Post/Author/DateTime	Post
davethebrave371 04-16-07, 08:32 PM	Ok, so who else is in love with the new Dragonshard (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ebds/20070416a)? My aberrant player already has all the feats necessary, but if he wants to, I'll let him retool so that it's levels he took in this class. Now all we need is that Heir of Khyber 3 lvl PrC to compliment the HoS, and Khyber is set.
Count Nerindil Van Seraph 04-16-07, 08:42 PM	Wow. Awesome. I've been missing these things so much. You rock Kieth!:w00t:
Darkarcher736 04-16-07, 09:07 PM	Awesome indeed. I am so glad DragonShards is back. I think it's these kinds of articles that really helped me flesh out some of my characters, and gave some awesome NPC...stuff. Here's to you Keith :thumbsup:
MrFilthyIke 04-17-07, 12:06 AM	Keith does it again. Great stuff. Here's to you. :thumbsup:
DBlizzard 04-17-07, 12:09 AM	It also seems the prohibition from having rules elements has been lifted, as well.
MrFilthyIke 04-17-07, 12:12 AM	It's WotC's site. They can have a rule. Break it for one installment. Then claim the rule never was broken or it was a special thing. It's good to be the King. ;)
Nived 04-17-07, 12:34 AM	You know there's one question that's never been answered directly that I've always wondered. Do Aberrants have protection at all under the law (Galifarian or other). If say a rather innocent TN citizen of Breland became shocked to discover he had an Aberrant Mark and say went to House Jorasco for 'help' what would happen? Turn him away, made a consolidated effort to make it known and ruin the guy, or even worse just take him and throw him in one of their asylums, locked up indeffinatly with no hope of ever being freed. Seems extreme that the houses would outright kill someone with a 'normal' Aberrant mark (Drunken Blademarks not withstanding), but if they saw the more powerful ones developing again... What would they do?
Arcane Guyver 04-17-07, 02:03 AM	Wow. A perfect example of how excellent the concept of prestige classes can be when tied in with a campaign setting. Dripping with possibilities, and it doesn't look mechanically sucky (unless you're a dedicated spellcaster) or unnecessary. Excellent work.
Belabras 04-17-07, 03:24 AM	Sweet. Can't wait to see the new feats too.
ieattrollsforbreakfast 04-17-07, 09:15 AM	Nice work, this could come in handy for all those aberrant marked characters I make (and there are quite a few out there!). I have to wonder, though, why the PrC requires the character to be nongood? After all, normal and Siberys marks do not require the character to be nonevil. Also, this is Eberron, where alignments aren't supposed to matter (well, much).
Harker Wade 04-17-07, 10:25 AM	Very nice. Glad to see Dragonshards return - with a VENGEANCE! :D
Yakman 04-17-07, 10:30 AM	I read this: the Dragon Below may be picking its champions in a war that is to come and pooped my pants.
PoeticJustice 04-17-07, 10:44 AM	I hate to rain on the parade, but it's not wise to assume Dragonshards will become a regular thing like they were a year and a half ago. This one looks to me like a cut and paste job pulled on material culled from Dragonmarked. I really, really hope Dragonshards become a semi-weekly, but I'm going to get my hopes up because they posted some stuff that got rejected from a book.
ieattrollsforbreakfast 04-17-07, 12:46 PM	I hate to rain on the parade, but it's not wise to assume Dragonshards will become a regular thing like they were a year and a half ago. This one looks to me like a cut and paste job pulled from material culled from Dragonmarked. I really, really hope Dragonshards become a semi-weekly, but I'm going to get my hopes up because they posted some stuff that got rejected from a book. Usually cut material shows up in Web Enhancements rather than Dragonshards, but you could be right. Either way, I'm happy so long as they become more regular.
ahiman 04-17-07, 12:46 PM	It seems to me, Nived that the houses would try and destroy this person quietly. It seems that people in general would find this odd and dangerous too and governments might want to bring down the full force of the law and then get them at least off the streets. These people can be very dangerous and unlike the house members they have no one to answer to. As for the nongood thing though, I would say that the reasoning is to make this a dark omen!!!!!!!! The future is holding some bad juju for these people and they are going to do something big. However, like all things you can just take it out (like I probably will seeing as how I have no real interest in making the campaign that involved in aberrants).
