Slayer Mage (Character Kit)

__NOTOC__
==Slayer Mage==
The slayer mage is a wizard trained to battle dragons. A slayer mage often works in conjunction with a dragon slayer. In the Council Q/ Wyrms setting, these holy wizards share the same beliefs as their warrior counterparts. In other campaign worlds, they share a similar type of training and a desire to defend humanity from evil dragons. 
Requirements: To use this kit, a human wizard needs the following minimum ability scores: Strength 11, Dexterity 12, and Intelligence 14. 
Role: Slayer mages wear cloaks of dragon scales with hoods crafted from dragon skulls. They carry spell components derived from dragon parts. They wield staves of dragon bone and daggers with blades of sharpened dragon teeth. They learn to use their magic to best effect against dragons, and obsessively study their foes so that they know them as well as they know themselves. 
Slayer mages are dedicated to destroying dragonkind, though they also have a powerful fascination for these creatures. In nondragon PC settings, the slayer mage's cause focuses on evil (or oppositely aligned) dragons. In these settings, slayer mages may actually join forces with dragons of their own alignment. They do this because they have great respect and admiration for these creatures. They wish to learn more about the dragons, and about the way they view and use arcane energy. 
No one knows more about dragonkind than slayer mages. Even dragon slayers only know those things necessary to battle the wyrms. Slayer mages seek to understand the whole picture of dragonkind, for they use this knowledge not only to cast spells, but to find better ways to live their own lives through the examples of dragons. To the slayer mage, dragonkind is the ultimate level of existence. However, dragons themselves have squandered their gifts and used them poorly (as the mages see it). It is the hope of a slayer mage to discover how to gain these gifts for humanity through natural and arcane means. 
Weapon proficiencies: The traditional weapons of a slayer mage are the quarterstaff, dagger, and staff sling. These weapons are usually constructed in part or completely from the remains of a dragon. If a slayer mage chooses a dragon attack form at 3rd level, he can purchase attack—form specialization at 6th level (using up the weapon proficiency slot gained with the advancement). This allows a slayer mage to learn one additional attack form at 6th level. 
Nonweapon proficiencies: The proficiencies suggested for slayer mages are as follows:
* Bonus proficiencies: Dragon Lore, Spellcraft;
* Required proficiencies: Reading/Writing;
* Recommended proficiencies, general: any;
* Recommended proficiencies, wizard: Ancient History, Gem Cutting;
* Recommended proficiencies, warrior: Survival, Tracking;
* Recommended proficiencies, rogue: Appraising, Gaming;
* Recommended proficiencies, priest: none. 
Equipment: Slayer mages can use any weapons and equipment normally available to wizard characters, though they pref er items that have some connection to dragons: weapons made in whole or in part from dragon remains, clothing and boots from dragon hide, etc. 
Slayer mages start play with a spellbook of dragon-skin parchment pages bound in cured dragon hide, and enough spell components made from dragon remains to cast each of their first-level spells 12 times. 
The cloak of dragon scales presented to every newly created slayer mage provides a + 1 armor class bonus due to its excellent crafting and impervious material. When the slayer mage reaches 3rd level, this cloak becomes enchanted due to a long-standing pact made with Io's avatar (or whatever agency exists in the DM's campaign setting). It endows an additional + 1 armor class bonus against attacks from dragons. Slayer mages can perform special quests every level to increase the enchantment of the dragon cloaks. In no case will the enchantment increase by more than + 1 during a level, and it will never increase beyond a cumulative +5 bonus against dragons. 
At some point during his career, a slayer mage seeks to own the precious metal or gem found in the egg of every hatchling dragon. This item, more fully described in Chapter Seven, is believed to have magical properties that the slayer mage can draw upon. See "Special Benefits" below for more information. 
Special Benefits:
Control Dragon: If a slayer mage possesses the piece of precious metal or the gem from a dragon's egg, the PC has the ability to control any dragon of the type, as per the potion qf dragon control. This ability can be used only once per week. 
If the metal or gem is lost, or if the slayer mage comes to possess a second such item, this ability ceases to function entirely. For this ability to work, the slayer mage can hold only one such item. Note that acquiring the metal or gem from a newborn dragon's egg is no small feat; both the slayer mage's player and the DM should approach the acquisition of such an item as a major quest. 
Dragon Languages: A slayer mage can speak and understand one dragon family language (either metallic, gem, or chromatic). 
Fear Immunity: A slayer mage is immune to the effects of dragon fear. 
Breath Weapon Defense: As slayer mages learn to avoid breath weapons, they receive half or no damage when they make saving throws (instead of full or half damage). 
Special Attacks: Slayer mages can learn any of the special attacks available to dragon slayers. They may select one of these attack forms at 3rd level. If a slayer mage takes the attack-form specialization, he can select a second special attack at 6th level. 
Anti-magic Resistance: If a slayer mage uses spell components made with dragon remains, spells cast at dragons receive a bonus against the target dragon's natural magic resistance. For every level of the slayer mage, the dragon's magic-resistance rating is reduced by 5%. 
Special Hindrances: Slayer mages suffer a -4 penalty on all encounter reactions against dragons-even those they seek to befriend. 
As slayer mages come to depend on dragon remains as ingredients in their spell components, after 3rd level they suffer penalties when using components not made with the special ingredients. These penalties translate as bonuses for the targets of their castings: a +2 to all saving throws for spells that normally receive saving throws, and a saving throw with a -3 penalty for all spells that normally receive no saving throws. 
Wealth Options: Slayer mages start play with 1d6 x 10 gold pieces with which to purchase supplies not provided under "Equipment" above.
Category:Character Kit
Category:Character Kit Council of Wyrms