Since I have no idea when I can submit this and have been sitting on it for a couple weeks:
I am reviewing the pdf form of The Complete Guide to Dragonkin. It is 76 pages including the covers and OGL.
The CGD looks at both dragons and dragon relatives and is broken up into 6 chapters. Dragonkin as a term mean those with dragon blood, including true dragons.
Chapter 1 has the mythology of how dragons came into being. At 2 pages long it the right length- not too long for those who already have an origin and not to short for those that want one premade. 4/5
Chapter 2 has material for the PC. The races include the half-dragon (which has been altered from the MM), dragontouched (those with some dragon blood), wyrmbred (those raised by dragons but without any dragon blood), and the dragold (kobolds with more dragon blood). All in all a nice way of looking at how dragon blood and parentage affects others. The only downside are the examples where the same racial features are explained each time.
The there are the PrCs. The phlebotomist studies and uses the magic of dragon blood, the primal beastman are degenerative dragonkin, the whiplord seeks to emulate the dragon's tail, and the wyrm-dedicate worships dragon avatars (I will get back to those in chapter 3).
The new uses for old skills has appraise for dragon hoards and knowledge (arcana) allows those with dragon blood to tap a collective unconsciousness. Feats return the powers lost to the half-dragon as well as add them to others with dragon blood. There are also new feats for dragons like secondary breath weapon (gain a second BW attack form) and magic sensitivity (gain detect magic 3/day). There are 30 feats. One of the nice things are the feats for the dragontouched that give them dragon powers, but in a weakened form.
And to end the chapter there is new equipment. There are 4- claw attachments, treated dragon skin, elak leaf (helps determine dragon ancestry) and holy symbols of dragonkin. 4/5 for the whole chapter
Chapter 3 looks at very old and powerful dragons and organizations. Avatar is the term for the age catagory after great wyrm. The exact age is determined by both the color and family of dragon. Metallics become avatars at 1401 years due to their more magical nature than chromatics (this has to do with the mythology). Chromatics have to attain a caster level of 21 to make the change so that the weaker breeds have several "interm" age catagories with whites having 3 (so they make the change at 2001 years old). The most powerful avatar becomes the supreme avatar and can grant spells and gains some more abilities. Each supreme avatar is totally stated out (there are some errors here) with the current supreme avatar's activities.
The organizations are religious cults that worship the supreme avatars (one for each) and other groups that work for or against dragons and their kin. A couple examples include the preservers, who are similar to the Dragon Kings of Atlas' Seven Civilizations (and the feats in this book could easily be used for them) and the spawn of Tel'chac who sell dragon parts and eggs. 4/5
Chapter 4 is dragon magic. There is a dragon domain granted by the supreme avatars and new spells, an explaination of dragon magic, how to use dragon parts in spellcasting, a new weapon quality and magic items. But the real treat of the chapter and the whole book is dragon egg sculpting. This allows a spellcaster (one of the prereqs is the ability to cast 6th level transmuation spells) to use the magic of the dragon's blood to make modifications to the embryo. There are 6 pages of rules and examples and pretty much anything goes. Type, subtype, limbs, alignment, personality, special attacks and qualities- all can be changed. The skill used to do this is Knowledge (arcana) and can be very difficult (DCs from 12 to 60 or higher). The only problem I have with it is the DC is reduced when parts are removed. Any changes at all should increase the difficulty of the ritual, in my opinon. All creatures that result from this (from wingless dragons and kobolds to treants and demons) have dragon blood. 5/5
Chapter 5 are the new creatures. The bloodling is a parasitical ooze, the breathslain are a favored undead to dragon necromancers, dragolds are kobolds with more dragon blood and xalichi are demons who have a very old grudge against dragons. Rounding the chapter out are fully stated examples of non-dragon dragonkin. 5/5
Chapter 6 are examples of dragonkin campaigns and adventures. It is only 2 pages long and thus there isn't much meat to it. 3/5.
There are a few editing errors here and there, but not enough to make use of the book difficult. 4 out 5 stars.