Wymarc 04-17-07, 02:56 PM	love it!
Kaodi 04-17-07, 04:26 PM	I am beginning to wonder what the heck the deal with all of this is. I mean, take the text for Aberrant Affinity: Aberrant Affinity (Ex): As you master the powers of you aberrant mark, you gain a measure of influence over others touched by Khyber's power. You may add your class level to all Charisma-related checks dealing with aberrations or people who possess aberrant dragonmarks. I mean, if we are really talking about the power of the primordial dragon, Khyber, then why is the bonus to checks vs. aberrations and not against certain kinds of native outsiders? I mean... this really makes no sense to me, given the text of the ability specifically states " Khyber's power " . Most aberrations are from Xoriat's power, not Khyber's.
Flame_Drake 04-17-07, 05:16 PM	I am beginning to wonder what the heck the deal with all of this is. I mean, take the text for Aberrant Affinity: Aberrant Affinity (Ex): As you master the powers of you aberrant mark, you gain a measure of influence over others touched by Khyber's power. You may add your class level to all Charisma-related checks dealing with aberrations or people who possess aberrant dragonmarks. I mean, if we are really talking about the power of the primordial dragon, Khyber, then why is the bonus to checks vs. aberrations and not against certain kinds of native outsiders? I mean... this really makes no sense to me, given the text of the ability specifically states " Khyber's power " . Most aberrations are from Xoriat's power, not Khyber's. But the aboleths are and it is likely that a few others are as well, while the Beholder is on the crest of House Tarkanan. If the Dragonmarks are truly aberrant, doesn't it make sense for them to have an affinity with things that are likewise aberrant? Drake EDIT: Furthermore, the greatest of Xoriat's powers that where left on Eberron were imprisoned in Khyber thousands of years before the Dragonmarks first showed. Who's to say that the Aberrant marks aren't the result of Xoriat's influence on a pure mark? At present, most children of Khyber are loners. However, the criminal House Tarkanan is extremely interested in recruiting the children of Khyber. Many of the Cults of the Dragon Below believe those who bear aberrant dragonmarks are blessed by Khyber, and aberrant heirs can wield great influence among such cults. The children of Khyber are few in number and spread across Khorvaire, but as more time passes, more and more will place their powers in the service of a greater cause.
Cifer 04-17-07, 06:01 PM	A foreshadowed war between the aberrant and possibly everyone else? Can you say X-Men movies? Except for the fact that I doubt any of the major parties are good guys... But yeah, the class looks quite cool, and I hope this article marks the Return of the Dragonshards (no, wait, this one would be The Aberrant Strike Back...)
Kaodi 04-17-07, 11:27 PM	Well, because the fluff specifically says Khyber. Aberrant marks are not really aberrant in the same sense that aberrations are aberrant, they are the dark counterpart of normal dragonmarks, which are tied to Siberys. Also, it would be a mistake to say that the Daelkyr trapped in Khyber are really all that great. A single Rajah could probably wipe the floor with the whole lot of them. I can accept that Cults of the Dragon Below sometimes worship the Daelkyr, because they aren't really bright enough to tell the difference, but the Daelkyr are not the defining element of the underworld, they are merely on the second most powerful tier of occupants. It only took a few orcs with sticks to bind the Daelkyr, it took the combined energies of nearly every member of one of the great races to take down their evil nemeses, the Rajahs.
