No matter how I may feel about dragons, I know they are people who will punch me in the neck if there aren’t any dragon-based themes. So, fine, here’s a dragon. It’s longer than the scholar because of course it is.
I’m going with -kin for heritage themes, like celestialkin and fiendkin. My spellcheck still hates it, but it’s shorter and has a fantasy vibe instead of a 90s comic hero vibe.
DRAGONKIN
Whether through heredity or magical experimentation, you have the blood of dragons in you. You may succumb to the fury of a chromatic dragon, deny the haughty arrogance of a metallic ancestor, or hide that your background includes a more exotic dragon still strange enough to be feared. But over time your nature will manifest whether you try to suppress it or not, and you must decide how to react when those around you fear and respect dragons in equal measure.
Theme Skills: Appraise, Climb, Intimidate, Knowledge (arcana), Sense Motive, Use Magic Device
Theme Feats: Blind-Fight, Combat Expertise, Improved Unarmed Strike, Intimidating Prowess, Lunge, Power Attack
Theme Quests
Novice Quests: These quests are appropriate for advancing through 3rd tier.
- A dragon wants to carve out a place for himself by making everybody in a village part of his family. By channeling energy from a magical site he has given draconic power and features to an entire village. The people of the village don’t know this and assume they are the victims of a curse, and they seek adventurers who understand their disease to correct it.
- The dragonkin is approached by another adventurer with draconic features, like a half-dragon or dragon disciple. She says that her powers have the same origin as the dragonkin’s, and she wants to dragonkin to accompany her on a quest to find the dragon from whom they came. But it soon becomes clear that she sees her features as a curse, and she’s not looking for understanding, she’s looking for revenge.
Expert Quests: These quests are appropriate for advancing through 6th tier.
- Several dragons of different types have spent decades warring over a plot of land. They’ve decided to settle their spat once and for all with a no-holds-barred battle in which the last dragon standing gains control. But the site they chose is a populated city, and even if the dragons are careful to limit civilian casualties, the allies and foot soldiers they bring in may not be.
- A wizard is offering a potion that can change anybody into a dragon if taken over several weeks. Her demonstrations are convincing, and she has testimonials from people who pass every form of lie-detecting magic. That’s because the potions do work, and they can change anybody into a wyrmling. But they also tax the imbiber, allowing them to live as a dragon for only a few weeks before they burn out and die. Still, a few weeks is more than enough time to lay waste to a small village, a rival’s business, or any other place an unscrupulous person might want.
Advanced Quests: These quests are appropriate for advancing through 9th tier.
- After a kidnapping that ended with the death of his child and many good knights, a king has declared all dragons official enemies of the state. Dragons are reacting in one of three ways: some are leaving, acknowledging his decision with sorrow and leaving the kingdom without its traditional defenders; some are asserting their presence, daring the king to drive them out; and some are moving in, seeing the declaration as a challenge. He must reverse his decision before his kingdom becomes the target of more ire than it can withstand.
- A dragon is near death and has asked a group of draconic creatures, including the dragonkin, to battle for the right to his riches and knowledge. Each contestant is allowed to bring any allies they can to an isolated location where they will compete in either lethal or nonlethal combat. But some investigation suggests that the dragon has invited the bodyguards or allies of one of his bitter enemies, and the entire contest may be a ruse to leave that enemy unprotected.
Legendary Quest: Dragons are aging at a terrible rate. Wyrmlings are becoming adults in a matter of weeks, not decades, and great wyrms are succumbing to old age far before their time. Powerful dragons are battling for supremacy with the mindset of children and a real fear of death, too young mentally and too short-sighted to approach the people, creatures, and rivals around them with their normal wisdom. Soon the world will become one without dragons entirely, if there is even a world left ofter when the battles cease.
Theme Abilities
Breath Weapon (Su):You can mimic a dragon’s most iconic attack. You gain a breath weapon, usable once per day per two theme tiers. This is a 15-foot cone that deals 1d6 points of energy damage per three character levels (minimum 1d6). The energy type matches the type you took for draconic hide. Those caught in the area of the breath receive a Reflex save for half damage. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 your theme tier + your Constitution modifier. You must be at least 4th tier before selecting this ability.
Extended Lifespan (Ex):Your draconic blood staves off old age. Add 10% to the ages at which you reach each age category and to your maximum age.
Finishing Blow (Ex):Your claws and bite lead up to a single devastating blow. When you make a full attack, your last attack gains a theme bonus to the damage roll. This bonus is equal to the number of natural weapon attacks you used that round. Unarmed strikes do not count toward this total. You must be at least 4th tier and possess the natural fury theme ability before selecting this ability.
Improved Extended Lifespan (Ex):Like a dragon you retain your body and mind as you age. Add a further 10% to the ages at which you reach each age category and to your maximum age. In addition, when you reach a new age category you can forgo the bonus to your mental ability scores. If you do, reduce your penalties to physical ability scores from reaching that age category by 1.
Improved Might of Dragons (Su):You can draw power faster but at a higher cost. Once per day after you roll an ability check you can add your theme tier as a theme bonus to the check. You cannot apply this bonus to a Dexterity check. After making the ability check you become exhausted. This does not replace the bonus from the might of dragons ability, so you can modify two ability checks per day. You must be at least 4th tier and possess the might of dragons theme ability before selecting this ability.
Meditative Blindsense (Ex):You can sense enemies like a dragon, though it takes all of your attention. As a swift action you can enter a meditative state and gain blindsense 60 ft. You can maintain this state for one round per day per tier. While in this state you can only take free actions, though you are not considered helpless. You can divide the duration however you like, but it must be in one-round increments.
Might of Dragons (Su):You can draw power from your blood, though it weakens you. Once per day before you roll an ability check you can add your theme tier as a theme bonus to the check. You cannot apply this bonus to a Dexterity check. After making the ability check you become fatigued.
Natural Fury (Ex):You can attack with all your weapons in equal measure. At the beginning of each day you can change any feats you have that specify a single natural weapon so the feat applies to a different natural weapon. The feat must be able to apply to the new weapon. For example, you can exchange Weapon Focus (claw) for Weapon Focus (bite), but not for Improved Critical (claw), and you cannot use this ability to change a feat that applies only to slashing weapons of your only other natural weapon is a slam.
Night Vision (Ex):Your eyes have adjusted so you can see what dragons see. You gain low-light vision. If you already have low-light vision, you can see three times as far as a human in dim light.
Scaled Vitals (Ex):Your most important organs are protected like a dragon’s. You gain a +2 theme bonus to AC against critical confirmation rolls. You must be at least 4th tier before selecting this ability.
Advancement Abilities
Draconic Hide (Ex):Your body shows some of a dragon’s hardiness. At 4th tier, choose one type of true dragon. If you have a racial or class feature that requires you to choose a type of dragon, this type must match the type you selected for that feature. You gain resistance 5 to one energy type of that dragon’s breath weapon and a +2 theme bonus to saving throws against sleep effects.
Draconic Body (Ex):You can shrug off effects like a true dragon. At 7th tier, your energy resistance from the draconic resistances ability increases to 10, and your bonus to saving throws against sleep effects increases to +4. You also gain a +2 theme bonus to saving throws against paralysis. You must be at least 7th tier and possess the draconic resistances theme ability before selecting this ability.
Draconic Soul (Ex):You ascend to the highest level you can without being a dragon yourself. At 10th tier, you are treated as a dragon for the purpose of spells and magical effects. You gain immunity to sleep and paralysis effects.