Mark of Death for players? - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Mark of Death for players?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
Houndstooth
Jun 03, 2011 0:47:02 I have a player who wants to seek out the Mark of Death, which he has heard rumors of, and if I let him do it, which I have not decided yet, much depends on what it looks like in game, Id like ideas on what the feat might look like.

Has anyone had the Mark of Death in their game, and have you designed it as a feat like other Marks?
#2
jhanzur
Jun 05, 2011 8:41:18 How would seeking out the Mark translate into him possessing it?

That said, the mark would likely have an adder for necrotic damage powers, adding a minor penalty to defenses or something to the target of your necrotic powers. As for rituals, just look for a view that seem approproate to deatht ype stuff.
#3
philipsnowman
Jun 09, 2011 14:04:07 I can't remember, did 3.5 Eberron have rules for the Mark of Death? It seems like a thing they might have done... You could attempt to find those rules as a jumping-off point.
#4
salla
Jun 09, 2011 14:04:58
I can't remember, did 3.5 Eberron have rules for the Mark of Death? It seems like a thing they might have done... You could attempt to find those rules as a jumping-off point.

Nothing official, but there were houserules aplenty.
#5
philipsnowman
Jun 09, 2011 14:12:41
Nothing official, but there were houserules aplenty.

In that case, I would check the D&D Wiki, it's a bit tough to navigate but its cup runneth over with house rules.
#6
Hellcow
Jun 15, 2011 11:50:16 I've written something about this in the past, but I don't have time to find it or completely recreate it. A few quick points, though:

The Mark of Death was a "true" dragonmark, as opposed to an aberrant dragonmark. There are two things that distinguish these. First, they can be passed to offspring. Second, the true dragonmarks are almost universally constructive as opposed to destructive. There are a few marks with powers that can be used in an aggressive fashion, but the point is that the pure marks are things like making, healing, hospitality - productive, positive things. Meanwhile, aberrant marks are either destructive or in some way disturbing (for examble, Brom's regeneration in The Son of Khyber, which is a form of healing but essentially reincarnates instead of healing).

My point is that the Mark of Death should be about interacting with death and the undead, but I wouldn't make it about KILLING, because that's an aberrant path. Things like speaking with the dead; animating the dead; controlling or even laying undead to rest; these all fit. It could be that a dragonshard focus item could be created that would harness that power in a destructive fashion - but that's not the innate power of the mark.

Second, a key point on Erandis Vol: bear in mind that she doesn't just have the Dragonmark of Death; she has the ultimate expression of that mark, something beyond even a Siberys mark. She was the result of generations of breeding experiments and crossing the blood of elf and dragon. It was THIS that triggered the destruction of her line, not the innate powers of the NORMAL Mark of Death, which had been in the line of Vol for a thousand years; they had done something new with it that fundamentally changed the balance of things, and this caused fear. So ERANDIS may be able to do things with her mark that no one else could do - raise an army of undead with a wave of her hand - but that's because she is in essence a living Eldritch Machine. Of course, her mark doesn't work, so there is that.

As always, you should do whatever you want with it, but there's my thoughts.
#7
Gurv
Jun 17, 2011 14:37:16 What Keith said. But I would add that the power granted by a dragonmark, even the Mark of Death, is rarely as important as the ramifications of actually being marked. A regular dragonmark changes your social status and gives you opportunities that are simply not an option for the unmarked. A great part of that comes from the ability to activate dragonmark focus items, as Keith said.

In the case of the Mark of Death, it doesn't matter what it does. It might just allow a gentle repose effect. But the bearer would literally be a marked man. The most powerful necromancer in the setting has spend hundreds of years looking for you. And that's only because even more powerful forces took action to stop HER.

Whatever the actual mark does is small potatoes. Make it useful, but nonviolent. But somewhere there should be a ritual, dragonmark focus, prophecy, or whatnot that requires that mark. And whatever THAT does should be world shaking.
#8
Hellcow
Jun 17, 2011 14:50:44
Whatever the actual mark does is small potatoes. Make it useful, but nonviolent. But somewhere there should be a ritual, dragonmark focus, prophecy, or whatnot that requires that mark. And whatever THAT does should be world shaking.

Indeed. There are likely dragonshard focus items tied to the Mark of Death in the vaults of the Undying Court or Farlnen, if you can get them.

One thing I do with dragonmarks in 4E is to provide each one with a broader range of rituals that can be mastered by the bearer of the mark and performed without a ritual book. However, the bearer still has to receive training to master these rituals (and pay the market cost for it). Which is one of the major advantages of being in a dragonmarked house; as a foundling, you simply don't know what your mark is capable of. The same is true of the Mark of Death, and there only one person knows exactly what you can do with it. Can you convince her to train you?

Obviously it should be possible to master these powers without training, as once upon a time no one knew how to use their marks - but it's something that took time and experimentation. That lure of instruction should be a tempting one.
#9
nerraDetroK
Jul 18, 2011 10:45:22 I've got a player who wants the Mark of Death for his PC. This may be a bit Overpowered, but here's what I came up with:
+2 temp HP when you hit an enemy using a power with the "fear" keyword. You also get the Revenant's Unnatural Vitality racial feature. You can perform the following rituals: Last Sight Vision, Speak with Dead, Deathly Shroud, Visage of Life, and Soulguard.

