Dragon Shaman base class
A remake of the original dragon shaman with some fancy new aura features that build on what was once touch of vitality's healing pool.
Hit Die: d10
Table: The Dragon Shaman Level | Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special | Draconic Vitality | Auras Known |
Minor | Draconic |
1 | +0 | +2 | +0 | +2 | Breath Weapon, Dragontouched, Minor Aura, Totem Dragon | 10 | 2 | -- |
2 | +1 | +3 | +0 | +3 | Bonus Feat, Draconic Aura +1 | 20 | 3 | 3 |
3 | +2 | +3 | +1 | +3 | Dilate Aura (90 feet), Draconic Adaptation | 30 | 4 | 3 |
4 | +3 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Draconic Resolve | 40 | 4 | 3 |
5 | +3 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Scales +2 | 50 | 5 | 4 |
6 | +4 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Draconic Aura +2 | 70 | 5 | 4 |
7 | +5 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Bonus Feat, Dilate Aura (120 feet) | 90 | 6 | 4 |
8 | +6/+1 | +6 | +2 | +6 | Share Draconic Adaptation | 110 | 6 | 4 |
9 | +6/+1 | +6 | +3 | +6 | Totem Immunity | 130 | 7 | 4 |
10 | +7/+2 | +7 | +3 | +7 | Breath Weapon (double range), Draconic Aura +3 | 150 | 7 | 5 |
11 | +8/+3 | +7 | +3 | +7 | Dilate Aura (150 feet), Scales +3 | 180 | 8 | 5 |
12 | +9/+4 | +8 | +4 | +8 | Extra Aura | 210 | 8 | 5 |
13 | +9/+4 | +8 | +4 | +8 | Bonus Feat | 240 | 9 | 5 |
14 | +10/+5 | +9 | +4 | +9 | Commune with Dragon Spirit, Draconic Aura +4 | 270 | 9 | 5 |
15 | +11/+6/+1 | +9 | +5 | +9 | Share Totem Immunity | 300 | 10 | 6 |
16 | +12/+7/+2 | +10 | +5 | +10 | Dilate Aura (180 feet), Draconic Longevity | 340 | 10 | 6 |
17 | +12/+7/+2 | +10 | +5 | +10 | Draconic Infusion, Scales +4 | 380 | 11 | 6 |
18 | +13/+8/+3 | +11 | +6 | +11 | Draconic Aura +5 | 420 | 11 | 6 |
19 | +14/+9/+4 | +11 | +6 | +11 | Bonus Feat | 460 | 12 | 6 |
20 | +15/+10/+5 | +12 | +6 | +12 | Breath Weapon (quadruple range), Dragonshape | 500 | 12 | 7 |
Class skills (4 + Int modifier per level): Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Escape Artist, Intimidate, Knowledge (all skills, taken individually), Listen, Profession, Search, Sense Motive, Spot, and Use Magic Device. In addition, a dragon shaman gains access to additional class skills based on her totem dragon (see below).
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: As a dragon shaman, you are proficient with all simple weapons, with medium and light armor, and with shields (except tower shields).
Languages: As a dragon shaman, you learn to speak Draconic. Draconic is a free language for you; that is, you know it in addition to your regular allotment of languages and it doesn’t take up a language slot.
Totem Dragon: You must choose a totem dragon from among the true dragons listed in the table below. At least one component of your alignment must be the same as your totem dragon's alignment, and no component of your alignment may be opposed to your totem dragon's alignment. For example, a gold dragon shaman (LG) could be lawful good, neutral good, or lawful neutral, while an amethyst dragon shaman (TN) could be neutral good, neutral evil, lawful neutral, chaotic neutral, or true neutral. You gain additional class skills and a particular sort of breath weapon based on the dragon you select as your totem. Your choice of totem dragon also influences the draconic adaptation and totem immunity abilities you gain at later levels.
