Dragoon, 3rd Variant (3.5e Class)

Spear in hand, a dragon’s fang shines in the peak of a mountain, then disappears high in the sun, only to strike down on an unlucky foe – this is a dragoon, a formidable friend to have, or a hated enemy for life. With his extraordinary jump ability, he strikes at those foolish enough to have challenged him.

Dragoon

“	I'm sure his Majesty has his reasons...	”
—Kain Highwind, Human Dragoon

The dragoon’s most powerful weapon is his ability to jump great heights and strike down with amazing precision. Dragoons almost never team up with other dragoons because they understand each others’ need to prove themselves, though the occasional comrades can be found.

Making a Dragoon

Abilities: Strength is important because of the dragoons’ role in combat. Constitution is also important to provide the dragoon with extra hit points needed in battles. Dexterity proves to be very useful because of the Superior Defense ability.

Races: Humans, with their ambitious souls make great dragoons. Half-elves, who often share their human lineage ambition, can also become dragoons. Elves, with their chaotic lifestyle, hardly follow the dragoons way, though the few elves who actually do it have proven to be very deadly. These elf dragoons usually choose tests that take them far from elven lands due to their opposite lifestyles. Quite a good number of dwarves become dragoons, mostly to bring pride to their clans and family. Halflings and gnomes are rarely dragoons, and the few who actually become one, usually stay near their communities to protect them. Few brutal humanoids are among its ranks.

Alignment: A dragoon’s training requires strict discipline. Only those with a lawful alignment are capable of undertaking it.

Starting Gold: 6d4 ×10 gp (150 gp).

Starting Age: As fighter.

Table: The Dragoon

Hit Die: d10

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+1	+2	+2	+0	Jump1
2nd	+2	+3	+3	+0	Bonus Feat
3rd	+3	+3	+3	+1
4th	+4	+4	+4	+1	Superior Defense I
5th	+5	+4	+4	+1	Bonus Feat
6th	+6/+1	+5	+5	+2	Dragon Talon
7th	+7/+2	+5	+5	+2
8th	+8/+3	+6	+6	+2	Bonus Feat
9th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+3
10th	+10/+5	+7	+7	+3	Superior Defense II
11th	+11/+6/+1	+7	+7	+3	Bonus Feat
12th	+12/+7/+2	+8	+8	+4
13th	+13/+8/+3	+8	+8	+4
14th	+14/+9/+4	+9	+9	+4	Bonus Feat
15th	+15/+10/+5	+9	+9	+5
16th	+16/+11/+6/+1	+10	+10	+5	Superior Defense III
17th	+17/+12/+7/+2	+10	+10	+5	Bonus Feat
18th	+18/+13/+8/+3	+11	+11	+6
19th	+19/+14/+9/+4	+11	+11	+6	Area Jump
20th	+20/+15/+10/+5	+12	+12	+6	Bonus Feat
1 See Table 1-2: Dragoon Jump for more information. Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level, × 4 at 1st level) The dragoon’s class skills (and key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Ride (Dex), Spot (Wis) and Swim (Str).

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the dragoon.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Dragoons are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor and with shields (except tower shields).

Jump (Ex): Starting at 1st level, once per day, a dragoon is able to do a Jump Attack as a full-round action, to produce a devastating blow to the opponent. Upon declaring the Jump attack, move your character up to the max jump distance allotted for your level according to Table 1-2: Dragoon Jump (this jump is Extraordinary and ignores normal jumping skill rolls) then make a normal attack roll. On a successful hit you deal normal damage plus bonus damage (again, according to Table 1-2: Dragoon Jump). A successful critical attack roll increases normal damage, not the bonus damage added by Jump. Special attack actions such as a sunder or trip cannot be performed during a Jump attack. A Jump attack may be used without a target to attack in order to avoid a normal jump skill roll. Maximum vertical height of Jump when considering clearing obstacles is one half of the max jump distance allotted for your level according to Table 1-2: Dragoon Jump.

