TwilightWhisper
First Post
What good are the Dragonmarks? It seems to me you probably don't even need them. Someone please explain.
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Dragonmarks!?
- Thread starter TwilightWhisper
- Start date
Squire James
First Post
1. They are marks of "noble merchant" status, usually implying at least minor contacts within the House.
2. They allow a non-spellcaster to cast a spell or two.
They are not so powerful that they are something every character wants to have. But SOME will have reason to take them.
2. They allow a non-spellcaster to cast a spell or two.
They are not so powerful that they are something every character wants to have. But SOME will have reason to take them.
BrooklynKnight
First Post
Dragonmarks are the physical/cosmetic manifistation of certain innate magical abilities that individuals of specific families on eberron are born with.
There are currently 13 Families, bearing 12 Dragonmarks (One of the families split in two during the war). The 14th Family that bore the 13th mark was destroyed 1500 years ago.
There are 3 types of marks.
The True Marks, which have 3 power levels (Least, Lesser, Greater), Abberant, and Sybris.
Least, Lesser, Greater are progressive and each provides a single spell like ability which can be used once a day, plus the least mark provides a +2 Craft Bonus to a skill (which family you belong to determines your craft bonus). You can aquire them through progressive feats (Least, Lesser, and Greater Dragonmarked), or two feats and a 5 level Prestige Class (Least Dragonmarked, Favored In House, and Dragonmarked Heir). The class increases your dragonmark, and gives you additional action points.
Sibriys Dragonmarks can only be taken via a Prestige Class, the Heir of Sibrys. It cant be taken if you have any other dragonmarked feats or abilities. IT provides you with one really strong spell like ability related to your family.
Abberant Dragonmarks are formed from the mixing of blood, or completly randomly upon one of the dragonmarked races (Elves, Humans, Half Elves, Half Orcs, Dwarves, Gnomes, Halflings). Note that the above mentioned dragonmarks can also only appear on these races. All 14 families draw from them. An Abberant Dragonmark gives you a single spell like ability. None of them are the same as the ones you get from a true dragonmark.
Abberant Dragonmarked individuals are shunned and or/hunted. They are belived to be an anema.
Dragonshards (Eberron) are the cause of Dragonmarks. Dragonshards can also help modify or amplify dragonmarked abilities, including being focus for vehicles and magic items which require a dragonmarked to operate them (through using their ability).
The 13th Mark, which is the Mark of Death, is....dead/inactive. Only one creature bears it any longer.
Vol the Half Dragon Half Elf (Dragon/Elf, not Dragon/HalfElf), Lich wizard bears the inert 13th mark. It is inert because she is not alive. You can read more about her story in the ECS.
Any other questions?
There are currently 13 Families, bearing 12 Dragonmarks (One of the families split in two during the war). The 14th Family that bore the 13th mark was destroyed 1500 years ago.
There are 3 types of marks.
The True Marks, which have 3 power levels (Least, Lesser, Greater), Abberant, and Sybris.
Least, Lesser, Greater are progressive and each provides a single spell like ability which can be used once a day, plus the least mark provides a +2 Craft Bonus to a skill (which family you belong to determines your craft bonus). You can aquire them through progressive feats (Least, Lesser, and Greater Dragonmarked), or two feats and a 5 level Prestige Class (Least Dragonmarked, Favored In House, and Dragonmarked Heir). The class increases your dragonmark, and gives you additional action points.
Sibriys Dragonmarks can only be taken via a Prestige Class, the Heir of Sibrys. It cant be taken if you have any other dragonmarked feats or abilities. IT provides you with one really strong spell like ability related to your family.
Abberant Dragonmarks are formed from the mixing of blood, or completly randomly upon one of the dragonmarked races (Elves, Humans, Half Elves, Half Orcs, Dwarves, Gnomes, Halflings). Note that the above mentioned dragonmarks can also only appear on these races. All 14 families draw from them. An Abberant Dragonmark gives you a single spell like ability. None of them are the same as the ones you get from a true dragonmark.
Abberant Dragonmarked individuals are shunned and or/hunted. They are belived to be an anema.
Dragonshards (Eberron) are the cause of Dragonmarks. Dragonshards can also help modify or amplify dragonmarked abilities, including being focus for vehicles and magic items which require a dragonmarked to operate them (through using their ability).
The 13th Mark, which is the Mark of Death, is....dead/inactive. Only one creature bears it any longer.
Vol the Half Dragon Half Elf (Dragon/Elf, not Dragon/HalfElf), Lich wizard bears the inert 13th mark. It is inert because she is not alive. You can read more about her story in the ECS.
