OrienQuinn
First Post
I've been lurking for a long time, waiting to get 4th Edition, and I start my first 4E game next weekend. I'm planning on setting it in Eberron, in Stormreach, and there seems to be very little conversion required, as long as I avoid Druids and Psionics. However, the lack of Dragonmarks is a big problem, for me, as the houses are one of my favorite parts of the setting.
I've spent a lot of time looking around online, and have yet to track down any really good house rules for this, so I put together my own. I'd love some feedback on this, as many of the abilities didn't translate directly, and I had to try to adapt the feel of the house, rather than the specific ability. The abilities are a mix of pre-existing powers and feats, and my own inventions (especially for House Valadis). I have attached an Excel file with the kludged-together rules in it. Below are the mechanics and a couple of specific questions.
Mechanics:
Each Dragonmark requires the expenditure of two feats. There are too many feats in 4E to make a single feat expenditure balanced.
The rituals and powers associated with the dragonmarks are generally usable one time per day. If they are from the first level or two of the tier in question, or from a lower tier, they are usually usable twice per day. If they are from one of the higher levels of the tier in question, they require the use of a healing surge to activate. The casting times for the rituals remain the same; the cost is removed, but the caster must possess a dragonshard of equal value to cast the ritual. Dragonmarked houses typically charge four times the casting cost for rituals cast in this way.
Heroic Tier Feats:
Dragonmark Manifestation
Prerequisites: Must be a member of the appropriate dragonmarked race and house.
Effect: You gain a Heroic dragonmark and a feat bonus to one of your skills, depending on the dragonmark you manifest.
Heroic Mark
Prerequisite: Dragonmark Manifestation
Effect: You gain the ability to use an heroic power or ritual associated with the dragonmark of your house.
Paragon Tier Feats:
Dragonmark Boost
Prerequisite: Heroic Mark
Effect: You gain a Paragon dragonmark and you may use your heroic dragonmark ability one additional time per day. In addition, if your Heroic Mark required the use of a healing surge to activate, that requirement is removed.
Paragon Mark
Prerequisite: Dragonmark Boost
Effect: You gain access to a Paragon level ritual or power associated with your dragonmarked house.
Epic Tier Feats:
Dragonmark Mastery
Prerequisite: Paragon Mark
Effect: You gain an Epic dragonmark and you may use your Heroic and Paragon Marks one additional time per day. In addition, if your Paragon Mark required the use of a healing surge to activate, that requirement is removed.
Epic Mark
Prerequisite: Dargonmark Mastery
Effect: You gain access to an Epic level ritual or power associated with your dragonmarked house.
Questions:
Should Siberys Mark be a Paragon Path or an Epic Destiny? Could it be connected to either of those things without taking up the whole path or destiny?
Is it broken that two feats occasionally grant access to rituals or powers before the class gets them? How can I overcome this, when the original dragonmarks did the same thing?
I've spent a lot of time looking around online, and have yet to track down any really good house rules for this, so I put together my own. I'd love some feedback on this, as many of the abilities didn't translate directly, and I had to try to adapt the feel of the house, rather than the specific ability. The abilities are a mix of pre-existing powers and feats, and my own inventions (especially for House Valadis). I have attached an Excel file with the kludged-together rules in it. Below are the mechanics and a couple of specific questions.
Mechanics:
Each Dragonmark requires the expenditure of two feats. There are too many feats in 4E to make a single feat expenditure balanced.
The rituals and powers associated with the dragonmarks are generally usable one time per day. If they are from the first level or two of the tier in question, or from a lower tier, they are usually usable twice per day. If they are from one of the higher levels of the tier in question, they require the use of a healing surge to activate. The casting times for the rituals remain the same; the cost is removed, but the caster must possess a dragonshard of equal value to cast the ritual. Dragonmarked houses typically charge four times the casting cost for rituals cast in this way.
Heroic Tier Feats:
Dragonmark Manifestation
Prerequisites: Must be a member of the appropriate dragonmarked race and house.
Effect: You gain a Heroic dragonmark and a feat bonus to one of your skills, depending on the dragonmark you manifest.
Heroic Mark
Prerequisite: Dragonmark Manifestation
Effect: You gain the ability to use an heroic power or ritual associated with the dragonmark of your house.
Paragon Tier Feats:
Dragonmark Boost
Prerequisite: Heroic Mark
Effect: You gain a Paragon dragonmark and you may use your heroic dragonmark ability one additional time per day. In addition, if your Heroic Mark required the use of a healing surge to activate, that requirement is removed.
Paragon Mark
Prerequisite: Dragonmark Boost
Effect: You gain access to a Paragon level ritual or power associated with your dragonmarked house.
Epic Tier Feats:
Dragonmark Mastery
Prerequisite: Paragon Mark
Effect: You gain an Epic dragonmark and you may use your Heroic and Paragon Marks one additional time per day. In addition, if your Paragon Mark required the use of a healing surge to activate, that requirement is removed.
Epic Mark
Prerequisite: Dargonmark Mastery
Effect: You gain access to an Epic level ritual or power associated with your dragonmarked house.
Questions:
Should Siberys Mark be a Paragon Path or an Epic Destiny? Could it be connected to either of those things without taking up the whole path or destiny?
Is it broken that two feats occasionally grant access to rituals or powers before the class gets them? How can I overcome this, when the original dragonmarks did the same thing?