D&D General Species of Eberron: Forge of the Artificer

[Twiggly the Gnome]

Eh, I'm still going to keep it tight. If you want an off species mark.. expect for it to a major point of drama in the campaign. If all you want is kewl powerz, magic initiate is right there.

 

[pukunui]

1. The unashamed "established lore can go $#%^ itself" attitude.
2. This isn't even the established lore of Eberron dragonmarks and thus it highlights how little WotC's current designers give a crap about the lore of a setting someone else created and which they now gleefully crap all over (and lie about!) for the sake of appealing to power-gamers.

Tone down the hyperbole a notch maybe?

Look, I feel similarly about the certain visual aspects of this new book, but I wouldn't say that particular line flies in the face of established lore. I mean, how can your #1 be true if your #2 is also true? That doesn't make sense.

"Dragonmarks run only in family lines" was established lore at least as far as Rising from the Last War was concerned. That's why they dragonmarks were presented as subraces. Only a gnome could have the Mark of Scribing. Only a half-elf could have the Mark of Storm. They're saying that was due to unreliable narrators / dragonmarked house propaganda.

If previous editions established that anyone could have any dragonmark, then this isn't a case of your #1.

 

[pukunui]

Eh, I'm still going to keep it tight. If you want an off species mark.. expect for it to a major point of drama in the campaign. If all you want is kewl powerz, magic initiate is right there.

Here's what the four suggestions are in more detail:

Spoiler

Dragonmarked Heir
You are a member of a dragonmarked house and its family line—for example, if you bear the Mark of Healing, you could be a Halfling member of House Jorasco and related to the other dragonmarked heirs of the house. In this case, you have much in common with the NPC heirs of your house. The actions of your house influence you, although you and your DM can determine to what extent you become drawn into house politics.

Taking the background associated with your house (such as House Jorasco Heir) is the best way to build your character as a dragonmarked heir. Alternatively, you can take the House Agent background, or some other background reflecting your character’s history, and choose a Dragonmark feat later in your career.

Since dragonmarks typically appear for the first time in situations of stress or peril where the power of the mark could prove useful, heirs of the dragonmarked houses undergo a rite of passage called the Test of Siberys in adolescence. Each house’s test is different, but they all involve some danger designed to evoke the power of the house’s mark. Usually, a dragonmark appears during the test, if it ever manifests at all, but heirs sometimes manifest their marks years after failing the Test of Siberys.

Distant Offshoot
You are a distant offshoot of a dragonmarked family line, sharing the species that most commonly manifests the mark but unencumbered by ties to its house. For example, you could be a Halfling with the Mark of Healing but with no ties to House Jorasco. You’re an anomaly; if House Jorasco became aware of you, it would try to bring you and your family line into the house. To build this kind of character, choose a Dragonmark feat at level 4 or later.

Mark of Prophecy
You might bear a mark unrelated to your species. For example, you can choose to bear the Mark of Healing even if you’re not a Halfling. Your dragonmark has nothing to do with the house’s family line. It might be a direct mark of the Draconic Prophecy, or it could be an aberrant mark that happens to duplicate an established one. You’ll probably never meet an NPC in the world like you, and House Jorasco might not claim you.

To build a character with a mark like this, choose a Dragonmark feat at level 4 or later or select a house background (or the Aberrant Heir background). With your DM’s permission, you can alter some of the background’s proficiencies to better reflect your character’s origin.

Aberrant Mark
You bear an aberrant dragonmark. These rare marks appear on members of all species. Aberrant dragonmarks disturb the houses—you would be wise to avoid their attention. The Aberrant Heir background is the best way to build a character with an aberrant mark. Alternatively, choose another background and take the Aberrant Dragonmark feat at level 4 or later.

I, for one, am perfectly fine with all that.

 

[eclair~]

Mark of Prophecy
You might bear a mark unrelated to your species. For example, you can choose to bear the Mark of Healing even if you’re not a Halfling. Your dragonmark has nothing to do with the house’s family line. It might be a direct mark of the Draconic Prophecy, or it could be an aberrant mark that happens to duplicate an established one.

Explicitly telling you to make a character that breaks the lore of the setting for the sake of trying to force your Chosen-One main-character aspirations upon the DM and the rest of the group.

 

[mcmillan]

1. The unashamed "established lore can go $#%^ itself" attitude.
2. This isn't even the established lore of Eberron dragonmarks and thus it highlights how little WotC's current designers give a crap about the lore of a setting someone else created and which they now gleefully crap all over (and lie about!) for the sake of appealing to power-gamers.

If only there was some way we could get some insight into what the creator of Eberron thought of such mangling of his lore - oh wait there is Dragonmarks: Manifestations, Components, Greater Dragonmarks, and More!

First of all, this isn’t new. Fourth Edition did the same thing. The point is that this exists as an option for PLAYER CHARACTERS, who are innately supposed to be remarkable individuals. The lore and history of the Dragonmarked Houses isn’t going to change. Again, look at Fourth Edition, which allowed player characters to have unusual Dragonmarks but kept all the lore of the Houses intact. The fact that your halfling rogue can have the Mark of Storm doesn’t mean that there are hundreds of halflings who have it; it means that you are special. Dragonmarks are themselves manifestations of the Prophecy. Player characters are prime candidates for being focal points for the Prophecy, and having an unusual Dragonmark would just be a clear sign of that. Personally, I’d be inclined to say that it’s happened before throughout history, and that the people who have had unusual marks have often been remarkable people who have done great things… But they didn’t pass their marks onto their offspring and so they were blips in history. The point is that with the Houses, it is the FAMILIES that have a role to play in the Prophecy and as such it’s the FAMILIES that carry the Dragonmarks. If you are an INDIVIDUAL who has a role to play in the Prophecy, you might have a mark as a sign of that… but you won’t pass it on.

 

[eclair~]

no point in engaging with these people.

 

[mcmillan]

Oh and in case you think this is Keith just being diplomatic - with regard to the original point about Changelings being Fey, his response is pretty much "I'm going to ignore that change, but if you like it here's some suggestions of how to make it work in existing lore" and he is certainly not shy about distinguishing between WOTC canon and his "Kanon" in other places.

 

[Nicholas Reed]

So Keith Baker is happy to crap all over on his own setting for the sake of royalty checks from WotC, then.

I'm glad WotC is turning his creation into bland, flavourless crap that squeezes everything original from it. If he's happy to destroy Eberron for the sake of 2024 5e's pandering to power-gamers, then Eberron deserves to die alongside 2024 5e.

Appeal to authorial authority. Author disagrees with you. Crash out over author. Many such cases.

 

[eclair~]

no point in engaging with these people.

 

[eclair~]

no point in engaging with these people.