Dragon Disciple question

[Wippit Guud]

Course, gotta remember, it's a 5th level sorcerer vs an 11th level sorcerer. At level 20, that's a level 10 sorcerer vs a level 16 sorcerer.

Based on that, Dragon Disciples should get +1 caster level every odd level. That would be a level 15 sorcerer vs level 16, more balanced.

 

[Xarlen]

I still say +3 ECL. I have had Two half dragons in my campaign, and +3 has them pretty balanced. (Of course, they were a monk and a rogue, so they wern't Twinked out...).

 

[Spatula]

Minimum to get Level 10 Dragon Disciple - Lvl 5 Sorcerer.

Human Sorcerer 5, Dragon Disciple 10 (no con bonus)
Avg HP: 54
Max HP: 104

Half-Dragon Sorcerer 11 (using Dragon Magazine ECL of +4)(template gives +2 con, so +1hp/lvl added)
Avg HP: 44
Max HP: 77

The ECL hurts the HP. Without it, Avg is 60hp, Max is 105

Your averages are off.

Human PC sorc 15 avg HP: 39 (4 + 2.5 * 14)

Human PC sorc 5/DD 10 avg HP: 74 (4 + 2.5 * 4 + 3.5 * 3 + 4.5 * 2 + 5.5 * 5 + 15 CON)

1/2 Drag PC sorc 11 avg HP: 52 (6 + 3.5 * 10 + 11 CON)

The Dragon Disciple comes out ahead HP-wise because it gets d10 HP for 5 levels, whereas the 1/2 dragon gets d6, period. But the 1/2 drag sorc has 6 extra levels of spellcasting abilities. Given that the DD gets cleric BAB and basically no spellcasting progression, a more appropriate comparison might be a 1/2 dragon sorcerer 6/fighter 5:

1/2 Drag PC sorc 6/fighter 5 avg HP: 67 (6 + 3.5 * 5 + 6.5 * 5 + 11 CON)

The half-dragon still loses out, since the DD gets the same CON bonus that the template provides at level 6.