Best Core Only Dragon Wyrmlings for a PC to chose from?

[CyberThread]

What is the "best" core only dragons to chose to be a wyrmling pc from?

[Coidzor]

Blue or White get the best rating here relative to dragons as a whole out of the core dragons (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?303204-The-Truest-of-the-True-A-Handbook-to-non-Kobold-Dragons-%28WIP%29). Though a lot depends upon what ECL the game is starting at, because if the ECL is too high then it's no longer on the table and that changes things further.

[Runestar]

I do like the brass dragon, as it does get a sleep breath weapon, which allows the dragon to still remain moderately useful in combat (since its effectiveness is kinda independent of lv). Boost con, take ability focus, and you should have a fair chance of affecting your foes, even if you are kind of a one-trick pony.

[Yogibear41]

Try to Convince your DM that RHD should count toward LA removal, even though its not strictly in the rules it should be IMO, especially since RHD are generally worse than class levels.

What do you want your character to do?

[bekeleven]

Try to Convince your DM that RHD should count toward LA removal, even though its not strictly in the rules it should be IMO, especially since RHD are generally worse than class levels.

What do you want your character to do?

Unlike every other type, dragon HD is a solid ~tier 5. It has a strong chassis with D12 HD, BAB, and 6+int Skills as well as limited spellcasting progression.

[WhamBamSam]

Note that the Blue Wyrmling's ranking has a lot to do with it being able to qualify for Ur Priest straight out of the box, and really only applies to high level campaigns.


I do like the brass dragon, as it does get a sleep breath weapon, which allows the dragon to still remain moderately useful in combat (since its effectiveness is kinda independent of lv). Boost con, take ability focus, and you should have a fair chance of affecting your foes, even if you are kind of a one-trick pony.Metallic Dragons' secondary breath weapons can be accessed through a Crown of the North Wind (DoF) if you have the corresponding type of damaging breath weapon. Unfortunately, Breath Weapon substitution was changed from 4th level to 5th level in the Spell Compendium, or it'd be possible to get a wand of it (using Sanctum Spell) and have all the breath weapons.


Unlike every other type, dragon HD is a solid ~tier 5. It has a strong chassis with D12 HD, BAB, and 6+int Skills as well as limited spellcasting progression.Some of them are arguably T4, what with the good flight speeds, extra natural attacks, breath weapons, Sovereign Archetypes, and general dragon cheese they offer you. The core ones are probably T5 though, except maybe the White Wyrmling.

Outsider HD are also generally pretty good, though they tend to have even more bloated LA than dragons.

[lunar2]

i never did understand the divorcing of RHD from the racial features used to say that RHD are so bad. those ability scores, nat. armor, special attacks and qualities, movement modes, and senses that monster races give you? those are your class features. yes, you can theoretically get rid of the RHD while keeping everything else, by RAW, but how many DMs are actually going to let you do that? how many DMs are going to let you play a trumpet archon with 1 RHD and 11 cleric levels(or cleric advancing PRC levels), for CL 25 at ECL 20?

[Kazudo]

RHD beats LA any day of the week in my opinion. Sure, you can buy off LA which, in theory, works great. In practice it can be annoying especially if the thing you're buying the LA off for isn't really worth it.

[Ansem]

Dragon Magazine #320 and #332 had 20 level base classes based on Savage Species for most chromatic and metallic dragon races.
It just sucks how flatline Gold Dragon is better than anything else (despite their hideous looks).

[Coidzor]

i never did understand the divorcing of RHD from the racial features used to say that RHD are so bad. those ability scores, nat. armor, special attacks and qualities, movement modes, and senses that monster races give you? those are your class features. yes, you can theoretically get rid of the RHD while keeping everything else, by RAW, but how many DMs are actually going to let you do that? how many DMs are going to let you play a trumpet archon with 1 RHD and 11 cleric levels(or cleric advancing PRC levels), for CL 25 at ECL 20?

Partially because they're not presented that way save for when people pipe up who have interpreted it in the manner you do here.

[lunar2]

Partially because they're not presented that way save for when people pipe up who have interpreted it in the manner you do here.

but the monsters are almost always presented as a whole. their RHD aren't some separate thing on the side, they're part of the list of things that make that monster what it is. a monster without its RHD is not the same thing by crunch or by fluff as the same species of monster with its RHD.

[Coidzor]

but the monsters are almost always presented as a whole. their RHD aren't some separate thing on the side, they're part of the list of things that make that monster what it is. a monster without its RHD is not the same thing by crunch or by fluff as the same species of monster with its RHD.

The RHD not being separate is still degrees removed from "RHD bought these abilities," and doesn't really bear out when arbitrary RHD and RHD bloat are in effect.