Races of the Dragon.pdf - The Techno Jesus

CHAPTER 2
SPELLSCALES
36
Illus. by E. Cox
with the idea of becoming a berserker, only a few wind up
doing so.
Bard: A spellscale’s racial abilities make him a good
candidate for a bard. The capabilities offered by the
class can fulfill the spellscale desire for arcane magic
while providing some of the versatility and derring-do
granted by the rogue class. Some spellscales see a bard’s
spellcasting talents as second-class magic, fine for other
races but beneath a spellscale who is destined by birth
for better.
For alternative options for a spellscale bard, see the
spellscale bard racial substitution levels in Chapter 6.
Cleric: The variability of their temperaments and the
fact that typical spellscales try out several different
philosophies during their lifetime
makes spellscales ill suited for constant
devotion to one god or cause. The odd
spellscale does become a cleric. He
might serve one of the dragon
gods, but such clerics usually have
their own specific worldviews,
rarely selecting an alignmentbased
domain.
Most spellscales don’t deviate
from their sorcerous pursuits to
become clerics. Others might
dabble. The most ardent and
devoted of spellscale clerics
become mystic theurges (DMG
192), enabling them to continue
with both their sorcerer
and cleric spell progressions
simultaneously.
Chapter 6: Character Options
includes racial substitution levels
for any dragonblood cleric, including
a spellscale one.
Druid: Very few spellscales feel a call
to devote themselves wholeheartedly to serving
the natural world. A spellscale can agree with the
desire for balance and dispassion, but he is more likely
to find it by experiencing the extremes rather than by
eschewing all radical viewpoints. Spellscales are too
filled with passion to deny themselves any particular
course of action, making the career of a druid a poor
choice for them in general.
Fighter: Most spellscales feel that the path of a fi ghter
simply doesn’t have enough variety to keep them interested
for long. Why battle doggedly when you can have
the fl ourish of a rogue or a bard? The truth is that their
. . . or this
generally low Constitution scores also drive spellscales
away from being the focus for incoming attacks. Almost
any spellscale, however, can benefi t from taking a level
of fi ghter now and again if he has any interest in up-front
physical combat.
Monk and Paladin: Spellscales are too capricious
to adhere to the stringent paths that members of these
classes must tread. The commitment required of a cleric
is diffi cult enough. Spellscales feel compassion for those
who follow the vocations of monk and paladin, because
such extremists only get to sample a small selection of
life’s great options.
Ranger: While most spellscales
prefer the variety and
swirl of activity that are part
of aurban life, one who fi nds
himself drawn to the mystery
of the natural world might
take up a career as a ranger,
at least for a time. Spellscale
rangers often specialize in
dealing with and training animals,
taking advantage of their naturally
high Charisma.
Rogue: Living a life that contains
a touch of danger is great for a
spellscale. Starting one’s career
by acquiring a grand diversity
of skills is even greater. Quite
a few spellscales begin their
professional lives as rogues. The
diversity of abilities represented by
the rogue makes the class very attractive
to spellscales.
Sorcerer: The thrum and tide of
magic are in a spellscale’s very essence.
Spellscales are born to be sorcerers, and
they feel this compulsion on both an individual
and societal level. Sorcery is part of
their beings, part of who and what they are. Almost
all spellscales devoted some time to sorcerous skills
during their lifetimes.
Chapter 6: Character Options includes racial substitution
levels for any dragonblood sorcerer, including a
spellscale one.
Wizard: Spellscales are naturals at wielding magic.
It’s perplexing to them that some would choose to learn
their magic from books. Spellscales do see the value in
the variety of arcane knowledge a wizard learns, but rarely
pursue such studies themselves.
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SPELLSCALES IN EBERRON
in the Prophecy or if they’re just a peculiar side effect of the
Spellscales fit into Eberron without any alteration. Sorcerers in Prophecy made manifest in the world.
Eberron credit dragons as the source of their power, though they Spellscales born into a dragonmarked family never possess
generally mean the progenitor wyrms. A sorcerer’s child might normal dragonmarks. They can become important members
be born a spellscale.
of their houses and even rise to positions of influence, but
In Eberron, such an event provokes much speculation regard- never to the level of a dragonmarked scion. A spellscale can,
ing the draconic Prophecy. It’s unclear if spellscales play a role however, take the Aberrant Dragonmark feat.
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