half dragon's problem [Archive] - Wizards Community

half dragon's problem [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Mr. Master
09-06-07, 04:03 PM Is there any way to give an half dragon a breath weapon similar to true dragons' one (that is to say,a breath that can be used once every 1d4 rounds,instead of only once a day)?
Actually,the normal breath weapon is very good only during the first levels,because at high levels it's just something cool for background,not for combat.I don't want to make a race more powerful than it is (after all,there's a reason why an half dragon as an ECL +3),but just try to make it more interesting at higher levels.

I was thinking (if there's nothing in the rules that could fit my needs)about some house rules that could help me,such as:
-a feat = True Breath Weapon (Prereq. 9th level,can use its breath weapon once every 1d4 rounds)
-a sort of racial improvement = breath weapon once a day from 1st to 4th level,once every hour from 5th to 8th,once every minute from 9th to 12th,once every 1d8 round from 13th to 16th level,once every 1d4 round from 17th level.

Do you think these house rules could work?

Thank you.:)
Magrus
09-06-07, 04:07 PM There are feats, somewhere that do what you want. One gives you 3 uses per day as a half dragon. The other gives a timed delay. I am not certain which books do this however. I believe one is in the Dragonomicon and the other is likely in Dragon Magic I think?

As for your houseruled feat, a 1d4 recharge time is a bit too quick I think. I would say 1d6. I would require at least a 16 Constitution as well.
Novem
09-06-07, 04:46 PM I made my own version of the Half-Dragon Paragon. Amongst the options a character with this class has, a "Greater Breath Weapon" is available. It deals damage equal to 1d6 + 1d6/ 2 Racial hit dice the dragon has (stacking with paragon levels), and is usable once/ 1d4 rounds.
Ecalsneerg
09-06-07, 04:59 PM The Dragon Breath feat in Races of the Dragon allows it every d4 rounds. I think it requires 6 HD or something, though...
imakuni67
09-06-07, 06:34 PM I made some half-dragon feats (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=908248)...But you could also just houserule 1/encounter rule for the half dragon breath weapon, just keep in mind that the template is already stretching the +3 LA in my opinion at least. Having an indiscriminate breath weapon would let you blast through anything eventually (walls, monsters...anything).
Meep326
09-06-07, 07:12 PM The Dragon Breath feat in Races of the Dragon allows it every d4 rounds. I think it requires 6 HD or something, though...
Yep, Dragon Breath every 1d4 rounds 6th level, there's anouther one that grants it more times per day, so with Half-dDragon Paragon you get it 3/day and anouther +1 for each of those feats with no downtime.
Empirate
09-07-07, 09:35 AM Seeing how the Half-Dragon's breath weapon does rather mild damage, I never quite understood why they included it. I settled on it being a flavor thing. It's cool and all, and will probably come into play in situations when the character (or monster) is really, really angry and out of his mind. In these situations, it provides a little more "genuine" dragon feel and lays open the heritage a bit more than some NA and Str bonuses plus crappy wings.

I'm DMing for a group that includes a Dragon Disciple right now, and I've houseruled that the breath weapon is usable an unlimited number of times per day, but each time after the first, the DD takes 2 points of Con damage. The DD can also "burn" Con (inflicting voluntary Con damage) to increase damage done: Every additional 2 points of Con damage increase the damage by 50%.
The DD character has a Con of 13 right now, so he's rather limited in the application of this houserule, but the player is grateful. She feels this breath weapon is more primal, raw, uncontrollable, and thus potentially very harmful to a human, but also potentially very powerful. She has yet to use it in earnest, though.
Courrain
09-08-07, 12:53 PM Actually there is a way to get the Half-Dragon's breath weapon to become better over time. In the Races of the Dragonbook, the Dragonborn who's breath weapon is scaleable with regards to ranger (5 feet/level) and damage (1d8 points of damage at 1st level + 1d8 for every 3 HD) and can be used every 1d4 rounds. So I would replace the breath weapon info in the Half-Dragon template with the info on the Dragonborn's Breath weapon ability to help the Half-Dragons out. ;)

