Dungeons and Dragons designers Wizards of the Coast has released a second playtest for its upcoming Eberron setting book. Dropped on February 27, it features more tweaks to the Artificer class, plus a long list of setting-specific Dragonmark feats. There are some interesting options in the selection, but one single feat is so powerful that it seems silly to choose any alternative.
The feat in question is Potent Dragonmark, a ‘greater’ Dragonmark that can be chosen once you’ve reached level four and already acquired one of the 13 level-one Dragonmark feats. Unlike the other 13 ‘greater’ Dragonmarks, Potent Dragonmark can be chosen regardless of what Dragonmark feat you chose before – all others require you to climb a specific feat tree to acquire them.
Potent Dragonmark gives a +1 increase to the DnD stat you selected as a spellcasting ability with your level-one Dragonmark feat. It also means that any DnD spells your previous Dragonmark feat added to your spell list are always prepared.
Lastly, the feat grants you one spell slot to cast any spell granted by your first Dragonmark feat. The spell slot’s level equals half of your character level rounded up, to a maximum of level five. Once the slot is used, you regain it by completing a short or long rest.
A free, short-rest-replenished spell slot that automatically upcasts your chosen spell is pretty tasty. It becomes even tastier when you consider that this feat also gives you up to nine spells to use it on, depending on your level. And things get tastier again when you take a look at the possible Dragonmark spell lists:
| Dragonmark feat | Spells |
| Mark of Detection | Detect Evil and Good, Identify, Detect Thoughts, Find Traps, Clairvoiyance, Nondetection, Arcane Eye, Divination, Legend Lore |
| Mark of Finding | Faerie Fire, Longstrider, Locate Animals or Plants, Mind Spike, Clairvoyance, Speak with Plants, Divination, Locate Creature, Commune with Nature |
| Mark of Handling | Command, Find Familiar, Beast Sense, Calm Emotions, Beacon of Hope, Conjure Animals, Aura of Life, Dominate Beast, Awaken |
| Mark of Healing | False Life, Healing Word, Arcane Vigor, Prayer of Healing, Aura of Vitality, Mass Healing Word, Aura of Life, Aura of Purity, Greater Restoration |
| Mark of Hospitality | Goodberry, Sleep, Aid, Calm Emotions, Create Food and Water, Leomund’s Tiny Hut, Aura of Purity, Mordenkainen’s Private Sanctum, Hallow |
| Mark of Making | Identify, Tenser’s Floating Disk, Continual Flame, Spiritual Weapon, Conjure Barrage, Elemental Weapon, Fabricate, Stone Shape, Creation |
| Mark of Passage | Expeditious Retreat, Jump, Pass Without Trace, Find Steed, Blink, Phantom Steed, Dimension Door, Freedom of Movement, Teleportation Circle |
| Mark of Scribing | Command, Illusory Script, Animal Messenger, Silence, Sending, Tongues, Arcane Eye, Confusion, Dream |
| Mark of Sentinel | Compelled Duel, Shield of Faith, Warding Bond, Zone of Truth, Counterspell, Protection From Energy, Death Ward, Guardian of Faith, Bigby’s Hand |
| Mark of Shadow | Disguise Self, Silent Image, Darkness, Pass Without Trace, Clairvoyance, Major Image, Greater Invisibility, Hallucinatory Terrain, Mislead |
| Mark of Storm | Feather Fall, Fog Cloud, Levitate, Shatter, Sleet Storm, Wind Wall, Conjure Minor Elemental, Control Water, Conjure Elemental |
| Mark of Warding | Armor of Agathys, Sanctuary, Knock, Nystul’s Magic Aura, Glyph of Warding, Magic Circle, Leomund’s Secret Chest, Mordenkainen’s Faithful Hound, Antilife Shell |
The eagle-eyed among you will spot Conjure Minor Elementals on that list. This formidable spell has been used to craft builds with ridiculous damage output, and it’s part of a family of emanation spells that have been used to theorycraft everything from a divine lawnmower to a peasant jackhammer. All deal so much damage that there have been multiple calls for Conjure Minor Elementals and its kin to be nerfed – calls that Wizards has so far ignored.
A free, upcasted version of the game’s most broken spell that can be used once per short rest? That sounds like trouble in the land of DnD character builds.
For comparison, here’s a quick summary of what the other ‘greater’ Dragonmark feats do:
- Greater Aberrant Mark – Spend a Hit Dice when you cast a cantrip to gain temporary HP and deal force damage equal to its result.
- Greater Mark of Detection – Casting See Invisibility gives you advantage on Initiative rolls, and nearby enemies can’t have advantage on that roll.
- Greater Mark of Finding – Casting Hunter’s Mark means the target can’t benefit from being invisible.
- Greater Mark of Handling – When mounted and after you hit a target within five feet, your mount can spend a reaction to move up to its speed or make a single attack.
- Greater Mark of Healing – Any 1 or 2 rolled when casting Cure Wounds counts as a 3.
- Greater Mark of Hospitality – When you cast Purify Food and Drink, affected creatures lose an exhaustion level and gain temporary HP equalling your proficiency bonus and spellcasting modifier.
- Greater Mark of Making – Casting Magic Weapon lets you reduce its attack bonus to buff your armor class.
- Greater Mark of Passage – You can bring one willing creature with you when you cast Misty Step.
- Greater Mark of Scribing – Casting Comprehend Languages creates a sigil above a creature, and this sigil means enemies must spend two feet of movement for every one they move towards that creature.
- Greater Mark of Sentinel – Casting Shield also marks a nearby creature, meaning that target must spend two feet of movement for every one they move away from you.
- Greater Mark of Shadow – Casting Invisibility also lets you affect another willing creature within five feet.
- Greater Mark of Storm – Casting Gust of Wind also gives you a fly speed equal to your walking speed.
- Greater Mark of Warding – Casting Mage Armor also lets you target another willing creature within 30 feet.
All these feats come with an ability score increase, plus a slight buff to the original Dragonmark feat they modify. Some even have interesting and useful abilities. However, when compared with the all-out power and flexibility offered by Potent Dragonmark, it’s hard to feel tempted by these more situational options.
You can learn more about these new feats in the full playtest document. Be sure to follow Wargamer on Google News for more updates about the DnD release schedule. Or, for tools you can use right now, here’s all you need to know about DnD classes and DnD races.
Source: Wargamer
