D&D 5E Exploring Eberron and Chronicles of Eberron

[Reynard]

Can some folks experienced with 5E Eberron and these books give me the rundown? I know they are lauded but I really don't know what is in them. Do they represent more than just setting expansions?

Also it looks like there are Fantasy grounds mods available for them. Can someone speak to the quality of those?

Thanks.

 

[Vael]

I bought Exploring Eberron, and been a fan. The subclasses seem fine, I've played the Maverick Artificer, and found it kinda weak, but I think that's more a problem with the base class ... I've been less and less impressed with the half caster chassis on the Artificer.

As for the rest of the book ... it does a great job of adding more to the less explored nations and areas of Eberron. Dwarves and the Mror Holds get some love, it's a neat place to run a campaign with the ideas in this book.

 

[Stoutstien]

For the money they some of the best written stuff for 5e regardless of setting. Both books are a wealth of actual content.

The PC options are conservative power wise but are reasonably enjoyable which is arguably more important. I like the mav artificer even if it's weak. Has the strongest "i have just the thing" vibe

 

[pukunui]

I've got both, although I haven't read as much of Chronicles as I have Exploring. Both are based heavily on Keith Baker's blog posts delving into all manner of topics. I highly recommend them both as they add a lot more nuance to the setting (if not more detail).

 

[Veltharis ap Rylix]

Broadly speaking, both are grab-bags of assorted topics - some of them pulled from material originally developed on Keith Baker's blog, so delving into the archive there could give you a rough idea of what to expect. There are mechanical elements (new subclasses, subraces, backgrounds, feats, monsters, etc.), but the big draw is setting lore and story ideas.

You can get a look at their tables of contents and a little bit of the books themselves via the "Full-size Preview" option on their DMsGuild pages.

 

[Reynard]

I was reading through my copy of Rising From The Last War and I had forgotten how good that book was -- especially relative to other 5E setting books I have read.

I wish there was a way to get Exploring and Chronicles legally without giving WotC any money.

 

[DEFCON 1]

I wish there was a way to get Exploring and Chronicles without giving WotC any money.

In this case you might need to look at it from the perspective of that you are more giving money to Keith Baker (as the writer of both books.) Yes, OneBookshelf and WotC will be taking their cuts... but most of the money goes to Keith. So you can think positively in that way that you are helping the originated and creator of the setting.

 

[Reynard]

In this case you might need to look at it from the perspective of that you are more giving money to Keith Baker (as the writer of both books.) Yes, OneBookshelf and WotC will be taking their cuts... but most of the money goes to Keith. So you can think positively in that way that you are helping the originated and creator of the setting.

I wonder if you caught him at a con you could pay him directly for copies.

 

[DEFCON 1]

I wonder if you caught him at a con you could pay him directly for copies.

I doubt it. Part of publishing through DMs Guild is that you get to use Eberron with WotC's permission, but you have to publish through DMs Guild. You can't sell stuff on your own.

 

[Reynard]

I see there are some adventures by Baker on DMGuild as well. Are any of them really stand out?