Frost73ite's page

I had written a set of space-combat rules aimed at mass combat, squadrons and fleets for D20Modern It would be fairly easy to convert to Starfinder as an expansion to the core rules. You can message me with your email if you'd like a copy of the pdf.

I am trying to take this in a completely new direction than anything that has already been done. I tried posting this in the General Discussion board, and all I'm getting there is "try the Dragonkin race". I don't want dragonkin. Anyone who wants to suggest dragonkin can refrain from commenting.

First, I'm creating a 100% homebrew setting. This includes a unique approach to races, a different set of core races, and a complete rewrite of much of classical fantasy and mythology. This also means that all assumptions about dragons are false. That does not, however mean that dragons aren't epic. As I explain my ideas, I hope you'll see why.

In this setting, dragons are humanoids, and in many respects are almost indistinguishable from humans visually. Where they differ is in certain special abilities, which make them powerful, and also lend to the image of the great flying reptiles we are familiar with. So, as far as their basic abilities, they'll seem nerfed to most, however; I also have two abilities that will give them that mythic unyielding power feel that lives up to their reputation. That is why I'm posing here. I need help fleshing out the abilities in a way that makes them balanced enough to use as a PC race, while also maintaining that epic dragon feel that would draw players to want to use them.

The first ability is the Ancestral Dragon. This ability allows the young dragon to summon an ancestor's great dragon avatar as a one-off type of attack. The avatar's appearance is where our myths get the image of the enormous flying reptiles with breath weapons. As a full round action, the dragon can summon the Ancestral Dragon, which appears and attacks the dragon's enemies. The Ancestral Dragon can be summoned for a number of rounds equal to 1/2 the character's level rounded down with a minimum of 1. When the summoning ends, the avatar vanishes, and the dragon takes and amount of subdual damage equal to the total damage the avatar inflicted.
note: I have yet to flesh out the exact numbers here, however; because we're talking about a breath-weapon attack that's practically nuclear, the backlash needs to be just as immense. This ability is intended to be very powerful, but also with sufficient drawbacks that it would be rarely used (if ever). It would effectively incapacitate the user, so it would be treated as a final solution to a deadly situation. I have other limitations that I am considering, including the amount of time before the character can use it again, and the possibility of reducing the recovery speed, so it takes longer to heal after using it. Again, I have no solid numbers for this yet, so suggestions would be helpful.

The second ability is the Draconic Avatar. This allows the dragon to build a great dragon avatar of their own, which they can then summon much like the Ancestor Dragon, but it will last longer, and is doesn't have as many major drawbacks. It would be treated as a construct as far as the purposes of building it. Bear in mind that this setting is going to span hundreds of thousands of years, and include everything from medieval to trans-galactic technology, so the methods of constructing the avatar can be purely magical, or techno-magical. Regardless of the specifics of construction methods, the materials used, and the type of magic it is imbued with will determine the effects of the breath weapon, it's level of power, etc. Here is where the real work of balancing it comes in.
I have two basic types of Draconic Avatar in mind for a dragon to create. First is the mount-type, which as you may be able to guess, the dragon can ride on. They're smaller, faster, and more agile than the next type, and can be summoned for longer periods of time, however; they are less powerful, and can't do as much damage in combat. The second is the exo-skeletal type. These when summoned envelop the dragon, making it appear that the dragon transformed into the avatar. These are larger and more powerful than mount types, but can not be summoned as long. These are intended as powerful combat avatars.
When a Draconic Avatar is summoned they last a limited amount of time. An exo-skeletal avatar would last a number of rounds or minutes (I haven't decided which), and a mount-type avatar would last a number of hours. If the avatar takes damage, it reduces the amount of time that it remains summoned, and that damage can transfer to the dragon.
For the exo-skeletal type, I'm thinking about doing it as a damage reduction HP pool. If the avatar is reduced to 0HP, any additional damage transfers to the dragon as lethal damage. In addition to this, the dragon takes subdual damage equal to the HP of the draconic avatar.
For the mount-type avatar, all damage done to the avatar is immediately mirrored by the dragon as subdual damage. Damage to an avatar can't be healed, except by releasing the summoning, and re-summoning it. To prevent abuse of this, I want to limit how frequently it can be summoned. In both cases, I'm thinking that once a day would be appropriate.

