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 |
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| Expert |
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| Heroic |
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| Master |
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| Champion |
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| Legendary |
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| Epic |
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Dragon Caster Tradition
The Dragon Caster Tradition provides knowledge of the following spells.
- arcane mark, detect magic
- comprehend languages, dispel magic (lesser), identify
- locate object, see invisibility
- arcane sight, dispel magic, invisibility purge, suggestion
- unknown
- unknown
- dispel magic (greater)
- arcane sight (greater)
- unknown
- 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 |
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| Expert |
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| Heroic |
|
| Master |
|
| Champion |
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| Legendary |
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| Epic |
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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.
May I presume that, like regular capstones, a dragon could have both at different tiers? A Legendary Dragon Warrior might also be a Champion Dragon Caster?
Indeed, and I’ve done so in Dragons in Echelon, Part 6: Expert Red Dragons. One has the Dragon Caster talent at Expert and Dragon Warrior at Basic, and the other has Expert Dragon Warrior and Basic Dragon Caster.