D&D 3E/3.5 3.5 - Questions about half-dragons

[Jon_Dahl]

If you add a half-dragon template or any other template that changes your type, do you still gain all the abilities of the base creature?

Half-human half-dragon is a dragon, that's a fact. So does he/she gain these:

• 1 extra feat at 1st level.
• 4 extra skill points at 1st level and 1 extra skill point at each additional level.

If a ranger who has selected humans as his favoured enemy attacks a half-human/half-dragon, does he gain the appropriate bonuses?


Are racial modifiers and template modifiers cumulative? Half-orc/half-dragon gains +10 STR?


If the base creature has a slam attack, is the half-dragon version able to do claw attacks also?


If the half-dragon is also an half-elf, how can it be half of three different races? 50% + 50% + 50% = 150%?


Since any living, corporeal creature can be a half-dragon, is there any explanation for half-dragon vermins?

 

[Hassassin]

If you add a half-dragon template or any other template that changes your type, do you still gain all the abilities of the base creature?

"A half-dragon uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here."

Half-human half-dragon is a dragon, that's a fact. So does he/she gain these:

• 1 extra feat at 1st level.
• 4 extra skill points at 1st level and 1 extra skill point at each additional level.

Yes. The half-dragon template doesn't affect skills or feats of class levels (and a human-half-dragon has no racial HD), those are as for the "base creature".

If a ranger who has selected humans as his favoured enemy attacks a half-human/half-dragon, does he gain the appropriate bonuses?

The favored enemy bonuses are based on creature type. A half-dragon's type is dragon, so a ranger with Humanoid (human) as FE doesn't get bonuses, but one with Dragon as FE does.

Are racial modifiers and template modifiers cumulative? Half-orc/half-dragon gains +10 STR?

Yes, the template specifically says to increase the base creature's abilities.

If the base creature has a slam attack, is the half-dragon version able to do claw attacks also?

No, half-dragon's modes of attack replace the natural attacks of the base creature.

If the half-dragon is also an half-elf, how can it be half of three different races? 50% + 50% + 50% = 150%?

Magic.

(I'd say it's only 25% human and 25% elf.)

Since any living, corporeal creature can be a half-dragon, is there any explanation for half-dragon vermins?

Ditto?

 

[Visigani]

A half Elf/Half Dragon would become such by having a half elf parent and a dragon parent.

 

[Greenfield]

Hmm.

I'm running a Half-Satyr whose mother was an Elf. I refer to him as "Half Satyr/Half Elf", but there's no Human in the mix.

And the bonuses stacking is an interesting thought. I didn't stack the skill bonuses when building my character, but you're right, Half-Elf is a race, while Half-Satyr is a Template, and they should stack.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

Because [MENTION=6675228]Hassassin[/MENTION] did a great job answering most of the questions, my 2 cents:

Since any living, corporeal creature can be a half-dragon, is there any explanation for half-dragon vermins?

Yes. Dragons mate with anything, and sometimes it's magic.

 

[Tovec]

I think Hassassin gave you all the right answers so I'm not going to add anything beyond what he said, except...

Since any living, corporeal creature can be a half-dragon, is there any explanation for half-dragon vermins?

You can be a half-dragon-dragon or half-dragon, half-dragon... or a half red dragon half blue dragon. However you want to say it. For confusion sake I generally just add the base race after the half-dragon entry. Especially in the case of half-things already; half-giant, half-ogre, half-orc, half-elf, etc.
I love half-dragons.