Table: Dragon Shaman Totem DragonsChromatic Totem Dragons | Dragon Alignment | Class Skills | Breath Weapon Damage Type | Draconic Adaptation | Totem Immunity |
Black | CE | Hide, Move Silently, Swim | Acid | Water Breathing | Acid |
Blue | LE | Bluff, Hide, Spellcraft | Electricity | Ventriloquism | Electricity |
Green | LE | Bluff, Hide, Move Silently | Acid | Water Breathing | Acid |
Red | CE | Appraise, Bluff, Jump | Fire | Treasure Seeker | Fire |
White | CE | Hide, Move Silently, Swim | Cold | Icewalker | Cold |
Metallic Totem Dragons | Dragon Alignment | Class Skills | Breath Weapon Damage Type | Draconic Adaptation | Totem Immunity |
Brass | CG | Bluff, Gather Information, Survival | Fire | Wild Boon | Fire |
Bronze | LG | Disguise, Survival, Swim | Electricity | Water Breathing | Electricity |
Copper | CG | Bluff, Hide, Jump | Acid | Spider Climb | Acid |
Gold | LG | Disguise, Heal, Swim | Fire | Water Breathing | Fire |
Silver | LG | Bluff, Disguise, Jump | Cold | Cloud Strider | Cold |
Gem Totem Dragons | Dragon Alignment | Class Skills | Breath Weapon Damage Type | Draconic Adaptation | Totem Immunity |
Amethyst | TN | Bluff, Hide, Move Silently | Nonlethal untyped damage | Body Equilibrium | Immune to poison, +4 bonus on saves against force effects |
Crystal | CN | Gather Information, Jump, Swim | Untyped damage from a light effect | Cloud Strider | Cold |
Emerald | LN | Gather Information, Hide, Swim | Sonic | Object Reading | Sonic |
Sapphire | LN | Climb, Jump, Move Silently | Sonic | Spider Climb | Electricity |
Topaz | CN | Hide, Survival, Swim | Untyped | Water Breathing | Cold |
Ferrous Totem Dragons | Dragon Alignment | Class Skills | Breath Weapon Damage Type | Draconic Adaptation | Totem Immunity |
Chromium | LE | Appraise, Bluff, Jump | Cold | Icewalker | Cold |
Cobalt | LE | Disable Device, Hide, Jump | Electricity | Water Breathing | Electricity |
Iron | LN | Disguise, Gather Information, Jump | Half electricity, half fire | Minor Shape Change | Fire |
Nickel | LE | Bluff, Hide, Swim | Acid | Water Breathing | Acid |
Tungsten | LG | Gather Information, Spellcraft, Survival | Half bludgeoning1, half fire | Desert Adaptation | Fire |
Faerunian Totem Dragons | Dragon Alignment | Class Skills | Breath Weapon Damage Type | Draconic Adaptation | Totem Immunity |
Brown | NE | Climb, Hide, Survival | Acid | Desert Adaptation | Acid |
Deep | CE | Disguise, Survival, Swim | Acid | Illusion Sense | Immune to charms, compulsions, and phantasms |
Mercury | CG | Bluff, Disguise, Jump, Sense Motive, Survival | Fire | Brilliance, Protected Sight | Fire |
Mist | TN | Bluff, Sense Motive, Swim, Survival | Fire | Water Breathing | Acid |
Rattlyr | LE | Climb, Hide, Jump, Move Silently | Fire | Disturbing Presence | Fire |
Song | CG | Bluff, Disguise, Jump, Speak Language | Electricity | Tongues | Electricity |
Steel | LN | Bluff, Craft, Disguise, Profession, Spellcraft | Acid | Minor Change Shape | SR 15 + class level against arcane spells |
Planar Totem Dragons | Dragon Alignment | Class Skills | Breath Weapon Damage Type | Draconic Adaptation | Totem Immunity |
Adamantine | NG | Heal, Swim, Tumble | Fire | Retain Essence | Fire |
Arboreal | CG | Climb, Spellcraft, Survival | Piercing1 | Minor Change Shape | Sonic |
Ethereal | TN | Hide, Lucid Dreaming, Spellcraft | Untyped damage from a force effect | Ethereal Vision | Immune to damage from force effects, +4 bonus on saves against force effects |
Rust | LE | Disable Device, Open Lock, Survival | Acid | Retain Essence | DR/non-metal equal to your class level |
Shadow | CE | Bluff, Hide, Move Silently | Negative energy | Draining Breath, Illusion Sense | Energy drain and negative energy |
Other Totem Dragons | Dragon Alignment | Class Skills | Breath Weapon Damage Type | Draconic Adaptation | Totem Immunity |
Brainstealer | LE | Bluff, Gather Information, Survival | Untyped damage from a mind-affecting effect | Telepathy | Acid |
Ectoplasmic | CN | Disguise, Gather Information, Hide | Fire | Planar Adaptation | Fire |
Obsidian | NE | Appraise, Gather Information, Survival | Fire | Planar Adaptation | Fire |
Sand | CN | Hide, Move Silently, Survival | Piercing1 | Desert Adaptation | Fire |
Notes and Superscripts |
1. The breath weapon's damage is affected by damage reduction. It bypasses damage reduction as though it was from a magical weapon. |
Draconic Vitality: As a result of your studies and devotion to your totem dragon, you have learned to emulate the enduring magical might of dragons. You gain a pool of draconic vitality points, or DV, that you can spend to enhance some of your dragon shaman abilities. The base size of your pool is based on your class level, as indicated on the table above. If you have a positive Charisma modifier, you also gain additional points equal to 2 x class level x your Charisma bonus (if any). For example, a 7th-level dragon shaman with a Charisma score of 14 (+2 bonus) would have a pool of 118 DV. Whenever you get a full night's rest, you recover all lost or expended draconic vitality, restoring your pool to full.
Changes to the size of your pool also increase or decrease the amount of remaining draconic vitality you have by the same amount. While you cannot spend more draconic vitality than you have remaining in your pool, a reduction to your pool size (such as due to a penalty to your Charisma score) can reduce your remaining draconic vitality to a negative amount.
Some feats and other options also grant you a pool of draconic vitality. Regardless of the source, they all combine into a single pool of draconic vitality that you can expend for all of the abilities that use it.
