Hi,
Just a quick noob type question here.
Is there a level adjustment for playing a half dragon?
For that matter are their level adjustments for playing ANY non-standard race?
Thanks
-Erich
LA = CR, if CR = 1+
Level Adjustment of +2 for Half Dragon. the race pretty much screams "Build a Fighter!". after you gain 3 class levels. it will drop to a +1 adjustment. where you will suddenly get a free level. thing is, the template heavily rewards human martial characters with absurdly high physical strength by giving free flight, increased natural armor, darkvision, energy immunity (fire is a good one), immunity to two debuff types that leave you vulnerable to coup de grace, and a once per day i kill low level swarms attack. it also takes your ridiculously high strength and constitution and cranks them even higher.
Thanks
I kinda thought there had to be an adjustment, but I have a player who REALLY wants to play one.
I would prefer a Dragonborn Ala 4th ed. ( I think he would to to be honest, but that doesn't seem to be an option.
-Erich
Thanks
I kinda thought there had to be an adjustment, but I have a player who REALLY wants to play one.
I would prefer a Dragonborn Ala 4th ed. ( I think he would to to be honest, but that doesn't seem to be an option.-Erich
Here is what you are actually looking for. Build draconic humanoid for your player, probably with his input, instead of bothering with level adjustment.
Another option is: Nagaji reflavored as draconic humanoid.| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
For balance, I recommend telling him to go Dragon Disciple.
I hear there is a guide to making them that doesn't suck.
1/2 Dragon seems not worthwhile, since only Racial Hd get a Breath weapon.
I know it's not the same thing, but what about a Human with Racial Heritage (Kobold), and taking the Draconic (Aspect, Breath, Glide and Paragon) Feats from ARG?
It is a monster template, and not RAW available to player's characters. Which is a good thing, since it is very very powerful.
It is a monster template, and not RAW available to player's characters. Which is a good thing, since it is very very powerful.
You mean weak. 1/day, RHD breath weapon is weak unless you have only RHD.
Could always go here and create a custom half-dragon race ;-)
Level Adjustment is a flawed rule. Also, who wanted to play the Half-Dragon, you or someone else? And why?
It is a monster template, and not RAW available to player's characters. Which is a good thing, since it is very very powerful.You mean weak. 1/day, RHD breath weapon is weak unless you have only RHD.
He means +8 Str, +6 Con, +2 Int, +2 Cha, +4 natural armor, flight, immunity to paralysis, sleep and one energy type and three natural attacks. Who the hell would care that the breath weapon deals 0 dice of damage on the top of those abilities?!
True the LA system was flawed,
but it was not broken to hell (though the Creature of Legend template was).
It was a good attempt to make certain races playable and balanced to the core races.
He means +8 Str, +6 Con, +2 Int, +2 Cha, +4 natural armor, flight, immunity to paralysis, sleep and one energy type and three natural attacks. Who the hell would care that the breath weapon deals 0 dice of damage on the top of those abilities?!It is a monster template, and not RAW available to player's characters. Which is a good thing, since it is very very powerful.You mean weak. 1/day, RHD breath weapon is weak unless you have only RHD.
So if someone asked you wanted to always 4 levels behinf every player in levels in exchange for "+8 Str, +6 Con, +2 Int, +2 Cha, +4 natural armor, flight, immunity to paralysis, sleep and one energy type and three natural attacks."\
At what level party would you say yes?
Level 5? 1 level so 17 hps maybe (assuming a Fighter):
You'd get killed easily as heck.
So maybe level 10?
Yeah, level 6 character with +8 str and +6 con might be able to survive a EL 12 encounter... no, not really.
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the CR adjustment for a half dragon I believe is +2 (starting at a minimum of 3.......meaning that half dragon human fighter 1 is CR 3).
AGAIN read the bestiary. It tells you when to adjust their levels. They realize that as they grow CR means less than class levels! There are rules to add class levels to keep that creature on track with the party.
