Phoenix-touched character?

I had a brief idea the other night to draw up a character, most likely a sorcerer, with some sort of a mystical connection to a Phoenix - perhaps a Bloodline, perhaps a master apprentice type relationship, perhaps something far more mystical and mysterious. I'm not altogether sure how to go about building this particular concept. Perhaps it could also partake of a prestige class reflecting a Dragon Disciple eventually (a "Phoenix Disciple"?) though that would have to be house ruled... anyway, since I'm not sure exactly how I want to do this I thought I'd post it and see how you folks might try to do something like this sicking to RAW.

Sounds like house rules, which is the forum under which this thread should go.

Well, as the Moderators see fit naturally, but my question was more of various takes on building the character concept with RAW rather than creating a house rule to cover it. I'm curious to see what directions the creative people here might take with the concept. Thank you for your comment though, I've now edited the original entry to clarify a bit better.

As I understand it you are interested (in the first instance) in seeing how the core rules could be used to support the character concept of a sorcerer who draws his power from some kind of connection with a phoenix.

That sounds cool, and it can stay in General - although if you want to think in terms of a custom built prestige class that should be started up in House Rules. One of the PCs in Piratecats game had a custom-built prestige class for a PC whose soul got merged with a phoenix, you could start a House Rules thread asking if he would be prepared to post some of that for you (although it was a very specific mechanism for a specific PC, and might not be generally applicable).

As a starter, I'd think in terms of fire-themed spells (duh) and to ensure that you are not stymied by fireproof encounters look at feats from Sandstorm - there is one that allows fire spells to affect fireproof creatures for instance.

It might be worth talking to your DM to see if he would allow the psionic power "fiery discorporation" to be added to your spell list since it is SUCH a good fit with iconic phoenix powers

Fiery Discorporation
Psychokinesis [Fire]
Level: Kineticist 5
Display: Visual
Manifesting Time: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous and up to one day; see text
Power Points: 9

You use your mastery of energy to cheat death. If you are within 30 feet of an open flame, you can use this power. Any damage that would reduce you to 0 hit points or lower instead has a chance to discorporate you. You attempt a Will save (DC 5 + damage dealt); if it succeeds, you simply break apart into dozens of flitting tongues of flame and vanish, along with all your gear and anything you are holding or carrying.

One day later, you reappear adjacent to an open flame nearest to the place where you discorporated, seeming to materialize from the fire (you choose where you appear along the perimeter of that open flame). While discorporated, you do not exist—you can do nothing, nor can any of your enemies do anything to you.

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Cheers

Well, you can use the Unearthed Arcana bloodline rules as a start.

There's also the Phoera and Phoelarch in the MM3. I don't remember if they're easily playable or not, but they're pretty much phoenix-touched characters -- phoera are fiery humanoids, who give birth to a phoelarch when they die. If their ECL would be too high, you may try making monster class levels for them. (The rules for monster class levels are in Savage Species, but mostly, you just spread the monster's ability -- including things like size, SR and natural armor -- out on a number of level equal to HD + LA.)

Both of those options would be borderline house-rules, because the RAW for them are just guidelines. But at least, these guidelines are official.

Gez said:

There's also the Phoera and Phoelarch in the MM3.

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That's probably the best option. You could also try the Phaethon from Dragonlance, which is presented in Key of Destiny. They're basically half-elves with fiery wings. There is some stuff that suggests they are touched by Habbakuk, a Dragonlance god known also as the Blue Phoenix.