Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 CraggleRock May 29, 2008 9:55:19	I am very excited about the prospect of rituals in 4E from the excerpt here, but as my group are eager for our game to be based in Eberron and from the list we've seen of rituals so far, it does seem likely that a lot of Dragonmark abilities might fall into the "utility" catagory covered by Rituals. So, with the only limit on the casting of Rituals really being the depth of the caster's pockets, how do Dragonmarks fit in 4E? Myself, I currently see a few possilbities for houseruling/homebrewing the situation until the new ECS: - Dragonmarks reduce ritual component costs - If the Houses were able to produce the effects of a ritual but at a cheaper rate than would usually be the case than they could have made their fortunes by selling that service at less than the going rate as they could still gain a profit. Dragonmarks serve as daily scrolls - Having a mark would allow the use of a ritual in half the time of the book and allow the use of the ritual without the Ritual Training feat being required. The Dragonmark recharges each day (after an extended rest), permitting another use of the ritual. For the Houses to have attained their current stations, they probably created a profit by doing the rituals better than the "competition". Rituals are closely guarded trade secrets - At least those utilised by the Dragonmark Houses are. In this case, the Houses likely gained their power and influence because they were the only ones able to offer such a service. This does open potential for intrigue as the Houses attempt to uncover the others' secrets, in the middle of which the PCs could be entangled, but taking this approach does remove some of the rituals from immediate use by the players, and if the House secrets are let out, a powerful cornerstone of the Eberron setting is severely weakened (not necessarily a bad thing, depending on your campaign though). Anyone got any other suggestions or thoughts on the effects of Rituals in Eberron?
#2 hailstop May 31, 2008 13:31:52	I can see Dragonmarks actually ending up as Powers that can replicate Rituals. Mind you, some Dragonmark abilities are now redundant (Identify).
#3 CraggleRock May 31, 2008 18:15:31	Well, while the general usefulness of Identify is lost, it could be reflavoured to be used for the more obscure artifacts and eldritch machines from Xen'drik and the like, but you're right that some will lose their place somewhat.