like it is rather similar to the magic initate feat, one less cantrip and a single 1st level spell, only you regain the use of your spell at an short or long rest, already that is an fine benefit, one might even argue that that is stronger than the magic initiate feat, but other than that you also get an bonus to your constiution score AND you get an use for your gosh darn hit dice outside long rests. And not only that but you have about an 65.13 percent chance of developing an epic boon over your entire career, one of those things from the dungeon masters guide that are supposed to represent epic levels or progression above level 20, those things that can give you an at will fireball and immunity to fire damage, or maybe an +10 bonus to stealth checks and immunity to divination magic, or 40 extra hit points, or proficiency in every single skill, ten percent chance per level.

Like how is this in any way considered balanced? is it due to the fact that it is ebberon exclusive? is it becuase they know it also comes with being an social outcast and that an adventurer will attract unwanted attention? am i just forgetting something? was the magic initiate feat weak all along? is it considered weaker becuase it is cast using constiution? were they more concerned about how the mark is flavored and the story opportunities than about the game balance?

Gaining the boon does cause a permanent reduction in max HP, but I still see your point. It is one of the few things in eberron to get buffed as it left playtest. I can't believe they buffed this, but removed greater dragonmarks.

I don't know why it is so strong.

yeah greater dragonmarks were neat, especially halflings getting to cast mordekinens magnificent mansion without a single level of any spellcasting class, i'd rather have expanded spell lists for dragonmarks and describing your spellcasting class as an expansion of your dragonmark, but i get it

also while it is ridiculous in power level, it is appreciated that it lets you cast with con so combining it with fire genasi or dragonborn and having an barbarian sorcerer multiclass might be fun

I’m pretty excited for my fighter with an odd con score who can pick up booming blade and a level 1 spell. So I’m just not going to question it too much. 

The boon is an optional rule. That's why it's "balanced." You can just choose to ignore that paragraph.

Quote from EddyJ >>

The boon is an optional rule. That's why it's "balanced." You can just choose to ignore that paragraph.

 Ignoring the boon, a +1 to CON, cantrip, and 1/SR level 1 spell are still stronger than magic initiate.

In the Eberron setting, they should be balanced through social encounters. The War of the Mark was a witch hunt by the 12 houses to kill every aberrant dragonmark bearer, and should still play as a factor in any game. A lot of Eberron is set up this way, and has been since it was first introduced. Shifters hunted, changelings despised, warforged not trusted, etc. Obviously a game to game situational balance effect, dependent on the DM, but the precedent is there for it to be balanced across two pillars of the game.

It's a bit of a digression, but I think the idea of Eberron would have been better served by adding new campaign specific mechanics, in a way similar to Acquisitions Inc., that allow for more powerful, but balanced against each other PC's without having to make a probably o.p. generic feat.

I would argue that it is thematically appropriate for it to be so strong.  The entire reason the 12 Houses actively seek out and destroy bearers of Aberrant Dragonmarks is how incredibly powerful they can be, and the devastating array of capabilities they can impart on the bearer.  In-setting, an individual with just the right Aberrant Dragonmark could devastate the entirety of civilized society on the continent.  Or warp the fabric of the space-time continuum, effectively rewriting seasons or the surface of the world.  The Dragonmark that that dracolich, what was her name, had while she was alive (now that she's undead she can't use it) was easily the strongest to have ever existed.  In setting, revealing you have an Aberrant Dragonmark would basically mark your character for death in the eyes of basically everyone you may meet, including the other members of your party.

Outside of Ebberon, though....  I'd say the Boon is way overdoing it.  The 1st level spell should probably be LR only, not SR.

Quote from drag0n_77 >>

I would argue that it is thematically appropriate for it to be so strong.  The entire reason the 12 Houses actively seek out and destroy bearers of Aberrant Dragonmarks is how incredibly powerful they can be, and the devastating array of capabilities they can impart on the bearer.  In-setting, an individual with just the right Aberrant Dragonmark could devastate the entirety of civilized society on the continent.  Or warp the fabric of the space-time continuum, effectively rewriting seasons or the surface of the world.  The Dragonmark that that dracolich, what was her name, had while she was alive (now that she's undead she can't use it) was easily the strongest to have ever existed.  In setting, revealing you have an Aberrant Dragonmark would basically mark your character for death in the eyes of basically everyone you may meet, including the other members of your party.

