Template: Dragonblood - Would appreciate suggestions/comments.

[Serpentis]

I've been fiddling around with a template today after trying to decide what would be the type of creature that would come from a breeding with a half-dragon. D&D 3.5 didn't seem to have any similar creatures (was looking to try for something equivalent to a Tiefling or Aasimar), I decided to make my own. When reading, it should be noted that I actually did improve on the Half-Dragon template slightly because of what I considered to be an extremely underpowered breath weapon, thus why this one is also improved slightly. Anyways, here it is:

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Template: Dragonblood

The Dragonblood is what happens when a half-dragon breeds. Their DNA is quite dominant and is very present in even the children of full dragon's descended progeny. This is often the form many Half-Dragon's children inhabit to several generation's out, but could return with a throwback of genetics in the far future.

Dragonblood uses all base creature statistics except those noted here:

Size and Type:
Creature's type changes to Dragon. Size is unchanged.

Armour Class:
Natural armour improves by +2

Attack and Damage:
A dragonblood gains either a bite attack or 2 claw attacks, decided upon creation, to work as a primary or secondary attack. Damage is same as those listed for half-dragon natural weapons.

Special Attacks:
Dragonblood retains all special attacks of the base creature and gains a Breath Weapon based on the type of dragon selected (viewable on the half-dragon template), usable once per day to start, with one more use accrued every 5 HD, to a maximum of five uses per day at 20 HD. 1d4 rounds must pass before the weapon can be used again. DC to save for half damage is DC 10 + half the Dragonblood's HD + Con modifier.

The breath weapon's damage is also scaling: it begins at 1d8 and adds another 1d8 for every 3 HD that the Dragonblood achieves, to a maximum of 6d8 at 15 HD.

Special Qualities:
A Dragonblood has all special qualities of the base creature, plus Darkvision out to 60 ft. and low-light vision. They also have immunity to sleep and paralysis effects.

The Dragonblood also acquires a Resistance, based on its Dragon variety, that scales. At 1 HD, the Resistance is 1, building per HD to a maximum of 15.

Abilities:
Increase from the base creature as follows: Str +4, Dex -2, Choose Any One Ability +2

As said, comments are welcome and suggestions for if a LA is needed would also be appreciated, as I can't quite decide myself.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I believe the Draconic template from the Draconomicon is supposed to fill that niche.

 

[the Jester]

I hate to tell you this, but 3.5 actually does have such a template; it's in Draconomicon, and it's the "draconic creature".

To summarize:

-Natural armor +1;
-Animals become magical beasts;
-Gain two claw attacks; damage for a medium creature is 1d3, increasing/decreasing normally with size;
-Gain darkvision 60' and low-light vision;
-+4 racial bonus to saves against magic sleep effects and paralysis;
-Str +2, Con +2, Cha +2;
-+2 racial bonus on Intimidate and Spot;
-CR +1;
-LA +1.

Your version is definitely in need of a level adjustment, just from ability adjustments alone!

 

[Rath the Brown]

Races of the Dragon updated the Draconic template slightly; all creatures with the template also gain the Dragonblood subtype. Otherwise, it's the same as the Jester listed.

Races also mentions that "More often, a draconic creature is descended from the union of a half-dragon and some other being. Two half-dragons usually produce half-dragon children, but about one in four are draconic creatures instead."

 

[Serpentis]

I appreciate all the replies!

Rath, especially appreciate the mention of the half-dragons and the breeding aspect there. I had completely missed that part.

All in all, the Draconic creature template was decent, but I found it fairly underwhelming. My aim was to create something not far off of Tiefling or Aasimar, I suppose, in that, they are considered 'descended' from outsiders, yet still have a rather impressive set up, right down to multiple resistances each. To me, the Draconic template just feels like it gives a few random bonuses on a template that doesn't feel worth the +1 LA it offers. Two generations doesn't feel like enough of a gap to really eliminate things like elemental resistances and such when dragon's genetics are obviously fairly dominant.

I suppose, in a sense, I was aiming for middle road between the two. I intentionally made the scaling parts of the template so that they would come into play over time instead of just having an ability straight from the beginning, thus having the player unlock more as the character levels and gets more powerful. That way, at no point does the PC overwhelm the average party level for excessive power.

My general AIM was a +1 LA, but, sadly, that varies so wildly between books that it's almost impossible to get a bead on what that even means, exactly.

 

[Sekhmet]

This is at least as powerful as Drow, which are LA2.

 

[emoplato]

This is at least as powerful as Drow, which are LA2.

Which are elves. I hope this isn't an insult as he is new to the broad.

 

[Sekhmet]

[MENTION=97812]emoplato[/MENTION] I'm not sure what you mean by that.

 

[Serpentis]

This is at least as powerful as Drow, which are LA2.

Hm, do you think so? I always considered the Drow to be very powerful mostly because of the spell resistance. That tends to tip the balance very quickly. This mostly revolves around the Elemental Resistance (15 is about equivalent to the total resistance a Tiefling and an Aasimar get, though theirs is 5 for each element they receive) and the Breath Weapon (which can be modified in a number of ways). The other things, like immunities to sleep and paralysis, could be made into a simple bonus like other races get. The Darkvision, Low-Light Vision and +2 Natural Armor didn't strike me as overly problematic.

 

[Sekhmet]

I'm going to put Drow and this side by side to make a comparison.

Drow - 2 int, 2 cha, 2 Dex, -2 Con
Darkvision 120.
SR 11+level.
+2 will against spells/spell likes.
+2 against enchantments.
+2 Listen, Search, and Spot.
Immunity to Sleep spells/effects.
SLA: 1/day Dancing Lights, Darkness, Faerie Fire.
WP: Hand Crossbow, Rapier, Short Sword.
Light Blind.
LA 2.

Dragon: Type: Dragon (qualifies for Epic feats very quickly)
NA +2
Bite or 2xClaw (d6 or 2d4)
Breath Weapon (1d8/3lv DC 10 + 1/2 level + Con), 5/day.
HD changes to 1d12.
Darkvision 60
Immunity to Sleep and Paralysis
ER 15 to one energy type.
+4 Str, +2 any, -2 Dex

Which do you think is better?
Edited because, as Nezkrul pointed out, I had forgotten to add the Elf features.