Dragon shaman race suggestion

[Eldrys]

I want to play a dragon shaman from PHB2 in an upcoming adventure, and wanted suggestions for the race to use. I really don't want to play a human, and was hoping for something koboldy(but they have bad ability adjustments). If the people of the playground would help, it would be appreciated.

I have access to the core books, races of stone, of wild, and of destiny, expanded psionics, and the SRD.

[Woodsman]

Races of the Dragon would've been immensely helpful in this case. If you can find it, use it.

Seeing as that book has the best "koboldy" races, I really can't help you much. Maybe one of the SRD variant kobolds is more your style.

[TerrickTerran]

Yeah, a Spellscale would be a really cool Dragon Shaman.
Barring that...Mongrelfolk could work but it's also got a bit of stat issues. Otherwise Gnomes and Elves seem fairly close to dragons or even a Dwarf with the right dragon.

[Eldrys]

can you give me the stats for the spell scale, or would that be copyright infringement

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

If you're going to be good aligned, maybe go with a Dragonborn of Bahamut (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/iw/20060105b&page=1) from Races of the Dragon. It's a template, so use a base race that gets a Con bonus, such as Gnome or Water Halfling (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/elementalRacialVariants.htm#racesOfWater). Take the Heart aspect, the delay between your two breath attacks will be tracked separately. Get the feat Recover Breath from the Draconomicon and you'll probably be able to use a breath attack every round. Focus on your AC and maybe get Combat Reflexes with a reach weapon.

Other feats to consider would include Frightful Presence in the Draconomicon, Shield Specialization and Shield Ward in PH2, and Ability Focus in the Monster Manual, which can be taken for a breath weapon or to boost your frightful presence DC. Get the feat Dreadful Wrath from Player's Guide to Faerun if you can, it's better than Frightful Presence, or you can get both and they'll stack. You could also focus on the Intimidate skill, take Imperious Command in Drow of the Underdark, the skill trick Never Outnumbered in Complete Scoundrel, and visit the Otyugh Hole detailed in Complete Scoundrel to get Skill Focus: Intimidate without having to spend a feat on it. Foes who are already Shaken by Frightful Presence or Dreadful Wrath will become Frightened if you demoralize them with an Intimidate check. With Entangling Exhalation they'll probably provoke a lot of AoOs trying to flee, only to go back to being Shaken on the next round and return to the fight.

[Eldrys]

thanks for the template biff, but it seems incomplete on the link, it doesn't state what abilites you keep from your origional race, it just says something like, "only some of your racial atributes are kept intact." also is there LA,

[Xallace]

How about a goliath? It's got +Con, which you'll need, and see if your DM lets you use LA buy-off. There are several dragons that live in the mountains and Goliaths like their shamanism anyway, so roleplaying I'd say it's a great fit.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

thanks for the template biff, but it seems incomplete on the link, it doesn't state what abilites you keep from your origional race, it just says something like, "only some of your racial atributes are kept intact." also is there LA,

Dragonborn adds no level adjustment to a character.
Type, Subtype, and Race: You retain your original type and
subtypes, gaining the dragonblood subtype. You still count as
a member of your original race for the purpose of any effect or
prerequisite that depends on race.
Racial Hit Dice: You retain your original racial Hit Dice, as well
as all benefits gained therefrom (base attack and save bonuses,
skill points, hit points, and so on).
Ability Modifiers: You retain your original racial ability modifiers
and gain the ability modifiers of the dragonborn race.
Size: You retain your original size. If the original race had
powerful build as a racial trait, it is also retained.
Speed: You retain your original base land speed, as well as any
other modes of movement possessed by your original race. Other
racial traits related to speed or movement, such as the dwarf’s
ability to move at full speed in medium or heavy armor, are lost.
Languages: You retain any languages you already know. You
gain Draconic as an automatic language.
Favored Class: You retain your original favored classes and
gain fighter as a favored class. You can multiclass into the paladin
class freely.
Level Adjustment: You retain your original level adjustment.
Other Racial Traits: You lose all other racial traits of your original
race, including bonus feats, skill bonuses, attack bonuses,
save bonuses, spell-like abilities, and so forth.

It's best to apply it to a race that gets favorable ability score adjustments and movement speeds with few or no significant abilities that would be lost. For example, an Orc character would lose their Darkvision and Light Sensitivity traits while retaining their ability score adjustments and 30 ft. land speed, or a Water Orc (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/elementalRacialVariants.htm#racesOfWater) would lose those same traits as well as the race of water traits, but keep their ability score adjustments, 30 ft. land speed, and 30 ft. swim speed. That's probably the most extreme example of a race that has nothing to lose by gaining the Dragonborn template.

If you go with a Mongrelfolk from Races of Destiny, it would keep its +4 Con, -2 Int, -4 Cha, 30 ft. land speed, medium humanoid (Human), and gain the Dragonborn racial traits on top of that. The +6 Con for no level adjustment is nice, but that -4 Cha could hurt your Touch of Vitality. I'd go with a Water Halfling, which with Dragonborn would get Str -2, Con +4, 20 ft. land speed, 20 ft. swim speed, small humanoid, plus the Dragonborn traits.

[Zaq]

It's best to apply it to a race that gets favorable ability score adjustments and movement speeds with few or no significant abilities that would be lost. For example, an Orc character would lose their Darkvision and Light Sensitivity traits while retaining their ability score adjustments and 30 ft. land speed, or a Water Orc (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/elementalRacialVariants.htm#racesOfWater) would lose those same traits as well as the race of water traits, but keep their ability score adjustments, 30 ft. land speed, and 30 ft. swim speed. That's probably the most extreme example of a race that has nothing to lose by gaining the Dragonborn template.

If you go with a Mongrelfolk from Races of Destiny, it would keep its +4 Con, -2 Int, -4 Cha, 30 ft. land speed, medium humanoid (Human), and gain the Dragonborn racial traits on top of that. The +6 Con for no level adjustment is nice, but that -4 Cha could hurt your Touch of Vitality. I'd go with a Water Halfling, which with Dragonborn would get Str -2, Con +4, 20 ft. land speed, 20 ft. swim speed, small humanoid, plus the Dragonborn traits.

In my mind, the most obnoxious base race for a Dragonborn is a Raptoran. They (inexplicably, in my mind) keep their wings, so they essentially get both the "flight" aspect and either the "breath" or "senses" aspects.