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View Full Version : [D&D 3.5]Dragon Disciple Build Advice



Shadowleaf
2010-06-06, 09:00 PM
Hey guys. I'm putting together a melee-oriented Human Dragon Disciple. I'd appreciate some feedback and suggestions on just about anything - feats, skills, classes - you name it.

ECL 6 so far, but thinking ahead never hurt anyone.

Abilities at the moment:
Strength 18(+1)
Dexterity 10
Constitution 16
Intelligence 14
Wisdom 12
Charisma 14

I have 3 feats at first level.

The current build I'm looking at is Bard 1/Fighter 4/Dragon Disciple 1. Is this a good way of entering Dragon Disciple (the 4 BAB hurts a bit), or should I try for like Sorcerer og Beguiler instead?

Jack_Simth
2010-06-06, 09:03 PM
Ah, generally speaking, you can't take the Epic progression until after you're, you know, Epic (21st+). You'll need something else to fill those five levels between ECL 15 (Dragon Disciple 10) and ECL 20 before you can take Dragon Disciple 11 for ECL 21.

Shadowleaf
2010-06-06, 09:05 PM
Ah, generally speaking, you can't take the Epic progression until after you're, you know, Epic (21st+). You'll need something else to fill those five levels between ECL 15 (Dragon Disciple 10) and ECL 20 before you can take Dragon Disciple 11 for ECL 21.
Yea sorry, it was a typo. Should've said Dragon Disciple 1. :smallbiggrin:

Keld Denar
2010-06-06, 09:11 PM
If you can use the Pathfinder version of DD, it would be better to use a level of Sorcerer instead.

Otherwise, you are best off just not taking DD. Do a bit of searching around. You'll find one of the large numbers of rants dicussion the many inequities of this class.

Would you consider something else in a melee build?

Starbuck_II
2010-06-06, 09:11 PM
Dragon Deciple needs to Extra Exhalation from Races of the Dragon so they can use breath more than 1/day.

Runestar
2010-06-06, 09:14 PM
Alternatively, try bard4/barb1/dragon disciple1 instead. Bard4 gives you 2nd lv spells, while barb gives rage (and take extra rage from complete warrior for more uses). You can also cast your spells in light armour (or medium armour with a feat), eventually paving the way for mithral fullplate, I suppose. You may also want practiced spellcaster to fuel your mirror image (which I suppose is one of the more useful spells to get with bard).

Prodan
2010-06-06, 09:19 PM
Barbarian4/Sorcerer2/Dragon Disciple4/BarbarianX

Shadowleaf
2010-06-06, 10:44 PM
Trying to steer clear of Barbarian. While it's a nice class, I prefer to think of the character as more sofisticated. With the decent int score and Bard levels, plus the good charisma, I don't want his social stats to be horrible.
And while a Barbarian doesn't hurt ones social stats, suddenly flying into a beserker rage is not very gentleman-y.

The Cat Goddess
2010-06-06, 10:47 PM
Unarmed Swordsage into Initiate of Draconic Mysteries.

Superglucose
2010-06-06, 10:51 PM
Trying to steer clear of Barbarian. While it's a nice glass, I prefer to think of the character as more sofisticated. With the decent int score and Bard levels, plus the good charisma, I don't want his social stats to be horrible.
And while a Barbarian doesn't hurt ones social stats, suddenly flying into a beserker rage is not very gentleman-y.
Warblade then.

tyckspoon
2010-06-06, 11:11 PM
If I were going to stick with a Dragon Disciple build, I'd probably do straight Duskblade as the entry class. Duskblade 5 is a reasonably good point to jump off, with access to its 2nd level spells, and the 3rd level ones being an untenable number of levels beyond. Ideally, a level 20 build would probably go Duskblade/Dragon Disciple/Ab. Champion.

Superglucose
2010-06-06, 11:21 PM
I'm curious what DD gives that makes you so interested in it. Even before I was able to look this stuff up on the internet it struck me as a fairly useless class.

Biffoniacus_Furiou
2010-06-07, 12:21 AM
Forget using Dragon Disciple and just gain the Half-Dragon template via the Savage Progression (http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20030912a), which follows different rules (http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20030824a) from the similar gradual level adjustment gains detailed in Savage Species. That loses just as much BAB as gaining ten levels of DD, but you'll recover seven levels worth of class features by going this route.

If you can buy off a level adjustment (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/reducingLevelAdjustments.htm), you could start out Half-Dragon 1/ [Class] 3, pay 3,000 xp to buy off the +1 LA. After that get to Half-Dragon 1 bought off/ [Class] 3/ Half-Dragon 1 more/ [Class] 3 more, which would be ECL 7, and pay 6,000 xp to buy off that point of LA. Continue with Half-Dragon 1 bought off/ [Class] 3/ Half-Dragon 1 bought off/ [Class] 3/ Half-Dragon 1 more/ [Class] 3 more, which would be ECL 10, and spend 9,000 xp to buy off that last point of level adjustment from Half-Dragon. You'd be a 9th level Half-Dragon character with no level adjustment, and eventually be able to catch up to everyone else in levels.

If you want to use Bard, consider jumping out at the 4th level instead of after only one. You won't lose any more BAB, you'll get four times as many uses of Inspire Courage, you'll be able to cast Inspirational Boost, and your saves and skills will be much better off. Consider using Warblade or Crusader instead of Fighter, and get Song of the White Raven. Duskblade would probably be a better choice regardless, since you won't lose any BAB and the class features are more focused toward combat. In any case, be sure to get an Eternal Wand of Hound of Doom (CW).

zenanarchist
2010-06-07, 09:52 PM
Not sure if it would interest you. But there's a build in my signature at the moment that is a Melee/Party face, based slightly off the Dragon Disciple. He's mostly a mage hunter. Utilises a lot of magic busting abilities, has flight, becomes an outsider, increased movement, lots of dispels, can dimension door to remove status effects etc etc.

Have a look see- still unsure if it's broken yet however.

Anxe
2010-06-08, 01:17 AM
I think Hexblade is one of the best ways to get into Dragon Disciple.