New PC belonging to a Dragonmarked House? [Archive] - Wizards Community

New PC belonging to a Dragonmarked House? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Hyregoth
01-27-07, 02:57 PM My question is: Can a newly created PC belong to a Dragonmarked house at the beginning of the game? And, if so, what (if any) are the pre-requisites?

Is this stated in the rules or does everyone have a house rule on this?

Also, how do the Dragonmarked houses feel about bastards? Are they automatically members of the house?

Seems like everyone wants to start out in a house and I would like to find someway to restrict or limit this at start-up. Most of the other powerful organizations have sometype of limitation (example: Invitation only) if the character is not born into it. But what are the chances of that?

Am I being too strict?
Lujayne34
01-27-07, 03:22 PM Being a family member of a Dragonmarked House simply requires that you are born into the correct bloodline. There is a feat available in ECSB that you can take at 1st level to actually have a dragonmark (Least Dragonmark). The only real prerequsite for the feat is to be of the appropriate race for the mark.

The abilities granted by the Least Mark are not overpowering. For example I have a swashbuckler in my campaign who has the Least Mark of Passage. It grants +2 bonus to Survival checks and the Dimension Leap 10'/level once per day. She also has Dragonmark Prodigy which grants her Benign Transposition 1/day and one more use of the Dimension Leap ability.

To work for one of the guilds controled by a Dragonmark house requires no blood connection only appropriate skills for the guild.
Ricohard_Draconis
01-27-07, 03:26 PM My question is: Can a newly created PC belong to a Dragonmarked house at the beginning of the game? And, if so, what (if any) are the pre-requisites?
none, membership in a house is largely backstory. However if they want to be able to call on the house for some favors or want to be a mid-level mover and shaker they should get the Favored in House Feat. The relevant Dragonmark can also be a tie to the house but isn't required.

Also, how do the Dragonmarked houses feel about bastards? Are they automatically members of the house?

The Houses are very strict on bloodlines, since they're paranoid about aberrant marks, so controling a heir, double that if D-marked otherwise they have to find ways to prove it, is not just an economic advantage its a way to protect civilisation. So mostly they'd be welcomed in, not to say they wouldn't be watched.

Seems like everyone wants to start out in a house and I would like to find someway to restrict or limit this at start-up. Most of the other powerful organizations have sometype of limitation (example: Invitation only) if the character is not born into it. But what are the chances of that?

Am I being too strict?

a bit maybe. Being born or married (with no chance of the D-mark) is the only way to get into the house proper otherwise there are guilds that have grown up around it.

But if you want to be more than (insert house leader's name) pawn you need experience, favoured in house feat, D-mark feat and to know how to play the system.
mhacdebhandia
01-27-07, 07:16 PM Seems like everyone wants to start out in a house and I would like to find someway to restrict or limit this at start-up. Most of the other powerful organizations have sometype of limitation (example: Invitation only) if the character is not born into it. But what are the chances of that?
Basically, you don't have to worry about your characters' membership in a dragonmarked house making it too easy on them. Without the Favoured In House feat, they cannot rely on their house to back them up in any serious way, and even if they take that feat there are good guidelines on exactly what kind of favours they can ask of their house. You could rule that every PC who wants to be associated with the house must have that feat.

If you wanted to restrict it further, you could say that in your game any PC who wants to be a member of the house must have the dragonmark - there are unmarked members by birth of every house in the setting, but you can easily rule that a PC must have the mark. At least that way the player has to make a choice.
Neutronium_Dragon
01-27-07, 08:43 PM That would create a problem for Heir of Siberys PCs, though. "You're not a member! You're not a member! You're not a... ooh, nevermind!"
Cifer
01-27-07, 10:19 PM Do you forbid your players from playing, say, the son of a knight?
The dragonmarked houses are a valid place for characters, especially if you want to add a politic level to your games. I, for one, look forward to how my Cannith Artificer will unite the house, renegotiate Thronehold and return House Cannith to its rightful dominance after developing his Syberis mark - all while staying polite and retaining the proper etiquette (did I mention his slight megalomania? Oh, nevermind...).

