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Krimm_Blackleaf
2008-08-11, 03:52 PM
By request of ErrantX
--
Unveiled Dragon
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/MM5_Gallery/106299.jpg
Sakramuenu and Voorkizixel, unveiled dragons surveiling a watch tower.

In the world, there exist many champions of the sword, everything from the Spirit Lords, to the Unmasked Fiend to the Concealed Celestial. Unveiled Dragons are another tier of martial power taken on by the world's most ancient mortals: Dragons.
Unveiled dragons are those who wish to have not only their draconic shape, but that of an unambiguous humanoid shape. They are capable of switching between shapes at will, as a humanoid using their powerful sword to cut down all who oppose and to unleash true power in the shape of their true draconic body.

HD: d12

Requirements
Race: Any true dragon of at least Juvenile age.
BAB: +10
Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 13 ranks, Martial Lore 2 ranks
Feats: Power Attack, Multiattack, Weapon Focus (any melee weapon)
Maneuvers: Ability to use one strike and one stance.
Special: Must have gone through a process that permanently imbues the ability to keep humanoid shape, which grants the veiled shape class feature(see below). Must have a masterwork weapon of which you have weapon focus for.

Class Skills: Balance, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (religon), Martial Lore, Sense Motive, Swim, and Tumble.
Plus any class skills automatically granted to you for being your dragon type, and any skills associated with your unique discipline(see below).
Skill-points per level: 6+Int modifier

{table="head"]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special
1st|+1|+2|+0|+2|Veiled shape, might of the dragon, spirit weapon
2nd|+2|+3|+0|+3|Draconic release, spirit enhancement +1
3rd|+3|+3|+1|+3|Draconic ability
4th|+4|+4|+1|+4|Spirit enhancement +2
5th|+5|+4|+1|+4|Strike of the dragon's heart, draconic ability
6th|+6|+5|+2|+5|Spirit enhancement +3
7th|+7|+5|+2|+5|Draconic ability
8th|+8|+6|+2|+6|Spirit enhancement +4
9th|+9|+6|+3|+6|Bahamut's/Tiamat's strike, draconic ability
10th|+10|+7|+3|+7|Shape of the great wyrm, spirit enhancement +5
[/table]

{table="head"]Level|Man. Known|Man. Readied|Stances Known
1st|0|1|1
2nd|1|0|0
3rd|1|0|0
4th|0|1|0
5th|1|0|0
6th|1|0|1
7th|0|1|0
8th|1|0|0
9th|1|0|0
10th|0|1|0
[/table]

Weapon and armor proficiencies: Unveiled dragons receive no additional weapon or armor proficiencies.

Maneuvers: At each level except 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th levels, an unveiled dragon gains new maneuvers known from the Stone Dragon or Tiger Claw disciplines and another discipline based on their type, as seen on the chart below. You must meet a maneuver's prerequisite to learn it. You add your full unveiled dragon levels to your initiator level to determine your total initiator level and your highest-level maneuvers known.
If you do not already have a class capable of regaining maneuvers, you gain the ability to regain your maneuvers as a Warblade would.
At 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th levels, you gain additional maneuvers readied per day.

Chromatic Dragons
{table="head"]Type|Discipline
Black|Caustic Tempest (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67570)
Blue|Shocking Sky (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67570)
Green|Caustic Tempest (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67570)
Red|Desert Wind
White|Frozen Zephyr (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67570)
[/table]

Metallic Dragons
{table="head"]Type|Discipline
Brass|Desert Wind
Bronze|Shocking Sky (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67570)
Copper|Caustic Tempest (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67570)
Gold|Desert Wind
Silver|Frozen Zephyr (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67570)
[/table]

Gem Dragons
{table="head"]Type|Discipline
Amethyst|Iron Heart
Crystal|Diamond Mind
Emerald|White Raven
Obsidian|Desert Wind
Sapphire|White Raven
Topaz|Desert Wind
[/table]

Ferrous Dragons
{table="head"]Type|Discipline
Chromium|Frozen Zephyr (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67570)
Cobalt|Iron Heart
Iron|Desert Wind
Nickel|Caustic Tempest (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67570)
Tungsten|Desert Wind
[/table]

