Dragon Ascendent and Treasure [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTimePost
CelestialBarbarian

04-11-06, 01:54 AM
To become a dragon ascendent a dragon must consume his entire hoard. ("Careful with those longspears, lad. Mine gave me heartburn for a century!") I don't see anything though about the dragon accumulating more treasure thereafter.

How would you determine the treasure for a dragon ascedent? Take the treasure for his current CR and subtract the treasure for the CR at the which he first consumed his hoard? Just calculate the treasure normally for his current CR? Or give him no treasure at all?
Derren S.

04-11-06, 06:01 AM
Calculate the treasure like normal and add it to the treasure of other monsters they will fight so the PCs still get after a while all the treasure they are supposed to get.
(PS: Ascendent vow of poverty dragons are fun)
Kyuketsukiouji

04-11-06, 07:29 AM
How would you determine the treasure for a dragon ascedent? Take the treasure for his current CR and subtract the treasure for the CR at the which he first consumed his hoard? Just calculate the treasure normally for his current CR? Or give him no treasure at all?

That's how I'd do it too.
runestar

04-11-06, 08:01 AM
Technically speaking, you only need to consume 100000gp of your hoard. So you could in theory, leave all but 100000gp of your treasure for another weaker dragon to find(its now his... ;) ), then make the sacrifices necessary to enter the ascendent prc, and finally attack the other dragon to get back your initial investment(and then some... :P )
CelestialBarbarian

04-11-06, 06:44 PM
Calculate the treasure like normal and add it to the treasure of other monsters they will fight so the PCs still get after a while all the treasure they are supposed to get.
(PS: Ascendent vow of poverty dragons are fun)

In this case the dragon is good-aligned so the PCs aren't likely to be fighting him. I just want to figure out what wealth and magic items he has.

Have you tried a dragon ascendant with a Vow of Poverty? Do the benefits generally stack?
CelestialBarbarian

04-11-06, 06:45 PM
That's how I'd do it too.

Which? I offered three suggestions! :D
CelestialBarbarian

04-11-06, 06:46 PM
Technically speaking, you only need to consume 100000gp of your hoard. So you could in theory, leave all but 100000gp of your treasure for another weaker dragon to find(its now his... ;) ), then make the sacrifices necessary to enter the ascendent prc, and finally attack the other dragon to get back your initial investment(and then some... :P )

Actually the dragon ascendant prestige class specifically states that the dragon much consume the entire hoard, even if it's worth more than 100,000 gp.
Mist of Shadows

04-11-06, 08:11 PM
Actually nothing says you can't spend a good deal of it first. :)
You just need 100,000 that's been with you for years and years.

So you spend as much as you can on +5 tomes. Permanent magical tattoos and such things then eat your 100,000 gold. WHAT A STUPID PRESTIGE CLASS though on so many levels dragons eating all of their wealth as well as being divine because you go fanatical about alignment. What ever happened to just wanting to have unlimited power. Blah I think there has to be a better way then giving up that much power.
CelestialBarbarian

04-11-06, 08:37 PM
Actually nothing says you can't spend a good deal of it first. :)
You just need 100,000 that's been with you for years and years.

So you spend as much as you can on +5 tomes. Permanent magical tattoos and such things then eat your 100,000 gold. WHAT A STUPID PRESTIGE CLASS though on so many levels dragons eating all of their wealth as well as being divine because you go fanatical about alignment. What ever happened to just wanting to have unlimited power. Blah I think there has to be a better way then giving up that much power.

Yeah, spending the treasure first seems like a pretty obvious abuse.
Mist of Shadows

04-11-06, 08:43 PM
Yeah well so what :) Maybe they found the tomes on sale while they were looking for the lore about the stupid class. It just says you have to consume your hoard. It doesn't say you can't spend some of it first. Though you can't stash it. though I wonder about strong holds and things. Do those count as part of your hoard because those would be a bit hard to swallow.
CelestialBarbarian

04-11-06, 08:49 PM
Yeah well so what :) Maybe they found the tomes on sale while they were looking for the lore about the stupid class. It just says you have to consume your hoard. It doesn't say you can't spend some of it first. Though you can't stash it. though I wonder about strong holds and things. Do those count as part of your hoard because those would be a bit hard to swallow.

Nah, there's no way around it. You just gotta eat it all. :D
Ogre4Hire

04-11-06, 11:27 PM
Yeah well so what :) Maybe they found the tomes on sale while they were looking for the lore about the stupid class.

