Is this a cheese? Draconic feats from Complete Arcane

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

If the original thread eventually reappears, mea culpa -- it was eaten by the posting glitch momentarily afflicting this forum.

The Draconic feats in Complete Arcane require a level of sorcerer for the initial feat, Draconic Heritage. But subsequent feats that build on it and use arcane spellcasting to power them don't specify that they need to use sorcerer spells. Is this an oversight, or could one have a level of sorcerer to get the feat chain going, but then power breath weapons or wings with wizard, warmage, bard or even assassin spells? Is this a cheese (destined to be fixed in the errata) or a legitimate way to go?

(And who the heck thought that growing wings to use for the remainder of your turn after casting a spell was anything worth dumping a feat for? Cast a spell and fly briefly! Whoopity do!)

 

[Squire James]

There's no problems balance-wise... no Sor1/WizX is not going to be as powerful as a WizX+1. There might be some "flavor problems", but I suppose it could be said that all the Draconic Heritage feats in the book are only a mere sliver of a true dragon's power, and it only takes a sliver of heritage to take them.

If that explanation seems wonky, though, you can always house-rule the feats to have them only work with spells cast as a sorcerer. Then you can fix other little problems... like letting the guy fly for a number of rounds equal to half his sorcerer level.

 

[DarkEarth_98]

Mmmh yeah that's right I guess... Technically, anyone with a magical/mystical heritage should be able to take that feat... having dragon blood doesn't oblige you to absolutely train as a sorcerer...

Mmh, I'm just wondering about what you said though... Why would a sorcerer, a person with great power in his blood, would prefer to study for the powers he'd actually get for "free" anyway, without really studying? Having a Sor1/WizX character doesn't make sense to me... So I guess that I'd allow to modify the prerequisite of the feat anyway.

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

(And who the heck thought that growing wings to use for the remainder of your turn after casting a spell was anything worth dumping a feat for? Cast a spell and fly briefly! Whoopity do!)

The feat looks pretty nice to me, although it doesn't specify your maneuvrability!!. After you cast a spell, any spell, you have the chance of getting the hell out of the way..

I'll grant you that not all those Draconic feats were created equal...

AR

 

[HeavyG]

(And who the heck thought that growing wings to use for the remainder of your turn after casting a spell was anything worth dumping a feat for? Cast a spell and fly briefly! Whoopity do!)

Once you get to mid levels, sorcerers will be casting spells pretty much every round in battle. This feat basically lets you have an active fly spell almost all of the time in combat without - and this is the good part - without spending an action casting it.

It's a very very good feat.

(Though I'd invest in either a ring of feather falling or in learning the spell, just in case you get silenced or something.)

 

[Alduk]

Not to mention that you don't need to learn the spell to begin with. That extra known spel you save makes a good difference.

Granted it works only on yourself, so it isn't as good as the spell, but combining that with the no action required part, the null cost to activate, and a handy ring of feather falling, I have a sorcerer who's very happy to have this feat now.

 

[Diirk]

Except the flight lasts only til the end of your turn. Not even until your next turn. So you cast a spell, then fly up to 90 feet (with a 9th level spell) at which point you fall back to the ground (possibly taking flying damage) and are grounded until you cast another spell. Useful once in a while maybe, but doesn't even begin to compare with an actual fly spell. And if you happen to want to move before you cast your spell.. it does nothing.

 

[RigaMortus]

Could you take the Dragon Heritage feat selecting one type of dragon (say black) and then go Dragon Disciple and select another dragon (say Red)???

 

[Sithobi1]

There's nothing in the RAW that stops you, but your DM would probably say no, just for flavor reasons...

 

[Trainz]

I'm currently playing a sorceror with that feat.

Oh yes, it is quite good. Things to consider:

-You don't always have an active fly spell on you. A random encounter while trekking for days for example.

-As long as you cast a spell every round, you stay in the air. Some times, if the fight ends and I'm still in the air, I will cast false life just so that I can land.

-With that feat, after the first round of combat, I'm 20 feet in the air and most of the time out of danger. And I did cast an offensive spell on the critter in that first round. My fellow meat shields really appreciate it when the critter has suffered from an empowered ray of enfeeblement before it actually had time to deliver a single attack.

The DM is so used now about me being up in the air that often he doesn't even think about targeting me, even when I'm actually on the ground.

Oh yes, quite good.