Races of Eberron *Update - Couple of folks have it - Ask questions here*

[Gez]

lesser construct essence
lesser humanoid essence
humanoid essence
construct essence
greater humanoid essence

What do those do, exactly? I'm somewhat guessing their target is only living constructs, but I'm not exactly sure.

 

[jasin]

Could the good people with RoE tell us a bit more about the following feats?

Bladebearer of the Valenar
Drow Skirmisher
Gestalt Anchor
Shield of Thought
Spiritual Force
Strength of Two
Dancing with Shadows

 

[Hellcow]

As for the reasons why the quori invaded in the first place, I don't recall it mentioning them. I am guessing they invaded because they can.

It's possible this isn't spelled out clearly in the book, so just in case, I'll explain.

The quori have an "as above, so below" philosophy. The agents of the Dreaming Dark believe that by creating a stagnant, stable society across Khorvaire, they can stop the cycle of change that will, in theory, eventually destroy the Dreaming Dark.

As for the prior invasion - that was the last hurrah of the SECOND age of Dal Quor; we're now in the third age. Hence, while the quori are immortal, no quori has memories stretching back that far (300,000 years Dal Quor time) - because all of the quori of that age were destroyed when the transition occured.

 

[jasin]

Kalashtar Soulknife
3rd: Purifying strike (dispel mind-affecting stuff or dismissal) for a certain cost. (Replaces psychic strike.)

Is that a scaling power that replaces psychic strike altogether, or does a kalashtar soulknife with this substitution level just have his psychic strike lower by 1d8?

They aren't matriarchical spider fetishists. Instead, they're savages who like scorpions. Less infighting (they're usually very loyal to their relatives), more guerilla warfare. They still fight the giants.

Are they still (predominately) CE? Are they still subterranean? Do they keep all the standard drow racial stats? A bit strange for savages to be training all of their society with rapiers and hand crossbows...

In fact, drow are the one place where I would have preferred it if they stuck a bit more closely to the standard D&D archetype. At their core, the drow are decadent refined creepy elves, but Eberron appears to have kept only creepy(?) and turned them tribal, which disconnects them from the whole Unseelie Court schtick, which is the source of most of the drow coolness. For me at least; I'm quite willing to accept that mileage may vary on this.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

As for the prior invasion - that was the last hurrah of the SECOND age of Dal Quor; we're now in the third age. Hence, while the quori are immortal, no quori has memories stretching back that far (300,000 years Dal Quor time) - because all of the quori of that age were destroyed when the transition occured.

Holy crap. So the Inspired, in a way, are the good guys, just trying to keep from dying (which has to be terrifying to an immortal)?

NICE switcheroo.

 

[Hellcow]

Is that a scaling power that replaces psychic strike altogether, or does a kalashtar soulknife with this substitution level just have his psychic strike lower by 1d8?

It lowers it by 1d8.

As a note on the drow, different drow tribes can be VERY different. What's in RoE gives the vaguest overview of them, this is by know means comprehensive (as shown by the Umbragen in the April issue of Dragon).

 

[Gez]

You know, Jasin, I'd say the niche of the "decadent creepy elves" is filled by the Aerenal. They worship a collective of hunks of rotten meat, they share their manors with baboons, and some of them get ritual scarifications/mutilations to better look like cadavers.

 

[Darkness]

What do those do, exactly? I'm somewhat guessing their target is only living constructs, but I'm not exactly sure.

Yep. They make their target more humanoid-like (or more construct-like). The humanoid essence ones can be cast on all constructs, not just living ones.

Could the good people with RoE tell us a bit more about the following feats?

Bladebearer of the Valenar
Drow Skirmisher

These, as well as some similar feats (Shadow Marches Warmonger, Talenta Warrior, Darguun Mauler), let you treat certain Exotic weapons as Martial as well as use certain feats (e.g., Weapon Focus) that you have in one such weapon for all of them. There's also a circumstancial damage bonus and possibly some other effects.
Generally speaking; I think exact details vary slightly from feat to feat.

Gestalt Anchor

Bonus to initiative & reflex saves for all kalashtar nearby when you're psionically focussed.

Shield of Thought

Literally. You can apply some of your mind blade enhancement on it instead of the blade.

Spiritual Force

Expend psionic focus to gain damage bonus with mind blade.

Strength of Two

Insight bonus to will save under certain circumstances. Can be briefly increased a lot with some effort.

Dancing with Shadows

Tactical feat. That is, it has 3 uses. (You can't use them at once. Not sure if that's true for all tactical feats, but I think it is for at least most of them.)
One, bonus on Will saves while fighting defensively/using Combat Expertise, starting on the second round you're doing so.
Two, attack bonus on round after fighting defensively/using CE.
Three, if fighting defensively/using CE for 2 rounds, AC bonus stays for another round without attack roll penalty.

 

[Solarious]

It's possible this isn't spelled out clearly in the book, so just in case, I'll explain.

The quori have an "as above, so below" philosophy. The agents of the Dreaming Dark believe that by creating a stagnant, stable society across Khorvaire, they can stop the cycle of change that will, in theory, eventually destroy the Dreaming Dark.

Whoa, back up there. The agents of the Dreaming Dark is trying to stagnate Eberron's societies in order to destroy the Dreaming Dark?

Am I missing something here?

And if possible, what exactly do all those wonderful (and insidious) nightmare-based powers of the Quori exactly do? They sound perfect for the character I'm developing.

 

[Pants]

Whoa, back up there. The agents of the Dreaming Dark is trying to stagnate Eberron's societies in order to destroy the Dreaming Dark?

Am I missing something here?

Yeah, you misread it.
The Dreaming Dark is trying to stagnate Khorvaire so that the cycles of change that will eventually destroy the DD can be stopped.