Furious Dragon: See the Dragon, Be the Dragon!


Homebrew and House Rules


A Barbarian Archetype. Tell me what you think, please.

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Many savage or angry warriors with dragon blood end up as bloodragers. Others direct their power towards their bodies, instead of their minds. These furious dragons can thus develop the forms of their ancestors. This is a barbarian archetype.

Dracogenesis (Ex): At 1st level, the furious dragon gains the power of dracogenesis, the ability to take on the abilities and form of her dragon ancestor, though she can only do it for so long. This ability functions like a barbarian's rage, except that dracogenesis provides the benefits of dracogenetics. Her beginning dracogenetics are decided upon character creation, and gain more power as she increases in level.
This ability replaces rage.

Dracogenetics: A furious dragon has the ability to access her draconic forebearer's power and form. By calling upon her dragon blood, she gains various powers – her draconic genes, or dracogenetics.
A furious dragon has a gene pool, equivalent to the evolution points of a summoner's eidolon. However, a furious dragon's gene pool affects her own body, and only while in a state of dracogenesis. A furious dragon's gene pool is noted on Table: Furious Dragon Statistics.
When a furious dragon is created, she must choose a base form, much like an eidolon, and an energy. The base form and energy, once chosen, cannot be changed, but their gene pool can still be changed whenever the furious dragon levels up. A quadruped base form is more of a traditional dragon, while a biped is essentially a human with a dragon's features, and a serpentine tends to be born of a linnorm or imperial dragon. Energy must be chosen from fire, cold, electricity, or acid.
This ability replaces fast movement and all rage powers.

Dragon's Glory: At 11th level, a furious dragon gains a +2 bonus to Diplomacy and Intimidate checks, and may use frightful presence, as per the eidolon evolution, as a natural ability, but the save DC is reduced by 1. At 14th, 17th, and 20th levels, the skill bonus increases by +1. At 17th level, frightful presence gains its full save DC, and is treated as a free gene or evolution, in addition to a natural ability.
This ability replaces greater rage and mighty rage.

Dragon's Will: At 14th level, a furious dragon gains a +4 bonus on all Will saves while using dracogenesis.
This ability replaces indomitable will.

Dragon's Stamina: At 17th level, a furious dragon is no longer fatigued after using dracogenesis.
This ability replaces tireless rage.

Table: Furious Dragon Statistics

Genetics

A furious dragon's base forms are the same as an eidolon's (Advanced Player's Guide, pg 59-60), except that saves and ability scores do not change to the listed amounts. A furious dragon also has genes gained from spending points out of their gene pool. Any abilities that rely on energy damage use the energy chosen upon creation, and cannot choose another unless noted.

The following 1-point evolutions are most suited to a furious dragon.
APG: Bite, Claws, Climb, Gills, Improved Damage, Improved Natural Armor, Magic Attacks, Mount, Pounce, Pull, Push, Reach, Resistance*, Sting, Swim, Tail, Tail Slap, Wing Buffett.
UM: Basic Magic, Low-Light Vision.
* Resistance increases to resist 10, with a maximum of 30.

The following 2-point evolutions are most suited to a furious dragon.
APG: Ability Increase, Constrict, Energy Attacks, Flight, Gore, Grab, Immunity, Limbs, Poison, Rake, Rend, Trample, Trip.
UM: Channel Resistance, Head, Minor Magic.

The following 3-point evolutions are most suited to a furious dragon.
APG: Burrow, Damage Reduction, Frightful Presence, Swallow Whole.
UM: Major Magic.

The following 4-point evolutions are most suited to a furious dragon.
APG: Breath Weapon, Large*, Spell Resistance.
UM: Ultimate Magic.
* Large can change a Small furious dragon to Large or Medium, chosen when the character chooses this gene.

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This sort of setup, once refined, could be used for other beings - shapeshifters, for example. Werewolves, Rakshasa, Doppelgangers maybe...


hmm, I'm thinking the upper end of the gene pool should probably be a little lower than the Summoner's Eidolon; it is some potent stuff.

I notice that the latter two abilities are just rephrasing/renaming the abilities they replace in Barbarian but aren't really different.

Looks pretty nifty, though.


Quick Edit: The Dragon's Glory ability should be clear on it being a non-Dracogenesis ability, not a gene. I didn't make that clear. Sorry!


Wait until the Summoner redo in Unchained. Pounce won't be a 1 point evo anymore :P


Really? Dang :P

But on its remaining merits? And the points raised above?

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