Dragonslayer (3.5e Class)

Author: Zhenra-Khal (talk) Date Created: 11/18/2016 Status: Complete Editing: Clarity edits only please

Low - Moderate - High - Very High

Rate this article Your rating for this article: Favor Like Neutral Dislike Oppose Submit | Cancel Discuss this article

A warrior who has trained since a young age to hunt dragons and their ilk. Also a minor fix/base class replacement for the Dragon Compendium's Dragonslayer and/or Dragonstalker prestige class. 20 1 Good Good Good Poor

Prepared Arcane Spellcasting, Spontaneous Arcane Spellcasting, Alternate Magic, Sneak Attack,

"Other." is not in the list (Prepared Arcane Spellcasting, Spontaneous Arcane Spellcasting, Prepared Divine Spellcasting, Spontaneous Divine Spellcasting, Arcane Spellcasting, Divine Spellcasting, Prepared Spellcasting, Spontaneous Spellcasting, Alternate Magic, Psionics, ...) of allowed values for the "Class Ability" property.

Other

Dragonslayer

Often thought of as a more warlike and very specialized Ranger, the Dragonslayer is a stalwart warrior who has been training for years in the ways of hunting, killing, and defending against dragons and their kin. They learn about their foes much like a Ranger does, but their single-minded dedication allows them to learn more about their enemies faster. They also learn some arcane spells, and their devotion to their cause allows them to lock into a focus that grants them the ability to ignore some of the hindering factors of the heavy armor they often wear.

Making a Dragonslayer

Dragonslayers are durable frontline warriors; They focus on disabling the foe and aiding allies in addition to dealing damage directly via both weapon and spell.

Abilities: Strength aids in melee, and Dexterity aids with ranged combat. Constitution boosts the Dragonslayer's already-high HP and Fort saves, and Wisdom governs the Dragonslayer's magic.

Races: Any race can become a Dragonslayer; Even those with draconic blood, though instances in which that happens are rare. Dragonborn Of Bahamut are generally good-aligned dragonslayers who hunt the spawn of Tiamat. However, those with draconic blood are typically shunned by their brethren; Both fellow Dragonslayers and those of their own race.

Alignment: Any. Good-aligned Dragonslayers hunt evil dragonkind in an attempt to protect the land from their power; While evil-aligned Dragonslayers tend to hunt all dragons, whether out of soul-twisting hatred or simple greed.

Starting Gold: 3d10×10 gp (165 gp).

Starting Age: Moderate. A Dragonslayer's training, and subsequently their adventuring life, isn't that much different from those of a fighter, ranger or paladin.

Table: The Dragonslayer

Hit Die: d12

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special	Spells per Day
		Fort	Ref	Will		0	1st	2nd	3rd	4th
1st	+1	+2	+2	+0	Dragon Enmity I, Track, Arcane Focus	2	0	—	—	—
2nd	+2	+3	+3	+0	Dragon Sneak Attack 1d6	2	1	—	—	—
3rd	+3	+3	+3	+1	Uncanny Dodge, Endurance	3	1	—	—	—
4th	+4	+4	+4	+1	Bonus Feat, Talon Twisting	3	2	—	—	—
5th	+5	+4	+4	+1	Dragon Enmity II, Arcane Energy	4	2	—	—	—
6th	+6/+1	+5	+5	+2	Armored Evasion, Dragon Sneak Attack 2d6	4	3	0	—	—
7th	+7/+2	+5	+5	+2	Bonus Feat, Dragonbane	4	3	1	—	—
8th	+8/+3	+6	+6	+2	Swift Tracker, Improved Uncanny Dodge	5	4	1	—	—
9th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+3	Dragon Enmity III	5	4	2	—	—
10th	+10/+5	+7	+7	+3	Bonus Feat, Dragon Sneak Attack 3d6	5	4	2	—	—
11th	+11/+6/+1	+7	+7	+3	Greater Arcane Energy	6	5	3	0	—
12th	+12/+7/+2	+8	+8	+4	Improved Armored Evasion	6	5	3	1	—
13th	+13/+8/+3	+8	+8	+4	Dragon Enmity IV, Bonus Feat	6	5	4	1	—
14th	+14/+9/+4	+9	+9	+4	Greater Dragonbane, Dragon Sneak Attack 4d6	6	6	4	2	—
15th	+15/+10/+5	+9	+9	+5	Dragon Death Attack	7	6	4	2	—
16th	+16/+11/+6/+1	+10	+10	+5	Bonus Feat	7	6	5	3	0
17th	+17/+12/+7/+2	+10	+10	+5	Dragon Enmity V	7	6	5	3	1
18th	+18/+13/+8/+3	+11	+11	+6	Dragon Sneak Attack 5d6	7	7	5	4	1
19th	+19/+14/+9/+4	+11	+11	+6	Bonus Feat	7	7	6	4	2
20th	+20/+15/10/+5	+12	+12	+6	Dragonslaying Spell	7	7	6	4	2
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Arcana) (Nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Rope (Dex).

