[3.5/PF] PF races in Eberron

[Novawurmson]

Trying to dredge some ideas for where non-standard races might show up in a PF Eberron campaign. My ideas so far:

Featured Races

Aasimars - Thrane (strongest connection to celestial areas, known history of good outsider interaction)
Catfolk - Xen'drik
Dhampir - Karrnath (highest concentration of vampires, plus they'd probably be aggressively recruited to serve as commanders of undead)
Drow - Xen'drik
Fetchlings - (Someplace with manifest zones to a plane of shadow?)
Goblins - Darguun
Hobgoblins - Darguun
Ifrits - (Around fire-themed manifest zones?)
Kobolds - (Islands around Argonnessen?)
Orcs - Shadow Marches
Oreads - (Earth manifest zones?)
Ratfolk - Shadow Marches? Talenta Plains?
Sylphs - (Air manifest zones?)
Tengus - (Major cities, yes, but a homeland?)
Tieflings - (...evil manifest zones?)
Undines - (Water manifest zones?)


Uncommon Races

Changelings - Droaam, definitely (they're half-hags, unlike Eberron changelings)
Duergar - Sarlona
Gillmen - (Interesting. I could see them as a daelkyr creation, maybe?)
Gripplis - Shadow Marches? Xen'drik? Q'barra?
Kitsune - Eldeen Reaches
Merfolk - The ocean -_-
Nagaji - Q'barra? Sarlona?
Samsarans - Sarlona (could see them as a kalashtar or inspired creation)
Strix - Droaam
Sulis - (Where are genies found in Eberron?)
Svirfneblin - Khyber
Vanaras - Xen'drik? Q'barra?
Vishkanyas - Q'barra? Sarlona?
Wayangs - (Shadow manifest zones?)

[Kuulvheysoon]

Let's see what we've got...


Trying to dredge some ideas for where non-standard races might show up in a PF Eberron campaign. My ideas so far:

Featured Races

Aasimars - Thrane (strongest connection to celestial areas, known history of good outsider interaction) Agreed
Catfolk - Xen'drik Maybe the Talenta Plains as well...
Dhampir - Karrnath (highest concentration of vampires, plus they'd probably be aggressively recruited to serve as commanders of undead) No question
Fetchlings - (Someplace with manifest zones to a plane of shadow?) Mabar (the Eternal Night) has some manifest zones in the Shadow Marches, IIRC
Ifrits - (Around fire-themed manifest zones?) ...Demon Wastes? No idea.
Kobolds - (Islands around Argonnessen?) There's a sidebar in Races of the Dragon about Kobolds in Eberron... I think they mention something about Eberron's Underdark?
Tieflings - (...evil manifest zones?) Demon Wastes.



Uncommon Races

Duergar - Sarlona Maybe in the deepest crevices under the Mror Holds?
Svirfneblin - Khyber Khyber beneath Zilargo, probably.
Vanaras - Xen'drik? Q'barra? My gut is swinging towards Q'Barra.

[Novawurmson]

Shadow Marches sounds about right for fetchlings. I like catfolk in the talenta plains, as well. They have a "cheetah" vibe going for them.

Duergar actually live in Sarlona, though. It's in Secrets of Sarlona!

[avr]

Kobolds and orcs are known elsewhere. There's plenty of orcs around the Mror Holds especially.

I'd use Q'Barra for Nagaji but not for Vanara. The natives are lizardfolk as a plot point; you could stretch that to snakeoids but not to monkeyoids IMO.

[Greenish]

When in doubt, Xen'drik.

Tieflings could easily be part of the carrion tribes of the Demon Wastes.

[Novawurmson]

My thought was jungle = monkey. Xen'drik works, too. There's jungles in Aerenal, right?

[Greenish]

There's jungles in Aerenal, right?Yes. Famous for their monkeys, now that you mention it. Or, well, if not famous, Aerenal druids and rangers often have monkey animal companions.

How another sentient race on the island would fit in the sociopolitical picture I'm not sure.

[avr]

There's jungles in Aerenal. The architecture seems to be aztecish in the art I remember. I think there's a feat somewhere which gives Aereni elf druids a bonus with baboon animal companions. That said I had the definite impression that Aerenal is very elf dominated and any vanaras would have to be based deep in the jungle.

[Kol Korran]

the main idea of Eberron is that you can find most of the more common races almost everywhere. The Empire of Galifar ensured that cosmopolitan outlook.
Sure, there may be some greater concentration for races, but far less than in other worlds (on the most parts). I don't know all these races (or PF that much) but here are my thoughts:




Aasimars - Thrane (strongest connection to celestial areas, known history of good outsider interaction)
remember that the silver flame is a considerably new religion. the Sovereign host has had a LOT more time to interact with celestials. Aasimars therefore should be spread like the other races. If at all, I'd say they have a greater link to Sharn, with it's manifest zone to the Azure sky, home of angels.

