Douglas E. Berry

As part of the Blue Rose setting Kickstarter, I also received a second book, The Book of Fiends - A Malefic Bestiary for Fifth Edition. I've always loved the Lower Planes as a great source of adventures at higher levels. The mastermind behind everything the party has been fighting is an Arch Devil or the party has to enter the Abyss to recover an artifact, whatever. Demons, devils and the netherworld make a great change of pace at higher levels.

It's a great book. What challenged me as a GM/worldbuilder is integrating it with both the established pantheon of The Book of the Righteous and the descriptions of the Netherrealms in Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes. For example, TBotR describes Asmodeus as a fallen God, Ruling Hell while plotting the overthrow of the Court of Light. The BoF describes Asmodeus' abode in the Ninth Hell as being a frozen wasteland, whereas in TBotR he was once the Elemental God of Fire. Those kinds of things are easy to smooth over.

A bigger issue comes with how Hell and the Abyss are connected. Both TBoF and MToF agree that the "uppermost" layers of both Hell and the Abyss are marked by contact warfare between the two realms. This is easier to justify using the old-school model of the outer planes. But in TBotR, Hell and the Abyss are separate spheres in the Great Sphere, connected by the Black River. How to account for vast armies moving back and forth? Luckily, there's an answer in TBoF. Seere is the Demon Patron of Portals. Delighting in destroying the lawful order of the multiverse, Seere Could easily open a gateway for the Hordes of the Abyss to pour through into Hell.

There's still the issue of Gehenna, the plane where Neutral Evil souls end up. Of course, there's nothing stopping me from adding a new sphere, is there?

There was one Demon Lord whose write-up gave me an idea for an entire campaign. I'll write about that tomorrow.

Eberron: Rising from the Last War by Wizards RPG Team

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Oh, what a relief to have a supported D&D setting that isn't some pseudo-medieval milieu with magic added haphazardly. Eberron is a dynamic, exciting place, just starting to recover from the century-long Last War and the horror of the Mourning, which destroyed the kingdom of Cyre and left it shrouded in impenetrable mists.

This is a fully-formed world, with deep mythology and history and where the scars of war are fresh. No one really won the Last War, so tensions remain high. New nations run by monsters threaten the old order, and the Dragonmarked houses work to expand their influence at the expense of all others. This is a world of change and intrigue where the characters can end up as the clients of a powerful patron or just follow the path of discovery and adventure. You could spend an entire campaign inside Sharn, the legendary City of Towers if you like. Or take an airship on a perilous quest to the southern continent of Xen’drik - a cursed, warped land home to the shattered remains of the Giants' empire.

Magic is addressed logically and exploited in the same way we exploited the steam engine and electricity. Lightning trains race along magical pathways (and you know I'm going to contrive a desperate fight on top of a train at some point) while airships use bound elementals to sail the skies. Magical cannon and rods exist for warfare, giving a good gunpowder age feeling. Some farmers may own plows that drive themselves or other useful magical implements.

In short, if you're looking for a very different D&D setting, one with a more pulp feel with elements of noir mysteries, Eberron is the perfect fit.



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