So here is the question:
If a PC plays a Faerie Dragon how should I handle their advancement?
My two major choices right now are:
1) His HD increase and he advances being able to cast sorcerer spells of his HD (4HD = cast as 4th level sorcerer, 5HD = cast as 5th level caster, etc.)
2) Gain sorcerer levels, Cannot take Draconic Bloodline.
What are your ideas? The bloodlines are a huge part of being a sorcerer, so not having that is important.
His statistics are "as listed" on the faerie dragon page.
Which do you think is the more plausible choice, or offer your own.
From the SRD: "For monsters with racial Hit Dice, the best way to allow monster PCs is to pick a CR and allow all of the players to make characters using monsters of that CR. Treat the monster's CR as its total class levels and allow the characters to multiclass into the core classes. Do not advance such monsters by adding Hit Dice. Monster PCs should only advance through classes."
So, gain sorcerer levels.
I'm rather wondering why you want to bar the Draconic bloodline. That seems like the most appropriate bloodline, to the point that I'd be tempted to make it mandatory.
So, gain sorcerer levels.
I'm rather wondering why you want to bar the Draconic bloodline. That seems like the most appropriate bloodline, to the point that I'd be tempted to make it mandatory.
I was knocking that around in my head. The difference is that the Draconic bloodline implies True Dragons, which the Faerie Dragon is not.
The spells of faerie dragons tend to focus on tools that can be used to create or enhance pranks, and illusion and enchantment spells are particularly popular.
I might look for bloodlines that boost Enchantment and/or Illusion.
So, gain sorcerer levels.
I'm rather wondering why you want to bar the Draconic bloodline. That seems like the most appropriate bloodline, to the point that I'd be tempted to make it mandatory.
I was knocking that around in my head. The difference is that the Draconic bloodline implies True Dragons, which the Faerie Dragon is not.
Well, a faerie dragon is of dragon type, not fae. So I'd say draconic bloodline on the grounds that it's, you know _a dragon_. It says so right in the stat block.
It is a dragon but the draconic bloodline is for true dragons, which is a completely different beast.
They share the same type, but not the same sub-type and creates thematic problems such as a dragon using Form of the Dragon to become a dragon.
It states that they specialize in (or rather prefer) Illusion and Enchantment so I'd be more in favor of its bloodlines being of that flavor.
Of course there are no bloodlines that specifically boost Illusion, and Fey is one of the better enchantment increasing bloodlines that actually fits the description of what said dragons do.
Dragon + Trickster = Faerie Dragon. This wouldn't prevent it from blowing things up, but what the dragon gains simply from being a dragon is rather large compared to a basic race.
Draconic is an option but it is mostly just wasted while not fitting the flavor aside from fitting its type.
It is a dragon but the draconic bloodline is for true dragons, which is a completely different beast.
Er, I don't see the phrase "true dragon" anywhere in the description.
He's basing it off of the colors/metals you can pick from.
Why a Faerie Dragon couldn't have True Dragon blood in it's lineage is a mystery to me though.
It is a dragon but the draconic bloodline is for true dragons, which is a completely different beast.Er, I don't see the phrase "true dragon" anywhere in the description.
Of course if you look just a little bit below you see only true dragons listed. If they had options for Faerie Dragons I'd be more open to it.
But, just to take this where it would go, lets see what happens:Claws (Su): Starting at 1st level, you can grow claws as a free action. These claws are treated as natural weapons, allowing you to make two claw attacks as a full attack action using your full base attack bonus. Each of these attacks deals 1d4 points of damage plus your Strength modifier (1d3 if you are Small). At 5th level, these claws are considered magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming DR. At 7th level, the damage increases by one step to 1d6 points of damage (1d4 if you are Small). At 11th level, these claws deal an additional 1d6 points of damage of your energy type on a successful hit. You can use your claws for a number of rounds per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier. These rounds do not need to be consecutive.
Congratulations: you are still tiny, so you have to move into someone's square to attack them, but now you can at least attack with two extra claw attacks when you are right where you don't want to be as a caster. Did I mention that their statistics are "as is" so each of those claws are at a -1 damage. Also, since no damage type the claws extra "energy damage" doesn't exist.
Dragon Resistances (Ex): At 3rd level, you gain resist 5 against your energy type and a +1 natural armor bonus. At 9th level, your energy resistance increases to 10 and natural armor bonus increases to +2. At 15th level, your natural armor bonus increases to +4.
Congratulations, you have +1, +2 and +4 to AC. Since your breath weapon causes the Staggered and Sickened condition I guess you gain +5 and +10 against them.
Breath Weapon (Su): At 9th level, you gain a breath weapon. This breath weapon deals 1d6 points of damage of your energy type per sorcerer level. 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 sorcerer level + your Charisma modifier. The shape of the breath weapon depends on your dragon type (as indicated on the above chart). At 9th level, you can use this ability once per day. At 17th level, you can use this ability twice per day. At 20th level, you can use this ability three times per day.
However, since Faerie dragons don't deal energy damage, you're up a creek. Perhaps this buffs the Euphoria Breath Weapon's DC or Range?