Btw, by replacing one with the other, the LA for the Half-Dragon template would go from a +3 to a +2. :cool:
Code_monkey
09-09-07, 01:26 AM Like the other guys said,use draconic breath,it has helped me out on my half dragon,also there are other breath feats,like furious inhilaton,which make bites have breath weapon damage as far as i can recall
Mr. Master
09-20-07, 06:41 AM Ok,I think I'll have to get this Races of the Dragon,since my only draconic manual is Draconomicon.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Mr. Master 09-06-07, 04:03 PM	Is there any way to give an half dragon a breath weapon similar to true dragons' one (that is to say,a breath that can be used once every 1d4 rounds,instead of only once a day)? Actually,the normal breath weapon is very good only during the first levels,because at high levels it's just something cool for background,not for combat.I don't want to make a race more powerful than it is (after all,there's a reason why an half dragon as an ECL +3),but just try to make it more interesting at higher levels. I was thinking (if there's nothing in the rules that could fit my needs)about some house rules that could help me,such as: -a feat = True Breath Weapon (Prereq. 9th level,can use its breath weapon once every 1d4 rounds) -a sort of racial improvement = breath weapon once a day from 1st to 4th level,once every hour from 5th to 8th,once every minute from 9th to 12th,once every 1d8 round from 13th to 16th level,once every 1d4 round from 17th level. Do you think these house rules could work? Thank you.:)
Magrus 09-06-07, 04:07 PM	There are feats, somewhere that do what you want. One gives you 3 uses per day as a half dragon. The other gives a timed delay. I am not certain which books do this however. I believe one is in the Dragonomicon and the other is likely in Dragon Magic I think? As for your houseruled feat, a 1d4 recharge time is a bit too quick I think. I would say 1d6. I would require at least a 16 Constitution as well.
Novem 09-06-07, 04:46 PM	I made my own version of the Half-Dragon Paragon. Amongst the options a character with this class has, a "Greater Breath Weapon" is available. It deals damage equal to 1d6 + 1d6/ 2 Racial hit dice the dragon has (stacking with paragon levels), and is usable once/ 1d4 rounds.
Ecalsneerg 09-06-07, 04:59 PM	The Dragon Breath feat in Races of the Dragon allows it every d4 rounds. I think it requires 6 HD or something, though...
imakuni67 09-06-07, 06:34 PM	I made some half-dragon feats (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=908248)...But you could also just houserule 1/encounter rule for the half dragon breath weapon, just keep in mind that the template is already stretching the +3 LA in my opinion at least. Having an indiscriminate breath weapon would let you blast through anything eventually (walls, monsters...anything).
Meep326 09-06-07, 07:12 PM	The Dragon Breath feat in Races of the Dragon allows it every d4 rounds. I think it requires 6 HD or something, though... Yep, Dragon Breath every 1d4 rounds 6th level, there's anouther one that grants it more times per day, so with Half-dDragon Paragon you get it 3/day and anouther +1 for each of those feats with no downtime.
Empirate 09-07-07, 09:35 AM	Seeing how the Half-Dragon's breath weapon does rather mild damage, I never quite understood why they included it. I settled on it being a flavor thing. It's cool and all, and will probably come into play in situations when the character (or monster) is really, really angry and out of his mind. In these situations, it provides a little more "genuine" dragon feel and lays open the heritage a bit more than some NA and Str bonuses plus crappy wings. I'm DMing for a group that includes a Dragon Disciple right now, and I've houseruled that the breath weapon is usable an unlimited number of times per day, but each time after the first, the DD takes 2 points of Con damage. The DD can also "burn" Con (inflicting voluntary Con damage) to increase damage done: Every additional 2 points of Con damage increase the damage by 50%. The DD character has a Con of 13 right now, so he's rather limited in the application of this houserule, but the player is grateful. She feels this breath weapon is more primal, raw, uncontrollable, and thus potentially very harmful to a human, but also potentially very powerful. She has yet to use it in earnest, though.
Courrain 09-08-07, 12:53 PM	Actually there is a way to get the Half-Dragon's breath weapon to become better over time. In the Races of the Dragonbook, the Dragonborn who's breath weapon is scaleable with regards to ranger (5 feet/level) and damage (1d8 points of damage at 1st level + 1d8 for every 3 HD) and can be used every 1d4 rounds. So I would replace the breath weapon info in the Half-Dragon template with the info on the Dragonborn's Breath weapon ability to help the Half-Dragons out. ;) Btw, by replacing one with the other, the LA for the Half-Dragon template would go from a +3 to a +2. :cool:
Code_monkey 09-09-07, 01:26 AM	Like the other guys said,use draconic breath,it has helped me out on my half dragon,also there are other breath feats,like furious inhilaton,which make bites have breath weapon damage as far as i can recall
Mr. Master 09-20-07, 06:41 AM	Ok,I think I'll have to get this Races of the Dragon,since my only draconic manual is Draconomicon.