The history of the druids in Eberron stretches back sixteen thousand years, to a time when orcs and goblinoids ruled the continent of Khorvaire. At that time, a black dragon named Vvaraak, a great student of astrology, cosmology, and the draconic Prophecy, foretold a planar invasion of tremendous magnitude. Knowing that the humanoids would have to repel this invasion on their own, she taught the first orc druids about the bond among the three dragons of legend, how to tap into their power, and how they might seal the gate between the planes the next time one opened.
The invasion Vvaraak foretold occurred seven thousand years later, when mind flayers and their daelkyr overlords from the plane of Xoriat stepped through planar gateways and launched an overwhelming attack on the hobgoblin Empire of Dhakaan. Because they had kept Vvaraak’s teachings alive, the orc druids were able to seal the planar gateways, striking the decisive blow in the war against the invaders.
Not all druids in Khorvaire are aware of this ancient and illustrious history, and few actually recall the central cosmological teachings that enabled the druids of old to act as Gatekeepers, policing the boundaries between the planes. These few, however, still pass on Vvaraak’s teachings, trusting that future generations faced with a similar threat from beyond Eberron are prepared to deal with it as their spiritual ancestors did in millennia past.
Most druids come from the Eldeen Reaches, where their animistic religion is the dominant faith. Others are found anywhere that nature’s spirit is strong, from the craggy mountains that house the Mror Holds to the fetid swamps of the Shadow Marches. Some druids from the Eldeen Reaches espouse radical philosophies that oppose the use of “unnatural” magic and condemn the building of settlements. Most druids are more moderate in their beliefs about the proper balance of nature, magic and civilization.
Druid Options: New options for druid characters in an Eberron campaign reflect the practice of adopting magical beasts as totems (the Beast Totem, Beast Shape and Totem Companion feats), item creation feats useful to any spellcaster, and the training of the various druid sects of the Eldeen Reaches (the Ashbound, Child of Winter, Gatekeeper Initiate, Greensinger Initiate and Warden Initiate feats).
Feats: Ashbound, Attune Magic Weapon, Beast Shape, Beast Totem, Child of Winter, Exceptional Artisan, Extra Rings, Extraordinary Artisan, Gatekeeper Initiate, Greensinger Initiate, Legendary Artisan, Repel Aberration, Spontaneous Casting, Totem Companion, Vermin Companion, Vermin Shape, Warden Initiate.
Prestige Class: Weretouched master.
A character’s choice of companion is constrained by his region of origin — he must choose a companion that occurs naturally in this region, as indicated in the following list. (“Aquatic” is defined as a region for this purpose; animals mentioned in that portion of the list are available only to a character who lives in an aquatic environment.)
Many animal companions do not become available until a druid’s level (or effective druid level, in the case of a ranger) is 4th or higher. When determining the special powers of such a companion, use the level adjustments given in Alternative Animal Companions in the Player’s Handbook; -3 for companions that become available at 4th level or higher, -6 for those that become available at 7th level or higher and so forth.
A druid or ranger may never acquire a magebred animal as a companion. Most druids and rangers are ambivalent toward such creatures, while some consider magebred animals to be corruptions of nature.
Adar or Riedra:
- 1st: Badger, Camel, Dire Rat, Dog, Eagle, Hawk, Owl, Snake (Small or Medium Viper)
- 4th: Ape, Black Bear, Boar, Cheetah, Dire Badger, Dire Weasel, Monitor Lizard, Snake (Constrictor or Large Viper)
- 7th: Dire Ape, Dire Boar, Lion, Rhinoceros, Snake (Huge Viper), Tiger
- 10th: Dire Lion, Snake (Giant Constrictor)
- 13th: Dire Bear
- 16th: Dire Tiger
Aerenal:
- 1st: Baboon, Dire Rat, Dog, Eagle, Hawk, Owl, Snake (Small or Medium viper)