If a character is a member of a house, his player has just served you a lot of plot hooks. He wants assistance from his house? Sure, he can get it - if he and his little troupe would be so kind as to move to X and do Y, thank you very much.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Hyregoth 01-27-07, 02:57 PM	My question is: Can a newly created PC belong to a Dragonmarked house at the beginning of the game? And, if so, what (if any) are the pre-requisites? Is this stated in the rules or does everyone have a house rule on this? Also, how do the Dragonmarked houses feel about bastards? Are they automatically members of the house? Seems like everyone wants to start out in a house and I would like to find someway to restrict or limit this at start-up. Most of the other powerful organizations have sometype of limitation (example: Invitation only) if the character is not born into it. But what are the chances of that? Am I being too strict?
Lujayne34 01-27-07, 03:22 PM	Being a family member of a Dragonmarked House simply requires that you are born into the correct bloodline. There is a feat available in ECSB that you can take at 1st level to actually have a dragonmark (Least Dragonmark). The only real prerequsite for the feat is to be of the appropriate race for the mark. The abilities granted by the Least Mark are not overpowering. For example I have a swashbuckler in my campaign who has the Least Mark of Passage. It grants +2 bonus to Survival checks and the Dimension Leap 10'/level once per day. She also has Dragonmark Prodigy which grants her Benign Transposition 1/day and one more use of the Dimension Leap ability. To work for one of the guilds controled by a Dragonmark house requires no blood connection only appropriate skills for the guild.
Ricohard_Draconis 01-27-07, 03:26 PM	My question is: Can a newly created PC belong to a Dragonmarked house at the beginning of the game? And, if so, what (if any) are the pre-requisites? none, membership in a house is largely backstory. However if they want to be able to call on the house for some favors or want to be a mid-level mover and shaker they should get the Favored in House Feat. The relevant Dragonmark can also be a tie to the house but isn't required. Also, how do the Dragonmarked houses feel about bastards? Are they automatically members of the house? The Houses are very strict on bloodlines, since they're paranoid about aberrant marks, so controling a heir, double that if D-marked otherwise they have to find ways to prove it, is not just an economic advantage its a way to protect civilisation. So mostly they'd be welcomed in, not to say they wouldn't be watched. Seems like everyone wants to start out in a house and I would like to find someway to restrict or limit this at start-up. Most of the other powerful organizations have sometype of limitation (example: Invitation only) if the character is not born into it. But what are the chances of that? Am I being too strict? a bit maybe. Being born or married (with no chance of the D-mark) is the only way to get into the house proper otherwise there are guilds that have grown up around it. But if you want to be more than (insert house leader's name) pawn you need experience, favoured in house feat, D-mark feat and to know how to play the system.
mhacdebhandia 01-27-07, 07:16 PM	Seems like everyone wants to start out in a house and I would like to find someway to restrict or limit this at start-up. Most of the other powerful organizations have sometype of limitation (example: Invitation only) if the character is not born into it. But what are the chances of that? Basically, you don't have to worry about your characters' membership in a dragonmarked house making it too easy on them. Without the Favoured In House feat, they cannot rely on their house to back them up in any serious way, and even if they take that feat there are good guidelines on exactly what kind of favours they can ask of their house. You could rule that every PC who wants to be associated with the house must have that feat. If you wanted to restrict it further, you could say that in your game any PC who wants to be a member of the house must have the dragonmark - there are unmarked members by birth of every house in the setting, but you can easily rule that a PC must have the mark. At least that way the player has to make a choice.
Neutronium_Dragon 01-27-07, 08:43 PM	That would create a problem for Heir of Siberys PCs, though. "You're not a member! You're not a member! You're not a... ooh, nevermind!"
Cifer 01-27-07, 10:19 PM	Do you forbid your players from playing, say, the son of a knight? The dragonmarked houses are a valid place for characters, especially if you want to add a politic level to your games. I, for one, look forward to how my Cannith Artificer will unite the house, renegotiate Thronehold and return House Cannith to its rightful dominance after developing his Syberis mark - all while staying polite and retaining the proper etiquette (did I mention his slight megalomania? Oh, nevermind...). If a character is a member of a house, his player has just served you a lot of plot hooks. He wants assistance from his house? Sure, he can get it - if he and his little troupe would be so kind as to move to X and do Y, thank you very much.