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CHAPTER 2 DRAGON ASPIRANTS 36 Illus. by E.M. Gist Detect Dragonblood (Sp): Starting at 8th level, you can detect nearby dragons at will; their blood seems to sing to you faintly. See the detect dragonblood spell, page 65. Double Synthesis: Starting at 10th level, your soul is such a welcome home for your ancestors that you can have two ancestor dragon spirits active at the same time, gaining the full benefit of each. If you call a third ancestor, the spirit that has been with you the longest departs to make room for the newcomer. PLAYING A DRAGON DESCENDANT You know that you are part of a long line of dragons, even if the details of your genealogy are revealed only gradually, and that heritage is important to you. Whenever you call an ancestor spirit to share your soul, that connection deepens. The scholars of the First Scroll (see page 141) share many of your values, such as an interest in the power of dragon bloodlines and the potency of draconic magic. They teach the meditation techniques that open your soul to your ancestors. Likewise, some dragons know these techniques and can teach them to students. Certain dragons go so far as to watch their human relative from a distance, revealing the true “family history” when the character reaches adulthood. Thus, it’s not uncommon for a dragon descendant to learn the techniques of the class but grow horrified by the evil acts of the dragons that teach them. Fortunately, once a dragon descendant learns the meditation techniques, he subsequently needs only solitary practice. The path to ancestral enlightenment doesn’t require constant study with dragons or the First Scroll. Combat The most important choice you make in combat is which ancestor spirit you want. • The rampaging ancestor is always a solid choice in melee; no one looks askance at bonuses on attack rolls and damage rolls. • The subtle ancestor is useful when infiltrating and attacking with surprise, but it’s less helpful if your foes are aware of you. • The eldritch ancestor has only one benefit, but it’s a big one: a ranged attack no monk can match. Combined with Lauthus Thulcher, a dragon descendant your monklike maneuverability, it makes you an elusive foe. • Choose the enduring ancestor when you’re trying to occupy a monster’s full attention while your allies do something else. • Call the ancient ancestor in climactic fights to the death with a major enemy. Advancement Most dragon descendants learn the necessary meditative techniques from a dragon or from members of the First Scroll. As you gain more levels in this class, First Scroll researchers might ask for your help. On the other hand, a chromatic dragon might tempt you with power and an alliance, bringing you face to face with the truth about your heritage—there are powerful evildoers in your past. After you’ve learned how to connect with your ancestor spirits, advancing as a dragon descendant is mostly a matter of solitary practice and meditation. Once you enter the class, your instructors have no further insight to provide, and they can’t prevent your advancement even if you spurn them. At every oddnumbered level, you become able to connect to a new ancestor dragon spirit. The first time you do so is during an extended meditation not unlike a seance. You converse with your ancestor, and thereafter that same ancestor spirit will return whenever you call. Some dragon descendants revel in the connection with their ancestry and treat the spirits as friends. Others hold them at a serene distance, and a few smile as they force the evildoers of the past to make amends by using their power for good. When you gain access to a new ancestor, take some time to think about who that dragon was in life. It’s more interesting to plead, “Aid me, oh Kur-i-yah of the Howling Mountains” than to simply say “I call my rampaging ancestor.” Resources Because dragon descendants are solitary in nature, individuals provide little if anything in the way of resources for one another. Unless you are affiliated with an organization such as the First Scroll (see below), it is likely that the only resources you have access to are those that you procure for yourself.
DRAGON DESCENDANTS IN THE WORLD “I don’t know where she learned such martial arts techniques. They have a . . . sinuous quality I’ve never seen before.” —Horu Desh, master of the Knife-as-Wind school Dragon descendants engage in the same rigorous physical and mental exercises that monks do, plus they spend time in meditation communing with their ancestors. A dragon descendant is almost always sharing spirit-space with a longdead ancestor, so it’s common for him to make historical references that other members of his party don’t understand. Some dragon descendants change personalities—at least to a degree—depending on which ancestor spirit they’re currently hosting. Organization Dragon descendants have no formal organization of their own. A human monk known only as Brother Denka was the first dragon descendant among members of the First Scroll, more than 400 years ago. He taught the technique to dozens of disciples before being summoned to meet with the group’s upper hierarchy, after which he was never seen again. Today, many dragon descendants remain affiliated with the First Scroll, taking directions from the group’s leaders. Others serve mighty dragons as trusted lieutenants. In fact, a human dragon descendant who has risen to the top of the Shadow’s Fangs cabal (see page 144) actually shares an ancestor with the group’s secret master, Vaeratrux. NPC Reactions Chromatic dragons show great respect to dragon descendants because they have a special connection to their own bloodline and heritage. Thus, chromatic dragons have an initial attitude of friendly toward any dragon descendant who is not overtly hostile or is not known to be working against that dragon’s particular machinations. Few others know about dragon descendants and so have no preconceptions about them. However, historians—characters with 4 or more ranks in Knowledge (history)—are fascinated with the idea of conversing with long-dead ancestors, and a dragon descendant who demonstrates this ability gains a +2 circumstance bonus on social interactions with them. DRAGON DESCENDANT LORE Characters with ranks in Knowledge (arcana) can research dragon descendants 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: Some people with dragon blood in their family tree can speak to their dead dragon ancestors through meditation. They’re called dragon descendants. DC 15: Dragon descendants can call an ancestor dragon spirit into their bodies. When they do, they take on some of the abilities of that ancestor, including fighting styles, stealth, and magic. DC 20: The more powerful a dragon descendant, the more different ancestor spirits he can call—but only one at a time. DC 25: A group known as the First Scroll can teach the techniques necessary to become a dragon descendant. DC 30: Characters who achieve this level of success can learn important details about a specific notable dragon descendant, the areas where he operates, and the kinds of activities he undertakes. DRAGON DESCENDANTS IN THE GAME At first, dragon descendants appear