This book serves as a gateway to the Western Frontier, a region situated between Droaam, Breland, and the Eldeen Reaches. It provides players and Dungeon Masters with the tools needed to create characters and stories tied to this frontier. This can serve as the foundation for an entire campaign. It can be a resource for characters who come from this frontier, regardless of where their adventures take them. And it can inspire adventures that take you down the Border Road en route to other destinations. Here’s an overview of the chapters in this book:
This chapter provides an overview of the frontier region, including its history, its cultures, and rules for arcane duels.
Chapter 2: The Western Frontier is a player-facing gazetteer of the region, with an overview of major communities, landmarks, and influential people.
Chapter 3: Quickstone focuses on the town of Quickstone, a Brelish mining town at the foot of the Graywall Mountains. This town makes an excellent anchor point for a Western Frontier campaign, and this chapter provides information about the people, institutions, factions, festivals, and more that can be found in Quickstone.
Chapter 4: Frontier Characters contains unique character options drawn from the Western Frontier. This includes playable species from Droaam, five backgrounds, six subclasses, and sixteen feats inspired by frontier adventures.
Chapter 5: Treasures Beyond includes new magic items and tools for a Western Frontier campaign, as well as a look at the different styles found across the region.
Chapter 6: Fearsome Foes presents new monsters and NPCs drawn from this region. From the trusty tribex to the archfey and overlords, this provides a collection of creatures that can add color to any Eberron game.
Chapter 7: Heart of Stone introduces a party of adventurers to Quickstone and the Western Frontier. It’s designed for a party of five 1st-level characters, who will advance to 5th level by the end of the adventure.
Fifth Edition Compatibility
The rules and mechanics contained within this book were designed to be compatible with the 2024 version of the Player's Handbook for the fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons. Much of the book can be used unchanged with the 2014 version of the fifth edition of Player's Handbook, while some mechanics, such as subclasses and backgrounds, may need adjustments in order to maintain compatibility.
What defines the Western Frontier, and what are the key components of a Western Frontiers campaign? Here are seven things to keep in mind:
1: A Contested Land. The Western Frontier is the region surrounding Orien Route 7, known to the locals as the Border Road. On maps made by House Sivis, the land west of the road belongs to Droaam. But Breland refuses to acknowledge Droaam. In the wake of the Mourning, Breland and Droaam have pulled back their armies. But there is no treaty between them. Minotaur reavers prey on Brelish settlers east of the road. Brelish brigands sack goblin villages to the west of it. And either one may try to plunder a Thunder Coach of House Orien as it makes its way to Sylbaran.
2: Justice and Revenge. The Westwind Riders enforce the Code of Galifar, and Maenya’s Fist dispenses justice in the name of the Daughters of Sora Kell. But none of that matters when the Company of the Black Crown comes to town and there’s no Rider or Fist within twenty miles. Perhaps there’s a sheriff who can stand by your side—or perhaps the sheriff is taking the brigands’ gold and sees no profit in stopping them. If you want to see justice done, odds are good you’ll be taking matters into your own hands.
3: A Forgotten Realm. The Dhakaani Empire once extended across this region, but it collapsed thousands of years ago… and in the ages since then it has been dominated by an ever-shifting assortment of petty tyrants. There are ruins that have been shunned for centuries, manifest zones whose powers have been forgotten, and relics of both Dhakaan and the ancient overlords just waiting to be found. The Five Nations have been tamed for ages, but the Western Frontier is wild and unknown, even to the people of Droaam.
4: Droaam Rising. Stories on the Western Frontier often involve interaction between the denizens of Droaam and people from the Five Nations. The contrast between the two—the arrogant old kingdom of humans and the young nation of creatures they’ve long considered monsters—is a powerful source of drama. But it’s important to remember that Droaam isn’t primitive or weak. It may use different tools and tactics than the people of the east, but Droaam is on the rise.
5: Something to Gain. People are coming to the Western Frontier from both sides of the road, because opportunities abound here. The dragonmarked houses and independent merchants see boundless opportunities for commerce as Droaam expands, and smugglers are always trying to avoid the King’s Assessors. Sages are discovering forgotten treasures, and Tharashk is finding new deposits of dragonshards. And there are ancient powers in the region, fiends and fey and more dangerous things, that have been waiting for centuries for a mortal to cross their path…
6: Something To Lose. What are you afraid of? A frontier story is more compelling if you have a stake in the game. It could be your reputation, your land, or your lover. You could have a tie to a town or a mine. In creating a character, think about the things you’re afraid of losing.
7: Harsh and Wide. The bulk of the Western Frontier is a region known as the Barrens. It’s vast and sparsely populated, adding to the sense of isolation and the potential to discover things long forgotten. The harshness of the land reflects the tone of the typical story. The desert doesn’t care about your tragedy.