Auras (Su): As a dragon shaman, you can channel the mighty powers of dragonkind to project auras that grant you and nearby allies special benefits or that awe and impede nearby enemies. You can learn to produce different effects, or auras, over the course of your career. You may project one minor aura and (starting at 2nd level) one draconic aura at a time. If you possess the ability to project auras from multiple sources, the number of auras of any given type that you can project at once does not stack. For instance, a dragon shaman 2/marshal 2 would be able to project both a major aura and a draconic aura at the same time, but only a single minor aura.
Activating an aura is a swift action. The aura remains in effect until you use a free action to dismiss it or you activate another aura of the same kind (draconic or minor). You can have an aura active continually; thus, an aura can be in effect at the start of a combat encounter even before you take your first turn.
As a dragon shaman, activating an aura is a purely mental action. Unless otherwise noted, your auras affect all creatures within 60 feet (including yourself) with line of effect to you. Unlike the auras of divine minds, marshals, and paladins, creatures need not have an Intelligence score to be subjected to your auras (mindless creatures can benefit from or be hindered by your dragon shaman auras as much as intelligent creatures). Your aura is dismissed and you cannot project an aura while you are unconscious or are slain, but otherwise it remains in effect even if you are incapable of acting.
Some auras affect your enemies instead of, or in addition to, your allies. Unless otherwise stated, the save DC of your aura is equal to 10 + 1/2 your class level + your Charisma modifier.
Except where otherwise noted, all modifiers granted by your auras are morale bonuses (or penalties) with a magnitude equal to your aura bonus (bonuses add your aura bonus, penalties subtract it). These morale bonuses and penalties still affect targets immune to mind-affecting effects that are otherwise subject to your aura.
Minor Aura: A minor aura grants allies a bonus to certain rolls equal to your minor aura bonus. Your minor aura bonus is equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum +1). You begin play knowing two minor auras of your choice. As your dragon shaman level increases, you gain access to new auras, as indicated on the table above.
Draconic Aura: Beginning at 2nd level, you can project a draconic aura in addition to your minor aura. A draconic aura grants allies bonuses or harms enemies. The magnitude of the bonus granted by your draconic auras is initially +1, and it improves by 1 at 6th level and every 4 levels thereafter. You learn three draconic auras of your choice at 2nd level. As your dragon shaman level increases, you gain access to new auras, as indicated on the table above.
Most draconic auras have a boost effect. As a swift action, you can spend some of your remaining draconic vitality (or DV) to improve the aura's effects temporarily. If you dismiss an aura, its boost's duration immediately ends and the boost effect is lost, even if you activate the aura again before the boost's duration would normally end. In the case of boosts that have a specific target, should the target cease being affected by the aura, the boost effect ends on that target just like you had dismissed the aura.
- Dragon Magic: Allies gain spell resistance equal to 5 plus your level plus twice your aura bonus. Allies can raise or lower their spell resistance without an action, even if it is not their turn, they are unable to act, or they are unaware.
Boost: You produce a dispelling effect within your aura. This functions similarly to the area dispelling form of a greater dispel magic spell, except that the area affected is that of your aura, and that your dispel check modifier is equal to your level plus twice your aura bonus (with no maximum).
Boost Cost: 20 DV
- Energy Surge: Allies deal additional energy damage on each damaging weapon attack equal to 1d4 per point of aura bonus. This damage can be either acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic, chosen when the aura is activated. You can change this selection as the same type of action as activating an aura.
Boost: Allies gain a bonus equal to half your aura bonus (rounded up) to the save DCs of their abilities that they use for 1 round per point of your aura bonus. This bonus only applies to effects that deal damage of this aura's chosen energy type or that have that descriptor.
Boost Cost: 15 DV
- Energy Shield: Melee attacks that hit allies cause the attacker to suffer 1d6 damage per point of aura bonus. This damage can be either acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic, chosen when the aura is activated. You can change this selection as the same type of action as activating an aura.
Boost: Allies gain a deflection bonus to Armor Class for 1 round per point of your aura bonus.
Boost Cost: 10 DV
- Frightful Presence: Allies gain a bonus equal to twice your aura bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate checks. Additionally, whenever you attack, charge, or fly overhead, all opponents within your aura are subject to this effect. A potentially affected creature that succeeds on a Will save remains immune to your Frightful Presence aura for 24 hours. On a failure, affected creatures become shaken for a number of rounds equal to your aura bonus. If the creature has fewer HD than your aura bonus, it instead is panicked for the same amount of time. This ability does not stack on subsequent rounds, but affected creatures are subject to a new Will save after you attack them, charge them, or fly above them following the end of this effect. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. The fear component of this aura counts as the frightful presence ability, and it always counts as being produced by a dragon, regardless of your type.
Boost: For 1 round per point of your aura bonus, opponents that are immune to this aura due to succeeding on their saving throws do not benefit from that immunity. Opponents within your aura that are already shaken as a result of failing their saving throw must make a separate Will save or be frightened for 1 round.
Boost Cost: 10 DV
- Fury: Allies gain a bonus on attack rolls and on weapon damage rolls. These bonuses only apply while attacking an opponent that attacked the ally in the past 1 round, or while the ally has half of its maximum hit points or less.
Boost: Allies can make an additional attack as part of a full attack, as per the haste spell. This effect lasts for 1 round per point of your aura bonus.