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@Starbuck_II: Your post is the exact reason why simply adding the template shouldn't be done. A character either has too few HP, or their abilities are too strong for their level. The ARG is EASILY the best way to go if your friend wants to play a draconic character. If you want to make him a bit more powerful, you can go up to 16 Race Points without making other players feel too bad about it, if at all.
why not just play a kobold with the giant creature simple template from the bestiary and take the kobold racial feats?
Attribute Bonus is a fixed +2 Constitution
Size; Medium
Speed; 30
Natural armor; +4
otherwise a normal kobold but upgrade the tail weapons by 1 step.
biggest boons are all defensive, it trades 2 points of Touch AC for 1 point of normal AC.
@Starbuck_II: Your post is the exact reason why simply adding the template shouldn't be done. A character either has too few HP, or their abilities are too strong for their level. The ARG is EASILY the best way to go if your friend wants to play a draconic character. If you want to make him a bit more powerful, you can go up to 16 Race Points without making other players feel too bad about it, if at all.
15 Race Points is the threshold for if a character needs to start taking level penalties to offset their racial bonuses. You can have a race use 14 Race Points and not have to take level penalties, according to the race creation guide from the Advanced Race Guide.
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Which is what the race guide recommends, but doesn't really seem necessary. Heck, the Fetchlings are a 17 point race, and they really don't seem all that special. Aasimar is 15, Suli 16, and they are barely better than standard races, and they definitely aren't good enough to justify a level deficiency.
Now, it's true with that many points a player could theoretically make a combat BEAST with all sorts of inherent bonuses, but that's why it's up to the DM to make sure the race makes sense and isn't just the mad experimentation of an insane wizard.
He means +8 Str, +6 Con, +2 Int, +2 Cha, +4 natural armor, flight, immunity to paralysis, sleep and one energy type and three natural attacks. Who the hell would care that the breath weapon deals 0 dice of damage on the top of those abilities?!It is a monster template, and not RAW available to player's characters. Which is a good thing, since it is very very powerful.You mean weak. 1/day, RHD breath weapon is weak unless you have only RHD.So if someone asked you wanted to always 4 levels behinf every player in levels in exchange for "+8 Str, +6 Con, +2 Int, +2 Cha, +4 natural armor, flight, immunity to paralysis, sleep and one energy type and three natural attacks."\
At what level party would you say yes?
Level 5? 1 level so 17 hps maybe (assuming a Fighter):
You'd get killed easily as heck.So maybe level 10?
Yeah, level 6 character with +8 str and +6 con might be able to survive a EL 12 encounter... no, not really.
Since this is typically an adquired template, you could add it later on, as a part of a long term personal quest. What you should consider is that you could have a crossblooded Orc/Draconic Sorcerer 5 /Dragon Disciple 4 + half dragon template, (add more Sorcerer after that) + half-orc race to compensate for saves a bit, and a robe of Arcane Heritage. Feats should be toughness, Death from Above, quickened SLA (Touch of Rage), Power Attack, Improved Initiative, improved natural attack x 2 maybe, and maybe some metamagic/Craft magic.
Wear celestial plate (you should not really cast spells in combat), but make sure to use Shield (spell) :-).
Now cast Monstrous Physique II, and choose 4 armed Gargoyle, until you get your Dragon Forms. And look forward to Transformation, possibly as a Staff that your friendly neighborhood wizard will have to recharge for you
AC should be fantastic stacking a lot of natural armor with magical plate as well as magic bufs, and your strength multiplied by your 6 natural attacks pr round + haste attack, as well as what ever else you can stack (Noxious Bite if you breathe acid).
Your hit points will catch up because of the con bonus. Avg hp/lvl x 4 will break even with 3 x character level quite fast. Assuming the build above, you break it at lvl 6. From that on you get more HP than you would else.
So, hp will be better, ac will be better, damage will be better. Fort saves also, the two others will be worse. Your delayed access to spells will be the big loss, so you are mainly a fighting machine with access to spells, flight, and dragon breath (from sorc/DD). First at level 22 would you get lvl 9 spells, 6 levels after your wizard. But maybe you could manage ;-)