Epic Destiny: Dragon Lord

[Mentat55]

Would you take this epic destiny if you were an epic-level dragonborn character? Is it too good, or just plain sucky?

Epic Destiny: Dragon Lord

Prerequisite: 21st level, dragonborn.

You are a true scion of Io. In your veins flows the blood of true dragons, in an unbroken line from the first dragon himself, through the most terrible servants of Tiamat and the most honorable champions of Bahamut, to the mightiest dragon kings of Arkhosia.

Draconic Prowess (21st level): Your Strength, Constitution, or Charisma score (your choice) increases by 2. You also gain resist 30 to the same damage type dealt by your dragon breath racial power.

Draconic Resurgence (24th level): The first time you are reduced to 0 hit points or fewer each day, you regain hit points as if you spent a healing surge and you can immediately use your dragon breath racial power, even if you have already used it during the encounter.

Draconic Apotheosis (30th level): You grow wings and gain fly 10 (clumsy) and overland flight 15.

Elemental Fury Dragon Lord Utility 26
For a brief time, you channel the power of your dragon ancestors.
Daily
Minor Action Personal
Effect: Until the end of the encounter, your dragon breath power becomes an at-will attack that you can use once per round. The blast size increases to 5, and you use d12s for the damage roll.

 

[malcolm_n]

I like it. Definitely gives the feel of an, "Oh my god, dragon, run!"
Power's balanced, and compared to other epic destinies I see no problem with the features. Well done.

*yoink*

 

[Stalker0]

I think it looks pretty good. Draconic Resurgence seems a little weak to me, but Elemental Fury is pretty awesome so that makes up for it. I could see someone taking it.

 

[Mentat55]

I think it looks pretty good. Draconic Resurgence seems a little weak to me, but Elemental Fury is pretty awesome so that makes up for it. I could see someone taking it.

What would you do to make Draconic Resurgence better, or what would you replace it with? And then would I have to scale back Elemental Fury?

I think the dragon wings at level 30 are cool, but it seems less exciting, or at least, less epic, than what it should be. After all, this is the capstone ability for the epic destiny. The Scion of Arkhosia PP gets overland flight 12 as a 16th level ability.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Draconic Resurgence could be a power that allows you to transform yourself into a Dragon. Kill the Dragonborn, out comes a fully fledged large size dragon that breathes you to do death. It might work better as a Utility 26 then.

At 24th level, you could have Dragon Breath replenish if the character gets bloodied the first time, or spends an action point or healing surge. (But no immediate using of the power than.)

 

[Mentat55]

Draconic Resurgence could be a power that allows you to transform yourself into a Dragon. Kill the Dragonborn, out comes a fully fledged large size dragon that breathes you to do death. It might work better as a Utility 26 then.

At 24th level, you could have Dragon Breath replenish if the character gets bloodied the first time, or spends an action point or healing surge. (But no immediate using of the power than.)

Hmm, I like this idea. Basically the same as the level 30 power of the Bahamut's Vessel epic destiny. I guess give the dragon form a fly speed, a bite attack, and a breath weapon. That would be cool.

 

[Tequila Sunrise]

The only problem that jumps out at me is:

Elemental Fury Dragon Lord Utility 26
For a brief time, you channel the power of your dragon ancestors.
Daily
Minor Action Personal
Effect: Until the end of the encounter, your dragon breath power becomes an at-will attack that you can use once per round. The blast size increases to 5, and you use d12s for the damage roll.

Using d12s overlaps with the racial feat that increases them to d10s. I suggest 'increase damage die by one step'.

Oh, I lied, one more nitpick: why the option for +2 Con, when racial stats are Str and Cha? Not a big problem, it justs seems incongruous.

 

[Mentat55]

I specifically made it overlap with the feats Enlarge and Empower Breath Weapon, because I wanted the dragonborn to really feel like he has a dragon's breath weapon. So if the dragonborn has those feats, he basically gains no benefit for one encounter per day, when he uses this daily.

I chose Constitution as a third possible ability score bump because of the Con dependence of the dragon breath power (for damage), the fact that dragonborn add their Con modifier to their healing surge value, and the general perception of dragons being incredibly tough. I imagine most characters wouldn't take the Con benefit, except for infernal / vestige warlocks and characters that didn't take a Str or Chr class (like a dragonborn wizard or something).

 

[Turtlejay]

Draconic Prowess (21st level): Your Strength, Constitution, or Charisma score (your choice) increases by 2. You also gain resist 30 to the same damage type dealt by your dragon breath racial power.

Draconic Resurgence (24th level): The first time you are reduced to 0 hit points or fewer each day, you regain hit points as if you spent a healing surge and you can immediately use your dragon breath racial power, even if you have already used it during the encounter.

Draconic Apotheosis (30th level): You grow wings and gain fly 10 (clumsy) and overland flight 15.

Elemental Fury Dragon Lord Utility 26
For a brief time, you channel the power of your dragon ancestors.
Daily
Minor Action Personal
Effect: Until the end of the encounter, your dragon breath power becomes an at-will attack that you can use once per round. The blast size increases to 5, and you use d12s for the damage roll.

I was wondering about the stat increases too, but I buy your explanation and I'll go with it.

Why not just rename Draconic Resurgence "Bloodied Breath" and remove the daily limit. I'd allow it 1/encounter.

The problem with Draconic Apotheosis is that characters likely to take this Epic Destiny also are likely to take the Scion of Arkhosia Paragon Path. One fix that I like for this is to add wording like "If you have flight from another source, increase it's distance 2" or something. This still makes the ability worthwhile for such characters.

Elemental fury is okay, but I'm on board with making it a little different. Maybe switch it with the flight ability and make it a truly glorious capstone ability like the ones that raise you from death. The at-will draconic breath is very nice as is, adding a die increase is not necessary, but is just gravy and I wholeheartedly endorse it.

This is just the kind of Epic Destiny I would be looking at for my Dragonborn Paladin, if that campaign could ever get it's act together and start up again. Very cool.

Jay