Magic in Khorvaire

Your airship soars through the skies, approaching the mile-high towers of Sharn. You disembark, walking down a street lit by everbright lanterns, and make your way to your favorite Ghallanda tavern. Inside, the halfling bartender uses prestidigitation to chill and flavor an array of exotic beverages. A Phiarlan bard entertains the crowd with song and a dazzling display of illusions. An argument between two veterans escalates into violence: the Brelish tough produces a knife, but the Aundairian duelist already has a wand in her hand.   Magic is a part of life in Khorvaire. Arcane magic is a form of science, and the Five Nations are built on this foundation. Magewrights are professional spellcasters who use rituals and cantrips to provide a host of services. The dragonmarked houses provide magical services that are beyond the powers of a common magewright. And manifest zones are specific locations where the energies of the planes bleed into Eberron; these allow dramatic effects that can’t be replicated elsewhere, such as the colossal towers of Sharn.  

Wide Magic, Not High Magic

  While magic is widespread, the scope of magic is limited. Low-level spells are a part of everyday life, but high-level magic remains remarkable.   Common Magic. Cantrips and 1st level spells are commonplace. Magewrights, wandslingers, and dragonmarked heirs can all produce these sorts of effects, and you’ll see the impact of this magic as part of everyday life. Common magic items can be found in any community and purchased in any major city, provided you can find a shop or dragonmarked enclave that deals in what you’re looking for. Common magic items generally range in price from 50–100 gp.   Uncommon Magic. There are magewrights and dragonmarked heirs who can cast 2nd and 3rd level spells, and such services can be bought… but not cheaply. You’ll find houses with arcane locks on their doors, but that’s a sign of a wealthy owner. The same is true of uncommon magic items. It’s possible to purchase these in a major city, but selection and quantity will be limited; in a smaller town, they’ll be more limited still. Uncommon magic items typically cost between 100–500 gp, though costs can be higher based on scarcity.   Rare magic. Spells of 4th through 5th level are beyond the reach of most people. People are familiar with the concept of spells like teleportation or raise dead, but few people have ever seen either of these things actually performed. Only the most remarkable magewrights have access to such magic, so these services usually come from the dragonmarked houses—specifically heirs with Greater Dragonmarks and dragonshard focus items.   In theory, rare magic items can be purchased, with prices ranging anywhere from 2,000 gp–20,000 gp. In practice, these things are rare. A rare magic item might be the prize of a collection in a Sharn emporium, or the showpiece of a House Cannith forgehold. It’s more likely that such items will be acquired as rewards for working with a powerful organization than simply found for purchase in a store. Of course, should you have a ridiculous sum of gold burning a hole in your purse, you might be able to commission House Cannith to create a rare item for you… though this would take time.   Very Rare and Legendary Magic. Spells of 6th level and above are largely the stuff of legends and folktales. The few people known to wield this sort of power are themselves legends: Mordain the Fleshweaver, the Keeper of the Silver Flame, the Daughters of Sora Kell. If encountered in the Five Nations, such magic will likely be tied to an eldritch machine or a manifest zone.   Legendary magic items are generally the work of dragons or demons, or relics found in the ruins of Xen’drik. Very rare magic items could be tied to similar sources, or they might be masterworks of the elves of Aerenal or Valenar heirlooms. It’s unlikely that such a treasure would ever be sold.