, bedroll, a couple of days worth of food; I’ve never really believed that PCs should have to purchase this stuff separately. You can charge PCs for this stuff if you want to, but I generally don’t. It’s more flavor than anything else, as I see it.

What about specific bits of adventuring gear that could affect the outcome of an encounter, puzzle, trap, or what-not? That’s where the Gear Pool comes into play. Basically, at character creation, players can spend however much gold they want on their Gear Pool; each gold piece equates to one gp worth of Gear. Then, later on, when a character needs, for instance, fifty feet of rope and a grappling hook, you deduct the cost of the needed items from the Gear Pool. You assume that the character had the foresight to buy this stuff while he was out preparing for the adventure, even if the player did not. After all, the character would know better what he needs for adventuring than the player would, wouldn’t he?

Material components work in the same way. Gold is spent to acquire a Component Pool, and when a character needs a costly material spell component, he deducts the cost from his Pool. Thus, casting identify causes you to deduct 100 points from your Materail Pool. Simple.

Replenishing the two Pools is just as simple. Any time the characters are in a town or city, or any other place they’d get gear, they can add gold to their two Pools. Certain treasure hoards might also contain Gear Points or Component Points.

The limiting factors are pretty much what you, as the DM, want them to be. I generally wouldn’t allow large items (like a 10-foot pole) or weapons (like a longsword, though I might allow a dagger or quiver of arrows). I would probably also disallow magic items. Finally, I might require a PC to justify certain items. For instance, a PC might not have any particular reason to have bought a spyglass, or might not have been somewhere recently where such an item would have been available. As with any house rule that allows the PCs this much leeway, DM discretion is advised.

I’ve been playing around with this idea for a couple of days. Basically, while I like the idea of the sorcerer class in D&D, I’m not a huge fan of the implementation. Wizards succeeded in creating a class that it simultaneously very similar to the wizard, but less effective. So, I decided to try to create a variant of the sorcerer which is, I hope, better balanced with the wizard and distinct in a mechanical sense. Feel free to post your opinions in the forum.

SORCERER

Alignment: Any.

Hit Die: d6.

Class Skills

The sorcerer’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Profession ( Wis ), Spellcraft (Int), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the sorcerer.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Sorcerers are proficient with all simple weapons, plus one martial weapon of choice. Sorcerers are proficient with light armor. A sorcerer can cast sorcerer spells while wearing light armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. However, like any other arcane spellcaster, a sorcerer wearing medium or heavy armor or using a shield incurs a chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has a somatic component (most do). A multiclass sorcerer still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells received from other classes.

Spells: A sorcerer casts arcane spells which are drawn primarily from the sorcerer/wizard spell list. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time, the way a wizard or a cleric must (see below).

To learn or cast a spell, a sorcerer must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a sorcerer’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the sorcerer’s Charisma modifier.

Like other spellcasters, a sorcerer can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The Sorcerer. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Charisma score.

A sorcerer’s selection of spells is extremely limited. A sorcerer begins play knowing three 0-level spells and one 1st-level spell of your choice. At each new sorcerer level, he gains one or more new spells, as indicated on Table: Sorcerer Spells Known. (Unlike spells per day, the number of spells a sorcerer knows is not affected by his Charisma score; the numbers on Table: Sorcerer Spells Known are fixed.) These new spells can be common spells chosen from the sorcerer/wizard spell list, or they can be unusual spells that the sorcerer has gained some understanding of by study. The sorcerer can’t use this method of spell acquisition to learn spells at a faster rate, however.

Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even-numbered sorcerer level after that (6th, 8th, and so on), a sorcerer can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. In effect, the sorcerer “loses” the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell’s level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least two levels lower than the highest-level sorcerer spell the sorcerer can cast. A sorcerer may swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that he gains new spells known for the level.

Unlike a wizard or a cleric, a sorcerer need not prepare his spells in advance. He can cast any spell he knows at any time, assuming he has not yet used up his spells per day for that spell level. He does not have to decide ahead of time which spells he’ll cast.

Spellweaving: A sorcerer can weave and unravel spell slots as a free action. When a sorcerer weaves slots, he sacrifices three spell slots of the same level in order to gain one spell slot one level higher. When a sorcerer unravels slots, he sacrifices one spell slot in order to gain two spell slots on level lower. Spell slots can be woven together as often as the sorcerer wishes, with the exception that he can never weave spell slots into a slot higher than one he would normally have access to. Once a spell slot is unraveled, however, the slots created cannot be further unraveled. This is a supernatural ability.

Power of the Will: Sorcerers of at least 6 th level have the ability to cast spells through sheer force of will alone. By doubling a spell’s casting time, the sorcerer can eliminate a single component (verbal, somatic, material, or focus) from that spell. Casting times can be doubled multiple times, each time negating one spell component. Note that costly material components and experience point costs cannot be eliminated in this way.

Imitate Spell: Any time the sorcerer uses Spellcraft to successfully identify a spell cast, he may attempt to imitate the spell and cast it, even if it is not one of his known spells. Imitating a spell requires the sorcerer to spend a spell slot of at least the same level as the spell being imitated. In addition, the sorcerer must succeed on a Bluff check (DC 25 + spell level, +4 if the spell is divine). If the sorcerer fails this Bluff check, he still loses the spell slot. However, if he succeeds, he may cast the spell as if he knew it on his next turn. Once the sorcerer identifies a cast spell, he must decide to imitate it on his next turn; waiting longer causes the sorcerer to forfeit imitation of the spell.

Arcane Blood: A sorcerer of 18 th level sees very little distinction between his physical self and his arcane powers. By sacrificing a spell slot, the sorcerer can heal 1d6 hit points per spell level (1 hit point for a 0-level spell). Similarly, the sorcerer can gain a spell slot by ‘burning’ a number of hit points equal to six times the spell’s level (1 point for a 0-level spell). Use of this supernatural ability is a standard action.

It’s not even my birthday yet, and I’m already getting good birthday presents. My wife and I celebrated with my parents on Saturday, and I got three shiny new RPG books from them (The Expanded Psionics Handbook, The Complete Warrior, and The Complete Divine). Once I’m done digesting them, I’ll try and get some reviews up here. Right now I’m still working on Eberron, though.

Well, we have a new forum. Click the link on the side if you want to check it out and do some posting. You’ll have to be a registered user in order to post, but registration is free and reasonably painless.

Well, we’re back (hopefully for a longer period of time this time). My wife and I have designed this newest version of the GCG site from the ground up, and from a coder’s perspective it’s a big improvement. At any rate, I’ve ported over a few articles from the last iteration of the site, just so there’s something here. I hope to have a review of Eberron up relatively soon; I haven’t finished reading the book yet, though. Suffice it to say, though, it can be firmly filed into the “I was wrong” category (those of you who have read the article entitled “Eberron, Unearthed Arcana, and WotC” will know what I mean by that). Eberron is a very enjoyable read, but I’ll cover it in greater detail in my upcoming review.

At any rate, more will be avialable as time passes. Eventually, there will even be a forum, web links, and downloads.