Any other questions?
BrooklynKnight
First Post
Needing Dragonmarks:
A player doesnt "need" them. For PC's its just a new set of rules and feats to help them emmerse themselves in Eberrons story, flavor, and history. The 13 Dragonmarked Houses are the foundation of Khorvaires economy.
One provides healing, one provides trade routes and quick travel, another provides fabrication and craft services, another provides mercanaries, another provides banking, another provides scribing, and yet another provides hotels and inns, 2 provide espionage, one controls the weather, another breeds and controls animals, Another provides dragonshards..
EAch has their place and a vow to remain outside polotics.
A player doesnt "need" them. For PC's its just a new set of rules and feats to help them emmerse themselves in Eberrons story, flavor, and history. The 13 Dragonmarked Houses are the foundation of Khorvaires economy.
One provides healing, one provides trade routes and quick travel, another provides fabrication and craft services, another provides mercanaries, another provides banking, another provides scribing, and yet another provides hotels and inns, 2 provide espionage, one controls the weather, another breeds and controls animals, Another provides dragonshards..
EAch has their place and a vow to remain outside polotics.
SteelDraco
First Post
My problem with the dragonmarks is that they're just not that useful. Why is the ability to cast a few weak spells once per day enough to give certain families a competitive edge in a certain profession? Any 1st level spellslinger can replicate most of the effects of the Least dragonmarks, and will likely be able to do several of them, often more than once per day. By the time dragonmarked people qualify for the higher marks, spellcasters are completely outshining them in all areas related to the mark.
I guess my problem with the dragonmarks is that they're not very mechanically interesting. Yes, they're a nice social tie to the setting, but I'd rather see a cool mechanic there as well. If I run an Eberron game, one of the first things I'll fiddle with is giving the dragonmarks some more interesting mechanics. Most of them seem tied to particular skills, so I'll probably try and figure out a way to give them some sort of competitive edge in the use of those skills.
I guess my problem with the dragonmarks is that they're not very mechanically interesting. Yes, they're a nice social tie to the setting, but I'd rather see a cool mechanic there as well. If I run an Eberron game, one of the first things I'll fiddle with is giving the dragonmarks some more interesting mechanics. Most of them seem tied to particular skills, so I'll probably try and figure out a way to give them some sort of competitive edge in the use of those skills.
BrooklynKnight
First Post
Wizards, like all PC Classes are rare They are supposed to outshine everyone else.
Plus Do you really think wizards are intrested in wasting/devoting their slots to that work?
They'll never advance because they never study.
These minor magical abilities give the familes an edge over everyone else. Remember, the majority of people are experts, aristocrats, magewrites and adepts...
Dragonmarks are valuable to them, exceptionally valuable.
Plus Do you really think wizards are intrested in wasting/devoting their slots to that work?
They'll never advance because they never study.
These minor magical abilities give the familes an edge over everyone else. Remember, the majority of people are experts, aristocrats, magewrites and adepts...
Dragonmarks are valuable to them, exceptionally valuable.
Hellcow
Adventurer
It's not. What gives them the edge is the use of dragonshard focus items, which require users to possess dragonmarks. The network of speaking stones is the key to long-distance communication in Khorvaire, and speaking stones can only be operated by those who possess the Mark of Scribing; the ability to use whispering wind a few times a day is simply a handy trick. The Mark of Passage is required to control the Lightning Rail, though at high enough levels dimension hop (or at very high levels, teleport) can certainly be useful. The Mark of Storm is needed to control airships.SteelDraco said:
So it's what they can control that is the key. PC-classed spellcasters are rare. Most common magic items require the possession of a dragonmark and enhance the power of that dragonmark. So that's what gives the houses their edge: Lyrandar controls air transportation because no one else can reliably control airships.
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SteelDraco
First Post
Okay. That makes perfect sense. I hadn't noticed just how key dragonshard items are to all the 'magical technology' stuff.Hellcow said:
Though I do wonder just how many of those requirements are actually necessary, and how many the various Houses designed into their signature items in order to maintain their control. Interesting plot idea there, really.
Are dragonshards sufficiently common that they're easier to get access to than 'standard' magic items? I had been under the impression that they were rarer than that. Or is it that it's that hard to get items enchanted? That would suggest to me that the Houses put pressure on people who have the potential to build magic items that would threaten their monopolies.
Thanks for the response, Keith. I'm really enjoying Eberron, and that turned really the only problem I had with it into an interesting couple of adventure ideas.
BrooklynKnight
First Post
Ok, so I was off a tad ^_^
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