Melee Fighter / Dragon Build help

[Flip]

Planning my second playthrough and could use some build help to make a viable melee character that can eventually become a viable Gold Dragon path.

In addition, is there a viable build that can allow a melee character to polymorph into Dragon forms from the Arcane Tree or using the Sorc Draconic Bloodline? Was interested in this since you get the Dragon MP so late

[Conquista]

going sorcerer, dragon disciple and than into eldrich knight with dips into monk, oracle, vivisectionist or lore master should work just pick the dragon form spells as soon the are avaible

[アンジェル]

Originally posted by Conquista:

going sorcerer, dragon disciple and than into eldrich knight with dips into monk, oracle, vivisectionist or lore master should work just pick the dragon form spells as soon the are avaible

Could you add more details please? Or is that only a sketch/outline?

[Conquista]

you aim for 4 dd 10 ek and than you have 6 level left, one of them should be sorcerer and the other 5 you fill with something depending on your difficulty
want more ac?
go 1 scale fist 5 sorcerer
want even more ac?
go 1 scale fist 1 oracle 4 sorcerer
want more strength?
go 1 vivi and so on
want more crit or opportunist?
go 1 lm and so on

[Flip]

Very interesting. I assume these classes do not stop spell progression? I am not that adept at such multiclassing.

Would it be something like this
Lvl 1 = Sorc
Lvl 2 - 5 = DD
Lvl 6 - 16 = EK?

Sorry for the silly questions but I rarely MC so not sure on the pre-requisites.

Assuming if starting lvl 1 as Sorc then Dragon Bloodline would work well. Spells for AC since assume cannot wear armor due to spell failure?

[Elnidfse]

Originally posted by Flip:

Planning my second playthrough and could use some build help to make a viable melee character that can eventually become a viable Gold Dragon path.

In addition, is there a viable build that can allow a melee character to polymorph into Dragon forms from the Arcane Tree or using the Sorc Draconic Bloodline? Was interested in this since you get the Dragon MP so late

if the goal is to shift as early as humanly possible while having good attack bonus, I did something like that
Started Paladin 2, Bloodrager 1, Sorc 1, scaled fist 1 (Bloodrager and sorc both being taken as DD gives you bonus feats for each)
This gives you saves, archmage armor, shield, blur, and monk ac

Dragon Disciple up to wings
Greater enduring spells to make dragonform last all day
Crane line
Outflank
Power attack, cornugon smash, shatter defenses
Brutality incarnate and master shapeshifter are both obviously useful.
If you don't mind burning mythic feats you can take 4 abilities.
Should be finished by the time you walk out of aurelu's lab.

Depending on what the rest of your team looks like you walk through the rest of the game as a big scary dragon.
Make sure to clear the army that has altar of the First Retriever in chapter 3. It's a relic you have to research that when finished (turn it into a shirt) gives +4 to all attacks when shifted (yes I know it says limbs) and it stacks with everything despite being an "enhancement bonus"

Doesn't really come online until level 12 which is early into chapter 3.
The rest of the time you're a martial. If you don't mind retraining you can use the same build and take unlimited rage early to use 2 claws + bite for the entirety of chapter 2. Two Bonus feats (instead of 1) from two bloodlines let's you take things you wouldn't usually snag like improved imitative.

It was alright.
Ends the game at like 87AC and 59 attack or something like that.
Doesn't actually get challenged once you can transform.

[Sch4f3r]

I am currently on the end of Act 4 as my Dragon build.

If your interested I went :

1st level - Scaled Monk (CHA to AC) - Crane Style
2 - 5 levels - BloodRager Draconic Bloodline Gold - I picked it purely for RP purposes as I am going Mythic Dragon end game.
--- Get Arcane Knowledge to 5 for DD in these first 5 levels.

6 - 15 levels - DD (Pick the same Dragonic Bloodline) - Pretty early on I got Archmage Armor from Mythic Ranks. I cast Mage armor and Shield on myself 24/7. These spells you pretty much get for free, but at first you may need to drink a potion of Mage Armor or Scroll of Shield.
You will get tons of natural stacking armor, plus magic armor. My level 17 Dragon has over 70 AC and almost 300HP.
16 - 20 levels - Close off the character with BloodRager


At level 12 you can transform into a Dragon once per day for 12minutes - Form of the Dragon I.
By level 15 you get Form of the Dragon II 2x per day for 15minutes
From 17 onwards you can change into Form of the Dragon II whenever you are raging. (Get limitless Rage from Mythic early on).

I took all the Crane Styles and fight defensively all the time. Im playing on Hard and I am veery tanky, whilst also dealing some serious damage.

Get Dazzling Display, Shatter defenses and Cornugon Smash for hitting touch

Otherwise take stuff to make your tougher - Dodge, Iron Will, Mythic Iron Will, Outflank, weapon focus claws or bites or both.

Not sure if its the best Min/Max build out there, but i enjoy it and it does the job :)

[Conquista]

Originally posted by Flip:

Very interesting. I assume these classes do not stop spell progression? I am not that adept at such multiclassing.

Would it be something like this
Lvl 1 = Sorc
Lvl 2 - 5 = DD
Lvl 6 - 16 = EK?

Sorry for the silly questions but I rarely MC so not sure on the pre-requisites.

Assuming if starting lvl 1 as Sorc then Dragon Bloodline would work well. Spells for AC since assume cannot wear armor due to spell failure?

dd and ek stop your spell progression on their first level but than let you chose a spellbook to keep on going
and you can take dd earliest with level 6 because of the prequisites

and yes no armor, but dd adds mage armor to your spellbook so easy abuse of mystic mage armor possible

[Flip]

What would the recommended stat spread be for both the bloodrager and EK based version?
If going EK does that mean you use the Spell Version of Dragon Form and Blood rager you use an inate ability? Does Blood Rager get Form 3 that Sorcs get?

[Conquista]

something like 18/13/12/10/10/16
you can minmax it bit more if you comfortable with dropping int or con or depending on your dips you can also go lower on dex

[Ixal]

Sorc 1
Scaled Fist 1
Sylvan Trickser 3
Dragon Disciple 4
Arcane Trickser 10
1 level of whatever (sorc)

When you take Accomplished Sneak attacker you can take more sorc levels instead of sylvan, but you miss out on iceplant.
Taking a full BAB class is a waste as you get that for free when becoming a gold dragon.
The strongest Gold dragon, including melee ones, are rogues or just plain casters (who take a lot of self bufs) for the first 2/3 of the game.

[Drake]

I'm going to do a dragonheir NG scion sorc dd, 15 dragonheir 4 dd 1 sorc.
Going to do a longspear or glaive (for reach) dazzling display shatter defence with sunder, maybe greater bull rush too.

I might also instead do a LG 13 dragonheir 1 scaled fist 2 eldritch scion 4 DD. Using scimitar and stacking some touch spells for extra attacks.

If you want a dragonkind polymorph you could also do a dd4, sorc 6 eldritch knight 10, it should be enough to get dragonkind 1 or 2 from the sorc spell list.

[Ixal]

Just a word of warning though, the gold dragon is by far the weakest mythic path out there (maybe tied with the secret one, not sure) and also has next to none effect on the story despite Owlcats promises of how profound the late game paths affect the story.

[Ginseng]

Go Lich, you'll unlock Dragon form 3 at lvl 13, if you go pure sorc.

[Conquista]

taking levels in full bab classes is great if you want to have an easier time hitting your enemys in melee before reaching gold dragon form
so for the time from 1 to around level 18
and while you could just use transformation spell its a level 6 spell like dragonkind 1
so depending on how often you want to transform into a dragon between rests, might not be ideal