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which dragonfire adepts are common are often more savvy
in their dealings with the class.
Races: Dwarves are extremely suspicious of dragonfire
adepts, viewing them as two-legged versions of the greedy,
treasure-loving monsters that often raid their settlements.
They are especially doubtful of dwarf dragonfire adepts, who
are seen as traitors to their own race.
Other Classes: Sorcerers are
drawn strongly to dragonfire
adepts because the two classes
share a primal link to dragonkind.
Monks, however, are often puzzled,
branding dragonfire adepts as fools
who seek to become something that is
at best freakish and at worst monstrous.
Tatiana
Flameworthy,
a dragonfire
adept
DRAGONFIRE ADEPT LORE
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (arcana) can
research dragonfire adepts to learn more about
them. When a character makes a skill check,
read or paraphrase the following, including
the information from lower DCs.
DC 10: Dragonfire adepts are manipulators
of arcane power who focus on breath
weapon abilities.
DC 15: Dragonfire adepts access
draconic magic not through the
mystic spells of sorcerers but
through invocations that give
them dragonlike power. Despite this
strong connection to magic, they are not
spellcasters.
DC 20: Dragonfire adepts can do things with breath
weapons that even dragons can’t match, allowing them to
harm, hamper, or demoralize foes with a range of line and
cone effects.
DRAGONFIRE ADEPTS IN THE GAME
As bottomless sources of arcane damage, dragonfire adepts
serve roles similar to those of sorcerers and fighters, though
they duplicate the abilities of neither. They also contribute
to overall party support, as do bards and clerics, though this
is not their primary role. The class should suit players who
dislike the bookkeeping that comes with spellcasters but still
want to experiment with arcane options and work with other
characters to bring down particularly formidable foes.
Though the dragonfire adept class is not more powerful
than other standard classes, it allows characters to forge a
close connection to one of the most popular elements of the
game—dragons. Even if a dragonfire adept never faces other
draconic foes, the player gets to call on dragonlike abilities
often enough to feel important and special. The DM should
make sure that NPCs occasionally react to a character who
commands the breath weapon of a dragon with the respect
and awe the player is likely to expect.
Generally, dragonfire adepts act similarly to dragons of
the same alignment, but they often display the concerns
and biases of their own race as well. An elf dragonfire adept
can be found defending the forest home of his ancestors,
or a half-orc dragonfire adept leading a raiding party into
human territories. Rather than devote their lives purely to
the draconic, they add their desire to prove their dragonlike
nature on top of more typical concerns.
Adaptation
With some work, it’s possible to link dragonfire
adepts to other powerful mythic creatures instead.
Any beast with a breath weapon and
a tie to arcane magic can replace the
dragon, allowing for winter wolf adepts
or similar variants. The class can
also be adapted to elemental powers, making
them closely related to genies or elemental
outsiders.
Sample Encounter
Dragonfire adept NPCs can take the place of
fighters or true dragons in any encounter. At
first, the player characters should know
them only as leaders and commanders,
not rank-and-file flunkies or
hirelings. If the class becomes
more commonplace in the campaign,
the DM can begin
adding them to the
background of larger
groups.
EL 5: Tatiana Flameworthy
is a devoted champion of the weak
and downtrodden who actively pursues
evildoers. A strong believer in vengeance, she is tracking a
band of marauding raiders who pose as adventurers. In this
quest, she comes upon the PCs, whom she suspects of being
the criminals she seeks. Knowing that she is a better bluffer
and diplomat than a judge of character, she tries to draw the
PCs into a discussion of their goals and recent activities. If
they convince her of their innocence, she asks their aid in
hunting down the group responsible for the crimes.
Tatiana Flameworthy CR 5
Female human dragonfire adept 5
LG Medium humanoid (human, dragonblood)
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 feet, see invisibility, Listen +2,
Spot +10
Languages Common, Draconic
AC 15, touch 11, flat-footed 14
(+1 Dex, +2 natural, +2 bracers)
hp 38 (5 HD)
Fort +8, Ref +3, Will +5; +1 against paralysis and sleep effects
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee mwk morningstar +2 (1d8+1)
Base Atk +2; Grp +3
Illus. by R. Horsley
CHAPTER 2
DRAGON
ASPIRANTS
29