- Hardcover: 160 pages
- Publisher: Wizards of the Coast (3 Oct 2005)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0786936916
- ISBN-13: 978-0786936915
- Product Dimensions: 27.7 x 21.6 x 1.5 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 820,187 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
The ultimate sourcebook for players wishing to explore the world of Eberron.
The Explorer’s Handbook showcases the multi-continental aspect of the Eberron setting. The chapter on travel discusses instantaneous and played out travel and provides deck plans for airships, the lightning rail, and galleons, plus other methods of conveyance. A chapter on Explorer’s Essentials offers information on travel papers, preassembled equipment kits, how to join the Wayfarers’ Foundation, and more. This handbook encourages players to explore the entire world rather than
remain fixed in one region.
DAVID NOONAN is an RPG designer/developer at Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Recent credits include authoring Complete Divine™ and co-authoring
Races of Stone™ and Unearthed Arcana™.
RICH BURLEW is a freelance writer whose previous design credits include
Monster Manual™ III. He was also one of the three finalists in Wizards of the
Coast, Inc.’s new campaign setting search in 2002.
FRANK BRUNNER has been working in the game industry for four years and
has written several articles for Dragon® Magazine and Dungeon® magazine.
The Explorer’s Handbook showcases the multi-continental aspect of the Eberron setting. The chapter on travel discusses instantaneous and played out travel and provides deck plans for airships, the lightning rail, and galleons, plus other methods of conveyance. A chapter on Explorer’s Essentials offers information on travel papers, preassembled equipment kits, how to join the Wayfarers’ Foundation, and more. This handbook encourages players to explore the entire world rather than
remain fixed in one region.
DAVID NOONAN is an RPG designer/developer at Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Recent credits include authoring Complete Divine™ and co-authoring
Races of Stone™ and Unearthed Arcana™.
RICH BURLEW is a freelance writer whose previous design credits include
Monster Manual™ III. He was also one of the three finalists in Wizards of the
Coast, Inc.’s new campaign setting search in 2002.
FRANK BRUNNER has been working in the game industry for four years and
has written several articles for Dragon® Magazine and Dungeon® magazine.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I was looking forward to this one. I really like the explorer aspect of the Eberron campaign setting and as there are several cool locations that are relatively undetailed in the main book I was hoping for some cool info here. What I wanted was lots of nice 'fluff' about Xen'drik and the Demon Wastes and the like, to really give these places some atmosphere. New monsters, new hazards and new gear to help overcome them, new treasure, maps of these uncharted regions etc.
Well what do you get?
The first chapter is good giving some description and game mechanics for methods of travelling long distances such as the lightning rail and airships. Then we get a few passable new prestige classes (although I can't see many PCs actually becoming an airship captain - kind of limits the usefulness of the PC unless he's piloting an airship - and how many adventures can you really have at the helm of a ship?). And then comes the good bits right? Well not really...
The majority of the book is dedicated to presenting some 'adventure sites' which are touted as some bases to start the adventure (a club in Sharn for example), a waypoint on the way and finally the actual adventure sites. With one or two exceptions these are generic to the point of uselessness. Even the most pressed for time GM could have come up with most of these places, sure you can build on them and expand them into full adventures, but to be honest most of them aren't worth it, and lets face it we buy sourcebooks to get info we can use right off the bat or at the very least to get inspired by the ideas presented, not to have to fill in the blanks. There are a couple of good ones (the city of the Lords of Dust is very cool, and the ruined city in the middle of Q'Barra is also quite good) and many tantalising snippets of good ideas. For example, there is a reference to Digester skin boots to protect you from acid pools in Q'barra, but no info as to the cost, DC to make or actual game mechanic effect of these boots.
There's also a nice but short section at the back for some very nicely detailed magic items which picks up the quality for a brief few pages.
There's enough here to make it worthwhile if you have to have every Eberron product out there or really love the setting, but this should have been so much better.
Well what do you get?
The first chapter is good giving some description and game mechanics for methods of travelling long distances such as the lightning rail and airships. Then we get a few passable new prestige classes (although I can't see many PCs actually becoming an airship captain - kind of limits the usefulness of the PC unless he's piloting an airship - and how many adventures can you really have at the helm of a ship?). And then comes the good bits right? Well not really...
The majority of the book is dedicated to presenting some 'adventure sites' which are touted as some bases to start the adventure (a club in Sharn for example), a waypoint on the way and finally the actual adventure sites. With one or two exceptions these are generic to the point of uselessness. Even the most pressed for time GM could have come up with most of these places, sure you can build on them and expand them into full adventures, but to be honest most of them aren't worth it, and lets face it we buy sourcebooks to get info we can use right off the bat or at the very least to get inspired by the ideas presented, not to have to fill in the blanks. There are a couple of good ones (the city of the Lords of Dust is very cool, and the ruined city in the middle of Q'Barra is also quite good) and many tantalising snippets of good ideas. For example, there is a reference to Digester skin boots to protect you from acid pools in Q'barra, but no info as to the cost, DC to make or actual game mechanic effect of these boots.
There's also a nice but short section at the back for some very nicely detailed magic items which picks up the quality for a brief few pages.
There's enough here to make it worthwhile if you have to have every Eberron product out there or really love the setting, but this should have been so much better.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
6 reviews
36 of 37 people found the following review helpful
Great additional sourcebook, full of good ideas
7 Sep 2005
Format:Hardcover
Well, another Eberron book, and another winner.
The artwork in this book is awesome, the cover art, the chapter beginning and pictures throughout are all of consistent high quality.
The content seems to be well laid out, however the lack of index in reference books is becoming frustrating.
