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Starscream
2009-07-23, 03:06 PM
I'm planning to use a dragon as, well, as the dragon (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheDragon) in an upcoming campaign. I'd like to use him as a more traditional type than the standard D&D dragon, which is more a sorcerer in draconic form. I.E., no spells. The guy he works for is a spellcaster, so I want the dragon to be the muscle instead.

I thought of just starting with a dragon too young to be a caster and give him some levels in a non-casting class (or one of the dragon PrCs from Draconomicon like Bloodscaled Fury), but the results were mediocre.

Then I stumbled on the Xorvintaal template from MMV, which promises to do just want I want by taking away the spells, but making it more "dragonly" in the process. It claims that this doesn't affect the CR because the powers scale up with the dragon's age category.

I kind of doubt that. WoTC tends to underestimate the power of spells considerably. I mean, a level 15 monk has the same CR as a level 15 wizard. And an Adamantium Horror has a CR of 9 when it can cast Distinegrate, Implosion and Disjunction at will.

So has anyone ever used this template? How did it work? Did it significantly weaken or strengthen the dragon? Which powers are best to give it?

I'm looking to create a white dragon, with a CR of around 17 or 18. I figure I'll either make him Ancient or just Old with a couple of levels of Bloodscaled Fury and Barbarian. So that's 3 or 4 Xorvintaal powers, depending on which I go for.

Any suggestions?