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Zakama
2007-05-11, 07:05 PM
I am making a campaign in which one of the players wants to be a dragon shaman. (players handbook 2) However, him having a breath weapon would be mighty weird in this setting. He is a Lizardfolk, which have +1 level adjustment, but I was wondering if it would be balanced taking away the breath weapon, but abolishing the level adjustment. I don't want to post the breath weapon stats here because of copyright infringment (if that's OK let me know, I'll post it) but I'm sure some of you have the players handbook 2. So, do you think I could talk to him about it? Thank you for your help.

Dhavaer
2007-05-11, 07:14 PM
Why is him having a breath weapon so weird?

Lord Iames Osari
2007-05-11, 07:19 PM
Why is him have a breath weapon so weird?

... Dhavaer... incoherence... not computing... *headasplode*

Dhavaer
2007-05-11, 07:22 PM
... Dhavaer... incoherence... not computing... *headasplode*

I do use the wrong form of words quite often, but normally I pick up on it before I post. How embarassing.

nveinus
2007-05-11, 07:22 PM
Umm where is the breath weapon coming from? the Dragon shaman class has the breath weapon and that's pretty much the thing you get from the class that's like taking sneak attack away from rogues, and its not that strong.

Unless this lizardfolk has a breath weapon inherit in the race, LA has nothing to do with it.

Townopolis
2007-05-11, 07:43 PM
It wouldn't be as simple as that. Taking away the breath weapon but dropping the LA will have 2 effects. 1) At low levels, the character will be uber. 2) at high levels, the character will suck... really hard.

If you want to drop the breath weapon, find something of equal power to replace it with at each level it improves (would be the easiest way).

Viscount Einstrauss
2007-05-11, 08:19 PM
Is it the fact that, from a world-building standpoint, it seems silly in your session? In that case, why not give him a spell-like ability to shoot a cone or line of whatever energy type he was using, fired from the hands like an arcane spell?

Zakama
2007-05-11, 10:53 PM
Yes, it is from a world building standpoint, but coming from his hands would only make it worse. This is a much more "down to earth" campaign, and the PCs are smugglers. They're pirates, not dungeon crawlers. I don't have the players handbook 2, this guy (To make it easier, lets call him Jacob) does. I thought (before I saw it) they had spell-like abilities, or were more, well, wizardy, and after looking it over I am OK with everything exept the breath weapon. So what I need is just something less extra-ordinary, but still usefull in combat. Any ideas?

Viscount Einstrauss
2007-05-12, 12:09 AM
Pirates, eh? Why not the extraordinary ability to create explosive vials that deal splash damage equal to the power that his breath attack might have been. Perhaps he can make them out of really mundane items (like just a glass bottle and some sand), but limited to how many he can create per day/total. Suggested reading- A Song of Ice and Fire, specifically in refference to Dragon's Fire.

Yechezkiel
2007-05-12, 12:29 AM
So what I need is just something less extra-ordinary, but still usefull in combat. Any ideas?

Let it be "Firebreathing" with alchohol and a torch maybe?

Don't make it much different then the original ability, he shouldn't be penalized by having to switch to a lit torch and bottle whenever he wants to do this, it should function similarly.

Lemur
2007-05-12, 12:34 AM
Maybe you could tweak the flavor of the class a bit towards a drunken master-esque type feel- he can use a breath weapon, but he consumes copius amounts of grog in the process. They are pirates, after all :smallamused:

Bah, ninja'd

Yechezkiel
2007-05-12, 12:39 AM
They be pirates, after all :smallamused:



There, fix'd! R!

PinkysBrain
2007-05-12, 04:23 AM
Give him IUS and let him get the energy damage from his breath weapon on his unarmed attacks instead. Yes, that is very strong ... but on the other hand, the dragon shaman is very weak. It evens out.

menschenfresser
2007-05-12, 04:37 AM
giving him the rogues sneak attack would look like a fair trade for me,
but would also mean a significant change to the flavor of the class ...
as would giving him rage.
have you talked with jacob, why he wants to play the dragon shaman in particular ?