Dracolyte Balance [Archive] - Wizards Community

Dracolyte Balance [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
PMan
07-13-04, 09:58 PM I'm looking for advice from people who have had experience with Dracolytes in their games. I have a fairly conservative DM and I was curious if anyone found the Dracolyte unbalancing.

If this has already been answered elsewhere could someone link me to it. I was having difficulty getting the search function to work.

Thanks,
PMan
Lord_Naerik
07-14-04, 12:30 AM I am DM for a group that contains a Dracolyte (Draconic Human Cleric 5 Dracolyte 2) in an 8th level party. Our group pretty much sticks to the RAW with very few house rules. The young lady playing the Dracolyte seems happy with her abilities (selected the Glory Bonus Domain btw) and she has not proven to be unbalancing thus far.

I find the Dracolyte to be a good choice for DMs with balance concerns to allow in their campaign. The class is slightly more powerful than a standard cleric in situations involving Dragons and slightly less powerful vs Undead. The Dragon companion seems to serve more as a familiar than as a power boost and she is having a lot of fun with it.

In my humble opinion as a DM who's campaigns run from Level 1 all the way to 20+ and who is very strict about what sourcebook abilities find their way into my game, I recomend this class as one that has a lot of flavor without being overpowered.

Good luck to you and your group PMan
Kurama Youko
07-14-04, 07:55 PM The only balancing issue i can think about stressing is do not allow someone to take any of the two epic dragons as their charges. Even a wyrmling of those two branches could be devasting and when class gets the ability to summon the adult version once per day it could easily end all encounters. So make sure you stress no Prismatic or Force dragon adopted dragons for any cleric or druid that takes this prestige class.
Kurama Youko
07-14-04, 07:55 PM The only balancing issue i can think about stressing is do not allow someone to take any of the two epic dragons as their charges. Even a wyrmling of those two branches could be devasting and when class gets the ability to summon the adult version once per day it could easily end all encounters. So make sure you stress no Prismatic or Force dragon adopted dragons for any cleric or druid that takes this prestige class.
PMan
07-14-04, 11:01 PM Thanks a lot. This helped a ton.

-PMan
Amaron Blackthorn
07-15-04, 12:43 PM Do the clerics have to worship draconic gods?
Derren S.
07-15-04, 01:32 PM Technically no. It is not listed as prerequisit for the PRC, but according to the flavor text (and logic) yes, the character has to worship a draconic god.
Amaron Blackthorn
07-15-04, 01:39 PM I can see a good dracolyte raising a metallic dragon and an evil one raising a chromatic. What about neutrel dracolytes?
Derren S.
07-15-04, 01:50 PM Either use a new dragon out of the Draconomicon or convert the Gem dragons to 3.5 which are neutral.
Amaron Blackthorn
07-15-04, 01:53 PM Are there any plans to update the gem dragons to 3.5?
Derren S.
07-15-04, 01:58 PM With the XPH published I don't think so.

Maybe in the rumored MM III, but that would surprise me.
Amaron Blackthorn
07-15-04, 02:01 PM they should have been included in the psionics handbook.
Derren S.
07-15-04, 02:08 PM Yes, they should but they weren't.

Was the web enhancement for the XPH already published?

