[Eberron] Why do none of the setting-specific races have a dragonmark?

As I paged through the ECS the other day, this suddenly hit me. Perhaps it was obvious to some who read the book the first time, but I can be a bit slow, it seems.

Some races have multiple dragonmarks (halflings have Healing and Hospitality), but the four new Eberron-specific races have none. Why is this the case? Have any of the designers ever mentioned why?

I understand that there might be some setting-based explanation, but I'm wondering why the design decision was made as it was. It seems like a bad decision to me, since it excludes the Eberron races from one of the fundamental setting components: the dragonmarked houses and the Prophecy.

What gives?

Well the setting specific races are chock full of newness. Perhaps it was simply an effort to give a new spin to the old races.

Fafhrd pretty much covered it. The new races (Warforged, Kalashtar, Changelings, Shifters) already have something going for them in terms of freshness - they don't need anything else on top of that newness to make them have an interesting angle. The dragonmarks on the other hand, give something to the old races to do the same job.

Dragonmarks make the old new; the new races don't need that because they're already there.

Further, it doesn't make sense for Warforged or Kalashtar to have Dragonmarks at all.

Changelings and Shifters -maybe-, but I'm not that familiar with their lore off hand.

I may be reaching but Shifters and Changlings are a newer race even within Eberron. The Kalashtar have two souls so that may mess with how a dragon mark originates and Warforged can be argued that they are a construct- not alive.

From a marketing point I suspect Fafhrd hit it.

Perhaps some campaign fun can begin when a shifter family begin to get glowing tattoos and magical abilities (druid or ranger limited sounds correct).


hmmmmm that could be neat.

megamania said:

Perhaps some campaign fun can begin when a shifter family begin to get glowing tattoos and magical abilities (druid or ranger limited sounds correct).

Click to expand...

Why limit yourself to druids or rangers? After all, dragonmarks appear in people with all sorts of professions...

Sejs said:

Fafhrd pretty much covered it. The new races (Warforged, Kalashtar, Changelings, Shifters) already have something going for them in terms of freshness - they don't need anything else on top of that newness to make them have an interesting angle. The dragonmarks on the other hand, give something to the old races to do the same job.

Dragonmarks make the old new; the new races don't need that because they're already there.

Click to expand...

I'm with you (and Fafhrd) on this one, but why double up the dragonmarks? There are races that have a lock on two marks. Surely one mark could have been given to the Eberron races before doubling up the PHB races? It sticks out like a sore thumb and seems like a blunder to me.

the new races are powerful enough without adding in the option of a dragonmark.

Also, wander over to the Wizards forum and ask Keith directly.

Dave Turner said:

Some races have multiple dragonmarks (halflings have Healing and Hospitality), but the four new Eberron-specific races have none.

I understand that there might be some setting-based explanation, but I'm wondering why the design decision was made as it was.

Click to expand...

I don't want to touch off a flame war, but the new races are generally quite powerful relative to the PHB races (i.e. much closer to dwarves/humans than half-elves).
The design change allows PCs to get a bit of a power bump.

Also the dragonmarked houses are the primary explanation for why the PHB races are spread across the continent while the "eberron races" are clustered more tightly and are less important. If there was a dragonmarked house of Kalashar then there would be Psions in every city available for hire. And so forth.
Remember that the existence of the Aberrant dragonmarks touched off a war (and Keith Bakers recent post about The Lords of Madness gives a hint as to why they were seen as being so dangerous).

Dave Turner said:

It seems like a bad decision to me, since it excludes the Eberron races from one of the fundamental setting components: the dragonmarked houses and the Prophecy.

Click to expand...

A player and I were talking about something similar to this today. He explained that he wants to play someone with "combat skills and who can talk to people". And I explained (he already new this of course but he let me prattle on anyway) that for party balance reasons it doesn't work like that. Generally if you want lots of skill points you can't have best bab/high hitpoints.
His feeling was "but that means I can't play the character I want to".
I see this the same way. I'm sure that someone out there wants to play a Warforged, who is a member of a house, with the Dragonmark Heir prestige class, etc. etc.
3.5 does a good job of forcing people to make choices about their characters. Which is another way of saying there are limits. More flexible than prior editions but they are still striking a balance.

If you accept that the point of DnD design is to facilitate an environment where different characters have different abilities and different opportunities to shine then this kind of choice, while irritating to a given player who wants to be useful in many different situations, is in line with their design goals.
DnD is oriented around a "you need a balanced party of 4 people to finish this mission" type approach.

I have a feeling it's for the rather simple meta-design reasoning above.

In-game, it's because these races have a very important role to play in the Dragon Prophecy; and notice that the race who has the largest role to play (Humans) have FIVE dragonmarks ascribed to them, because humans are the most active in terms of moving historical events. Apparently, Halflings and Khoravar (Half-elves) have somewhat significant roles to play, as well, because they each have two marks among their races. Half-Orcs, Elves, Gnomes, and Dwarves apparently have a role in the prophecy, but it may be only a minor one, as each race is only known for one mark.