The book contains the following Chapters (you will need the TOC as there is no index...)
Introduction
Intro and overview, how to read the stat block etc.
Chapter 1: Travel
Reasons for travel, motivations for travel, (I especially liked the section on travel vs. teleport, which gives a range of situations in which travel not teleport is appropriate.), how to travel, modes of transport, travel encounters
Chapter 2: Tools of the trade
Elemental vessels, everything you wanted to know, how to construct, controlling bound elementals, freeing them and so forth. Airships, attacking airships, elemental landcarts.
Lightning rail, movement of, battles on and a useful lightning railcar map.
Stormships and wind galleons and other vessels.
The chapter then goes on to boarders, forged papers, funded expeditions, organisations and then has...
3 Prestige classes
Cataclysm Mage
A seer like mage who's desire for forgotten knowledge and prophecy leads to great power and greater risk
Thunder Guide
A sort of scout/ranger adventurer
Windwright Captain
Most likely an NPC class as it revolves around piloting elemental vessels.
Chapter 3: Points of Origin
(Containing 4 Map Sites)
Where adventures start, a few adventure hooks, a map of the docking tower at stormhome, a lightning rail station etc.
The Crimson Ship deserves special mention as an inventive and potentially exciting role-play side adventure.
Chapter 4: Midpoints
(Containing 4 Map Sites)
The places along the way, along with many further adventure ideas to go with them
Chapter 5: Destinations
(Containing 9 Map sites)
The final destination of the adventure, described in the chapter are several fairly well detailed locales. The Khyber Dragonshard Cavern, the Shalquar Monastery and Tharkgun Dhak appeal particularly to me.
Appendix: Ancient Treasures
Giant and Dhakaani Antiquities
Magic items from past ages, some cool new items and a new special material (Eldritch whorlwood)
The book is packed with adventure hooks, detailed maps and ideas.
Looks like it will be a fantastic game aid and the artwork is fantastic.
4 stars, possible 4.5, however the lack of index prevents a 5 star rating.
The artwork in this book is awesome, the cover art, the chapter beginning and pictures throughout are all of consistent high quality.
The content seems to be well laid out, however the lack of index in reference books is becoming frustrating.
The book contains the following Chapters (you will need the TOC as there is no index...)
Introduction
Intro and overview, how to read the stat block etc.
Chapter 1: Travel
Reasons for travel, motivations for travel, (I especially liked the section on travel vs. teleport, which gives a range of situations in which travel not teleport is appropriate.), how to travel, modes of transport, travel encounters
Chapter 2: Tools of the trade
Elemental vessels, everything you wanted to know, how to construct, controlling bound elementals, freeing them and so forth. Airships, attacking airships, elemental landcarts.
Lightning rail, movement of, battles on and a useful lightning railcar map.
Stormships and wind galleons and other vessels.
The chapter then goes on to boarders, forged papers, funded expeditions, organisations and then has...
3 Prestige classes
Cataclysm Mage
A seer like mage who's desire for forgotten knowledge and prophecy leads to great power and greater risk
Thunder Guide
A sort of scout/ranger adventurer
Windwright Captain
Most likely an NPC class as it revolves around piloting elemental vessels.
Chapter 3: Points of Origin
(Containing 4 Map Sites)
Where adventures start, a few adventure hooks, a map of the docking tower at stormhome, a lightning rail station etc.
The Crimson Ship deserves special mention as an inventive and potentially exciting role-play side adventure.
Chapter 4: Midpoints
(Containing 4 Map Sites)
The places along the way, along with many further adventure ideas to go with them
Chapter 5: Destinations
(Containing 9 Map sites)
The final destination of the adventure, described in the chapter are several fairly well detailed locales. The Khyber Dragonshard Cavern, the Shalquar Monastery and Tharkgun Dhak appeal particularly to me.
Appendix: Ancient Treasures
Giant and Dhakaani Antiquities
Magic items from past ages, some cool new items and a new special material (Eldritch whorlwood)
The book is packed with adventure hooks, detailed maps and ideas.
Looks like it will be a fantastic game aid and the artwork is fantastic.
4 stars, possible 4.5, however the lack of index prevents a 5 star rating.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Great book for a DM
25 Nov 2007
Format:Hardcover
As others have stated, this book really is more valuable for DMs than players. Being a DM playing in the Eberron setting, however; I find that this book includes many of those little tidbits of information like travel times and side adventure material that really fill in a world. A lot of the information in this book could be made up by a DM if they didn't have it, but having concrete rules in place lends a stability to the world. I found that reading a 'starting location' entry can give numerous adventure ideas that can easily be fleshed out.
Again, really much more useful for a DM than a player, but interesting either way.
Again, really much more useful for a DM than a player, but interesting either way.
5 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Fails to present sufficient new content. More of a DM aide.
14 Sep 2006
Format:Hardcover
The Explorer's Handbook advertises itself as being a book for, well, exploration for both DMs and players. When I first purchased it I was expecting a well written discussion on travel and adventure in Eberron, perhaps similar to a wilderness guide discussing all the fantastic inbetween places in Eberron. What I got was disappointment.
This book is, by far, a DM oriented book that describes a number of locations you may wish to insert into an Eberron game. The locations tend to be focused on the mid to extremely high levels. The Prestige Classes are the only part of the book I would consider being oriented towards players, and there are only three of them. The writing, on the whole, is sub par.
This book is, by far, a DM oriented book that describes a number of locations you may wish to insert into an Eberron game. The locations tend to be focused on the mid to extremely high levels. The Prestige Classes are the only part of the book I would consider being oriented towards players, and there are only three of them. The writing, on the whole, is sub par.
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