Spellcasting Pseudodragons - Your Ruling?

[roguerouge]

As sorcerers only, probably.

 

[Lord Slaw]

A spellcasting creature that lacks hands or arms can provide any somatic component a spell might require by moving its body. Such a creature also does need material components for its spells. The creature can cast the spell by either touching the required component (but not if the component is in another creature’s possession) or having the required component on its person. Sometimes spellcasting creatures utilize the Eschew Materials feat to avoid fussing with noncostly components.

Wow, I gotta say, that's really interesting! Makes sense, I suppose, especially when you consider how nasty Aboleth Mages can be. It WOULD make sense that something with tentacles or the like would be able to make those complex gestures required by Somatic components.

What I was intending on doing was playing a playful little Pseudodragon Bard. I'm no powergamer, THAT'S for sure. I think it would be so much fun to see how people will take to diplomatic relations with a telepathic dragon the size of a housecat. And the idea of him sitting down and playing a harp with two claws and his tail is too cute (sorry for use of the "C" word ) to resist.

 

[Nifft]

What I was intending on doing was playing a playful little Pseudodragon Bard.

Any spontaneous Arcane caster would get the same pass from me. Basically, if the class can be a prerequisite to Dragon Disciple, it's dragon-ish enough IMHO.

(Yay, pseudodragon assassins!)

Cheers, -- N

 

[Lord Slaw]

Any spontaneous Arcane caster would get the same pass from me. Basically, if the class can be a prerequisite to Dragon Disciple, it's dragon-ish enough IMHO.

(Yay, pseudodragon assassins!)

Oh, man, I hadn't thought of that! Man, that would be fun (and, actually, pretty effective)! Amazing bonuses to hide, great dexterity, and flight? Freakin' FRIGHTENING Assassin. Hide in the rafters of a building, waiting for everybody to leave the room, then swoop down and sting your mark right in the back of the head, killing them instantly. Tre cool.

I think that a Beguiler would be buckets of fun, as well. Fits in with that "trickster" theme.

 

[Corsair]

There are feats in Savage Species to let monsters get around not being able to speak or not having proper fingers/hands to cast spells.

 

[Artoomis]

I'd allow it with the use of a feat. For simplicities sake:

FEAT: Pseudodragon Verbal Casting:

Prereq: Must be a pseudodragon
Benefit: Gains the ablity to use verbal components when casting spells. May also form words sufficiently to activate magic items that require command word activation.

 

[Lord Slaw]

I'd allow it with the use of a feat. For simplicities sake:

FEAT: Pseudodragon Verbal Casting:

Prereq: Must be a pseudodragon
Benefit: Gains the ablity to use verbal components when casting spells. May also form words sufficiently to activate magic items that require command word activation.

Another very reasonable alternative. One feat isn't too nasty of a price to pay for unlimited spellcasting. Kudos on remembering the command word bit.

 

[VanRichten]

This is one of those arbitrary situations where you cannot go strictly by the book.

In essence I would consider them to be any form of spontaneous caster. I don't think that they should be penalized on their ability to cast spells based on Verbal components simply because they are already paying enough with ECL costs. Include the fact that there has already been one created albeit in 3.0 it would seem easily deemable as a normal concept for such a creature.

And though the creature does not casts spells verbally like most others do it could still cast spells verbally. There has never been any statement on what defines the Verbal aspect of a spell. In fact in many cases where descriptions of spells are given, most noted in the Spell Compendium, you find spells stating that the caster makes a sound that is nothing like a word. So it is easily possible for someone who cannot of their own power vocally form words to cast spells. They just do it in a different way.

Because if we are to say that all casters say the same words then we are saying that a Barbaric Witch Doctor would use the same words to practice magic as a Mage raised in a rich metropolitan society.

 

[Hypersmurf]

There has never been any statement on what defines the Verbal aspect of a spell.

Though the line from the Change Shape and Alternate Form abilities does state "although it must be able to speak intelligibly to cast spells with verbal components".

-Hyp.

 

[VanRichten]

Define intelligibly in the aspect of what you are speaking. Animals speak in a language that we do not understand yet is fully intelligible to each other. Just because we as humans cannot understand what they are saying does not make their language unintelligible.