dragon-magic-oef

Combat
If you can win a battle without firing a single arrow or leading
a single charge, so much the better. If you can intimidate
a foe into fleeing or accept the surrender of an inferior force,
the victory is sweeter. When combat is unavoidable and the
foolish challenge you, your favorite strategy is to show them
the folly of their mistake by delivering upon them a merciless
defeat. Every strike could be a killing blow, and you rarely
hold back, even if there might be value in keeping a foe alive.
You take prisoners if doing so is of no extra difficulty, but
you have little time for games—if taking an enemy alive is
even a small hindrance, you dispatch him instead.
You make frequent use of your intimidating demeanor,
shouting epithets and curses at your foes as you cleave
through them. Your goal is not only to defeat an enemy
but also to demoralize his allies, giving you a
greater chance of success. However, if intimidation
is not possible and your actions
only further enrage your opponents,
you focus on simply defeating them.
After all, when your foes cannot be
routed, why hand them an advantage
by stoking their fury?
Advancement
The first time you saw a dragon on the wing,
with dozens of commoners fleeing before it like a
tidal wave through the streets, you knew there was a
smarter path to victory than simple battlefield tactics. From
that point on, you studied the way that dragons fight, both
against lesser beings and against one another, in the hope of
one day harnessing their awesome presence.
Now you have accomplished your goal and become more
than a mere military commander—you are a self-styled
warlord, your mere will a command to others. You have set
yourself up as a dragon among mortals, a dominant force
that bends others to your wishes. Moreover, your continued
study of dragonkind has brought you great success on the
battlefield, putting your name on the lips of all those who
have seen your skill in war.
As a dragon lord, you should always purchase the maximum
number of ranks in your Intimidate skill to take full
advantage of your special abilities. Feats that enhance the
Intimidate skill are also valuable, as are magic items or spells
that improve your Charisma score. Additionally, standard
combat feats that let you dispense with foes more quickly
allow you to demoralize even more opponents.
Resources
The world is yours for the taking. Your followers provide aid
and assistance, as well as brute force, whenever you call upon
them. In essence, you are the leader of your own organization.
If you have proven yourself on the field of battle, you might
find entire cities or nations willing to serve your needs out
of respect, fear, or both. Few will dare to stand in your path,
allowing you to reach out and take whatever you wish.
DRAGON LORDS IN THE WORLD
“There is no more fearsome sight on the battlefield than a dragon
bringing its might to bear on your forces. That some should seek to
harness such an effect is natural, and using this knowledge against
their enemies means victory and glory.”
—Bors, dwarf war priest
A Dungeon Master might find it challenging to fit a dragon
lord into a campaign, especially one with good-aligned player
characters. Though the dragon lord could easily be a bully or
a thug, he might also be a famous military commander who is
revered and feared even by his own people. Similarly, dragon
lords seeking to do good might be crusaders who consider it
their right (or even their duty) to use their strength as a means
of eradicating evil. Though a dragon lord is forceful and
intimidating, the character’s player ultimately decides
whether he uses his power for good or ill.
Organization
Like the dragons they model themselves
after, dragon lords are
figuratively at the top of the
food chain. They are the
commanders and leaders, the
warlords and warmongers, who
call the shots and determine
courses of action. Each dragon lord
is the master of his own domain, and if
two of them come into contact with one
another, sparks fly more often than not. When
their circles of influence overlap, they clash frequently,
with pain and death the usual result.
As leaders, dragon lords are strict, demanding loyalty and
obedience from their followers. Since most dragon lords are
military commanders—whether on a grand scale, such as
the leader of an army, or on a small scale, such as the head of
an adventuring party—they require great discipline in their
followers and allies, making rare exceptions only for fellow
adventurers who have proven themselves trustworthy.
NPC Reactions
Dragon lords are feared and revered nearly everywhere they
go. They demand respect even when in hostile territory,
meaning that lawful enemies are more inclined to be simply
unfriendly toward them. However, the other side of this coin
is that in supposedly friendly towns and cities, a dragon lord
frequently is unwelcome, and people who would normally
be friendly toward a group of PCs might be indifferent, or
in extreme cases unfriendly, toward a party that contains a
dragon lord.
Dragon lords just have a way of gaining reputations as
bullies and thugs. Among militaries or mercenary bands,
however, a dragon lord’s demand for respect usually outweighs
his ability to command fear, and as such any dragon
lord traveling among a band of soldiers can expect a more
friendly welcome. Even when meeting with opposing
Illus. by W. England
CHAPTER 2
DRAGON
ASPIRANTS
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