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which <strong>dragon</strong>fire adepts are common are often more savvy<br />
in their dealings with the class.<br />
Races: Dwarves are extremely suspicious of <strong>dragon</strong>fire<br />
adepts, viewing them as two-legged versions of the greedy,<br />
treasure-loving monsters that often raid their settlements.<br />
They are especially doubtful of dwarf <strong>dragon</strong>fire adepts, who<br />
are seen as traitors to their own race.<br />
Other Classes: Sorcerers are<br />
drawn strongly to <strong>dragon</strong>fire<br />
adepts because the two classes<br />
share a primal link to <strong>dragon</strong>kind.<br />
Monks, however, are often puzzled,<br />
branding <strong>dragon</strong>fire adepts as fools<br />
who seek to become something that is<br />
at best freakish and at worst monstrous.<br />
Tatiana<br />
Flameworthy,<br />
a <strong>dragon</strong>fire<br />
adept<br />
DRAGONFIRE ADEPT LORE<br />
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (arcana) can<br />
research <strong>dragon</strong>fire adepts to learn more about<br />
them. When a character makes a skill check,<br />
read or paraphrase the following, including<br />
the information from lower DCs.<br />
DC 10: Dragonfire adepts are manipulators<br />
of arcane power who focus on breath<br />
weapon abilities.<br />
DC 15: Dragonfire adepts access<br />
draconic <strong>magic</strong> not through the<br />
mystic spells of sorcerers but<br />
through invocations that give<br />
them <strong>dragon</strong>like power. Despite this<br />
strong connection to <strong>magic</strong>, they are not<br />
spellcasters.<br />
DC 20: Dragonfire adepts can do things with breath<br />
weapons that even <strong>dragon</strong>s can’t match, allowing them to<br />
harm, hamper, or demoralize foes with a range of line and<br />
cone effects.<br />
DRAGONFIRE ADEPTS IN THE GAME<br />
As bottomless sources of arcane damage, <strong>dragon</strong>fire adepts<br />
serve roles similar to those of sorcerers and fighters, though<br />
they duplicate the abilities of neither. They also contribute<br />
to overall party support, as do bards and clerics, though this<br />
is not their primary role. The class should suit players who<br />
dislike the bookkeeping that comes with spellcasters but still<br />
want to experiment with arcane options and work with other<br />
characters to bring down particularly formidable foes.<br />
Though the <strong>dragon</strong>fire adept class is not more powerful<br />
than other standard classes, it allows characters to forge a<br />
close connection to one of the most popular elements of the<br />
game—<strong>dragon</strong>s. Even if a <strong>dragon</strong>fire adept never faces other<br />
draconic foes, the player gets to call on <strong>dragon</strong>like abilities<br />
often enough to feel important and special. The DM should<br />
make sure that NPCs occasionally react to a character who<br />
commands the breath weapon of a <strong>dragon</strong> with the respect<br />
and awe the player is likely to expect.<br />
Generally, <strong>dragon</strong>fire adepts act similarly to <strong>dragon</strong>s of<br />
the same alignment, but they often display the concerns<br />
and biases of their own race as well. An elf <strong>dragon</strong>fire adept<br />
can be found defending the forest home of his ancestors,<br />
or a half-orc <strong>dragon</strong>fire adept leading a raiding party into<br />
human territories. Rather than devote their lives purely to<br />
the draconic, they add their desire to prove their <strong>dragon</strong>like<br />
nature on top of more typical concerns.<br />
Adaptation<br />
With some work, it’s possible to link <strong>dragon</strong>fire<br />
adepts to other powerful mythic creatures instead.<br />
Any beast with a breath weapon and<br />
a tie to arcane <strong>magic</strong> can replace the<br />
<strong>dragon</strong>, allowing for winter wolf adepts<br />
or similar variants. The class can<br />
also be adapted to elemental powers, making<br />
them closely related to genies or elemental<br />
outsiders.<br />
Sample Encounter<br />
Dragonfire adept NPCs can take the place of<br />
fighters or true <strong>dragon</strong>s in any encounter. At<br />
first, the player characters should know<br />
them only as leaders and commanders,<br />
not rank-and-file flunkies or<br />
hirelings. If the class becomes<br />
more commonplace in the campaign,<br />
the DM can begin<br />
adding them to the<br />
background of larger<br />
groups.<br />
EL 5: Tatiana Flameworthy<br />
is a devoted champion of the weak<br />
and downtrodden who actively pursues<br />
evildoers. A strong believer in vengeance, she is tracking a<br />
band of marauding raiders who pose as adventurers. In this<br />
quest, she comes upon the PCs, whom she suspects of being<br />
the criminals she seeks. Knowing that she is a better bluffer<br />
and diplomat than a judge of character, she tries to draw the<br />
PCs into a discussion of their goals and recent activities. If<br />
they convince her of their innocence, she asks their aid in<br />
hunting down the group responsible for the crimes.<br />
Tatiana Flameworthy CR 5<br />
Female human <strong>dragon</strong>fire adept 5<br />
LG Medium humanoid (human, <strong>dragon</strong>blood)<br />
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 feet, see invisibility, Listen +2,<br />
Spot +10<br />
Languages Common, Draconic<br />
AC 15, touch 11, flat-footed 14<br />
(+1 Dex, +2 natural, +2 bracers)<br />
hp 38 (5 HD)<br />
Fort +8, Ref +3, Will +5; +1 against paralysis and sleep effects<br />
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)<br />
Melee mwk morningstar +2 (1d8+1)<br />
Base Atk +2; Grp +3<br />
Illus. by R. Horsley<br />
CHAPTER 2<br />
DRAGON<br />
ASPIRANTS<br />
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