Boosting Damage Output (Copper Dragon PC)

[Skjaldbakka]

So, I'm taking a look at my ECL 18 Copper Dragon, and it seems really kind of sad for an ECL 18 character. My full attack is pretty sad, all I've really got is skills and the saddest breath weapon ever.

Part of the problem is that I'm going for the skills/rogue spot in the party (all ECL 18 dragons, the rule being that we advance as dragon HD until we reach young adult before we can take class levels, so I still don't have trapfinding...)

8 or 9 levels down the road, I'll have some respectable damage output when I get sneak attack on all my natural weapons, and have gravestrike/vinestrike/golemstrike to be able to sneak attack just about anything, and I have the darkstalker feat already so I can sneak up on anything...

but all I have now is a really high dexterity for a dragon, resulting in a respectable AC, but no way to use it because I can't really produce any threat.

Houserules that are relevant:

1: Must advance as dragon HD until young adult HD are achieved
2: All dragons have an alternate form usable at will that is either elf, dwarf, or human
3: There is a feat that allows the use of our physical stats in place of the physical stats of out assumed form (dex and con is one feat, str is a seperate one for some reason). Tried to sell the DM on just using the character's base physicals for the alternate form, w/o a feat (so, lose racials and gain new racials, instead of 10s), but he didn't go for it.
4: We get 440,000gp, 100,000 of which should represent 'hoarde'. Which can be usable but should not be typically carried around with us. We do not have to pay for our lair, but any security on it we have to pay for. My character has a fencing school and a sword collection that includes some relics. Another PC funds an order of knights, and another has a library.
5: We can enchant our natural weapons.

[gbprime]

So you've got 14 HD of Copper Dragon and want to know how to bump up your damage.

Honestly, you don't have a lot of options right now. Later you'll be able to pick up things like Craven or Arcane Strike, but you just don't qualify for them right now.

Flying feats are your best bang at this point. If aerial combat is likely, you could pick up Diving Charge (Races of the Wild), which would generate another 3d6 on each flyby attack. Then take a few more feats so you can multiattack in the middle of your movement, and you can generate several +3d6 hits per round.

[Flickerdart]

Off-topic: the spell Draconic Polymorph allows you to morph into a form with boosted stats - so your humanoid form doesn't have to be puny.

[soulsabre345]

I'm not entirely sure if young adult copper dragon is 14 or 17 hd but I'd suggest a look at Totemist. Essentia allocation is based on character level not class level so your 18 ecl could help out with that. Or Binder, both classes can fufill the skillmonkey role extraordinarily well and start out with their major class abilities at level one. (Access to a huge list of options but for the day can only pick a limited number. Totemist is more of a skill monkey, Binder radically changes just what he does on a daily basis)

on my phone so sorry for the lack of capalitization and formatting

Binder is in the tome of magic
Totemist is magic of incarnum

[Voice of Reason]

Well, if you wanted to use your AC, but can't pose a credible threat, you could always invest in the Large and In Charge (Draconomicon) or Knock-Down (SRD) feats (or both) to make it difficult for enemies to disengage from you. If you do go that way, I'd also recommend Mage Slayer (Complete Warrior I believe? Maybe?) so that spellcasters can't cast defensively around you.

Truly though, your best bet for increasing your damage output at this point is in your magic item selection. 340,000 gold is a lot to work with. If you can, get yourself a permanancied Greater Magic Fang for your primary weapon, allowing you to buy only a token +1 enhancement on it to stack on some damage-inducing enhancements.

Edit: Also if you can get away with it, enchanting your claws with the Spellblade enhancement (Players Guide to Faerun) to repel Dispel Magic and Greater Dispel Magic will do wonders for keeping your buffs/items up and running (and it only costs 12,000g for the pair, if I remember correctly, if they're at least +1 or better).

Edit 2: The Quicken Breath feat can allow you to use your breath weapon as a free action, albeit at the cost of recharge (your breath weapon isn't the great anyways, as you say). You could use it to throw down a Cone of Slow Gas, presuming that the save for it is anything remotely descent; the debuff is actually rather potent when it hits, and makes kiting opponents ridiculously easy.