Where would that be? Yebay?:D
Mist of Shadows

04-11-06, 11:52 PM
See I would disagree. :) Just spend the gold before you declare your intent to enter the class give the dm a few beers and you should be good to go. Beers and chips also do wonders for any session when you have to have an epic spell aproved.
runestar

04-11-06, 11:54 PM
Yeah, if I was gonna consume my entire hoard, common sense would dictate that I spend all but 100000gp of it on consumables like 1 of each tome of +5stat, maybe some grafts...

Actually the dragon ascendant prestige class specifically states that the dragon much consume the entire hoard, even if it's worth more than 100,000 gp.

If I gave it away, it wouldn't be mine anymore, would it? And nothing says I can't take it back later by force, even if its no longer mine...unless its a conflict of alignment for you. But dragons are notoriously greedy, so...
CelestialBarbarian

04-12-06, 01:22 AM
Yeah, if I was gonna consume my entire hoard, common sense would dictate that I spend all but 100000gp of it on consumables like 1 of each tome of +5stat, maybe some grafts...



If I gave it away, it wouldn't be mine anymore, would it? And nothing says I can't take it back later by force, even if its no longer mine...unless its a conflict of alignment for you. But dragons are notoriously greedy, so...

Gah! Spare me from the Attack of the Munchkins! :D
runestar

04-12-06, 01:37 AM
I believe there's a fine line between munchkinism and a simply interpreting the rules cleverly. ;) I still have a long way to go... :P
CelestialBarbarian

04-12-06, 02:15 AM
I believe there's a fine line between munchkinism and a simply interpreting the rules cleverly. ;) I still have a long way to go... :P

You guys are so far over the line into munchkinism on this that you can't even see the line! :D
Rhomphaia

04-12-06, 03:58 PM
I believe there's a fine line between munchkinism and a simply interpreting the rules cleverly. ;)...
I wasn't aware there was a difference between the two.
Kothardarastrix

04-12-06, 08:32 PM
Note that items (Yes that means tomes and such) still count as part of your hoard, you don't have to have 100,000 gp lying around, rather the accumulated price of all the items and coins in your hoard must equal or exceed 100,000 gp.
Mist of Shadows

04-13-06, 12:58 PM
I buried that line good den if I canna see it.

I don't know about you but it seems like getting +5 tomes would be something you would want to do anyways. I mean you have all of these people looking for your hoard. You might as well be better then they expect.

The giving away of loot is cheesy because you're a dragon dragons don't if they can help it give away loot. If you were only giving it away to reclaim it later you would still think of it as yours. The same as a loan....

Oh that's a horrible thought. I don't think a loan dragon could take the class. They own things that can't be eaten. What about a dragon that has property?
CelestialBarbarian

04-13-06, 02:37 PM
Note that items (Yes that means tomes and such) still count as part of your hoard, you don't have to have 100,000 gp lying around, rather the accumulated price of all the items and coins in your hoard must equal or exceed 100,000 gp.

I think the idea was that you'd buy books and use them to give yourself inherent bonuses to your ability scores, and thus avoid having to eat the equivalent value of treasure. That's so abusive that if a player suggested it I probably wouldn't even let him take the class at all. :D The group I run, however, doesn't have any PC dragons, and I was just discussing the subject for an NPC dragon I'm considering making a dragon ascendant.
Mist of Shadows

04-13-06, 05:49 PM
Oh in that case just have him eat the treasure. :)

No reason to assume he used the books before he ate them.

But it's in evil's alignment to try to cheat the system.
CelestialBarbarian

04-13-06, 10:10 PM
Oh in that case just have him eat the treasure. :)

No reason to assume he used the books before he ate them.

But it's in evil's alignment to try to cheat the system.

But it's only a system metagame. In the game to achieve the enlightenment necessary to ascend you have to actually consume the treasure.
obrysii

04-14-06, 12:12 AM
The giving away of loot is cheesy because you're a dragon dragons don't if they can help it give away loot.

Doesn't that fit the sort of "feel" of a Dragon Ascendent, though?

I guess maybe I just see that PrC as for being the "angelic" dragons, the ones that fight for good no matter the cost, that do not want their mortal allies to suffer, and so uses their wealth to help fight the good fight.
Mist of Shadows

04-14-06, 01:48 AM
Ah the dragon assendant doesn't have to be good. They just have to be true to their alignment. That means that the chaotic evil ones are really really bad dragons. So no they aren't all sugar and fluff.
CelestialBarbarian

04-14-06, 01:53 AM
Ah the dragon assendant doesn't have to be good. They just have to be true to their alignment. That means that the chaotic evil ones are really really bad dragons. So no they aren't all sugar and fluff.

