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Dragonmarks

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
darkdiashi
Jul 25, 2009 23:34:39 How do you treat dragonmarks outside of the Ebberon setting? I use the points of light setting and would like to take a dragonmark for my character. I know I can, but I just wanted to see how it should be handled. Also:

In ebberon can a character have more than one dragonmark? Could I have more than one in PoL?

I don't have the Ebberon players guide, nor have i ever played ebberon, so I do not know very much about the lore concerning dragnmarks. Any help would be apreciated!
#2
sigil_beguiler
Jul 25, 2009 23:44:17 Well, if I don't want to think something up I generally just have it as nothing more then like a normal Feat. The things Dragonmarks give are simply just something the PC developed.

Another common one is that Dragonmarks are something that those touched either during their life or in the womb by Far Realms, Flux Storms, etc (basically mutation/reality warping forces) gain. The mark may be invisible, or it may be quite apparent beyond a mark on the skin to the point of being some physical mutation.

As for Eberron, they tend to first appear around puberty. As far as I know it has always been you just have the one Dragonmark.
#3
shinkirou
Jul 26, 2009 10:32:25 Outside of Eberron it's just an arcane tattoo.

I've not read anything that wouldn't allow it for either, but then again I haven't read EPG that closely.

You'd probably be best off asking this in the Eberron section of the forums.
#4
nthdegree256
Jul 26, 2009 10:53:37 Agreed with the above posters that the Eberron forums are where you can find more information about their role in the setting, but I'll try to give you the highlights:

You can't have more than one dragonmark in Eberron. I don't have the Player's Guide with me at the moment, but I suspect it'll say specifically that you can only have one mark (and that retraining the feat away is strongly discouraged.) I just booted up the Character Builder and it won't let me take more than one dragonmark feat without switching on Houserule mode.

Quick rundown of the lore around dragonmarks:

In Eberron, there's this thing called the Draconic Prophecy, or just the Prophecy, that can be found scrawled in strange markings around the world. It's massive and convoluted and describes the paths history can take (less of a "x and y will inevitably happen," and more of a "x and y will never happen unless z happens first",) and the dragons of the setting are among the only beings who have been around long enough to study it and start to make some sense of it.

In the most recent few hundred years, dragonmarks - these strange tattoo-like markings shaped like the Prophecy marks - have started appearing on different family bloodlines in Eberron. A halfling bloodline developed the Mark of Healing, a human family line began showing the Mark of Making, etc. A mark is a signifier of power and importance to the Prophecy, and these bloodlines used the powers granted by their marks to become massively powerful noble houses that have a monopoly on various services across the continent. The humans with the Mark of Passage, for example, run most of the transportation services (caravans, magical trains, teleportation circles) available in the world, while everyone knows that if you want something guarded, the dwarves with the Mark of Warding are the best in the business.

If you have a dragonmark in Eberron, it means a few things beyond the feat bonuses - none of these are mechanical in nature, just fuel for plotlines. It means that (assuming you're the correct race) you have a blood tie to one of these powerful noble houses, which could be a source of help or strife depending on how your interests align with theirs. If you're not of the correct race, you're something new and different - no one in Eberron has manifested a dragonmark outside of the "correct" family line before, and people might consider you a wonder, a nuisance, a freak, or a threat. It also means you're more likely to have a place of importance in the Prophecy; important events are more likely to hinge upon you, and the groups that know how to manipulate the Prophecy (dragons, and worse) may very well see you as a pawn to be used for their own ends.

-

For PoL, I'd recommend bringing up the subject with your DM - see if they have any interest in working any of the above ideas into the campaign (importance to prophecy, powerful noble bloodlines, etc.) At the very least, it's a powerful magical tattoo, and there can be a lot more to it if you and your DM want.
#5
daidojitaidoru
Jul 26, 2009 11:14:53 For POL there's no official word one way or the other. DMs have to decide how Dragonmarks fit in with the world, how to reflavor them, or if they just want them to be awesome feats.

I lean towards Dragonmarks being advanced training, or family bloodlines. There doesn't need to be a physical mark, but people who see you using the Dragonmark in action go "Huh, he uses Northern calligraphy." or "That's a Blackhawk technique."
#6
falstyr
Jul 26, 2009 11:17:27 I would use dragonmarks as mere fluff to describe a tattoo. Then use the Spell Scarred from Forgotten Realms to do the rest.
#7
famousfoxking
Jul 26, 2009 11:35:21
How do you treat dragonmarks outside of the Ebberon setting?

I'm treating them as "Sorcerous Talents". Some people are preternaturally good at things, a gift with animals (mark of handling), for example.
#8
salla
Jul 26, 2009 18:18:39 I just rename them. Mark of Passage is 'Master of Transport Magic', Mark of Making is 'Master of Creation Magic' and so forth.
#9
kyros_tachyus
Jul 26, 2009 23:45:12 Hmm, these are good suggestions. Even though I didn't originally post, thanks for all of the replies in this thread.
#10
darkdiashi
Jul 27, 2009 6:14:10
Hmm, these are good suggestions. Even though I didn't originally post, thanks for all of the replies in this thread.

