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Ben Brosofsky has been writing for Screen Rant since 2022 and editing since 2024. He graduated from Vanderbilt University with a Bachelor's in Cinema & Media Arts. Writing serves as a much-needed distraction from tackling a backlog of Steam games that will never be surmounted.
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The new Dungeons & Dragons book Eberron: Forge of the Artificer remixes a lot of content from the 2019 tome Eberron: Rising from the Last War, and the species are no exception. Four species return from the previous Eberron volume, alongside the new (but suspiciously familiar) Khoravar option.
While Forge of the Artificer's species aren't necessarily radical overhauls, they've been modified to better fit D&D's 2024 rules revisions. Used in conjunction with the new slate of Eberron subclasses, backgrounds, and more, it should be easier than ever to craft a perfect Eberron character. Per usual, not everyone will love every change, but they generally preserve what stood out about each species to begin with.
Changeling
A changling from D&D's Eberron setting, holding a mask in the middle of a festival.
Even without Eberron familiarity, the nature of changelings should be fairly evident from the name alone. True to the common fantasy trope, changelings can shift their appearance at will, and you're unlikely to ever see one in their nondescript true form. Unless, of course, you decide to play one in an Eberron campaign.
Unsurprisingly, this adaptability gives changelings the perfect toolset to persuade, prod, or even trick NPCs in accordance with the party's plans. The Changeling Instincts trait gives them proficiency in two of the following skills: Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Performance, and Persuasion. In other words, everything that makes it easy to walk away from a conversation with the upper hand.
By nature, changelings are medium or small, and they can flip between these two options when using an action to shape-shift. In addition to the above proficiencies, shape-shifting gives them advantage on Charisma checks.
Shape-shifting opens up plenty of opportunities for disguise, and it might not even require great Performance skills to pull off. The transformation covers physical attributes like hair, sex, voice, and even species. It has its limits, though — no stat changes, no duplicating appearances that the changeling hasn't seen, and no dramatic rearrangement of limbs.
Kalashtar
Kalashtar look like any other human at a glance, but dig a little deeper, and you'll discover how different they are. Born of "the union of humanity and renegade spirits called quori from the plane of dreams," Kalashtar tap into those spirits in unique ways. While their connection is indirect, it gives them a link to quori in their sleep, granting them psionic abilities (and adding yet another psionic option to the 2024 pile).
The most dynamic kalashtar ability is Mind Link, which gives them a reasonably powerful form of telepathy. Although Mind Link only covers 10 feet when used by a level one character, it scales with level, meaning level 20 characters can communicate up to 20 feet away. Using a magic action will allow a target creature to respond telepathically for an hour at a time, leading to some long telepathic conversations.
Beyond Mind Link, kalashtar abilities tend to be protective. Dual Mind gives them advantage on Wisdom and Charisma saving throws, while Mental Discipline grants resistance to Psychic damage. Finally, kalashtar can't be targeted by dream spells, and their connection to quori makes their uninterrupted sleep especially useful. With each Long Rest, a kalashtar can choose a skill proficiency that will last until the next Long Rest.
Khoravar
Khoravar weren't included in Eberron: Rising from the Last War, but the description quickly makes their familiarity clear. D&D's 2024 rulebooks cut half-elves from the roster of playable species, offering suggestions for mixing species at will in place of mechanical differences. While Khoravar "dislike the term 'half-elf'", there's no denying that they're descended from humans and elves alike.
Most Khoravar features are shared with the 2014 iteration of half-elves. Darkvision with a range of 60 feet and advantage on saving throws against being charmed remain essentially unchanged, although the latter clarifies that advantage is also granted when attempting to end the charmed condition.
Other Khoravar features change more details. 2014's declaration that magic can't put half-elves to sleep is softened, allowing Khoravar to succeed on failed saving throws to avoid or end the unconscious condition but requiring them to take 1d4 long rests before using the feature again. Instead of granting permanent proficiency in two skills, Skill Versatility offers proficiency in one skill or tool that can be swapped at each short rest.
The one truly new trait is Fey Gift, which gives Khoravar one cantrip from the Cleric, Druid, or Wizard spell list. This starts as friends, but like Skill Versatility, it can be swapped after each long rest.
Shifter
To an untrained ear, shifter could easily be another name for a changeling, and the reality is actually fairly close. As "weretouched" hybrids between human and beast, shifters are able to manipulate their appearances to a lesser degree than changelings. They won't be able to take on the appearance of other humanoids, but shifting into more bestial forms has its own set of advantages.
A couple of traits apply regardless of their form. Bestial Instincts grants them proficiency in either Acrobatics, Athletics, Intimidation or Survival, and they get the same 60-foot Darkvision ability as Khoravar. Their other advantages, however, only come when they take advantage of shifting.
Shifting into a more bestial form takes a bonus action and lasts for one minute. During that duration, shifters gain temporary HP equal to two times their proficiency bonus, along with one benefit chosen during character creation from among the following:
- Beasthide - Additional 1d6 temp HP and +1 bonus to AC while shifted
- Longtooth - Use elongated fangs to make unarmed strikes while shifted
- Swiftstride - Speed increases by 10 feet, and you can use reaction to move away from enemies while shifted
- Wildhunt - Advantage on Wisdom checks while shifted, and other creatures can't have advantage within 30 feet unless you're incapacitated
Like changelings, shifters can be either medium or small, but they can't alter that at will.
Warforged
The last of the Forge of the Artificer subclasses is the most distinctly Eberron one. Warforged are mechanical beings built for the Last War, but granted the gift (and curse) of true sentience, they're a lot more than just automatons or robots. They're also more than just metal, with frameworks that can also be made of wood or stone alchemy coursing through their pseudo-veins.
Compared to the other Forge of the Artificer species options, Warforged traits tend to be relatively straightforward. Unsurprisingly, they're a bit more hardy than most alternatives. Construct Resilience gives them resistance to poison damage, as well as advantage on saving throws against the poisoned condition. Integrated Protection offers a plus one bonus to armor class, and armor cannot be removed against a living warforged's will.
They're also untiring, avoiding Exhaustion from dehydration, malnutrition, or suffocation. They long rest in six hours rather than eight, remaining motionless but conscious, and magic can't put them to sleep. Lastly, Specialized Design gives them one skill proficiency and one tool proficiency of their choice.
Warforged might not have dynamic abilities on the level of changelings, but they can be both practical and interesting in terms of roleplay opportunities. If you're starting up an Eberron campaign, all five of the species in Eberron: Forge of the Artificer are worth considering. They could also be reflavored for Dungeons & Dragons campaigns in other settings, although that might be easier with the khoravar than the warforged.
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Like Follow Followed Dungeons and Dragons Franchise Dungeons & Dragons Original Release Date 1974 Publisher TSR Inc., Wizards of the Coast Designer E. Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson Player Count 2-7 Players See at Amazon See at Walmart Expand Collapse-
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