Are there any niches that go unfilled by the current Dragonmarks? What new Dragonmarks would you add?
For example, House Lyrandar has the Mark of Storm, which seems to give them power over wind and water. What about the other two classical elements, earth and fire?
One could add House Vuulkor, bearers of the Mark of Lava. Their powers could include things Move Earth and the various Stone to ... spells. One guild might be the Diggers Guild who specialize in mining and digging tunnels (they would also make nasty siege engineers!). And as Lyrandar has elemental powered airships and watercraft, Vuulkor might have huge, earth-elemental-powered drills. Another guild might be the Smelters Guild who use their Dragonmarks to process ore and produce the purest metals and finest alloys in Khorvaire. They might have recently started using fire-elemental-powered forges and foundries to increase their output and push smelting temperatures even higher, creating interesting new materials. Another possibility for a guild lies in building; anyone who can grow stone could build some amazing cities. House Vuulkor would fit most easily with dwarven archetypes, but it might also fit with hobgoblins. What if the early Vuulkor tapped into the fires under Ja'shaarat and created the famed Dhakaani blades. Most of the Vuulkor were wiped out when Ja'shaarat fell, but with the rise of Darguun, they've gathered again and are ready to take their rightful place among the Dragonmarked houses.
Other ideas?
Maybe 4E adds a few new Dragonmarks.
The number of dragonmarks is limited for reasons that tie in deeply with the rest of the setting. There are 13 pure dragonmarks on Eberron (including the lost Mark of Death), 13 planes and the 13 moons - which are associated with the dragonmarks. Adding another one will upset the entire cosmology. You'd need another moon, or another plane.
The only possibility to include a new dragonmark that I have heard about - it was mentioned a few years ago on the forums, I believe - and that avoids this problem would be that the Prophecy finally catches on that the Mark of Death is gone, and that it brings in a new mark not to add to the 13, but to replace the one that was lost. This would still cause upheaval amongst the Twelve and the Chamber, it will never be official, but it could work in your own campaign.
For example, House Lyrandar has the Mark of Storm, which seems to give them power over wind and water. What about the other two classical elements, earth and fire?
Storm is not an element - air is. It is used not only by Lyrandar but also by Orien. Their lightning rail functions with an air elemental. Conversely, Lyrandar uses above all fire elementals for their airships: air elementals are much rarer for this. Also, Lyrandar does not have any major water-related powers, and a number which are not specifically air-related. Thus none of the marks are really bound to an element, by strict interpretation of that term.
The crafting aspect you propose for the "Mark of Lava" is what Cannith is for. The miners are also already there: the prospectors of House Tharashk. The builders and architects are again House Cannith and House Thuranni, the latter for the art aspect of that trade. Earth elemental vehicles also exist, and I believe MoE had a burrowing one. Thus, not only would the new dragonmark upset the cosmology, it would also require the dragonmarked houses to be rewritten.
Your idea for a Mark of Lava is one of the more interesting new marks I have read. But it would still imply so much rewriting of the setting that it will be a headache. In your campaign, you can of course ignore the ties to the moons and planes, or, as I said above, claim that it replaces the lost mark. Vol will not like that, of course. If you claim it is a new house (which will not work with the Dhakaani story, though there is no reason in this situation why it would not develop on goblinoids now), you will not have to deal with the historical and social implications... though Cannith and Tharashk will sabotage the newcomer at every yard of the road, because their own monopolies are threatened. And Vol will be angry too: no telling what she will do about this.
Maybe 4E adds a few new Dragonmarks.
And maybe I'll start passing out pitchforks and torches, and we can all raid WotC's home facility and start putting the designers to the blade.
Although, honestly, with the way 4e seems to be going, I wouldn't be surprised if some idiot over there was going "Hey, we can't have a dragon race that can't have these dragon mark things! Quick, somebody throw one together for it!"
Just an afterthought to Syltorians post, I personaly think it would be unlogical to have a new 13th mark popping up before Vol is dead to... But i would see it as a natural reaction from the prophecy to her death.
Technically Vol is already quite dead, she just hasent stopped moving;)
Technically Vol is already quite dead, she just hasent stopped moving;)
Then the universe is patiently awaiting the last death spasms to wear off :P
I would have it as a subset of the Mark of Sentinel but most folks wouldn't know that and it would be very confusing until sorted out. And even then, folks in Eberron would debate it til the end of time, heck, even the dragons can't formally decide what the existing marks mean.