Planar Dragons
{table="head"]Type|Discipline
Adamantine|Desert Wind
Arboreal|Golden Saint (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=76150)
Astral|Diamond Mind
Axial|Quicksilver Aegis (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86266)
Battle|Iron Heart
Beast|Kaleidoscopic Dream (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86163)
Chaos|Kaleidoscopic Dream (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86163)
Chole|Dread Crown (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=76218)
Concordant|Diamond Mind
Ectoplasmic|Diamond Mind
Elysian|Golden Saint (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=76150)
Ethereal|Iron Heart
Gloom|Dread Crown (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=76218)
Howling|Dread Crown (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=76218)
Kodragon|Diamond Mind
Oceanus|Shocking Sky (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67570)
Pyroclastic|Desert Wind
Radiant|Golden Saint (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=76150)
Rust|Caustic Tempest (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67570)
Styx|Ocean Soul (http://wiki.faxcelestis.net/index.php?title=Ocean_Soul_Discipline#Three)
Tarterian|Dread Crown (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=76218)
[/table]

Other Dragons
{table="head"]Type|Discipline
Brown|Caustic Tempest (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67570)
Deep|Shadow Hand
Fang|Iron Heart
Force|Diamond Mind
Incarnum|Iron Heart
Lung|Iron Heart
Prismatic|Kaleidoscopic Dream (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86163)
Rattelyr|Caustic Tempest (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67570)
Sand|Desert Wind
Shadow|Shadow Hand
Song|White Raven
Sunwyrm|Setting Sun
[/table]
Stances Known: At 1st and 6th levels, you learn a new martial stance from the Stone Dragon or Tiger Claw disciplines(plus the one based on your type, on the chart above). You must meet the stances prerequisites to learn it.

Veiled Shape (Ex): At first level, you gain the ability to hide your true, draconic shape with a less ambiguous humanoid form. This class feature causes many changes in your shape and abilities, but allows you to retain many qualities you had before taking this class. If your size was large or larger in your natural draconic shape, your size now becomes medium, any size lower remains the same. You lose any wings, natural weapons and extra limbs you had, with the exception of any slam attacks you had. Your type remains dragon, with any subtypes you had before hand, and any benefits granted by it. You gain a small semblance of your former draconic shape, which manifests as things like hair with the same color as your type, skin lightly tinted with the same color, eyes like your former draconic nature or even things such as vestigial horns or tails.
You may switch between this shape and your true draconic shape and the chosen humanoid form at will as a move action, but you cannot take on a humanoid shape while in draconic release(see below).

Might of the Dragon (Su): Your ability to expel powerful elements(or otherwise) from your mouth and ability to invoke fear continues to advance, as well as your martial capabilities just as a dragon. Your dragon HD and levels of this class stack for the purpose of determining the save DC of your frightful presence ability and the power of your breath weapon, including damage by age category and save DC. Additionally, all dragon HD you have or will receive count for your full initiator level, as opposed to the normal half.

Spirit Weapon (Ex): At first level, an unveiled dragon gains a special bond with a single masterwork weapon of their choice, this weapon gains their own sense of self and sentience and even a name. Though at first, this weapon has no enhancement bonus it is counted as a magic weapon for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction. This is a unique intelligent spirit which does not reside in your weapon, but is your weapon. Spirit weapons usually have names associated with their general theme and appearance.
The weapon starts out with two mental ability scores of 12 and one of 10, skill points equal to 2+weapon Int*(Your unveiled dragon level+3) and has the same class skills as you, though it cannot take any ranks in any skills associated with a physical ability score except Concentration.
It does not gain abilities in the same sense as a normal intelligent weapon, but instead gain them through the Draconic Ability class feature(see below). It does however have some abilities above and beyond a normal weapon; it heals damage dealt to it at a rate of 1/hour just as you and any healing magic used on you grants half the benefits to the weapon though if sundered, it regenerates at a rate of 2 hp a day until fully healed. An exception to the normal rules for weapons completely destroyed by any means is that even if useless, a spirit weapon can regenerate until completely mended, so long as any piece of the original sword exists. Additionally, whenever you gain a weapon ability, you may choose to boost one of it's ability scores by 2.
Once chosen, you cannot designate a new weapon as your spirit weapon.

