Alternative Spells for Homebrew Silverbrow Variants other than Feather Fall?

[Gavinfoxx]

I was interested in something for the other 'social' dragons that are known to spend time among humanoids, and like chilling with and befriending humans and the other little (to a dragon, at least!) biped races.

I believe that, other than Silver, that would be Brass, Steel, Mercury, and Song. Am I missing any social dragons from that list?

Of those, only Mercury and Song have alternate forms without taking a feat, I guess. So maybe those first?

What would you call those other than [whatever]-brow? Would that work? Brassbrow, Steelbrow, Mercurybrow, Songbrow?

And there has to be a level 1 spell more interesting than Feather Fall to pick for these races! But what would it be?

Edit: I just realized how social they are. What about those descended from Purple Dragons?

Edit2: So of the gem dragons, Crystal dragons are the most sociable. What about for Ferrous? Lung? Planar? What species might interact closely with standard humans?

[NontheistCleric]

Note that although the Steel Dragon doesn't have an Alternate Form ability, it does have polymorph as a spell-like ability 5/day even at the wyrmling stage. So it can take a human form, just for a shorter time. Or, interestingly, perhaps it could turn a friend into a dragon for a short time.

Since the silverbrow human's feather fall spell-like ability seems to be derived from the same ability of the Silver Dragon, let's look at the spell-like abilities of Brass, Steel, Mercury and Song Dragons.


Brass: At will—speak with animals; 3/day—endure elements (juvenile or older; radius 10 ft. x dragon’s age category); 1/day—suggestion (adult or older), control winds (old or older), control weather (ancient or older).

It looks like both speak with animals and endure elements might be viable choices, being of the right level.


Steel: 5/day—polymorph; 1/day—charm person, enthrall, mass charm, mass suggestion, suggestion.

Here, charm person seems to be the only candidate.


Mercury: At will—gaze screen; 3/day—mirror image; 2/day—telekinesis; 1/day—project image.

Unfortunately, the Mercury Dragon has no level 1 SLAs, so it might be best to look for plausible level 1 analogues. Perhaps silent image in place of mirror image, or slide (Spell Compendium) for telekinesis.


Song: 1/hour—light, darkness; 2/day—blink, feather fall, polymorph any object; 1/day—heal, plane shift, teleport.

The only level 1 SLA here is feather fall, but if we wanted something different from the silverbrow, perhaps we could take camouflage (Spell Compendium) as a much-lower-level approximation of polymorph any object.

[Gavinfoxx]

<snip>

I like your use of color!

I'd say Brass's Speak With Animals is most iconic of that choice. Wouldn't Greater Mage Hand be superior to Slide as a level 1 Telekinesis analog for a Mercury? What about Benign Transposition as an alternative to Teleport for Song? I agree with Steel's Charm Person, unless we wanted to use Enlarge Person as a stand-in for Polymorph? In fact, we could use that as a stand-in for Song's Polymorph Any Object if we needed to. Also, isn't Charm Person more valuable as an SLA than a spell, since it isn't obvious it was cast?

[NontheistCleric]

Wouldn't Greater Mage Hand be superior to Slide as a level 1 Telekinesis analog for a Mercury?

I was just skimming through spells for possibilities and happened to see slide, but now that you mention it, greater mage hand is definitely more appropriate.


What about Benign Transposition as an alternative to Teleport for Song?I agree with Steel's Charm Person, unless we wanted to use Enlarge Person as a stand-in for Polymorph? In fact, we could use that as a stand-in for Song's Polymorph Any Object if we needed to.

I can't say I like benign transposition as an alternative to teleport, because it does something that teleport fundamentally can't do, which I don't think should be the case for a spell-like ability that attempts to represent a watered-down version of the original draconic heritage. The only other level 1 possibility might be stand, but that just seemed so lame to me.

Enlarge person is not, in my opinion, a good stand-in for any form of polymorph, because it only does one thing in contrast to the versatility of the polymorph line, and that thing isn't even something polymorph does. I went with camouflage because it does represent a more general ability to alter physical form, changing your appearance to match what's behind you, but I admit that it being able to constantly change, which polymorph can't do, rubs me the wrong way.

A better idea for a polymorph substitute just occurred to me: The level 1 Polymorph subschool spells: aquatic escape, lesser spider form, and winged watcher. The forms are limited, with the most choice being winged watcher with the option of turning into a raven or owl, but they do change form wholesale for a good low-level imitation of polymorph. Perhaps 'steelbrow' (if not using charm person for that) or 'songbrow' individuals could randomly receive one of those three as their spell-like ability, to create a little variety.

[hamishspence]

Gold dragons aren't quite as social with humans as silvers, but they're still pretty social, especially at young ages. I could see a Goldbrow human (with Bless as their SLA).

[Gavinfoxx]

Yea, Winged Watcher seems like it fits more than Enlarge Person, honestly. And I can see Goldbrows having Bless as an SLA.

So, if we were picking just one...

Silver: Feather Fall
Gold: Bless
Mercury: Greater Mage Hand
Song: Winged Watcher
Steel: Charm Person
Brass: Speak With Animals

How's that?

