Alexstrasza
The Life-Binder. Alexstrasza, the aspect of the red dragonflight, holds an important position as the guardian of all life. No pressure.
One of the five great dragons imbued with power by the Titans, and charged with watching over Azeroth, Alexstrasza was chosen as the leader of the group. The Dragonqueen.
For many years, Alexstrasza was a passive observer over all life on Azeroth. But in recent history, as several of the other dragon aspects became "difficult", Alexstrasza was forced to take a more active role in the protection of the planet.
And so the mortals of Azeroth – humans, orcs, elves, trolls, dwarves and the like – have routinely teamed up with the Life Giver, working together to take down Malygos and Deathwing.
In many ways, Warcraft reminds me of the comics that many of the other characters on this site are based on. The old Batman and Iron Man comics from the 60's, for example – simple, unplanned works of fiction that blossomed and grew into sprawling volumes of lore that is impossible to categorize.
The original Warcraft: Orcs & Humans RTS laid a foundation for the franchise as thin as to be expected from games of the time. The backstory, told mainly in a few pages of the instruction manual, laid out the basics of Azeroth and the warring factions that laid claim to it.
Concepts like the Dragonflight, the Aspects, the Titans and the Pantheon would slowly be meted out over time as the universe expanded into more games, comics, novels, movies and expansions. Alexstrasza has been one of the defining figures in that overarching lore. A frequent and benevolent force, not yet corrupted for the purposes of expansion big bads.
My main exposure to Alexstrasza, of course, is through her inclusion in Heroes of the Storm. There, she takes her high elf form, with the ability to transform into a huge, area-denying dragon – whose fire both heals and hurts.
So how do we build her in Pathfinder?
Keys to the Character
Drag Him Queen
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Alexstrasza? I'm willing to bet it's a giant red dragon.
Life Giver (Literally)
Alextrasza's healing is a great sacrifice, often borrowing from her own life force to add to her allies and subjects.
Purifying Flame
Sometimes healing something means burning it down completely to regrow it from scratch, right? Alexstrasza seems to think so.
Circle of Life
Alextrasza's command over life force doesn't stop at healing creatures. Her breath has been said to grow flowers. I've heard of a green thumb... but a green sigh?
This is the first build on Pop Culture Pathfinder to use any character options outside of the Paizo Rulebooks or Adventure Paths. It uses the Battlezoo Dragon Ancestries.
I intended not to use third party materials in the builds here, and I will still stick to that going forward. This build breaks that rule because a) the Battlezoo ancestries are available in Pathbuilder, which is what I use to make these builds, and b) there is no real point in making an Alexstrasza build without them.
Okay, if one was really, REALLY, hard up to play as Alexestrasza with only the Pathfinder rules, some less flavorful version could be done. Probably with a Kobold ancestry, and a Dragon Disciple archetype. In fact, that isn't terrible.
However, it doesn't reach the flavor of Alexestrasza right out of the box the same way a Battlezoo Medium-size Red Dragon Life Oracle does, which is what we will be building here.
On the battlefield, Alexstrasza heals allies and burns foes. The order can vary.
As the Aspect of Life, her command of the life force of creatures and plants alike is incredible. Her spells heal allies and earth alike, sprouting new plant life to control the battlefield and protect her party. As an Oracle, her healing can become legendary, exuding healing energies at the cost of taking damage herself.
Meanwhile, as a dragon, Alexstrasza is an imposing figure, ready to burn enemies to a crisp with her fire breath. Her size also reaches Large late in the build, which makes her a zone threat that enemies need to work around.
Outside of battle, Alexstrasza's incredible control of the life force of all things gives her influence over nature, which can be a big help for her party while travelling. Plus, being able to be a dragon can be intimidating.
Build OVERVIEW
- Peak healing power
- Fire and flying
- Can be a human for parties
- Might get burnt
- A bit overprotective
- Can be a dragon for parties
Ancestry
Red Dragon (Battlezoo Ancestries: Dragons)
So it's come to this.
As we said above, using third party rules is not going to become a habit. But since the Battlezoo Ancestries are integrated into Pathbuilder, this was too enticing to ignore.
Alexstrasza starts out as a Medium-sized Red Dragon, taking the Change Shape feat at level 1 so that she can appear in her high elf form as much as she wants. This ancestry gives some very Alexstrasza things: wings for flight, a dragon-breath attack and some extra defense.
But what it really gives, above all, is the ability to be a dragon, which is arguable the thing Alexstrasza is most known for.
If third party options are non-negotiably outlawed from your table, a Kobold ancestry is a good start, coupled with a Dragon Disciple archetype that swaps some of the class feats for things we get innately with the Dragon ancestry. But honestly, just play a different character.
Background
Mystic
Mystic is our stand-in for "Aspect" on Golarian. And really, what is an Aspect if not a very, very powerful mystic?
This background does not give a Charisma boost, which is what Alexstrasza wants as an Oracle. But, this build also goes heavy on Wisdom, so it works out in the end. Plus, the Arcana training seems right, doesn't it?
Class
Oracle - Life Mystery
The incredible healing and life energy manipulation that the Oracle is capable of is really on point for Alexstrasza. Especially considering her Heroes of the Storm appearance, which put an emphasis on her sacrificing her own health for the sake of healing allies.
That is largely what happens here, as the Life Oracle begins to lose health each turn as their curse grows in intensity, while simultaneously making their healing more and more potent.
One of the really flavorful parts of the Pathfinder Oracle is their unparalleled ability to splash in spells from traditions outside of their own. This build leans into that as hard as possible, picking up Divine Access multiple times, along with Mysterious Repetioire and Diverse Mystery. The combination gives Alexstrasza multiple Primal spells, which are absolutely key to showcasing her ability to influence the life energy of nature, as well as her allies.
Spells like Summon Plant or Fungus, Tangling Creepers. Entangle and Burning Hands feel key to the build – being able to cast them as Divine spells with Legendary Proficiency is icing on the cake.
Skills & General Feats
As one of the Aspects, Alexstrasza is legendary in Religion – in this case, the mythos of the Titans and the Pantheon. As well, her control over life leaves her Legendary in Nature, while her existence as an actual fire-breathing dragon makes her quite intimidating.
Legendary: Nature, Religion
Master: Intimidation
Expert: -
Attribute Increases
Equipment
Suggested Starting Equipment
Key Spells
Changelog
Related Builds