Flame_Drake 04-17-07, 11:43 PM	Well, because the fluff specifically says Khyber. Aberrant marks are not really aberrant in the same sense that aberrations are aberrant, they are the dark counterpart of normal dragonmarks, which are tied to Siberys. We don't know that, we've just been assuming that based on the myths we've been given. Also, it would be a mistake to say that the Daelkyr trapped in Khyber are really all that great. A single Rajah could probably wipe the floor with the whole lot of them.I know, I just couldn't remeber how to spell Daelkyr and I didn't want to look it up. ;) I can accept that Cults of the Dragon Below sometimes worship the Daelkyr, because they aren't really bright enough to tell the difference, but the Daelkyr are not the defining element of the underworld, they are merely on the second most powerful tier of occupants. I've always seen it the other way with the CotDB, that the Daelkyr are the more commonly worshiped and that that worship is more commonly known, since the Cults are more closely associated with Madness and Insanity and the cults Keith describes in Dragon are the exception rather then the rule. It only took a few orcs with sticks to bind the Daelkyr, it took the combined energies of nearly every member of one of the great races to take down their evil nemeses, the Rajahs. And both are worshiped as being beings of Khyber. It defiantly took more to take down the Rajahs, but the orcs were the strongest druids that the world has known and They also fought with Hobgolin heroes who were some of the greatest Warriors and Bards since the Age of Demons. Drake
Hellcow 04-18-07, 12:26 AM	But the aboleths are... Exactly. Note that the aberration cult is "The Cult of the Dragon Below", not "The Cult of Xoriat". While many of our best-known aberrations are the work of the daelkyr, Khyber is another source of aberrations; there's a reason the daelkyr are at home there. With that said, if you wanted to extend the aberrant affinity to include native fiends, I think that makes perfect sense. With that said, I'm honestly surprised to see this article up. We haven't settled on a regular schedule yet, and honestly, I'm not in a position to get back weekly at the moment. I imagine they decided to post it because they've been sitting on it for so long, but we're not back on a regular schedule yet. Nonetheless, I'm glad it is finally up, and that most people like it.
Hellcow 04-18-07, 12:30 AM	Oh, one other note, when it comes to Khyber and Xoriat... at least one myth cycle (something you might see in, say, Dragons of Eberron) credits the progenitor wyrms with the creation of all the planes. As such, the Overlords of the Age of Demons are the DIRECT children of Khyber... but Khyber's influence is still felt in the madness of Xoriat.
Forged_Fury 04-18-07, 08:13 AM	Keith, Improved Lesser Aberrant Dragonmark is supposed to come at 3rd Level per the chart rather than 2nd Level per the text, right? Just wanted to get a sanity check on that... Drake - Can I get this approved for Lost Dreams? -Forged_Fury
Kaodi 04-18-07, 10:52 AM	Thank you for the input, Keith.
Hellcow 04-18-07, 12:46 PM	Do Aberrants have protection at all under the law (Galifarian or other). At the moment, I would assume that they have normal rights under the Code of Galifar. Remember that the CoG was established long after the War of the Mark, at which point hte aberrant marks no longer posed a clear and present threat. What people with aberrant marks have to deal with is superstitious fear and prejudice. You may get a guard or judge refusing to APPLY the law, or to defend an aberrant from a lynch mob. But I doubt that the law itself makes special exceptions for aberrants. I have to wonder, though, why the PrC requires the character to be nongood? After all, normal and Siberys marks do not require the character to be nonevil. Also, this is Eberron, where alignments aren't supposed to matter (well, much). Good question. The issue here is that a number of things can affect alignment... notably, the influence of magic. The concept here is that there IS a basis for the common superstitions - a reason for all the legends that aberrants are dangerous and/or mad. A normal aberrant mark doesn't influence your behavior; but a deeper connection to Khyber does. A critical point here is the "chicken and egg" aspect. Obviously, the rules of the game translate to "You can't take the PrC if you are good." However, the conceit behind it is "If you have the potential to take the PrC, you won't be good in the first place" - which is to say that the connection to Khyber exists long before you take the PrC, and influences your psychology throughout your life. So, with that said, what does it mean? Here's the next key point... Also, this is Eberron, where alignments aren't supposed to matter... It's not that they don't MATTER, it's that they have a different meaning. That in a room of ten people, it's likely that two or three of them are evil. "Evil" can translate to "ruthless", "selfish", "sociopathic", or "greedy", depending on the person. Kaius III is evil, but pursues a policy of peace; he is evil because of the lengths he is willing to go to achieve that goal. In the case of the Children of Khyber, it's