Airborn Respire (3.5 10 Level Prestige Class)

[Titanium Fox]

I have created this class in order to use with my Dragon character I am trying out. The class is based around improvement and natural ability with the player character's breath weapon. Any and all criticisms are appreciated, since this is the first class I have ever actually created.

NOTE: This class utilizes the Dragonomicon and Dragon Magic splash books.
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Airborn Respire
10 Level Prestige Class

Description: Once in a blue moon, from a very young age, a Dragon is noticed to naturally hold an aptitude for use of their breath weapons. When this is noticed, the whelping is tutored in it's uses. Shirking more traditional roles in favor of enhancing this natural talent, Airborne Respires are a proud few, relying on their resourcefulness and natural tenacity to come out on top rather than relying on cumbersome armors or Divine powers. While the dragons who follow this path tend to hold less reverence for their chosen deity than some, they still come from every religion and alignment.

Although uncommon however, non-dragons can also attain this path. Any who possess a breath weapon, can take to the skies, and can be tutored in it's use are allowed to become Airborne Respires. It is not unheard of for a Half-Dragon, or even the occasional human who follows the path of the Dragon to take some time and hone their skills contained within.

Requirements:
BAB: +5
Abilities: Breath Weapon, Flight
Skills: 8 Hide, 8 Move Silently

Class Skills: Bluff, Concentration, Escape Artist, Hide, Intimidate, Knowlege (All), Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, Spot, Use Magic Device, Use Rope

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

Hit Die: 1d10

Airborn Respire
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|

+0

|

+0

|

+2

|

+0

|+1d6 Power Breath, Hide in the Skies

2nd|

+1

|

+0

|

+3

|

+0

|1/day Breath Replacement

3rd|

+1

|

+1

|

+3

|

+1

|+2 to a single class skill

4th|

+2

|

+1

|

+4

|

+1

|+2d6 Power Breath

5th|

+2

|

+1

|

+4

|

+1

|1/day Second Wind

6th|

+3

|

+2

|

+5

|

+2

|2/Day Breath Replacement

7th|

+3

|

+2

|

+5

|

+2

|+3d6 Power Breath

8th|

+4

|

+2

|

+6

|

+2

|+2 to a single class skill

9th|

+4

|

+3

|

+6

|

+3

|3/day Breath Replacement

10th|

+5

|

+3

|

+7

|

+3

|+4d6 Power Breath, 2/day Second Wind[/table]

Power Breath: Through rigorous training and honing of your skills, you have determined how to more efficiently and adequitely utilize your own natural adaptations. At 1st, 4th, 7th, and 10th level, you add 1d6 to damage rolls to your Breath Weapon. This ability can only be applied to Breath Weapons that pre-existingly do damage.

Hide in the Skies: In the skies, your skills know no bounds. You have discovered how to bend the sun, the clouds, and the winds themselves to distort your very position and movements. This skill works like "Hide in Plain Sight", however it only works when flying.

Breath Replacement: You have discovered other uses for your power through experimentation or luck. As such, your creativity knows no bounds on how to utilize your natural powers. This allows you to expend your breath weapon, and in it's place utilize one of the spells below which are treated as spell like abilities. For the purposes of the spell like abilities, your caster level is treated as your Airborne Respire level.

{table=head]Spell Like Ability|Requirments

Wind Wall

|

2nd Level

Obscuring Mist

|

2nd Level

Color Spray

|

2nd Level

Fog Cloud

|

2nd Level

Gust of Wind

|

3rd Level

Firestride Exhalation

|

4th Level, Fire Breath Weapon

Wall of Fire

|

4th Level, Fire Breath Weapon

Wall of Ice

|

4th Level, Ice Breath Weapon

Cloudkill

|

5th Level

Acid Fog

|

6th Level, Acid Breath Weapon

Chain Lightning

|

6th Level, Electricity Breath Weapon

Discorporating Breath of Bahamut

|

7th Level, Alignment: Good

Fivefold Breath of Tiamat

|

7th Level, Alignment: Evil

Whirlwind

|

8th Level

Burst of Glacial Wrath

|[CENTER]9th Level, Ice Breath Weapon

Summon Large Elemental

|

10th Level

[/table]
NOTE: To summon an elemental of any given element, you must first have access to the breath weapon of the corresponding element. However, any Airborn Respire has access to Air Elementals.