I would do one available to goblinoids: goblins, orcs, hobgoblin, bugbear, ogre called the....
Orcs and ogres aren't goblinoids. Orcs are... well... orcs. And ogres are giants.
13 - 1
That aside, we hopefully will NEVER see 'new' dragonmarks in an official suppliment, as this would be meta plot meddling on a 'Forgotten Realms Time of Troubles' level.
However, in a homebrew game, feel free to add new Dragonmarks.
I've got, somewhere, an outline for a campaign that involves the advent of a new mark.
First sign is the rising, one evening, of a new bright silvery moon.
Next is the periodic manifestesion of a previously unknown plane, which comes into conjunction with the world, revealing glimpses of a world of steal and silver.
Then, one morning, priests of the Soveriegn Host wake to find a new Symbol etched next to the symbols of the eight. A single gear. Likewise, the Octogram bears a new gray arm. All of them...
Finally, in the streets of Sharn in mid-day, a Warforged, possibly a PC, starts screaming and clutching his chest, and collapses in the street. When he stops screaming, you see on his chest a swirling pattern of blue and purple, that resembles the way steel discolors when heated and cooled rapidly, but also resembles a Dragonmark. And now, once per day, he can repair a construct, as the Artificer infusion Repair light damage.
Soon, Other warforged undergo this same event. They gain the same power, or the power to inflict damage to constructs.
Investigation leads to startling revelations. Like all the warforged who show the Mark seem to have come from one forgehold. One that was in Cyre. And is known to still be mostly intact. And in the control of the followers of the Becoming God...
Just a thought.
The spells wouldnt be very flashy but it would make a damn powerful house.
More to the point, we have 13 original dragonmarks, with one all but dead (Vol remains in a state of Undeath, clogging the works), we had 13 moons, but one was lost. We have 13 planes, but one is permanantly severed and held seperated from the world.
13 - 1
That aside, we hopefully will NEVER see 'new' dragonmarks in an official suppliment, as this would be meta plot meddling on a 'Forgotten Realms Time of Troubles' level.
However, in a homebrew game, feel free to add new Dragonmarks.
I've got, somewhere, an outline for a campaign that involves the advent of a new mark.
First sign is the rising, one evening, of a new bright silvery moon.
Next is the periodic manifestesion of a previously unknown plane, which comes into conjunction with the world, revealing glimpses of a world of steal and silver.
Then, one morning, priests of the Soveriegn Host wake to find a new Symbol etched next to the symbols of the eight. A single gear. Likewise, the Octogram bears a new gray arm. All of them...
Finally, in the streets of Sharn in mid-day, a Warforged, possibly a PC, starts screaming and clutching his chest, and collapses in the street. When he stops screaming, you see on his chest a swirling pattern of blue and purple, that resembles the way steel discolors when heated and cooled rapidly, but also resembles a Dragonmark. And now, once per day, he can repair a construct, as the Artificer infusion Repair light damage.
Soon, Other warforged undergo this same event. They gain the same power, or the power to inflict damage to constructs.
Investigation leads to startling revelations. Like all the warforged who show the Mark seem to have come from one forgehold. One that was in Cyre. And is known to still be mostly intact. And in the control of the followers of the Becoming God...
Just a thought.
Funny you mention that, Im leaning towards having the Lord of Blades possesing a dragonmark. Not sure if it will be a "new" mark or the Making one. What do you think?
Funny you mention that, Im leaning towards having the Lord of Blades possesing a dragonmark. Not sure if it will be a "new" mark or the Making one. What do you think?
IMO, if I were going to do this, I would rework his levels to make him a max level Renegade Mastermaker and then houserule that he still has a working mark from before he became Warforged. Can't remember his name off the top of my head, but the d'Cannith that "invented" the Warforged, who later has his creation "stolen" by the house to turn into weapons and sort of went off the deep end (this isn't what happened, this is what I would change it to). So, he started making himself into a Warforged (maybe throw in that he was secretly excoriated in the "we flay you alive" manner, and he pieced himself back together) and decided to raise his "children" up against the stupid fleshies.
So you could keep most of the Artificer levels, replace Juggernaught levels with RMM levels (enough to max it out) and then take Adm Body as his body feat. Depending on the levels, you could then stick a few Juggernaught levels back into the build.
