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First off, I wouldn’t think of a black dragon’s kingdom as proper nation state. Rather, because of their territorial and isolationist tendencies and preference for swamps, one would probably lord over an underdeveloped backwater that nobody else wanted. Sort of the draconic equivalent of a hillbilly- he just wants people to stay offa his property. Of course, his “property” includes the swamp folk that serve him out of a combination of reverence and sheer terror. Being melted by acid is a pretty horrifying fate, after all. For henchmen, you might take some inspiration from Haiti’s Tonton Macoute for a shamanistic secret police.

Aether Kinetic Knight is good, but you have to know a few things going into it. The big thing iw that unlike other elements (where I assume you conjure your element from an extraplanar source) Aether needs real objects to throw (or in this case swing), and they will almost always break. Funny enough, ropes are immune to blunt damage so they will always survive the recoil. You could even tie it to your wrist so the thing acts as its own weapon cord.

The other problem is infusions. See, you're locked to a specific chain of Blade and Blade-like form infusions, so you're only going to be able to learn substance infusions. After all is said and done with the archetype, you get one infusion per infusion level. The problem? Not every element even has that many substance infusions. Aether included.

But, there is a fun trick in the fine print. To keep the archetype technically playable through its problem (see above) you are still allowed to learn other form infusions, even if you're not able to use them to modify your blast. This kind of works out in Aether's case, since the big draw is your telekinesis themed utility powers, most of which gain greater reach if you just so happen to know the Extended Range and Extreme Range infusions.

Edit: hats off to the OP for their excellent taste. Vanguard is the best ME class.

Fun and flavorful, thanks for the tips!

Hello everyone,
I’m looking for some advice on building a character in the vein of Mass Effect’s Vanguard class (the version from Mass Effect 2 and 3, specifically). Basically, a character centered around using magically-enhanced charges to get into melee and then start wailing on people. I was thinking of maybe a bloodrager or magus, since they get Force Hook Charge, or a kineticist with Blade Rush and Force Hook, though I’m definitely open to other ideas. This is a build that I’ve wanted to make for a while, it’s one of my favorite playstyles in video games.

Thanks!

A few ideas:

For a standoffish sage-type, I’d recommend the occult dragon. It’s neutral good, so it’s benevolent without the arrogance of, say, a gold dragon. Personality-wise, I’m thinking grumpy librarian, with a very specific system of organization for the PCs to ruin. Jenkins from The Librarians would be a good model. Might make for a fun mentor or patron character.

For something a bit more combat-oriented, how about a ronin bronze dragon? A draconic sellsword (sell-breath?) with a heart of gold might make a nice foil for a group of adventurers. Sort of the Han Solo to a silver dragon’s Skywalker. Toshiro Mifune’s character from Yojimbo comes to mind.

1. Lawful Evil
2. Rakshasa
3. Decadence, consumption, vanity
4. Goladasera, the Glittering Badshah

Among the Vudrani, the fall of Prince Goladasera serves as a cautionary tale against excess. The heir to a petty principality, the ambitious young prince envisioned himself as a grand emperor, ruling from a golden city. To make his “Glittering Kingdom” a reality, Goladasera demanded gold and slaves as tribute from his neighbors, most often at swordpoint. The opulence of his lifestyle grew with every conquest, and his youthful beauty decayed from indolence. Vanity proved to be his undoing, as he died of lead poisoning from makeup intended to hide his deterioration.

As a rakshasa, Goladasera appears with the head of a white lion, and dresses in voluminous silks and furs to conceal a hefty paunch. He welcome those souls foolhardy enough to seek his realm with revels that end only upon their demise.