Hellcow;18809351 wrote:
In your Mark of Passage example I would think about adding at least 1 teleportation ritual such as Linked Portal since it's been a standard of the Mark since day one.
Oh I'm planning on adding a lot more rituals then that. I simply listed it as an example to get the idea across.
I'm going to wait until I get the EPG but my current plan is to expand each Mark's ritual list as far as possible. For example the Mark of Passage could have as much as 20 rituals ranging from level 1 to level 30.
The way it works in the game without unbalancing everything is that most heirs of a dragonmark can only perform a very small subset of each Mark's powers. There have been legendary members of House Orien who could travel the planes with a mere thought, but these people are extremely rare, powerful and perhaps even mythical figures of history.
So if a player began performing level 20 rituals thanks to their Mark of Passage they would become a thing of legend for that fact alone. Although this ability could be seen as a danger for the other Houses who fear that Orien may become too powerful thanks to this lone player. Or they might be seen as a threat by the current leadership of House Orien. So such a player would be able to generate plots and twists simply be existing.
That's my current thinking at the moment anyway
Another house rule I'm thinking of is allowing more rituals to be added to each Mark.
There are a few that seem like obvious oversights... notably, the Mark of Storm is missing Control Weather. Given that this was one of the core powers of the mark, it seems like an obvious addition. I really think it was just overlooked.
Though for Dragonmark focus items (which are sorely missing) we may not have stats for lightning reigns or the like but I think that Dragonmark Focus and Dragonmark Resivour items can be simple reflavors of the Ritual Candle and Ritualists Ring.
Instead of lighting a candle I'll be harnessing the power of a siberys shard attuned to my mark and what not.
There are a few that seem like obvious oversights... notably, the Mark of Storm is missing Control Weather. Given that this was one of the core powers of the mark, it seems like an obvious addition. I really think it was just overlooked.
This was literally a piece of mental Mathberron I did in my head so unconsciously I didn't realize I'd houseruled the Mark until I read this comment. I read the little blurb before the Feats about DMs adding rituals to Marks at their discretion, and then as I read the Mark of Storm, I just added it in my head, because, duh, of course.
, so I've definitely thought more about my houserules.I'm trying to get the wording right for the "you don't need to buy dragonmark rituals" house rule, here's what I've got:
For the purposes of casting a ritual granted to you by your Dragonmark, it is as if you have the ritual in a spellbook. The sole exception to this is the Mark of Scribing which instead grants you the ability to write down a short-hand version of the ritual. This abbreviated version doesn't cost anything to create, but the notation is unique to you and as such cannot be understood by anyone else. All other requirements for the rituals (focus, component cost, class) remain the same.
What I'm trying to get across is:
* You don't need to buy a ritual that your Dragonmark feat gives you.
* Only the Mark of Scribing requires a spellbook to cast a ritual granted to you by your Dragonmark feat.
* Players with the Mark of Scribing can write down the ritual without having to pay any extravagant costs. BUT they can't go around constantly writing the ritual down and then selling copies of it.
* You still need a focus, components, be the correct class, etc.
Any suggestions on how to word it better would be greatly appreciated
All Dragonmark feats have a racial prerequisite (see Eberron Player’s Guide p. 21).
All rituals associated with a Dragonmark may be cast without components and with a casting time of one minute by spending a healing surge. Each ritual may be cast in this manner once per day. A PC may not cast rituals above his level.
Mark of Handling, extra rituals: Animal Friendship (PHB2), Beast Growth (Arcane Power).
Mark of Hospitality, extra rituals: Unseen Servant (Arcane Power).
Mark of Passage, extra rituals: Linked Portal (PHB), Create Teleportation Circle (Manual of the Planes).
Mark of Scribing, associated rituals: Arcane Mark (FR Player’s Guide), Comprehend Languages (PHB), Sending (PHB).
Mark of Storm, extra rituals: Control Weather (PHB2).
Mark of Warding, extra associated rituals: Arcane Lock (PHB), Guards and Wards (Arcane Power).
I have also made my own house rules about Dragonmarks. It's a bit radical but feel free to steal and modify.
All Dragonmark feats have a racial prerequisite (see Eberron Player’s Guide p. 21).
All rituals associated with a Dragonmark may be cast without components and with a casting time of one minute by spending a healing surge. Each ritual may be cast in this manner once per day. A PC may not cast rituals above his level.
Mark of Handling, extra rituals: Animal Friendship (PHB2), Beast Growth (Arcane Power).
Mark of Hospitality, extra rituals: Unseen Servant (Arcane Power).
Mark of Passage, extra rituals: Linked Portal (PHB), Create Teleportation Circle (Manual of the Planes).
Mark of Scribing, associated rituals: Arcane Mark (FR Player’s Guide), Comprehend Languages (PHB), Sending (PHB).
Mark of Storm, extra rituals: Control Weather (PHB2).
Mark of Warding, extra associated rituals: Arcane Lock (PHB), Guards and Wards (Arcane Power).
I actually still remove the racial restrictions, but one of my requirements for any character in one of my games is a detailed background and "where they see them headed/how they see the character's potential at its most awesome" (if they're not a good writer, I take that into account when I'm reading it) that I can workshop with them (for instance if they get a major setting feature wrong/misinterpret something), and if it meets my standards, they're a PC in my game. So basically, they better have a really damn good reason for having a Mark on a non-Marked race, or a Mark not fitted to the Marked race they're playing.
I actually still remove the racial restrictions, but one of my requirements for any character in one of my games is a detailed background and "where they see them headed/how they see the character's potential at its most awesome" (if they're not a good writer, I take that into account when I'm reading it) that I can workshop with them (for instance if they get a major setting feature wrong/misinterpret something), and if it meets my standards, they're a PC in my game. So basically, they better have a really damn good reason for having a Mark on a non-Marked race, or a Mark not fitted to the Marked race they're playing.
I'd require a decent background or direction. Dunno about detailed. And if the player tries to just shrug it off and claim "but there's no mechanical requirement, I don't see why. You're just being stubborn. let me play what I want", I'll give him one more warning that out-of-race marks are strange and maybe even feared. If they still insist on playing a Dwarven Cleric with the Mark of Healing just to munchkin being a leader, they're going to get assassinated within a level or two by Dragonmarked Houses. And I will just say "I warned you." (As a bonus, no Jorasco enclave would ever raise him :P)
If they're insisting on it just out of ignorance of the setting though, I'll be more lenient and just make the House hate more interesting and part of the campaign. I just can't stand munchkinism in my games.
I'd require a decent background or direction. Dunno about detailed. And if the player tries to just shrug it off and claim "but there's no mechanical requirement, I don't see why. You're just being stubborn. let me play what I want", I'll give him one more warning that out-of-race marks are strange and maybe even feared. If they still insist on playing a Dwarven Cleric with the Mark of Healing just to munchkin being a leader, they're going to get assassinated within a level or two by Dragonmarked Houses. And I will just say "I warned you." (As a bonus, no Jorasco enclave would ever raise him :P)
If they're insisting on it just out of ignorance of the setting though, I'll be more lenient and just make the House hate more interesting and part of the campaign. I just can't stand munchkinism in my games.
Same dude, same. That's why the RP has to be perfect. It needs to be detailed, and not just decent, but frakkin' exemplary.