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Dragonslayer.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Dragonslayers are proficient with all simple and martial weapons. Dragonslayers are also proficient with light, medium and heavy armor, and with shields, including tower shields.

Spells: Dragonslayers, in an effort to better defeat their magical foes, have learned to cast a small number of Arcane Spells. They prepare their spells ahead of time, but at the time of casting, they can choose to divide their spells per day among their prepared spells just like a spontaneous caster. Dragonslayers keep a spellbook from which they memorize their prepared spells; And they may learn new spells from spellbooks and prayerbooks, such as those of an archivist or wizard; However, such classes cannot learn from a Dragonslayer's spellbook, and any spell learned from such a spellbook that isn't on the Dragonslayer class spell list is treated as if it were two levels higher for the spellcraft check and for the purposes of whether or not the Dragonslayer can cast it; For example, a Dragonslayer could learn a 2nd-level Wizard spell as a 4th-level Dragonslayer spell, but he couldn't learn a 3rd-level Wizard spell because 5 (3 + 2) is higher than the maximum spell level Dragonslayers can normally cast.

The Dragonslayer's spells are based on Wisdom; They must have a Wisdom score of at least 10 + the spell's level in order to cast it; They gain bonus spells per day from a high Wisdom score, and the save DC for the Dragonslayer's spells are equal to 10 + the spell's level + the Dragonslayer's Wisdom modifier; In addition to normal bonus spells, the Dragonslayer gains an additional number of 0th-level spells per day equal to his Wisdom modifier. The Dragonslayer begins play knowing four 0th-level spells and two 1st-level spells of your choice; Thereafter, at each level, they may add one additional spell of any spell level they can cast to their spellbook.

The Dragonslayer casts spells much like a Bard does; Their spells cannot be affected by the Silent Spell metamagic, and they ignore spell failure from Light armor. Caster Level is equal to Class Level, just like with full casters. Dragonslayers choose their spells from the following list:

0— All 0th-level Cleric, Druid and Sorcerer/Wizard spells

1st— Alarm, Bane, Bless, Chill Touch, Cure Light Wounds, Detect Dragonblood, Endure Elements, Expeditious Retreat, Faerie Fire, Feather Fall, Greater Mage Hand, Hawkeye, Inflict Light Wounds, Jump, Lesser Acid Orb, Lesser Cold Orb, Lesser Electric Orb, Lesser Fire Orb, Lesser Sonic Orb, Lesser Vigor, Longstrider, Mage Armor, Master's Touch, Mighty Wallop, Nerveskitter, Nightsheild, Obscuring Mist, Persistent Blade, Power Word Fatigue, Power Word Pain, Protection From Alignment, Ray Of Clumsiness, Ray Of Enfeeblement, Shield, Shield Of Faith, Shieldbearer, Shocking Grasp, Snake's Swiftness, Spell Flower, Sticky Floor, True Strike, Wall Of Smoke.

2nd—Aid, Align Weapon, Animalistic Power, Baleful Transposition, Barkskin, Bear's Endurance, Blast of Force, Blindness/Deafness, Blur, Bull's Strength, Cat's Grace, Cure Moderate Wounds, Crystalline Memories, Dance of Ruin, Darkness, Darkvision, Death Armor, Dimension Hop, Dispelling Touch, Eagle's Splendor, Entangle, Fog Cloud, Fox's Cunning, Ghoul Touch, Healing Sting, Inflict Moderate Wounds, Invisibility, Lesser Celerity, Levitate, Magic Missile, Magical Backlash, Mass Snake's Swiftness, Melf's Acid Arrow, Owl's Wisdom, Power Word Sicken, Rainbow Beam, Ray of Sickness, Ray of Stupidity, Ray Of Weakness, Resist Energy, Silence, Sound Burst, Spider Climb, Swift Fly, Swim, Touch Of Idiocy.

