Unearthed Arcana Unearthed Arcana: Dragonmarks

There, is a text error in the pdf, with the description of the mark of scribing overwriting part of the description of the Mark of the Sentinel.

The Mark of Making looks far more useful to adventurers than the others: 2 wizard cantrips and can make a temporary magic weapon -very useful at low level when magic weapons might be unavailable.

The Healing and Detection Greater Dragonmarks look useful though.

 

[collin]

The dragonmarks where already in the free area of D&D Beyond.

Good to know. Thanks!

 

[Phazonfish]

3) It doesn't say the spell fails if you are reduced to zero hp. Wait till you are down to 1hp, then let rip with a level 9 suicide Thunderwave? For added cheese, combine with Relentless Endurance.

When you cast a spell with your aberrant mark, you can use one of your Hit Die to increase the spell's level by 1.

Just a level 2 Thunderwave.

 

[Leatherhead]

It is interesting that Dragonmarks are a variant race or a Subrace instead of a feat. It gives people a reason not to use the normal Variant Humans at least.

I do not care for the idea of Intuition Dice. This bonus stacking on skills is out of hand. Not only can you get Ability score mod bonuses, and Proficiency bonuses, and Expertise, and Advantage, and a re-roll from Lucky(feat), and re-rolls from (bountiful)Luck/y(Halfings) and a bonus die from Guidance, and a bonus die from Bend Luck, and a bigger (and scaling) bonus die from Bardic Inspiration, but now you can also throw an (also scaling) Intuition die on top of the pile of bonuses you get for a skill check.

Can we bring this back to sanity? Everyone was all "Whoa, this (Dis)Advantage mechanic is great: Tossing out all the bloated math from stacking bonuses and keeping stuff fast is the best!" back in the beginning of 5e, do you all remember that? DCs don't even go above 30 in this edition! We should do something like: (Dis)Advantage and the normal Proficiency+ability mod math stays put. Expertise replaces the ability score mod. You get ONE bonus die (from any source) per roll. And one Re-roll per roll. And even that's a lot.

I'll take a deeper look at the marks themselves later. Right now I got a happy fun hour to watch.

 

[Zaukrie]

Frankly, I like that in some worlds, only certain races have certain powers. It is part of what makes the world unique and interesting.

I also am glad more people are going to play test this material, and I hope to see Eberron printed again at some point.

 

[castlewise]

These seem all over the place power wise. One gives you the ability to get any wizard cantrip and free +1 (temporary) magic items and another gives you some ability bonuses and the friends and prestidigitation cantrips. The greater dragon marks are similar, some of them give you 7th level spells that wizards don't get until 13th, or let you cast greater restoration without the diamond, while others give you 4th level druid spells or control water. I don't hate it, and its got lots of flavor but it seems like there might be char op issues.

 

[Remathilis]

I do not care for the idea of Intuition Dice. This bonus stacking on skills is out of hand. Not only can you get Ability score mod bonuses, and Proficiency bonuses, and Expertise, and Advantage, and a re-roll from Lucky(feat), and re-rolls from (bountiful)Luck/y(Halfings) and a bonus die from Guidance, and a bonus die from Bend Luck, and a bigger (and scaling) bonus die from Bardic Inspiration, but now you can also throw an (also scaling) Intuition die on top of the pile of bonuses you get for a skill check.

How many of those are you REALLY going have going at the same time though? Its a very niche build you're discussing. It requires you to be a rogue or bard (expertise) or some other corner-case that grants Expertise, have advantage, be at least 4th level (for Lucky), and be friends with a halfling (bountiful luck), a bard (inspiration, since you can't inspire yourself if you ARE a bard), a wild mage sorcerer, and cleric/druid/someone with magic initiate feat (guidance), and they all have to use their abilities to help you on the skill you happen to have your intuition dice in.

Actually, that's not a niche build, that's a niche PARTY. And for what? A couple bonus re-rolls, and a couple 1d4s added to it (plus the scaling bardic die). Its a trick that requires an entire team to pick exactly the right combo of skill-pumping abilities and then dump them all on the one PC. For one skill check. You think that's bad, don't check out what a well-optimized party can do to aid the team fighter in combat!

The reality is that few, if any, PCs are going to have more than two of these effects going at any given time. Even if the perfect storm hits and a PC somehow gets a 40 on a skill check, think of how many resources were wasted to do so. Let the guy beat the DC by 20+; its not like he's any more successful for beating a skill check by 2 or 22.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

I think this system can set a good example for how to handle the bloodlines in the Birthright setting.

 

[dwayne]

I am waiting for the psionics options for classes the mystic is kind of lame, and if they are going with the thing that psionics is like Ki then having soul knife under thief should be an option. Spread it out and use the base classes for some of the psionic ones, but a psion i think they should look to India and use that culture as a way to do a pure psion class with subs under it based of pasted information. The yogi comes to mind and the dual mind and the telekanetic, pyrokasnetic cryokanetic, and so on.

 

[DerekSTheRed]

I think this system can set a good example for how to handle the bloodlines in the Birthright setting.

That was my thought as well. When Rich Baker did his Q&A for enworld he said as much.

 

[Blue]

As someone who's preparing to run an Eberron campaign, I'm glad to see this article, as it means I can make this information easily available to my players without them having to purchase the Wayfinders Guide. Between that and the already published Races article, most of the essential player-facing material is now freely available.

Just be careful, because if they are putting it out UA that means they are looking for feedback to revise it.