Imagine: a Paladin who worships a deity which is often depicted as Gold Dragon and receives a Blessing, an kobold cleric who prays to his Black Dragon Overlord for spells and is transmuted by his Lord, a child of a comely bard who had a love affair with a true dragon. How would a player character be constructed with such a background?
At the low levels a CR+2 rating for the Half-Dragon Template would be too heavy to create player characters. As a "solution" I made the Dragonblooded Class below. Its goal is to mimic the half-dragon template, by having a level cost of 3, similar to the arcane Dragon Disciple drop is effective spell casting levels. This means non-sorcerers can also have access to a draconic lineage.
Class skills: do not gain new ones
Skillpoints: 2 + Int bonus
HitDie: d8
Dragonblooded levels count as Class levels in respect to gaining XP, feats and ability score increases at level 4, 8, etc.
- 1st Level, but character must have 2 class levels
Bab 0, F1, R1, W1, Str+2, Int+2, Dragon Blood, gain claw attacks, Hide of the Dragon, lowlight vision
- 2nd Level, but character must have 4 class levels
Bab 1, F1, R1, W1, Str+4*, gain bite attack, darkvision 60 feet, Energy(type) Immunity, Breath Weapon 1xday
- 3rd Level, but character must have 6 class levels**
Bab 2, F2, R1, W2, Cha+2, Wings: Fly at twice the creature's base land speed (average maneuverability)
* Ability score increase are not cumulative
** A level 9 character can have all Dragonblooded levels, taken at level 3, 6 and 9.
Special abilities:
- Dragon Blood: Dragonblooded character count as both its base creature and dragon for any effect related to race.
- Hide of the Dragon converses energy resistance (one type) equal to total level and Natural Armor equal to number of Dragonblooded levels
- Breath Weapon strength increases with all levels, 1d6 per class level, DC 10 + Con bonus + half level, Reflex half.
Balancing issues:
- Natural armor +3 instead of +4.
- No immunity to sleep and paralysis as saves also increase with levels.
- Your "natural" attacks deal size appropriate claw and bite damage.
- You do not gain three attack per round but use the standard attack rules for using multiple weapons as with two-weapon fighting.
- Con+0 due to hitpoints gained from levels.
- Str bonus is a cumulative total of +4, not +8 as in Half-Dragon Template. This to balance increase in BAB and an ability point per 4 class levels.
- Fly is a spell of level 3 and Overland Flight a spell of level 5. Thus having wings at level 9 is in between these ranges.
- HD is d8 and not d10 or d12 as energy immunity, Str bonus and flight is granted.
- The Dragonblooded physical abilites (Str, Con, NA), immunites and number of breathweapons per day could be increased by including a 4th level, but I want to keep this a 3 level "solution".
I imaging I am not the first one to build such a construction, therefor a link or reference to something similair would also be welcome.
Feed back is welcome!!!