Eberron Race Rework
In early 2015, Wizards of the Coast released an Unearthed Arcana detailing some of the iconic races of Eberron. These races were quite underwhelming, and the mysterious Kalashtar were excluded altogether. The following is a rework of the races using the races of the Player's Handbook and Volo's Guide to Monsters for comparison, as well as the thoughts of Keith Baker, the setting's creator.
Changeling
Changelings are subtle shapeshifters capable of disguising their appearance. Their ability to adopt other creatures’ guises makes them consummate spies and criminals.
Changeling Traits
As a changeling, you have the following racial traits.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1, and your Charisma score increases by 2.
Size. Changelings are built much like humans, but a little leaner. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Duplicity. You gain proficiency in the Deception skill.
Shapechanger. As an action, you can change your physical appearance. You can change your height, weight, facial features, hair length and coloration, and distinguishing characteristics, though you cannot appear to grow or lose limbs or change your size. Your equipment does not change with you. If you die, you revert to your natural appearance. Abilities that can see through illusions, such as truesight, reveal your true form.
Slippery Mind. You have advantage on saving throws to resist being charmed.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and two other languages of your choice.
Kalashtar
The Kalashtar are a compound race: incorporeal entities from the alien plane of Dal Quor, the Region of Dreams, merged with human bodies and spirits to form a distinct species
Kalashtar Traits
Ability Score Increases. Your Intelligence score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.
Age. Kalashtar age more slowly than humans. Some live to be almost 200 years old.
Alignment. Adhering to strict self-discipline, kalashtar tend toward lawful and good alignments.
Size. Kalashtar are almost identical to humans. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Dreamless Sleep. Kalashtar sleep but do not dream.
Dual Soul. Kalashtar have advantage on saving throws to resist being charmed or frightened.
Mindlink. As an action, you can form a mental link with a willing creature within 30 feet of you. You and the creature can communicate telepathically over any distance, so long as you are on the same plane of existence. This link fades after one hour. After forming this link, you cannot form another until you finish a long rest.
Social Mastery. You are proficient with your choice of one of Deception, Intimidation, or Persuasion.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Quori, the language of Dal Quor.
Credits
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Shifter
Shifters, sometimes called “the weretouched,” are descended from humans and natural lycanthropes, now nearly extinct on Khorvaire. Shifters cannot fully change shape but can take on animalistic features—a state they call shifting. Shifters have evolved into a unique race that breeds true. They have a distinct culture with its own traditions and identity
Shifter Traits
As a shifter you have the following racial traits.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity and Constitution scores increase by 1.
Size. Shifters are about the same size as humans. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. Your lycanthropic heritage grants you the ability to see in dark conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Shifting. On your turn, you can shift as a bonus action. Shifting lasts for 1 minute or until you end it on your turn as a bonus action.
While shifting, you gain temporary hit points equal to your level + your Constitution modifier(minimum of 1). You also gain a feature that depends on your shifter subrace, described below.
You must finish a short or long rest before you can shift again.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Sylvan.
Subrace. Several subraces of shifter exist, each with its own animalistic features. Choose one of the options below.
Beasthide
As a beasthide shifter, you are especially tough and persistent in battle.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increase by 1.
Shifting Feature. While shifting, you gain a +2 bonus to AC.
Cliffwalk
Your cliffwalk heritage grants you the agility of a mountain goat.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
Agile Form. You gain proficiency in the Acrobatics skill.
Shifting Feature. While shifting, you gain a climb speed of 30 feet.
Longstride
Longstride shifters are fleet and elusive.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
Long Stride. Your base walking speed is 35 feet.
Shifting Feature. While shifting, your walking speed increases by 15 feet.
Longtooth
As a longtooth shifter, you are a ferocious combatant.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.
Savage. You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill.
Shifting Feature. While shifting, you can use your fangs to make an unarmed strike, dealing piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier in place of the normal damage for your unarmed strike. If this attack hits a target that is your size or smaller, the target is also grappled. You cannot grapple another creature in this way while the grapple continues.
Razorclaw
As a razorclaw shifter, you make swift, slashing strikes in battle.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity and Strength scores increases by 1.
Shifting Feature. While shifting, you can use your claws to make an unarmed strike, dealing slashing damage equal to 1d8 + your Strength modifier in place of the normal damage for your unarmed strikes. You can use your Dexterity for the attack roll and damage rolls instead of your Strength.