TiwazTyrsfist, YOU ARE BRILLIANT! I would recommend having it be the mark of Forging. Someone, quick, come up with the stats! GO GO GO PEOPLE!
Um, why don't you take a shot at putting up your own version first?
Race: Warforged
+2 on Craft: Blacksmithing OR Woodworking OR Pottery
Least: Inflict Light Damage OR Repair Light Damage
Lesser: Inflict Serious Damage OR Repair Serious Damage
Greater: Inflict Critical Damage OR Repair Critical Damage
Syberis: Disable Construct OR Total Repair
...
I've got, somewhere, an outline for a campaign that involves the advent of a new mark.
First sign is the rising, one evening, of a new bright silvery moon.
Next is the periodic manifestation of a previously unknown plane, which comes into conjunction with the world, revealing glimpses of a world of steal and silver.
Then, one morning, priests of the Sovereign Host wake to find a new Symbol etched next to the symbols of the eight. A single gear. Likewise, the Octogram bears a new gray arm. All of them...
Finally, in the streets of Sharn in mid-day, a Warforged, possibly a PC, starts screaming and clutching his chest, and collapses in the street. When he stops screaming, you see on his chest a swirling pattern of blue and purple, that resembles the way steel discolors when heated and cooled rapidly, but also resembles a Dragonmark. And now, once per day, he can repair a construct, as the Artificer infusion Repair light damage.
Soon, other warforged undergo this same event. They gain the same power, or the power to inflict damage to constructs.
Investigation leads to startling revelations. Like all the warforged who show the Mark seem to have come from one forgehold. One that was in Cyre. And is known to still be mostly intact. And in the control of the followers of the Becoming God...
Just a thought.
I... want... your... game.... Your babies will work as well.Mark of Becomming
Race: Warforged
+2 on Craft: Blacksmithing OR Woodworking OR Pottery
Least: Inflict Light Damage OR Repair Light Damage
Lesser: Inflict Serious Damage OR Repair Serious Damage
Greater: Inflict Critical Damage OR Repair Critical Damage
Syberis: Disable Construct OR Total Repair
I have to say, That's not such a bad idea. I myself wouldn't be caught dead adding new Dragonmarks without it being part of a megaplot, but I can also see this as a feat progression path for the clergy of The Becoming God. It doesn't even have to be a real mark.
Think about all the power this gives you in the Warforged community: put a guy with of these in the middle of sharn and you got yourself one hell of a way to add warforged to the cause.
then, of course the LOB and the reforged can't ignore this, so they send their guys to check it up. I gotta tell you, it's not such a bad hook.
Just a thought.
What about spells like Awaken Construct, or any of the construct buffing spells?
How about the Mark of Birth?
The spells wouldnt be very flashy but it would make a damn powerful house.
The Mark of Fertility sounds a lot more interesting than war. Also, it's the opposite number of the Mark of Death and Vol would really, really hate it. But in a world filled with as many hazards as Eberron a House of Fertility would enjoy a great deal of backing from all levels of society.
Mark of Forging
Race: Warforged
+2 on Craft: Blacksmithing OR Woodworking OR Pottery
Least: Toughen Construct
Lesser: Inflict Serious Damage OR Repair Serious Damage
Greater: Stone Construct
Syberis: Disable Construct OR Total Repair
Mark of Becomming
Race: Warforged
+2 on Craft: Blacksmithing OR Woodworking OR Pottery
Least: Inflict Light Damage OR Repair Light Damage
Lesser: Inflict Serious Damage OR Repair Serious Damage
Greater: Inflict Critical Damage OR Repair Critical Damage
Syberis: Disable Construct OR Total Repair
A little boring, isn't it?
I'd try a little more variety, even going "against" rules like some kind of animate object (turn an object into a living constuct permanently or not), or "awaken construct", limit them by size or by number if you want balance. this mark not just fix warforged, it can create new one, in a way The Syberys version could actually work exactly like a creation forge, allowing to create a new warforged starting from the raw materials. Imagine what could it mean for a race that can't reproduce.
Other idea could be detect construct or charm constructs, or other ability construct related.
The Hamster
Mark of Society has powers of words unspoken and unwritten.
