Post/Author/DateTime	Post
BluePointSorcerer 11-27-07, 09:56 PM	This prestige class was added to my game as a result of a desire to create characters who were more than just the standard half-dragons of the core rulebooks, and yet less or other than merely true dragons. After a few playtests and ironing out of wrinkles, this is the final version I came up with, and which is currently being run in my campaign. As it relies on a certain set of rules found in the Unearthed Arcana sourcebook, I have included a section at the bottm to give any without this resource the ability to run this class in their campaign. The Dragon Knight. “Once I learned how it was done, I said to myself “Hey, why not.” After all, who on earth wants to be just half-dragon.” Andryn Valysandrios, human gold dragon knight. Dragon knights are a rare group of individuals who, through their various magical researches, have discovered the means to transform themselves from the estate of half-dragon into something even more special. Proud of their draconic heritage and loath to settle for remaining only half-dragon, dragon knights have learned how to infuse even more of their parent dragon type into themselves, granting them an ever-increasing array of draconic abilities and an ever-stronger draconic nature. The requirements to become a dragon knight are steep; the individual must already be a half-dragon, and must possess a Knowledge (arcana) check high enough to have both learned about and to be able to perform the necessary transformative incantation to enter and advance in the class. Due to the requirements of this incantation, the class also involves the deliberate sacrifice of considerable wealth on the individual’s part, and the alignment requirement for it to work may well serve as a stumbling block to many. On the other hand, the benefits of this class are great enough (without, of course, endangering game balance) to make this a very attractive option to any half-dragon character seeking to be more like their dragon forebear. In effect, they allow the character to become almost as strong as a true dragon over time, yet allow them to retain the benefits of their former kind, including a bipedal physique and workable hands. This class also provides a logical means of extending the benefits of the dragon disciple class, without actually seeing the character converted into a true dragon (which can be both game-unbalancing in adventuring parties, and create significant adventure-design problems for the DM). Adventures: Dragon knights are driven individuals whose main purpose for adventuring is the acquisition of the wealth and experience they need to further improve their draconic natures. Of course, the usual adventuring motivations still apply as well; they just tend to take a secondary position in the mind of the dragon knight. For instance, a half-human gold dragon knight paladin would still consider rescuing the helpless a primary role of their existence, but it would come second to the goal of attaining the wealth and power to be more of a gold dragon, and therefore more of an aid to those same helpless individuals. Characteristics: Dragon knights focus strongly upon the very nature of what it is to be a dragon, and as such increase in sorcerous power at the same rate as members of the sorcerer class, employing that class’s spell lists and number of spells known and usable per day. But they also increase in physical prowess, adding more and more of the draconic nature to their souls until they only superficially resemble the species from which the rest of their biology is derived. Because of the tremendous role that choice plays in the acquisition of the various draconic traits gained, dragon knights are incredibly diverse individuals, with wide disparities in physical appearance and abilities possessed. In some cases, when the person taking the class is a highly atypical half-dragon with variant abilities, a dragon knight can even look nothing like a dragon at all! One other commonality amongst dragon knights is relative poverty; the expense of advancing in this class is so great that such individuals rarely have great amounts of treasure, though what they have tends, quite draconically, to be of only the finest quality. Alignment: In order to become a dragon knight, a character must possess an alignment no more than one alignment step away from that of their draconic parent. Apart from this, the alignment of a dragon knight can be anything at all; in consequence, there are dragon knights of all alignments, though each type of dragon knight possesses its own restricted alignment range. Religion: Because of their deep reverence for dragonkind in general and their own draconic heritage in particular, dragon knights with a religion most commonly revere one or more of the various dragon deities, such as Io, Ashardalon, Chronepsis, Tiamat or Bahamut. Many dragon knights are irreligious, however, revering nothing in particular despite their great love of