an alternative to dragin PC - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

an alternative to dragin PC

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
aitrus
Feb 09, 2011 22:22:30
So, I am running a campaign and one of my players is obsessed with being a dragon. Usually I tell him no, one of the few restrictions I impose, mainly because I don't want to deal with the difficulties that may arise. But then I had an idea...

Any of you read The Earthsea series? In that series there are some people who's essence is both man and Dragon. Eventually they are forced to choose one or the other: to be a man or a dragon. So I thought perhaps I could adapt this for D&D. Maybe using the idea that some porwerful dragons take human form and take human lovers. Put that in his background and then set a character level where he has to choose between his varying halves (lvl 15 maybe?). Taht way, I don't have to deal with that stats of a dragon til later levels and my player can work towards a goal of being a dragon.

I don't know...it was just a thought...any one have any ideas?
#2
MR._T
Feb 10, 2011 9:09:23 That sounds like an interesting and exciting idea. Of course you can always suggest he just play a Dragonborn; that would make managing stats much easier than an actual dragon.
#3
aitrus
Feb 10, 2011 17:43:03 We are playing 3.5. It might be a headache to try and convert a 4e race to 3.5 rules. Any way, I had a stroke of genius(hopefully) today:

I'll run it as a feat! Give it a min level requirement of 15. As a further restirction you can't use this feat until your CL equals the min HD for a young (since that seems to be where where each dragon's level adjustment max's out) dragon of your chosen type + the level adjustment. For example: If you wanted to be a copper dragon then you would grab the feat (I'm thinking about naming it simply "Dragon Blood") at lvl 15 but you couldn't effect the change until lvl 16 (12 HD for the young copper dragon and 4 for the level adjustment).

That way you hopefully negate the need for a level adjustment while restricting the character, power. Also, while in one form, the character cannot benefit from the abilities of the other. So, if you were a sorcerer and chose this feet specifying a silver dragon the two do not intersect. So, when in dragon form he/she can't cast any of their chosen spells and when in "character form" he/she can't use dragon abilities like Breath Weapons.

I'm toying with the idea of letting the character keep at least normal darkvision (60ft) and energy immunities/vunerabilities in "character" form and maybe a +2 to Natural Armor. And maybe instead of frightful presence in that form, their nature can be discovered by a successful Knowledge(nature) check.

What yinz think?
#4
meldread
Feb 10, 2011 19:24:28 I'd encourage you to look up the Dragonborn of Bahamut in Races of the Dragon. You can easily change the fluff to suit your needs, but that gives you a baseline to work your idea around.
#5
Diffan
Mar 05, 2011 23:01:48 Well, using 3.5 mechanics there are a number of ways to create a Dragon-based PC.

The first and easiest is going half-dragon. The LA adjustment, however, is extreamly steep and often considered not worth it.

The second easiest way is as Meldread said and use the Dragonborn from Races of the Dragon.

A third way is to use the Bloodline rules from Unearthed Arcana (and also on the d20 SRD site), though it does work in a retro-active Level Adjustment way that you give up "class" levels to advance further in your bloodline levels. This makes you lose a class level at 3rd (for Minor), 3rd and 6th (for Intermediate), and 3rd, 6th, and 9th (for Major). The boosts you do receive can be quite good based on what bloodline you pick.

A less restrictive way is to Role-play your race and go with a Dragon-class such as the Dragon Shaman or Dragon Fire Adept. Both classes give you access to Dragon Breath effects and auras. I will confess that the DFA is a much better class and works better than the DS (dragon shaman).

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 aitrus Feb 09, 2011 22:22:30	So, I am running a campaign and one of my players is obsessed with being a dragon. Usually I tell him no, one of the few restrictions I impose, mainly because I don't want to deal with the difficulties that may arise. But then I had an idea... Any of you read The Earthsea series? In that series there are some people who's essence is both man and Dragon. Eventually they are forced to choose one or the other: to be a man or a dragon. So I thought perhaps I could adapt this for D&D. Maybe using the idea that some porwerful dragons take human form and take human lovers. Put that in his background and then set a character level where he has to choose between his varying halves (lvl 15 maybe?). Taht way, I don't have to deal with that stats of a dragon til later levels and my player can work towards a goal of being a dragon. I don't know...it was just a thought...any one have any ideas?
#2 MR._T Feb 10, 2011 9:09:23	That sounds like an interesting and exciting idea. Of course you can always suggest he just play a Dragonborn; that would make managing stats much easier than an actual dragon.
#3 aitrus Feb 10, 2011 17:43:03	We are playing 3.5. It might be a headache to try and convert a 4e race to 3.5 rules. Any way, I had a stroke of genius(hopefully) today: I'll run it as a feat! Give it a min level requirement of 15. As a further restirction you can't use this feat until your CL equals the min HD for a young (since that seems to be where where each dragon's level adjustment max's out) dragon of your chosen type + the level adjustment. For example: If you wanted to be a copper dragon then you would grab the feat (I'm thinking about naming it simply "Dragon Blood") at lvl 15 but you couldn't effect the change until lvl 16 (12 HD for the young copper dragon and 4 for the level adjustment). That way you hopefully negate the need for a level adjustment while restricting the character, power. Also, while in one form, the character cannot benefit from the abilities of the other. So, if you were a sorcerer and chose this feet specifying a silver dragon the two do not intersect. So, when in dragon form he/she can't cast any of their chosen spells and when in "character form" he/she can't use dragon abilities like Breath Weapons. I'm toying with the idea of letting the character keep at least normal darkvision (60ft) and energy immunities/vunerabilities in "character" form and maybe a +2 to Natural Armor. And maybe instead of frightful presence in that form, their nature can be discovered by a successful Knowledge(nature) check. What yinz think?
#4 meldread Feb 10, 2011 19:24:28	I'd encourage you to look up the Dragonborn of Bahamut in Races of the Dragon. You can easily change the fluff to suit your needs, but that gives you a baseline to work your idea around.
#5 Diffan Mar 05, 2011 23:01:48	Well, using 3.5 mechanics there are a number of ways to create a Dragon-based PC. The first and easiest is going half-dragon. The LA adjustment, however, is extreamly steep and often considered not worth it. The second easiest way is as Meldread said and use the Dragonborn from Races of the Dragon. A third way is to use the Bloodline rules from Unearthed Arcana (and also on the d20 SRD site), though it does work in a retro-active Level Adjustment way that you give up "class" levels to advance further in your bloodline levels. This makes you lose a class level at 3rd (for Minor), 3rd and 6th (for Intermediate), and 3rd, 6th, and 9th (for Major). The boosts you do receive can be quite good based on what bloodline you pick. A less restrictive way is to Role-play your race and go with a Dragon-class such as the Dragon Shaman or Dragon Fire Adept. Both classes give you access to Dragon Breath effects and auras. I will confess that the DFA is a much better class and works better than the DS (dragon shaman).