Emotions and thoughts
I call it House Umbrix Dragonmarked Changlings. check it out http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1025533
The number of dragonmarks is limited for reasons that tie in deeply with the rest of the setting. There are 13 pure dragonmarks on Eberron (including the lost Mark of Death), 13 planes and the 13 moons - which are associated with the dragonmarks. Adding another one will upset the entire cosmology. You'd need another moon, or another plane.
and this is very untrue what if the end amount of dragonmarks were actually a number divisible by 13 and not thirteen exactly. maybe 26, 39, 52, etc. of course there may have been marks that lived and died on people who didn't even have time to start a house or even get word out that they have a dragonmark. So it would have been 26 but multiples dragonmarks have died without ever starting.
if you need a moon or plan there might be ones that are so far away form Eberron that they are not found at all
and this is very untrue what if the end amount of dragonmarks were actually a number divisible by 13 and not thirteen exactly. maybe 26, 39, 52, etc
Then the my statement would still not be "very untrue".
In fact, it would still work nearly perfectly, as the relation between various 13s would still count: you merely jump from one mark per moon to two or more marks. It is an alternative solution to adding a moon and a plane, but it still takes into account the essence of my post: that the number of planes and moons and dragonmarks are tied together. Whether the ratio is 1:1:1 or 1:1:2 or 1:1:10 is fairly immaterial, as long as there is a ratio.
Besides, another reason why my statement is hardly "very untrue" is that it is quite clear from the material that the moons are tied to the marks. I refer you first to the dragonshard about the Moons of Eberron, which tells you which mark ties to which moon. I also refer you to page 245-246 of the Eberron Campaign Setting, where the reason why they call the alliance of the houses "the Twelve" are outlined. It is stated quite clearly that, as far as people in Eberron themselves are concerned, the number of moons equals that of the dragonmarks.
Now, the clause "as far as people in Eberron themselves are concerned" is an important one. Alder d'Cannith and other people in Eberron holding this theory may have been wrong. The Ptolemaic system of spheres, which people believed in for long enough in our own world, had eventually to be overturned. So had various other cosmologies. But the appearance of a new mark would entail a reorganisation, if not of the cosmology, then at least of the way people, at least scholars (other people might not be too interested), in Eberron think about it.
Is it impossible to add a new dragonmark and upset this system of 13s? No. The point of my first post in this thread was not to judge people who want a new mark, but to get them to think about how this would fit into the world.
While you condemn my statement as wrong, you have still thought about this - and found a solution. It would indeed be possible, as you suggest, that some marks have died out, like the Mark of Death. In the War of the Mark, some may have been mistaken for aberrant marks and eliminated, a fate that nearly befell Medani. It would be interesting to have the Twelve realise what they have done, in that scenario. The dragons may have got to others. Some may have died out on their own.
The existence of a fourteenth moon, as Elrodian says, would also work; we've discovered planets beyond Saturn (the last of the classical ones), after all.
So, to sum up: the 13s are important in Eberron. Their importance may not be objectively true (just as we can never be sure whether there are gods), but the idea exists within the setting itself, and needs to be taken into account when you want to introduce a new mark. A ratio of 1:1:2, a hitherto unknown moon, the Prophecy replacing the lost mark, are all interesting possibilities, and I am sure there are others. Even shattering the idea of any such ratio is fine. But the important thing, IMO, is to consider the impact this would have on the scholarly, arcane, and dragonmarked communities and way of thinking.
The existence of a fourteenth moon, as Elrodian says, would also work; we've discovered planets beyond Saturn (the last of the classical ones), after all.
So, to sum up: the 13s are important in Eberron. Their importance may not be objectively true (just as we can never be sure whether there are gods), but the idea exists within the setting itself, and needs to be taken into account when you want to introduce a new mark. A ratio of 1:1:2, a hitherto unknown moon, the Prophecy replacing the lost mark, are all interesting possibilities, and I am sure there are others. Even shattering the idea of any such ratio is fine. But the important thing, IMO, is to consider the impact this would have on the scholarly, arcane, and dragonmarked communities and way of thinking.
i was think of the discovers new planets in the new world. I would like for a new house but i would not make one myself beacues it is a little hard to get things to work right with the other dragonmarks, planets, and then finding the house would do becaues i look at ideas and there are good but not that complete.
I know that, TECHNICALLY, it's now cannon that Aberrant marks are Kyber marks. I don't like that personally, because in my mind it relegates Kyber to position of random crazy monster. No planning, no theme, no control over itself of it's minions.
