Eberron Uncommon Playable Races
Bugbears
Though the most common bugbears the people of Khorvaire encounter today are of the savage Marguul tribes (represented by the standard Monster Manual bugbear), the bugbears of ancient Dhakaan are returning. Called the "guul'dar" (meaning "strong people" in the goblin tongue), these Dhakaani bugbears are literally bread for war. In ancient times, they were the shock troops of the empire, and often the first to see action in any military assault. When the empire began to crumble, some clans saw the end was coming, and secluded themselves in deep caves in order to wait out the savage times they saw ahead. Now with the rise of Darguun, a new nation of goblinoids, the Dhakaani clans have resurfaced from history, and people across Khorvaire may once more have a chance to see the guul'dar in action.
Dhakaani Bugbears: As a bugbear raised in the hidden Dhakaani clanholds, you have traits in common with your other bugbears that follow the same ancient traditions.
- Source: Korranberg Chronicle, page 15
Drow
Unlike in other campaign settings, the drow of Eberron are considered a separate race from elves entirely and are not a monolithic culture. Likewise, their origins do not lie with a tale of betrayal between elven gods (Lolth and Corellon are not included in the Eberron campaign setting by default). Drow, instead are an engineered race, created from the arcane manipulation of elves by the ancient giants of Xen’drik.
Scorpion Tribes Drow: The most frequently encountered kind of Drow in Eberron are the Vulkori tribal Drow living in the jungles of Xen'drik. Most of these tribes worship the scorpion-god known as Vulkoor. Khorvarian sages consider Vulkoor an animal-totem version of The Mockery, a god of the Dark Six. While many scorpion tribes worship Vulkoor exclusively and are viciously xenophobic, other tribes known as Qaltair worship analogues of the rest of the Sovereign Host and Dark Six and are willing to deal peacefully with outsiders in a limited fashion.
- Source: Korranberg Chronicle, page 17
Sulatar Clans Drow: The Sulatar clans (or "firebinders" in the Giant language) remained loyal to their fire giant masters during the elven rebellions. They retain the secrets of elemental binding their masters taught them and make frequent use of flaming weapons and fire elementals. The firebinders consider the drow of the scorpion tribes to be savages and traitors, and the tribal drow hate the Sulatar for their continuing loyalty to their cruel slave-masters.
- Source: Korranberg Chronicle, page 18
The Umbragen: When dragonfire rained down on all that the giants held dear, the progenitors of the Umbragen fled into the depths of Khyber. In their wanderings, the Umbragen uncovered ancient lore that led them to a mystical force of darkness called the Umbra. They bound this shadowy essence to their flesh and survived by calling upon it for generation after generation. Thousands of years later, the Umbragen have begun to surface. Some say they are seeking refuge from an unfathomable threat rising from the twisting depths of Khyber.
- Source: Korranberg Chronicle, page 19
Goliaths
In ancient times, after the fall of giant civilization, a collection of several tribes of debased giantkind roamed the peaks of the northern mountain ranges of Xen'drik, in what is now called the Skyfall Peninsula just north of the ruins that would one day be the foundation of Stormreach. At some point, these tribes undertook a mass exodus, seeking to flee the "Hungry Shadows", seeming ghosts from the lowland jungles that hunted them to near extinction. Taking inspiration from legends of another mass exodus in Xen'drik's ancient past, these giantkind descended their mountains, built ships, and sailed northward toward the horizon. After suffering the loss of nearly half their fleet to the tempestuous Thunder Sea, they landed just east of the Shadow Marches in current-day Droaam. From there, they wandered, avoiding civilization as their ancestors had taught them, until they reached the Byeshk Mountains to the north, where they remained.
Tribes of these giantkind, called "goliaths" by the native orcs and goblinoids of the lowlands, wandered across the range of the Byeshk Mountains, mining the rare purple ore the mountains take their name from to make crafts, jewelry, and weapons. They acclimated to their new mountains and led a nomadic, mostly peaceful life there for several millennia, until the Xoriat invasion. They were enslaved to toil in their own mines by the goblinoids of the Dhakaani Empire, when demand of byeshk ore skyrocketed shortly before the empire fell, leaving them once more to their nomadic life. Because of this enslavement, and the horrors of Xoriat that seemed to follow the goblinoids to their mountain homes, the goliaths have a distrust of lowlanders, and kept a mostly isolated existence for almost nine millennia since. Only with the formation of Droaam were they drawn into the dealings of lowlanders, when the Daughters of Sora Kell managed to unite their tribes under one High Chief, who herself bows to the Daughters.
