Dragonlance Evolved

D&D 3e (3.0/3.5) Rules

by Epoch

Dragonlance Evolved

A recent poll asked which variant player's handbook respondents would use to run a Dragonlance game. In light of this, I think a submission pertaining to one of my favorite books, Arcana Evolved (or AE), and using it in Dragonlance is in order.

For me, there are 4 things to consider when thinking about using AE in DL:

I. The New Races (including racial and evolved levels)
II. The New Classes
III. Magic
IV. Existing Prestige Classes

The nice thing about AE is that it's so close to D&D rules (still uses the d20 rules for skills, combat and such) that once you have these issues sorted out to your satisfaction, you're basically ready to go. I'll start with races as there's quite a bit to consider here.

I. The New Races

Arcana Evolved presents several new PC races. Certainly we don't want to leave the established races out, but where do these new races fit? Some of them: faen, litorians, sibeccai, and verrik, can be inserted into the setting without too much trouble. The remaining ones: dracha, giant and mojh, require a bit more consideration. The main stumbling block is that there are already similar races in the setting: draconians are similar to both dracha and mojh. Giants bear strong resemblance to irda and certain other types of giants. Where and how do we bring these guys in?

The simplest way is of course, to not bring them in. Fine! Plenty of options remain to choose from. Personally I don't use the giants or plan on it anytime soon.

A more involved way is to think of how to integrate them alongside their similar counterparts. Were the dracha an earlier draft of the draconians, made after the traag but before the other types? Are the mojh something that happens when a draconian creation ritual goes wrong? Or worse, are mojh created when one subjects himself (instead of dragon eggs) to the draconian creation process? Were giants a product of the Greygem, where humans grew taller instead of shorter (as the dwarves did?) Whatever the case, as long as the explanation is plausible, it should work out just fine.

A popular feature of AE is the racial and evolved levels. Racial levels improve the character's natural racial characteristics. Evolved levels are derived from the concept that magical intervention is used to take the racial characteristics even further. How would this work in a Dragonlance game? The most fitting way to use it in an Age of Mortals campaign is that the evolution process is offered by the dragon overlords (which is also in keeping with the way evolution is presented in AE). The process could be offered by other powerful dragons, but typically after a great deed or favor has been done on the dragon's behalf.

And now the part you've been waiting for: evolved levels for Dragonlance races. Racial levels for the Player's Handbook races and several Dragonlance-specific races have been published previously (1,2). The evolved levels here will pick up where the racial levels left off, which is why they are numbered 4,5, and 6 (one must take the 3 racial levels before taking evolved levels, unless the character is human).

The evolved dwarf

HD: d8 (recommend lowering hit die from d10 to d8 to keep it balanced with other racial levels).
Skill points: (class skills same as racial level class skills): 2 + Int modifier.
Attack bonus: +1/level
Saves: good Fort, bad Ref and Will
4th level: greater darkvision (improves to 120 feet), +1 constitution
5th level: improved stability (+4 bonus to grapple checks)
6th level: improved stonecunning (+2 bonus to search checks to notice unusual stonework), +1 constitution

The evolved gully dwarf

HD: d8 (sorry Dragonhelm but I think d8 is a little more appropriate)
Skill points: 2 + Int modifier.
Attack bonus: +3/4 levels (as cleric, rogue, akashic, mage blade et al.)
Saves: Good Ref, bad Fort and Will
4th level: sturdy (bonus feat, in Arcana Evolved), +1 dexterity
5th level: heightened survival instincts (+2 to hide, move silently and survival), +1 constitution
6th level: +1 dexterity, +1 constitution

The evolved elf

HD: d8
Skill points: 2 + Int modifier.
Attack bonus: +3/4 levels
Saves: good Ref, bad Fort and Will
4th: True elvensight (improves darkvision to 60 feet), +1 intelligence, +1 level of existing spellcasting class
5th: elven grace (+10 to base ground speed, +2 to balance and tumble checks), +1 dexterity, +1 level of existing spellcasting class
6th: +1 dexterity, +1 intelligence, +1 level of existing spellcasting class.

