Converting True Dragons

[freyar]

Hmmm, 15-40?

I think they look good!

[Shade]

Sounds good. Ready for the shadow drake?

[freyar]

Finally, yes!

[Shade]

Shadow Drake
FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO. APPEARING: 1-3
ARMOR CLASS: 5
MOVE: 9./24. (MC: A)
HIT DICE: See Table 8
% IN LAIR: 25%
TREASURE TYPE: Q, T, U
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 bite
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-4
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Major spell use, major darkness/shadow powers, surprisebonus in darkness
SPECIAL DEFENSES: High intelligence,create darkness, astral travel, magic resistance, major spell use, major darkness/shadow powers
MAGIC RESISTANCE: See Table 8
INTELLIGENCE: Average to high
ALIGNMENT: Neutral, chaotic neutral
SIZE: S (See Table 8)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
CHANCE OF:
Speaking: 90%
Magic use: 30%
Sleeping: 40%
LEVEL/XP VALUE: Up to VI/750 + 6 per hit dice (maximum age and abilities)

The shadow drake enjoys dark caves and heavily shadowed, peaceful forests.Sometimes one lairs near a group of pixies or brownies. Unlike other lesser dragons, they do not avoid civilized areas, sometimes creeping into cities at night. Their statistics are in Table 8.

A shadow drake has an unusual innate power. In darkness or heavy shadows, it seems to merge with the shadows, becoming invisible even to ultravision and infra-vision. This drake enjoys stealth and is almost noiseless in flight, surprising foes five in six times if the area is in shadow or darkness. This drake can attack from shadows or darkness without becoming visible to prey. Its tiny talons are retractable and very sharp. Shadow drakes have no breath weapons.

All shadow drakes have the innate ability to create darkness twice per day as per the illusionist spell, except that such darkness lasts for 24 hours. They can also create a smaller area of darkness, as per the spell except that it lasts only five minutes and is 10’ across; this power may be used at will. If cast upon a creature that does not make its saving throw vs. spells, this spell blinds the victim for the spell’s duration.

Once a shadow drake has access to an area of magical darkness (even self-created), it can enter that darkness, wherein it can utilize other innate abilities. The first ability is to create a shadow duplicate of itself. This power is like the illusionist spell shades, except that the type of shadow monster created is an illusionary duplicate of the shadow drake without magical ability. This shadow duplicate cannot be told from the original, as per the illusionist spell mirror image. This power can be used but once per day. The second ability is to duplicate the effects of the illusionist spell demi-shadow monsters. There are no restrictions to this spell-like ability, and any creature the shadow drake can imagine can be created. This spell is always cleverly used to create a monster to cause the most disruption possible. This power may be used twice per day. The third ability available to shadow drakes while in magical darkness is rope trick, as per the illusionist spell. The shadow drake can hide in this extradimensional space for the duration of the spell, even if the magical darkness is dispelled. This power can be used twice per day.

The shadow drake is a shy creature and often uses a shadow duplicate to lure creatures away from its lair. Some shadow drakes have magical abilities, having learned to cast illusionist spells from elder members of their species (though some learn spells from gnome or human illusionists in the vicinity). These spells are mostly defensive in nature but never include spells such as color spray, dancing lights, and other spells that create or involve light. See Table 8 for details.

Shadow drakes love beautiful jewels and go to any length to secure them. They eat fruits and honey but often supplement their diets with small rodents and insects. Shadow drakes look like small dragons of an ash-gray color. While shy, they are also very curious and have been known to form temporary relationships with gnome, elven, and human spell-casters. They are particularly fond of illusionists.

Ancient shadow drakes gain the power to shift to the Astral plane and back once per month. They can take no other shadow drakes with them. Shadow drakes of very old and ancient ages are known to have one further power, that of being able to dimension door from one area of magical shadow to another within a one-mile radius.

