Dragons in Echelon, Part 5: Dragon Cornerstone Talents

I’ve decided that dragons really need at least two paths, martial and caster. Not all dragons should have a martial focus, so I am offering an alternate Dragon cornerstone talent to cover the difference.

The various Dragon capstones will likely be written to allow either the Dragon Warrior cornerstone or the Dragon Caster cornerstone. Many dragons can be expected to have both at different tiers when they get to the higher tiers, but this is not required.

Dragon Caster Cornerstone

This talent overlaps and does not stack with the Dragon Warrior cornerstone. Unless one or the other is mentioned explicitly as a prerequisite for a particular dragon type capstone talent, they are considered interchangeable as prerequisites.

I think I will drop the ‘immunity to magical sleep and paralysis’ benefits dragons usually get, and replace it with a flat +1 per tier spell resistance. For effects that allow spell resistance, this ability gives a bonus to Armor Class and any saving throws that apply.

Tier Benefits
Basic
  • Caster Tradition: Dragon +1
  • Darkvision 60′
  • Low-Light Vision
  • +1 Spell Resistance
Expert
  • Caster Tradition: Dragon +2
  • Dragon Senses
  • +2 Spell Resistance
Heroic
  • Caster Tradition: Dragon +3
  • +3 Spell Resistance
Master
  • Caster Tradition: Dragon +4
  • DR 5/magic
  • +4 Spell Resistance
Champion
  • Caster Tradition: Dragon +5
  • DR 10/magic
  • +5 Spell Resistance
Legendary
  • Caster Tradition: Dragon +6
  • DR 15/magic
  • +6 Spell Resistance
Epic
  • Caster Tradition: Dragon +7
  • DR 20/epic
  • +7 Spell Resistance

Dragon Caster Tradition

The Dragon Caster Tradition provides knowledge of the following spells.

  1. arcane markdetect magic
  2. comprehend languagesdispel magic (lesser)identify
  3. locate objectsee invisibility
  4. arcane sightdispel magicinvisibility purgesuggestion
  5. unknown
  6. unknown
  7. dispel magic (greater)
  8. arcane sight (greater)
  9. unknown
  10. unknown

Okay, obviously I’m going to have to expand on this some more… but it will do for now.

Dragon Warrior Cornerstone

This talent overlaps and does not stack with the Dragon Caster cornerstone. Unless one or the other is mentioned explicitly as a prerequisite for a particular dragon type capstone talent, they are considered interchangeable as prerequisites.

I think I will drop the ‘immunity to magical sleep and paralysis’ benefits dragons usually get. Martial dragons, the dragon warriors, will get a flat +1 natural armor bonus. This bonus can stack with the Natural Armor common talent, but like all natural armor does not stack with actual armor.

Tier Benefits
Basic
  • Martial Tradition: Dragon +1
  • Darkvision 60′
  • Low-Light Vision
  • +1 natural armor
Expert
  • Martial Tradition: Dragon +2
  • Dragon Senses (doubled ranges)
  • +2 natural armor
Heroic
  • Martial Tradition: Dragon +3
  • +3 natural armor
Master
  • Martial Tradition: Dragon +4
  • DR 5/magic
  • +4 natural armor
Champion
  • Martial Tradition: Dragon +5
  • DR 10/magic
  • +5 natural armor
Legendary
  • Martial Tradition: Dragon +6
  • DR 15/magic
  • +6 natural armor
Epic
  • Martial Tradition: Dragon +7
  • DR 20/magic
  • +7 natural armor

Closing Comments

I think this will get me closer to supporting different dragon types. I may want to expand on this some more. Perhaps one of these cornerstones will increase the breath weapon strength (damage) and the other will increase the area of effect, but I do not know. That might possibly be a third cornerstone, since breath weapons are an iconic dragon power.

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