3rd—Animate Weapon, Antidragon Aura, Arcane Maul, Arcane Sight, Arms Of Plenty, Backblast, Blunt Natural Weapons, Compel Breath, Cure Serious Wounds, Deeper Darkvision, Diamondsteel, Dimension Step, Dispel Magic, Dragon Breath, Dragonskin, Giant's Wrath, Girallon's Blessing, Greater Mage Armor, Greater Mighty Wallop, Haste, Inflict Serious Wounds, Magic Circle Against Alignment, Mass Lesser Vigor, Melf's Unicorn Arrow, Power Word Deafen, Power Word Maladroit, Power Word Weaken, Prismatic Mist, Rainbow Blast, Ray Of Dizziness, Ray Of Exhaustion, Ray Of The Python, Repelling Shield, Resonating Bolt, Siphon, Slow, Spell Vulnerability, Steeldance, Suppress Breath Weapon, Vampiric Touch, Vigor, Wand Modulation, Water Breathing, Warcry.

4th—Backlash, Celerity, Chain Missile, Cure Critical Wounds, Dimension Door, Energy Spheres, Enervation, Fire Shield, Force Missiles, Forcewave, Inflict Critical Wounds, Lesser Globe of Invulnerability, Orb of Acid, Orb of Cold, Orb of Electricity, Orb of Fire, Orb of Force, Orb of Sound, Shout, Slashing Dispel, Steelsting, Stoneskin, Wingbind, Wrack.

Table: Dragonslayer Spells Prepared Per Day

Level	Spells Prepared
	0	1st	2nd	3rd	4th
1st	2	1	—	—	—
2nd	2	1	—	—	—
3rd	3	2	—	—	—
4th	3	2	—	—	—
5th	4	3	—	—	—
6th	4	3	1	—	—
7th	5	4	1	—	—
8th	5	4	2	—	—
9th	6	5	2	—	—
10th	6	5	3	—	—
11th	6	6	3	1	—
12th	6	6	4	1	—
13th	6	6	4	2	—
14th	6	6	5	2	—
15th	6	6	5	3	—
16th	6	6	6	3	1
17th	6	6	6	4	1
18th	6	6	6	4	2
19th	6	6	6	5	2
20th	6	6	6	5	3

Bonus Language: All Dragonslayers gain Draconic as a bonus language upon taking their first level in the class.

Dragon Enmity (Ex): Beginning at first level, the Dragonslayer gains a modified version of the ranger's Favored Enemy ability. The Dragonslayer gains a+2 bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot and Survival checks made against dragons; Likewise, he gets a +2 bonus on damage rolls made against dragons. These bonuses increase by 2 every 4 levels after 1st (+4 at 5th, +6 at 9th, etc). Half of these bonuses, both to skill checks and damage rolls, apply when made against creatures with the Dragonblooded subtype.

However, the Dragonslayer also adds half of his Dragon Enmity bonus to the Saving Throw DC of his spells when he uses them against dragons, and to Dispel checks made against spells cast by dragons and dragonblooded creatures. The Dragonslayer also adds his full Dragon Enmity bonus to caster level checks made to overcome the spell resistance of Dragons; This stacks with the Spell Penetration feat.

Track: At first level, the Dragonslayer gains the Track feat as a bonus feat.

Arcane Focus (Ex): The Dragonslayer's devotion to his cause allows him to focus his inner willpower, allowing him to enter a trancelike state much like a psionic character's Psionic Focus. This functions exactly as a Psionic Focus; But while Focused, the Dragonslayer's class spells (But not spells gained from any other source) ignore all spell failure from his armor and shield (Though not from his encumbrance, if any), provided the spell is of a level equal to or less than his Wisdom modifier. Furthermore, he may add a number equal to one-half his Favored Enemy bonus to all Will saves while in this state, and reduce his total Armor Check Penalty by the same amount. However, in order to use a Metamagic feat, the Dragonslayer must expend his Arcane Focus just as a manifester using a Metapsionic feat would. Finally, while the Dragonslayer is in his Arcane Focus, any weapons he wields, in addition to his unarmed attacks and/or and natural attacks he may possess, are treated as magic for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction.

