Dragonfire Champion (3.5e Prestige Class)
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Dragonfire Champion
“ | SMITE EVIL! | ” |
—Okima Zakami, Human Monk/Paladin, OotS 200 |
Dragonfire Champion are paladins of draconic deities who infuse their powerful breath weapons with their divine smite evil ability. Their abilities allow much more frequent and powerful smites
Becoming a Dragonfire Champion
The Dragonfire Champion's class features are all focused around smiting. Not only do they gain a generous number of smites per day compared to a paladin, but each smite is many times more powerful.
Alignment: | Any Good. |
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Patron: | Must worship Bahamut, Hlal, or another Good draconic deity |
Special: | Must have a Breath Weapon and Lesser Invocations. |
Level | Base Attack Bonus |
Saving Throws | Special | Invocations | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Fort | Ref | Will | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1st | +1 | +2 | +0 | +2 | Smite Evil +1/day, Breath Weapon | +1 of existing invoking class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2nd | +2 | +3 | +0 | +3 | Smiting Power | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3rd | +3 | +3 | +1 | +3 | +1 of existing invoking class | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4th | +4 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Smite Evil +2/day, Smiting Power | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
5th | +5 | +4 | +1 | +4 | +1 of existing invoking class | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
6th | +6 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Smiting Power | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
7th | +7 | +5 | +2 | +5 | +1 of existing invoking class | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
8th | +8 | +6 | +2 | +6 | Smite Evil +3/day, Smiting Power | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
9th | +9 | +6 | +3 | +6 | +1 of existing invoking class | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
10th | +10 | +7 | +3 | +7 | Smiting Power | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
11th | +11 | +7 | +3 | +7 | +1 of existing invoking class | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
12th | +12 | +8 | +4 | +8 | Smite Evil +4/day, Smiting Power, Double Smite Power, Divine Breath | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class Skills (<-skill points-> + Int modifier per level) |
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Dragonfire Champion.
Breath Weapon (Su): Dragonfire Champions continue to gain breath weapon damage and breath effects, as if progressing in Dragonfire Adept.
Invocations (Su): Dragonfire Champions continue to gain Invocations, albeit at a reduced rate. +1 Invocation level at every odd level.
Smite Evil (Su): Once per day, a Dragonfire Champion may attempt to smite evil with one use of her Breath Weapon. She adds her Charisma bonus (if any) to the DC of the saving throw and deals 1 extra point of damage per Dragonfire Champion level. Creatures caught in the breath weapon attack that make their save still take smite damage. If the Dragonfire Champion accidentally smites a creature that is not evil, the smite has no effect, but the ability is still used up for that day. This stacks with any pre-existing Smite ability, adding damage bonuses and uses.
At each level after 1st, the Dragonfire Champion gains an additional smite evil use per day at every even level.
Smiting Power(Su): When a Dragonfire Champion Smites Evil, she can imbue the smite with extra powers. This costs additional Smite attempts, usually one. She starts knowing three of these, then learns one of these every other level, to a total of seven at 9th level. Any time a Dragonfire Champion learns a new power, she can also exchange one known power for a different available power. Some powers have a required Dragonfire Champion level.
- Empower Smite (Su): When you use this power, your smite deals an extra 1 damage per class level. This costs one extra smiting attempt.
- Blinding Smite (Su): When you use this power, anyone damaged by your Smite must make a fortitude save or be Blinded for 1d4+1 rounds. On a successful save or a missed attack, they are Dazzled for 1d4+1 rounds instead. This costs one extra smiting attempt.
- Elemental Smite (Su): When you use this power, your smite's extra damage is converted to an element of your choice. In addition, you take no reductions for smiting nonevil enemies. This costs one extra smiting attempt. *Slowing Smite (Su): When you use this power, anyone damaged by your Smite must make a fortitude save or be Slowed for 1d4+1 rounds. This costs one extra smiting attempt.
- Exhausting Smite (Su): When you use this power, anyone damaged by your Smite must make a fortitude save or be Exhausted for 1d4+1 rounds. On a successful save, they are Fatigued for 1d4+1 round instead.
- Confusing Smite (Su): When you use this power, any target of your Smite must make a Will Save or be Confused for 1d4+1 rounds. This costs one extra smiting attempt. Minimum class level 3.
- Fearsome Smite (Su): When you use this power, anyone damaged by your Smite must make a Will save or be Panicked for 10 minutes. On a successful save or a missed Smite, the target is Shaken for 1d4+1 rounds. This costs one extra smiting attempt. Minimum class level 3.
