Dragon Disciple

[MDCityNIGHT]

I am trying to make a sorcerer who will become a Dragon Disciple at character level 2. It looks like a really fun and useful prestige class but I am having trouble balancing my 15 point ability score. Please help me out!

[williamoak]

No mater WHAT you do, you cant be a dragon disciple before level 6; why? because you need 5 ranks in knowledge arcana to qualify.

As to the point build issues, what races are available? THe nagaji is cool (boosts strength & cha), as well as angelkin aasimar. I would tend to go:

Str: 14+2 racial (5 pts), Dex: 10 Con: 14 (5 pts) Int: 10 Wis: 10 Cha: 14+2 racial (5 pts)

This will give you decent strength/cha, but you WILL have to focus on balancing those 2 out since you will never be quite as good as a full fighter or sorcerer. Spells help. Google the dragon disciple guide, there are a few good ones out there.

[MDCityNIGHT]

williamoak wrote:

No mater WHAT you do, you cant be a dragon disciple before level 6; why? because you need 5 ranks in knowledge arcana to qualify.

As to the point build issues, what races are available? THe nagaji is cool (boosts strength & cha), as well as angelkin aasimar. I would tend to go:

Str: 14+2 racial (5 pts), Dex: 10 Con: 14 (5 pts) Int: 10 Wis: 10 Cha: 14+2 racial (5 pts)

This will give you decent strength/cha, but you WILL have to focus on balancing those 2 out since you will never be quite as good as a full fighter or sorcerer. Spells help. Google the dragon disciple guide, there are a few good ones out there.

cant you put 5 skill ranks into one field at first level? Thank you for the 15 point recommendation. Now the only thing to worry about is AC

[proftobe]

MDCityNIGHT wrote:

williamoak wrote:

No mater WHAT you do, you cant be a dragon disciple before level 6; why? because you need 5 ranks in knowledge arcana to qualify.

As to the point build issues, what races are available? THe nagaji is cool (boosts strength & cha), as well as angelkin aasimar. I would tend to go:

Str: 14+2 racial (5 pts), Dex: 10 Con: 14 (5 pts) Int: 10 Wis: 10 Cha: 14+2 racial (5 pts)

This will give you decent strength/cha, but you WILL have to focus on balancing those 2 out since you will never be quite as good as a full fighter or sorcerer. Spells help. Google the dragon disciple guide, there are a few good ones out there.

cant you put 5 skill ranks into one field at first level? Thank you for the 15 point recommendation. Now the only thing to worry about is AC

no you can only put 1 skillpoint in a skill/level. You could have back in 3.0 but PF changed that.

[MDCityNIGHT]

well time to remake my lvl 7 barbarian >.>

[Suthainn]

MDCityNIGHT wrote:

well time to remake my lvl 7 barbarian >.>

Take a level of sorcerer, 4 levels of Barbarian, then go Dragon Discple. Best of both worlds.

[Corlindale]

I play a level 3 sorceror going for DD right now - this is how I did the 15 point buy:
Str: 16 (14+2), Dex: 10, Con: 14, Wis: 8, Int: 12, Cha: 14

Not too happy with the low Dex, but at least the natural armor bonuses will help compensate for the lack of armor eventually. Int 12 is just because I have a skill point compulsion, it's not strictly necessary.

I intend to focus on strength to keep melee as a powerful option, but you will probably have to decide between pumping strength and charisma, depending on how much you want to focus on spells.

[Zwordsman]

Well. I had one who was dex based instead of str. (didn't have agile enchantment etc) Weapon finesse (ought to work with claws and bite). It gave me a fair bit of AC since I didn't use armor (well mage armor i did). DD gives some str levels and had i continued on long enough I was thinking about eldritch bloodline feat to get the STR one from.. abyss? i think.

Lower damage but nicer AC, with spell buffs pretty survivable in the games I went with.

[Imbicatus]

Arcane Duelist bard makes one hell of a fine Dragon Disciple.

[ArmouredMonk13]

You could go oracle to rock medium armor for AC.

