Dragonmarks as Bloodlines

[T.G. Oskar]

DRAGONMARK-RELATED PRESTIGE CLASSES
If dragonmarks are treated as bloodlines rather than feat choices, the dynamic between all related mechanics becomes altered. This is more pronounced with the dragonmark-related prestige classes, which are designed to reinforce the power of dragonmarks by sacrificing class features. Likewise, the limitations in caster level from the original feats defined one of the key aspects of various of these dragonmarked prestige classes.

Then comes the fact that all prestige classes sacrifice class features for what’s essentially nothing. While a character with the Least Mark of Sentinel (shield of faith) would, if getting, say, all 5 levels of dragonmark heir, get five uses of their Least Dragonmark power, three uses of their chosen Lesser Dragonmark power and one use of their Greater Dragonmark power, they sacrifice five of their class levels, which entail some benefits and some sacrifices (martial characters lose BAB, skill-based characters lose skill points and spellcasters lose spells, though they gain better saving throws in exchange). With the loss of the feats and their exchange into bloodlines, the character now has to sacrifice six class levels (the five from Dragonmark Heir, plus the one from the bloodline itself) in exchange for a moderately higher CL and a large amount of uses of least dragonmark powers. How the other class features are handled imply that they can choose to ignore all the other effects of the better bloodlines to gain the same abilities, or they have to choose the better bloodlines to take full advantage of the class, but have to sacrifice more levels in exchange.

Thus, the prestige classes have to be rehauled. This doesn’t just mean the Dragonmark Heir, but also the Heir of Siberys and the Child of Khyber, as well as minor fixes to the Dragonmarked supplement prestige classes.

DRAGONMARKED HEIR
Hit Die: d8.
Requirements
To qualify to become a dragonmarked heir, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Feats: Favored in Guild (appropriate dragonmarked house)
Skills: 9 ranks in two skills, defined by bloodline: Spot and Listen (Detection), Survival and Search (Finding), Handle Animal and Ride (Handling), Heal and Concentration (Healing), Diplomacy and Gather Information (Hospitality), Craft (any one) and Appraise (Making), Survival and Tumble (Passage), Decipher Script and Knowledge (any one) (Scribing), Sense Motive and Intimidate (Sentinel), Gather Information and Perform (any) (Shadow/Phiarlan), Gather Information and Profession (architect, engineer, painter, sculptor) (Shadow/Thuranni), Balance and Profession (sailor) (Storm) or Search and Disable Device (Warding)
Special: Must have a least, lesser or greater true dragonmark. Characters with the Siberys form of the dragonmark or having aberrant dragonmarks cannot enter this class.

Class Skills
The dragonmark heir’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nobility and royalty) (Int), Listen (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language (n/a), Search (Int), Spellcraft (Int) and Spot (Wis)
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier. The amount of skill points may differ based on house training

Table: The Dragonmarked Heir
Level	Base Attack Bonus*	Fort Save*	Ref Save*	Will Save*	Special		Class Features
1st	+0	+0	+0	+0	Dragonmark power +1, house training		-
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+0	Access dragonmark power, additional action points		+1 level of existing class features
3rd	+2	+1	+1	+1	Dragonmark power +1		-
4th	+3	+1	+1	+1	Access dragonmark power		+1 level of existing class features
5th	+3	+1	+1	+1	Dragonmark miracle		+1 level of existing class features

Spoiler: Comments

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While it may seem like an odd PrC chassis, it actually works. This helps the character that chose the bloodline to minimize the effect of losing a few more levels by adding what's essentially the best form of progression ever. The class skills are also custom-worked. In essence, you get 12 different versions of the same class, each aiming to very specific class builds.

Class Features
All of the following are features of the dragonmark heir prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A dragonmarked heir does not gain any new proficiency with weapons or armor.
Dragonmark Power: At 1^st level, and again at 4^th level, a dragonmarked heir increases its caster level by 1 when using its dragonmark powers.
House Training: Dragonmarked heirs from different houses train in different ways. Depending on the mark it possesses (and thus, the house it belongs to), the class offers differing advancement.
Cannith: good Will saves, Use Magic Device as class skill
Deneith: good base attack bonus and Fortitude saves
Ghallanda: good Will saves, +2 skill points/class level
Jorasco: good Fortitude saves, Heal as class skill
Kundarak: good Reflex saves, Disable Device and Open Lock as class skills, +2 skill points/class level
Lyrandar: good Reflex saves, Balance and Tumble as class skills
Medani: good Reflex and Will saves
Orien: good Fortitude and Reflex saves, Balance as class skill
Phiarlan: good Reflex and Will saves, Hide and Move Silently as class skills
Sivis: good Will saves, Decipher Script as class skill
Tharashk: good Fortitude and Reflex saves, Survival as class skill
Thuranni: good Reflex saves, Hide and Move Silently as class skills
Vadalis: good Fortitude and Reflex saves; Handle Animal as class skill

As well, due to the ties with the house, any Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Intimidate and Perform checks made by the dragonmarked heir towards people of its house or its allies (see House Affinity of each dragonmark for more details) gains a bonus equal to its class level.