Player wanted a bonus to Stealth and an ability to control undead once per encounter, like a dominate spell. I argued that this was more like a means to defeat death and to exert power over the dead, not necessarily the undead.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Houndstooth Jun 03, 2011 0:47:02	I have a player who wants to seek out the Mark of Death, which he has heard rumors of, and if I let him do it, which I have not decided yet, much depends on what it looks like in game, Id like ideas on what the feat might look like. Has anyone had the Mark of Death in their game, and have you designed it as a feat like other Marks?
#2 jhanzur Jun 05, 2011 8:41:18	How would seeking out the Mark translate into him possessing it? That said, the mark would likely have an adder for necrotic damage powers, adding a minor penalty to defenses or something to the target of your necrotic powers. As for rituals, just look for a view that seem approproate to deatht ype stuff.
#3 philipsnowman Jun 09, 2011 14:04:07	I can't remember, did 3.5 Eberron have rules for the Mark of Death? It seems like a thing they might have done... You could attempt to find those rules as a jumping-off point.
#4 salla Jun 09, 2011 14:04:58	I can't remember, did 3.5 Eberron have rules for the Mark of Death? It seems like a thing they might have done... You could attempt to find those rules as a jumping-off point. Nothing official, but there were houserules aplenty.
#5 philipsnowman Jun 09, 2011 14:12:41	Nothing official, but there were houserules aplenty. In that case, I would check the D&D Wiki, it's a bit tough to navigate but its cup runneth over with house rules.
#6 Hellcow Jun 15, 2011 11:50:16	I've written something about this in the past, but I don't have time to find it or completely recreate it. A few quick points, though: The Mark of Death was a "true" dragonmark, as opposed to an aberrant dragonmark. There are two things that distinguish these. First, they can be passed to offspring. Second, the true dragonmarks are almost universally constructive as opposed to destructive. There are a few marks with powers that can be used in an aggressive fashion, but the point is that the pure marks are things like making, healing, hospitality - productive, positive things. Meanwhile, aberrant marks are either destructive or in some way disturbing (for examble, Brom's regeneration in The Son of Khyber, which is a form of healing but essentially reincarnates instead of healing). My point is that the Mark of Death should be about interacting with death and the undead, but I wouldn't make it about KILLING, because that's an aberrant path. Things like speaking with the dead; animating the dead; controlling or even laying undead to rest; these all fit. It could be that a dragonshard focus item could be created that would harness that power in a destructive fashion - but that's not the innate power of the mark. Second, a key point on Erandis Vol: bear in mind that she doesn't just have the Dragonmark of Death; she has the ultimate expression of that mark, something beyond even a Siberys mark. She was the result of generations of breeding experiments and crossing the blood of elf and dragon. It was THIS that triggered the destruction of her line, not the innate powers of the NORMAL Mark of Death, which had been in the line of Vol for a thousand years; they had done something new with it that fundamentally changed the balance of things, and this caused fear. So ERANDIS may be able to do things with her mark that no one else could do - raise an army of undead with a wave of her hand - but that's because she is in essence a living Eldritch Machine. Of course, her mark doesn't work, so there is that. As always, you should do whatever you want with it, but there's my thoughts.
#7 Gurv Jun 17, 2011 14:37:16	What Keith said. But I would add that the power granted by a dragonmark, even the Mark of Death, is rarely as important as the ramifications of actually being marked. A regular dragonmark changes your social status and gives you opportunities that are simply not an option for the unmarked. A great part of that comes from the ability to activate dragonmark focus items, as Keith said. In the case of the Mark of Death, it doesn't matter what it does. It might just allow a gentle repose effect. But the bearer would literally be a marked man. The most powerful necromancer in the setting has spend hundreds of years looking for you. And that's only because even more powerful forces took action to stop HER. Whatever the actual mark does is small potatoes. Make it useful, but nonviolent. But somewhere there should be a ritual, dragonmark focus, prophecy, or whatnot that requires that mark. And whatever THAT does should be world shaking.
#8 Hellcow Jun 17, 2011 14:50:44	Whatever the actual mark does is small potatoes. Make it useful, but nonviolent. But somewhere there should be a ritual, dragonmark focus, prophecy, or whatnot that requires that mark. And whatever THAT does should be world shaking. Indeed. There are likely dragonshard focus items tied to the Mark of Death in the vaults of the Undying Court or Farlnen, if you can get them. One thing I do with dragonmarks in 4E is to provide each one with a broader range of rituals that can be mastered by the bearer of the mark and performed without a ritual book. However, the bearer still has to receive training to master these rituals (and pay the market cost for it). Which is one of the major advantages of being in a dragonmarked house; as a foundling, you simply don't know what your mark is capable of. The same is true of the Mark of Death, and there only one person knows exactly what you can do with it. Can you convince her to train you? Obviously it should be possible to master these powers without training, as once upon a time no one knew how to use their marks - but it's something that took time and experimentation. That lure of instruction should be a tempting one.
#9 nerraDetroK Jul 18, 2011 10:45:22	I've got a player who wants the Mark of Death for his PC. This may be a bit Overpowered, but here's what I came up with: +2 temp HP when you hit an enemy using a power with the "fear" keyword. You also get the Revenant's Unnatural Vitality racial feature. You can perform the following rituals: Last Sight Vision, Speak with Dead, Deathly Shroud, Visage of Life, and Soulguard. Player wanted a bonus to Stealth and an ability to control undead once per encounter, like a dominate spell. I argued that this was more like a means to defeat death and to exert power over the dead, not necessarily the undead.