not that they are inherently baby-killing murderers. It's that the touch of Khyber DOES influence them. Some are full-fledged sociopaths. Some are literally insane, driven to "evil" behavior by paranoia or schizophrenia. Others simply find it easier to engage in ruthless behavior than others might, something that could be attributed to the touch of the mark or the prejudice they often deal with. A key example is Halas Tarkanan. In my opinion, he had a great deal in common with Kaius. He was a strong leader who cared about his people, and who was determined to fight for them. But he was willing to go to any lengths to defend them. And in the end, he was willing to destroy an entire city (including many civilians) rather than to submit to his enemies. Not all Children of Khyber are evil, even by Eberron's definition of the word. And by that definition, in the ECS itself we have a good warmonger and an evil proponent of peace. The point is that in Eberron, "good" is based around empathy, selfless behavior, and the belief that it's more important to put moral concepts ahead of pragmatic intersts. "Evil" is pragmatic, and sets aside empathy and moral concerns, whether it's to do what's best for the individual or a select group. Kaius is doing what he believes is best for the Karrns, but he will engage in whatever brutality is necessary to do it. Aurala believes that war is a valid goal, but she believes that she can fight a JUST war, without stooping to immoral behavior. In my opinion, Kaius is the harsh realist, Aurala the naive optimist. Aurala's goals may push towards a greater evil for the world, Kaius' for a greater good - but their personal beliefs and actions make THEM good and evil, respectively. So the Children of Khyber can't be good. Aberrants can be good. You can even get a greater aberrant mark and be good. But if you are a Child of Khyber, your connection with the Dragon Below DOES have an impact. You can still DO good - but it's difficult to maintain empathy with the Dragon Below gnawing at your soul. With that said, if you want to ignore this? Fine with me. Personally, I think the idea of a good-aligned character struggling to hold onto his values in the face of Khyber's touch is an interesting one. It's not as extreme as, say, lycanthropy - but he can still FEEL the mark touching his spirit and twisting his emotions. In conclusion, it's not that alignment doesn't matter; it's that it has a very different meaning in Eberron than in many other settings. The suggested alignment restrictions for the CoK reflect the fact that the aberrant mark DOES have a deep psychological impact on its bearer. But in Eberron, evil people can DO good things (and vice-versa) - they're just going to approach these goals in different ways than characters of the reverse alignment.
Hellcow 04-18-07, 12:47 PM	Improved Lesser Aberrant Dragonmark is supposed to come at 3rd Level per the chart rather than 2nd Level per the text, right? Correct.
Nived 04-18-07, 01:14 PM	Thanks for the response Hellcow, I just wanted to be clear that being an aberrant doesn't automatically mark one for lawful persecution. That an Aberrant is still a lawfully protected citizen... even though there is a heavy prejudice against them.
Romulus LoneWolf 04-18-07, 07:54 PM	Not all Children of Khyber are evil, even by Eberron's definition of the word. And by that definition, in the ECS itself we have a good warmonger and an evil proponent of peace. The point is that in Eberron, "good" is based around empathy, selfless behavior, and the belief that it's more important to put moral concepts ahead of pragmatic intersts. "Evil" is pragmatic, and sets aside empathy and moral concerns, whether it's to do what's best for the individual or a select group. Kaius is doing what he believes is best for the Karrns, but he will engage in whatever brutality is necessary to do it. Aurala believes that war is a valid goal, but she believes that she can fight a JUST war, without stooping to immoral behavior. In my opinion, Kaius is the harsh realist, Aurala the naive optimist. Aurala's goals may push towards a greater evil for the world, Kaius' for a greater good - but their personal beliefs and actions make THEM good and evil, respectively. [snip] In conclusion, it's not that alignment doesn't matter; it's that it has a very different meaning in Eberron than in many other settings. The suggested alignment restrictions for the CoK reflect the fact that the aberrant mark DOES have a deep psychological impact on its bearer. But in Eberron, evil people can DO good things (and vice-versa) - they're just going to approach these goals in different ways than characters of the reverse alignment. Hellcow, I think you should probably make a Dragonshards article expanding on the nature and behavior of Alignments in Eberron, since it seems to confuse so many people...
davethebrave371 04-18-07, 07:59 PM	Hellcow, I think you should probably make a Dragonshards article expanding on the nature and behavior of Alignments in Eberron, since it seems to confuse so many people... That is a really good idea. It's been hashed and re-hashed it here on the boards, I've probably seen Hellcow use the Kaius/Aurala example something like a dozen dozen times.
