Eberron: What To Buy?

[Tuerny]

So after I finish my current Arcana Evolved Ptolus campaign I am thinking of going ahead and starting a D&D Eberron campaign. I've run them before but the last time it happened was way back when only a few books were out and I only bothered with the core book and Sharn, City of Towers.

Since then quite a few new books have been released. Are there any that are must haves? Any that are particularly good reads? Any I should avoid?

I would appreciate your input.

 

[Crothian]

ECS: As the campaign setting book it is very important.

Races of Eberron: This gives some great character options for the new races and some nice insight on the more familiar ones. The fluff is a bit dull though.

Sharn: A great resource with holidays and NPCs and if you plan on using Sharn at all a must have.

Explorer's Handbook: Some cool stuff in it. It has a table though of distances that would be very useful except it seems off by a lot. Not a must have but one I find useful.

Five Nations: Great information especially for playing PCs and NPCs that come from one of the five nations. Be warned though there are many big plot spoilers freely written about.

Players Guide: I use this weekly to determine what the players know but like Five nations it has a lot of info that a DM might not want the PCs to have.

Magic of Eberron: Some neat spells and classes and feats but of all the eberron books this is the one we use the least.

Faiths of Eberron: Good info on the many different churches and religios movements.

Dragonmarked: A must have if you plan on using the dragonmarked houses as a main part of your campaign. Also very good for a PC of the Dragonmarked houses.

Secrets of Xendrick: This book is about adventure ideas and plots. It is not a book that shows where and why everything is. It is a DM play ground with many, many things left undefined.

Secrets of Sarlona: It reminds me of Five Nations. Good info and it would be useful if you are using characters from here or even playing on this continent. But if you are not this book can easily be skipped.

 

[Remathilis]

I kinda agree with Crothian. I frequently use Sharn, Explorers, and Faiths. However I plan on using Xen'drik much more.

Forged of War comes out next month, it might be really good as well.

 

[BigFreekinGoblinoid]

I own many of the Eberron books - Here is a list ranked into three tiers representing my enjoyment/perception of usefulness from best/most to worst/least.

Sharn
Secrets of Xen'drick
Core Setting Book
Explorers Handbook
-
Five Nations
Players Guide to Eberron
Races of Eberron
Voyage of the Golden Dragon(adv)
-
Faiths of Eberron
Secrets of Sarlona
Grasp of the Emerald Claw(adv)
Shadows of the last War (adv)
Whispers of the Vampires Blade (adv)


Don't have: Dragonmarked, Magic of Eberron

I also have several of the RPGA adventures, but none have resonated with me enough to remain in my long term memory

 

[IanB]

The Player's Guide is totally awesome. Every setting should have a book like that.

 

[blargney the second]

Crothian's list is really quite good. I've gotten a lot of usage out of Secrets of Xen'drik and Player's Guide to Eberron.

Another great resource are the novels! Keith Baker's Dreaming Dark series is wicked good, as is Don Bassingthwaite's Dragon Below series. Tales of the Last War is an awesome little anthology of short stories.

 

[Hammerhead]

I would just buy the Eberron Campaign Setting. And a helicopter.

 

[Erratic K]

We use the Campaign Setting and Players guide, and of course PHB, DMG, MM.

I'm a barebones kinda guy and feel like I need to master the basics of the setting.

As a DM I only allow basics and let players lobby for more. Races of Eberron is the only other one I've considered.


Also as DM, I can plunder monsters/NCP and plot from anywhere though

DM privilege. heheh

 

[Meloncov]

Most of the Ebberon books are excellent, but with the exception of the ECS none are essential unless you plan on focusing on the same topic as the book does.

That being said, I think that the Player's Guide and 5 Nations are useful in the most campaigns.

Edit: While the Expanded Psionics Handbook isn't an Eberron supplement, Eberron has enough psionics that you'll want it if you don't have it.

 

[Tomanta]

The ECS, of course.

Sharn is a great, great book on a major, central city. But only useful if you use that city, so I wouldn't consider it "essential" unless your players go there.

Five Nations is good fluff book, lots of cultural/political details in the major Khovaire nations and how they get along with one another. Chock full of plot ideas.

Races of Eberron has lots of info on the new races and some info on existing races. Some crunch, I'd say essential for using the new races.

Dragonmarked has a lot of info on the Dragonmarked houses, I'd also say this is essential as the houses have their hands in everything.

Explorer's Handbook is ok, but it's one I would flip through before buying to see if there's stuff in there you would use. Secrets of Xen'Drik is the same.

I have mixed feelings about Magic of Eberron. There's nice stuff in there, but nothing I would consider essential.

Players Handbook isn't much of a guide for players but there is a lot of good stuff for DMs (and some not-so-good stuff, mostly in sidebars).

I don't have Secrets of Sarlona or Faiths of Eberron, so can't comment on those. Looking to pick up Sarlona, though, since I'm a big fan of Kalashtar/The Inspired