The only way to get 3.5 gem dragons imo is to take them from the psionic handbook web enhancements here (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/we/we20010330a) (or use the MM II if you have it), then download the MM II update booklet here (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/20030718a) and use it to update those dragons, changing the psion to sorcerer caster level or update it to XPH if you use that.
Amaron Blackthorn
07-15-04, 02:10 PM would it be wrong for a neatrel character to raise either a good or an evil dragon?
Derren S.
07-15-04, 02:14 PM That depends soley on the DM, but with the inborn alignment of dragons that would lead to many disagreements between the dragon and the dracolyt.
Amaron Blackthorn
07-15-04, 02:21 PM It would be interesting to see it role-played though! We have a pseudo-dragon in our group and his interaction with the group is hysterical.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
PMan 07-13-04, 09:58 PM	I'm looking for advice from people who have had experience with Dracolytes in their games. I have a fairly conservative DM and I was curious if anyone found the Dracolyte unbalancing. If this has already been answered elsewhere could someone link me to it. I was having difficulty getting the search function to work. Thanks, PMan
Lord_Naerik 07-14-04, 12:30 AM	I am DM for a group that contains a Dracolyte (Draconic Human Cleric 5 Dracolyte 2) in an 8th level party. Our group pretty much sticks to the RAW with very few house rules. The young lady playing the Dracolyte seems happy with her abilities (selected the Glory Bonus Domain btw) and she has not proven to be unbalancing thus far. I find the Dracolyte to be a good choice for DMs with balance concerns to allow in their campaign. The class is slightly more powerful than a standard cleric in situations involving Dragons and slightly less powerful vs Undead. The Dragon companion seems to serve more as a familiar than as a power boost and she is having a lot of fun with it. In my humble opinion as a DM who's campaigns run from Level 1 all the way to 20+ and who is very strict about what sourcebook abilities find their way into my game, I recomend this class as one that has a lot of flavor without being overpowered. Good luck to you and your group PMan
Kurama Youko 07-14-04, 07:55 PM	The only balancing issue i can think about stressing is do not allow someone to take any of the two epic dragons as their charges. Even a wyrmling of those two branches could be devasting and when class gets the ability to summon the adult version once per day it could easily end all encounters. So make sure you stress no Prismatic or Force dragon adopted dragons for any cleric or druid that takes this prestige class.
Kurama Youko 07-14-04, 07:55 PM	The only balancing issue i can think about stressing is do not allow someone to take any of the two epic dragons as their charges. Even a wyrmling of those two branches could be devasting and when class gets the ability to summon the adult version once per day it could easily end all encounters. So make sure you stress no Prismatic or Force dragon adopted dragons for any cleric or druid that takes this prestige class.
PMan 07-14-04, 11:01 PM	Thanks a lot. This helped a ton. -PMan
Amaron Blackthorn 07-15-04, 12:43 PM	Do the clerics have to worship draconic gods?
Derren S. 07-15-04, 01:32 PM	Technically no. It is not listed as prerequisit for the PRC, but according to the flavor text (and logic) yes, the character has to worship a draconic god.
Amaron Blackthorn 07-15-04, 01:39 PM	I can see a good dracolyte raising a metallic dragon and an evil one raising a chromatic. What about neutrel dracolytes?
Derren S. 07-15-04, 01:50 PM	Either use a new dragon out of the Draconomicon or convert the Gem dragons to 3.5 which are neutral.
Amaron Blackthorn 07-15-04, 01:53 PM	Are there any plans to update the gem dragons to 3.5?
Derren S. 07-15-04, 01:58 PM	With the XPH published I don't think so. Maybe in the rumored MM III, but that would surprise me.
Amaron Blackthorn 07-15-04, 02:01 PM	they should have been included in the psionics handbook.
Derren S. 07-15-04, 02:08 PM	Yes, they should but they weren't. Was the web enhancement for the XPH already published? The only way to get 3.5 gem dragons imo is to take them from the psionic handbook web enhancements here (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/we/we20010330a) (or use the MM II if you have it), then download the MM II update booklet here (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/20030718a) and use it to update those dragons, changing the psion to sorcerer caster level or update it to XPH if you use that.
Amaron Blackthorn 07-15-04, 02:10 PM	would it be wrong for a neatrel character to raise either a good or an evil dragon?
Derren S. 07-15-04, 02:14 PM	That depends soley on the DM, but with the inborn alignment of dragons that would lead to many disagreements between the dragon and the dracolyt.
Amaron Blackthorn 07-15-04, 02:21 PM	It would be interesting to see it role-played though! We have a pseudo-dragon in our group and his interaction with the group is hysterical.