dragon-magic-oef

CHAPTER 2
DRAGON
ASPIRANTS
people—they simply view any who associate with dragons
as potential enemies.
On the other hand, communities that benefit from the presence
of a good-aligned dragon are usually friendly or helpful
to a pact-bound adept. Additionally, most good dragons (and
some neutral and evil dragons) are at least indifferent toward
a pact-bound adept. Unless the character directly interferes
with the dragon’s plans, a dragon usually treats her as a neutral
third party, neither friend nor foe, sparing her from its wrath
when others would certainly be slain.
PACT-BOUND ADEPT LORE
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (local) can research
pact-bound 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: Pact-bound adepts are sorcerers who make treaties
with dragons to gain advanced powers.
DC 15: Pact-bound adepts claim that dragons can teach
methods of spellcasting that require less effort and yield
greater results.
DC 20: Pact-bound adepts use a combination of arcane
spells and spell-like abilities, some of which aren’t normally
available to sorcerers.
DC 30: Characters who achieve this level of success can
learn important details about a specific notable pact-bound
adept, the areas where she operates, and the kinds of activities
she undertakes.
Locating a pact-bound adept is a matter of learning where
dragons reside in the vicinity. Usually, pact-bound adepts
Rothan, a pact-bound adept, makes a shocking bargain with a blue dragon
make their homes close to dragon lairs or in areas where
dragon sightings are common. In some cases, they can be
found by asking local sorcerers and wizards about those who
fraternize with dragons.
PACT-BOUND ADEPTS IN THE GAME
The pact-bound adept is a great alternative for spellcasters
who wish to explore the dragonpact magic system. Any
campaign that makes use of the dragonpact rules would
be a perfect fit for this class. Though a pact-bound adept
falls behind a standard sorcerer in spellcasting, this loss is
offset by the more potent benefits gained from the adept’s
dragonpact.
Players looking for a new take on sorcerer spellcasting
should consider playing a pact-bound adept. Since the class
features cater to the dragonpact magic system, any player who
wishes to have her character enter into a magical agreement
should consider the pact-bound adept as a means of gaining
additional benefits over sorcerers who enter into dragonpacts
more casually.
Adaptation
You could adapt this class to allow characters other than
sorcerers to dabble with the dragonpact magic system. For
example, a favored soul or warmage might use this class to
qualify for dragonpacts as if he were a sorcerer; in place of
the dragonpact requirement for entry, you might require the
Dragontouched feat.
Illus. by F. Tsai
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