Boost Cost: 15 DV
- Grace: Attacks against allies suffer a 10% miss chance, plus 5% per point of aura bonus (maximum 50%). This does not apply to allies who are denied their Dex to AC.
Boost: Allies gain a dodge bonus to Armor Class for 1 round per point of your aura bonus.
Boost Cost: 10 DV
- Grandeur: Enemies within your aura must make a Will save or be fascinated by you for as long as they remain within your aura. Creatures that are threatened or engaged in combat are instead shaken, or panicked if they have fewer HD than your aura bonus. A successful saving throw grants immunity for 24 hours. This is a mind-affecting effect. If your aura bonus is at least +3, a successful save only grants immunity for 1 round. If your aura bonus is at least +4, the effect is no longer mind-affecting.
Boost: Choose an creature affected by this aura. It must make another Will save or else be more strongly influenced by your power. If the subject is fascinated, you can make a suggestion (as the spell), which lasts for up to 1 minute per point of your aura bonus. If the subject is not fascinated but is shaken, frightened, or panicked, it instead cowers for 1 round per point of your aura bonus. This is a mind-affecting effect (regardless of your aura bonus).
Boost Cost: 20 DV
- Indomitability: Allies gain a bonus on all saves.
Boost: All existing fear effects are suppressed upon affected allies. Allies are immune to new fear effects. This effect lasts for 1 round per point of your aura bonus.
Boost Cost: 10 DV
- Insight: Allies gain a bonus equal to twice your aura bonus on Decipher Script, Knowledge, Search, Sense Motive, and Spellcraft checks, and on saves against illusions and mind-affecting effects. Allies automatically gain a saving throw to recognize and disbelieve illusions the first time they come within 5 feet per point of aura bonus of one, as though they had interacted with it.
Boost: Allies gain the benefits of the true seeing spell for 1 round per point of your aura bonus.
Boost Cost: 20 DV
- Power: Allies gain a bonus on weapon damage rolls equal to 1d4 per point of aura bonus.
Boost: Allies gain a bonus to their caster and manifester levels for 1 round per point of your aura bonus.
Boost Cost: 15 DV
- Resistance: Allies gain resistance to acid, cold, electricity, fire, and sonic damage equal to five times your aura bonus.
Boost: Allies gain temporary immunity to all types of energy damage (acid, cold, electricity, fire, and sonic). When the aura absorbs a total amount of energy damage from among all allies affected, based on the amount of DV you spend, the boost ends. Unlike the protection from energy spell, this protection stacks with the energy resistance an affected creature has (including that granted by this aura itself); the amount of damage absorbed by the temporary immunity is calculated after energy resistances are applied. Boosting this aura again adds to the remaining absorption instead of replacing it. If a single attack deals more damage at once across multiple allies than there is remaining absorption, randomly determine the order in which it applies to each of them for the purpose of determining which allies gain the full benefit of the remaining absorption. This effect lasts for 1 hour per point of your aura bonus or until discharged.
Boost Cost: 1 DV per 1 damage absorbed
- Senses: Allies within the aura gain blindsense out to 5 feet per point of aura bonus and can see through nonmagical darkness within the aura. Allies gain a bonus equal to twice your aura bonus on initiative checks and on Listen and Spot checks.
Boost: Allies within the aura gain blindsight out to 5 feet per point of aura bonus for 1 round per point of your aura bonus.
Boost Cost: 10 DV
- Stamina: Allies gain a bonus to Armor Class and on all saving throws. These bonuses only apply while the ally has half of its maximum hit points or less, or while the ally is dazed, disabled, dying, frightened, nauseated, panicked, paralyzed, stable, stunned, or unconscious. Allies also gain a bonus to checks and rolls modified by the Endurance feat at all times.
Boost: Allies within the aura that were slain within the past 1 round are returned to life, stable, and at -1 hit points, as per the revivify spell. This has no effect upon allies that were not subject to this aura at the time that they were killed.
Boost Cost: 50 DV
- Strike: Allies gain a bonus on attack rolls.
Boost: Damage dealt by allies ignores the first 5 points of each type of damage reduction or energy resistance the defender has per point of aura bonus for 1 round per point of your aura bonus.
Boost Cost: 20 DV
- Swiftness: Allies gain a bonus to all movement speeds equal to 5 feet per point of aura bonus. Allies gain a bonus equal to twice your aura bonus on Balance, Climb, Survival, and Swim checks, and to their Armor Class against attack of opportunity. If your aura bonus is at least +3, the maneuverability category of any movement mode an ally possesses with a maneuverability category (such as fly or glide speeds) improves by 1 category, to a maximum of perfect.
Boost: Allies gain all movement modes that any other affected ally possesses for 1 round per point of your aura bonus.
Boost Cost: 10 DV
- Toughness: Allies gain a bonus equal to twice your aura bonus to any damage reduction they may have. Allies that do not already have it are treated as having DR 0/- before applying this aura's bonus.
