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schreier
2018-03-10, 05:54 PM
Not sure if this should be in the 3.5 forum, or homebrew (since the rules exist to create the bloodlines)

The main thread was here: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?208703-3-5e-Bloodline-Guide-What-in-the-Nine-Hells-is-a-Bloodline

Basically, there are 3 attributes with +1, 4 skills with +2, and 10 "abilities"

Since this is a dragon, it seems to make sense to base the bloodline on the other true dragons.

The 3 attributes seem pretty clear - the three Major bloodlines (Silver, Gold, and Red) have 2 of 3 attributes the same - Strength and Constitution.
The third attribute - 2 have Charisma and 1 has Intelligence. Considering the fluff of the Tome Dragon, seems clear that it should be Strength, Constitution and Intelligence.

The 4 skills - all 3 of the bloodlines have jump, so that seems one of the 4. Gold and Silver both have Sense Motive, so that makes sense for the second. Other ones that would make sense: Spellcraft and Knowledge (Arcana)

For the 10 abilities - 3 of them are clearly Natural Armor. Another is Alertness. That's 4/10.

All 3 have Power Attack, but that doesn't make sense for a Tome Dragon. You could go with Weapon Finesse, but even that seems unrelated to the Tome Dragon. Each also had elemental resistance 5/10 and Immune to a single element related to the dragon. The problem is that the Tome Dragon doesn't have one element -- it specifically can use any element in its breath weapon. It is an "air" dragon, so that could lend itself to electricity. Same problem with the breath weapon, which each one has (no specific element).

The last ability it pretty varied - alter self, locate object, and water breathing ...

so 4/10 are definite - breath weapon seems like it makes sense - since you can pick from the 4 elements but it's lower damage - it seems like 3d8 but pick your element would make sense, since it looks like half the damage of a regular breath weapon. That would be pretty useless honestly, but would fit thematically.

That would be 5/10 .. .for the last 5, at least one metamagic would make sense, maybe 2. SR 2+HD like the Titan would be appropriate too. Could go Resist 5 in 3 elements (Fire, Electricity, Cold)

My thoughts would be:
1 +2 on Sense Motive checks
2 Alertness
3 Strength +1
4 Resistance to Fire 5
5 Tome Dragon Affinity +2
6 +1 to Natural Armor
7 +2 on Spellcraft checks
8 Resistance to Electricity 5
9 Constitution +1
10 Resistance to Cold 5
11 Tome Dragon Affinity +4
12 +1 to Natural Armor
13 +2 on Knowledge (Arcana) checks
14 Silent Spell
15 Intelligence +1
16 Breath Weapon (Ex)
17 Tome Dragon Affinity +6
18 +1 to Natural Armor
19 +2 on Jump checks
20 Spell Resistance 2+HD

The Resist and the Breath Weapon are meh - but it seems to work well from a fluff perspective -- what do you think?

Goaty14
2018-03-10, 07:16 PM
Nothing too much, though you might have an alternate feat for silent spell if the person isn't a spellcaster.


The Resist and the Breath Weapon are meh - but it seems to work well from a fluff perspective -- what do you think?

Resist is indeed meh, but you don't have any specifics on how the breath weapon works. Also don't undervalue the breath weapon so easily, since metabreath feats could use it to greater effect. (Metabreath feats add to the recharge time of a breath weapon -- with no limit. Heighten breath, for example does +1 round cooldown/+1 DC. With heighten breath alone, you could force a DC 65 ref save for half, recharging in 1d4+50 rounds. Or, you could replicate the locate city bomb by grabbing widen breath...)

schreier
2018-03-10, 08:15 PM
Sorry, you're right I wasn't clear on the breath weapon. The Tome Dragon can pick any of four elements (Air - Sonic, Earth - Piercing, Water - Bludgeoning, Fire - Fire). It explodes like a fireball for the Tome Dragon (20' radius).

The 3 dragon bloodlines get a 30' cone of fire or cold .... I would think that a 10' radius explosion would work for the bloodline?

Looking at the elements more closely, it also might make sense to drop the resistance to electricity 5, and maybe add DR Magic/5?

As far as non-spellcasting feats - that is true, it could go with a non-spellcasting feat, since it probably should not have a prereq. Leave it as Weapon Finesse?

In case you weren't aware, the Tome Dragon is in Dragon 343, pp 42-44. It is pretty scary, getting a free +4 metamagic (so free quicken for example).

Thanks
schreier