Dragon Sneak Attack (Ex): Beginning at 2nd level, the Dragonslayer knows how to hit a dragon's weak spots when it cannot react. This ability is exactly like the Rogue ability of the same name, except 1) It can only be used on those with the Dragon type or Dragonblooded subtype; 2) It can be used with any weapon, light or otherwise; 3) It functions on ranged attacks so long as the Dragon is within the first range increment of the weapon in question (Spells and etc are still subject to the 30ft restriction); 4) It only deals half the damage against Dragonblooded creatures; and 5) It can only be used while the Dragonslayer is in Arcane Focus. The Dragonslayer's Dragon Sneak Attack damage increases by 1d6 every 4 levels after 2nd (+2d6 at 6th level, +3d6 at 10th level, etc). Finally, the Dragonslayer's Dragon Sneak Attack - And his critical hits landed against dragons while in his Arcane Focus - Ignore any immunities to precision damage the dragon may have, instead treating the dragon as having 50% fortification, -5% for each additional dice of Dragon Sneak Attack the Dragonslayer possesses beyond the first. This doesn't apply to Sneak Attack dice gained from other sources, nor does it apply if the dragon's immunity to precision damage is from another source (A Dracolich, for example, is immune to critical hits and sneak attack because it's an Undead creature, not because of its age category or similar abilities).

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): The Dragonslayer's mental training and focus allows him to react to attacks when a character normally wouldn't be able to. Beginning at 3rd level, while the Dragonslayer is in Arcane Focus, he gains the Uncanny Dodge class feature, as the Barbarian class feature of the same name. At 8th level, this ability improves to Improved Uncanny Dodge, and he gains access to his normal Uncanny Dodge even when he's not in Arcane Focus.

Endurance: At 3rd level, the Dragonslayer gains the Endurance feat as a bonus feat.

Bonus Feat: At 4th level and every 3 levels thereafter, the Dragonslayer gains a bonus feat. These feats must be chosen from the list of Fighter bonus feats, or from the list of Wizard bonus feats. The Dragonslayer must qualify for any feat he chooses. For the purposes of Fighter feats, the Dragonslayer's Fighter level is equal to 1/2 his Dragonslayer level.

Talon Twisting (Ex): A Dragonslayer of 4th level and higher knows how to enrage his favored foes. Upon dealing damage to a foe with the Dragon type or Dragonblooded subtype, he may make an Intimidate check to demoralize his foe as a free action, adding the damage done as a circumstance bonus to his Intimidate check (Thought this bonus can never be higher than twice his class level). If he is successful, instead of making his target shaken, he can send them into a murderous rage. Doing so grants them a +4 bonus to Strength and a -4 penalty to attack rolls, and their skills, spells and abilities are restricted as if they had entered a Barbarian Rage, and the dragon must focus all its attacks on the Dragonslayer to the exclusion of all other targets; All these effects last a number of rounds equal to the Dragonslayer's Dragon Enmity bonus against dragons or a number of rounds equal to the number of points his Intimidate check beat the dragon's opposed level check, whichever is higher. This ability can be used at will (Though using it again before the duration is up has no effect); However, each successive time after the first it is used on a particular creature, the creature gains a cumulative +4 bonus on its opposed roll.

Arcane Energy (Su): A Dragonslayer of 5th level or higher can imbue his weapons with various forms of energy. As a move action, he may add 1d6 damage to any weapon treated as magic by his Arcane Focus; This damage must be Acid, Cold, Electricity, Fire or Sonic damage. Only one energy type can be in effect at any given time, though the Dragonslayer can change which energy type is active with a Move Action. This ability stacks with things such as the Flaming weapon property, but not with spells or other effects that grant temporary bonus energy damage to the Dragonslayer's weapons. At 11th level, the bonus damage increases to 2d6, or the Dragonslayer can add 1d6 each of two different energy types.

Armored Evasion (Ex): The Dragonslayer gains the Evasion ability, the same as the Rogue class feature of the same name. However, it can only be used while the Dragonslayer is in Arcane Focus, and can be used with armor heavier than Light; However, if it is used while the armor worn is heavier than Light, then the dragonslayer applies the armor's Armor Check Penalty to the Reflex save. At 12th level, the Dragonslayer's Armored Evasion becomes Improved Armored Evasion (As Improved Evasion, but with the limitations described above), and the Dragonslayer's normal Armored Evasion functions even when they're not in Arcane Focus.