- Stunning Smite (Su): When you use this power, anyone damaged by your Smite must make a fortitude save or be Stunned for 1d4+1 rounds. On a successful save or a missed attack, they are Staggered for 1 round instead. This costs one extra smiting attempt. Minimum Level 3.
- Minor Smite (Su): When you use this power, your smite requires a full-round action and has half the bonus to damage and saves, but costs one less smite attempt. Minimum level 3.
- Destructive Smite (Su): When you use this power, any enemy you hit must make a fortitude save or take 1d6 damage per Dragonfire Champion level. If any enemy drops to negative hit points from this attack, they are Disintegrated, as the spell. In addition, you can use this ability to destroy a 10 foot cube of nonliving matter. This costs two extra smiting attempts. Minimum Level 5.
- Extend Smite(Su):' As a free action, you may spend a daily use of Smite Evil to turn all attacks you make against eligible targets for 2 rounds. This extends an extra round for every 2 levels of Dragonfire Champion after 3rd, to a maximum of 5 rounds at 9th level. This costs two extra smiting attempts. Minimum Level 5.
- Earth Shaking Smite (Su): When you use this power, anyone damaged by your smite must make a fortitude save or be stunned for 1d4+1 rounds, and any ground within 30 feet is shaken, halving speed and forcing a DC 10 Balance check to avoid falling prone. This costs two extra smiting attempts. Minimum Level 5.
- Enervating Smite (Su): When you use this power, anyone damaged by your smite also gains 2 negative levels, Fortitude negates. This costs two extra smiting attempts. Minimum Level 7.
- Death Smite (Su): When you use this power, anyone damaged by your smite must make a Fortitude save (DC standard-10) or instantly die. On a successful save, the attack deals 5d6 (non-smite) damage. This costs two extra smiting attempts. Minimum Level 9.
Divine Breath(Su): At 12th level, a Dragonfire Champion's god has blessed their trials and feats. Her breath weapon now deals half of its damage as positive energy and half as has so much latent power that any attack she makes has some amount of divine energy behind it. The Dragonfire Champion gets half her Charisma modifier to Breath Weapon DC and Breath Weapon damage.
Double Smite Power(Su): At 12th level, a Dragonfire Champion can activate two powers on a single smite.
Campaign Information
Playing a Dragonfire Champion
Combat: Dragonfire Champions use their Smite Powers to debilitate and destroy their enemies. They have reasonable defensive capabilities, but mostly focus on dealing damage, especially against single, large enemies.
Advancement: Dragonfire Champions tend to be paladins who decide to focus on melee combat. Levels in martial classes like Fighter or Warblade or classes that enhance smiting capabilities work well as multiclass options for Dragonfire Champion.
Resources: Dragonfire Champions have most of the same resources as paladins. They have divine connections and know other clergy, and can expect help from them. In addition, many serve a ruler, and can expect some support from them.
Dragonfire Champions in the World
“ | Orcs? What Orcs? | ” |
Dragonfire Champions tend to be combative and self-righteous, used to fighting, winning and being cheered on for it. They can often be pompous or abrasive, and will often start unnecessary fights. However, most genuinely wish for the good of the world, and as such some can be caring and kind.
NPC Reactions: Most NPC's will welcome a Dragonfire Champion's services in fighting evil, even overlooking questionably provoked combat. However, if they overstep their bounds, NPC's might start getting irritated or angry with a Dragonfire Champion, possibly firing or exiling them after a nasty, unneeded fight.
Dragonfire Champion Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (Religion) can research Dragonfire Champions to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.
DC | Result |
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11 | Dragonfire Champions are divine servants with enhanced martial abilities. |
16 | Dragonfire Champions have enhanced smites, with a variety of different afflictions attatched. |
21 | Dragonfire Champions can smite even nonevil enemies, albeit to a lowered effect. |
26 | Powerful Dragonfire Champions have so much strength they are constantly emitting divine power, and can cause mass mayhem. |
Dragonfire Champions in the Game
Dragonfire Champions take much the same role as Paladins in a game. PC's might take the class to be a righteous warrior, perhaps fed up with lawful restrictions of the Paladin or not needing their support abilities. An NPC might be a dire foe for an evil party, or a helpful ally for a good one.
Adaptation: Perhaps in your campaign, not every devout warrior has innate spellcasting ability. Maybe that result, instead of being devout fighters, would be this class. In any case, Dragonfire Champions can take the role of a paladin in most any campaign. Be sure to adjust for the fact that they tend to be better for fighting single enemies.
Sample Encounter: <-DM placement for NPC of this class->
EL whatever: <-Encounter scenario and character info on sample NPC including stat block. The CR of the NPC is typically the same as the EL for the encounter->
Credit to Ziegander on GiTP forums for some of the Smiting Powers.
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