I second that.^
#11
darkdiashi
Jul 31, 2009 7:13:33 This is a bit campaign specific but we figured out a good one.

Dragonmarks are marks that Bahamut bestows upon particullarly desevering servants.

In my campaign each character is going to get one as a free feat after doing somekind of important service for Bahamut and We can train for others (only after the first) by praying for a whole level (as opposed to study or training or spontaneous manifestation of Dhampyrism for example.).

Also it was decided that spell scars can only be obtained after you have been bloodied by an arcane spell (a big enough wound to leave a scar). The player can substitute a creature type for spellscarred for the penalty and savant's bonus such as immortal, demonic, draconic, or undead.
#12
captainfred
Aug 02, 2009 10:07:29 Actually in Eberron 4ed. You can get a dragonmark at any point in your life it just mysteriously appears GMs are encouraged to point out they can't be retrained like other feats.

As as other settings are concerned it's really going to be up the DM how they look and manifest.

Before I realized my PoL campaign conveniently fits into Eberron (Sarlona has large tracts of land that have been isolated for centuries that have access to different planes which means those areas could have access to a different pantheon and even different racial mixes, heck they could even have a different view of the night sky). I'd thought about having the players come across a meteor in the wilderness that would explode if one of them touched it (or even got close) the shrapnel would fly everywhere giving each of them a small burn even if they didn't take any real damage from the blast. I'd then let them know that those small burns could develop into a dragonmark if they decided to take a Dragonmark feat later.
#13
darkdiashi
Aug 03, 2009 6:36:21
Actually in Eberron 4ed. You can get a dragonmark at any point in your life it just mysteriously appears GMs are encouraged to point out they can't be retrained like other feats.

As as other settings are concerned it's really going to be up the DM how they look and manifest.

Before I realized my PoL campaign conveniently fits into Eberron (Sarlona has large tracts of land that have been isolated for centuries that have access to different planes which means those areas could have access to a different pantheon and even different racial mixes, heck they could even have a different view of the night sky). I'd thought about having the players come across a meteor in the wilderness that would explode if one of them touched it (or even got close) the shrapnel would fly everywhere giving each of them a small burn even if they didn't take any real damage from the blast. I'd then let them know that those small burns could develop into a dragonmark if they decided to take a Dragonmark feat later.