Draconic Release (Su): At 2nd level, by channeling your true body, you are capable of releasing it through your weapon. To release the form of your weapon, you must enter a stance which you gain with this ability. Taking this stance requires a swift action. When released, your spirit weapon disappears, but it's consciousness fuses with yours, you have full access to all of your Draconic Abilities, gained throughout the class, and you gain a +2 insight bonus to attack rolls while using your natural weapons. You gain an enhancement bonus to bite and claw attacks equal to your spirit enhancement bonus.
Additionally, any wings, natural weapons lost by unmasked shape are regained for the duration of the draconic release, as well as your former natural size and lost limbs.
Unlike a normal stance, this stance can only be maintained for 1 round per initiator level per encounter. Once the time is up, the release dissipates and they resume another stance. Once the draconic release is over, your weapon returns to normal.

Spirit Enhancement (Su): At 2nd level, and every subsequent even level, an unveiled dragon's spirit weapon gain an enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls, with a maximum of +5 at 10th level. This enhancement bonus does not function in an antimagic field, but your spirit weapon still counts as masterwork.

Draconic Abilities (Su): At 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th levels, you are allowed to choose a single quality to give to your body while your true draconic shape is in it's draconic release. Whenever you are using your draconic release you have full access to all of your draconic abilities, and once chosen, none of your draconic abilities can be changed later on. Some abilities require a certain level in this class. to gain access to them. Additionally, some of these abilities don't require you to be in draconic release to use, and are either in constant use or usable outside of release.
Breath of fury: While in your draconic released state, the power of your breath is brought up to a higher tier of power. The damage dice used for your breath weapon increases by one die type, and the save DC for any effects of your breath weapon increase by 2.
Eldritch power: You are capable of channeling magical power through yourself with great ease. Select one arcane or divine spell of a level equal to half your unveiled dragon level, rounded down, you may use this as a spell-like ability once per round as a standard action. If this ability has a saving throw, the DC is 10+half your HD+Cha modifier.
Enhanced ability: Focusing your weapon through you increases your own power. Select one ability score, while in your released state you gain a +2 bonus to that ability score.
Fast Healing: Your natural draconic toughness takes a step up. This ability grants fast healing 1, and your skin takes on either a darker or shinier appearance. You can only get this ability at 5th level or higher and it can be taken multiple times.
Great armor: Your weapon is not only used for offense, but defense. When used, this ability shows as a suit of armor similar to the shape and pattern of your scales. You gain a deflection bonus to your armor class equal to half of your unveiled dragon level rounded down.
Great breath: You know how to mix pure magical energy into your breath weapon. Half the damage dealt by your breath weapon is untyped damage which can't be resisted and nothing is immune to. The rest of the damage is the same type as your normal breath weapon. You must be 7th level and have the Breath of fury draconic ability to take this ability.
Great reach: Your natural weapons are more flexible and you can reach out with them ever further. Your natural weapons each gain a greater reach, increasing an additional 5 feet beyond it's normal reach.
Life sapper: Your natural weapon sucks the very life out of your enemies with every blow. Select a single natural weapon your possess, each time this weapon hits an opponent it imposes a negative level on the subject. These negative levels stack, but never cause permanent level drain. The negative levels are relieved after 24 hours have passed. Subjects who receive as many negative levels as they have class levels die, this is a death effect and considered a necromancy ability. You must be 9th level to take this ability.
Regeneration: Your flesh becomes more adept at healing itself. This ability replaces your fast healing with an equal amount of regeneration. This regeneration can be overcome with weapons bearing an alignment opposite yours(if you have an extreme alignment or true neutral, select one alignment), spells with the same alignment, or dragon-bane quality weapons. This ability does not grant the ability to regrow lost limbs but holding severed limbs to the stump automatically reattaches it. You must be 9th level to take this ability and have the Fast Healing draconic ability.
Resist blows: Your skin isn't only armor-like, but it is capable of ignoring blows to a certain degree. You gain damage reduction 5/magic, if you already have damage reduction it instead increases by 5. This ability is constantly active and does not require draconic release. This ability can be taken multiple times, the effects stack. At 8th level, your damage reduction turns from DR/magic to DR/epic.
Spell resistance: Your very body is more capable of ignoring spells. Your spell resistance increases by 2. You must already have spell resistance to gain this ability. It can be taken multiple times, the effects stack.
Thickened scales: Your scales harden and thickens into an even more armor-like coating over your entire body. You gain a +4 bonus to your natural armor. This ability can be taken multiple times, increasing your natural armor by 2 every time it is taken. This ability is constantly active and does not require draconic release.
Weapon enhancement: Choose a single weapon enhancement, such as flaming or keen, of an equivalent of a +1 bonus. Your bite and claw attacks now have this weapon quality. At 5th level you are allowed to give it an equivalent enhancement of +2, at 7th you can give it one of +3 and at 9th you can give it one of +4. The total enhancement bonus between this and Spirit Enhancement cannot exceed a +10 bonus.

