Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 seker Jun 26, 2006 1:01:25	Defiler Dragon [indent]“The Dragon of Tyr is the immortal and omnipotent scourge of the world, and yet you claim to have killed it?” - A scornful citizen of Free Tyr upon the hero's return[/indent] Dragons are incredibly powerful individuals who have mastered both arcane magic and psionics. Due to their thirst for power, these individuals have chosen to undergo a metamorphosis, changing them into reptilian dragons. Dragons command terrible magic capable of draining the life-force of both man and beast, leaving only withered husks behind. Masters of the Will and the Way as well as the arcane arts, they have learned to augment their magic with their focused minds. The sorcerer-kings were all, dragons of one stage or another, however at least one is thought to have strayed from this path. Other dragons exist, but they are few and remain hidden, as the sorcerer-kings are quick to strike down any pretenders to their might. Rajaat's champions were all humans, who later went on to become the sorcerer kings. And so all of the known dragons of the Tyr Region and the North are of human origin, but it is possible that non-human races may be able to become defiler dragons. Each dragon is unique in their perspective, but common to almost all dragons is the desire to gain more power. The primal rage of the beast burns in those that would try to take shortcuts in the metamorphosis. Defiler dragons will sometimes use adventurers to forward their own goals, but those adventurers should beware. As treachery seems almost second nature to most of these creatures. Hit Die: d12 Requirements To qualify to become a defiler dragon, a character must fulfill all the following criteria. Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 23 ranks, Knowledge (psionics) 23 ranks. Feats: Body Fuel, Psionic Body, any 2 metamagic or metapsionic feats. Spells: Arcane caster level 18th. Psionics: Manifester level 16th and able to manifest psychic reformation. Special: Must be a Defiler, and must have been the target of a successful casting of the defiler metamorphosis I spell/ritual. Class Skills The defiler dragon’s class skills (and key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Jump (Str), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Literacy (none), Profession (Wis), Psicraft (Wis), Spot (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int). Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
#2 seker Jun 26, 2006 1:15:40	as promised my version of dragons that I use for my own games.... I have tried to post this no less than 3 times this weekend but had problems on posting for some reason. This version simplifies psionic enchantments and alot of other aspects of dragons and I would be happy to answer any questions on it. The Avangion will be posted later this week... it runs along a similiar path to create it. You will find that this class can be entered at 21st level with the right combination of feats and classes... but doing so gives you a dragon unable to cast epic spells. The very minimum class/feat combination is as follows: Wizard 4/psion 3/cerebramancer 10 and 3 more levels in ANY class. Feats: Practiced Spellcaster, Practiced Manifester, Body Fuel, Psionic Body, any 2 metamagic or metapsionic feats (metapsionic feats give you more bang for your buck once you start the class but note... with psychic reformation you can change feats at will for a small cost.)
#3 Oninotaki Jun 26, 2006 3:23:41	I like it but I dont understand the point of making them switch out wizard levels for sorcerer levels. Also I assume that it is meant to be a prestige class that you can advance in beyond 10th level, as that would be the only way a medium sized character who started the class could get as big as Borys.
#4 seker Jun 26, 2006 6:04:27	I like it but I dont understand the point of making them switch out wizard levels for sorcerer levels. Also I assume that it is meant to be a prestige class that you can advance in beyond 10th level, as that would be the only way a medium sized character who started the class could get as big as Borys. The reason for the sorcerer conversion is several fold. First off, in a standard dark sun game the sorcerer class is not an option to take from starting level as "innate arcane magic" is pretty much against the fluff of darksun. (points could be argued for the descendants of dragons but that is another case.) Dragons on all worlds have innate magic, so this gives a crossover point for the magic, also advanced beings by their nature are transforming their bodies by massive amounts of psionic and magical energy, so increasing their actual capacity to cast more spells per level and ingraining known/mastered spells into them makes alot of sense. Plus with this kind of transformation it makes sense there are going to be massive differences in how you can weild power, so a massive change like this gives you a possible downside for your character if he has not mastered using internal power as well as external. Plus it fits that once they get to a certain size, spellbooks would start becoming a major hinderance to immortal colossal dragons, and having to rely on such things would be frankly odd. Note I also have written up an epic feat which allows the advanced beings to once again "memorize" spells in their spell slots per day like a wizard. A more potent/epic form of the arcane preparation feat if you will. So this would mean dragons and avangions could gain benefits of both of the casting forms. On the advancing the class, this is an epic PrC, and all Epic PrC's advance to infinite level. The 10 levels are just shown as the starting point.
#5 Oninotaki Jun 26, 2006 9:33:33	Thanks for the answers, they are pretty much what I expected, but I do have one last question. If they switch all their wizard levels to sorcerer levels what happens to all the spells they already know?
