Dragonkind Prestige Class : Dragonheart Mage
"Claws and teeth are all very well if fighting is what you like, but my dragon blood has more practical uses." - Wedlen Mooncaller, dragonheart mage
Some arcane spellcasters are fascinated both by the dragon's hardy physical nature as well as the dragon's spellcasting ability. The dragonheart mage is perfect for the dedicated spellcaster who wishes to embrace the power of dragon blood while still advancing in magical expertise.
This prestige class is available only to those who can demonstrate draconic heritage. Most dragonheart mages are sorcerers, who ascribe their magical ability to a dragon ancestor, and this class enhances the ability to cast sorcer-ous magic. Multiclass sorcerer/bards might also find the dragonheart mage interesting, since it helps build on their already impressive Charisma-based abilities. Kobolds are drawn to the class, which offers greater physical strength as well as improved spellcasting. Mere dabblers in arcane magic are less likely to become dragonheart mages.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Dragonheart Mage, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 8 ranks.
- Feats: Draconic Heritage
- Spellcasting: Ability to spontaneously cast arcane spells.
- Languages: Draconic
Class Skills
The dragonheart mage's class skills are Bluff, Concentration, Gather Information, Knowledge (all, taken individually), Listen, Search, Speak Language, Spellcraft, and Spot.
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Class Features
As you advance in this class, you cultivate your draconic heritage by developing a breath weapon and gaining draconic feats, at the cost of a couple of levels' worth of spellcasting ability.
Draconic Breath (Su): At 1st level, you gain the Draconic Breath feat. As a dragonheart mage, you realize some additional benefits from taking this feat. As stated in the feat description, you can use a standard action to change arcane spell energy into a breath weapon that deals 2d6 points of damage per level of the spell that you expend. As you gain levels in this prestige class, however, the amount of damage you can deal increases.
At 6th level, your breath weapon deals 2d8 points of damage per level of the spell you give up.
At 10th level, your breath weapon deals 3d6 points of damage per level of the spell you give up.
Spellcasting: At each level except 1st and 6th, 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 a 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 spellcasting class before becoming a dragonheart mage, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.
Draconic Feat: At 2nd, 4th, and 8th level, you gain a bonus draconic feat. Choose any draconic feat for which you meet the prerequisite.
| Dragonheart Mage | Hit Die: d6 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | Spellcasting |
| 1st | +0 | +2 | +0 | +2 | Draconic Breath (2d6) | - |
| 2nd | +1 | +3 | +0 | +3 | Draconic feat | +1 level of existing spellcasting class |
| 3rd | +1 | +3 | +1 | +3 | +1 level of existing spellcasting class | |
| 4th | +2 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Draconic feat | +1 level of existing spellcasting class |
| 5th | +2 | +4 | +1 | +4 | +1 level of existing spellcasting class | |
| 6th | +3 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Draconic Breath (2d8) | - |
| 7th | +3 | +5 | +2 | +5 | +1 level of existing spellcasting class | |
| 8th | +4 | +6 | +2 | +6 | Draconic feat | +1 level of existing spellcasting class |
| 9th | +4 | +6 | +3 | +6 | +1 level of existing spellcasting class | |
| 10th | +5 | +7 | +3 | +7 | Draconic Breath (3d6) | +1 level of existing spellcasting class |
Dragonheart Mage Lore
Characters with the bardic knowledge ability or ranks in Knowledge (arcana) can research dragonheart mages to learn more about them. When a character makes a bardic knowledge check or a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including the information from lower DCs.
- DC 10: Some sorcerers claim their abilities stem from dragon blood and seek to awaken it.
- DC 15: Certain sorcerers who unlock their draconic heritage actually gain dragon-like abilities. These individuals refer to themselves as dragonheart mages.
- DC 20: Dragonheart mages are powerful spellcasters with draconic abilities. They are always searching for information about the origin and heritage of dragons.
If a city has an adventurers' gathering place or meeting hall, a dragonheart mage can often be found therein (Gather Information DC 10). Having a dragon disciple in the party reduces the DC of this check by 5. Dragon disciples and dragonheart mages share similar motivations, even if they follow divergent paths.