Dragonbane (Su): Beginning at 7th level, the Dragonslayer can apply the Dragon Bane weapon enchantment to any weapon he's weilding as a move action, so long as he's in Arcane Focus. However, once activated, it remains active until the Dragonslayer looses his Focus or chooses to deactivate it. Additionally, he learns the Bane Magic (Dragon) metamagic feat as a bonus feat, and all spells he casts against dragonkind that are eligible to have that metamagic feat applied to them - I.e., that deal damage - Automatically gain the effects of the metamagic feat with no increase in level or casting time, so long as th spell's normal level is equal to or lower than his Wisdom modifier. At 14th level, the Dragonslayer's Dragonbane class feature improves; The extra damage added to his attacks and spells against dragons are doubled (+4 Enhancement bonus to attack and damage and +4d6 damage for weapons, +4 DC and +4d6 damage for spells).

Dragon Death Attack (Ex): This functions the same as the Death Attack class feature of the assassin, except that it only functions on dragons and dragonblooded creatures, and can only be used when the Dragonslayer is in Arcane Focus. The save DC for either effect is equal to 10 + 1/2 the Dragonslayer's class level + the Dragonslayer's Wisdom modifier, and the duration of the paralyze effect is 1 round per two Dragonslayer levels. This ability bypasses the dragon's immunity to Paralysis; Instead, the dragon has a 50% chance to be immune to the effect, -5% for each Dragon Sneak Attack dice the Dragonslayer possesses beyond the first.

Dragonslaying Spell (Su): If a Dragonslayer of 20th or higher level studies his draconic opponent for 3 rounds, and then casts a spell on the target, the dragon has a chance to be affected as if by the Dragonslayer's Dragon Death Attack class feature. If a Dragonslayer meets the conditions for his Dragon Death Attack with a spell, and the dragon fails its saving throw against the spell, the dragon must make an additional Fortitude save against the normal Dragon Death Attack DC or be either struck dead, or paralyzed for 1d6 rounds plus 1 round per two class levels (Dragonslayer's option).

Ex-Dragonslayers

A Dragonslayer who willingly defends a dragon who hasn't either protected him previously or is too young to defend itself, or a Dragonslayer who shows mercy to a dragon who is known to have harmed others (Such as raiding towns, murdering innocents, taking over ancestral homelands and the like), loses his supernatural (Arcane Energy, Dragonbane, and the like) until he slays a dragon of a CR at least equal to his Effective Character Level and subsequently receives an Atonement spell. A Dragonslayer who takes levels in a class or prestige class that venerates or worships dragons, such as Dragon Shaman, Dragonfire Adept, Dragonheart Mage and the like, levels in any draconic bloodline, or takes any draconic feats such as Draconic Heritage, permanently loses his supernatural class abilities and may never again advance in the Dragonslayer class, but retains all other class abilities.

Epic Dragonslayer

Table: The Epic Dragonslayer

Hit Die: d12

Level	Special
21st	Dragon Enmity VI
22nd	Bonus Feat, Dragon Sneak Attack +6d6
23rd
24th	Bonus Feat
25th	Dragon Enmity VII
26th	Bonus Feat, Dragon Sneak Attack +7d6
27th
28th	Bonus Feat
29th	Dragon Enmity IX
30th	Bonus Feat, Dragon Sneak Attack +8d6
4 + Int modifier skill points per level.

Dragon Enmity: The Dragonslayer's Dragon Enmity bonuses continue to increase by 2 at 21st level and every 4 levels thereafter (25th, 29th, 33rd, etc), as normal.

Dragon Sneak Attack: The Dragonslayer's Dragon Sneak Attack continues to increase by +1d6 at 22nd level and every 4 levels thereafter (26th, 30th, 34th, etc), as normal.

Bonus Feats: The epic Dragonslayer gains a bonus feat (Selected from the lists of epic Fighter, Ranger or Wizard bonus feats) every 2 levels after 20th.

Human Dragonslayer Starting Package

Weapons: Longsword (Martial One-Handed, 1d8 19-20/x2 Slashing).

Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 5 + Int modifier.

Skill	Ranks	Ability	Armor Check Penalty
Bluff	4	Cha	—
Climb	4	Str	-12
Concentration	4	Con	—
Intimidate	4	Cha	—
Jump	4	Str	-12
Listen	4	Wis	—
Spellcraft	4	Int	—
Spot	4	Wis	—
Survival	4	Wis	—
Swim	4	Str	-24

Feat: If Dex is 13 or higher: Dodge. Otherwise: Combat Casting.

Bonus Feats: If Dex is 13 or Higher: Dodge. Otherwise: Blind-Fight (Plus Track).

Gear: Tower Shield, Chain Shirt; Backpack, bedroll, flint and steel, belt pouch, 2 weeks of trail rations, torch, waterskin.

Gold: 20 gp.

---

Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Classes → Base Classes