Races of the Dragon
- +2 Charisma, –2 Constitution. Spellscales are charming creatures who often neglect their physical bodies while pursuing intellectual or social interests.
- Medium: As Medium creatures, spellscales have no
special bonuses or penalties due to their size. - Spellscale base land speed is 30 feet.
- Low-Light Vision: A spellscale can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
- Humanoid (dragonblood): Spellscales are humanoids with the dragonblood subtype. For all effects related to race, a spellscale is considered a dragon.
- Blood Quickening: Each day, a spellscale can perform a draconic meditation to gain a benefi t. Variations of this meditation are described in the Blood-Quickening Meditations sidebar, below.
- Automatic Languages: Common and Draconic.
- Bonus
Languages: Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, and Halfling.
Favored Class: Sorcerer. A multiclass spellscale’s sorcerer class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.
Blood-Quickening Meditations
As part of his daily introspection, a spellscale focuses his mind with mental exercises for one hour, attuning him to benefits tied to one of the dragon deities. This blood-quickening meditation, as it is called, centers a spellscale’s mind on his sorcerous nature and enhances it by connecting it to a draconic divinity.
- Each day, a spellscale chooses one meditation to perform and can gain no other benefits from another meditation until the next day.
- The benefits of the performed meditation last for 24 hours.
- Meditations that grant a bonus on a check provide a racial bonus equal to half the spellscale’s character level.
- Feats gained are temporary but otherwise treated as if the spellscale had taken the feat, except that having the feat in question doesn’t count for the purpose of meeting any requirements or prerequisites.
The meditations are individualized according to the dragon
deity and to suit the particular spellscale. Each spellscale
performs the blood-quickening meditation differently each
time—the important thing to the spellscale is to sharpen his
wits and focus his power. The meditation need not be a solitary
exercise. Sometimes a spellscale involves members of his
household or other companions in these mental calisthenics.
Most spellscales try to perform each different meditation at
least once every year.
Aasterinian: When a spellscale focuses on this whimsical deity’s trickery, originality, and quick thinking, he gains a bonus on Disguise checks and the use of the Improved Counterspell feat three times on that day.
Sample Meditations: A spellscale tries to sneak into a library of arcane lore. Another spellscale endeavors to figure out a new way to use his silent image spell.
Astilabor: Focusing on the Hoardmistress brings about a sharpened perception of the value of things. The spellscale gains a bonus on Appraise checks and has unlimited use of the Eschew Materials feat for the day.
Sample Meditations: To honor Astilabor, one spellscale goes through all his gear, evaluating its quality. Another adds up all the treasures he and his party have acquired over the past month.
Bahamut: Meditating upon the King of the Good Dragons enhances a spellscale’s ability to oppose evil creatures. When he casts a spell, he can choose any creature targeted by or within the area of that spell. If the selected creature is evil, the spell deals 2d6 points of damage to it in addition to the spell’s normal effects. A spellscale can use this ability three times on the day this meditation is performed.
Sample Meditations: One spellscale chooses to spend an hour with his dragonborn friend, asking her what it was like to be called by Bahamut. Another contemplates the differences between the various metallic dragons.
Chronepsis: Meditation upon the Silent imbues a spellscale with a bonus on Listen checks and the use of the Silent Spell feat for the day.
Sample Meditations: One spellscale spends an hour of meditation in silence. Another contemplates how difficult it must be for the Watcher to merely observe without ever interfering.
Falazure: Focusing upon the Night Dragon attunes a spellscale to the immensity and power of death. He can treat all inflict spells as being on his spell list for the purpose of using spell completion and spell trigger magic items on that day.
Sample Meditations: Cutting an apple and watching it brown and decay for an hour is how one spellscale honors Falazure. Another regales the other patrons at an inn with the tale of his encounter with a ghostly dragon.
Garyx: Considering the power of the All-Destroyer evokes ways in which to broaden the power of spells, especially the destructive kind. A spellscale who performs the meditation of Garyx can use the Widen Spell feat twice on that day.
Sample Meditations: One spellscale creates a beautiful, calligraphic interpretation of Garyx’s name and holds the corner of the paper as he slowly lets it burn to ash. Another contemplates the howling winds of Pandemonium and wonders if they drove Garyx mad.
Hlal: When a spellscale performs the meditation of Hlal, he revels in the expansiveness of life and indulges in a grand, hyperbolic consideration of existence and magic. He gains a bonus on Perform (storytelling) checks and the use of the Heighten Spell feat three times on that day.
Sample Meditations: The most customary meditation involves rehearsing or telling a story, especially a funny one. A spellscale in a more serious mood might contemplate what restraints he has on his life and how he might remove them.
Io: A spellscale who considers the role of the Great Eternal Wheel in the multiverse acquires insight into the workings of magic. He gains a bonus on Spellcraft checks and the use of the Empower Spell feat three times on that day.
Sample Meditations: The multicolored and metallic disk that is the holy symbol of Io is an ideal meditation tool. Its colors change and shift slightly in different lights and at diverse angles. Many spellscales spend their meditation hour staring at the disk as they slowly rotate it.
Another common meditation is for a spellscale to wonder if he has ever met Io, since the Swallower of Shades can appear as any sort of draconic creature. The spellscale considers all the dragons or dragonblood creatures he has ever encountered.
Lendys: Contemplating the Scales of Justice requires a stillness of mind and body. A spellscale who does so gains a bonus on Concentration checks and the use of the Still Spell feat for the day.
Sample Meditations: Spellscales usually discipline their bodies when honoring Lendys, sitting still for a time or performing slow, gentle exercises. Another method is to use a balance scale and measure out two different materials, trying to get them to balance, such as a gold coin on one side and a bouquet of flowers on the other.
Tamara: Meditating about Her Mercy renders a spellscale better able to sustain life and thwart death. He treats all cure spells as being on his spell list for the purpose of using spell completion and spell trigger magic items on that day.
Sample Meditations: During a meditation devoted to Her Mercy, a spellscale often creates a plan of self-improvement. Alternatively, he might visit an infirmary and tend the sick.
Tiamat: Focusing on the Creator of Evil Dragonkind enhances a spellscale’s ability to oppose good creatures. When he casts a spell, he can choose any creature targeted by or within the area of that spell. If the selected creature is good, the spell deals 2d6 points of damage to it in addition to the spell’s normal effects. A spellscale can use this ability three times on the day this meditation is performed.
Sample Meditations: Contemplating Tiamat might include admiring the quantity and diversity of her spawn. Another approach is to create or further some subtle, evil plot.