Need a +1 LA template

[Asteron]

In my campaign, we have been advised to keep back-up characters waiting in the wings. I have one, but I am going to bring back a character that left a while ago for my second back-up. He is a Half Gold Dragon Sun Elf Duskblade (say that 5 times fast...) We are allowed 4 free LA, so I was looking into adding something to him. Any suggestions?

[Aegis013]

Feral from savage species probably gives you the most benefit.

Mineral Warrior from Underdark is also a good one.

[Rebel7284]

Feral from savage species probably gives you the most benefit.

Mineral Warrior from Underdark is also a good one.

If you are evil: Lolth Touched.
If you will be playing at high levels, perhaps Vecna Blooded.
Half Minotaur is nice as the large size gives you wings.

[HalfQuart]

Not so much a suggestion, but there's a decent collection of a lot of the templates available on the WotC forums in the Master Template List (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19869266/Master_Template_List). Generally Dark Creature is my favorite +1 LA template, although that doesn't sound like a great fit with what you've got so far.

[Darth Stabber]

The dark template gives you +10ft of movement to ALL move speeds, HiPS, superior low light vision, and big hide/movesilently bonuses (+8/+6). Those stealth bonuses are enough to matter at low level, and later they can be added to other non-rank sources if stealth becomes a path you wish to trod without other build resources.


Mineral warrior and feral both hit your casting stat pretty hard, dark doesn't touch any stat.

[Zanos]

If you are evil: Lolth Touched.
If you will be playing at high levels, perhaps Vecna Blooded.
Half Minotaur is nice as the large size gives you wings.
The best part of Vecna Blooded can be gotten without LA anyway.

Most of the best templates have been mentioned already.

[sleepyphoenixx]

If you're just a Sun Elf for the int bonus you could take Athasian Human from Dragon 319 instead.
It's LA +1, normal human benefits + psionics based on hd and +2 to two abilities of your choice.

[Asteron]

Feral was given a +2 in our games.

I was looking at Mineral Warrior, but the penalties to mental stats might be too much...

My character is NG and we are playing in Forgotten Realms.

[Asteron]

If you're just a Sun Elf for the int bonus you could take Athasian Human from Dragon 319 instead.
It's LA +1, normal human benefits + psionics based on hd and +2 to two abilities of your choice.

The race isn't up to be changed. This is a character that has been played before and is well known to the group as it stands right now.

[Urpriest]

If we're avoiding Dragon material, Draconic is at least a half-decent template and fits the overall flavor. You're just a bit more Dragony than the average Half-Dragon.

Edit:

The race isn't up to be changed. This is a character that has been played before and is well known to the group as it stands right now.

Oh, wait, this changes a lot. So it needs to be a template you can acquire mid-game? Not something you're born with?

[Asteron]

Oh, wait, this changes a lot. So it needs to be a template you can acquire mid-game? Not something you're born with?

Yeah, it needs to be aqcuired, not inhereted

[Urpriest]

Yeah, it needs to be aqcuired, not inhereted

Oh wow ok you really should have mentioned that in the OP. Cheap acquired templates are quite rare, especially ones that can be applied to Dragons.

Just going off the Master Template List, your options are Dark, Faerzress-Infused, God-Blooded of some sort, or Mineral Warrior.

[Gildedragon]

Mulhorandi Divine Minion
Free infinite healing, utility wildshapes... Very useful

[Darth Stabber]

Oh wow ok you really should have mentioned that in the OP. Cheap acquired templates are quite rare, especially ones that can be applied to Dragons.

Just going off the Master Template List, your options are Dark, Faerzress-Infused, God-Blooded of some sort, or Mineral Warrior.

Depending on the god, godblooded is useful (most notably vecna), and dark is useful. Faerzress-infused is kinda wonky, and not particularly useful for PCs, and mineral warrior is a great way to get really dumb in a hurry (though the benefits are nice if you don't care about mental stats, but as a duskblade you do).

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Quasilycanthrope (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mb/20040721a) for DR 10/Silver is a decent alternative to Mineral Warrior.

[Immabozo]

Half Minotaur is nice as the large size gives you wings.

Just have to re-fluff minotaur to bull and then pain yourself red!

[Urpriest]

Mulhorandi Divine Minion
Free infinite healing, utility wildshapes... Very useful


Quasilycanthrope (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mb/20040721a) for DR 10/Silver is a decent alternative to Mineral Warrior.

Wrong creature type. He's a Half-Dragon, which makes this very very limited.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Wrong creature type. He's a Half-Dragon, which makes this very very limited.

If both templates are inherited, then you can apply the one with more limitations first. Humanoid > Quasilycanthrope > Half-Dragon.

[Urpriest]

If both templates are inherited, then you can apply the one with more limitations first. Humanoid > Quasilycanthrope > Half-Dragon.

The OP also told us (not in the OP unfortunately) that the templates can't be inherited. The character already exists, and is just picking up a pardonable LA +1 template.

[Gildedragon]

Ah cripes. You're right...
though it makes little sense for a half dragon to be full dragon type...
augmented whatever (dragon) would be more sensible. Anyway, yeah divine minion's no good.
shablagh

[Kuulvheysoon]

Damn. If only it could be inherited, you could grab Chameleon (Und) for a 10ft touch attack (with your tongue!).

Other than that, I'd have to say maybe work with your DM to make a new Godblooded template?

[Eyclonus]

Why not Shadow Creature for a LA +2 and Necropolitan to reduce the LA by 1?

[Venusaur]

Why not Shadow Creature for a LA +2 and Necropolitan to reduce the LA by 1?

Necropolitan doesn't reduce LA.

[Asteron]

I did say in the OP that the character was a returning one... Perhaps I should have been more explicit though.

Honestly, I think I'll just give it up.

[Rubik]

Two levels of ghost?