Second Wind: Through more training and the honing of your willpower, you have discovered how to replenish your reserve of draconis fundamentum at lightning speeds. This gives the Airborn Respire a -3 on the roll towards the amount of rounds until his next Breath Weapon attack (Minimum 1); increasing to twice per day at 10th level.

[MK Kilmarnock]

Hey there, Titanium Fox. I can't give you too much input at the very moment (my head, it cannot brain for I have the nightly-induced dumbs), but at a glance, the class does not seem to be horrendously overpowered. Of course, consider with this statement that game balance is my weakest aspect when it comes to design, and I'd have to test it for myself.

Somebody with more experience in rogue-type characters, what are your thoughts?

[Lix Lorn]

I like it!
However, you should really mention the 2/day for Second Wind in the text area, as well as the +2 to class skills. I missed them both first time.

[DracoDei]

"Instantly" could be abused to get two BW in the same round with certain feats... also, it is much more powerful if you meta-breath give a ridiculous number or rounds until you can use it again, then use the class ability to knock it down to 0. As I said when reviewing the Breath of Fire discipline (which you should look at BTW), I think that a -3 to the recharge time (minimum 1 round) would work much better for the effect of that ability.

HiPS combined with the fact that my Wing Dragons can use their breath-weapon every round makes this a very tempting class for them. Since most PrC and feats and such DON'T work for them, it is nice to finally see something that DOES (although I really should homebrew some feats and such up for myself).

[Titanium Fox]

"Instantly" could be abused to get two BW in the same round with certain feats... also, it is much more powerful if you meta-breath give a ridiculous number or rounds until you can use it again, then use the class ability to knock it down to 0. As I said when reviewing the Breath of Fire discipline (which you should look at BTW), I think that a -3 to the recharge time (minimum 1 round) would work much better for the effect of that ability.

That was a mis-wording on my part. It should say that it removes the need for a dice roll once per day; meaning that the breath weapon can be used again at the PC's next standard action (if they have used the breath weapon that round, then it can be used again next round. If they still have a standard action available, they can use the breath weapon instantly.) If this still doesn't fix that particular problem I'll change it to say one breath weapon per round maximum using this ability, however hopefully the new wording rectifies that.

[DracoDei]

That was a mis-wording on my part. It should say that it removes the need for a dice roll once per day; meaning that the breath weapon can be used again at the PC's next standard action (if they have used the breath weapon that round, then it can be used again next round. If they still have a standard action available, they can use the breath weapon instantly.) If this still doesn't fix that particular problem I'll change it to say one breath weapon per round maximum using this ability, however hopefully the new wording rectifies that.

The last version you describe here fixes about half the problem I think. Quicken Breath (Draconomicon feat) allows the use of a BW as a free action(but at the cost of +4 rounds recharge time), and there may be some Breath of Fire maneuvers that also reduce the action required. This probably fixes that. What it DOESN'T fix is a +5 Heightened, Maximized, Quickened breathweapon, and then doing it again the next round. For that the "-3 rounds(minimum 1)" rather than "next round" is probably the way to go.

[Titanium Fox]

The last version you describe here fixes about half the problem I think. Quicken Breath (Draconomicon feat) allows the use of a BW as a free action(but at the cost of +4 rounds recharge time), and there may be some Breath of Fire maneuvers that also reduce the action required. This probably fixes that. What it DOESN'T fix is a +5 Heightened, Maximized, Quickened breathweapon, and then doing it again the next round. For that the "-3 rounds(minimum 1)" rather than "next round" is probably the way to go.

You raise an incredible point there, actually. Changed.

[Titanium Fox]

So, does anyone else have any more thoughts? I'd love to get as much input on this as possible. Only bump I'll ever make on this topic, I swear.