MDosantos 04-18-07, 08:15 PM	Just a question... in the image of the article I can see 4 types of Aberrant Dragonmarks... Least, Lesser, Greater and... Khyber:confused: ... What's that supposed to mean... is there some kind of "Heir of Khyber" or something??? (anyway, that could be very interesting... :plotting:
davethebrave371 04-18-07, 08:18 PM	Just a question... in the image of the article I can see 4 types of Aberrant Dragonmarks... Least, Lesser, Greater and... Khyber:confused: ... What's that supposed to mean... is there some kind of "Heir of Khyber" or something??? (anyway, that could be very interesting... :plotting: I know that in my own campaign there will eventually be a villain (once they've all hit around 15th level or higher) that has a "Khyber" aberrant Mark, and if by the time that happens Secrets of Khyber either a) hasn't come out or b) comes out and doesn't have the "Heir of Khyber" PrC, I'll be making my own 3 level PrC mirroring the Heir of Siberys.
Save-vs-DM 04-19-07, 04:30 AM	Nice to see new dragonshards! And for those of you who don't like the evil prerequisite, you can use my Aberrant Heir. It's odd - both classes focus on the aberrant marks, but both are more or less radically different. Cheers, Save vs DM
davethebrave371 04-19-07, 12:32 PM	Nice to see new dragonshards! And for those of you who don't like the evil prerequisite, you can use my Aberrant Heir. It's odd - both classes focus on the aberrant marks, but both are more or less radically different. Cheers, Save vs DM Yeah, yours is actually more how I picture Aberrant Marks. I can see a nongood prereq for the reasons Hellcow listed for the Heir of Khyber mirror to the Heir of Siberys, but I like the idea that the regular ol' aberrant marks, even all the way up to Greater, can be any alignment. I know that the class is supposed to represent a level of taint that enforces nongood tendencies, but I guess I like the idea of an Aurala with levels in the Aberrant Heir class: not willing to go to devious, ruthless, EVIL efforts to accomplish a goal, but the goal itself is decidedly not very nice. Which makes me think, you know...if there is ever some epic end of days battle where Khyber is struggling to escape the very bonds of Eberron, and champions of Siberys (i.e. dragons and Siberys Marked Heirs) are joining with Champions of Eberron (i.e. druids and regular Marked Heirs) to contain Khyber and the newly awakened Rajahs, why is it that the aberrant champions can't be good, but the Siberys and regular Marked can be evil? Is it a philosophical statement about how much easier it is to be led down the path to evil? Sort of like Forces of Good allow choices that can lead one to evil, whereas Forces of Evil just don't allow good choices, ensuring the allegiance at least in heart and goal, whereas Forces of Good could more easily lose someone to evil but by making the choice of their own free will it's stronger? I'm not sure where to go with that. Siberys Marks = can be evil, regular aberrant marks (not even Khyber Marks) can't be good. Weird.
gaerfindel 04-19-07, 01:10 PM	"..Is the resurgence of aberrant power a harbinger of a great evil on the rise? Might the dragonmark houses renew their persecution of the aberrant heirs? The answers to these questions are in your hands... "You know that there is no place for you in the light: You can feel it in your soul. But only you can decide if you will embrace this shadow that lies within and accept your destiny as one of the children of Khyber . . . or whether you resist the call of darkness, and follow the hero's path." See here's where things can get interesting. Given the resurgence of power among the "champions of Kyber", what possibilities might the Prophecy hold..? Is there really a war coming between the "pure" and aberrant 'marks? And how might it end? Anakin brought "balance to the Force" by destroying the Jedi. What if an Heir of Khyber (or an army of them) tries the same thing with the Houses -- mutually assured destruction? How might the Spider Lords (http://www.coveworld.net/eberron/spider_lords_part1.html) seek to manipulate events so that such an ending might come to pass? What if a rogue Chamber agent -- or a wyrm from an opposing group -- sees this as a measn to "rid the Prophecy of its pollution by the lesser races"? And what interest in this do the quori have? Or suppose that "rogue" aberrants are causing too much trouble...and House Tarkanan steps in to control those it can & eliminate those it cannot. After all, the house's goals are noble: helping those who manifest aberrant marks to understand and control their gifts. What if the champions of Khyber are needed in some future battle -- because none of the "pure" 'marks can handle/defeat what's coming? And what if a Medani Prophet manages to convince the right people that this is so?