I am reviewing the pdf form of The Complete Guide to Dragonkin. It is 76 pages including the covers and OGL.
The CGD looks at both dragons and dragon relatives and is broken up into 6 chapters. Dragonkin as a term mean those with dragon blood, including true dragons.
Chapter 1 has the mythology of how dragons came into being. At 2 pages long it the right length- not too long for those who already have an origin and not to short for those that want one premade. 4/5
Chapter 2 has material for the PC. The races include the half-dragon (which has been altered from the MM), dragontouched (those with some dragon blood), wyrmbred (those raised by dragons but without any dragon blood), and the dragold (kobolds with more dragon blood). All in all a nice way of looking at how dragon blood and parentage affects others. The only downside are the examples where the same racial features are explained each time.
The there are the PrCs. The phlebotomist studies and uses the magic of dragon blood, the primal beastman are degenerative dragonkin, the whiplord seeks to emulate the dragon's tail, and the wyrm-dedicate worships dragon avatars (I will get back to those in chapter 3).
The new uses for old skills has appraise for dragon hoards and knowledge (arcana) allows those with dragon blood to tap a collective unconsciousness. Feats return the powers lost to the half-dragon as well as add them to others with dragon blood. There are also new feats for dragons like secondary breath weapon (gain a second BW attack form) and magic sensitivity (gain detect magic 3/day). There are 30 feats. One of the nice things are the feats for the dragontouched that give them dragon powers, but in a weakened form.
And to end the chapter there is new equipment. There are 4- claw attachments, treated dragon skin, elak leaf (helps determine dragon ancestry) and holy symbols of dragonkin. 4/5 for the whole chapter
Chapter 3 looks at very old and powerful dragons and organizations. Avatar is the term for the age catagory after great wyrm. The exact age is determined by both the color and family of dragon. Metallics become avatars at 1401 years due to their more magical nature than chromatics (this has to do with the mythology). Chromatics have to attain a caster level of 21 to make the change so that the weaker breeds have several "interm" age catagories with whites having 3 (so they make the change at 2001 years old). The most powerful avatar becomes the supreme avatar and can grant spells and gains some more abilities. Each supreme avatar is totally stated out (there are some errors here) with the current supreme avatar's activities.
The organizations are religious cults that worship the supreme avatars (one for each) and other groups that work for or against dragons and their kin. A couple examples include the preservers, who are similar to the Dragon Kings of Atlas' Seven Civilizations (and the feats in this book could easily be used for them) and the spawn of Tel'chac who sell dragon parts and eggs. 4/5
Chapter 4 is dragon magic. There is a dragon domain granted by the supreme avatars and new spells, an explaination of dragon magic, how to use dragon parts in spellcasting, a new weapon quality and magic items. But the real treat of the chapter and the whole book is dragon egg sculpting. This allows a spellcaster (one of the prereqs is the ability to cast 6th level transmuation spells) to use the magic of the dragon's blood to make modifications to the embryo. There are 6 pages of rules and examples and pretty much anything goes. Type, subtype, limbs, alignment, personality, special attacks and qualities- all can be changed. The skill used to do this is Knowledge (arcana) and can be very difficult (DCs from 12 to 60 or higher). The only problem I have with it is the DC is reduced when parts are removed. Any changes at all should increase the difficulty of the ritual, in my opinon. All creatures that result from this (from wingless dragons and kobolds to treants and demons) have dragon blood. 5/5
Chapter 5 are the new creatures. The bloodling is a parasitical ooze, the breathslain are a favored undead to dragon necromancers, dragolds are kobolds with more dragon blood and xalichi are demons who have a very old grudge against dragons. Rounding the chapter out are fully stated examples of non-dragon dragonkin. 5/5
Chapter 6 are examples of dragonkin campaigns and adventures. It is only 2 pages long and thus there isn't much meat to it. 3/5.
There are a few editing errors here and there, but not enough to make use of the book difficult. 4 out 5 stars.
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