Strike of the Dragon's Heart (Ex): At 5th level, you learn how to strike with the power deep in your draconic heart. This is treated just as a normal martial maneuver: you must ready it and expend it normally. It is a 6th level strike, and does not belong to any discipline. If this strike hits, it deals an additional 12d6 points of damage to your opponent and they are forced to make a Will save with a DC equal to your Frightful Presence(if you don't have one, DC 10+half your initiator level+Cha modifier) or be considered shaken for the duration of the encounter.

Bahamut's/Tiamat's Strike (Su): You gain a strike unique to this class that channels the raw divinity of one of the two great dragon gods. This is treated just as a normal martial maneuver: you must ready it and expend it normally. It is a 9th level strike, and does not belong to any discipline. When you initiate this strike, choose either Bahamut's aspect, or Tiamat's aspect based on your alignment(if you are not good or evil, choose between the two). If using Bahamut's aspect, you make a normal melee attack against an opponent, adding your Cha modifier as a bonus to attack and if the strike hits, deals an additional 15d6 points of divine damage. If you chose Tiamat's aspect, you make a normal melee attack against an opponent, also adding your Cha modifier as a bonus to attack and if the strike hits, deals an additional 3d6 acid damage, 3d6 cold damage, 3d6 electricity damage, 3d6 fire damage and 5d6 untyped damage. Unlike a normal strike, this ability can only be used once per day, but still must take a readied maneuver slot to be used at all.

Shape of the Great Wyrm (Su): At 10th level, you are capable of not only channeling all of your draconic power into one shape, but concentrating into ultimate power. To use this ability you must be in your draconic release state and uses the duration of the ability. You must take a standard action to gain the benefits of your shape of the great wyrm, and the release lasts for as many rounds as your initiator level. While in this state, all your natural weapons increase their damage die by one size, the crit. range for your bite and claws double and your actual size increases two categories, to a maximum of colossal. Just as the draconic release class feature, you must remain in your draconic shape in this state. You gain a +4 bonus on attack rolls while using your natural weapons, which does not stack with the bonus to attack rolls gained from your draconic release. Lastly, select six abilities from the list below, your weapon grants you these benefits when in your shape of the great wyrm state, and no ability can be taken more than once. Some abilities require you have certain Draconic Abilities attained previously. Once your shape of the great wyrm state is over with, you are considered exhausted. This ability is usable only once per day.
Breath of Legend: The raw power of your breath weapon is unlike any other, penetrating the bodies of anything, even those normally resistant. The damage dealt by your breath weapon while in your shape of the great wyrm is considered untyped. You must have great breath draconic ability to get this ability.
Elemental fury: The elements force themselves out through your body with explosive effect. Your weapon deals extra damage of the same type as your breath weapon, any time your weapon strikes and hits an opponent, it deals an additional 6d6 points of that damage type to your opponent.
Epic strength: The power of your body can cut through even the most durable shields. Your natural weapons are considered to be epic for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction. Additionally, your natural weapons deal an additional amount of damage equal to your Cha modifier.
Greater enhanced ability: The channeling of your weapon further through your own body is brought to a greater level than before. Select an ability for which you've already increased through your enhanced ability weapon quality. The bonus to that ability score increases to +8 instead of +2. You must have taken the enhanced ability Draconic Ability to take this. Multiple uses of enhanced ability do not all grow to +8, only one does. All other enhanced abilities of the same ability score remain at +2.
Greater enhancement: Your natural weapons take on even more magical qualities. Take a number weapon properties your weapon does not already have equal to a total of a +5 enhancement, your weapons have these properties while in your state of the great wyrm. You must have taken Weapon enhancement at least once to take this ability.
Greater Spell Resistance: You become far greater at ignoring spells than most of your kin. The bonus granted by your Spell resistance draconic ability increases from +2 to +6. You must have the Spell resistance draconic ability to get this one.
Greater Weapons: Your jaws and claws are far more adept at ripping away at enemies on critical hits. The critical multiplier of your bite and claw attacks become x3 instead of x2.
Speed of the Wind: Your weapon increases your speed a great amount. Your base land and flight speeds triple, you gain the benefits of the Improved Evasion class feature and select a single mental ability score. You now add a dodge bonus to your Armor Class equal to 3+that score's modifier. If you already have a class feature from another class that grants a mental ability score to AC, you cannot choose that ability score(monks, swordsage and swashbuckler as examples). Additionally, your flight maneuverability increases one step, to a maximum of perfect.
Spell power: You can channel mystical energy through your weapon to do unearthly things. Once per day while using your shape of the great wyrm, select any spell or psionic power of 9th level or lower, you can use this spell with a caster level of 20th.
Spirit Armor: Your body is sheathed in great draconic armor unlike any that's been seen by mortal eyes. You gain a +10 deflection bonus to Armor Class, which does not stack with the great armor draconic ability. You must have taken the great armor draconic ability to take this.

