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| xellos |
 Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2011 1:30 pm Post subject: Fun with the Book of Drakes |
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Location: Austin, TX
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Recently started a Kingmaker campaign, and my GM liked the Book of Drakes so much that she'd really like me to do something with it. I had initially planned on making a drake familiar by gently modifying the drake build rules, but then we thought we might go a little crazier.
So, what are the best ways of taking advantage of all of the excellent stuff in the book? I have a few out-there thoughts, but I wonder if anyone else does.
-Drake character. The book already gives the rules for playing a pseudodragon and a candle drake. Are there other appropriate options there?
-Drake Tamer, the alternate summoner class. You get to either use the CR options or build your drake friend (which is what I would do; the build rules are nifty).
-Willful Companion. The feat/feat chain lets you have another drake companion with a mind of its own.
-Improved familiar. Using UM's eldritch heritage feat, you can pick up a familiar if you're heritage is arcane. The pseudodragon familiar rules are already there, and there are ways to make your willful companion a familiar in the feat tree as well.
Any other suggestions? |
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| Daigle |
| Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 3:39 pm Post subject: |
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| It sounds like you have the bases covered aside from building an entire party using elements from this book. Even crazier, you could all play drakes. Each start with a Tiny base drake and then advance using the build rules. Some could choose to take class levels, while others could progress with feature points. It wouldn't be for every group, but it sounds like fun for me! |
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| taig |
| Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2011 12:44 pm Post subject: |
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With Daigle's additional idea, you've got everything covered.
We definitely wanted to give groups the option of making an all-drake party/campaign. At some point in the future, you should see a character class which would work well as an antagonist for your drakes (or for a PC who really hates dragons). |
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| xellos |
| Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2011 12:52 pm Post subject: |
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We're not going to have the chance to do the entire party- some people are pretty enamored of their characters already- but I'm definitely going to go a bit drake crazy. ^_^
How would you think progressing with feature points would work? Hmm. |
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| taig |
| Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2011 1:17 pm Post subject: |
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| xellos wrote: |
We're not going to have the chance to do the entire party- some people are pretty enamored of their characters already- but I'm definitely going to go a bit drake crazy. ^_^
How would you think progressing with feature points would work? Hmm. |
Following the convention in the drake building chapter, I'd say it's reasonable to add 10 feature points per level (with an additional 10 at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th levels to match the hit dice progression). A drake character might "evolve" in an unusual way with feature points, but it sounds cool to me. |
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| xellos |
| Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2011 1:27 pm Post subject: |
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| That's an interesting idea. Now I wonder whether to do a pure drake advancement or the drake tamer idea. |
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| taig |
| Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2011 1:40 pm Post subject: |
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| xellos wrote: |
| That's an interesting idea. Now I wonder whether to do a pure drake advancement or the drake tamer idea. |
If you try it, I'd be curious how it worked out for you. 
It definitely bears some playtesting, and you might need to tweak the pure drake advancement scheme as you see it in action. |
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| xellos |
| Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2011 3:12 pm Post subject: |
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| Hmm. So, advancing the drake as a drake with the feature system- 10 feature points per level, an additional 10 at the HP change (is it 3, 5, 13, 17, 20?) |
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| taig |
| Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2011 3:21 pm Post subject: |
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| xellos wrote: |
| Hmm. So, advancing the drake as a drake with the feature system- 10 feature points per level, an additional 10 at the HP change (is it 3, 5, 13, 17, 20?) |
That will work. I threw my suggestion out there to make the progression a little more uniform (although I should have included 20th level to emulate a capstone bump). |
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| xellos |
| Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2011 3:44 pm Post subject: |
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Would you otherwise use the monster advancement rules?
Thanks, btw. ^_^ |
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| nmilasich |
| Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2011 4:07 pm Post subject: |
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Well,
Perhaps the charter for that part of the stolen lands was actually given by Brevoy to a elder silver, bronze or copper dragon. Who subcontracted. To a bunch of good-for-nothing troublemaking drake henchcritters. Within reason, let your players build their characters using the drake rules. Give them extra quirks and weaknesses. Unleash them upon an unsuspecting hex-based wilderness area. Fun and Mayhem ensue. |
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| taig |
| Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2011 4:16 pm Post subject: |
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| xellos wrote: |
Would you otherwise use the monster advancement rules?
Thanks, btw. ^_^ |
The feature points should give you the equivalent advancement, with the exception of HP and size, which you can use monster advancement rules for. |
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| taig |
| Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2011 4:17 pm Post subject: |
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| nmilasich wrote: |
Well,
Perhaps the charter for that part of the stolen lands was actually given by Brevoy to a elder silver, bronze or copper dragon. Who subcontracted. To a bunch of good-for-nothing troublemaking drake henchcritters. Within reason, let your players build their characters using the drake rules. Give them extra quirks and weaknesses. Unleash them upon an unsuspecting hex-based wilderness area. Fun and Mayhem ensue. |
I like this! |
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| Wolfgang |
| Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2011 8:23 pm Post subject: |
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Joined: 30 Dec 2007
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Location: The Mines
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A mess of hatchlings from a litter is good. Also good for inspiration on draconic topics is the novel The Cloud Roads by Martha Wells. Really solid fantasy, apparently the first in a duology or series. Excellent worldbuilding for a drake sandbox, for instance, with discussion of dragon nests or hives of sorts...
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Wolfgang Baur
Publisher, Kobold Press |
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| Maredudd |
| Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2011 9:15 pm Post subject: |
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Oh, i am so liking the idea of a party of drakes!
I'm building towards a new campaign and just might have to pitch that idea to the group, even if only for the first few sessions to see how it works!
Thanks!
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Eric C Smith
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