to be similar to monks. Other characters usually don’t notice a difference until they start changing their abilities and appearance as they shift ancestor spirits. Dragon descendants invite players to make interesting tactical choices by picking the best ancestor spirit for a given situation. The class should appeal to players who like family history to be an important part of their characters’ backgrounds. And because dragon descendants are connected to evil dragons, the class makes a great option for players who like their characters to have a sinister past but have also vowed to reform. Adaptation As written, the dragon descendant is a 10-level prestige class. But if you have a player who is fascinated by this option, consider extending the class rather than forcing a less interesting choice (probably back to monk) after 10th level. Offer new ancestor spirits at every odd-numbered level, and cap the extended version of the class by granting the double synthesis ability at the highest level. If the notion of an evil heritage doesn’t work for your game, it’s easy to imagine metallic dragons having dragon descendants. This adaptation requires nothing more than changing the rampaging ancestor to a crusading ancestor instead. Sample Encounter A good encounter with a dragon descendant keeps players guessing as the NPC shifts abilities to handle changing tactical situations. The more times he calls a new ancestor and exhibits the attendant physical and ability changes, the more interesting the encounter. Perhaps the PCs come into contact with a dragon descendant through their dealings with the First Scroll, or maybe their quest for ancient lore leads them to a strange but knowledgeable villager who is thought to be cursed because of his frequent personality shifts and incessant mutterings. EL 12: Lauthus Thulcher is a dragon descendant utterly loyal to the green dragon Tranchaminax because it taught him to tap into the power of his ancestry. As a war orphan, CHAPTER 2 DRAGON ASPIRANTS 37
Page 3 and 4: Contents Introduction. . . . . . .
Page 5 and 6: Illus. by R. Horsley xcept in a few
Page 7 and 8: CHAPTER 1 DRAGONBOUND HEROES —Dee
Page 9 and 10: Stonehunter gnomes have very dark s
Page 11 and 12: DRACONIC CLASS FEATURES Often, drag
Page 13 and 14: Class: Hexblade (see Complete Warri
Page 15 and 16: enefit of a divine feat you have. Y
Page 17 and 18: Special: If you are of the dragonbl
Page 19 and 20: Table 1-1: New Feats (cont.) Dracon
Page 21 and 22: INITIATE OF HLAL [INITIATE] Fueled
Page 23 and 24: Illus. by R. Horsley ragons are kno
Page 25 and 26: Table 2-1: The Dragonfire Adept Hit
Page 27 and 28: Greater Invocations Aura of Flame:
Page 29 and 30: which dragonfire adepts are common
Page 31 and 32: Table 2-3: The Diamond Dragon Hit D
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Page 35: ecome immune to fear and gain a +1
Page 39 and 40: Entry Requirements Base Attack Bonu
Page 41 and 42: Combat If you can win a battle with
Page 43 and 44: HAND OF THE WINGED MASTERS “By th
Page 45 and 46: Resources If you absolutely must ha
Page 47 and 48: Table 2-7: The Pact-Bound Adept Hit
Page 49 and 50: CHAPTER 2 DRAGON ASPIRANTS people
Page 51 and 52: Table 2-8: The Swift Wing Hit Die:
Page 53 and 54: to seek out her own allies. She kno
Page 55 and 56: WYRM WIZARD “Every dragon is like
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Page 59 and 60: Illus. by R. Horsley ore than any o
Page 61 and 62: of writing in some manner (even a p
Page 63 and 64: Primal Instinct: Gain a +5 bonus on
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Page 69 and 70: to your attackers. While this spell
Page 71 and 72: PATH OF FROST Transmutation [Cold]
Page 73 and 74: Casting Time: 1 standard action Ran
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Page 77 and 78: DRAGONFIRE ADEPT BREATH EFFECTS The
Page 79 and 80: Humanoid Shape: Take the form of an
Page 81 and 82: INSTILL VULNERABILITY Dark; 7th You
Page 83 and 84: format and rules for soulmelds, wit
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Energy: This aura grants you a bonu
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dead party returns to life within t
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8th 9th ray of enfeeblement 3/day,
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AMULET OF FEARSOME MIGHT This amule
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ROD OF THE DRAGON HEART Dragon lord
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attacks the tome’s owner or the o
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Aura/Caster Level: Moderate abjurat
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EMERALD EYE PATCH Prized by charact
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Activation: An opalescent amulet fu
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over legions of weaker monsters and
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Illus. by R. Horsley n a world wher
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STRATEGIES AND TACTICS An aspect of
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Typical Physical Characteristics: L
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DRAKKENSTEED “Fitting that those
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STRATEGIES AND TACTICS Huitzils are
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Phynxkin SAMPLE ENCOUNTER Phynxkin
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pqqqqqqqqqrs REDSPAWN BERSERKER LOR
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pqqqqqqqqqrs SPELLEATER LORE Charac
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TWILIGHT GUARDIANS IN FAERÛN Twili
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VELROCS IN FAERÛN Velrocs are less
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Black Dragon Sinister black dragons
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Immunity to Poison (Ex): All copper
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Illus. by R. Horsley ragons are an
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ed to understand the strange develo
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or other legendary dragons from the
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usually at the cost of protecting t
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ing with the creature is straightfo
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to limiting the political, magical,
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Affiliation Score Title: Benefits a
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flowed. This attitude grew as the o
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CHAPTER 5 DRACONIC CAMPAIGNS 147
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shelves lined with books the size o
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where tyrannical dragons demand wor
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CHAPTER 5 DRACONIC CAMPAIGNS Illus.
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5. Confrontation with Heldrivor (EL
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CHAPTER 5 DRACONIC CAMPAIGNS This i
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