Providing Dragons With Classes?

[SHARK]

Greetings!

Do you usually use Dragons *as is* or do you provide them with classes? Do you think Dragons are powerful enough, or do you like to ramp them up?

One other point--

Dragons often have spells--like casting spells as a cleric of whatever level--then how would you handle the dragon with say, cleric spell-abilities, who you then gave the class of cleric to? How would you handle the spell development?

On another note, I like providing Giants with classes. I think that Giants are very cool with classes. It gives them a very distinctive flavour, I think.

What do you think?

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

 

[Nightfall]

I'm not against giving class abilities to dragons, especially as it helps them qualify for Pr-classes, like Archmage and so on. It REALLY depends on the party make up and also how powerful this dragon is in the world I'm running. Some dragons can be powerful WITHOUT classes but in a world say like Forgotten Realms, with high level magic, class levels DO help.

 

[Crothian]

Ya, I think it's a good idea. I had a Green Dragon with Levels of Barbarian. He was a real wild creature, almost feral.

BADD needs to make a few of those.

 

[Cedric]

There are two types of Dragons...

The younger, cockier Dragons that players might someday encounter and fight...anything up to Mature Adult

AND

The Dragons you just don't mess with. Dragons of legend and myth...Ancient Great Wyrms and the like...who might have levels in 2-3 classes all the way up to 20th level possibly.

My take on things...

Cedric

 

[Caliban]

Greetings!

Do you usually use Dragons *as is* or do you provide them with classes? Do you think Dragons are powerful enough, or do you like to ramp them up?

I usually use them "as is", but for special dragons I see no problem with giving them class levels. (Especially dragons in a Dragonstar campaign, like the one I'm running right now. Muahahahaha...)

One other point--

Dragons often have spells--like casting spells as a cleric of whatever level--then how would you handle the dragon with say, cleric spell-abilities, who you then gave the class of cleric to? How would you handle the spell development?

Dragons cast spells as a sorcerer, not as a cleric, although some dragons can select cleric spells as their "known" sorcerer spells.

For most classes, they just gain the class abilities in addition to the dragons racial abilities. The only exception (in my opinion) would be sorcerer. Since a dragon is already effectively a sorcerer, any class levels of sorcerer they gain would increase their current spellcasting ability. (So you might get an adult red dragon [7th level caster] with an aptitude for magic who gains 10 levels of sorcerer. He would have the casting ability of a 17th level sorcerer, and would gain Epic spell slots when his effective caster level went above 21.)

On another note, I like providing Giants with classes. I think that Giants are very cool with classes. It gives them a very distinctive flavour, I think.

What do you think?

Giants with classes can be very cool, but if they are opponents their CR tends to be pretty high. Depending on the class, it can be hard to balance them against a party (you either crush the party, or the giant isn't nearly as effective in combat as their CR would indicate).

 

[CRGreathouse]

I'm sure BADD will have dragons with class levels some time soon.

Personally, I don't like using amny dragons in my campaign - it ruins their flavor and makes them less scary. As a result, I haven't really had a chance to run classed dragons - I've only used two "stock" dragons IMC.

As for giants, my players hjaven't really come across any, though I'm not adverse to adding class levels - mostly warrior, though.

 

[Limper]

I'll answer that with a question of my own. When properly run have you ever needed to?

 

[Crothian]

I'll answer that with a question of my own. When properly run have you ever needed to?

I don't need to do it, but it's fun. A raging Dragon is a sight to behold.

 

[Caliban]

I'll answer that with a question of my own. When properly run have you ever needed to?

Sometimes you want to make a dragon more powerful without making them older. (Or you want the dragon more powerful in specific ways.)

 

[Limper]

A raging dragon isn't all that much tougher than a normal "simply angry" one.

Ecologicaly speaking would the rest of the draconic community tolerate a dragon with classes? In its youth it would be very nasty... at high levels and old age it would be a super predator of tremendous proportions. Given that dragons are smart and live a long time and have to plan accordingly, they would either ALL have extra classes OR not live long if they took one.