So, if you're making an elf character, you can choose to
take the Mark of Shadow instead of being a wood elf or
a high elf.
There is another option related to dragonmarks if
your group uses feats: the Aberrant Dragonmark feat
(see page 52) grants potentially dangerous magi-
cal abilities. Aberrant dragonmarks aren't tied to the
dragonmark houses and can be taken by a character
of any race.
DRAGONMARKS AND BACKGROUNDS
Dragonmarks are bound to certain bloodlines, and by
choosing a mark, you are establishing your character's
blood connection to one of the families in the dragon
marked houses. It's up to you to define your relationship
to the house. Were you brought up in the house? Or are
you independent from it? This is best represented by
your background. Consider the following options:
Agent. You have a close, ongoing relationship with your
house. The house agent background is a good choice if
you are actively working for the house. Alternately, you
could take the noble background to reflect a blood tie
to the leaders of the house.
Independent Scion. You were raised or trained by the
house, but you've kept your independence. This means
you don't have many special privileges, but you also
don't have responsibilities. Guild artisan is a good
choice to reflect basic house training, but you could
choose entertainer for the Mark of Shadow, sailor for
the Mark of Storms, soldier for the Mark of Sentinel,
sage for the Mark of Scribing, and so on.
Excoriate. When a dragonmarked heir defies their
house, they might be cut off from their family. In the
past, your mark would be flayed from your body. Al
though this mutilation is no longer practiced, such
exiles are still called excoriates. If you're an excoriate,
consider what you did to deserve this punishment.
Were you a criminal? A charlatan? Or perhaps a sage
who engaged in forbidden research?
Foundling. Yo ur ancestors left the house long ago. You
have no ties to the house and may not have known you
were connected by blood before you manifested your
dragonmark. As an outlander or an urchin, you might
know nothing about the houses. As an acolyte or a
hermit, you could have put your faith ahead of worldly
things, choosing not to pursue a connection with the
houses. Whatever you decide, this is an opportunity to
talk with your DM about the role you'd like the house
to play in a campaign. Do you want them to be your en
emy? Would you prefer to avoid them completely? Or
do you want to work your way into a position of power
in the house, despite being an outsider?
THE POWERS OF THE MARK
Each dragonmark grants a set of abilities that reflect the
inherent powers of the mark. Your dragonmarked race
gives you a set of traits derived from the magic of your
mark. If you are a spellcaster, your dragonmark also fu
els or channels some of your spells. Each dragonmark's
CHAPTER 1 I CHARACTER CREATIONdescription includes a list of dragonmark spells that flow
from the magic of the mark. If you play a character with
the Spellcasting or the Pact Magic class fe ature, your
dragonmark spells are added to the spell list for each of
your spellcasting classes, thereby expanding the spell
options available to you.
You might also consider your dragonmark the source
of any or all of your spells or class features. As a cleric
with the Mark of Healing, for example, you could say
your mark is the sole source of the healing and support
ive spells you cast, or your magic might come from a
combination of your mark's power and your faith in the
gods. As a warlock, your aberrant dragonmark might
actually be your fiendish patron, the source of all your
magic. These descriptions add flavor to your character
but don't change your character's abilities, beyond the
dragonmark spells added to your spell list.
Over the centuries, the houses have developed tools
that enhance and channel the powers of a mark, and
these items (some appear in chapter 5) give the houses
much of their economic power.DRAGONMARK APPEARANCE
A dragonmark appears on the skin. There are twelve
known dragonmarks, each unique in design and power.
A dragonmark can appear on any part of the body. One
half-elf could have the Mark of Detection across an eye,
while another has it in the palm of the hand. Dragon
marks appear with vivid shades of blue and purple and
shimmer or even move slightly. When used, they grow
warm to the touch and sometimes glow (though this
doesn't produce useful illumination). A dragonmark
can't be removed-even if a limb bearing a dragonmark
is cut away, the mark eventually manifests on another
part of the bearer's body. All dragonmarks share a sim
ilar initial appearance, but a dragonmark can grow in
size and complexity as a character gains levels and uses
it to cast more powerful magic.
While dragonmarks share the same general appear
ance, your dragonmark could have a unique quality. Roll
on the Dragonmark Quirks table for inspiration.0RAGONMARK QUIRKS
d8 Quirk
Yo ur dragon mark is unusually small or faint.(^2) Your dragonmark is exceptionally large.
3 Your dragon mark appears somewhere else on your
body whenever you finish a long rest.
4 Your dragon mark emits dim light in a 5-foot radius
for 10 minutes whenever you use it.
5 Your dragonmark tingles and changes color for a mo
ment when you're within 10 feet of someone with the
same mark.
6 When you use yo ur dragon mark, it animates and
adopts the appearance of your dragon marked house's
emblem for 1 minute.
7 Your dragonmark is an unusual color.
8 Your dragonmark changes size whenever you use it.