Catfolk - Xen'drik
Drow - Xen'drik
that is listed somewhere, yes.


Goblins - Darguun
Hobgoblins - Darguun
While there is a new nation of goblinoids in Darguun, the goblinoids were once part of the Dhakkan Empire, and have spread through out the continent, later to be absorbed by Galifar. since then they have lived in nearly every place as second (or third) class citizens. they are as abundent and wide spread as humans or elves or such.


Kobolds - (Islands around Argonnessen?)
There is an article by the publishers somewhere on the net (can't find it at the moment) that lists kobolds as natives of Khorvaire, divided into two sub cultures, one revering Syberis, the other Khyber (good and bad kobolds, so to speak).

Orcs - Shadow Marches
there is also a big population in Droaam, though there they are usualy slaves to ogres, giants and so on.

Tieflings - (...evil manifest zones?)
again, some source list tieflings to be the off springs of millenia dealings with the fiends of Khyber, the lords of dust and the like. they are usually hunted, alone and disorganized. no real homeland. Greenish' proposal to have some within the demon wastes is quite logical though.


Changelings - Droaam, definitely (they're half-hags, unlike Eberron changelings) I don't know this version of changelings, but now I want to! :smallsmile: however, note that hags are not very numerous in Droaam. if at all, the three hags don't welcome competition much, and 3 is a fine number for hags. no less, but no more. if at all, there is a bigger concentration of hags in the demon wastes (or it's alluded to that)

just my thoughts...

[Greenish]

There is an article by the publishers somewhere on the net (can't find it at the moment) that lists kobolds as natives of Khorvaire, divided into two sub culturesNow that you mention it, yeah, there's this (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ebds/20050321a) article.

[Bearlock]

Aasimars I see could be anywhere, as Kol Korran said, the SH has been around for very long time. While the trend may be increasing in Thrane, I wouldn't say they take top spot. I also like the idea with Sharn. Very noir, the bright soul kind of cast into this dirty corrupt place, the aasimar who runs a soup kitchen for displaced refugees in the lower towers, dirty and haggard but trying to help because its what they are meant to do.

And don't forget that hobgoblins were shipped all over the Five Nations as mercenaries by House Deneith, at wars end they could have set up shop wherever they were.

I know I read somewhere that the Seawall Mountains in Zilargo are pretty infested with kobolds (probably to justify gnomes having racial bonuses against them).

Orcs are also found in the Mror Holds, the Jhorash'tar, some dwarf clans want to eliminate them, others want to give them a seat at the table. They seem to be portrayed more as your stereotypical raiders living in a brutal might-makes-right society. Also do not forget the Ghaash'kala that defend the Labyrinth in the Demon Wastes. They worship Kalok Shash, the binding flame. Its their duty to make sure nothing gets in or out of the Wastes.

PF Changelings and Tielfings I would agree, Demon Wastes primarily, with changelings popping up sporadicaly where there may be a hag.

Tengu generally band together, so I would say any large city would naturally be an attraction to them, plenty of things about to peak their interests and keep them occupied. They also like abandoned buildings, so definitely large cities that have seem damage from the war.

Duergar could be the remnants of the lost clan of Mror, who kicked the current clans out of the halls deep below the Holds hundreds of years ago for their bickering. Link (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ebds/20041101a) After sealing the other clans out they fell prey to the daelkyr, and the duergar are the twisted remnants.

Samsarans sound like the devas from 4e. Perhaps they are remnants of fiends that converted when the couatls sacrificed themselves to end the Age of Demons, now they have to live again and again to make up for their past ways. I don't see them being very common at all, being hunted by their former brethren for centuries, but maybe some could find refuge among the Ghaash'kala orcs.

Vanaras I could see either being a native race to Aerenal, that was there even before the elves arrived from Xen'drik, or as race created by elves via magic. Either way, I kind of see them to the elves how the Taskaan shifters in Sarlona are to the Inspired, although maybe not quite so brutal. While the elves may have brought dragon attacks to their native home, they also prevented the dragons from destroying it. A second thought on them being magically mutated, perhaps their ancestors were pets brought from Xen'drik who escaped into the jungles of Aerenal and began there own society. I think that the length of time it takes elves to do anything would give a faster propagating and shorter lived race plenty of time to develop numbers and a society of their own.