MDosantos 04-19-07, 03:54 PM	I know that in my own campaign there will eventually be a villain (once they've all hit around 15th level or higher) that has a "Khyber" aberrant Mark, and if by the time that happens Secrets of Khyber either a) hasn't come out or b) comes out and doesn't have the "Heir of Khyber" PrC, I'll be making my own 3 level PrC mirroring the Heir of Siberys. I'll be more than eager to see your work on that :D
MDosantos 04-19-07, 03:56 PM	I'm kinda obssesed with Aberrant Dragonmarks, dunno, they have this mysteriousness that keeps tingling on me ^^, they sure can bring some flavor to any character
Hellcow 04-19-07, 04:26 PM	Just a question... in the image of the article I can see 4 types of Aberrant Dragonmarks... Least, Lesser, Greater and... Khyber:confused: ... What's that supposed to mean... is there some kind of "Heir of Khyber" or something??? (anyway, that could be very interesting... :plotting: Certainly. Halas Tarkanan, the Lady of the Plague, and the Dreambreaker are all examples of people with "Khyber Marks". Personally, I'd just as soon avoid an official statting of such marks, just as I'd prefer to avoid official stats for the Mark of Death, because I want them to be harder to pin down... more like eldritch machines than just "I can use earthquake once per day." However, Khyber marks have certainly existed in the past, and you're certainly welcome to bring them back in your campaign.
Hellcow 04-19-07, 05:05 PM	I like the idea that the regular ol' aberrant marks, even all the way up to Greater, can be any alignment. And they can... if you just take the mark, not the PrC. (At least, that's what I believe; I don't have Dragonmarked at hand). You can be a lawful good paladin with an aberrant mark... but not an Child of Khyber. why is it that the aberrant champions can't be good, but the Siberys and regular Marked can be evil? A few observations on this... The Dragonmarked Heir PrC is in many ways a social construct. The House Status ability isn't extraordinary in any way; it simply represents social status within your own house. Likewise, in order to become a dragonmarked heir, you have to have the Favored in House feat. The PrC isn't purely about a deeper bond to your mark; it is about social standing in your house. The Child of Khyber, on the other hand, isn't a social construct; many aberrants don't even know another aberrant. It's NOT the "Heir of House Tarkanan" PrC. Instead, it's about having a deeper bond to the mark. Aberrant Affinity IS an extraordinary ability, something that takes affect on ANY aberrant, regardless of whether or not they know your true nature. It's a part of you. One of the key points here is that the superstitions about aberrant marks DO have some basis in truth. The superstitions say that aberrants are cursed; that they're channeling powers mortals weren't meant to possess; and that they are doomed to fall ill, go mad, or murder those around them. It's clear that these myths are overstated. The base aberrant mark has no ill effects whatsoever (a DM can, of course, add side effects to NPCs, but it's not required and there's no risk to an aberrant PC). Even the more powerful aberrant marks only give the user a risk of momentary illness. But then we have the Child of Khyber. These people ARE more comfortable with other aberrants. The Aberrant Burst has a longer sickening effect than the standard mark. And, most of all, we have the alignment restriction. It's not supposed to be a choice because the PRC isn't supposed to be a choice. You decide if you want to follow the path of the Dragonmarked Heir... but you either are a Child of Khyber or you aren't. And many of those who are walk closer to the edge of the myths - standing on the edge of sociopathic behavior. With that said, "nongood" leaves neutral - and evil people can serve noble causes. In my mind, the Children of Khyber are great antiheroes. They can do the right thing - but they're likely to do it in a disturbing way. I guess I like the idea of an Aurala with levels in the Aberrant Heir class... I have no issues with such a character; I just wouldn't give her levels in the PrC. She can still have an aberrant mark. The PrC represents the idea that aberrant marks are in some ways a burden - that there is some truth to