Jarred Stone
2014-04-10, 04:28 PM
Greeting, my fellow comrades, I am currently running a Pathfinder game in a homebrew setting where travelling through planes is possible. Just think something like "Spelljammer Meets Eberron" but with a Empire during industrial revolution (totally Not-Russia), eugenic aasimar colonialists who think they are the next step on world's evolution, opressed ork workers and elves who are being pushed back like native Americans.
Anyways, the point of this post is about a system I have seen in Eberron called "dragon marks". Considering people travels throught the Void and aasimars are always looking a way to "evolve" themselves, some people could develop somekind of taint from the Void. A taint which expands gradually throught his body and grants him limited powers. From other point of view, interpretation wise, the person bearing one of those marks could be the first one of a future sorcerer dinasty. Moreover, depending on the culture the PC is from, those marks could be seen as a Devil's curse, or the signal of him being a new Messiah.
Rules wise, these marks could grant useful spell-like abilities to low-tyer classes, giving him some autonomy and letting him play along the "magic swordman hero" (or magical girl, I know you all where thinking about that) concept.
Of course, I don't want to open the special now-flake portal, or the min/maxer's one. So, I am talking with my players personally, telling about this concept and how he would want to roleplay it (considering he want to play along with it), and just giving him access to certain types of marks depending on the background of the character or what has been doing during the adventure.
For example, look at this halfling gunslinger. He is just a gunslinger, with all the Spaghetti Western clichés. He has always kept far from magic because of reasons, so he has never been exposed to any kind of radiation. If this player now tells me "I want this <introduce mark who would make him totally unbalaced> mark", I would likely say no, at least he gives me good background reasons.
Now, let's see this other gunslinger, from the background story, he was a colonialist who has survived all along on a manifestation of the fire plane. During years, he was wandering alone in a dessert full of fire and ashes, striving to survive (which he reflected with high as **** Survive skill with even taking Endurance and Skill Focus Survive for roleplay reasons). This guy, I would let him have access to a fire dragon's mark because, **** it, he has been exposed to a lot of planar **** during years. Of course, I wouldn't let him take an ice dragon's mark.
Right now, there are 3/5 characters in the party which could develop such marks because of fluff. Of course, the other 2 PCs won't suffer for being left behind, because they have already techy perks because of their backgrounds.
However, woe on me, when I checked Eberron's dragon marks, they weren't ajusting exactly to the fluff I wanted to give them. At least, guys, you tell me that being exposed too much to the water plane gives you powers to uncypher scrolls. Don't get mistaken, I like the aviable dragon marks but I wanted to add to the roster other kind of marks. Basically, marks which orbit around elemental energy, other planes like the Veil (dream plane) or the Void. Much like Eldritch's heritage but with spell-like abilyties instead of powers.
You have still take a feat in order to have the mark and it only gives you ONE spell-like hability, which you can use only once per day. So, I think it is somewhat balanced. The ones I have beend thinking right now are the ones I will be giving access apart of some of the already created:
1- Void Dragon Mark:
>Minor: Knowledge Planes +2 and glitterdust (1/day) or Magic Missile (1/day)
>Lesser: Blink (2/day), Missile Storm (1/day), Diamond Spray (1/day) or Diamond Spray.
>Greater: Call the Void (2/day), Dimensional Door (1/day) or Contact other Plane (1/day)
2.- Fire Dragon Mark:
>Minor: +4 on Survival Checks when overcoming hot enviroments and Burning Hands (1/day) or Create Flame (1/pay)
>Lesser: Scorching Ray (2/day), fireball (1/day), Fire Arrow (1/day) or Resis Energy (1/day)
>Greater: Detonate (1/day), Flame Strike (1/day) or Fire Shield (2/day)
3.- Fey Dragon Mark:
>Minor: Bluff +2, Invisibility (1/day) or Disguise Himself (1/day)
>Lesser: Hideous Laughter (2/day), Unnatural Lust (2/day), Displacement (1/day)
>Greater: Confusion (2/day), Feeblemind (1/day) or False Vision (1/day)
4.- Infernal Mark:
>Minor: +2 Diplomacy and Charm Person (1/day) or Cause Fear (1/day)
>Lesser: Scorching Ray (2/pay), Suggestion (1/day) or Bestow Curse (1/day)
>Greater: Dominate Person (1/day), Enervation (2/day) or Slay Living (1/day)
5- Celestial Mark:
>Minor: +2 Diplomacy and Protection From Evil (1/day) or Remove Fear (1/day)
>Lesser: Dispel Magic (1/day), Magic Circle Against Evil (1/day) or Remove Curse (1/day)
>Greater: Break Enchantment (1/day), Breath of Life (1/day) or Dispel Evil (1/day)
6- Mark of the Elven Ancestors:
>Minor: +2 Survival and Summon Natural Ally 2 (1/day) or Damp Powder (1/day)
>Lesser: Haste (1/day), Summon Natural Ally 3 (1/day) or Plant Growth (1/day)
>Greater: Freedom of Movement (2/day), Summon Natural Ally 5 (1/day), Tree Stride (1/day)
7- Arcane Hunter Mark: (**** from a PC's background involving arcane testing from elves)
>Minor: +2 Spellcraft or Knowledge Arcana checks and Gravity Bow (1/day) or True Strike (1/day)
>Lesser: Protection from Arrows (2/day), Flame Arrow (1/day) or Invisibility Purge (1/day)
>Greater: Dimension Doo (2/day), Name Bullet (2/day) or Globe of invulnerability (1/day)
Thoughts about this? Is it too unbalanced? The feat chain in order to get those marks would be restricted by the player level, of course, much like Eldritch's Heritage. Also I would like to see some suggestion for other marks, or adapt the ones from Eberron, since some of them looks petty, pretty weak.