Guyr Adamantine
2008-08-11, 09:18 PM
Wow. this PrC sounds a hell lot cooler with dragons.. (I'm more dragon than demon, so I'm a bit biaised :smalltongue:)

Two thoughts:

1) The weapon's enhancement bonus should apply to the dragon's natural attacks.

2) A dragon should have his LA reduced for accomplishing the ritual of Veiled Shape; He gains no advantage from it.

2 might sund a bit steep, but I like to think of this PrC as a way for exiled dragons (Stripped of their powerful forms through magic) to gain this potential back, and much more. Playing a dragon is costly. The ritual might help making the option more likely to be playable.

Krimm_Blackleaf
2008-08-12, 01:10 AM
Wow. this PrC sounds a hell lot cooler with dragons.. (I'm more dragon than demon, so I'm a bit biaised :smalltongue:)

Two thoughts:

1) The weapon's enhancement bonus should apply to the dragon's natural attacks.

2) A dragon should have his LA reduced for accomplishing the ritual of Veiled Shape; He gains no advantage from it.

2 might sund a bit steep, but I like to think of this PrC as a way for exiled dragons (Stripped of their powerful forms through magic) to gain this potential back, and much more. Playing a dragon is costly. The ritual might help making the option more likely to be playable.

1)
Draconic Release (Su): At 2nd level, by channeling your true body, you are capable of releasing it through your weapon. To release the form of your weapon, you must enter a stance which you gain with this ability. Taking this stance requires a swift action. When released, your spirit weapon disappears, but it's consciousness fuses with yours, you have full access to all of your Draconic Abilities, gained throughout the class, and you gain a +2 insight bonus to attack rolls while using your natural weapons. You gain an enhancement bonus to bite and claw attacks equal to your spirit enhancement bonus.

2) Interesting thought... I might just have to do that. How does reducing the LA by ...3 sound?

Guyr Adamantine
2008-08-12, 09:22 AM
1)

*Facepalm*


2) Interesting thought... I might just have to do that. How does reducing the LA by ...3 sound?

No natural weapons, no size advantage, no mega movement modes.

Sound good. Anybody else want to share a thought on this?

Baron Corm
2008-08-12, 11:14 AM
Greater enhanced ability is a lot weaker than all of the other Shape of the Great Wyrm abilities. In fact it is nearly equal to the Draconic ability. I would rather have +6d6 damage, or +5 AC, etc, than +2 to an ability.

MammonAzrael
2008-08-12, 11:29 AM
Haven't finished reading yet, but I like it so far. I'll update this post as I read (So I don't forget anything :smallsmile: )

Shouldn't Mighty Breath increase the save DC of your Breath Weapon too? It seems like it should, but doesn't as currently worded.

The Fast Healing Draconic Ability needs to be colored and italicized.

Resist Blows should say: "This ability is constantly active and does not require fiendish Draconic release." Furthermore, does it change all your X/Magic DR into X/Epic, or just the DR granted by the ability?

Does the Weapon Enhancemt Draconic Ability increase as you level, or does the ability you get depend on the class level you take the ability at? Right now it sounds like you get a +1 ability, then you add a +2 ability when you hit 5th level (which implies character level, not class level...), then you add a +3 ability at 7th and so on. Something tells me this was not your intent.