[Hiro Protagonest]

Aren't the Gatekeepers in the Eldeen Reaches as well as the Shadow Marches? Or is it just the other half-dozen named druid sects?

[Bearlock]

They are, just not in as great of numbers, and without the social status they might have among a Marches tribe. I think I read somewhere that the Wardens would come to them for advice, but the Gatekeepers have their own thing going on and are probably not too interested in much else.

[Greenish]

Aren't the Gatekeepers in the Eldeen Reaches as well as the Shadow Marches? Or is it just the other half-dozen named druid sects?All druid sects have representation in Eldeen Reaches, though the center of power (such as it is) for Gatekeepers is the Shadow Marches.

[Alienist]

Aasimars - Thrane (strongest connection to celestial areas, known history of good outsider interaction)
Goblins - Darguun
Hobgoblins - Darguun
Sylphs - (Air manifest zones?)


If you're porting over the savage/stupid version of goblins, then yes.

Otherwise, be aware that Sharn was built on goblin slave labour (including hobgoblins and bugbears, and they still exist in Sharn in large numbers, and are very much second class citizens (if you want to draw parallels with the treatment of African Americans between 1860 and 1960 go ahead. Or the treatment of natives in any country that was ever colonised. There is no shortage of examples.) Goblins in Sharn though wouldn't be 'savage', they'd get locked up or tossed out if they were.

For anything related to an air manifest zone - Syrania, Sharn is your best bet and also it is a hub for kicking off to other continents too. That's where I'd stick Sylphs.

For Aasimar, I'd look for the plane totally populated by Angels, which in Eberron is ... Syrania! So Sharn again, not Thrane.

[Novawurmson]

Forgot Sharn was an air-manifest zone. They also get feather fall 1/day, so free money, right there!

[Prime32]

PF Changelings and Tielfings I would agree, Demon Wastes primarily, with changelings popping up sporadicaly where there may be a hag.Don't forget all the hags in Droaam. Or to change the name of PF changelings to "hagspawn". :smalltongue:


Tengu generally band together, so I would say any large city would naturally be an attraction to them, plenty of things about to peak their interests and keep them occupied. They also like abandoned buildings, so definitely large cities that have seem damage from the war.If you were to stick to their mythological roots (trickster monks who live on mountains), they'd make most sense living in Adar with the kalashtar. They probably have access to at least one obscure spellcasting class which was stamped out in Riedra by the Inspired.


Samsarans sound like the devas from 4e. Perhaps they are remnants of fiends that converted when the couatls sacrificed themselves to end the Age of Demons, now they have to live again and again to make up for their past ways. I don't see them being very common at all, being hunted by their former brethren for centuries, but maybe some could find refuge among the Ghaash'kala orcs.I'd treat them as more of a transformation that random humans undergo, which isn't well understood (but probably has something to do with the Prophecy or *insert campaign-relevant plot device*). You could make a plot point out of finding a recently-awakened samsaran whose past life was present at some important event.


Vanaras I could see either being a native race to Aerenal, that was there even before the elves arrived from Xen'drik, or as race created by elves via magic. Either way, I kind of see them to the elves how the Taskaan shifters in Sarlona are to the Inspired, although maybe not quite so brutal. While the elves may have brought dragon attacks to their native home, they also prevented the dragons from destroying it. A second thought on them being magically mutated, perhaps their ancestors were pets brought from Xen'drik who escaped into the jungles of Aerenal and began there own society. I think that the length of time it takes elves to do anything would give a faster propagating and shorter lived race plenty of time to develop numbers and a society of their own.Eh, I feel like having too many races in Aerenal weakens its mystique. Xen'drik, the Eldeen Reaches and Lamannia have plenty of forests they could live in.

[Bearlock]

@Prime 32, I get what you mean, but at least in my games, adding the Vanaras would bring Aerenal's race count to approximately two. And in the Reaches you already have a ton of animal people. Lamannia manifest zones aside, you have shifters, centaurs, satyrs. It's also a nation with with power struggle between the druidic sects, and not to mention manifest zones to Thelanis. I'm a pretty huge Dresden Files buff, so I like to use the fey when I can.

Also, Aerenal is more of a rain-forest, which I see being better for monkeys, but there are others the King's Forest in Breland, the Khraal in Darguun, Ravar Orioth in Valenar, and of course Q'barra, although somebody earlier said you already have the lizard-folk there.

These are just my own opinions of course, but I think Xen'drik should have the most "mystique", maybe second behind Argonnessen. Everybody, players and publishers alike seem to use it as a catch-all just because not much is written about it, so there is nothing telling them no. Again, just a personal view.