The evolved Kagonesti elf

HD: d8
Attack bonus: +1/level
saves: good Fort and Ref, bad Will
4th: true elvensight, +1 dexterity
5th: greater call of the wild (+2 to knowledge (nature and survival)
6th: +1 dexterity

The evolved gnome

HD: d6
Skill points: 4 + Int modifier.
Attack bonus: +3/4 levels
Saves: good Ref and Will, bad Fort
4th: sage gnome (+2 to all knowledge checks), +1 dexterity
5th: life quest resolve (+1 racial bonus to will saves)
6th: skilled gnome (+2 to all profession checks), +1 dexterity

The evolved half-elf

HD: d8
Skill points: 4 + Int modifier.
Attack bonus: +3/4 levels
Saves: good Ref, intermediate Fort and Will
4th: bonus feat, +1 to ability score of player's choice, +1 level of existing spellcasting class
5th: true elvensight (improves darkvision to 60 feet), +1 level of existing spellcasting class
6th: true elven vision (+1 to listen, search and spot) +1 to ability scores of player's choice, +1 level of existing spellcasting class

The evolved kender

HD: d6
Skill points: 4 + Int modifier.
Attack bonus: +3/4 levels
Saves: good Ref, bad Fort and Will
4th: improved taunt (bonus feat), +1 dexterity
5th: sticky fingers (+2 bonus to open lock and sleight of hand), +1 level of existing spellcasting class
6th: +1 bonus on all saving throws, +1 dexterity

The evolved minotaur

HD: d8
Skill points: 2 + Int modifier.
Attack bonus: +1/level
Saves: good Fort, bad Ref and Will
4th: improved bull rush (bonus feat), +1 strength
5th: +1 damage on gore attacks, +1 natural armor bonus
6th: gore attack improves to 1d8, +1 constitution

II. The New Classes

Classes in Arcana Evolved are built to suit many different fantasy archetypes under a single class. As such, they can fulfill many of the iconic Dragonlance campaign character images easily. Here are some brief guidelines for how each class may fit a different role.

The Akashic most easily fits the idea of a rogue, with is wide skill access and sneak attack capability. Any character that lives by his wits can use the akashic as a base class. The flavor of the collective memory ability can be reworked as desired, to resemble more of the D&D bard's bardic knowledge ability in theme.

The champion is a great base class for the many knightly and military orders in the setting. It can represent a noble Knight of Solamnia or a nefarious Knight of Neraka depending on which cause the character champions.

The greenbond can represent a true cleric during the times when the gods are present. During times when the deities are absent this classes' healing abilities may be problematic. It's easiest, during such time periods, to rework the greenbond's healing abilities as use of herbs and medicines rather than infusing with positive energy. The greenbond's spells would be barred in such time, as explained in the next section.

The mage blade, because of the rules of the Orders of High Sorcery forbidding weapons, works better as a divine spellcaster. Such a character would have his spells barred in times when the gods are absent (see next section), but a multiclassed, dagger wielding mage blade shouldn't draw much ire from the conclave.

The magister fits the bill of the iconic Wizard of High Sorcery. He is primarily an arcane caster, which will restrict his access to positive energy spells, as will be explained later.

Oathsworn can fulfill any one of a number of nonspellcasting religious orders, such as monks of Majere or nontraditional warriors in service of Kiri-Jolith.

Runethanes are another type of arcane spellcaster. Their tradition is somewhat different than the magister, as they have greater weapons training, more skills, and specialized runes at the expense of some higher-level spells. Still, they coexist peacefully (or perhaps not) with magisters in the Orders of High Sorcery (or make excellent renegade mages or wild sorcerers).

Totem warriors are a good class to represent fighters who are more in tune with nature than others, such as Tanis or Riverwind.

Unfettered can represent rogue-type characters with more skill at weaponry and defense at the cost of the wider skill points and skill selection of an akashic or typical D&D rogue.

Warmains are unmatched at skill at arms and armor usage. They can represent a noble Knight of the Crown or an unsavory mercenary in the ranks of the Dragonarmies.

Witches, despite the arcane magic connotation, are more specialized forms of divine magic users. The existing witch types can fit into the clergy of several deities, and new types of witches can be made to fit into other clergy.

