Siberys Dragonmark

[cartejos]

Is Heir of Siberys the only way to gain a Siberys dragonmark?

If one were to try to make a character with fluff revolving around their Siberys mark how would they go about this?
I know its very general, and there isn't a set direction for the character, but the fluff around the marks could be cool, even if not particularly powerful

[Afgncaap5]

Is Heir of Siberys the only way to gain a Siberys dragonmark?

If one were to try to make a character with fluff revolving around their Siberys mark how would they go about this?
I know its very general, and there isn't a set direction for the character, but the fluff around the marks could be cool, even if not particularly powerful

It's the only 1st party RAW method of attaining a Siberys dragonmark, at least as far as I'm aware.

It seems to be the case that dragonmarks were meant to have a lot of non-mechanical (or at least story-based) functionality to them, which doesn't always sit well at a by-the-books table. Having said that, the fluff could indeed be interesting, depending on the mark.

Most potential heirs of Siberys are given some sort of test by their house to see if the mark can be made to manifest. And there should probably be a lot of ways that magic related to the mark just sort of... happens... to or around the heir, usually under their control though the Draconic Prophecies trilogy has a main character who's got the Siberys Mark of Storms and doesn't have much direct control over it, generally seeing it manifest in response to his emotions. Generally, the mark could cause big weather patterns to just happen around him, usually helpful ones, though I think they tended to get rid of underlings and minions more than they got rid of significant threats under those circumstances.

So, uh... I guess the fluff you could have depends on what you want, and what your DM will allow. Your Mark of Shadows could do anything from merely granting the base abilities that the class suggests, to making you an impossible to track shadow-being graced with speed and stealth while calling darkness itself to your whim. However, the closer you get to that end of the spectrum, the more I'd encourage it to be a plot-point in the DM's hands rather than being something you're doing intentionally.

[Nifft]

Yeah AFAICT the only mechanical PC-compatible way to get a Siberys mark is by taking two levels the associated PrC.

NPCs can do whatever the DM wants, of course -- they belong to the DM, and rules are for players.


In terms of fluff, the circumstances presented in the ECS seem pretty reasonable: your character was a Dragonmarked House descendant who never got a Least Dragonmark, but you worked really hard anyway, and then suddenly SURPRISE you got the best kind of Dragonmark.

It's sort of an after-school-special moral lesson like: be nice to everyone, even people who don't seem to be on the path of succession, because you never know who will suddenly get the best Dragonmark.

[TheBrassDuke]

I loved my Wiz(Tran)/Master Specialist/HoS build, and while it would have been easier to obtain the Mark of Making without those PrC levels, it really rounded my character towards the end, especially when he took levels in Archmage. He was the master of Creation.

Essentially True Creation for free, as a ridiculously powerful specialist wizard...it was great.

[sleepyphoenixx]

I loved my Wiz(Tran)/Master Specialist/HoS build, and while it would have been easier to obtain the Mark of Making without those PrC levels, it really rounded my character towards the end, especially when he took levels in Archmage. He was the master of Creation.

Essentially True Creation for free, as a ridiculously powerful specialist wizard...it was great.

It was errataed to cost XP. Still pretty powerful, but you'll want to think about using it instead of going for it every time.
Another great benefit of HoS is the ability to take Mark of the Stars to become immune to surprise and being flat-footed (a valuable and rather hard effect to get otherwise if you can't cast Foresight).

[SLOTHRPG95]

It was errataed to cost XP. Still pretty powerful, but you'll want to think about using it instead of going for it every time.
Another great benefit of HoS is the ability to take Mark of the Stars to become immune to surprise and being flat-footed (a valuable and rather hard effect to get otherwise if you can't cast Foresight).

Or share the buff love with Mark of Sentinel if you'd not otherwise get Mind Blank. At high levels it's never not a useful spell, and helps cover up a potential low Will save of a non-caster HoS.

[TheBrassDuke]

It was errataed to cost XP. Still pretty powerful, but you'll want to think about using it instead of going for it every time.
Another great benefit of HoS is the ability to take Mark of the Stars to become immune to surprise and being flat-footed (a valuable and rather hard effect to get otherwise if you can't cast Foresight).

I didn’t actually know they’d errata’d that. That screws up the entire build now, I guess. No more Time Stop/True Creation shenanigans anymore for me. Unless I just don’t follow the errata...

In all seriousness though, the Siberys Marks are awesome. And fluffwise, they did help me make one hell of a character. :)

Anyone ever consider what the Mark of Death (Vol being presumed to be the only one capable of possessing the Siberys Mark variant, if one exists) would do? I’ve read Baker’s comments on what he’s done with the lesser powers and abilities associated with them, but I don’t recall if he’d mentioned the Siberys Mark or not.

And can someone help me piece this together? For context it’s in my world.

For what reason would a House Cannith (S) Heir want with the Mark of Death, if originally his purpose was to serve Vol’s Cult as a normal adherent, and completely oblivious to her true intent? It’s implied that her goal could be detrimental to his, and so he abandons the BoV and keeps access to the Mark from her (via the PC who manages the least Mark); he intends to use the Mark to bring back a sister that passed, which is his ultimate goal. He knows Vol will not assist with that. Keep in mind that this heir is also a dangerous LE wizard who actually leads the (mostly G-N, one actually being LG) party and originally became infamous in Cyre (before the Mourning) for producing his own army of Warforged and manufacturing and dealing advanced Cannith weapons; he assumed power over an entire region of Cannith estates.