[hamishspence]

Bronzes have Alternate Form and are moderately social. The problem is they also have Speak With Animals as their only 1st level SLA.

Possibly give Brassbrow Humans Endure Elements instead, to avoid duplication?


Coppers have no 1st level SLA (Spider Climb, their first one, is 2nd level) , and need a feat to get Alternate Form. They're probably at their most social with gnomes rather than humans, both being prone to being pranksters.

[Gavinfoxx]

Bronzes have Alternate Form and are moderately social

So:

Brass: Endure Elements
Bronze: Speak With Animals
Silver: Feather Fall
Gold: Bless
Mercury: Greater Mage Hand
Song: Winged Watcher
Steel: Charm Person

I don't think Copper would be a good fit for a human subrace, ya?

[hamishspence]

I suspect "Copperbrow humans" would be by far the rarest of the "X-brow human" subraces, if they were used at all.

And, like with the Mercury, they'd need an analogue 1st level Spell-Like ability that fits their themes, - maybe a weaker version of one of the Copper's SLAs.

[Gavinfoxx]

Well, the point of not doing it for all, like 867 species of dragons in the edition is to pick the ones it makes sense for.

There needs to be enough of them doing things with humans over time to cause an actual subspecies of human.

[Nifft]

Mercury dragons go fast.

The granted spell could be swift expeditious retreat, which isn't something the dragon would cast, but would instead make you briefly move like the dragon.

[Gavinfoxx]

Since this is my thread, does anyone have any suggestions for a, ahem, Purplebrow variant? They are QUITE social, after all. And might want vassals and bureaucracy to be related by blood.

[Thurbane]

Another suggestion for Mercury might be Instant Diversion (RotD), which is kind of like a level 1 version of Mirror Image. It's a swift action casting time, not sure if that makes it problematic as an SLA.

Purple dragons have 3/day—gust of wind, pyrotechnics, heat metal, 1/day—fire shield, suggestion, wall of force.

The don't have any level 1 SLAs.

Sunstroke (Sandstorm) might serve as a level 1 equivalent of Heat Metal, but it's not a great match. Wall of Smoke (SC) in place of Pyrotechnics? Again, not an ideal match.

Maybe Command as a lower-powered Suggestion?

[Rebel7284]

It looks like Steel Dragons were updated in Dragons of Faerun to have Alternate Form instead of Polymorph. Which is a pity as I was looking forward to finding early entry into Master Transmogrifist. Not terribly relevant to this conversation, but FYI :smallannoyed:

[Beni-Kujaku]

It looks like Steel Dragons were updated in Dragons of Faerun to have Alternate Form instead of Polymorph. Which is a pity as I was looking forward to finding early entry into Master Transmogrifist. Not terribly relevant to this conversation, but FYI :smallannoyed:

That's more fitting for them, as they almost only take the form of humans to live amongst them. But yeah, a pity for optimizers (notably, there was one person in the last Iron Chef who would have liked very much to have Polymorph instead of Alternate Form). Polymorph would also make them even more ridiculously overpowered compared to other dragons of their number of HD.

[Gavinfoxx]

Produce Flame for Pyrotechnics, for Purple, maybe?

Also, are any of the gem or psionic dragons especially social and outgoing in any edition of the game?

[Beni-Kujaku]

Produce Flame for Pyrotechnics, for Purple, maybe?

Also, are any of the gem or psionic dragons especially social and outgoing in any edition of the game?

The crystal dragon is the only gem dragon even remotely accepting of company‚ and even then‚ they don't seek it out‚ but do accept and welcome visitors in their lair with whom to chat. They were very adept of Charm Person and Color Spray‚ but didn't have Alternate Form

[Gavinfoxx]

The crystal dragon is the only gem dragon even remotely accepting of company‚ and even then‚ they don't seek it out‚ but do accept and welcome visitors in their lair with whom to chat. They were very adept of Charm Person and Color Spray‚ but didn't have Alternate Form

Don't have alternate form, huh? That doesn't make things *impossible*, but it does make being sociable (and having out of speciee children!) a bit more tricky!

Still, I'm thinking Crystalbrow gets one power point, and another one every five hit dice, and if they get the ability to manifest psionic powers, they can add psionic charm to their powers known without it taking up a slot?


Here's another idea. How would the +2 to a few skills change for various social dragons?

[Telonius]

What would you call those other than [whatever]-brow? Would that work? Brassbrow, Steelbrow, Mercurybrow, Songbrow?

Brass: Probably something NSFW. :smallbiggrin: If not, Brasspalm (to go with the acquisitive nature)
Steel: Steelheart or Steelspine
Mercury: ... got nothing. Possibly something to do with quicksilver, or madness?
Song: Heartsong, possibly Harmonic?

[Gavinfoxx]

So what would generally be the most social/sociable/likely to interact peacefully with normal humans of other sorts of dragons, like Planar, Ferrous, Lung, etc.?

[Gavinfoxx]

Okay, I think Shen Dragons are the most charismatic and sociable of the Lung dragons.

I would say... maybe Ice Slick for their spell, and Diplomacy for their skill? What do you all think of that for Shenbrow Humans?