Saturday, 11 July 2015

Savage Dragonmarks

Now that Savage Vancian Magic is complete, I thought it might be fun to take a look at some of the other ways in which the new spells can be used. One idea that immediately sprung to mind was the dragonmarks from Eberron - elaborate tattoo-like skin patterns that grant magical abilities.

Kristian Serrano's comprehensive Savage Worlds Eberron Conversion Companion does already include rules for dragonmarks, but they work more like traditional Arcane Backgrounds. The alternative solution I'm providing here is instead designed to complement the spells and Edges described in Savage Vancian Magic.

Dragonmark Edges

Only humans, halflings, elves, gnomes, dwarves, half-elves and half-orcs can take Dragonmark Edges. A character can either take Aberrant Dragonmark, Least Dragonmark, or Heir of Siberys, but each blocks the other two. If a character takes Least Dragonmark then they may later branch into Lesser Dragonmark, Greater Dragonmark and/or Dragonmark Heir.

Aberrant Dragonmark
Requirements: Novice, Special
  You cannot take this Edge if you already have a dragonmark. Choose one of the following spells when this Edge is first taken: Beguile Person, Cause Moderate Wounds, Chilling Touch, Cone of Fire, Feather Fall, Hovering Disk, Leap, Light, Produce Fire, Sense Hidden Doors, Shield of Force, Terror, or Traceless Step. You may cast your chosen spell once per day, using Spirit as the spellcasting skill. Your caster rank for this spell is the same as your character rank.

Least Dragonmark
Requirements: Novice, Special
  You cannot take this Edge if you already have a dragonmark. Choose one of the Marks available for your race when this Edge is first taken. You immediately gain the listed skill bonus. Select one of the Least spells available to your Mark: You may cast this spell once per day, or twice per day if it's a Cantrip, using Spirit as the spellcasting skill. Your caster rank for Dragonmark spells is Novice.

Lesser Dragonmark
Requirements: Seasoned, Least Dragonmark
  Select one of the Lesser spells available to your Mark: You may cast this spell once per day. You may also cast your Least spell an extra time each day. Your caster rank for Dragonmark spells is now Seasoned.

Greater Dragonmark
Requirements: Veteran, Lesser Dragonmark
  Select one of the Greater spells available to your Mark: You may cast this spell once per day. You may also cast both your Least and Lesser spells an extra time each day. Your caster rank for Dragonmark spells is now Veteran.

Dragonmark Heir
Requirements: Seasoned, Connections (House), Least Dragonmark
  You gain a +2 Charisma bonus when dealing with members of your own Dragonmark House. You may also choose an extra Least, Lesser and Greater spell from those available for your mark (or gain the ability to cast your existing spell an extra time each day); if you don't yet have the Lesser or Greater Dragonmark Edges, you must wait before choosing your extra Lesser and Greater spells respectively.

Heir of Siberys
Requirements: Heroic, Luck, Special
  You cannot take this Edge if you already have a dragonmark. Choose one of the Marks available for your race when this Edge is first taken, and select one of the Siberys spells available to your Mark: You may cast this spell once per day, or twice per day if you are Legendary rank, using Spirit as the spellcasting skill. Your caster rank for Dragonmark spells is the same as your character rank.

Dragonmarks

Each dragonmark lists the race that can take it, the skill bonus it provides, and the spells available for the Least, Lesser, Greater and Siberys version of the mark.

Mark of Detection
Race: Half-Elf
Skill: +1 to sight-based Notice rolls
Least: Sense Magic (Cantrip), Sense Poison (Cantrip)
Lesser: Sense Scrying, Sense Invisibility
Greater: Truesight
Siberys: Foreknowledge

Mark of Finding
Race: Half-Orc and Human
Skill: +1 to Notice rolls when searching an area
Least: Identify Object, Internal Compass (Cantrip), Find Object
Lesser: Guiding Hand, Find Creature
Greater: Find Route
Siberys: Find Location

Mark of Handling
Race: Human
Skill: +1 Charisma when dealing with animals
Least: Pacify Animals, Beguile Beast, Speak with Beasts
Lesser: Dominate Beast, Improved Enchant Claws
Greater: Enlarge Animals, Summon Animals (Veteran)
Siberys: Grant Sentience, Summon Animals (Heroic)