the legends, and that it can be hard to maintain empathy, altruism, and optimism when you've been touched by Khyber. But as I said, you're certainly welcome to remove the restriction. A key point here: widespread folklore is that the aberrant marks and the people who bear them are dangerous. The reverse isn't true for the pure marks. No one's every said that people who bear the pure marks are innately noble or good, or that the marks affect their behavior in any significant way. The bearers of the pure marks engaged in a form of genocide - hardly a noble act. Essentially, I think it's wrong to assume "Pure mark = good, aberrant = evil." Even the attributions to Siberys and Khyber are pure speculation. What is known? Pure marks are predictable; a child inherits a mark from the parent; it advances along a predictable path. The powers are pure marks are largely - though not entirely - passive or defensive in nature. Aberrant marks are unpredictable and chaotic. There's no way of knowing if a child will inherit a mark or what power will manifest at any given level. The powers of aberrant marks (with a few notable exceptions at the bottom level) are often aggressive or dangerous. It's possible that ALL dragonmarks come from the same source - but that the mortal mind simply isn't designed to channel the dangerous powers of the aberrant marks; that's certainly what Lei suggests in City of Towers. It's not that the aberrants are servants of evil - it's that they bear a terrible burden that takes a toll on mind and body, and this is reflected in behavior. But again, that's theory, NOT fact. Another theory, if you like the idea that the dragonmarks are the literal touch of the progenitors? Siberys is dead, while Khyber is still trapped within Eberron; as such, those touched by Khyber are influenced by the Dragon Below, while those touched by Siberys have the gift of power, but no influence on behavior. Anyhow, do with it what you will. I'm a big fan of aberrants. But I like the idea that an aberrant mark IS a burden - that the aberrant hero is struggling against the anger and pain generated by his mark, something the pure heir can never understand. Or take the beggar girl with the Mark of Vermin, who hears the rats whispering beneath her every night; she's not evil, but between the harsh treatment she's suffered at the hands of humans and the constant whispers of the rats just at the edge of hearing, it's a struggle for her to hold onto her sanity. She can still be a hero - but her outlook on life is very different from those around her, and it's made her far more pragmatic. (And even in this case, as long as you don't take levels in CoK, she could still be good!)
Belabras 04-19-07, 05:22 PM	As long as we have Hellcow coming by somewhat regularly, here's a question: If the Child of Khyber PRC reflects the sinister taint of Khyber effecting an aberrant marked character, how does this translate to Daine and his (arguably Syberis level) aberrant mark?
davethebrave371 04-19-07, 05:40 PM	But again, that's theory, NOT fact. Another theory, if you like the idea that the dragonmarks are the literal touch of the progenitors? Siberys is dead, while Khyber is still trapped within Eberron; as such, those touched by Khyber are influenced by the Dragon Below, while those touched by Siberys have the gift of power, but no influence on behavior. Woah. See, now that is nifty. And to factor Eberron into the equation (as another theory), to achieve balance you've got to allow for extremes. But yeah, I like this. And I have to say, as usual, you've illuminated the subject for me in a way that makes me go woah.
Hellcow 04-19-07, 05:49 PM	how does this translate to Daine... I'll just say "I've got plans." Aberrant marks will certainly play an important role in the next story involving the Dreaming Dark characters.
Amaril 05-02-07, 03:17 PM	In case anyone overlooked it, the Dragonmarked Art Gallery included an image of the Child of Khyber PrC (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/Dragonmarked_Gallery/101357.jpg).
davethebrave371 05-02-07, 06:55 PM	In case anyone overlooked it, the Dragonmarked Art Gallery included an image of the Child of Khyber PrC (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/Dragonmarked_Gallery/101357.jpg). Nice!