General Prestige Class : Dracolexi
As a dracolexi, you try to understand that primordial vocabulary by devoting yourself to the study of ancient dialects and languages, hoping to discover how certain Draconic words were once uttered.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Dracolexi, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 8 ranks , Perform (oratory) 4 ranks , Spellcraft 4 ranks
- Feats: Eschew Materials or Still Spell
- Spells: Must be able to spontaneously cast 2nd-level arcane spells, must know at least one language-dependent spell.
- Languages: Must be able to speak Draconic plus at least two languages from the following list: Auran, Dwarven, Elven, Ignan.
Class Skills
The dracolexi's class skills are Climb, Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Gather Information, Jump, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (architecture and engineering), Knowledge (dungeoneering), Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (history), Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nature), Knowledge (nobility and royalty), Knowledge (psionics), Knowledge (religion), Knowledge (the planes), Profession, Search, Sense Motive, Speak Language, Spellcraft, Swim, and Use Magic Device.
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features
Spellcasting: At each level beyond 1st, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level (and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in an arcane spellcasting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one arcane spellcasting class before becoming a dracolexi, you must decide which class to add each level to for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.
Draconic Words (Su): When you enter this class, you begin to discover the arcane nuances that allow specific spoken Draconic words to produce powerful effects. Your intuitive understanding of how to express these words cannot be imparted to others. Even if one of these words is repeated perfectly by someone else, the utterance has no effect, because the speaker lacks the internalized understanding that can only come from the special studies that dracolexi engage in.
At 1st level and every three levels thereafter (4th, 7th, and 10th), you can learn one Draconic word from among those described below in order to use it and gain the benefit of its effect. Some Draconic words have a class level requirement that must be met before the word can be learned. You can't learn the same word twice.
Speaking a word is a swift action that activates the word's effect; if the word affects a particular creature, you can target any creature (including yourself) within 30 feet. A silence spell or similar effect prevents you from using Draconic words; if you are deafened, you have a 20% chance of misspeaking a Draconic word when using it (this counts as a use of the word but has no effect).
Beginning at 4th level, you can choose to incorporate a known Draconic word into the verbal component of a spontaneously cast arcane spell as you cast it (which requires no action other than the normal casting of the spell). In this case, the word takes effect at the end of the spell's casting time, just before the spell takes effect. If the Draconic word would normally target a specific creature, it can only target a creature that is targeted by the spell, or a single creature within the area of the spell. A spell cast without a verbal component can't have a Draconic word added to its effect.
You can use each Draconic word any number of times per day, but no more than one word can be used each round (nor can you use the same word more than once per round). No creature can be targeted by the same Draconic word twice in a 24-hour period.
If a saving throw is allowed against the power of the Draconic word, the save DC is 10 + your dracolexi level + your Cha modifier.
| Minimum Level | Draconic Word (translation) | Effect |
| 1st | renthisj (speak) | Speech can be understood by all creatures |
| 1st | ssifisv (rest) | Eliminate fatigue or exhaustion |
| 1st | vor (learn) | Bonus on Knowledge, Spellcraft checks |
| 4th | ocuir (see) | Bonus on Search and Spot checks |
| 4th | osvith (flee) | Target shaken or frightened for 1d4 rounds |
| 4th | ssearth (prolong) | Heal target or extend spell |
| 7th | veschik (replenish) | Regain spell slot |
| 7th | strix (invigorate) | Grant temporary hit points |
| 10th | ossalur (travel) | +30-ft. enhancement bonus to all speeds |
| 10th | valignat (burn) | Deal 5d6 fire damage, or empower or widen spell |
- Renthisj: The target's speech can be understood by any creature that can speak a language. A target incapable of speech gains no benefit from this Draconic word (which means "speak"). The effect lasts for a number of hours equal to your class level. Will negates (harmless).
- Ssifisv: This Draconic word translates into Common as "rest." It removes the fatigued condition from the target, or reduces the target's exhausted condition to fatigued. If you are at least 7th level, it instead removes both fatigued and exhausted conditions.
- Vor: This Draconic word, which translates as "learn," grants the target a competence bonus on Knowledge checks and Spellcraft checks equal to your class level for 1 hour.
- Ocuir: This Draconic word, meaning "see," grants the target a competence bonus on Search checks and Spot checks equal to your class level for 1 hour.
- Osvith: This Draconic word, translating to "flee" in Common, renders its target shaken for 1d4 rounds. If the target has Hit Dice equal to or less than your dracolexi level, it is frightened instead. Will negates.
- Ssearth: The target of this Draconic word ("prolong") is healed of 1 point of damage per caster level. If you speak this word as part of a spell, you can choose instead to extend the spell (as if you had applied the Extend Spell feat), but without any adjustment in spell slot or casting time.
- Veschik: This Draconic word means "replenish." The target regains one spell slot (but not a slot that held a prepared spell) of the highest level of arcane spell it can cast spontaneously. If the target has not already cast any spells of that level, it instead regains one spell slot of the highest arcane spell level for which it has already spontaneously cast a spell.
- Strix: The target of this Draconic word ("invigorate") gains temporary hit points equal to twice your class level. These hit points last for a maximum of 1 hour.