Boost: Allies gain temporary immunity to all types of physical damage (bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing). When the aura absorbs a total amount of damage from among all allies affected, based on the amount of DV you spend, the boost ends. This protection stacks with the damage reduction an affected creature has (including that granted by this aura itself); the amount of damage absorbed by the temporary immunity is calculated after damage reduction is applied. Boosting this aura again adds to the remaining absorption instead of replacing it. If a single attack deals more damage at once across multiple allies than there is remaining absorption, randomly determine the order in which it applies to each of them for the purpose of determining which allies gain the full benefit of the remaining absorption. This effect lasts for 1 hour per point of your aura bonus or until discharged.
Boost Cost: 1 DV per 1 damage absorbed
- Vigor: Allies gain fast healing equal to twice your aura bonus. This fast healing cannot heal any creature above half its maximum hit points.
Boost: Each ally can make a second attempt to save against an ongoing effect affecting them against which they failed their initial saving throw. If an ally is affected by more than one ongoing effect, she chooses one of them to retry the save against. If the ally succeeds on the saving throw on the second attempt, the effect's effects are reduced to what the ally would have suffered had she succeeded on her initial saving throw. This effect never restores hit points, ability score damage, or other instantaneous effects, but it does eliminate any conditions and continuous effects that were directly caused by failing the initial save against the effect. If an effect doesn't allow a save (such as power word stun), then this effect won't help the ally recover.
Boost Cost: 15 DV
Breath Weapon (Su): At 1st level, you gain a breath weapon that you can use once per round as a standard action. Each time you use your breath weapon, you can choose whether it takes the form of a 15-foot cone or a 30-foot line. This breath weapon deals 1d6 points of damage of the type corresponding to your totem dragon, plus an additional 1d6 damage for every 2 class levels; a successful Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 your class level + your Con modifier) halves the damage. Additionally, whenever you use your breath weapon, you can spend some of your draconic vitality to improve its potency. For every 3 points of draconic vitality (or DV) that you spend, you add an additional 1d6 damage to it, to a maximum number of additional damage dice equal to half your class level, rounded up.
Some totem dragons specify additional characteristics about their breath weapon's damage, such as counting as a certain type of effect, being affected by damage reduction, or using a different saving throw. These characteristics apply only if your breath weapon deals its normal type of damage. Any effect that replaces the breath weapon's damage with another type entirely, such as with the
breath weapon substitution spell, also removes those additional characteristics.
You are immune to the effect of your own breath weapon (but not to other breath weapons that produce similar effects, even those of other dragon shamans).
At 10th level, your cone-shaped breath weapon's range doubles to 30 feet, and your line-shaped breath weapon's range doubles to 60 feet. At 20th level, these ranges double again, to 60 feet and 120 feet, respectively.
Dragontouched: At 1st level, you gain Dragontouched as a bonus feat, even if you don't qualify for it. This grants you the dragonblood subtype, 1 extra hit point, a +1 bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks, and a +1 bonus on saving throws against paralysis and sleep effects. In addition, you can select draconic feats as if you were a sorcerer of your character level.
Bonus Feats: At 2nd level, 7th level, and every 6 levels thereafter, you gain a bonus breath, metabreath, or draconic feat of your choice. You can also select the Dragon Wings feat, even though your character level is beyond 1st, or the Improved Dragon Wings, Reinforced Wings, and Heavyweight Wings feats.
Dilate Aura (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, the range of your auras increases by 30 feet (to a total of 90 feet). Their range increases by 30 feet again at each of 7th, 11th, and 16th level.
Draconic Adaptation: At 3rd level, you take on an aspect of your totem dragon. Some adaptations are extraordinary or supernatural abilities that are always active; others are spell-like abilities that you can activate at will. Spell-like abilities have a caster level equal to your class level and a save DC equal to 10 + spell level + Cha modifier. Psi-like abilities have a manifester level equal to your class level and a save DC equal to 10 + power level + Cha modifier. While most totems grant only a single adaptation, some totems grant multiple adaptations, as noted in their descriptions.
- Body Equilibrium (Su): You gain the benefits of the body equilibrium power, allowing you to adjust your body’s equilibrium to correspond with any solid or liquid that you stand on, and halving the damage you take from falling.
- Brilliance (Su): You can create a light as bright as a daylight spell in a cone-shaped emanation up to 60 feet long. Each round, you can turn the light in a new area. Activating or suppressing this ability is a standard action.
- Cloud Strider (Su): You can tread on clouds or fog as though on solid ground. Additionally, you fall slowly, as per the feather fall spell. Either or both of these effects can be suppressed or resumed as a free action.
- Desert Adaptation (Ex): You are constantly protected from extreme heat (although not extreme cold), as per the endure elements spell. You can walk across sandy surfaces without reducing your speed or making Balance checks. You can walk on the surface of even very loose sand or quicksand without sinking or breaking through. Further, you can go without drinking twice as long as normal (2 days plus a number of hours equal to twice your Constitution score, and making Con checks every 2 hours) and you need to drink only half as much water as normal (one gallon of water per two days as a medium creature).