Arcane Duelist and Paladin/Sorcerer are both pretty powerful DDs, as well. Here is a Dragon Disciple Guide.

[Bhrymm]

If you can use an Ifrit for your race you get the arcane spell casting requirement out of the way(Sp can cast Burning Hands 1/day) and can go straight martial classes until you can take Dragon Disciple. Otherwise I would go human.

Key ability scores are Charisma, Strength. Con is somewhat secondary.

Ability scores

Human
Str 16
Dex 10
Con 12
Int 10
Wis 8
Cha 16 (14+2)

Assuming Human Level 8

Paladin 2/Sorcerer 1/Paladin 2/ Sorcerer 1/Dragon Disciple 2
(Yes I know you don't need a 2nd level of Sorcerer but it nets you +1 BAB and +1 will save)

Before equipment

BAB +6
Fort +9
Ref +6
Wil +10

Feats
1st Power Attack, Fey Foundling(ISWG)
3rd Sorcerous Bloodstrike
5th Improved Natural Attack (Claws)
7th Greater mercy
8th (Bloodline feat) Imp Initiative

Figure you have equipment for at least +2 str and +2 Cha.

Stat bumps go to Str and Cha

Str 22 (16 + 2 belt + 2 stat bumps + 2 Dragon Disciple)
Dex 10
Con 12
Int 10
Wis 8
Cha 20 (16 + 2 headband + 2 Stat bumps)

Nat Armor + 2 (+1 Sorcerer + 1 Dragon disciple)

+2 Amulet of Mighty Fists

Full attack
Claw/Claw/Bite
+14/+14/+14 (1d6+8/1d6+8/1d6+11)
w/power attack
+12/+12/+12 (1d6+12/1d6+12/1d6+17)
w/power attack and smite
+17/+17/+17 (1d6+18/1d6+18/1d6+21)
w/power attack and smite vs evil undead/evil outsiders/dragons
+17/+17/+17 (1d6+22/1d6+22/1d6+25)

and you can Lay on hands yourself 7 times a day for 3d6+6 HP each time.

[Hawktitan]

The new Bloodrager class from the playtest looked pretty good, though I think the jury is out on how Dragon Disciple class works with the bloodrager bloodline.

[Theconiel]

Suthainn wrote:

MDCityNIGHT wrote:

well time to remake my lvl 7 barbarian >.>

Take a level of sorcerer, 4 levels of Barbarian, then go Dragon Disciple. Best of both worlds.

I agree with the class ranks, but not the order. I suggest starting with barbarian to get the 12 hit points from the barbarian hit die. If you take your first level as a sorcerer, you will start with only 6 hit points.

[Suthainn]

Theconiel wrote:

Suthainn wrote:

MDCityNIGHT wrote:

well time to remake my lvl 7 barbarian >.>

Take a level of sorcerer, 4 levels of Barbarian, then go Dragon Disciple. Best of both worlds.

I agree with the class ranks, but not the order. I suggest starting with barbarian to get the 12 hit points from the barbarian hit die. If you take your first level as a sorcerer, you will start with only 6 hit points.

Quite right, I was just proposing a general build not specific leveling. Barb 1 (for the HP as Theconiel points out, and sheer face smasheyness), then Sorc 1 (for pre buffing such as Shield), then Barbarian to 4th followed by DD 1 would probably be the order I'd use.

There is also an interesting variation where you go Bard instead of Sorc, take an archetype such as Archeologist so you don't have to perform to gain the inspire buff and you get access to the Invigorate spell, which is brilliant at low levels to help you avoid fatigue mid battle.

[Duncan888]

Suthainn wrote:

MDCityNIGHT wrote:

well time to remake my lvl 7 barbarian >.>

Take a level of sorcerer, 4 levels of Barbarian, then go Dragon Discple. Best of both worlds.

Use rages +4 moral str bonus, +4 bulls str enh bonus (wand maybe), form of the dragon +6 str size bonus .....power attack 2 handed yumminess