their draconic heritage. Background: Dragon knights are a diverse lot, and can come from pretty much any background as long as they are half-dragons when they enter the class. Some are dragon disciples who wanted to increase the amount of dragon in their souls even further, some are born half-dragons and some were magically altered into half-dragons at some point in their lives. The only real commonality in the background of dragon knights is their love for their draconic natures, and an intense desire to increase this as much as possible. Races: While any race of half-dragon can theoretically produce a dragon knight character, the intense arcane knowledge required for a character to undertake this class makes it far more common amongst the various civilised races. Of the non-civilised races, the greatest number of dragon knights occurs amongst the kobold and poison dusk lizardfolk populations. Other Classes: Dragon knights tend to be most understanding of monks, who share their goal of self-perfection, even if in an entirely different way. They also admire sorcerers, particularly where their powers are of draconic origin, and wizards, for their broad knowledge of all things arcane. Clerics are also admired for their devotion to a belief, a devotion which is not all that different from the dragon knight’s own devotion to perpetual draconic advancement. Other classes are generally acknowledged for their skill, but hold little interest to dragon knights. A dragon knight will, however, typically respect such class members for their skills, though there will always be an undercurrent to their attitudes suggesting at least a mild disdain for those who practice such things. Role: A dragon knight’s role is as diverse as the dragon knight class itself. For those dragon knights with the ability to cast cleric spells as arcane spells, the role of healer is not uncommon; for those focused more on draconic physical traits, the role of front-line fighter is common. Dependant on individual draconic traits, a dragon knight can fill pretty much any niche in an adventuring party. Other Game Information. Abilities: Dragon Knights revel in their draconic heritage, and as such often focus on their Strength as a dominant ability. However, dragon knights may well find Dexterity useful (as their draconic heritage grants no improvements there), as well as Constitution (due to their low class Hit Dice). Charisma greatly improves their spellcasting, a dominant trait of this class, while Intelligence allows them to take even more advantage of their tremendously-high skill points. Prerequisites: Must be a half-dragon; sorcerer caster level 1st; Knowledge (arcana) 12 ranks. Alignment: Any; must be within one alignment step of parent dragon type. Special: Must personally perform the incantation “Unchain the Dragon Within” prior to class commencement, and prior to commencement of each dragon knight level thereafter. Hit Die: d6. Skill Points per level: 6 + Int modifier. Class Features. Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Ref Will Special Spells 1 +0 +2 +0 +2 Draconic Trait +1 sorcerer level 2 +1 +3 +0 +3 Draconic Prowess +1 sorcerer level 3 +1 +3 +1 +3 +1 sorcerer level 4 +2 +4 +1 +4 Draconic Trait, Draconic Prowess +1 sorcerer level 5 +2 +4 +1 +4 +1 sorcerer level 6 +3 +5 +2 +5 Draconic Prowess +1 sorcerer level 7 +3 +5 +2 +5 Draconic Trait +1 sorcerer level 8 +4 +6 +2 +6 Draconic Prowess +1 sorcerer level 9 +4 +6 +3 +6 +1 sorcerer level 10 +5 +7 +3 +7 Draconic Trait, Draconic Prowess +1 sorcerer level Epic +1/ 2 levels +1/ 2 levels +1/ 2 levels +1/ 2 levels Draconic Trait every 3 levels, Draconic Prowess every 2 levels +1 sorcerer level per level gained. Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Dragon Knights gain no proficiencies with any weapons or armour, but are not prohibited from using such if they possess proficiency from another source. Spells: A Dragon Knight gains spells at each level as if they had advanced a level in the sorcerer class. They do not gain any other abilities that would be gained by so advancing (improvement in familiar &c). At each alternate level starting at 2nd, they may opt to exchange any one spell in their roster of spells known for another spell of equal level; this spell may be any spell that they are able to cast, and therefore cannot belong to a forbidden school (if a specialised sorcerer) or spell subtype (if you possess a subtype or feat that limits you from casting spells of certain types). A Dragon Knight’s spells have saving throws that are Charisma-based, and bonus spells per day are determined by high Charisma. Draconic Prowess: At 2nd level and every 2 levels thereafter, the Dragon Knight gains a +1 bonus to their choice of four ability scores: Strength, Constitution, Intelligence or Charisma. This bonus is applied to a new ability score each time, though you can opt to apply it to the same ability score multiple times in a row if you so desire. Draconic Trait: At 1st level and