Council of Wyrms
Character Creation
Step 1 – Ability Scores
Roll for ability scores using 4d6. Reroll 1s and drop the lowest die. The total of the three remaining dice is one ability score. Generate six scores and choose where they go. Unlike with normal humanoid PCs, you do not apply racial modifiers. Rather, adjustments will be made as your dragon PC ages.
Step 2 – Dragon Type
You can choose your dragon type from any of the chromatic, gem, or metallic dragons. Alternatively, you may roll randomly to determine what type of dragon you are using Table 9: Random Hatchlings. (Use the NPC column, as I am allowing the chromatic dragons as playable types.) Use the Base Statistics table specific to your dragon type to determine your special abilities, size, and hit dice. Then apply the features and traits from True Dragon Description using your hit dice. Determine your available natural attacks, breath weapon, and fly speed using Dragon Attacks and Speeds on page 91 of the Bestiary.
Step 3 – Feats and Skills
All dragon PCs get a feat at every odd hit die and 6 + Int modifier skills per hit die. This means that an amethyst hatchling, with 6 hit dice, gets 3 feats and 36+ skills when born, while a topaz hatchling, with 3 hit dice, gets 2 feats and 18+ skills when born. Calculate hit points. Every dragon gets full hit points with its first hit die and ½ plus 2 HP (8 HP for a dragon’s d12 HD) every level after that.
The dragon you have just generated is your Base. At this point, you are ready to play the first module in Council of Wyrms. As you age, you will modify your dragon PC according to the charts on page 91 of the Bestiary and the dragon PC kit you choose.
----- Play Adventure 1 -----
Step 4 – Kit
After the first module, your dragon will gain a hit die and reach level 1 – wyrmling. You may apply the abilities and penalties (down to your Base) of your chosen kit, but you do not apply any modifiers from Bestiary 91 as you have not yet leveled up to (2) Very Young. There are four kits to choose from, and every dragon is limited to one kit.
Dragon
The dragon PC, known and feared for its size, physical prowess, and magical abilities, is the basic and most common dragon type that can be created using these rules. Like the dragons presented in the Bestiary, dragon PCs have many powers and abilities that they acquire haphazardly and with little planning as they advance through life.
Dragon PCs are dragon warriors of the finest order, able to employ their natural weapons, combat proficiencies, and breath attacks to best advantage. They have innate spell-like abilities and gain sorcerer or psychic levels according to their dragon type. Spells known are selecting randomly from the wizard/sorcerer and cleric spell lists in the Core Rulebook, though all spells are treated as arcane.
Gain one bonus feat of choice.
Dragon-Mage
Some dragons are not content with the natural innate spell abilities they will develop. They become obsessed with magical processes and spellcraft, especially the formal processes used by wizards. This leads them to follow the arcane paths of wizardry as dragon-mages.
A dragon-mage spends the time between hatching and reaching first level learning the theories and techniques of magic. As an hatchling PC, a dragon-mage receives instruction from either a higher level dragon-mage who is a member of the Custodians of Concordance or from an humanoid vassal wizard attached to the Council of Wyrms. During this time of apprenticeship, it learns its first spells and prepares a spellbook.
The spellbook of a 1st-level dragon-mage contains all CRB cantrips and three 1st-level spells. By learning scholarly magic, a dragon-mage loses its innate spellcasting ability. It no longer follows the spell progression as listed on each dragon’s chart. Instead, it gains spells as a wizard character does, though its caster level is equal to its racial hit dice minus its starting hit dice. Gain Scribe Scroll as a bonus feat.
Because of their focus in spellcasting rather than in developing their innate abilities, several of the standard dragon abilities are weakened in dragon-mages. Natural attacks are treated as if the dragon is one size category smaller (down to Base) OR the dragon’s breath weapon gains only 1 die of damage per age category instead of 2. (This penalty is the choice of the player, is made at first level, and cannot be changed.) They do not gain their sorcerer levels later in life.