- Disturbing Presence (Su): Your presence unnerves creatures within 30 feet of you. Intelligent creatures with an attitude of indifferent, friendly, or helpful will typically interact with you as if their attitude was one step worse. Creatures of animal intelligence (Intelligence scores of 1 or 2) will typically avoid trying to approach you without good reason; a mother bear will still move to defend her cubs or den, but a hunting wolf pack will usually try to find easier prey unless they are truly starving. Those that do get close are shaken while within this ability's range. Any creature exposed to this ability is allowed a Will save to negate its effects. The results of a saving throw stand for 5 minutes, even if the creature leaves your presence and returns or if you suppress and reactivate this ability. Activating or suppressing this ability is a standard action. This is a mind-affecting effect.
- Draining Breath (Su): When you spend draconic vitality (DV) to enhance your dragon shaman breath weapon, you can choose to add an energy drain to its effect instead of additional damage. When you use this ability, you do not add any extra damage dice due to spending DV. Instead, for every 2 additional damage dice you would have added, your breath weapon causes any creature damaged by it to gain 1 negative level. A successful save against the breath weapon also halves the number of negative levels gained. Negative levels gained this way last 1 hour. This is an energy drain effect.
- Ethereal Vision (Su): You can see across the boundaries between the Material and Ethereal planes. While on the Material Plane, you can see into the Ethereal Plane out to a distance of 60 feet. While on the Ethereal Plane, you can see into the Material Plane out to a distance of 60 feet without any of the normal visual distortions. Additionally, while on either the Material Plane or the Ethereal Plane, you can hear sounds from the other plane out to the same distance. You can always tell which of the two planes anything you see or hear this way is on.
- Icewalker (Ex): You are constantly protected from extreme cold (although not extreme heat), as per the endure elements spell. You can walk across icy surfaces without reducing your speed or making Balance checks. Further, you can cling to and walk upon sheer surfaces, as per the spider climb spell, as long as they are icy.
- Illusion Sense (Ex): You are entitled to a Will save to disbelieve an illusion as soon as you observe it for the first time. You are only entitled to one such disbelief save for mere observation the first time you observe any given disbelievable illusion, but you can still make additional saves if you study it closely or interact with it, as normal.
- Minor Change Shape (Su): As the changeling racial ability. You can alter your appearance as though using a disguise self spell that affects your body but not your possessions. This ability is not an illusory effect, but a minor physical alteration of your facial features, skin color and texture, and size, within the limits described for the spell. You can use this ability at will, and the alteration lasts until you change shape again. You revert to your natural form when killed. A true seeing spell reveals your natural form. When using this ability to create a disguise, you receive a +10 circumstance bonus on Disguise checks. Using this ability is a full-round action.
- Object Reading (Ps): As the power, usable at will.
- Planar Adaptation (Su): You are at ease on other planes. You can ignore the effects of most extraplanar environments, as per the avoid planar effects spell.
- Protected Sight (Ex): You cannot be dazzled or blinded by light effects or exposure to light.
- Retain Essence (Su): You gain a craft reserve, which is a pool of points that can be spent in place of experience points when crafting a magic item. If your dragon shaman level is greater than or equal to its caster level or if you are able to craft it, you can consume a magic item in a 24-hour ritual in order to add the XP spent to craft it to your craft reserve. Your craft reserve can store a maximum of 100 XP per dragon shaman level; any excess points are lost. Unlike an artificer's craft reserve, points in this reserve are not lost when you gain a level, but neither do you inherently gain any points in it. Additionally, you can produce a transference effect at will, as per the spell. You can use this to transfer XP stored in your craft reserve from this ability in addition to XP that you directly possess. If you share this draconic adaptation, other affected creatures do not gain a craft reserve. The XP from items that other creatures consume is also placed in your craft reserve, allowing you to use it even after you cease sharing the draconic adaptation with the ally.
- Spider Climb (Su): You can cling to and walk along sheer surfaces, as per the spider climb spell.
- Telepathy (Su): You can communicate telepathically with any other creature within 60 feet that has a language.
- Tongues (Su): You can speak and understand any language, as per the tongues spell.
- Treasure Seeker (Sp): You can use the detect magic and identify spells at will. You need not provide expensive material components for identify, but the casting time is the same as when cast as a spell.
- Ventriloquism (Sp): As the spell, usable at will. You can also use this spell-like ability to mimic any voice or sound you have heard. Listeners are automatically allowed a disbelief save to detect the ruse when you use it this way.
- Water Breathing (Ex): You can breathe underwater indefinitely and can freely use spells and other abilities underwater.
- Wild Boon (Su): You are constantly protected from extreme temperatures, as per the endure elements spell. Additionally, you can comprehend and communicate with animals, as per the speak with animals spell.
Draconic Resolve (Ex): At 4th level, you gain immunity to paralysis and sleep effects. You also become immune to the frightful presence of dragons.
Scales (Ex): As your devotion to your totem dragon grows, your skin thickens, developing faint scales. Beginning at 5th level, you gain a +2 natural armor bonus to your Armor Class. If you already have a natural armor bonus from other sources, instead increase your existing bonus by this amount. This bonus increases by 1 for every 6 levels beyond 5th level, for a total bonus of +4 at level 17.
Share Draconic Adaptation (Su): Beginning at 8th level, you can have any ally affected by your draconic auras also gain the effects of your draconic adaptation.
Totem Immunity (Ex): Beginning at 9th level, you become immune to your totem dragon's associated energy type. Some totems grant a different benefit instead of immunity to an energy type, as noted in their descriptions.