Thanks for your attention.
Anyways, the point of this post is about a system I have seen in Eberron called "dragon marks". Considering people travels throught the Void and aasimars are always looking a way to "evolve" themselves, some people could develop somekind of taint from the Void. A taint which expands gradually throught his body and grants him limited powers. From other point of view, interpretation wise, the person bearing one of those marks could be the first one of a future sorcerer dinasty. Moreover, depending on the culture the PC is from, those marks could be seen as a Devil's curse, or the signal of him being a new Messiah.
Rules wise, these marks could grant useful spell-like abilities to low-tyer classes, giving him some autonomy and letting him play along the "magic swordman hero" (or magical girl, I know you all where thinking about that) concept.
Of course, I don't want to open the special now-flake portal, or the min/maxer's one. So, I am talking with my players personally, telling about this concept and how he would want to roleplay it (considering he want to play along with it), and just giving him access to certain types of marks depending on the background of the character or what has been doing during the adventure.
For example, look at this halfling gunslinger. He is just a gunslinger, with all the Spaghetti Western clichés. He has always kept far from magic because of reasons, so he has never been exposed to any kind of radiation. If this player now tells me "I want this <introduce mark who would make him totally unbalaced> mark", I would likely say no, at least he gives me good background reasons.
Now, let's see this other gunslinger, from the background story, he was a colonialist who has survived all along on a manifestation of the fire plane. During years, he was wandering alone in a dessert full of fire and ashes, striving to survive (which he reflected with high as **** Survive skill with even taking Endurance and Skill Focus Survive for roleplay reasons). This guy, I would let him have access to a fire dragon's mark because, **** it, he has been exposed to a lot of planar **** during years. Of course, I wouldn't let him take an ice dragon's mark.
Right now, there are 3/5 characters in the party which could develop such marks because of fluff. Of course, the other 2 PCs won't suffer for being left behind, because they have already techy perks because of their backgrounds.
However, woe on me, when I checked Eberron's dragon marks, they weren't ajusting exactly to the fluff I wanted to give them. At least, guys, you tell me that being exposed too much to the water plane gives you powers to uncypher scrolls. Don't get mistaken, I like the aviable dragon marks but I wanted to add to the roster other kind of marks. Basically, marks which orbit around elemental energy, other planes like the Veil (dream plane) or the Void. Much like Eldritch's heritage but with spell-like abilyties instead of powers.
You have still take a feat in order to have the mark and it only gives you ONE spell-like hability, which you can use only once per day. So, I think it is somewhat balanced. The ones I have beend thinking right now are the ones I will be giving access apart of some of the already created:
1- Void Dragon Mark:
>Minor: Knowledge Planes +2 and glitterdust (1/day) or Magic Missile (1/day)
>Lesser: Blink (2/day), Missile Storm (1/day), Diamond Spray (1/day) or Diamond Spray.
>Greater: Call the Void (2/day), Dimensional Door (1/day) or Contact other Plane (1/day)
2.- Fire Dragon Mark:
>Minor: +4 on Survival Checks when overcoming hot enviroments and Burning Hands (1/day) or Create Flame (1/pay)
>Lesser: Scorching Ray (2/day), fireball (1/day), Fire Arrow (1/day) or Resis Energy (1/day)
>Greater: Detonate (1/day), Flame Strike (1/day) or Fire Shield (2/day)
3.- Fey Dragon Mark:
>Minor: Bluff +2, Invisibility (1/day) or Disguise Himself (1/day)
>Lesser: Hideous Laughter (2/day), Unnatural Lust (2/day), Displacement (1/day)
>Greater: Confusion (2/day), Feeblemind (1/day) or False Vision (1/day)
4.- Infernal Mark:
>Minor: +2 Diplomacy and Charm Person (1/day) or Cause Fear (1/day)
>Lesser: Scorching Ray (2/pay), Suggestion (1/day) or Bestow Curse (1/day)
>Greater: Dominate Person (1/day), Enervation (2/day) or Slay Living (1/day)
5- Celestial Mark:
>Minor: +2 Diplomacy and Protection From Evil (1/day) or Remove Fear (1/day)
>Lesser: Dispel Magic (1/day), Magic Circle Against Evil (1/day) or Remove Curse (1/day)
>Greater: Break Enchantment (1/day), Breath of Life (1/day) or Dispel Evil (1/day)
6- Mark of the Elven Ancestors:
>Minor: +2 Survival and Summon Natural Ally 2 (1/day) or Damp Powder (1/day)
>Lesser: Haste (1/day), Summon Natural Ally 3 (1/day) or Plant Growth (1/day)
>Greater: Freedom of Movement (2/day), Summon Natural Ally 5 (1/day), Tree Stride (1/day)
7- Arcane Hunter Mark: (**** from a PC's background involving arcane testing from elves)
>Minor: +2 Spellcraft or Knowledge Arcana checks and Gravity Bow (1/day) or True Strike (1/day)
>Lesser: Protection from Arrows (2/day), Flame Arrow (1/day) or Invisibility Purge (1/day)
>Greater: Dimension Doo (2/day), Name Bullet (2/day) or Globe of invulnerability (1/day)
Thoughts about this? Is it too unbalanced? The feat chain in order to get those marks would be restricted by the player level, of course, much like Eldritch's Heritage. Also I would like to see some suggestion for other marks, or adapt the ones from Eberron, since some of them looks petty, pretty weak.
Thanks for your attention.