Dragon mark of death

[Invader]

So I've seen suggestions for the different marks of death but they almost always cine from the PHB. Since this going to exercising play a pretty large role in my campaign what would everyone suggest for the least, lesser, greater, and sibreys marks if they could use any published source or home brewed ideas?

[Nettlekid]

All you need is four SLAs, right? Not too hard. Probably make them a little stronger than normal, since "the forbidden lost power" is always a little stronger. I'll think a couple for each, though.

Least: Deathwatch, Death Knell, Visage of the Dead
Lesser: Clutch of Orcus, Heart Ripper, Vampiric Touch
Greater: Orb of Dancing Death, Finger of Death, Barghest's Feast
Siberys: Wail of the Banshee, Soul Bind (keep the focus), Eternity of Torture

Alternatively, theme them around the Necrotic Cyst spells.

Least: Necrotic Cyst
Lesser: Necrotic Scrying or Necrotic Bloat
Greater: Necrotic Domination or Necrotic Burst
Siberys: Necrotic Eruption or Necrotic Termination

This set would mean that you expend several uses of your Dragonmark's various abilities on a single person, but to great effect. And if you have a Siberys mark, you'll need an ally to set you up with their Least mark power.

[chronomatophobe]

The lesser and greater Aberrant Dragonmark feats from Dragonmarked should suffice as a build-your-own mark of Death.

[phlidwsn]

Baker's made a few posts about his ideas for mark of death. Specifically I remember him making the point that all the non-aberrent marks are constructive, not destructive in nature. So things like Deathwatch, Gentle Repose, Speak w/ Dead.

Ah, found it: The word of Keith Baker, aka Hellcow (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/27726677/Mark_of_Death_for_players)
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.

[Invader]

What if we narrowed it down to spells that aren't on the cleric spell list only?

[Nettlekid]

What if we narrowed it down to spells that aren't on the cleric spell list only?

So you mean non-Cleric spells?
(BTW, you might like this (http://www.imarvintpa.com/dndLive/FindSpell.php), since you can search based on spell school, key words, level, class list, NOT class list, etc. It's what I'm about to use.)

And I'm half-and-half about that "about death, not death itself" thing. On the one hand, I do see why it would have a fuller flavor to be regarding death, the nature of it and uses of it, and expand upon it akin to Making or Storm. But on the other hand, since it's an extinct dark power, to me there seems to be something satisfying about it being solely death, for killing. A bit like Avada Kedavra in Harry Potter. There are lots of fancy spells which do amazing things, many of which can end up killing you. Avada Kedavra does away with the frill and finery. It kills you. That is its only purpose. Much like the Mark of Death, in my mind. Those bearing the Mark of Death are meant to kill.

Anyway, suggestions on powers.
Least: Death Armor, False Life, Spirit Worm
Lesser: Enervation, Graymantle (or Ebon Ray of Doom), Heart Ripper
Greater: Blackfire, Eyebite, Avasculate
Siberys: Wail of the Banshee, Symbol of Death (no material component)