#6 zombiegleemax Jun 26, 2006 13:44:46	Thanks for the answers, they are pretty much what I expected, but I do have one last question. If they switch all their wizard levels to sorcerer levels what happens to all the spells they already know? well I will rule that they retains the knowlenge to cast spells they already know how to cast and in most casaes casted for years, eons or even centuries... so the spells known mechaniks kiks in only for EPIC spells...
#7 zombiegleemax Jun 26, 2006 14:48:31	i think it's pretty schweet. i think the only thing which might be a little odd could be the idea of waiting for every 5 levels to gain so much. i understand that it is part of the fluff that they must proceed thoughthe levels to gain such abilities, but perhaps they would perform the ritual, then they would unlock the rest of their abilities through the 5 lvl gap between size catagories...just a thought though.
#8 seker Jun 26, 2006 17:13:39	Thanks for the answers, they are pretty much what I expected, but I do have one last question. If they switch all their wizard levels to sorcerer levels what happens to all the spells they already know? Well considering that they do not have spells known as wizards only ones they have learned it would make sense for them to choose from among their spellbook for their Known spells for being a sorcerer... However if you are reffering to spellmastered spells, that is part of the reason the psychic reformation is part of the prerequisites... as it allows you to reselect spells pretty much daily... at a slight exp cost. However I have created a epic feat (which I will be releasing on another thread after I release the Avangion PrC later this week.... that allows an epic sorcerer to memorize spells as a wizard using their spell slots per day. Which means dragons can choose to memorize specific spells if they want them. i think it's pretty schweet. i think the only thing which might be a little odd could be the idea of waiting for every 5 levels to gain so much. i understand that it is part of the fluff that they must proceed thoughthe levels to gain such abilities, but perhaps they would perform the ritual, then they would unlock the rest of their abilities through the 5 lvl gap between size catagories...just a thought though. Actually I already addressed that at the very end of the PrC in the Epic Spells at the bottom. Using Heal and fortify seeds you could easily create a spell which would advance you faster through the metamorphosis.... like how Kalak did.
#9 seker Jun 26, 2006 23:57:56	This version of the Defiler Dragon is actually one of 2 ways that I created the Defiler Dragons that is different than what we did in the Epic bureau (well 4 if you count the 2 methods I did up for my d20 modern system and for my own system, but that is neither here nor there.) The other method is a racial class for the Defiler Dragon that is very similiar to the above, but allows much more customization for the classes, as well as grants some vert very significant bonuses. I was hoping to get some more responses on this and then I will post the racial version on this thread as well as see what people preffer. Plus I want to see everyones reaction to the racial version.... :P it is a little different.
#10 terminus_vortexa Jun 27, 2006 11:56:17	Excellent stuff , seker! And I'm intrigued by the thought of a d20 Modern Dragon. Would you be willing to post that some time?
#11 zombiegleemax Jun 28, 2006 9:13:37	i run my games based on d20 modern (and clasically modern) and i'm always looking for great ideas...and seker is usually a good source for mechanics, it should be cool.
#12 kalthandrix Jun 28, 2006 9:32:28	Please do not take my silence as ignoring you or the work you posted - It is great stuff, really - and I like it an=ds would like to see what else you have done, but I am not a d20 modern player and know every little about it or the differences. Mechanically I can see noting wrong with it and it is well written - aside from that I have noting else. Well...my one beef with it is the number of skill points - but I have the same beef in regular D&D - which is why my house rules give 6 to arcane spell users and psions, and 4 to fighter classes and clerics. I do not see that having more skills is unbalancing and think it is ridiculous to say that the more educated class in the game (wizard) only gets 2 per level - on the lame excuse that they will normally have to have a higher Int mod anyway so it balances out - I think that excuse is lame and a rather poor one too, but that is just me. So great work seker - you are an inspiration and a font of orgininal thinking!
#13 seker Jul 10, 2006 21:49:19	updated my version of the dragon for athas..... simplified it and made it more in line with exising systems. Let me know what you think.
#14 zombiegleemax Jul 11, 2006 11:42:54	i'm currently working on a project that involves an interesting twist. I'm doing kind of a Trigun/Primal Rage/ nuclear wasteland campaign. It's kinda neat at the moment...i'm not finished with it...butthe group seems to be enjoying it. it's kinda like darksun with a modern twist.
#15 seker Jul 15, 2006 18:10:20	made minor update to change what you get at first level, and specify that only classes that prepare spells are converted to Sorcerer. (mainly to make it easier on campaigns where spellcasting bards and other spontainious arcane spellcasters are allowed)