Bonus Feats: At 2nd level a dragoon gains a combat oriented feat. The dragoon gains an additional feat at 5th level and every three dragoon levels thereafter. A dragoon must still meet all prerequisites for a bonus feat. These feats are in addition to the feat that every character gets every three levels. These bonus feats must be drawn from the feats noted as fighter bonus feats.

Superior Defense I, II, III (Ex): A dragoon learns special techniques to overcome their armor encumbrance as they train their Jump ability.

I - At 4th level the maximum dexterity bonus for any medium or heavy armor you wear, including mithral versions, is increased by 1. In addition the armor check penalty for any armor or shield the dragoon uses is reduced by 1 (to a minimum of 0).

II - At 10th level the increase to maximum dexterity bonus becomes 2 and the armor check penalty reduction becomes 2 (to a minimum of 0).

III - At 16th level the increase to maximum dexterity bonus becomes 3, armor check penalty reduction becomes 3, and the dragoon no longer reduces their movement when wearing medium or heavy armor. (They still reduce movement if carrying a medium or heavy load, however.) If you know the Spring Attack feat, your unimpeded movement allows you to use Spring Attack even while wearing heavy armor.

Dragon Talon (Ex): At 6th level, a dragoon can use a polearm with one hand and can attack adjacent foes within reach. This is because of the dragoon’s extensive practice in the use of polearm weapons.

Area Jump (Ex): At 19th level, a dragoon has developed a superior use of the Jump ability. This Area Jump follows normal area of effect rules, damaging any creature in the radius. Declare a Jump attack as an Area Jump using 2 of your normal daily uses of the ability and move your character as per Jump attack rules. Roll all weapon and Jump attack damage dice then deal half of the result, rounded down, to all creatures in a '15 radius. No attack roll is required. Creatures in the area of effect must make a reflex save, DC equal to the Dragoon's Base Attack Bonus + 10, taking half damage upon success.

Dragoon Jump

Table 1-2: The Dragoon Jump¹

Level	Times per Day	Max Distance to Target2	Extra Damage3
1st	1	10	'+1d6
2nd	1	10	'+1d6
3rd	1	10	'+2d6
4th	2	15	'+2d6
5th	2	15	'+3d6
6th	2	20	'+3d6
7th	3	20	'+4d6
8th	3	20	'+4d6
9th	3	25	'+5d6
10th	4	25	'+5d6
11th	4	30	'+6d6
12th	4	30	'+6d6
13th	5	30	'+7d6
14th	5	35	'+7d6
15th	5	35	'+8d6
16th	6	40	'+8d6
17th	6	40	'+9d6
18th	6	40	'+9d6
19th	7	45	'+10d6
20th	7	45	'+10d6
1 The distances jumped by the Dragoon in this manner are not determined as per the rules in the Player’s Handbook. Instead, the Dragoon automatically jumps the intended distances with no roll necessary. Spells like Haste or Jump do not affect the maximum distances a Dragoon may jump. Jump attack is a full round action that doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity and is considered an extraordinary ability. 2 Distance expressed in feet. 3 No Strength bonus is added to this extra damage. Should the dragoon score a critical hit on a Jump, this extra damage is not multiplied. Add +1d6 when using a polearm weapon.

Ex-Dragoons

A dragoon who ceases to be lawful cannot gain new levels as a dragoon but retains all dragoon abilities. Like a member of any other class, a dragoon may be a multiclass character, but multiclass dragoons face a special restriction. A dragoon who gains a level in any other class may never again raise his dragoon level, though he retains all his abilities. The path of the Dragoon requires a constant heart. If a character adopts this class, he must pursue it to the exclusion of all other careers. Once he has turned off the path, he may never return.

Epic Dragoon

Table: The Epic Dragoon

Hit Die: d10

Level	Special
21st	Epic Bonus Feat
22nd	Epic Jump
23rd
24th	Epic Bonus Feat
25th
26th	Epic Superior Defense
27th	Epic Bonus Feat
28th
29th	Epic Dragon Talon
30th	Epic Bonus Feat
2 + Int modifier skill points per level.