Wildhunt
Your wildhunt heritage makes you a consummate tracker and survivor.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Born Hunter. You gain proficiency in the Survival skill.
Shifting Feature. While shifting, you gain advantage on all Wisdom-based ability checks and saving throws.
Warforged
The warforged were made as the ideal soldiers to serve in the devastating Last War. Although they are constructs, they have much in common with living creatures, including emotions and social bonds, and perhaps even souls.
Warforged Traits
As a warforged you have the following racial traits.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.
Composite Plating. Your body is made of wood and metal. When you aren't wearing armor, your AC is 13 + your Dexterity modifier. You can use your natural armor to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC. A shield's benefits apply as normal while you use your natural armor.
Living Construct. Even though you were constructed, you are a living creature. You are immune to disease. You do not need to eat or breathe, but you can ingest food and drink if you wish. Instead of sleeping, you enter an inactive state for 4 hours each day. You do not dream in this state; you are fully aware of your surroundings and notice approaching enemies and other events as normal.
Self-Stabilizing. You have advantage on death saving throws.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice.
Model. Warforged are largely divided into two models: soldier and scout.
Soldier Model
The most common form of warforged is vaguely human-sized and designed for battle.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2.
Size. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Warforged Resolve. As a bonus action, you gain temporary hit points equal to your level. You also regain hit points equal to your level if you have fewer than half your hit points left. Once you use this ability, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.
Scout Model
These smaller warforged were swift and stealthy, going behind enemy lines.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2.
Size. Your size is Small, roughly the size of a halfling.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 35 feet.
Scout. You are proficient in the Stealth and Perception skills.
Other Races
Beyond the unique races of Eberron, many standard races have differences within the setting. Variants to these are explored below.
Dwarves
The dwarves of the Mror Holds are best played as mountain dwarves, while the dwarves that live among the other races of Khorvaire are best played as hill dwarves. These are not hard and fast rules, as dwarven families can produce members of either subrace.
Elves
Most of the elves on Khorvaire and Aerenal, who take pride in their race's long history, are best described as high elves mechanically. The elves of Valenar are more often described by the wood elf race mechanically, with the Elf Weapon Training trait granting proficiency with scimitars instead of shortswords.
Drow in Eberron are quite varied. The tribal Vulkorian drow of Xen'drik's jungles the Sulatar, who have held on to the ancient knowledge of the giants, have darkvision out to a range of 60 feet but do not have sunlight sensitivity. The Umbragen drow are unique among Eberron's elves, living underground like traditional drow in the Player's Handbook.
Half-Elves
Half-elves are a true-breeding race. Almost all half-elves are represented by normal half-elf statistics, with a select few having specific traits based on their heritage.
Half-Orcs
Like their orc ancestors, half-orcs are heavily influenced by a long tradition of druidism. Some half-orcs increase their Wisdom by 1, instead of their Constitution.
Halflings
Halfling communities of Eberron can produce both lightfoot and stout subraces. These differences often come from family histories. Some halflings from Sarlona have been touched by the influence of Dal Quor and can be represented as ghostwise halflings.
Orcs
The orcs of the Shadow Marches are not always brutish warriors. Druidism is strong amongst the orcs and has been for thousands of years. Orcs in Eberron do not have a penalty to Intelligence, and some orcs increase their Wisdom by 1, instead of their Constitution.
Tieflings
The origins of devils and demons are not separate in Eberron. A devil can be of infernal (devilish), abyssal (demonic), or rakshasa origin. Infernal tieflings are those found in the Player's Handbook, and abyssal tieflings can be found in Unearthed Arcana: Light, Dark, Underdark! Rakshasa tieflings are presented below.
Rakshasa Tieflings
Rare in some settings but common amongst the tieflings of Eberron, those with blood tainted by rakshasa exhibit cunning and ruthlessness beyond that of normal tieflings. Rakshasa tieflings often have feline qualities, include cat-like eyes and ears, fur, furred tails, and even rarely are born with the backwards hands of their ancestors.
Rakshasa tieflings lose the Ability Score Increase, Hellish Resistance, and Infernal Legacy traits. Instead, these tieflings gain access to the following traits:
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1, and your Charisma score increases by 2.
Devilish Deception. You have proficiency in the Deception skill.
Rakshasa Legacy. You know the minor illusion cantrip. You can cast disguise self targeting yourself, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a short rest. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast detect thoughts and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.