III. Magic of Krynn

In the world of Krynn, not all spellcasters draw their power from the same source. The power behind a runethane's sorcerous blast can be very different from that of a wind witch. Magic is grouped, therefore, into two categories: sorcery and faith magic.

Arcane magic

Arcane magic is defined as any magic fueled by the caster's mental power, as defined by the intelligence ability. Any spellcaster that uses intelligence to determine his spellcasting ability is considered an arcane magic user (including magisters, runethanes, or any multiclassed spellcaster who has chosen intelligence as their key spellcasting ability). Arcane magic itself is divided into two categories: High Sorcery and Primal Sorcery. Primal Sorcery is only available in the Age of Mortals.

Upon taking a level in magister or runethane (or multiclassing and changing your key spellcasting ability to intelligence), a character must choose between one of the two feats: focused mage (for High Sorcery) and wild mage (for Primal Sorcery). The character need not go through the ceremony or pay for it for either of the feats. Further, all spells with the positive energy descriptor are considered exotic spells for either type of arcane magic user (some High Sorcerers, and even some wild sorcerers of late, have managed to learn an odd healing ability here and there throughout the years, which allows items like rings of healing to be made, but these are very rare). Wild mage works as described in Monte Cook's Arcana Unearthed/Evolved, except that the player must always roll to see whether the heightened or diminished effect applies. Focused mage works as described below:

Focused Mage [Ceremonial]
In an all-night ceremony when at least two of the moons are at High Sanction, you become attuned to the moons and gain (or lose) power based on their phases.

Prerequisites: spellcaster level 1st, intelligence as key spellcasting ability
Benefits: On nights when two moons are at High Sanction, you cast all spells at +1 caster level. On a Night of the Eye, all spells you cast are at +2 caster level.
Drawbacks: On nights when all 3 moons are at low sanction, you cast spells at -1 caster level.
Option: you can declare a particular affinity for one of the 3 moons and that the benefits only work when that moon is in High Sanction with one of the others.

Divine Magic

Divine magic is magic powered by the spellcaster's soul, as defined by either the wisdom or charisma abilities. Greenbonds, mage blades, and witches are therefore considered divine magic users, as are spellcasters who multiclass and choose either wisdom or charisma as their key spellcasting ability. As with arcane magic, divine magic is divided into two varieties: faith magic (wielded by priests of the true gods) and wild magic. Like magisters and runethanes, greenbonds, mage blades and witches receive a bonus feat at 1st level. However, this feat is either priest or wild mage. Wild divine magic, commonly known as mysticism, is only available in the Age of Mortals.

IV. Existing Prestige Classes

Several of the prestige classes, namely the Knights of Solamnia and Neraka, and the Wizard of High Sorcery, require special attention.

1. The question whether to keep smite good/smite evil depends on if you use alignment. If you use alignment, keep it as is. If not, then replace it with a different ability (the champion's heartening cry is an excellent choice).

2. Turning undead is an ability that no Arcana Evolved character class has. Unless the character has levels in a D&D class that has turn undead, replace this ability with a bonus ceremonial feat.

3. School specialization is not appropriate for AE spellcasters, as the AE magic system is not balanced by school (the number of transmutation spells outnumbers the number of illusion spells by nearly 10:1). You can ignore the specialization requirements altogether, or give benefits based on elements or energies instead. Suggested element and energy affinities are as follows:

Elements

White robes: water
Red robes: air
Black robes: earth

Energies

White robes: electricity
Red robes: sonic
Black robes: cold

To gain the enhanced specialization benefit, the character must have the appropriate elemental or energy mage feat. He casts his spells at +1 caster level and with an additional +1 to the saving throw DC. However, he is barred from using one of the other orders' elements or energies.

V. End notes

1. Racial levels for PHB races were published at Monte Cook's site: http://www.montecook.com/images/Racial_levels.pdf

2. Racial levels for Dragonlance-specific races were published in issue 6 of the Tobril fan newsmagazine: http://www.tobrilmagazine.com/files/tobril/Tobril_0311_6.zip

This item has been published here with permission from the author(s) and may not be reproduced without permission. This is a fan submission and its contents are completely unofficial. Some characters, places, likenesses and other names may be copyright Wizards of the Coast.