Drakes vs. True Drakes Options

[SpellBinder]

Been reading and re-reading the section on true drakes in Clutch Of Dragons, and still trying to figure something out. What does the true drake get for the extra 60 BP spent for the quality that the drake does not? I have tried searching around here, but it does not look like this question has been asked before.

I've managed to come up with a few ideas, but I am curious to what others here think about the points difference.

[Shortstraw]

First they have 8 essence and a max edge of 8 regardless of metatype. The 8 essence may mean max magic of 8 + ini grade depending on interpretation. Plus you can either swap out powers a drake has for new ones or add the new ones for more BP.

[SpellBinder]

Aside from the obvious, anything else? Figuring as if a true drake already has the Lucky quality, is 2 points of Essence worth 40 BP?

[MrGlee]

Aside from the obvious, anything else? Figuring as if a true drake already has the Lucky quality, is 2 points of Essence worth 40 BP?

it can be, especially if it gives more magic. If it doesn't, less worth it. It is also easy access to decent hardened armor and regeneration.

[Shortstraw]

Ok first for humans it is like the lucky quality everyone else is double lucky. Second you can SWAP your powers. So 4 hardened armour becomes 6, 4 astral armour becomes 6, pick up regeneration instead of claws etc.

[CitM]

I do not remember all of it but i think, true drakes have all their powers also in humanform? Can anyone confirm, since i do not have access to the sources at the moment.

[MrGlee]

I do not remember all of it but i think, true drakes have all their powers also in humanform? Can anyone confirm, since i do not have access to the sources at the moment.

They don't, just have the different/additional powers and extra edge + essence.

[Draco18s]

Egads. 60 additional BP? That pushes "drake" into neigh-unplayable territory.
Two extra armor is OK but not great and definitely not worth 40 BP. The extra essence will almost never come up, you won't have enough BP left to raise your magic that high.

Forget that and just be an elf instead. Much better expenditure of points.

[Drace]

Egads. 60 additional BP? That pushes "drake" into neigh-unplayable territory.
Two extra armor is OK but not great and definitely not worth 40 BP. The extra essence will almost never come up, you won't have enough BP left to raise your magic that high.

Forget that and just be an elf instead. Much better expenditure of points.

Don't have my copy on me right now but I'm pretty sure it is up to 60bp not 60bp, with each extra power costing a portion of the BP that leads to the 60

[Draco18s]

Still probably not worth the investment.

[Sendaz]

Plain Vanilla Drake costs 65 BP

True Drake with sprinkles on top costs 125BP , so yeah another 60 BP to get more options and call yourself 'True', with the option to swap their current powers for items from the added list OR keep all the basic package plus buy up to all 5 added powers at 5BP each, giving a cost range between 125 and 150 BP

So it is a bit more expensive indeed.

But you have to figure you are probably going to take a Hunted or Enemy of whatever dragon you got out from under, plus a few other quirks/problems to make it all look pretty.

[Draco18s]

But you have to figure you are probably going to take a Hunted or Enemy of whatever dragon you got out from under, plus a few other quirks/problems to make it all look pretty.

Base drake is already strapped for BP. I found one archetype that can actually make the drake's advantages an advantage and there's only about 20 BP floating to customize.

The only reason it works:
1) Orriental drake (you have HANDS motherfucker, this quality outweighs any other drake-type feature (as a bonus your dracoform attribute bonuses are on top of your otherwise natural stats))
2) Elf (for the low-cost attribute bonuses, especially for AGL and CHA)
3) Already capped out on qualities (obviously they're flexible, but you use up all 35 points of negatives and probably go light on the positives)
4) Charisma caster (you have all the CHA because Elf)
5) Mystic Adept (more flexible with spell/powers, e.g. picking up Improved Reflexes as a spell)
6) Absolutely no cyber or bio. It only works in (meta)human form.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

Base drake is already strapped for BP. I found one archetype that can actually make the drake's advantages an advantage and there's only about 20 BP floating to customize.

The only reason it works:
1) Orriental drake (you have HANDS motherfucker, this quality outweighs any other drake-type feature (as a bonus your dracoform attribute bonuses are on top of your otherwise natural stats))
2) Elf (for the low-cost attribute bonuses, especially for AGL and CHA)
3) Already capped out on qualities (obviously they're flexible, but you use up all 35 points of negatives and probably go light on the positives)
4) Charisma caster (you have all the CHA because Elf)
5) Mystic Adept (more flexible with spell/powers, e.g. picking up Improved Reflexes as a spell)
6) Absolutely no cyber or bio. It only works in (meta)human form.

Might be interesting to see what I can come up with - May give it some thought here soon. Not that I will be allowed to play it, but an interesting exercise none the less. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Draco18s]

Might be interesting to see what I can come up with - May give it some thought here soon. Not that I will be allowed to play it, but an interesting exercise none the less. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

That's kind of what the character I built was. I used it in a game, but not all of the potential came out. Which was fine.

Also don't forget to buy Exotic Weapon (your own firebreath), Unarmed (Claws), and Fly.

[Sendaz]

And thus the Sons of Feng were born......

[Neraph]

Troll Western Drake Adept is viable also. In fact, it's a little scary.

[Draco18s]

So is anything built for melee at melee ranges.

At longarms range? Not scary.

[Neraph]

The Troll Drake Adept was built for damage soaking, so he ended up having 11/11 armor (maybe a point or two more) with decent Body. He could survive some shots.

[Draco18s]

Well, more durable than the vampire melee monster I saw once. Thought he was invulnerable because of regeneration.

Got hit with a shotgun, went into overflow, and barely avoided dying.

[Umidori]

Everyone flips out about Regeneration, but my table has always been quite capable of taking out critters that sport it.

It's only really powerful in a drawn out fight in which you can't manage to deal more than a few boxes of damage to the enemy each turn. Land a good solid blow or two, though...

~Umi

[SpellBinder]

Were true drakes even listed in anything prior to SR4? So far the only thing I can figure to explain the points cost would be to have the true drake's abilities functioning in both forms, even though that's not per RAW.

[Sengir]

Were true drakes even listed in anything prior to SR4? So far the only thing I can figure to explain the points cost would be to have the true drake's abilities functioning in both forms, even though that's not per RAW.

I think true drakes were introduced earlier, though not statted...Dragons of the 6th World, probably

[Draco18s]

Everyone flips out about Regeneration, but my table has always been quite capable of taking out critters that sport it.

Hence why we told him he was crazy and he tried it anyway.

No surprise he swapped characters again the next session.

I think true drakes were introduced earlier, though not statted...Dragons of the 6th World, probably

There were stats for them too.

I don't recall offhand, but True were priority A and regular were B. Something like that. It's been too long since I read it and I've misplaced my pdf.

[Neraph]

Everyone flips out about Regeneration, but my table has always been quite capable of taking out critters that sport it.

It's only really powerful in a drawn out fight in which you can't manage to deal more than a few boxes of damage to the enemy each turn. Land a good solid blow or two, though...

~Umi

My Nosferatu was crazy-dangerous with Regen. Body 4, something like 10/9 or 11/10 armor, and a very high Magic rating meant that I could not only soak big hits but I could also regen the damage quickly. Reaction of like 5 with some hits on a Combat Sense meant he was a pain to land a big hit on too.

You just need to build better when you have access to Regen to take full advantage of it.

[Draco18s]

You just need to build better when you have access to Regen to take full advantage of it.

The problem is that it's once per combat round not initiative pass. Even if you have 12 dice and can regen ~4 boxes a round, your opponents still have 2-3 passes in which to deal that damage.

But yes. It can be quite powerful. It just wasn't as powerful as our player had initially thought.