Strike of the Dragons Heart I think should read: "If this strike hits, it deals an additional 12d6 points of damage to your opponent and they are forced to make a Will save with a DC equal to your fear auraFrightful Presence DC(if you don't have one, DC 10+half your initiator level+Cha modifier) or be considered shaken for the duration of the encounter."

Also, on page 125 of Dragon Magic there are variant dragon auras that you can replace your Frightful Presence with. Not sure how it would mix with this strike.

Bahamut's/Tiamat's Strike seems to suffer the same danger as the Bahamut and Tiamat breath options of the Dragonfire Adept. Why does the T outdamage the B strike? Even if what you're hitting is resistant or immune to one of the elements, it'll still deal more damage than the B strike. Or is this assuming that by the time you get it, most enemies you face will have multiple resistances and immunities?

Shape of the Great Wyrm: Page 99 of the Draconomicon has rule for a Colossal+ size if you want to use that. Why don't you make the +4 bonus to attack rolls an insight bonus, so it automatically doesn't stack with the bonus from Draconic Release? Do you select six abilities each time you use SotGW, or do you select six when you first gain the ability, and then they never change after that? And you can remove the doesn't stack clause from Spirit Armor (they're both deflection bonuses so they already don't stack).



Overall, I like it. Very cool. I think you could also add in a Spell Resistance ability for Draconic Ability or SotGW, since that's another thing all dragons have. Well done.

Stycotl
2008-08-12, 12:53 PM
interesting. couple of things.

the veiled shape ability makes it sounds as if it can pretty much shapechange back and forth at will between its two forms, but everything else makes it seem as if it has forsaken its draconic form. but, why on earth would a dragon willingly abandon its draconic form, arguably one of the most amazing forms in the game? demons i can see going through this. dragons, i'm still having a hard time. maybe the dragon was stripped of his draconic form by a divine being (or something else that he can't just dispel), and this is his attempt to refind it.

some fluff text in the beginning might help me out with this, cuz i don't currently see it.

mighty breath: should probably have a new name, since it gives three abilities, and only one of them is breath. maybe, 'might of the dragon' or something.

spirit weapon: most super cool weapons can be replaced, even if lost, destroyed, etc. making it lost forever is pretty harsh. any particular reason?

fast healing: the heading wasn't bolded/color changed like the rest, and in the sentance, 'shiner' should be 'shinier'.

breath of fury: moves the breath weapon up one damage dice. as far as i was aware, (where gold and red dragons are concerned) when damage dice in increased, advancing from a d10 takes you to 2d8 or something (someone can look it up...). so a dragon with a 14d10 breath now has a 28d8 breath. i am pretty sure that this is how it worked. that is a fairly large increase. then imagine a great wyrm... d12 might be better, but you'd probably have to specify that in the description, unless i am wrong, and d12 is already standard.

i am having a hard time undstanding the need for the spirit weapon, and its appearing/disappearing. some of that still stems from me not getting why a dragon would voluntarily lose its form.

prereqs: +10 bab pretty much means that a hatchling can take this prc. now, i realize that there is a balance that is hard to reach here. this seems like a class that only an older dragon would take. but players can't generally play older dragons--LA problem. so you kinda have to compromise. at least, this is what i am assuming you did. since you have the prereq already in there that the dragon has to be a true dragon, maybe specify that it has to be at least age category 2 or 3 or something. unless you want hatchlings to have access to it, which is certainly your deal.

ok, got the negative out fo the way. now, the positive. very cool. this thing has tons of options (pun intended). it does have a nice flavor; i just don't buy it all right now. like i said, fluff would help. it has to be somewhat different than the demon one, otherwise it would fit in my mind. i love dragons; they're my favorite monster to play as a pc in d&d, and i love things that capitalize on dragons' abilities. this in conjunction with the primal breather class would be killer.

good job.

aaron out.

Krimm_Blackleaf
2008-08-12, 08:11 PM
Greater enhanced ability is a lot weaker than all of the other Shape of the Great Wyrm abilities. In fact it is nearly equal to the Draconic ability. I would rather have +6d6 damage, or +5 AC, etc, than +2 to an ability.

Well, only two issues, one with what you said and another with what I did. It's a +4 to an ability, but even so that's not great, I just took it from another class so I need to alter it to +8.


Shouldn't Mighty Breath increase the save DC of your Breath Weapon too? It seems like it should, but doesn't as currently worded.