Epic Bonus Feats: The epic dragoon gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic fighter bonus feats) at 21st level and every 3 levels after.

Epic Jump (Ex): Starting at 22nd level the epic dragoon has mastered the jump attack, able to use it 8 times a day, leaping up to 50ft and dealing normal weapon damage +10d8 on a successful hit with an additional +1d8 damage when using a polearm.

Epic Superior Defense (Ex): At 26th level the epic dragoon masters special techniques to overcome their armor encumbrance. The increase to maximum dexterity bonus for any medium or heavy armor you wear, including mithral versions, is +5 and the epic dragoon’s mastery of heavy armor and shields allows them to reduce any armor check penalty for any armor or shield the dragoon uses by 5 (to a minimum of 0).

Epic Dragon Talon (Ex): At 29th level the epic dragoon has honed his skills with polearms to an unmatched degree. +2 to damage, attack, and to confirm a critical with polearms. Polearms in the hands of a dragoon have their base critical threat range expanded by 1 (20 goes to 19-20 goes to 18-20 etc.)

Human Dragoon Starting Package

Armor: Scale mail (+4 AC, armor check penalty -4, speed 20 ft., 30 lb.).

Weapons: Longspear (1d8, crit. ×3, 9 lb., two-handed, piercing).
Longsword (1d8, crit. 19-20/×2, 4 lb., one-handed, slashing).

Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to (2 + Int modifier × 4) + 4 bonus skill points (human).

Feat: Weapon Focus (Longspear).

Bonus Feat (Human): If Strength is 13 or higher, Power Attack; if Strength is 12 or lower, Improved Initiative instead.

Gear: Backpack with waterskin, one day’s trail rations, bedroll, sack, flint and steel.

Gold: 2d4 gp.

Campaign Information

Playing a Dragoon

Adventures: A dragoon sees an adventure as a personal test. While not prone to showing off, dragoons are willing to try their skills against whatever obstacles confront them. They eagerly seek whatever can help them develop their skills.

Background: The Order of Dragoons was originally formed to train elite warriors in special ways to slay dragons. However, the abilities learned within proved to be very effective in many ways, turning the Order into an organization spawning several academies teaching the path of the dragoons. A few elder dragoons have been known to teach its ways to a few selected individuals to high success.

Religion: A good dragoon typically follows Heironeous, while an evil dragoon follows Hextor. These are not the only deities, as followers of Kord and Pelor can also be found. Dwarven dragoons follow Moradin, and elven ones follow Corellon Larethian.

Other Classes: The dragoon excels in straight fight, but he relies on others for magical support and healing. However, if a whole troop of dragoons cooperate, magic won’t be of much need when the enemy is killed before it can react. Dragoons may not completely understand the ways of wizardry, or the workings of faith, but they recognize the value and the potential of teamwork.

Combat: In most adventuring parties, the dragoon serves as a melee combatant, attacking the enemy while his friends support him with magic or ranged attacks. His jumping ability can also provide support to other party members as well, and the respect given to him also gives leadership opportunities.

Dragoons in the World

“	Having your head in the clouds isn't always a bad thing.	”
—Anonymous Dragoon

Dragoons, for the most part, are solitary, focusing on their training. Those who do adventure often have a target in mind, seeking only their own improvement.

Daily Life: The vast majority of their time is spent in training or maintaining their armour and weapon.

NPC Reactions: Dragoons by nature are a mysterious bunch; most NPCs may have heard of them, but few will have seen them.

Dragoon Lore

Characters with ranks in Knowledge: History or Knowledge: Nobility can research Dragoons to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Knowledge: History or Knowledge: Nobility

DC	Result
10	Dragoons are melee combatants.
15	They favor spears.
20	They maintain mobility even while encumbered by armor.
25	They can leap through the air to strike opponents at range.

Dragoons in the Game

With their Jump ability, Dragoons can eliminate weaker targets quickly or help the party with stronger ones. They are often a secondary melee fighter; although impressive, their damage tends to be sporadic.

---

Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Classes → Base Classes