Dragon-Priest
For the most part, the dragon gods do not seek out priests or advocate a formal religion. The Io’s Blood setting is somewhat different. Here, the gods still keep a low profile and shun formalized worship, but they tolerate (and some actively seek out) priests through which to express their wills to lesser creatures.
Though rare, there are dragons who follow the example of a particular dragon deity. They see themselves as defenders and guides for the chosen of their gods. These dragon-priests do not operate quite the same as the clerics of more traditional player character races, but they do serve as proponents of their faith.
As no formal, organized religious groups exist among dragonkind (though the Custodians of Concordance come close), dragon-priests act as traveling centers of worship. They bring the teachings and visions of their gods to the chosen dragon types, traveling the isles to proclaim whatever truths the dragon gods hold dear. Between the moment of hatching and the time when a young dragon-priest reaches 1st level, it receives a series of visions that unequivocally tie it to a particular deity. At 1st level, a dragon-priest gains spells as a cleric PC. Its caster level is equal to its racial hit dice minus its starting hit dice.
Use the descriptions of dragon gods on page 48 of Book 2: Campaign to decide the path of devotion of your dragon-priest. Gain one clerical domain (without the spells) or one inquisition that fits your devotion.
Because of their focus in spellcasting rather than in developing their innate abilities, several of the standard dragon abilities are weakened in dragon-mages. Natural attacks are treated as if the dragon is one size category smaller (down to Base) OR the dragon’s breath weapon gains only 1 die of damage per age category instead of 2. (This penalty is the choice of the player, is made at first level, and cannot be changed.) They do not gain their sorcerer levels later in life.
Dragon-Psionicist
The dragon-psionicist draws upon the power of its own mind through the harmony of body, mind, and spirit. It is a purist, believing that only through proper study and mastery can the secrets of personal balance and concordance be unlocked.
Only gem dragons have innate psionic powers. Though rare, an occasional gem hatchling will feel the call to pursue these powers to the fullest extent and become a psionicist.
Between the moment of hatching and the time when a young dragon-psionicist reaches 1st level, it strives to unite every aspect of itself into a single, powerful whole. By looking inward and through discipline, self-awareness, and long periods of contemplation, the hatchling unlocks the full potential of its mind. At 1st level, a dragon-psionicist gains psychic levels, using their racial hit dice minus their starting hit dice as their caster level. It also gains detect thoughts or telepathic bond as an at will spell-like ability.
Because of the discipline required and the single-minded pursuit of its innate powers, a dragon-psionicist loses its natural psychic levels. Natural psionics are Charisma-based, while a dragon-psionicist’s powers are Intelligence-based.
The dragon-psionicist’s alignment must be non-chaotic, making them all the more rare among topaz and crystal dragons.
Because of their focus in spellcasting rather than in developing their innate abilities, several of the standard dragon abilities are weakened in dragon-mages. Natural attacks are treated as if the dragon is one size category smaller (down to Base) OR the dragon’s breath weapon gains only 1 die of damage per age category instead of 2. (This penalty is the choice of the player, is made at first level, and cannot be changed.) They do not gain their psychic levels later in life.
----- Play Adventures 2 through 5 -----
Step 5 – Kindred
This last step comes into play when a dragon reaches (4) juvenile age. Every dragon of Io’s Blood Isles, and especially one associated with the Council of Wyrms, is expected to develop relationships with their humanoid vassals. The nature of these relationships varies based on the type and personality of each dragon, but all dragons are expected to form kindredbonds. They select an humanoid in their domain (for PCs, this can be from their home domain or a vassal of the Council of Wyrms) and form an empathic bond with them. This humanoid kindred is the most competent and devoted of a dragon’s vassals, and his or her loyalty is exclusively to their kindredbond.
Treat this kindred as a cohort, calculating the dragon’s Leadership score as normal. Kindred can be elf, dwarf, gnome, or, on very rare occasions, human. Green dragons of Clan Foulgrove can have drow kindred, and topaz dragons of Clan Deepwater can have merfolk kindred. Otherwise, use Table 6: Preferred Kindred to guide you in your kindred selection.