every 3 levels thereafter, you gain a new draconic trait, making you physically more like the dragon parent from which your draconic ancestry comes. Each of these traits is cumulative, stacking with all traits formally taken in this class and with all other racial traits possessed. The available traits from which you may choose are listed below:- Breath Weapon: if you are a variant half-dragon that does not possess a breath weapon from your draconic ancestor, you gain one of the appropriate type when you select this trait. If you already possess a breath weapon once per day, selecting this trait increases your number of breath weapons to three times per day. If you can already employ your breath weapon three or more times per day, selecting this trait allows you to add another use per day. Regardless of the number of times that you can employ your breath weapon in a day, you must wait for a minimum of 1d4+1 rounds between uses of your breath weapon. Bonus Draconic Feat: By selecting this trait, you can add any one feat commonly taken by dragons to your repertoire (eg Hover, Fly-by Attack, Snatch, Ability Focus etc). Breath Weapon Improvement: Selecting this trait allows you to increase the damage dealt by your breath weapon by an extra 2d8 points of damage. The type of damage dealt remains unchanged. Breath Weapon Tenacity: Selecting this trait causes your breath weapon to become harder to resist; increase the DC of the saving throw versus your breath weapon by 2 points. Cleric Spell Access: Only dragon knights of a metallic dragon lineage can select this trait. Once selected, this trait allows the dragon knight to henceforth choose any new spells known from both the sorcerer and cleric spell lists. This trait does not grant the ability to spontaneously exchange spells for cure or inflict spells, and the spells gained are still considered arcane spells, regardless of the list from which they are chosen. Cloudwalking: This trait may only be selected by a dragon knight of a silver dragon lineage. Once selected, the dragon knight acquires the supernatural ability to treat clouds as if they were solid ground. This includes banks of fog, cloudkill and stinking cloud effects, or any other form of cloudy, partially-solid vapour, whether natural or conjured. Damage Reduction: Selecting this trait gives you some of the resilience of your draconic parent against non-magical physical attacks; you gain DR 5/magic, or your current damage reduction improves by 5/magic, to a maximum of 20/magic. Damage Reduction, Improved: In order to select this trait, you must already possess DR 20/magic or better. Once selected, this trait imparts to you some of the resistance of the oldest and most powerful dragons to physical attack; your damage reduction changes to 10/epic, or improves by 5/epic if you already possess epic damage reduction. Darkvision, Improved: Selecting this trait allows you to add 60’ to the range of your darkvision. You can select this trait multiple times, but you cannot improve the range of your darkvision to more than 240’ by this method. Domain Access: This trait can only be selected by a dragon knight of a metallic dragon lineage that has already selected clerical spell access. Once selected, the dragon knight also gains the ability to select new spells known from any of the domains normally accessible by a dragon of its lineage. You do not gain the granted powers of these domains; you can merely select spells from them as additions to your list of spells known. Frightful Presence: Selecting this trait gives you the ability to radiate a menacing aura in much the same way as your draconic parent. The Will save DC versus your frightful presence is equal to 10 + your Constitution modifier + ½ your racial Hit Dice. Selecting this trait multiple times increases the DC of this save by 2 points for each time it is selected, and there is no limit on the number of times that it can be selected. Low-Light Vision, Improved: Selecting this trait allows you to improve your low-light vision by a multiplier of x1. You can select this trait multiple times, though you cannot improve your low-light vision to better than 4x human by this method. Natural Armour, Improved: If you are a variant half-dragon that lacks the improved natural armour usual in your kind, selecting this trait improves your natural armour by +4. If you have the usual half-dragon natural armour, then selecting this trait increases your natural armour by +1. You can select this trait multiple times; each time after the first, it improves your natural armour by +1. Natural Weapons, Improved: If you are a variant half-dragon without the usual bite and claw attacks, selecting this trait grants them to you. If you already possess them, then their damage is improved by one step. You cannot improve the damage of your bite and claw attacks by more than one step above normal via this method; however, the effects of this trait stack with those of the Improved Natural Weapon feat. Scent: Selecting this trait allows you to reach deep into the heritage of your draconic side, granting you an ability possessed by only the most wild and primitive of draconic creatures: the scent extraordinary ability. You may only select this trait once. Spell-Like Ability: Selecting this trait grants you one use per day of any one spell-like ability normally available to your draconic ancestor. You may select this trait multiple times; each time you select it, you may apply it to either the same spell-like ability or to a different one of your choice. You can never use this trait to gain access to a spell-like ability more times per day than it can ordinarily be used by your draconic ancestor. Your caster level for the purposes of this spell-like ability equals your racial Hit Dice plus your dragon knight level, and the save DC is always Charisma-based. If you have levels in the half-dragon paragon class, these levels also count towards the caster level of this spell-like ability. For the purposes of this trait, the alternate form ability of certain metallic and ferrous dragons counts as a spell-like ability. Spell Resistance: Selecting this trait grants you some of your draconic ancestor’s resistance to magical attacks; you gain SR equal to 5 plus your total Hit Dice. You can select this trait only once. Its effects stack with the Improved Spell Resistance epic feat. Tail: If you do not currently possess a tail, selecting this trait will cause you to grow one, though it will be non-functional for attack purposes. If you possess a non-functional tail, selecting this trait will make it functional and grant you a tail slap attack as appropriate for a dragon of your size(if allegedly too small to have a tail slap attack, take the weakest tail slap attack damage figures and downsize them according to the rules in the Dungeon Master’s Guide). If you possess a functional tail with tail slap capacity, selecting this trait will increase the damage of that attack by one step. You can never use this trait to improve the damage of your tail slap attack by more than one step, though the effects of this trait stack with those of the Improved Natural Attack feat. Water Breathing: This trait can only be selected by a half-dragon whose draconic parent would normally have access to it. Once selected, the dragon knight gains the supernatural ability to freely breathe water as well as air. In addition, they find that they now possess the ability to use all of their spells, spell-like abilities and their breath weapon underwater just as if they were on land. Wings: If you do not currently possess wings, selecting this trait will grant them, giving you a fly speed of twice your normal land speed (average manoeuvrability). If you already possess wings and a fly speed, selecting this trait will give you wing claws, allowing you to make wing attacks as a dragon of the appropriate size (if allegedly too small to have a wing attack, take the weakest wing attack damage figures and downsize them according to the rules in the Dungeon Master’s Guide). If you already possess such, this trait will improve the damage of your wing attacks by one step. You cannot improve the damage of your wing attacks by more than one step through this method, though the effects of this trait stack with those of the Improved Natural Weapon feat. New Incantation: Unchain the Dragon Within. School: Transmutation (may have an energy subschool, depending on dragon type). Effective Spell Level: This is treated as the equivalent of a 9th-level spell. Skill Checks Required: Nine Knowledge (arcana) checks with a DC of 22. Results of Failure: The usual backlash damage, plus a further 9d6 damage. Components: Verbal, Somatic, Material, Arcane Focus, XP cost, Backlash. Material Component: a special salve that is rubbed all over the body of the caster; this salve is made from powdered dragon scales of the appropriate type, powdered gems and rare herbs mixed into a base of cow fat, and costs 25,000 gp per application. Arcane Focus: A scale model of a dragon of the appropriate type showing intricate detail. This must be crafted from platinum, coloured with enamels and gem inlays, and must be immersed in the blood of a dragon of the appropriate type. It must have a market value for its craftsmanship of not less than 25,000 gp. XP Component: The caster must sacrifice 1,000 XP in order to power this ritual. Backlash: Casting this invocation deals 8d6 backlash damage to the caster and leaves them exhausted and temporarily mute. The caster will regain their voice in eight days. Casting Time: 9 hours. Range: Personal. Effect: The transformation of a half-dragon caster with sufficient spare XP into a dragon knight of 1st level, or the advancement of a dragon knight by one class level, provided that the candidate is within one alignment step of their draconic ancestor. Duration: Instantaneous, with permanent and irreversible consequences. Saving Throw: None; this is a spell being voluntarily used