D&D Launches New Eberron-Themed Playtest With Dragonmarked Feats

The D&D design team has launched a new Unearthed Arcana playtest focused on the upcoming Eberron: Forge of the Artificer book, featuring Dragonmarked feats and a new Artificer subclass. The new packet contains rules for a Cartographer subclass for the Artificer, along with a handful of new magic item options and over 25 Dragonmarked feats. The Artificer base class rules also received a few tweaks to some of its features, with an eye towards more general versatility.

The other big feature is the new Dragonmarked feats, most of which are considered either Dragonmarked Feats or General Feats. The Dragonmarked Feats are specifically limited to Eberron campaigns and allow only one Dragonmark per character (thus preventing Warlocks from accumulating Dragonmarks). The General Feats are Greater Marks and specifically upgrade existing Dragonmarks as a requirement. It's interesting that D&D is keeping with campaign setting specific feats and feat trees, as both of these design traits were found in the Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen book.

You can check out the full playtest on D&D Beyond.

 

[Maxperson]

What?! They won't let the artificer make cursed items for himself? There went that plan.

 

[Maxperson]

Makes sense to me. The feats aren’t appropriate for all settings.

I see nothing in there that would keep me from allowing these in other settings.

 

[Maxperson]

Maybe not every option in a setting needs to lock into the setting. But the 'cultural feats' kinda do.

There's nothing cultural in those feats. Virtually no lore at all. If I change Mark of Handling to Tattoo of Handling, it loses even that itsy bitsy amount of lore and the lore drops to 0.

 

[Maxperson]

Can I slight of hand a map into someone’s pocket, then a couple of days later when I’m out of the country, assassinate them with a spell?

If the spell has a range that would allow it, yes. The ability allows you to cast on the target without being able to see it, but it also specifies that the spell being cast has to be within the spell or effects range.

 

[mellored]

Can I slight of hand a map into someone’s pocket, then a couple of days later when I’m out of the country, assassinate them with a spell?

I assume not because it is "illegible to all others".
Which I read as unusable.

Though nothing says the target after your Long Rest needs to be willing. Just touch them.

 

[Charlaquin]

I see nothing in there that would keep me from allowing these in other settings.

Then you can allow them easily. I don’t want to include them in other settings, so I appreciate the prerequisite being there.

 

[Kurotowa]

I see nothing in there that would keep me from allowing these in other settings.

Everything is possible with DM allowance. What the books do with these sort of restrictions is set a baseline expectation for the group, from which the DM can deviate as they please. Which is important, especially with groups that aren't long standing ones with years or decades of shared experience.

 

[SkidAce]

There's nothing cultural in those feats. Virtually no lore at all. If I change Mark of Handling to Tattoo of Handling, it loses even that itsy bitsy amount of lore and the lore drops to 0.

Since Eberron was released we've used the dragon marked system as "Runetouched" in our homebrew campaign.

 

[Kobold Stew]

I assume you are joking about Manifold Tool, as it really isn't that powerful. It basically just provides a bunch of tools without a bunch of weight, and lets the user skip a bunch of training time. It also requires attunement.

Not at all -- As a common item, there is no need for any nonmagical Artisan's tools to exist, anywhere in the world.

As for Mind Sharpener: In 2014, the infusion is available from level 2, so this is still further away, and the DM has to decide if it is available besides an Artificer.

It appears to be written as a magic item that can be created like any other. As such, it becomes a must-have for most spellcasters as an Uncommon item.

 

[Kurotowa]

Not at all -- As a common item, there is no need for any nonmagical Artisan's tools to exist, anywhere in the world.

It requires attunement, and how many PCs have enough Artisan Tool proficiencies that they need multiple available? If all you have is the one from your Background, spending an attunement slot on an item that doesn't even provide a bonus is pointless.

This is a minor novelty that provides a modest quality of life benefit for Artificers and anyone with the Artisan background, saving a little bit of encumbrance, which gets replaced as soon as they get a Bag of Holding and want to free up that attunement slot.

Edit: On a re-read, there's a case that it gives you effective proficiency in every Artisan's Tool for free. Which I agree, by that reading it's a bit nuts. Maybe rule it as not applying to things like magic item crafting?