The DC is equal to 10+Half your Dragon HD+Con modifier, and Unveiled Dragon levels stack with dragon HD for determining the damage and DC of the breath weapon. I suppose just saying 'power of your breath weapon' doesn't really tell you that.


The Fast Healing Draconic Ability needs to be colored and italicized.

I'll get right on that.


Resist Blows should say: "This ability is constantly active and does not require fiendish Draconic release." Furthermore, does it change all your X/Magic DR into X/Epic, or just the DR granted by the ability?

Woops.
Also, it changes all your DR into epic, just not right away, of course.


Does the Weapon Enhancemt Draconic Ability increase as you level, or does the ability you get depend on the class level you take the ability at? Right now it sounds like you get a +1 ability, then you add a +2 ability when you hit 5th level (which implies character level, not class level...), then you add a +3 ability at 7th and so on. Something tells me this was not your intent.

The intent was to make the max level you could get a +1 enhancement is unveiled dragon level 3rd, +2 max at level 5 and so on and so forth.


Strike of the Dragons Heart I think should read: "If this strike hits, it deals an additional 12d6 points of damage to your opponent and they are forced to make a Will save with a DC equal to your fear auraFrightful Presence DC(if you don't have one, DC 10+half your initiator level+Cha modifier) or be considered shaken for the duration of the encounter."

I suppose that works.


Also, on page 125 of Dragon Magic there are variant dragon auras that you can replace your Frightful Presence with. Not sure how it would mix with this strike.

Ehhh, I'll leave that up to all the DM's out there, I use fear auras.


Bahamut's/Tiamat's Strike seems to suffer the same danger as the Bahamut and Tiamat breath options of the Dragonfire Adept. Why does the T outdamage the B strike? Even if what you're hitting is resistant or immune to one of the elements, it'll still deal more damage than the B strike. Or is this assuming that by the time you get it, most enemies you face will have multiple resistances and immunities?

That's exactly why I did it, but I suppose I shouldn't let it out-damage it by so much. I tend to think a lot about outsiders, so multiple energy resistances pop up a lot in my head.


Shape of the Great Wyrm: Page 99 of the Draconomicon has rule for a Colossal+ size if you want to use that. Why don't you make the +4 bonus to attack rolls an insight bonus, so it automatically doesn't stack with the bonus from Draconic Release? Do you select six abilities each time you use SotGW, or do you select six when you first gain the ability, and then they never change after that? And you can remove the doesn't stack clause from Spirit Armor (they're both deflection bonuses so they already don't stack).

Hmm, I prefer to keep it with the standard "maximum of colossal", since when it starts getting bigger it starts getting ridiculous.
"You gain a +4 bonus on attack rolls while using your natural weapons, which does not stack with the bonus to attack rolls gained from your draconic release." Changing that seems unnecessary to me.
You select 6 abilities which cannot be changed, I must not have mentioned that, so I'll change it.
I added the clause because not everyone knows that, all too many times have I seen newbies buying two(or three...) rings of deflection.


Overall, I like it. Very cool. I think you could also add in a Spell Resistance ability for Draconic Ability or SotGW, since that's another thing all dragons have. Well done.

That's not a bad idea, and I'm glad you like it. :smallbiggrin:


interesting. couple of things.

the veiled shape ability makes it sounds as if it can pretty much shapechange back and forth at will between its two forms, but everything else makes it seem as if it has forsaken its draconic form. but, why on earth would a dragon willingly abandon its draconic form, arguably one of the most amazing forms in the game? demons i can see going through this. dragons, i'm still having a hard time. maybe the dragon was stripped of his draconic form by a divine being (or something else that he can't just dispel), and this is his attempt to refind it.

some fluff text in the beginning might help me out with this, cuz i don't currently see it.

The ability to grant the ability to switch between forms, and if it sounds like the draconic form was forsaken it's mostly because I quoted most of the text from the Unmasked Fiend, which did forsake it's fiendish form.


mighty breath: should probably have a new name, since it gives three abilities, and only one of them is breath. maybe, 'might of the dragon' or something.

Yeah... That bugged me from the start, but I just couldn't think of something good. I'll probably use something like your suggestion, if not just plainly ripping it off.


spirit weapon: most super cool weapons can be replaced, even if lost, destroyed, etc. making it lost forever is pretty harsh. any particular reason?