That's right. Also keep in mind that the rules for the prestige class are metagame; the dragon doesn't open his Draconomicon and say, "hmm, how can I become a quasi-deity with the minimum adherence to the rules here?" Rather, through study and contemplation, the dragon realizes that if he gives up all of his worldly goods by consuming them, he can set himself upon a higher path.
CelestialBarbarian

04-14-06, 01:54 AM
To become a dragon ascendent a dragon must consume his entire hoard. ("Careful with those longspears, lad. Mine gave me heartburn for a century!")

Hey, am I the only one who got a laugh out of that line? :D
Kothardarastrix

04-14-06, 06:46 AM
I'm sorry... I don't understand... what is 'Heart Burn'... is that when my breath weapon incinerates some wanna-be Lancelots heart? Or is it when I precook the virgin elven princess for my spawn? Yes I may be a Great Wyrm now, but I took all twelve Dragon Ascendant levels by the Wyrm stage, so I'm still a viable father to all the up and coming Red Dragons.
Mist of Shadows

04-14-06, 12:46 PM
CelestialBarbarian Quote:
Originally Posted by CelestialBarbarian
To become a dragon ascendent a dragon must consume his entire hoard. ("Careful with those longspears, lad. Mine gave me heartburn for a century!")



Hey, am I the only one who got a laugh out of that line?

Yep

Seriously though the dragon would try to research how much of his hoard he has to eat. But yeah that would be metagame thinking.
pileobone

04-14-06, 01:08 PM
Consider this:
Devouring your entire horde to attain a higher level of being is truly a sacrifice, especially for a dragon. Picking and choosing and exact amount to eat, not necessarily to better yourself...but just for cool abilities sounds a lot more like a purchase to me, not a sacrifice. Therefore, since it's a purchase and not a sacrifice, then you don't qualify for the prestige class and you just ate 100,000 gp of your own horde for no reason. Thats what you get for being selfish. Neener neener! :P
CelestialBarbarian

04-14-06, 03:58 PM
Yep

Glad you liked it. :)

Seriously though the dragon would try to research how much of his hoard he has to eat. But yeah that would be metagame thinking.

Precisely. :)
runestar

04-14-06, 10:59 PM
Aren't dragons supposed to be selfish and covetous by nature?

Picking and choosing and exact amount to eat, not necessarily to better yourself...but just for cool abilities sounds a lot more like a purchase to me, not a sacrifice.

What better way to ascend to godhood by being the epitome of dragon mentality than having your cake and eating it too? ;) Being able to both sacrifice and preserve your hoard.... :P
CelestialBarbarian

04-14-06, 11:07 PM
Aren't dragons supposed to be selfish and covetous by nature?



What better way to ascend to godhood by being the epitome of dragon mentality than having your cake and eating it too? ;) Being able to both sacrifice and preserve your hoard.... :P

Remember that dragons are in the game; they can't think metagame. :D
Silverthumb128

04-15-06, 07:08 AM
Giving away a portion of your hoard and then taking it back... What would Bahamut do? :D
runestar

04-15-06, 08:48 AM
Tiamat would be so proud.... :cool:
CelestialBarbarian

04-15-06, 10:24 AM
Giving away a portion of your hoard and then taking it back... What would Bahamut do? :D

WWBD? Heh. :)
Mirtek

04-15-06, 12:20 PM
Wow, that has to be the next step. We should have expected it :eek:

Now that there's an easy way to become a deity (at least for a dragon), it's no longer about finding a way to become a deity, but about how to make this way cheaper :rolleyes:
Kothardarastrix

04-15-06, 11:18 PM
Actually I think you made a typo... that's Quasi-Diety, an example of a Quasi-Diety are the Valkyries in Norse Mythology or the Cyclopse of Greek Mythology born of Uranus and Gaia.
runestar

04-15-06, 11:42 PM
Actually I think you made a typo... that's Quasi-Diety, an example of a Quasi-Diety are the Valkyries in Norse Mythology or the Cyclopse of Greek Mythology born of Uranus and Gaia.
Still, it's a start. :)

Now that there's an easy way to become a deity (at least for a dragon), it's no longer about finding a way to become a deity, but about how to make this way cheaper

Welcome to the wonderful world of rules lawyering. :cool:
Mirtek

04-17-06, 04:58 PM
Actually I think you made a typo... that's Quasi-Diety, an example of a Quasi-Diety are the Valkyries in Norse Mythology or the Cyclopse of Greek Mythology born of Uranus and Gaia. A quasi-deity is a deity, it's just the weakest form of a deity, but a deity nonetheless