Author Topic: Unearthed Arcana: Dragonmarks  (Read 1864 times)

Offline Wilb

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Unearthed Arcana: Dragonmarks
« on: September 10, 2018, 03:14:33 PM »
Well. I don't know how to feel about them, except that I find the rules strange.
Lovely Zoma...

Offline awaken_D_M_golem

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Re: Unearthed Arcana: Dragonmarks
« Reply #1 on: September 10, 2018, 06:26:14 PM »
1 copy+paste boo boo edit necessary on Sentinel - Vigilant Guardian sentences 3 4 5 and 6 belong in Scribing. 
Somebody needed more coffee before deadline = we've all been there.

The old '15 UA Eberron dragonmarks were 1 cantrip 1st 2nd and 3rd level spells.
Looks like they split those into Aberrant Dragonmark at first, and Greaters at level 8+.
Immediately suggests homebrewing Greater Aberrant Dragonmark feats doing a ~pick 'em.

The new ones aren't feats so much as they're Racial variants ( 3 different fluffs for it too ).

"Intuition Dice" only needs the 2nd paragraph for now, unless using the Greater feat, and the "intuition" part is fluff with no fluff other than the word.


Scribing, Healing and Hospitality are like a Variant Human
taking the Magical Training feat, yet compare badly.

Detection - every community wants 1 of these.

Finding - best Tracker yet.

Handling - for the proto ~supermount.

Making - is absolutely lovely. 

Passage - semi Rogue dip and double get-out-of-jail.

Sentinel - Initiative and Shield on short rest = we have a winner.

Shadow - some Elves would pick this.  Some.

Storm - wants to give Waterborn Minotaurs a call.

Warding - dwarf communities might not even know they have one of these.
Dwarf teenager 1:  Dude did you get punched by a gnome?
Dwarf teenager 2:  Oh? no.  No it's a dragonmark see when I dippity this I can zippyzappy that and ...


Greaters have to be compared to Racial specific feats.
The extra spells known are very tasty to Ranger + Sorc.
« Last Edit: September 10, 2018, 06:29:16 PM by awaken_D_M_golem »
Your codpiece is a mimic.

Offline SorO_Lost

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Re: Unearthed Arcana: Dragonmarks
« Reply #2 on: September 11, 2018, 05:00:38 PM »
I find them overall kind of lame.

So Dragonmarks used to be extra addons to a Character Race in the form of Feats (both in 3rd & last 5th UA on them) except no one actually choose them and now they cost Racial bonuses to access them. Each one sort of offers an Ability Bonus, a combination of Next's Skill System & 5th's Proficiency System because they lack originality, an SLA, and some really minor trait. Except come of those also have another trait too like Mending's extra trait is both your choice in Cantrips and the ability to make your Weapon or Armor +1 while Hospitality's minor trait is just another prepicked SLA. Also you now have to waste an ASI to improve it but at least now you get a +1 bump which makes it a little less painful but it just leaves me wondering. Why couldn't the base Dragonmark be a Feat that offers a +1 Ability Bonus? Did they really need to nerf the last set?

Also why isn't there a Greater Aberrant Dragonmark?

Offline Wilb

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Re: Unearthed Arcana: Dragonmarks
« Reply #3 on: September 12, 2018, 09:05:49 AM »
Also why isn't there a Greater Aberrant Dragonmark?

Probably to uncanonize the racial purity purges of the Dragonmarked houses against Tarkanan & his aberrant group, and cement the "aberrant dragonmarks are always shitty to those who have them and those around them" line of thought.

But if we go along the "simplify everything" route, it may be to keep everything simple, the same reason only half orcs get the dragonmark of finding now.
Lovely Zoma...