Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 JohnLynch Jan 19, 2015 18:53:15	Building on Keith Baker's advice for including Dragonmarks, here's my take on them.   Dragonmark Forms Each dragonmark has 4 forms that grow in size and complexity. The first form is the least which is granted by the Dragonmarked background. You may take a number of feats that increases the dragonmark to it's more complex forms. In order they are Lesser and then Greater. Legend speaks of a Syberis form but these are exceedingly rare with House only being able to document a handful at best who gained this form.   Dragonmarked (Background) You are a member of one of the great Dragonmarked Houses. You have been raised by your house and regardless of how well you attended to your studies, you are still a full fledged member of your dragonmarked house for your ties run deep.   Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Persuasion Tool Proficiencies: One type of artisan's tools Languages: One of your choice Equipment: A set of artisan's tools (one of your choice), a letter of introduction from your house, a set of traveler's clothes, and a belt pouch containing 15 gp. House Business   As a member of your dragonmarked house you can call upon your House's resources to a certain degree. You may find lodging and food in any town or city where your house as holdings and should your body be returned to your house they will see that it is transported to your immediate family (or the main headquarters for your house) and pay for you to receive a proper burial. Your close connection to your house allows you to call on them to provide assistance if you find yourself in serious trouble (although depending on the nature they may not be able to do anything), however in return they can also call upon you for to carry out House business. If you are conducting business related to your house than you are expected to pay them 25% of your earnings.   Variant: Rogue Dragonmark You were not born into one of the dragonmarked houses. Whether you're an illegimate child of someone who did belong to a dragonmarked house or whether you were born with it without any clear ties to a dragonmark house, you must hide the nature of your dragonmark, least the house deem you a threat to their monopoly. You receive the least form of a dragonmark, but do not gain any other benefits from your background. Instead you may select a second background and gain the benefits associated with that (including the background trait).   Dragonmark Magic (Feat) Pre-requisite: You have a dragonmark. Benefit: Your dragonmark advances to it's next form. Your dragonmark grants you two cantrips and a 1st level spell associated with it. You may cast the cantrips at will, however the 1st level spell you gain can only be cast once until you take a long rest. Your spellcasting modifier for these spells is Charisma.   Dragonmark Rituals (Feat) Pre-requisite: You have a dragonmark. Benefit: Your dragonmark advanced to it's next form. You learn two 1st level spells that have a ritual form associated with your dragonmark. You may learn additional rituals by receiving training from a dragonmarked member of your house which takes 2 days per spell level. Typically trainers charge 25 gp per day, although this may be reduced or waived in return for performing a service for the trainer. Your spellcasting modifier for these spells is Charisma.   ---- I think these options are pretty much balanced with those presented in the 5th edition PHB. They're largely taking existing options and simply reflavouring them to fit in more with how Dragonmarks work on a narrative level. The only way to receive a dragonmark is either through a background or through DM fiat as part of the campaign's story. There's currently no way to gain a siberys dragonmark. I would probably have it either be DM fiat or potentially as the end-cap ability of a prestige class.   In 4th ed (probably at the suggestion of either Keith or someone here), I extended the rituals granted by the dragonmarks so that they granted you more and more rituals as you levelled up. I'm extending that philosophy to 5th edition by having each Dragonmark have it's own unique spell list.
#2 JohnLynch Jan 19, 2015 19:28:15	Reserved for spell lists for each Dragonmark.   Work in Progress This is just a work in progress as I work through the PHB to see what spells would be associated with what dragonmark. I'm up to Detect Poison and Disease.   Mark of Detection: Ferret out danger Mark of Finding: Locate people or objects Mark of Handling: Grants the bearer an affinity with animals and controlling them. Mark of Healing: Bestows the marked with magic that can cure and aid those in need. Mark of Hospitality: grants those who bear it powers related to food and shelter. Mark of Making: Create and mend inanimate objects. Mark of Passage: Travel and teleportation Mark of Scribing: Communication and writing Mark of Sentinel: Protection Mark of Shadow: Scrying and illusion magic to deceive Mark of Storm: Electricity and weather related powers Mark of Warding: Protect people and places   Mark of Detection 1st Level Detect Magic (ritual) Detect Poison and Disease (ritual) Mark of Handling 2nd Level Beast Sense (ritual) Mark of Healing 1st Level Cure Wounds 2nd Level Aid 3rd Level Aura of Vitality Beacon of Hope 4th Level Aura of Life Aura of Purity 5th Level Circle of Power Mark of Hospitality 3rd Level Create Food and Water Mark of Making Cantrips (0 Level) Mending Dancing Lights 2nd Level Continual Flame 3rd Level Conjure Barrage 5th Level Animate Objects Creation Mark of Passage 6th Level Arcane Gate 9th Level Astral Projection Mark of Scribing Cantrips (0 Level) Message 1st Level Comprehend Languages (ritual) 2nd Level Animal Messenger (ritual) Mark of Sentinel Cantrip Blade Ward 1st Level Armor of Agathys Mark of Shadow Cantrips (0 Level) Minor Illusion 2nd Level Augury (ritual) Blur Darkness 3rd Level Clairvoyance 4th Level Arcane Eye Mark of Storm 1st Level Create or Destroy Water 3rd Level Call Lightning 4th Level Control Water 5th Level Destructive Wave 6th Level Chain Lightning 8th Level Control Weather Mark of Warding 1st Level Alarm (ritual) Arcane Lock Bane 2nd Level Cloud of Daggers 5th Level Antilife Shell Cordon of Arrows 6th Level Blade Barrier
#3 PaladinNicolas Jan 22, 2015 1:34:39	I think this is a good approach, but rather than making having dragonmarks as a background, I would have the background as being a member of a dragonmarked house. Thus, when you gain the feat, you can roleplay a test of Siberys and make the feat be having the dragonmark, perhaps with the ability of casting either spells or rituals, or just the first and allowing the character to roleplay training, learning to use it better and focus on her/his dragonmark's power to learn how to use rituals related to it with another feat. I like the background of dragonmarked house member better, since it offers roleplay opportunities (hey, even belonging to a group of aberrant dragonmarked would be interesting) and could be analogous to the noble background, highlighting the tension between the economic and political powers in Khorvaire.
#4 The_Newborn Jan 29, 2015 16:49:56	I've been toying with making the dragon mark part of the race, either as a subrace or variant. You can be bear a dragonmark from 1st level and let it advance in power later. You can then use backgrounds to be Favoured in House or be of a 'marked house but not 'marked. I'd use feats for greater versions of the 'marks. You wouldn't need a separate feat for ritual casting. If you could otherwise use rituals, those associated with your mark can be cast as rituals.
#5 JohnLynch Jan 29, 2015 18:30:36	The_Newborn wrote: