Dragon casters? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Dragon casters? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Mit Ratten Lebt
12-27-03, 04:14 AM Before I get to the meat of my question, allow me to begin with some (at-the-moment seemingly unrelated) information.

According to the Rakshasa entry, A rakshasa character casts spells as a 7th-level sorcerer. If the character takes additional levels of sorcerer, these levels stack with the rakshasa's base spell-casting ability for spells known, spells per day, and other effects dependant on casting.

Now, I am looking to add a sorcerer level to a juvenile brass dragon.

Here is my question. According to the entry for dragons in general, dragons are spell casters of the level indicated in the dragon entry for the specific dragon, which for a brass dragon is a 3rd level caster. If I add this one level of sorcerer, do we have an effective fourth level sorcerer with the appropriate number of spells known and spells per day, or do we have a third level sorcerer (from the dragon) and first level sorcerer (from the class) in regards to the spells known and spells per day?

IE:
This (example A):
spells per day
1st: 6
2nd: 3

Or this (example B):
spells per day
1st: 5 (dragon) + 3 (sorcerer)
2nd: none

When you answer, please tell me how you arrived at the reasoning behind your answer.

Thanks.
ieattrollsforbreakfast
12-27-03, 06:36 AM Example A is the direction I have always gone and always will go. I base that on common sense and the Rakshasa entry that you quote. I have yet to find an official ruling on that, but I'm sure it will be somewhere in Draconomicon. I'll have a look and get back to you.
WarDragon
12-27-03, 03:53 PM I'm pretty sure that the Monster Manual says somewhere that class levels always stack with natural casting of the same type. So yes, "A" is correct.
Insanity
12-27-03, 10:12 PM The caster levels stack in terms of calculating effective caster level for spells and such, but if the dragon wanted a familiar, its abilities would be that of a 1st level sorcerer. In better words, its effective caster level is a 4th level sorcerer, but for class abilities, its a 1st level sorcerer.
Havoden
03-30-04, 06:22 PM If you ever get your hands on the savage species book it explains that " Brass Dragon" is a class of it's own, so I would treat it as multiclassing. I would go with B.
cwslyclgh
03-30-04, 06:35 PM If you ever get your hands on the savage species book it explains that " Brass Dragon" is a class of it's own, so I would treat it as multiclassing. I would go with B. and you would be wrong... WotC has shown in numerous examples (such as with several of the Wyrms of the North articles online) that A is correct with the proviso that Insanity mentioned.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Mit Ratten Lebt 12-27-03, 04:14 AM	Before I get to the meat of my question, allow me to begin with some (at-the-moment seemingly unrelated) information. According to the Rakshasa entry, A rakshasa character casts spells as a 7th-level sorcerer. If the character takes additional levels of sorcerer, these levels stack with the rakshasa's base spell-casting ability for spells known, spells per day, and other effects dependant on casting. Now, I am looking to add a sorcerer level to a juvenile brass dragon. Here is my question. According to the entry for dragons in general, dragons are spell casters of the level indicated in the dragon entry for the specific dragon, which for a brass dragon is a 3rd level caster. If I add this one level of sorcerer, do we have an effective fourth level sorcerer with the appropriate number of spells known and spells per day, or do we have a third level sorcerer (from the dragon) and first level sorcerer (from the class) in regards to the spells known and spells per day? IE: This (example A): spells per day 1st: 6 2nd: 3 Or this (example B): spells per day 1st: 5 (dragon) + 3 (sorcerer) 2nd: none When you answer, please tell me how you arrived at the reasoning behind your answer. Thanks.
ieattrollsforbreakfast 12-27-03, 06:36 AM	Example A is the direction I have always gone and always will go. I base that on common sense and the Rakshasa entry that you quote. I have yet to find an official ruling on that, but I'm sure it will be somewhere in Draconomicon. I'll have a look and get back to you.
WarDragon 12-27-03, 03:53 PM	I'm pretty sure that the Monster Manual says somewhere that class levels always stack with natural casting of the same type. So yes, "A" is correct.
Insanity 12-27-03, 10:12 PM	The caster levels stack in terms of calculating effective caster level for spells and such, but if the dragon wanted a familiar, its abilities would be that of a 1st level sorcerer. In better words, its effective caster level is a 4th level sorcerer, but for class abilities, its a 1st level sorcerer.
Havoden 03-30-04, 06:22 PM	If you ever get your hands on the savage species book it explains that " Brass Dragon" is a class of it's own, so I would treat it as multiclassing. I would go with B.
cwslyclgh 03-30-04, 06:35 PM	If you ever get your hands on the savage species book it explains that " Brass Dragon" is a class of it's own, so I would treat it as multiclassing. I would go with B. and you would be wrong... WotC has shown in numerous examples (such as with several of the Wyrms of the North articles online) that A is correct with the proviso that Insanity mentioned.