- 4th: Ape, Crocodile, Leopard, Monitor Lizard, Snake (Constrictor or Large Viper)
- 7th: Giant Crocodile, Dire Ape, Snake (Huge Viper), Tiger
- 10th: Snake (Giant Constrictor)
- 13th: Elephant
- 16th: Dire Tiger
Aquatic:
- 1st: Porpoise, Medium Shark, Squid
- 4th: Large Shark
- 7th: Elasmosaurus (Dinosaur)
- 10th: Giant Octopus, Huge Shark, Orca Whale
- 16th: Dire Shark, Giant Squid
Argonnessen or Seren:
- 1st: Camel, Dire Rat, Eagle, Hawk, Owl, Snake (Small or Medium Viper)
- 4th: Ape, Cheetah, Dire Weasel, Leopard, Monitor Lizard, Snake (Constrictor or Large Viper)
- 7th: Dire Ape, Lion, Rhinoceros, Snake (Huge Viper), Tiger
- 10th: Snake (Giant Constrictor)
- 13th: Elephant
- 16th: Dire Tiger
Aundair, Cyre, Eldeen Reaches or Thrane:
- 1st: Badger, Dire Rat, Dog, Eagle, Hawk, Horse (Light or Heavy), Owl, Wolf
- 4th: Black Bear, Bison, Boar, Dire Badger, Dire Weasel, Horrid Rat
- 7th: Brown Bear, Dire Boar, Dire Wolf, Horrid Badger, Horrid Weasel, Tiger
- 13th: Dire Bear
- 16th: Dire Tiger, Horrid Bear
Breland, Darguun, or Zilargo:
- 1st: Badger, Dire Rat, Dog, Riding Dog, Eagle, Hawk, Horse (Light or Heavy), Owl, Snake (Small or Medium Viper)
- 4th: Ape, Black Bear, Crocodile, Dire Badger, Horrid Rat, Monitor Lizard, Snake (Constrictor or Large Viper
- 7th: Giant Crocodile, Dire Ape, Snake (Huge Viper)
- 10th: Horrid Ape, Horrid Bear, Snake (Giant Constrictor)
- 13th: Dire Bear
Demon Wastes:
- 1st: Dire Rat, Eagle (Vulture), Owl, Snake (Small or Medium Viper), Wolf
- 4th: Black Bear, Boar, Dire Bat, Dire Weasel, Horrid Rat, Snake (Constrictor or Large Viper), Wolverine
- 7th: Brown Bear, Dire Boar, Dire Wolf, Dire Wolverine, Horrid Bat, Horrid Weasel, Snake (Huge Viper), Tiger
- 10th: Snake (Giant Constrictor)
- 13th: Dire Bear
- 16th: Dire Tiger, Horrid Bear
Droaam or Shadow Marches:
- 1st: Badger, Dire Rat, Eagle, Hawk, Owl, Snake (Small or Medium Viper)
- 4th: Black Bear, Crocodile, Dire Badger, Dire Weasel, Horrid Rat, Monitor Lizard, Snake (Constrictor or Large Viper)
- 7th: Giant Crocodile, Horrid Badger, Snake (Huge Viper)
- 10th: Snake (Giant Constrictor)
- 13th: Dire Bear
Karrnath or Mror Holds:
- 1st: Badger, Dire Rat, Dog, Eagle, Hawk, Horse (Light or Heavy), Owl, Wolf
- 4th: Black Bear, Boar, Dire Badger, Dire Weasel, Wolverine
- 7th: Brown Bear, Dire Boar, Dire Wolf, Dire Wolverine, Tiger
- 13th: Dire Bear
- 16th: Dire Tiger
Khyber (The Underworld):
- 1st: Badger, Dire Rat, Snake (Small or Medium Viper)
- 4th: Dire Badger, Dire Bat, Dire Weasel, Snake (Constrictor or Large Viper)
- 7th: Snake (Huge Viper)
- 10th: Snake (Giant Constrictor)
- 13th: Dire Bear
Lhazaar Principalities or Frostfell:
- 1st: Dire Rat, Dog, Eagle, Hawk, Owl, Wolf
- 4th: Dire Weasel, Wolverine
- 7th: Brown Bear, Dire Wolf, Dire Wolverine, Tiger
- 10th: Polar Bear
- 13th: Dire Bear
- 16th: Dire Tiger
Q’barra:
- 1st: Badger, Dire Rat, Dog, Eagle, Hawk, Horse (Light or Heavy), Owl, Snake (Small or Medium Viper), Wolf
- 4th: Boar, Dire Badger, Dire Weasel, Monitor Lizard, Snake (Constrictor or Large Viper)
- 7th: Dire Boar, Dire Wolf, Snake (Huge Viper)
- 10th: Snake (Giant Constrictor)
Talenta Plains:
- 1st: Badger, Eagle, Fastieth (Dinosaur), Hawk, Owl, Snake (Small or Medium Viper)
- 4th: Claw Foot (Dinosaur), Dire Badger, Snake (Large Viper)
- 7th: Snake (Huge Viper)
- 10th: Snake (Giant Constrictor)
Valenar:
- 1st: Badger, Eagle, Hawk, Horse (Light, Heavy or Valenar Riding), Owl, Snake (Small or Medium Viper)
- 4th: Boar, Crocodile, Dire Badger, Snake (Constrictor or Large Viper)
- 7th: Giant Crocodile, Dire Boar, Snake (Huge Viper)
- 10th: Snake (Giant Constrictor)
Xen’drik:
- 1st: Dire Rat, Eagle, Hawk, Owl, Snake (Small or Medium Viper)
- 4th: Ape, Crocodile, Dire Bat, Leopard, Monitor Lizard, Snake (Constrictor or Large Viper)
- 7th: Giant Crocodile, Dire Ape, Snake (Huge Viper), Tiger
- 10th: Snake (Giant Constrictor)
- 13th: Elephant
- 16th: Dire Tiger, Swordtooth Titan/Tyrannosaurus (Dinosaur), Threehorn/Triceratops (Dinosaur)
Source: Eberron Campaign Setting (Page 36)