Outside of Ebberon, though....  I'd say the Boon is way overdoing it.  The 1st level spell should probably be LR only, not SR.

Quote from Sigvard_Vigrid >>

In the Eberron setting, they should be balanced through social encounters. The War of the Mark was a witch hunt by the 12 houses to kill every aberrant dragonmark bearer, and should still play as a factor in any game. A lot of Eberron is set up this way, and has been since it was first introduced. Shifters hunted, changelings despised, warforged not trusted, etc. Obviously a game to game situational balance effect, dependent on the DM, but the precedent is there for it to be balanced across two pillars of the game.

so, since abberant dragonmarks are supposed to be so earth shaking that they have an entire day called the lady's day commemorating the day an abberant dragonmark cuased a lot of destruction, since the dragonmarked houses fear them and forbids relationships between the houses, becuase they are supposed to be dangerous, that is why they allow this

Quote from Stoutstein >>

All and all its a solid feat but not put of line. The best use is probably grabbing a utility cantrip and a utility/defensive spell because as much as Con is a good stat to pump it doesn't get past 16 most of the time.

MI has the flexibility of picking the class where the dragonmark is sorcerer only. 

I'm just glad for a new con half feat option. 

 Shure, most people who are not specific con based barbarian fire genasi or dragonborn builds dont have really high, maxed out constiution scores, shure you get to choose the class for MI, but it just feels so much more powerful, remember the game is designed with the assumption that the players will complete two short rests per long rest, so you are assumed to use this spell three times as often.

also, the way you get feats in the first place is by means of sacrificing your abillity score increase +2 to one stat or +1 to two diffrent stats, and already half of that bonus is essentially given back to the player if they were planning to invest into constution, and lets be real most people do.

and lastly you get an special way to use hit dice, wich is really useful if your campaign ether features so strong healing or so few short rests that you rarely get to use them, but of course there is an slight risk you deal force damage to yourself or one of your allies if you are not careful

The main effect is not out of line, but the optional one (which grants an epic boon) is, in any game where the setting doesn't basically put a giant target on that character's head and mark them out as an abomination. In Eberron, a lot of big powerful NPCs and organizations of the world, good or bad or otherwise, are going to probably want to kill a character with the Aberrant Dragonmark feat, shops and the Houses aren't going to do business with them, commoners are going to cross the street and avoid them as a dangerous monster, etc etc... so if a player is willing to take that roleplaying burden on themself and hide their mark/powers than it isn't out of bounds to give them a major boon. In a vanilla setting game where nobody cares, it would be inappropriate and overpowered to give them that boon.

That's the whole thing. If you aren't in Eberron (or going to enforce a similar prejudice), don't give the player the Boon, just the regular spellcasting effect. If you are in Eberron, but still aren't going to make a big deal about Aberrant Marks, don't give the player the Boon either. It's really only appropriate if the player is taking a big risk for a big reward. 

Quote from Chicken_Champ >>

 

That's the whole thing. If you aren't in Eberron (or going to enforce a similar prejudice), don't give the player the Boon, just the regular spellcasting effect. If you are in Eberron, but still aren't going to make a big deal about Aberrant Marks, don't give the player the Boon either. It's really only appropriate if the player is taking a big risk for a big reward. 

People allow Dragonmarks in non-Eberron games?  I'm not saying its wrong to, I'm just saying that I've always assumed it wasn't a valid choice in most games because its so setting-specific.

Also the thing with the Epic Boon is that its "at the DMs discretion".  Its an opt-in, not an assumed part of the feat.  The player doesn't just get to assume they get it, the DM has to say 'oh and roll for Epic Boon.'

In forgotten realms, you can easily flavor an aberrant dragonmark as a Spellscar.

is that by chance a thing from the spellplague?

Quote from ArtificeMeal >>

is that by chance a thing from the spellplague?

 Yes, it is.

eberron is just broken outside its own setting, dragonmarks are telling of this