Extra Aura: At 12th level, you gain Extra Aura (draconic aura) as a bonus feat, allowing you to project one more draconic aura at once than normal (for a total of 2). You must activate or dismiss your auras separately.
Commune with Dragon Spirit (Sp): At 14th level, you gain the ability to contact your totem dragon directly to ask questions of it. This is the equivalent of casting a
commune spell, except that it has no material component, focus, or XP cost and allows only one question per three class levels. After using this ability, you cannot use it again for seven days.
Share Totem Immunity (Su): Beginning at 15th level, you can have any ally affected by your draconic auras also gain the effects of your totem immunity.
Draconic Longevity (Ex): At 16th level and onward, you no longer take penalties to your ability scores for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any such penalties that you have already taken, however, remain in place. Bonuses still accrue, and you still die of old age when your time is up. However, like your draconic patron, you become extraordinarily long-lived. Your maximum age is double normal.
Draconic Infusion (Su): When you reach 17th level, choose a single draconic aura you know and can project. Once selected, this cannot be changed. You continuously project that aura with a personal range; it affects you and only you at any and all times that you can project a draconic aura. Your ability to project this aura in this way is in addition to your normal ability to project draconic auras; it does not count against the number of draconic aura you can project at once. Further, you can still project this aura normally, counting against the number of draconic auras you can project at once but affecting more than just yourself like a normal aura. When you do so, you treat its aura bonus a +2 higher than normal with respect to yourself.
Dragonshape (Su): Beginning at 20th level, you can take on the full might of your totem dragon for a short while. You assume the form of a typical mature adult dragon of your totem dragon's type. Your type and subtype (if applicable) change to match the new form. You gain the Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores of the new form but retain your own Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. You also gain all special abilities possessed by the form (such as blindsense, breath weapon, crush, damage reduction, frightful presence, keen senses, spell resistance, tail sweep, and spell-like abilities) but do not gain the spellcasting or manifesting ability of your new form. Limitations on the use of abilities gained through this transformation remain regardless of how many times you switch between normal and draconic form.
You retain all supernatural and spell-like abilities of your normal form, except for those requiring a body part that the new form does not have, if any. You keep all extraordinary abilities derived from class levels, but you lose any benefits of the racial traits of your normal form. If you have a template, special abilities it provides are likewise not retained.
You acquire the physical qualities of the new form while retaining your own mind. Physical qualities include natural size, mundane movement capabilities (such as burrowing, climbing, walking, swimming, and flight with wings), natural armor bonus, natural weapons (such as claw, bite, wing, and tail slap attacks), racial bonuses on skill checks, racial bonus feats, and any anatomical qualities (presence or absence of wings, number of extremities, and so forth).
You can freely designate the new form’s minor physical qualities (such as scale color, scale texture, and eye color) within the normal ranges for a creature of that type. The new form’s significant physical qualities (such as height, weight, and gender) are also under your control, but they must fall within the norms for the new form’s species. You are effectively disguised as an average member of the new form’s race. If you use this ability to create a disguise, you get a +10 bonus on your Disguise check.
When the change occurs, your equipment either remains worn or held by the new form (if it is capable of wearing or holding the item in question) or melds into the new form and becomes nonfunctional. When you revert to your normal form, any objects previously melded into the new form reappear in the same location on your body they previously occupied and are once again functional. Any new items you wore in the assumed form and can’t wear in your normal form fall off and land at your feet; any that you could wear in either form or carry in a body part common to both forms (mouth, hands, or the like) at the time of reversion are still held in the same way. Any part of the body or piece of equipment that is separated from the whole reverts to its normal form.
While under this effect, your remaining draconic vitality directly bolsters your life force, functioning similarly to temporary hit points. Any damage you take is subtracted from your remaining draconic vitality before your normal hit points, but after temporary hit points. Just like real temporary hit points, you add your draconic vitality to your hit point total to determine the effects of hit point-dependent effects, such as nonlethal damage and
power word spells.
If you are slain while under the effect of this ability, you revert to your original form, though you remain dead.
You can activate this ability as a swift action and deactivate it as a free action. You must spend 5 DV each round that this ability remains in effect, starting when you activate it. If you cannot or choose not to, the effects end and the ability is deactivated. As long as you continue to spend draconic vitality, there is no limit to the amount of time you can spend in dragon form.
Ex-Dragon Shamans: If your alignment changes such that it is now inappropriate for your totem dragon, you temporarily lose access to your breath weapon, draconic adaptation, share draconic adaptation, totem immunity, share totem immunity, commune with dragon spirit, and dragonshape abilities. You regain the use of those abilities should your alignment change back to an appropriate alignment for your totem. Alternatively, you can change your totem dragon.