Because if it's destroyed it's still regenerates. It's more like punishment for dropping it somewhere and not keeping good enough track of it. After all, you can't just replace a best friend, can you?


fast healing: the heading wasn't bolded/color changed like the rest, and in the sentance, 'shiner' should be 'shinier'.

Thanks. Also, it's spelled 'sentence'.:smallamused:


breath of fury: moves the breath weapon up one damage dice. as far as i was aware, (where gold and red dragons are concerned) when damage dice in increased, advancing from a d10 takes you to 2d8 or something (someone can look it up...). so a dragon with a 14d10 breath now has a 28d8 breath. i am pretty sure that this is how it worked. that is a fairly large increase. then imagine a great wyrm... d12 might be better, but you'd probably have to specify that in the description, unless i am wrong, and d12 is already standard.

I was hoping people would make the assumption of d8 - d10 - d12 instead of 2d8.


i am having a hard time undstanding the need for the spirit weapon, and its appearing/disappearing. some of that still stems from me not getting why a dragon would voluntarily lose its form.

It doesn't lose it's form, it just gets another less ambiguous one. And the spirit weapon thing is just going with the theme of the rest of the classes I made that have spirit weapons. Power contained in a sword that unleashes itself and bonds with you in draconic shape, stuff like that.


prereqs: +10 bab pretty much means that a hatchling can take this prc. now, i realize that there is a balance that is hard to reach here. this seems like a class that only an older dragon would take. but players can't generally play older dragons--LA problem. so you kinda have to compromise. at least, this is what i am assuming you did. since you have the prereq already in there that the dragon has to be a true dragon, maybe specify that it has to be at least age category 2 or 3 or something. unless you want hatchlings to have access to it, which is certainly your deal.

Waitwait, which hatchlings have 10 HD?


ok, got the negative out fo the way. now, the positive. very cool. this thing has tons of options (pun intended). it does have a nice flavor; i just don't buy it all right now. like i said, fluff would help. it has to be somewhat different than the demon one, otherwise it would fit in my mind. i love dragons; they're my favorite monster to play as a pc in d&d, and i love things that capitalize on dragons' abilities. this in conjunction with the primal breather class would be killer.

good job.

aaron out.

Thanks. :smallbiggrin:

Stycotl
2008-08-13, 12:42 AM
The ability to grant the ability to switch between forms, and if it sounds like the draconic form was forsaken it's mostly because I quoted most of the text from the Unmasked Fiend, which did forsake it's fiendish form

ah, so it can shift as it wills between the two without having to enter its release.


Thanks. Also, it's spelled 'sentence'.

d'oh!


Waitwait, which hatchlings have 10 HD?

so far just the gold, the howling, and the radiant (without getting into epic dragons). but i am sure i am missing one or two.

anyway, with the explanation and stuff, i am satisfied. sounds cool, and it does give some awesome options to a dragon. aaron out.

Baron Corm
2008-08-13, 10:38 AM
Well, only two issues, one with what you said and another with what I did. It's a +4 to an ability, but even so that's not great, I just took it from another class so I need to alter it to +8.

The way it reads, it replaces the +2 from the Draconic ability. So you already have +2, and you're getting (now) +8 instead. So the increase is 2 less than it would appear, from the actual ability. An ability like Elemental Fury builds upon nothing, so the ability itself actually grants a full 6d6 damage.

I think the +8 (+6) works though. Comparing just to the one which gives +5 deflection AC (because it is also an improvement), if you put it to Dexterity, it would give +3 AC and +3 attack, but more easily bypassable (removing Dex bonus to AC, Dex damage, etc, whereas deflection AC can't really be removed).

Also thinking about that, the Great Armor Draconic ability seems better than the others, because it is scaling, and eventually gives the same amount as the "better" version. Perhaps just have it grant a flat +2 to deflection AC, and have the better version grant a +7 to deflection AC, replacing the +2.

Krimm_Blackleaf
2008-08-13, 02:25 PM
6d6 damage only applies to one thing, damage. A Deflection bonus to AC applies to one thing, Armor Class. A bonus to an ability score lets you be utterly diverse, considering you can boost any ability score you want, and that you can boost both, for an incredible boost to attacks for both attack and damage, or armor class, initiative and ranged spells.
Adding +6 to an already +2 ability is not anything to sneeze at, really.