TABLE 8: Shadow Drake’s Ages and Illusionist Spells
Age Category / HD/ Size / MR / Cantrips / First / Second / Third / Fourth
Very young / 2 / 6” / 10% / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
Young / 3 /1’ / 15% / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
Sub-adult / 3+3 / 1’6” / 20% / 3 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0
Young adult / 4 /1’9” / 25% / 4 / 2 / 0 / 0 / 0
Adult / 4+3 / 2’ / 30% / 4 / 2 / 1 / 0 / 0
Old / 5 /2’3” / 35% / 4 / 3 / 2 / 0 / 0
Very old / 5+2 / 2’6” / 40% / 4 / 4 / 3 / 1 / 0
Ancient / 5+4 / 2’9” / 50% / 5 / 4 / 4 / 2 / 1

[Shade]

A shadow drake has an unusual innate power. In darkness or heavy shadows, it seems to merge with the shadows, becoming invisible even to ultravision and infra-vision. This drake enjoys stealth and is almost noiseless in flight, surprising foes five in six times if the area is in shadow or darkness. This drake can attack from shadows or darkness without becoming visible to prey.

This sounds essentially like the shadow dragon's shadow blend ability.

All shadow drakes have the innate ability to create darkness twice per day as per the illusionist spell, except that such darkness lasts for 24 hours. They can also create a smaller area of darkness, as per the spell except that it lasts only five minutes and is 10’ across; this power may be used at will. If cast upon a creature that does not make its saving throw vs. spells, this spell blinds the victim for the spell’s duration.

A unique Su ability?

Once a shadow drake has access to an area of magical darkness (even self-created), it can enter that darkness, wherein it can utilize other innate abilities. The first ability is to create a shadow duplicate of itself. This power is like the illusionist spell shades, except that the type of shadow monster created is an illusionary duplicate of the shadow drake without magical ability. This shadow duplicate cannot be told from the original, as per the illusionist spell mirror image. This power can be used but once per day. The second ability is to duplicate the effects of the illusionist spell demi-shadow monsters. There are no restrictions to this spell-like ability, and any creature the shadow drake can imagine can be created. This spell is always cleverly used to create a monster to cause the most disruption possible. This power may be used twice per day. The third ability available to shadow drakes while in magical darkness is rope trick, as per the illusionist spell. The shadow drake can hide in this extradimensional space for the duration of the spell, even if the magical darkness is dispelled. This power can be used twice per day.

I'd recommend simplifying this to just assigning these as SLAs at the given age categories.

Ancient shadow drakes gain the power to shift to the Astral plane and back once per month. They can take no other shadow drakes with them.

Akin to the crystal drake's specialized plane shift?

Shadow drakes of very old and ancient ages are known to have one further power, that of being able to dimension door from one area of magical shadow to another within a one-mile radius.

This sounds like a variation on the shadowdancer's shadow jump ability.

[Cleon]

Originally Posted by Shade

This sounds essentially like the shadow dragon's shadow blend ability.

A unique Su ability?

I'd recommend simplifying this to just assigning these as SLAs at the given age categories.

Akin to the crystal drake's specialized plane shift?

This sounds like a variation on the shadowdancer's shadow jump ability.

That all sounds fine to me.

I notice that these drakes seem particularly little but tough - they start out 6 inches long with 2 Hit Dice!

Do we want to make them Diminutive to Small?

They've also got pretty good magic for drakes, going up to 50% MR and 4th level spells, compare that to a Crystal Drake's 35% MR. That roughly matches a 1st to 8th level sorcerer, so I'd think we could give it one level of sorcerer per Hit Dice, so its dozen age categories make it a 1st-12th level caster, and maybe a Spell Resistance two or three points higher than the other Drakes, something like HD+12.

It compensates for its greater magic by being somewhat fragile - its AC is lower that the previous drakes, and it doesn't have any DR. Presumably it relies on shadows and illusions to misdirect attacks.