Changing Totem Dragons: While most dragon shamans remain devoted to a single totem dragon for the entirety of their careers, it is not unheard of for a shaman to change their spiritual inclinations. Through a process of ritual meditation and fasting lasting for 24 hours, you can select a new totem dragon. Your alignment must be appropriate for your new totem. The effects of your breath weapon, draconic adaptation, totem immunity, and dragonshape class features change in accordance with your new totem dragon. However, your additional class skills remain the same until you gain a new character level, at which point you must retrain (PHB2) any skill points that you have invested in your former dragon shaman class skills that are not granted by your new totem. Additionally, the spirit of your new totem dragon may ask a quest of you, one appropriate to your talents and abilities, to prove your new devotion. Failure to undertake the quest within a reasonable time frame (partially dependent on the importance and urgency of your current quests) will result of the revocation of your totem-granted abilities, as described under the ex-dragon shamans heading above. Dragon shamans who repeatedly change which totem dragon they are devoted to may find that the totem dragons' quests become more dangerous and petty as the spirits express their disdain for such fickle devotion.
Alternative Class FeaturesNote: Due to post size constraints, these have been moved to a separate post.
Change Log
4/4/2024: Typo fix.
9/6/2022: Added several ferrous (chromium, cobalt, iron, nickel, and tungsten), faerunian (brown, deep, rattlyr, song), planar (adamantine, arboreal, rust), and other (brainstealer) totem dragons. Sorted several totem dragons into new categories. Added rules for special breath weapon characteristics interacting with breath weapon damage type changing effects. Due to post size constraints, ACFs have been moved to a separate post.
8/6/2022: Added the ethereal, sand, and shadow totem dragons. Added protected sight to the draconic adaptations granted by the mercury totem dragon. Added the Vampiric Dragon Shaman ACF.
16/7/2017: Changed the wording of the Strike aura's boost effect to better communicate how the DR/resist ignoring effect is supposed to work. Completely reworked the Stamina aura's base effect.
6/7/2017: Changed the wording of the auras ability. Now more generally affects creatures, rather than specifically allies with enemies being an exception. Reworded the way certain states and situation dismiss and prevent you from projecting auras.
26/6/2017: Updated formatting regarding capitalization.
22/6/2017: Reposted in
Min Max Forum storm shelter.
26/6/2016: Swiftness draconic aura now adds a bonus to AC against AoOs and improves flight maneuverability at higher aura bonuses.
21/6/2016: Stamina draconic aura now grants an AC bonus at low hp and allows allies to remain alive at further negative hp. Icewalker draconic adaptation now also provides protection from extreme cold as per
endure elements.
19/6/2016: Draconic auras that gave bonuses to skills, to saves against specific, limited effects, and to other things that minor auras can boost equally effectively now do so at twice your aura bonus. Insight draconic aura now also gives automatic saves to disbelieve nearby illusions. Swiftness's boost now lasts for 1 round per point of your aura bonus rather than a fixed 1 round (missed it in an earlier pass).
7/3/2016: Explicitly stated that auras provide bonuses (and penalties) with a magnitude equal to your aura bonus.
6/3/2016: Added draconic longevity and draconic infusion class features. Added Grace, Grandeur, Fury, and Strike draconic auras. Adjusted the durations of most draconic aura boosts. Renamed Resolve aura to Indomitability.
30/11/2015: Added the ectoplasmic totem dragon. Replaced the silver and crystal totem dragons' feather fall adaptation with cloud strider. Replaced the brass totem dragon's endure elements adaptation with wild boon. Body equilibrium adaptation also provides the reduced falling damage component of the power. Icewalker adaptation also gives the white dragon's ice-based
spider climb effect, too.
29/11/2015: Added the obsidian totem dragon. Extra aura class feature now gives the Extra Aura feat as a bonus feat, which does the exact same thing. Clarified some wording in the dragonshape class feature. Aura mastery ACF now lets you project any number of draconic auras at once instead of +5. Fixed typos in the scales and dragonshape abilities.
29/7/2014: Templating change to the wording of Energy Shield aura and how you can change which energy type it applies to. It had wording from an earlier draft, referring to switching auras, rather than activating auras.
14/7/2014: Added the mercury, mist, and steel totem dragons. Correction in dragonshape so you aren't immune to damage when at 0 DV.
27/6/2014: Reordered dilate aura to the appropriate order in the list for the level it's gained at. Rewrote dragonshape with everything spelled out based on the simpler template of the
polymorph spell and the
metamorphosis power, rather than as a version of the
dragonshape spell loaded with exceptions and alterations to both the spell itself and the rules of the polymorph subschool. Clarified that dragon strike ACF's enhancement bonus and damage bonus for natural weapons are not just for the ones the ACF gives.
22/6/2014: Replaced aura mastery with dragonshape as the capstone. Aura mastery is now an ACF.
19/6/2014: Added Profession as a class skill.
18/6/2014: Added horizontal rules to better differentiate the different sections (class, ACFs, and change log).
14/6/2014: Corrected typos. Simplified the totem dragon alignment requirements, also removing TN from the available options for extreme alignment totems. Changed some incorrect wording about auras always being morale bonuses. Doubled the fast healing from Vigor aura. Wording tweak to Toughness aura to prevent DR stacking. Added the Dragon Magic aura.
29/5/2014: Prettied up the tables. Minor formatting changes and typo corrections.
28/5/2014: Frightful Presence aura's fear effect explicitly counts as the frightful presence ability and always counts as being from a dragon. Shifted the levels at which draconic auras 5 and 6 are gained. Added ACFs.
22/5/2014: First posted.