Table: Draconic Bloodline Breath Weapons
Dragon Type_____Energy Type_____Breath Shape
Black____________Acid____________60-foot line
Blue____________Electricity________60-foot line
Green___________Acid____________30-foot cone
Red_____________Fire____________30-foot cone
White___________Cold____________30-foot cone
Brass___________Fire____________60-foot line
Bronze__________Electricity________60-foot line
Copper__________Acid____________60-foot line
Gold____________Fire____________30-foot cone
Silver___________Cold____________30-foot cone
Faerie_________No type_________05-foot Cone
Wings (Su): At 15th level, leathery dragon wings grow from your back as a standard action, giving you a fly speed of 60 feet with average maneuverability. You can dismiss the wings as a free action.
you already have fly 60 ft. (perfect), so congratulations you can grow wings that are less effective than your current wings.
Power of Wyrms (Su): At 20th level, your draconic heritage becomes manifest. You gain immunity to paralysis, sleep, and damage of your energy type. You also gain blindsense 60 feet.
You gain Blindsense, since you were already immune to Paralysis and sleep, and nothing else since Faerie Dragons don't do energy damage.
I'm certain you completely disagree.
He's basing it off of the colors/metals you can pick from.
Why a Faerie Dragon couldn't have True Dragon blood in it's lineage is a mystery to me though.
You also transform into one of those dragons. I have a feeling that if PC races could be "dragons" that there would be a stipulation on the Draconic bloodline like there is on the Dragon Disciple.
Plus, why would a True Dragon mate with one of its lesser kin. Support the True Dragon Master Race. =P
Why would a True Dragon mate with anything not a True Dragon? And despite being called bloodlines, there's plenty of other reasonable ways for the 'blood of X dragon' to get in your family tree.
Oh, and your reasoning on the Breath Weapon bloodline power is off. Humans can't deal energy damage either(without spells, items, etc. the things a faerie dragon would need). It gives them a breath weapon that does the damage, so a faerie dragon would have two different kinds.
"Energy type" = the energy damage the tyre dragon would deal(White Dragon = Cold damage for example).
Seems silly to allow humans of all things to have draconic bloodline but not, well, dragons. Just pick a true dragon bloodline, same as a human does, and go with it.
Now, if you don't want to use the draconic bloodline because you don't want to use it, can't really argue with that. Some of the abilities are redundant anyway.
A valid point. The Fey Bloodline is nice, and so is Verdant.
I just did this and started adding Sorcerer levels to the Faerie Dragon. I chose Fey Bloodline as it seemed to fit the best.
Just pick a true dragon bloodline, same as a human does, and go with it.
Indeed, since that's what the rules freaking REQUIRE you to do.
The OP's problem seems based on NOT FOLLOWING THE RULES, and imagining that when a Faery Dragon takes a level in Draconic BL Sorcerorthey are somehow operating under different rules than normal, that somehow they derive Draconic powers from their Faery Dragon-ness.
Which just isn't true. Not every Faery Dragon has the Draconic Bloodline, only specific ones do.
The complaints of the bloodline powers hardly seem specific to a faery dragon taking them,
I mean, you don't have to like Claws or Natural Armor as Blooline power, but that's right up front with the bloodline, take it or leave it.
Gaining winged flight would be equally useless for any other race that can fly, SO WHAT?
Plenty of Race/Class Option combos have superfluous overlap.
I don't even get the complaint about Form of Dragon, it's as useful for a Faery Dragon as for a Halfling Sorceror,
you are changing into a much large much buffer melee combat machine, that the general form resembles your own is irrelevant.
That said, there are other BLs that are probably more useful/less superfluous, you can always cast Form of Dragon normally.
I'm not sure why any specific BL would be more plausible for a Faery Dragon.
Which BL is most plausible for a Human, or Dwarf?
Characters are not defined by their race, so this is a distraction from dealing with the uniqueness of the character,
unless they are being reduced to "Hey, there's the generic Faery Dragon Sorceror!".
If you want as generic as possible, Arcane BL is good for that I guess.
You can even get another Faery Dragon as your Familiar eventually!
Actually, it is kind of a interesting.
The whole reason most bloodlines make sense is because they represent innately magical creatures. eg. The Draconic bloodline represents True Dragons, all of whom naturally cast as sorcerers. So creatures descended from them could inherit this natural magic ability as Draconic bloodline sorcerers.
And when one of these naturally magic-using creatures takes levels, their natural casting stacks with the class levels. So a Dragon (CL 7)/Sorcerer 2 is effectively a Sorcerer 9. Makes sense, as they effectively have a head start over other races from their magic nature.
But when a naturally magic creature does take levels, the bloodline that most closely corresponds to themselves probably provides the least benefit to them, even though their own magic nature is what provides the basis for their spellcasting.
A Dragon (natural spell caster) gets little from the Draconic bloodline (spellcasting from dragon descent).
A Rakshasa would get almost nothing from the Rakshasa bloodline.
So, counter instinctively, the best course of action is for the creature to choose a bloodline of some other type. Hmmmm, weird.
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Fey and Arcane bloodlines are probably what you're looking for.
Alternatively, you could do something a little... stranger. Use the Race Creation guide to create a Faerie Dragon "race". Get as close as you can without any of the bloodline stuff, including flight. Then, give him the draconic bloodline. Replace his first ability with the Fey bloodline ability, and have him grow old enough to fly, resist sleep, and all those cool things dragons get to do naturally as he levels to simulate his draconic nature. Sub out the spell list for the Fey one, and boom! Faerie Dragon bloodline.