Trueblood Dragon (3.5e Class)

Trueblood Dragon
You know what's cool? Having dragonblood.

You know what's cooler? BEING A DRAGON!

Enter the Dragon. Trueblood Dragon. This class let's you do just that. It is an updated/stronger version of the dragonblooded class.

Making a Trueblood Dragon
Abilities: Strength, Constitution, and Charisma. You are a dragon with awesome attacks, and you need to fuel the DC of your breath weapon, spells, and frightful presence. Heavy natural armor and/or a good Con score can make you tough enough to survive whatever is thrown at you.

Races: Any non-dragon.

Alignment: Any. Like the dragons they turn into once they choose an alignment they tend to stick with it.

Starting Gold: 5d4&times;10 gp (125 gp).

Starting Age: As rogue.

Class Features
Trueblood dragons are an unusual class in that it has 24 levels in its progression, moving into epic territory. The rules preume the use of Complete Epic where BAB and saves are retained in epic levels.

All of the following are class features of the Trueblood Dragon.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Trueblood dragons are proficient in no weapons or armor, not even shields. They rely on their natural abilities and toughness.

 : Trueblood dragons gain a breath weapon of their choice at level 1 of either acid, cold, electricity, or fire. Once chosen, the energy type cannot be changed. However, they can choose to breath either in a line or a cone shape with a distance based on their effective age category. At level 1 this is wyrmling and therefore either a 30ft line or 15ft cone. The breath weapon deals 1d6 damage per class level, with a Reflex save for half DC 10 + 1/2 HD + Constitution modifier. Like a dragon, once the breath is used it has a 1d4 round cooldown before it can be used again.

If they already knew it, they may learn a different language instead.

Some have different focuses, becoming masters of breath weapons, natural attackers, flying tanks, or potent spellcasters. At 1st level a trueblood dragon chooses one of the following abilities which shapes the rest of his class.

The breath weapon increases by two steps to become d10s. The DC is also increased by +2.

You gain a natural armor bonus equal to your class level (this overwrites the benefits of the Natural Armor class feature). In addition when you gain spell resistance the spell resistance is 13 + HD instead of 10 + HD.

All your natural weapons gain an enhancement bonus as if under the effects of a greater magic weapon with a caster level equal to your class level. You may now enhance your natural weapons as if they were individual manufactured weapons.

You gain detect magic as a spell-like ability at will. Your sorcerer spellcasting is increased by +4, meaning you gain it at level 3 rather than level 7 and meaning you get a caster level of 17th rather than 13th by level 20.



This alters some of their abilities, such as the distance of their breath weapon or the range of their frightful presence. It does not actually denote real age, nor their lifespan remaining. It starts at wyrmling at level 1, and increases every odd level to great wyrm at level 23rd.

 : Trueblood dragons gain two class attacks sized for a dragon of their size at 1st level. As they grow they gain additional natural attacks and attack options from the true dragon. At 4th level they gain a bite attack, and when they gain Quadraped Form their bite attack retains the reach of a upgright creature of their size. At 7th level they gain two wing attacks, which it can use even when flying. At 10th level they gain a tail slap. At 13th level they gain the crush attack of a true dragon. Finally at 16th level they gain the tail sweep attack of a true dragon with a DC equal to the DC for their breath weapon.

 : At 2nd level, trueblood dragons gain DR/magic equal to half their class level.

 : At 2nd level, trueblood dragons gains the keen senses of a dragon. They gain superior low-light vision and darkvision out to 120 ft.

 : At 2nd level, trueblood dragons gains a natural armor bonus equal to half their class level. This stacks with other sources of natural armor.

These unique abilities come in many forms, from unique movement like cloudwalking to spell-like abilities to unusual effects or even immunities.

 : At 4th level, trueblood dragons gain an additional form of movement chosen from the selection below.



This stacks with dwarven stability.





 : At 4th level, trueblood dragons begin adapting their elemental energy into their bodies. They gain energy resistance 5 of the energy type of their breath weapon. If your breath weapon has no energy or you have more than one breath weapon (as may happen with feats), choose one to gain resistance to, or one status effect if your breath weapon deals out a status effect. For example a breath weapon which deals negative levels gives a resistance on saves against negative levels instead. Meanwhile a force breath grants force resistance 5.

At 9th level the resistance rises to 15. This benefit is eventually overwritten by energy immunity.

Covered in scales with dragonic faces and increasingly heavy bodies, they count as non-humanoid for the purpose of armor. Current armor can be re-fitted as the appropriate barding by paying the difference in cost.

 : At 5th level, a trueblood dragon gains a pair of dragonic wings. At first the wings are too weak for flight, enabling them only to glide and to make extended jumps. They gain a +10 bonus to Jump checks and are always considered to have a running start. They can also glide, moving 20 ft for every 5 ft dropped.

At 8th level, their flight comes into full form granting them a fly speed of 100 ft (average). At 12th level their fly speed increases to 150 ft, but their maneuverability drops to poor. At 18th their fly speed becomes 200 ft, but their maneuverability drops to clumsy (minimum clumsy).

