D&D Launches New Eberron-Themed Playtest With Dragonmarked Feats

The D&D design team has launched a new Unearthed Arcana playtest focused on the upcoming Eberron: Forge of the Artificer book, featuring Dragonmarked feats and a new Artificer subclass. The new packet contains rules for a Cartographer subclass for the Artificer, along with a handful of new magic item options and over 25 Dragonmarked feats. The Artificer base class rules also received a few tweaks to some of its features, with an eye towards more general versatility.

The other big feature is the new Dragonmarked feats, most of which are considered either Dragonmarked Feats or General Feats. The Dragonmarked Feats are specifically limited to Eberron campaigns and allow only one Dragonmark per character (thus preventing Warlocks from accumulating Dragonmarks). The General Feats are Greater Marks and specifically upgrade existing Dragonmarks as a requirement. It's interesting that D&D is keeping with campaign setting specific feats and feat trees, as both of these design traits were found in the Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen book.

You can check out the full playtest on D&D Beyond.

 

[Misanthrope Prime]

A few points based off Eberron lore...


I agree with pretty much of all of this, with the exception of the bolded; in the lore, the Mark of Siberys specifically only appears on those without a Dragonmark originally. I was actually happy to see that they didn't add that in as a prereq.

My guess would be that, at least in this particular product, they are carrying on the tradition that guns don't exist in Eberron. While this has always been more Kanon (Keith Baker's canon) than legitimate Canon, there are a lot of fans of the setting that agree that Eberron shouldn't have guns. In particular, the reason magical artillerists exist in the setting is because there is no gunpowder/firearms/cannons/etc that would otherwise take their place in war.

It's possible that any advice for porting the class out of Eberron might include adding firearm proficiency, but I don't think anyone would bat an eye to giving it to them, especially if your Eberron does have guns.

Not for nothing, but if guns are in the PHB I wouldn't be surprised if 5.5e's Eberron includes guns- Eberron's philosophy has always been "if it exists in D&D, it exists in Eberron". They had to find a place for dragonborn and tieflings in eberron when they were included in the 4e PHB, they'll probably find a place for guns now that they're in the 5e PHB.

 

[Gradine]

Not for nothing, but if guns are in the PHB I wouldn't be surprised if 5.5e's Eberron includes guns- Eberron's philosophy has always been "if it exists in D&D, it exists in Eberron". They had to find a place for dragonborn and tieflings in eberron when they were included in the 4e PHB, they'll probably find a place for guns now that they're in the 5e PHB.

I mean, you're not wrong.

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

I get the idea that a DM may want to tell the story of the one in a million warforged with a mark of making or a human with a mark of healing, but the way you do that is to make the prereq optional.

Yeah, that's where I'm at. I'd like to see the species prerequisites, with a sidebar on the DM waiving it for story reasons. This only serves to make the DM "the bad guy" if he wants to play a traditional Eberron game. On the other hand, the DM gets to be "the good guy" if he allows dragonmarks outside of Eberron.

 

[Remathilis]

I really like the dragonmark feats... except for the fact that they removed species prerequisites, which (IMHO) make them garbage. They tried this nonsense in 4E, it didn't work for me then and it doesn't work for me now.

I get the idea that a DM may want to tell the story of the one in a million warforged with a mark of making or a human with a mark of healing, but the way you do that is to make the prereq optional. Otherwise, every other player will pick whatever dragonmark makes their character more powerful. I will have so much scathing commentary when the time comes to review these feats.

Keith gave it his blessing. Good enough for me.

 

[Yaarel]

So Goblins are Fey. What are faerie guns like? With Goblins, what are "unseelie" guns like?

I like the dragonmarks focusing on a family. If the guns have Goblin origins, I prefer to see them an aspect of a specific faction, maybe even some kind of eldritch corporation manufacturing them.

 

[Parmandur]

So Goblins are Fey. What are faerie guns like? With Goblins, what are "unseelie" guns like?

I like the dragonmarks focusing on a family. If the guns have Goblin origins, I prefer to see them an aspect of a specific faction, maybe even some kind of eldritch corporation manufacturing them.

So, the thing about Goblinoids in Eberron is that they are the original main culture of Khorvaire: they had built an advanced, glorious civilization there before Humans, or Elves, or Dragons had arrived from other continents. The Dhakaani Empire was ripped apart by Aberration incursions from the Far Realm equivalent (can't remember, thinkbit begins with an X), who they managed to heroically defeat and contain in the Underdark so that Mindflayers and Beholders did not take over the world...but then price was social collapse. So "modern" Goblinoids are descendents of this ancient advanced civilization which has left dungeons and tuons...and some are underground groups maintaining advanced Stuff who want to rebuild their Empire.

Putting "alien tech" or other sci-fi stuff like robots in Dhakaani ruins would, IMO, make sense. Like have Expedition to the Barrier Peak be an ancient Goblin research facility studying the invaders from another dimension.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

What are faerie guns like?

 

[Horwath]

Dragonmark background feats are cool.
it's easy to reflavor them for any setting so I wont be bothered with "must be eberron"...

Greater mark feats are complete trash.


subclass is nice at 1st read, with some cool utility.

 

[DEFCON 1]

Here is Keith's article on his blog about guns in Eberron.

Dragonmarks: Muskets in Eberron, 2024 Edition

 

[Yaarel]

So, the thing about Goblinoids in Eberron is that they are the original main culture of Khorvaire: they had built an advanced, glorious civilization there before Humans, or Elves, or Dragons had arrived from other continents. The Dhakaani Empire was ripped apart by Aberration incursions from the Far Realm equivalent (can't remember, thinkbit begins with an X), who they managed to heroically defeat and contain in the Underdark so that Mindflayers and Beholders did not take over the world...but then price was social collapse. So "modern" Goblinoids are descendents of this ancient advanced civilization which has left dungeons and tuons...and some are underground groups maintaining advanced Stuff who want to rebuild their Empire.

Putting "alien tech" or other sci-fi stuff like robots in Dhakaani ruins would, IMO, make sense. Like have Expedition to the Barrier Peak be an ancient Goblin research facility studying the invaders from another dimension.

The "alien tech" approach helps bridge the gap between "fey" magic and mundane guns. Less about spellcasting, more about eldritch technology.