Races of the Dragon.pdf - The Techno Jesus

CHAPTER 2
SPELLSCALES
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Messenger of Io is more willing than many other deities
to indulge the spellscale’s changeable nature.
MAGIC WORSHIP
Many spellscales don’t worship a specific deity. They
hold a much broader approach that worships magic as a
whole. This worldview holds that arcane magic inhabits
everything. Magic can be found in every rock, tree,
animal, and creature. Each of these objects and creatures
contains a soul or sacred consciousness formed of magic.
Practitioners of this belief system hold that arcane magic
binds the universe together.
Deities and demigods are very strong nexuses of this
arcane might. Whether a deity is or was a mortal being
or is merely a personifi cation of an ideal means little to a
spellscale. Humans believe that it’s possible to ascend to
godhood, as St. Cuthbert did. Spellscale magic worshipers
also believe that if one is able to harness suffi cient arcane
energy, one can become a god.
LAW AND CHAOS, GOOD AND EVIL
“For every individual, one true morality exists, but for everyone
it is different. It differs both by the person and by the day. That
makes it no less true.”
—Spellscale aphorism
Spellscales are great experimenters. They feel that change
is a natural outcome of experience. As part of their lives and
personal growth, they often try out different worldviews,
philosophies, and alignments.
Spellscales are also tolerant of other worldviews. While
each makes determinations about what is good or right for
him or her as an individual, spellscales don’t usually seek
to apply this philosophy outwardly. For a spellscale, right
and wrong is a personal matter.
HOLIDAYS
Spellscales host celebrations and holidays at irregular
intervals compared to other races. They make merry when
it suits them, involving family, friends, and the community
as they please. It’s common for a celebration to start small
and grow large. One household might throw a party to
celebrate a daughter’s return from war. If the neighbors
hear of the festivities, they might come to welcome the
daughter home. News spreads, and soon it’s a communitywide
event, complete with banners and a parade.
Election Day
The most important and the only regularly celebrated
spellscale holiday is Election Day. The date of this celebration
is variable. It’s always held no more than a year after
the current spellscale leader took power, but because an
election is also held to replace a leader who dies, it’s not
always on the same date.
Election Day is a wonderful time in a spellscale community.
All the businesses close down for the day, and a
party atmosphere ensues. The day is fi lled with glorious
potential. Any spellscale might become the community’s
next ruler. Candidates for leadership spend the day telling
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SUBSTITUTING SPELLSCALE
RACIAL TRAITS
• If your original race granted you a nonspecific bonus feat (such
as the one gained by a human at 1st level), any feat can be lost,
The technical details of giving up your previous race and taking so long as it is not a prerequisite for another feat you have.
on the aspects of the spellscale race are different from those for a • If your original race granted bonus skill points, you should
character who assumes a creature template. The Rite of Spellscale deduct an appropriate amount of skill points from your current
Assumption does not add a template to your previous racial char- skill ranks. The specific skills affected are up to you, but the
acteristics—it replaces most of your original racial traits.
DM’s input might be required to adjudicate tricky situations
Racial Ability Score Adjustments: Remove your previous racial (such as multiclass characters who might have purchased ranks
ability score adjustments, replacing them with the spellscale’s
racial ability score adjustments. Recalculate hit points, attack
of various skills as both class skills and cross-class skills).
modifiers, saving throw modifiers, spells per day, and other The loss of racial traits might mean you no longer meet the pre-
characteristics to reflect your new ability scores. If your Intelrequisites for a prestige class, feat, or some other feature. In genligence
changes, do not change your allocation of skill points; eral, you lose any special ability for which you no longer qualify,
simply use your new Intelligence score to determine skill points
gained for future class levels or Hit Dice.
and nothing is gained in its place. A couple of exceptions exist.
Racial Hit Dice: You lose any racial Hit Dice from your previ- • If you no longer qualify for a feat due to undergoing the rite,
ous race, as well as all benefits gained therefrom (base attack you lose the feat and immediately select a new feat for which
and save bonuses, skill points, hit points, and so on).
you qualify in its place. You must also replace any feat for
Languages: You retain any languages you already know. You which the lost feat was a prerequisite.
gain Draconic as an automatic language.
• If you no longer qualify for a prestige class, you lose the ben-
Favored Class: You retain your original favored classes and efit of any class features or other special abilities granted by
gain sorcerer as an additional favored class.
the class. You retain Hit Dice gained from advancing in the
Level Adjustment: You lose any level adjustment from your class, as well as any improvements to base attack bonus and
previous race.
base save bonuses that the class provided. If you later meet
Other Racial Traits: You lose all other racial traits from your
original race, including size, speed, sensory abilities, bonus
all the prerequisites for the class, you regain the benefits.
feats, skill bonuses, attack bonuses, save bonuses, spell-like After removing your old racial traits and altering other attri-
abilities, and so forth. Two specific instances benefit from butes based on those traits, apply the spellscale racial traits as
clarification.
described in this chapter.
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