They gain the benefits and penalties as listed on the table below rather than the usual size increase table.

They gain the spellcasting ability (but no other class features) of a 1st level sorcerer. This sorcerer level increases each trueblood dragon level they take, and stacks with actual sorcerer levels. For example a sorcerer 3/trueblood dragon 10 would have an effective sorcerer level of 3+3, or 6.

As a result they also gain immunity to sleep and paralysis effects.

 : At 8th level, the trueblood dragon gains spell resistance equal to its HD + 10.

They now look completely like a true dragon. When on all fours, their base land speed is doubled (typically to 60 ft for most creatures), though their reach is only that of a long creature of their size category (with exception to their bite attack).

 : A 10th level trueblood dragon gains blindsense out to 60 ft.

 : At 11th level, the trueblood dragon gains the frightful presence of a true dragon with a range based on their age category. Their frightful presence does not affect other dragons, nor to dragon frightful presences affect them. The saving throw is DC 10 + 1/2 HD + Charisma modifier.

 : At 14th level, the energy resistance determined previously now becomes energy immunity.

This means little in the long run, but may determine qualification for certain prestige classes and abilities. It does not, however, qualify them for epic feats. That would just be silly. They also gain an energy subtype if they choose (air, cold, earth, or fire) with all the benefits and penalties thereforth.

They add the lifespan of a dragon to their current lifespan for their race. They do not take any penalties for aging, but still retain any bonuses. Pre-existing penalties for aging vanish in the transition. Lastly, this ability renders them immune to effects which would age them unnaturally.



A 20th level trueblood dragon can change all reference from class level to character level.



 : The trueblood dragon learns one last trick at 22nd level. As a 1 round action it can invoke a special breath weapon which triples the range and triples the damage of their breath weapon. However, the charge up is obvious and they can only pull this off 1/day. They are subject to their breath weapon's cooldown as normal.

Dragon Powers
Select from one of the dragon powers shown below. Unless stated otherwise, a dragon power may only be selected once.

Alternatively (on permission from the DM) you can choose one of the alternate breath weapons of another dragon, such as a copper dragon's slow breath. These alternate breath types are locked in their shape (a cone for the slow gas) but the base energy damage types can still choose to use line or cone as normal. This draws from the same usages of your normal breath weapon. Unlike most powers, this one may be selected more than once gaining a new breath weapon every time.

 : You can assume any animal or humanoid form of Medium size or smaller as a standard action 3/day (limited up to your HD). You can remain in your alternate form until you choose to assume a new one or return to your natural form.

Unlike most powers this one may be selected multiple times, gaining a different feat each time.

 : You gain the cloudwalking ability of a silver dragon.

 : You gain the create/destroy ability of a blue dragon.

Add the domain spells to your spells known list, allowing you to learn and cast them. They are arcane spells. Requires sorcerer spellcasting to function.

 : You gain the icewalking ability of a white dragon.

 : You gain the luck bonus ability of a gold dragon.

 : Choose a spell from the sorcerer/wizard spell list that would be able to be cast from a sorcerer of your class level (instead of your actual caster level). You gain this spell as a spell-like ability, though you must still pay any expensive material components and XP costs. You may use this spell-like ability 1/day. You may select this ability multiple times, either increasing the number of casts from your spell-like ability by one or gaining a new spell-like ability.

 : You gain the sound imitation ability of a blue dragon.

Human Trueblood Dragon Starting Package
Weapons: None.

Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 7 + Int modifier.

Feat: Power Attack

Bonus Feats: Cleave

Gear: Leather Armor.

Gold: 115 gp.

Playing a Trueblood Dragon
Religion: What does a dragon need with religion? You are a living god on earth, if anything they should be worshiping you.

Other Classes: Others might be confused or disturbed if they have seen your conversion from humanoid to dragon, but those who meet later may very well assume you are a dragon. And react accordingly.

Combat: You are the ultimate gish, with high BAB, high hp, good saves, and awesome spells. You always have an answer to everything somehow.

Advancement: Trueblood dragons don't usually multiclass since it delays their progression, but when they do it is to pick up valuable weapon or armor proficiencies they normally lack. It can help especially in the beginning when all they have is their claws and dexterity to carry them through.

Trueblood Dragons in the World
"I merely chewed in self-defense, but I never swallowed."

Daily Life: Dragons are like cats, if "mice" and "toys" were replaced by "gold". And chasing was replaced by burninating the coutryside.

Organizations: Trueblood dragons, like their namesake, are solitary unique creatures.

NPC Reactions: RUN! IT'S A DRAGON! It turns out, unless dragons are common in the world, being a hulking beast has a few downsides. Fitting into dungeons is one as well, so be sure to come prepared to shrink by magic or other means.

Trueblood Dragon Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge Arcana can research Trueblood Dragons to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Trueblood Dragons in the Game
Adaptation: Is it a blessing? A curse? Genertic? Flavor is mutable.