- Ossalur: This Draconic word, meaning "travel," grants its target a 30-foot enhancement bonus to all its speeds for a number of rounds equal to your class level. This effect doesn't give the target a mode of movement it doesn't have (a creature with no fly speed isn't treated as a creature with a fly speed of 0 feet).
- Valignat: This Draconic word, meaning "burn," deals 5d6 points of fire damage to the target. If you speak the word as part of a spell with the fire descriptor, you can choose instead either to empower or widen the spell (as if you had applied the Empower Spell feat or the Widen Spell feat), but without any adjustment in spell slot or casting time.
Bonus Feat: A dracolexi learns how to rely on little but her own voice to cast spells. At 2nd level, you gain your choice of Eschew Materials or Still Spell as a bonus feat. If you already have these feats, you gain nothing from this class feature.
Power Word Spells (Su): The words of Draconic power share some fundamental similarities to the various power word spells, and your studies shed new light on the use of these magical effects. At 3rd level, you can select any single power word spell and add it to the spell list of any one spontaneous arcane spellcasting class that you have, treating it as a spell of one level lower than normal. If your class spell list doesn't normally include spells of the (adjusted) level of the power word spell, you can't add it to your spell list.
For example, a 5th-level bard/3rd-level dracolexi could select power word distract. It is normally a 4th-level spell, but he can treat it as a 3rd-level bard spell. He could even choose power word blind (normally a 7th-level spell) and add it to his class spell list as a 6th-level bard spell, despite the fact that he is not yet capable of casting 6th-level bard spells. He couldn't choose power word kill or power word stun with this ability, since even with the adjustment these would be 8th-level and 7th-level spells, respectively, which aren't normally available to bards.
Furthermore, if you are (or become) capable of casting spells of that level, you can also add the power word spell to your list of spells known. If you already know the selected power word spell, you can move that spell to one level lower on your class spell list and also add any spell of the power word spell's original level to your spell list.
The bard in the previous example couldn't add power word disable (normally a 5th-level spell) to his list of spells known until he was capable of casting 4th-level bard spells. A 9th-level sorcerer/3rd-level dracolexi, on the other hand, could immediately add power word disable to his list of spells known, since he is capable of casting 4th-level spells. If he already knew power word disable as a 5th-level spell, he would add it to his list of 4th-level spells known and then add a different 5th-level sorcerer spell of his choice to his spells known list.
At 6th level and again at 9th level, you can select another power word spell in this fashion.
Bonus Spells Known: A dracolexi is particularly talented in using spells that incorporate language and speech. At 5th level, you can add any two language-dependent spells from your class's spell list to your list of spells known for that class. The spells must be of a level you are capable of casting, and the two spells must be of different levels. For example, a 5th-level sorcerer/5th-level dracolexi could add lesser geas (a 4th-level sorcerer spell) and suggestion (a 3rd-level sorcerer spell) to his list of spells known. He couldn't learn command (since it's a cleric spell) or mass suggestion (since it's a 6th-level spell and beyond his ability to cast).
Voice in Silence (Ex): When coupled with arcane energy, your voice becomes potent enough to temporarily overcome areas of silence or even your own deafness. Beginning at 8th level, you can expend an arcane spell slot as a move action to suppress all silence spells (or similar effects) in your space, and to render your voice audible to you and other creatures sharing your space even if you or they are deafened. This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to the level of the spell slot expended. Only you (and any other creatures sharing your space) benefit from this effect; adjacent creatures that are deafened or within a silence effect are still affected by the deafness or silence. The effect moves with you.
| Dracolexi | Hit Die: d6 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | Spellcasting | |
| 1st | +0 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Draconic words (1) | - | |
| 2nd | +1 | +0 | +0 | +3 | Bonus feat | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class | |
| 3rd | +1 | +1 | +1 | +3 | Power word spells | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class | |
| 4th | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Draconic words (2) | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class | |
| 5th | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Bonus spells known | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class | |
| 6th | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Power word spells | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class | |
| 7th | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Draconic words (3) | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class | |
| 8th | +4 | +2 | +2 | +6 | Voice in silence | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class | |
| 9th | +4 | +3 | +3 | +6 | Power word spells | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class | |
| 10th | +5 | +3 | +3 | +7 | Draconic words (4) | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class | |
Dracolexi Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (arcana) or Knowl¬edge (history) can research the dracolexi to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including the information from lower DCs.
- DC 10: Dracolexi are spontaneous spellcasters who somehow draw their power from the study of ancient languages.
- DC 15: Dracolexi cast potent power word spells, using their knowledge of Draconic dialects to great effect.
- DC 20: Dracolexi include Draconic words of power in their spells' verbal components to create additional effects.
- DC 30: Characters who achieve this level of success can learn important details about specific dracolexi, including notable accomplishments and mentors from whom they studied.
Player characters trying to locate a dracolexi should make a DC 20 Gather Information check to discover the necessary intermediaries and protocols for contacting one. If the player characters are searching for a dracolexi in a library, give them a +2 circumstance bonus on the check.
Source: Races of the Dragon