There you have my meandering thoughts. I welcome all suggestions on numbers, and balance. When I have the race and abilities fully fleshed out and suitably balanced, I'll post it.

That is NOT the direction I want to take this. I laid out what I'm looking at, and want suggestions in regard to what I came up with. I am doing something NEW, not trying to find something someone already did.

That's really not the direction I want to go.

I already hear the trolls and flamers getting ready to let loose, but hear me out first.

First, I'm creating a 100% homebrew setting. This includes a unique approach to races, a different set of core races, and a complete rewrite of much of classical fantasy and mythology. This also means that all assumptions about dragons are false. That does not, however mean that dragons aren't epic. As I explain my ideas, I hope you'll see why.

In this setting, dragons are humanoids, and in many respects are almost indistinguishable from humans visually. Where they differ is in certain special abilities, which make them powerful, and also lend to the image of the great flying reptiles we are familiar with. So, as far as their basic abilities, they'll seem nerfed to most, however; I also have two abilities that will give them that mythic unyielding power feel that lives up to their reputation. That is why I'm posing here. I need help fleshing out the abilities in a way that makes them balanced enough to use as a PC race, while also maintaining that epic dragon feel that would draw players to want to use them.

The first ability is the Ancestral Dragon. This ability allows the young dragon to summon an ancestor's great dragon avatar as a one-off type of attack. The avatar's appearance is where our myths get the image of the enormous flying reptiles with breath weapons. As a full round action, the dragon can summon the Ancestral Dragon, which appears and attacks the dragon's enemies. The Ancestral Dragon can be summoned for a number of rounds equal to 1/2 the character's level rounded down with a minimum of 1. When the summoning ends, the avatar vanishes, and the dragon takes and amount of subdual damage equal to the total damage the avatar inflicted.
note: I have yet to flesh out the exact numbers here, however; because we're talking about a breath-weapon attack that's practically nuclear, the backlash needs to be just as immense. This ability is intended to be very powerful, but also with sufficient drawbacks that it would be rarely used (if ever). It would effectively incapacitate the user, so it would be treated as a final solution to a deadly situation. I have other limitations that I am considering, including the amount of time before the character can use it again, and the possibility of reducing the recovery speed, so it takes longer to heal after using it. Again, I have no solid numbers for this yet, so suggestions would be helpful.

The second ability is the Draconic Avatar. This allows the dragon to build a great dragon avatar of their own, which they can then summon much like the Ancestor Dragon, but it will last longer, and is doesn't have as many major drawbacks. It would be treated as a construct as far as the purposes of building it. Bear in mind that this setting is going to span hundreds of thousands of years, and include everything from medieval to trans-galactic technology, so the methods of constructing the avatar can be purely magical, or techno-magical. Regardless of the specifics of construction methods, the materials used, and the type of magic it is imbued with will determine the effects of the breath weapon, it's level of power, etc. Here is where the real work of balancing it comes in.
I have two basic types of Draconic Avatar in mind for a dragon to create. First is the mount-type, which as you may be able to guess, the dragon can ride on. They're smaller, faster, and more agile than the next type, and can be summoned for longer periods of time, however; they are less powerful, and can't do as much damage in combat. The second is the exo-skeletal type. These when summoned envelop the dragon, making it appear that the dragon transformed into the avatar. These are larger and more powerful than mount types, but can not be summoned as long. These are intended as powerful combat avatars.
When a Draconic Avatar is summoned they last a limited amount of time. An exo-skeletal avatar would last a number of rounds or minutes (I haven't decided which), and a mount-type avatar would last a number of hours. If the avatar takes damage, it reduces the amount of time that it remains summoned, and that damage can transfer to the dragon.
For the exo-skeletal type, I'm thinking about doing it as a damage reduction HP pool. If the avatar is reduced to 0HP, any additional damage transfers to the dragon as lethal damage. In addition to this, the dragon takes subdual damage equal to the HP of the draconic avatar.
For the mount-type avatar, all damage done to the avatar is immediately mirrored by the dragon as subdual damage. Damage to an avatar can't be healed, except by releasing the summoning, and re-summoning it. To prevent abuse of this, I want to limit how frequently it can be summoned. In both cases, I'm thinking that once a day would be appropriate.

There you have my meandering thoughts. I welcome all suggestions on numbers, and balance. When I have the race and abilities fully fleshed out and suitably balanced, I'll post it.