Goliaths are a hardy people, taken to almost foolhardy heights of daring as they leap from cliff to cliff. Goliaths usually become adventurers to prove themselves to their tribe, to perform a service for Droaam, or to explore the world outside the Byeshk Mountains, convinced that much has to have changed in the millennia since their enslavement by a now-dead empire.
- Source: Korranberg Chronicle, page 22
- D&D Beyond: Use Goliath
Hobgoblins
The ancient goblinoid Empire of Dhakaan once spanned the length and breadth of Khorvaire. The hobgoblins ruled Dhakaan for many centuries and may have continued to the present day if otherworldly forces of insanity and horror had not broken the will of the "dar", the goblinoid people. When the empire began to collapse in the wake of this nightmare war, some clans saw the end was coming, and secluded themselves in deep caves in order to wait out the savage times they saw ahead. Now with the rise of Darguun, the ghaal'dar hobgoblins are determined to conquer Khorvaire once more, and the Dhakaani clans have resurfaced from history to take notice—or more likely, to seize control.
Ghaal'dar Hobgoblins: Without the iron rule of the Dhakaan, the ghaal’dar tribes devolved into centuries of posturing and infighting. It wasn’t until the Last War that the ghaal’dar were united into a nation once again.
- Source: Korranberg Chronicle, page 23
Dhakaani Hobgoblins: The Dhakaani respect one thing above all else: military might. Some might mistake hobgoblins as brutes, but the Dhakaani are actually quite sharp, especially when it comes to tactics and strategy.
- Source: Korranberg Chronicle, page 23
Kech Volaar Hobgoblins: The Kech Volaar, or "Wordbearers" are an ancient Dhakaani clan of hobgoblins only recently resurfacing with the formation of Darguun. Their entire lineage is devoted to preserving goblinoid history through text and song.
- Source: Korranberg Chronicle, page 23
Minotaurs
Minotaurs are a common sight in the monstrous nation of Droaam, where the Daughters of Sora Kell have granted them a territory to claim as their own. Lead by their warlord Rhesh Turakbar in the worship of the Horned Prince, minotaurs are mainly viewed by the people of Khorvaire as bloodthirsty savages. Minotaurs view the Horned Prince as their overlord and creator, but each individual minotaur has his own view on who or what the Horned Prince is and finds all other opinions inherently flawed.
During the Last War, House Tharashk negotiated with the Daughters of Sora Kell to contract the monstrous inhabitants of the nation as mercenaries. Today, minotaurs can be seen accompanying Tharashk heirs on prospecting missions and as intimidating bodyguards to those who can afford them. Exposure to more civilized and metropolitan views have influenced these minotaurs. These days, it is not uncommon to find minotaurs outside Droaam that identify the Horned Prince with the Dol Dorn, the Sovereign of Strength and War, or Balinor, the Sovereign of Beasts and the Hunt, rather than some darker entity.
As a minotaur character, decide on your version of the Horned Prince and how this affects you. Are you a former mercenary seeking adventure? Are you following a divine mission? Are you working for House Tharashk, a minotaur warlord, or the Daughters of Sora Kell?
- Source: Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron, page 86; Korranberg Chronicle, page 23
Znir Pact Gnolls
In ancient times, the gnolls of Eberron were savage, demon-worshipping monsters that believed the blessing of some demonic god flowed through their veins. With the founding of the Znir Pact, the gnolls forsook the hideous rituals and depravity of their ancestors. Znir Pact gnolls worship no demons or gods, and instead have a practice of raising piles of rubble to represent the idolatrous objects of worship that the Znir Pact founders shattered when they threw off the influence of their demonic Overlord.
Today, the Znir Pact functions as a neutral policing force in Droaam, entrusted by the Daughters of Sora Kell to maintain peace amongst their warlords' territories. In past centuries of united Galifar, when the territory of Droaam was once western Breland, the Znir Pact were counted among the citizens of Breland. In fact, there was a long history of Brelish royalty hiring bodyguards of Znir Pact gnolls, for their reputation as skilled mercenaries were highly sought after.
As a Gnolls of the Znir Pact, you could be a former mercenary who’s chosen to stay with comrades you met during your service; as a rule, Znir gnolls are deeply loyal to those that they consider to be members of their pack. You might be driven by curiosity, eager to explore the world beyond Droaam. You could be driven by visions of a demonic power rising in the Five Nations or working on behalf of the Daughters of Sora Kell. Or you could be a mercenary still, insisting on regular payment for your ongoing services to the party.
- Source: Wayfinder's guide to Eberron, page 84; Korranberg Chronicle, page 21