[freyar]

It also doesn't have a breath weapon, which maybe isn't such a big deal for such small dragons as drakes, but it's something nonetheless. The extra spellcasting could help make up for that. Or we could improve their sharp claws, like the fang dragon.

[Cleon]

Originally Posted by freyar

It also doesn't have a breath weapon, which maybe isn't such a big deal for such small dragons as drakes, but it's something nonetheless. The extra spellcasting could help make up for that. Or we could improve their sharp claws, like the fang dragon.

Golly, I didn't even notice it lacked a breath weapon.

Hmm, maybe the areas of darkness it creates is a substitute for a damaging breath weapon? They may breathe out shadows like a squid squirts ink.

[freyar]

I thought about that! It's a possibility, but I still like improving the claws to help them out a little.

[RavinRay]

Originally Posted by Shade

A shadow drake has an unusual innate power. In darkness or heavy shadows, it seems to merge with the shadows, becoming invisible even to ultravision and infra-vision.

Yep, feels like shadow blend to me.

All shadow drakes have the innate ability to create darkness twice per day as per the illusionist spell, except that such darkness lasts for 24 hours.

Make it stronger than the black dragon's darkness and different from the shadow dragon's create shadows (this isn't solid black right)? What about deeper darkness?

Once a shadow drake has access to an area of magical darkness (even self-created), it can enter that darkness, wherein it can utilize other innate abilities. The first ability is to create a shadow duplicate of itself.

Let's tweak project image, which is fittingly an illusion (shadow) spell.

The second ability is to duplicate the effects of the illusionist spell demi-shadow monsters.

Shadow conjuration but limited to creatures?

The third ability available to shadow drakes while in magical darkness is rope trick, as per the illusionist spell.

Similar enough to the 3.5e version of the spell?

Ancient shadow drakes gain the power to shift to the Astral plane and back once per month.

I'm surprised it can plane shift to the Astral instead of Shadow, but maybe because Shadow was only a demi-plane in 2e.

Shadow drakes of very old and ancient ages are known to have one further power, that of being able to dimension door from one area of magical shadow to another within a one-mile radius.

Reminiscent as well of the shadow dragon's dimension door and shadow walk.

I'd love to add a sidebar where shadow drakes can learn and cast mysteries if the Tome of Magic is available.

[freyar]

I like changing plane shift to Shadow!

I also like substituting shadow magic in campaigns with Tome of Magic (even though I don't have that book).

Shade, RavinRay, any thoughts on how to compensate for the loss of the breath weapon?

[Shade]

Perhaps a shadow breath weapon that emulates other breath weapons, but is only quasi-real (like shadow evocation)?

[freyar]

Originally Posted by Shade

Perhaps a shadow breath weapon that emulates other breath weapons, but is only quasi-real (like shadow evocation)?

Ok, that is officially a brilliant idea!

[Shade]

Shall we give these critters higher Dex than usual (and not give them unearthly grace to keep the AC low)?

[freyar]

Sure.

Let's remember that the originals have better casting than the other drakes. Do we want to improve their CL progression?

[Shade]

We can go with Cleon's suggesion of caster level = age category, or we could stall a few levels to have them cap out at 8th (something like 1st, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 7th, 8th).

[freyar]

Since we're going to add back in a pseudo-breath-weapon, let's keep to CL 8. Does everyone agree?

[Cleon]

Originally Posted by Shade

We can go with Cleon's suggesion of caster level = age category, or we could stall a few levels to have them cap out at 8th (something like 1st, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 7th, 8th).

Well it all depends what final CR we're aiming for, it would probably be about caster level +1, so CR9 for an 8th level sorcerer. I'm fine either way.

Although if we go for caster level under age category I was thinking more of a caster-level progression that starts out gradual and gets steeper for the senior drakes, e.g. 1st, 1st, 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd, 4th, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th.

[freyar]

Either CL progression (capped at 8) sounds fine to me. I'll let you two bicker over that.

[Shade]

I like Cleon's progression better. Working on Homebrews entry now...