Mark of Healing
Race: Halfling
Skill: +1 to Healing rolls
Least: Cure Moderate Wounds, Restore Minor Vitality
Lesser: Cure Major Wounds, Cure Poison, Cure Disease, Restore Moderate Vitality
Greater: Heal
Siberys: Improved Heal

Mark of Hospitality
Race: Halfling
Skill: +1 to Persuasion rolls
Least: Purification (Cantrip), Prestidigitation (Cantrip), Invisible Servant
Lesser: Conjure Food and Water, Secure Lodge
Greater: Magnificent Feast, Extradimensional Dwelling
Siberys: Teleportation Device

Mark of Making
Race: Human
Skill: +1 to Repair rolls
Least: Improved Mend Object, Mend Object (Cantrip), Mend Moderate Damage
Lesser: Create Object, Mend Major Damage
Greater: Fabricate Object, Improved Create Object
Siberys: True Creation*

Mark of Passage
Race: Human
Skill: +1 to Survival rolls
Least: Expeditious Jog, Summon Steed, Dimension Leap*
Lesser: Minor Teleport, Ghostly Steed
Greater: Improved Flight, Teleportation
Siberys: Improved Teleportation

Mark of Scribing
Race: Gnome
Skill: +1 to Investigation rolls related to translation
Least: Arcane Signature, Empathic Comprehension, Windborn Message
Lesser: Illusionary Writing, Illusionary Page, Empathic Linguist
Greater: Telepathic Message
Siberys: Rune of Death

Mark of Sentinel
Race: Human
Skill: +1 to Notice rolls related to reading body language
Least: Mystic Armor, Arrow Resistance, Spirit Shield, Shielding Link
Lesser: Energy Armor, Sphere of Invulnerability
Greater: Improved Sphere of Invulnerability
Siberys: Mental Shield

Mark of Shadow
Race: Elf
Skill: +1 to Streetwise rolls
Least: Darkness, Glamour, Illusionary Image
Lesser: Clairvoyance, Shadow Conjurer, Scry
Greater: Decoy, Eye Spy, Shadow Step
Siberys: Improved Eye Spy, Improved Scry

Mark of Storm
Race: Half-Elf
Skill: +1 to Agility rolls related to balance
Least: Environmental Endurance, Obscuring Fog, Blast of Wind
Lesser: Sleet Storm, Wind's Favor*, Wall of Wind
Greater: Shape Wind, Shape Weather
Siberys: Vengeful Storm

Mark of Warding
Race: Dwarf
Skill: +1 to Notice rolls when searching an area
Least: Alarm Ward, Secure Lock, Explosive Trap, False Aura
Lesser: Explosive Sigil, Warding Sigil, Detection Ward
Greater: Phantom Watchdog, Improved Warding Sigil, Protect Stronghold
Siberys: Prismatic Barrier

* This spell isn't covered in Savage Vancian Magic, instead it is described below.

New Spells

The above marks use three new spells, which are only available to characters with dragonmarks, and work as follows.

Dimension Leap
School: Conjuration
Rank: Novice
Casting: Incantation
Range: Smarts x 2
Duration: Instant
Trappings: Direct and Ranged
  This spell instantly teleports you and everything you're carrying to any desired destination within range, which can either be a visualized location or a specified distance and direction. If a destination is occupied by a solid body, you are automatically Shaken and transported to a random unoccupied location within range.

Wind's Favor
School: Transmutation
Rank: Seasoned
Casting: Gestures and incantation
Range: Smarts x 2
Duration: 3 hours per caster rank, dismiss early as a normal action
  This spell creates a focused tunnel of wind 2" wide, 2" high, and as long as the range. The wind has the same intensity as a Fresh Breeze (see the 'Wind Scale' section), and you can change its direction by up to 45 degrees as a full-round action.

True Creation
School: Conjuration
Rank: Heroic
Casting: Gestures, incantation, components and a benny
Range: Smarts
Duration: Instant
Trappings: Creation and Ranged
  This spell requires ten minutes to cast, and creates a single non-magical object made from minerals or non-living plant matter, with a maximum volume of three cubic feet per caster rank. If such an object would normally require skilled craftsmanship you must also roll the appropriate skill (as if you were crafting the object normally, except it occurs instantly and doesn't require tools).
  The cost of the components is equal to the cost of the raw materials needed for the object.

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