The Manakete [3.5 race, based on Fire Emblem]

[Kuzon]

WARNING! FIRE EMBLEM 7 AND 8 SPOILERS FOLLOW!

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Saleh's grandmother explicitly states that Myrrh isn't a manakete in the conversation I'm talking about. In fact, grandma's offended that the other refer to Myrrh as a manakete. Because the dragons are something entirely different than the manakete, very powerful magically, and Myrrh in dragon form was I believe a direct descendant of pure dragon blood from the dragon which helped seal away the Demon Lord.

Ninian and Nils were Ice Dragons who took human form to conserve power when they passed through the dragon gate. So again, not manakete. As I understand it, the manakete are a race completely separate from dragons, humans, or typical monsters, which exist in some fire emblems and not others. Notably, I think Shadow Dragon is the only game released in america to actively feature a true manakete, and I couldn't bring myself to play that one all the way through. It was too bland.

wait, then what of myrrh's 'father' who was guarding the forest temple housing the demon lord's remains?

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and weren't ninian and nils only half dragon due to nergal being their father?

there's also the manga-and-sword-of-seals-cameo-only character Al, but his transformation (?) is triggered by the fire emblem itself, not a dragonstone.

and i coulda swore sword of seals had a few manaketes dragons in it--all normal adult-sized and all, since they were adults (that creepy priest and the guy with all the chest hair--jahn, or something?). though, since that was in elibe, they might have just been probably were dragons taking human form for a while...

the small 'manaketes' thing seems to only be so because the only ones playable are very young (comparitively to the rest of their species, anyway).


and debate into what is or isnt a manakete in FE needs to take into account the varying settings (now that i think on it, i dont think there were any manaketes in elibe--just humans and dragons. Their children were just half-dragons.) and the different classifications of the characters within those settings (like ephraim assuming myrrh was a manakete from what knowledge he had (or later learned) of the setting's history). now i'm off, since all my over-analyzation is hurting my brain.

[NineThePuma]

Elibe had a Manakete (loads, even. They were a recurring enemy type) but only in FE6.

[sigurd]

Good for you.

Mechanically, I'd split the dragon stone from the Manakete. You have examples of Manakete's who have given up their stone.

Make the Stone and its powers a Racial class and you're good to go.

Perhaps they're born with a stone that is not awakened or they must quest for their stone. In either case you have to consider that there are Ms out there without a stone and this would solve your power problems, and explain them.

I think it's fair to say that they focus a significant portion of their time and world view on their stone and its powers. Why not express that as a class? They'd be giving up other class levels but they'd be more Manakete.

S

[Lix Lorn]

I could do that, but... it just doesn't seem right to have a Manakete without a working stone.

[MoleMage]

wait, then what of myrrh's 'father' who was guarding the forest temple housing the demon lord's remains?

Yeah I just got that far in. She was a closer direct descendant than I recalled. Her father was a full-fledged dragon; the one who fought the Demon Lord with the humans way back when.

and weren't ninian and nils only half dragon due to nergal being their father?

Nergal wasn't their father, they originated beyond the dragon gate (actually Ninian was a well-respected priestess in Dragon Dimension); he just called them through it using his eekum bokum.

[Lix Lorn]

Nergal wasn't their father, they originated beyond the dragon gate (actually Ninian was a well-respected priestess in Dragon Dimension); he just called them through it using his eekum bokum.

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Actually, it's HEAVILY implied that he is their father, if I remember correctly. Believe it's in supports, or something...

[MoleMage]

Ah that may be the case. I never used Ninian or Nils (not a big fan of the dancer/bard type characters; except Reyson and Rafiel) so I don't know their supports.

[NineThePuma]

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Actually, it's HEAVILY implied that he is their father, if I remember correctly. Believe it's in supports, or something...

It is in supports, and only in Hector Hard Mode, if you get ALL the various Gaiden Chapters.

[Chambers]

What happens to your gear when you transform?

I think a LA of 3 is too high. The size boosts are spread out enough that it's not unbalancing - Huge at 12th and Gargantuan at 17th. A Dragonborn (No LA template) with the Heart aspect has a 7d8 breath weapon at level 18. Your breath weapon at that level does 9d8 - a negligible difference at that level.

On the other hand, you get Flight and a Breath Weapon whereas a Dragonborn has to choose one or the other.

I would consider changing it to LA +1 and 1 RHD. You still pay for the extra abilities with a Level Adjustment, but you get some basic abilities out of the racial hit die, so you're not that far beyond the rest of the party in terms of bab, hp, saves, etc.

[Lix Lorn]

Nonmagical gear is subsumed into your body and is ineffectual until you go human again. Magical items remain the same if they could be used by your draconic form, (including most ability boosting items), but otherwise are subsumed for the duration. I'll add that in.

Do you think? Most other people seemed to be erring on the side of Higher LA.

[Chambers]

Do you think? Most other people seemed to be erring on the side of Higher LA.

Nah, it doesn't get things that High LA's usually get. It doesn't cast as a X of Y level, it doesn't have favorable uneven ability modifiers

Here's what you've got:
You've got unfavorable, uneven ability modifiers.
A +1 DC to a single energy type (replicated easily through a single feat: Draconic Aura).
You have a breath weapon that could also be replicated, more or less equally, through a No LA template.

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IMO the natural attacks and str/con boosts aren't powerful enough to warrant a LA of 3. Your character for the game - when she transforms she'll have a Str of 12, adding a +1 to her attacks, for a grand total of +3.

At 6th level here is her full attack:
Bite (+3 atk, 2d4+1 dmg)
2 Claws (-2 atk, 1d6+1 dmg)
Tail Slap (-2 atk, 1d6+2 dmg)

If you don't crit you won't hit anything. That's with a druid, so that's a lower attack bonus, but it's only a difference by 1 point (as opposed to a 3rd level Fighter or something).

My point is, is that the actual reality of the races dragon size and attacks is not impressive when it's an LA of 3. The character loses a lot of numerical benefits that they need to be effective.

Huge comes online at 15th (you said you changed it) - that's nothing unbalanced, since a Wizard could summon a Huge elemental at 12th level. In one sense it's a similar effect; your transformation last for a encounter (more or less) just like the summoned Huge creature. And Gargantuan at 20th level is fine too.

So the size and natural attacks of the dragon form aren't extra special. Maybe my interpretation of it's abilities is way off, but that's why I think LA 3 is too high.

[Lix Lorn]

Well, you've convinced me. XD