So, for my setting aberrant dragonmarks are neutral. Perhaps, eventually, we will find that their power comes from the spark of the divine inherent in all dragons. As Syberis marks represent Syberis, and normal marks Ebberon, Aberrant marks represent the 'lesser' dragons. And Kyber has it's own marks, lined up with the 13 true marks (well 12 now).
Kyber marks come in two power levels. Lesser and Greater.
Lesser Kyber marks hold a power in the 4th level spell range.
Greater Kyber marks hold a power in the 8th level spell range.
In addition to being a feat, Kyber marks count as a Fiendish Graft.
A Kyber mark can be implanted on any character of the correct race for the related true mark who has no dragonmark OR a lesser or greater True dragonmark of the same type. Someone with a Kyber mark may never manifest a true or aberrant dragonmark after gaining a Kyber mark.
Kyber marks are corrupted counterparts to True and Syberis marks. They posses twisted versions of the powers associated with the true marks, sometimes almost the same, sometimes mirror opposites, but always undeniably evil.
A Greater Kyber mark of Making might let you Berserk constructs, causing a golem to become uncontrolled, working endlessly at some random task or going berserk and killing those around it.
A Kyber mark of Finding might let you cause people to become lost (Maze?)
A Kyber mark of Handling allows you to panic animals, and allows you to raise animals as Doombred animals (like magebred), fearsome beasts with unusual traits. Normally benign animals like horses come out vicious carnivores, Carnivores come out with a taste for human blood, and vicious animals (like some bears and large cats) that consider humans acceptable food normally, become unstoppable engines of death, uncontrollable even by their breeders.
So the to sides attack them and the cults of the dragonabove and dragonbelow help each side. And then a dragonmark comes up that stops the fight and help thing cool down. The mark come froms Eberron. But if you do not want the Eberron mark you can have one or the other win. The nations could pull together to stop the war. Leaveing the two sides **** at each other. A group could come in to this in many ways. They could be working for one side to help them attack the other druing the war or at peace. The group could try to help the nations to get peaces or they could be working alone.
The Mark of Fertility sounds a lot more interesting than war. Also, it's the opposite number of the Mark of Death and Vol would really, really hate it. But in a world filled with as many hazards as Eberron a House of Fertility would enjoy a great deal of backing from all levels of society.
With either the Mark of Forging or the Mark of Fertility, it would be nice to have the background be that Vol dies (re-dies?) or is destroyed or something and all recorded parts of the Prophecy suddenly change so that references to "death" and "undead" are changed to "animation" and "unliving" (for Forging) or "birth" and "living" and so forth. The fact that the Prophecy caught up so fast and unexpectedly would be a good plot hook by itself.
And the Dragonborn (4th ed) have draconic heritage, i.e. are directly related to dragons in a manner rather closer than humans and apes.
Ergo, Dragonborn should manifest a dragonmark.
:P Ha, just kidding. Uh, Edymnion? Put down that knife Edymnion. Seriously, I was joking... Help?
Indeed, that prophecy is trying to set itself right. But it has been split into two. (Like in the Belgariad Saga by David Eddings).
Both states that a new god will rise, a new mark emerge, etc. Havn't worked out all of it yet, but this will ivolve tha planes, the moons etc.)
Of course this involves the wf and The Becoming God.. also known as.. Xulu, (From the campaign path starting with Shadows of the last War). The LoBster is in leagur with this fraction, and The Emerakd Claw, (who thinks they can control the new god. They don't really believe it's a god ;) ).
The other faction is lead by a former Chamber dragon, who found a passage about himself in the prophecy. He is to be, (or so he believes), the father of the new race. A dragonenhanced race of shifters. He works with the Eldeen Wolves, (a terrorist group fighting Aundair), who ships groups of fugitive Shifter communities to him to use in his breeding.
He also works with the Shifter Lorekeepers, (I think thats what they are called), a faction of shifter druids trying to preserve Shifter culture.
This is all a lot more convoluted and complicated IMC, with pact magic, sleeping gods, etc, but thats the basics.
Depending on the PC's actions the wf might get the god and mark, or the shifters will get it. Anyways I too will need a new mark.
Hope this didn't wander too far off the thread.. or bore anyone to death. It's late and my mind is doing the kender dance of fail.