Spoiler: Comments

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As I mentioned, you get 12...no, 13 different versions of the PrC: one for each house. As you'll notice, medium BAB is fair for all builds save for Deneith, which generally aims for full BAB, so Deneith is the only House that gets full BAB. I thought of Orien and Tharashk, but both work well with medium BAB...and they get two good saves to Deneith's one. The other outlier is Kundarak which gets better skil points per level.

Class Feature Advancement: At 2^nd level, and again at 4^th and 5^th level, a dragonmarked heir gains class features and an increase in effective level as if it had also gained a level in a class to which it belonged before adding the prestige class level. Class features improved include spellcasting ability, but do not include the benefit of the class' Hit Dice, base attack bonus progression, skill points or saving throws. If the dragonmarked heir had more than one class before becoming one, he or she must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining class features.

Spoiler: Comments

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I like how Legacy Champion and Uncanny Trickster simply go with the idea of progressing your class abilities as it has to deal with a lot of classes. Well, this is fair for a class as flexible in build as a Dragonmarked Heir, so it gets the same benefit in a 3/5 proportion. This is a saving grace for those who take Greater Dragonmarks, as they have to sacrifice 8 levels to unlock full potential. In fact, with clever managing, you can make quite impressive builds...which is also the idea ;)

Access Dragonmark Power (Sp): At 2^nd level, and again at 4^th level, a dragonmarked heir may choose a new dragonmark power from the ones it currently has access to. A dragonmarked heir with the Least Dragonmark may only choose Least Dragonmark powers, a heir with the Lesser Dragonmark may have access to Least Dragonmarks and Lesser Dragonmarks (the latter only if the character already has a Lesser Dragonmark power), and a heir with the Greater Dragonmark has access to Least, Lesser and Greater Dragonmark powers (the latter only if the character already has a Lesser or Greater Dragonmark power)

Spoiler: Comments

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Since you don't get free feats, the replacement you get should grant greater flexibility with your current Dragonmarks. Note, of course, that you should wait for the right moment to get the extra Dragonmark power, or else you'll get a bunch of low-level powers.

Additional Action Points: At 2^nd level, a dragonmark heir gains 2 additional action points each level. If the dragonmarked heir doesn’t have an action point reserve, it gains 2 action points each level.
NPC dragonmarked heirs gain the Heroic Spirit feat instead; if they already have the feat, they gain 2 extra points.

Spoiler: Comments

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Legacy ability. If you don't use Action Points in your game (hint: you should!), then this ability isn't that great, but you should still consider adding it. The bonus on rolls and auto-stabilize are lifesavers.

Dragonmark Miracle (Sp): At 5^th level, a dragonmark heir can expend all its dragonmark resources to access the full power of their dragonmark. By expending all remaining uses of all dragonmark powers, the dragonmarked heir can access the next level of dragonmark. Thus, by expending all Least Dragonmark powers, the dragonmarked heir can use one of the Lesser Dragonmark powers of its choice; by expending all Least and Lesser Dragonmark powers, the heir can use one Greater Dragonmark power of its choice, and by expending all Least, Lesser and Greater Dragonmark powers, the heir may access the Siberys dragonmark of its choice. The dragonmark heir must have at least three available uses of Least Dragonmark powers to use a Lesser Dragonmark power, two uses of Lesser Dragonmark powers for a Greater Dragonmark power, and one use of Greater Dragonmark power for the Siberys dragonmark power; all required uses are cumulative (thus, a dragonmarked heir with one available use of a Greater Dragonmark power must still have two uses of Lesser Dragonmark powers and three remaining uses of Least Dragonmark powers to harness the Siberys dragonmarked power. See the heir of Siberys for the available Siberys dragonmark powers.

Spoiler: Comments

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This is where I break off the intentions of the class, and the intentions of Heir of Siberys. Dragonmark Miracle is meant to essentially extinguish all remaining uses of Dragonmark powers to gain a flexible, 1/day use of the next-strongest one. This would have been unfair to Greater Dragonmarked bloodlines, since it would have cheated them of their capstone, so they got to tap into the Siberys dragonmark..which in no way it cheats the Heir of Siberys of its uniqueness.

Now, the idea remains - what happens with Least and Lesser Dragonmarked characters, since they might not get the required uses of Dragonmark powers? Consider that the idea is to expend all remaining uses, so that's a bare minimum for those who can get more than that; in the case of these Dragonmark bloodline intensities, you need to expend at least the limit of powers that you get (Least get to expend all their Dragonmark powers, Lesser gets to expend at least 2 Least and 1 Lesser). The idea is - if you have more uses per day than what you normally should have, you need to have at least that amount or the maximum amount you normally have, whichever is lower. Hence, Least Dragonmark users have to expend all their uses of Least Dragonmark powers, but if a character with the Least Dragonmark power has more than 3 maximum uses, it can spend one of those additional uses and still expend the rest for a Lesser Dragonmark power.