Welcome back to the weekly Tabletop Games thread! This thread is where we can talk about all kinds of RPGs, card games, board games, etc. Whether you gather around a physical table in the real world, or use a virtual space to play with friends who may live far away from you, this is where you can discuss your favorites, ask for and/or receive recommendations, recap your recent adventures, or even find some people to play games with!

Discussion Prompt: Eberron: Forge of the Artificer finally released yesterday after a long production delay. I thought this would be a good time to do a bit of a deep dive into the setting.

Eberron is a somewhat unique D&D campaign setting that mixes aspects of pulp adventure stories, film noir, and magical technology all set against the backdrop of world just coming out of a long and devastating war. The setting has its origins in a contest run by WotC in 2002, the Fantasy Setting Search, which was won by author Keith Baker out of a total of 11,000 entries. The setting reimagines a number of the traditional fantasy tropes that are common in other D&D worlds. Low-level magic is fairly common in the world–magical lanterns line the streets of cities like Sharn, and the high-speed lightning rail runs to most of the major locations on the continent. High-level magic, on the other hand, is much rarer, and while there is divine magic in the world, there is much less focus on personified deities.

Most of the core playable species exist in Eberron and retain the same game mechanics, but the lore surrounding them is very different. Orcs, for example, rather than being savage marauders, are druidic warriors who have become the first line of defense against demonic incursions into the world. Halflings are dinosaur-riding nomads on the plains, but some notable halfling houses have settled in urban areas to run the major healers or hostelers guilds. There are also brand new species, like the shapeshifting Changelings, the lycanthropic Shifters, and the Warforged–living constructs designed as mass-producible soldiers who suddenly find themselves living in a world at peace, tenuous though it may be.

Eberron also introduced a new core class into D&D in the Artificer, and INT-based class that focuses on creating and using magic items. In 5e, it’s presented as a half-caster (ie, it has spell slot progression similar to a Paladin or Ranger) with a unique ability to infuse mundane items with magic, replicated all sorts of common and uncommon magic items that can be used by anyone in the party. The latest sourcebook includes 5 subclasses–the Alchemist, who focuses on brewing potions and elixirs; the Armorer, who can create an Iron Man-like suit of powered armor; the Artilerist, who creates arcane firearms and eldritch canons; the Battle Smith, who comes with a construct companion; and the brand new Cartographer, who can scribe spell scrolls as well as maps that improve the party’s mobility and tactics.

Share your thoughts on Eberron, or your other favorite game setting, in the comments!

If you would like to suggest a prompt or contribute a write-up or discussion topic of your own, let me know in the comments!