That's a pretty cool idea.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 darkdiashi Jul 25, 2009 23:34:39	How do you treat dragonmarks outside of the Ebberon setting? I use the points of light setting and would like to take a dragonmark for my character. I know I can, but I just wanted to see how it should be handled. Also: In ebberon can a character have more than one dragonmark? Could I have more than one in PoL? I don't have the Ebberon players guide, nor have i ever played ebberon, so I do not know very much about the lore concerning dragnmarks. Any help would be apreciated!
#2 sigil_beguiler Jul 25, 2009 23:44:17	Well, if I don't want to think something up I generally just have it as nothing more then like a normal Feat. The things Dragonmarks give are simply just something the PC developed. Another common one is that Dragonmarks are something that those touched either during their life or in the womb by Far Realms, Flux Storms, etc (basically mutation/reality warping forces) gain. The mark may be invisible, or it may be quite apparent beyond a mark on the skin to the point of being some physical mutation. As for Eberron, they tend to first appear around puberty. As far as I know it has always been you just have the one Dragonmark.
#3 shinkirou Jul 26, 2009 10:32:25	Outside of Eberron it's just an arcane tattoo. I've not read anything that wouldn't allow it for either, but then again I haven't read EPG that closely. You'd probably be best off asking this in the Eberron section of the forums.
#4 nthdegree256 Jul 26, 2009 10:53:37	Agreed with the above posters that the Eberron forums are where you can find more information about their role in the setting, but I'll try to give you the highlights: You can't have more than one dragonmark in Eberron. I don't have the Player's Guide with me at the moment, but I suspect it'll say specifically that you can only have one mark (and that retraining the feat away is strongly discouraged.) I just booted up the Character Builder and it won't let me take more than one dragonmark feat without switching on Houserule mode. Quick rundown of the lore around dragonmarks: In Eberron, there's this thing called the Draconic Prophecy, or just the Prophecy, that can be found scrawled in strange markings around the world. It's massive and convoluted and describes the paths history can take (less of a "x and y will inevitably happen," and more of a "x and y will never happen unless z happens first",) and the dragons of the setting are among the only beings who have been around long enough to study it and start to make some sense of it. In the most recent few hundred years, dragonmarks - these strange tattoo-like markings shaped like the Prophecy marks - have started appearing on different family bloodlines in Eberron. A halfling bloodline developed the Mark of Healing, a human family line began showing the Mark of Making, etc. A mark is a signifier of power and importance to the Prophecy, and these bloodlines used the powers granted by their marks to become massively powerful noble houses that have a monopoly on various services across the continent. The humans with the Mark of Passage, for example, run most of the transportation services (caravans, magical trains, teleportation circles) available in the world, while everyone knows that if you want something guarded, the dwarves with the Mark of Warding are the best in the business. If you have a dragonmark in Eberron, it means a few things beyond the feat bonuses - none of these are mechanical in nature, just fuel for plotlines. It means that (assuming you're the correct race) you have a blood tie to one of these powerful noble houses, which could be a source of help or strife depending on how your interests align with theirs. If you're not of the correct race, you're something new and different - no one in Eberron has manifested a dragonmark outside of the "correct" family line before, and people might consider you a wonder, a nuisance, a freak, or a threat. It also means you're more likely to have a place of importance in the Prophecy; important events are more likely to hinge upon you, and the groups that know how to manipulate the Prophecy (dragons, and worse) may very well see you as a pawn to be used for their own ends. - For PoL, I'd recommend bringing up the subject with your DM - see if they have any interest in working any of the above ideas into the campaign (importance to prophecy, powerful noble bloodlines, etc.) At the very least, it's a powerful magical tattoo, and there can be a lot more to it if you and your DM want.
#5 daidojitaidoru Jul 26, 2009 11:14:53	For POL there's no official word one way or the other. DMs have to decide how Dragonmarks fit in with the world, how to reflavor them, or if they just want them to be awesome feats. I lean towards Dragonmarks being advanced training, or family bloodlines. There doesn't need to be a physical mark, but people who see you using the Dragonmark in action go "Huh, he uses Northern calligraphy." or "That's a Blackhawk technique."
#6 falstyr Jul 26, 2009 11:17:27	I would use dragonmarks as mere fluff to describe a tattoo. Then use the Spell Scarred from Forgotten Realms to do the rest.
#7 famousfoxking Jul 26, 2009 11:35:21	How do you treat dragonmarks outside of the Ebberon setting? I'm treating them as "Sorcerous Talents". Some people are preternaturally good at things, a gift with animals (mark of handling), for example.
#8 salla Jul 26, 2009 18:18:39	I just rename them. Mark of Passage is 'Master of Transport Magic', Mark of Making is 'Master of Creation Magic' and so forth.
#9 kyros_tachyus Jul 26, 2009 23:45:12	Hmm, these are good suggestions. Even though I didn't originally post, thanks for all of the replies in this thread.
#10 darkdiashi Jul 27, 2009 6:14:10	Hmm, these are good suggestions. Even though I didn't originally post, thanks for all of the replies in this thread. I second that.^
#11 darkdiashi Jul 31, 2009 7:13:33	This is a bit campaign specific but we figured out a good one. Dragonmarks are marks that Bahamut bestows upon particullarly desevering servants. In my campaign each character is going to get one as a free feat after doing somekind of important service for Bahamut and We can train for others (only after the first) by praying for a whole level (as opposed to study or training or spontaneous manifestation of Dhampyrism for example.). Also it was decided that spell scars can only be obtained after you have been bloodied by an arcane spell (a big enough wound to leave a scar). The player can substitute a creature type for spellscarred for the penalty and savant's bonus such as immortal, demonic, draconic, or undead.
#12 captainfred Aug 02, 2009 10:07:29	Actually in Eberron 4ed. You can get a dragonmark at any point in your life it just mysteriously appears GMs are encouraged to point out they can't be retrained like other feats. As as other settings are concerned it's really going to be up the DM how they look and manifest. Before I realized my PoL campaign conveniently fits into Eberron (Sarlona has large tracts of land that have been isolated for centuries that have access to different planes which means those areas could have access to a different pantheon and even different racial mixes, heck they could even have a different view of the night sky). I'd thought about having the players come across a meteor in the wilderness that would explode if one of them touched it (or even got close) the shrapnel would fly everywhere giving each of them a small burn even if they didn't take any real damage from the blast. I'd then let them know that those small burns could develop into a dragonmark if they decided to take a Dragonmark feat later.
#13 darkdiashi Aug 03, 2009 6:36:21	Actually in Eberron 4ed. You can get a dragonmark at any point in your life it just mysteriously appears GMs are encouraged to point out they can't be retrained like other feats. As as other settings are concerned it's really going to be up the DM how they look and manifest. Before I realized my PoL campaign conveniently fits into Eberron (Sarlona has large tracts of land that have been isolated for centuries that have access to different planes which means those areas could have access to a different pantheon and even different racial mixes, heck they could even have a different view of the night sky). I'd thought about having the players come across a meteor in the wilderness that would explode if one of them touched it (or even got close) the shrapnel would fly everywhere giving each of them a small burn even if they didn't take any real damage from the blast. I'd then let them know that those small burns could develop into a dragonmark if they decided to take a Dragonmark feat later. That's a pretty cool idea.