upon its caster, and as such it allows for no saving throw. Spell Resistance: Yes, so this must be willingly forfeited prior to commencing the ritual. The caster of this incantation (if a half-dragon of appropriate alignment) instantly undergoes a slight transformation, allowing them to consume one level’s worth of XP (or one other, non-prerequisite class level) in order to awaken more of their dormant draconic nature. They instantaneously add one level of dragon knight to their character, gaining all of the appropriate benefits of this level (though skills and feats gained must still be learned normally). This incantation will only function for half-dragons and dragon knights, and you can never use this incantation to exchange levels of sorcerer or dragon disciple for dragon knight levels; any attempts to do so result in automatic failure and the full consequences thereof. Half-dragons affected by this incantation are henceforth treated as true dragons for the purposes of any effects that rely on their other genetic legacy; for example, a half-elf copper dragon knight can no longer gain the benefits of being an elf when using an elf-specific item, and is no longer vulnerable to the ranger’s favoured enemy or the weapon bane or dread qualities as if an elf. In addition, those so affected are treated for purposes of reproduction as true dragons; mating with another individual of non-dragon lineage always produces a half-dragon offspring, and mating with a half-dragon has a 50% chance either way of producing a half-dragon or true dragon offspring. Mating with a true dragon or another dragon knight will always produce a true dragon offspring, though if the parents are of different draconic lineages, there is a 50% chance of the offspring belonging to each lineage. About Incantations. For those not in possession of the Unearthed Arcana sourcebook, a brief rundown on the nature of incantations is necessary here, to help you integrate this class into your campaign correctly. An incantation is not a spell; rather, it is a precise set of magical instructions that can be followed by anyone with the necessary level of training in the Knowledge (arcana) skill. The caster of an incantation does not need to have the ability to cast spells, and even if they ordinarily do, casting an incantation does not consume a spell slot. The effective spell level of an incantation is there to tell you of the effect’s relative power level, and therefore how it will be affected by spells that can block or negate other spells. In my own campaign, the effective caster level of any incantation is equal to the caster’s total number of ranks in Knowledge (arcana) minus 3; thus, a single-class spellcasting character with maximum ranks in Knowledge (arcana) will effectively cast it at their normal caster level. Incantations are extremely inflexible, expensive, time-consuming and specific magic, and each is only good for one very specific thing; if any attempt is made to bend or misuse their power to generate a different or altered effect, then they automatically fail, with consequences as given under their individual descriptions. For this reason, those that can actually cast spells tend to avoid the expense and hard work required by incantations.
strenoth 11-28-07, 12:49 AM	for purpose of clarity, I reccomend stating "+1 increase" as opposed to "+1 bonus", they carry different connotations in the game. other than.. cool concept, not sure about the power balance though.
BluePointSorcerer 12-02-07, 10:37 PM	Agreed; +1 increase is certainly the better term. As far as game balance goes, I've found that the sheer expense of the class goes a long way to balancing it; few characters want to expend 275,000 gp on training over the course of 10 levels. Because of this, dragon knight characters may be physically superior to non-dragon knight characters, but they are comparatively less equipped than such characters, resulting in little comparative difference on the dungeon floor. Of course, at epic levels this expense becomes less onerous, as characters gain a lot more treasure per adventure, and thus can start to afford the costs of the incantation more easily. Even so, the dragon knight will always be significantly less powerful than a full dragon of the same Hit Dice, and if dragons can be played in a game-balanced fashion, then a dragon knight should be no different.
forsaken1111 12-11-07, 11:01 PM	I don't see the point. There are two 'normal' ways I know of to become a half-dragon. By DM consent, or by taking the dragon disciple prestige class. Any sorc who is a half-dragon by DM consent would be insane not to take this class, because it gives full caster progression and abilities which far outweigh the sorc's bonus feats. Any sorc who is a half-dragon by taking the dragon disciple class isn't a very good sorc anyway, and would be insane not to take this class as it would go a long way towards making them a decent caster again after 10 levels of magical suckage.