D&D General Companion Thread to D&D Survivor: Epic / Arcane Dragons

[RealAlHazred]

I figure, we're about to move firmly into 3rd party territory, we should polish off the few remaining "official" dragon families: the Epics and the Arcanes. Both were in response to meta-game concerns as opposed to being created organically (for example, by modifying a real-world group such as the Chinese dragons). The Epics were in response to concerns even ancient greatwyrm dragons wouldn't be a sufficient challenge for optimized epic-level parties, and the Arcanes were created because the author was unhappy with the meager magical power of the existing dragons in the game.

Of these two, I actually like the flavor of the Arcane dragons. Both are imbued with more magical power than regular dragons: where regular dragons might be larger and more physically imposing and magically weaker, Arcanes are physically smaller and less powerful while having much more raw magic available to them. Tome Dragons start out at birth at the 3rd level of magic use, while Hex dragons gain actual spellcasting later in life but start with the power to deliver a retributive curse on opponents who so much as injure them. Both are pretty flavorful and easy to slot into campaigns.

 

[RealAlHazred]

Arcane Dragons

• Hex Dragon: "Hex dragons are cruel manipulators infamous for their love of corruption, betrayal and decay. Many conspire with undead creatures, either as allies or overlords. From the depths of caaverns, dark forests, and fetid swamps they spin webs of deception and temptation, luring the unsuspecting with promises of magical lore and power. Few of their pawns survive such encounters and fewer still ever suspect a dragon was behind their dark bargains.
  "Hex dragons have long, segmented bodies and a multitude of small but needle-sharp teeth. A pair of emerald eyes stare out from sunken pits in their heads, with corkscrewing horns rising from their crown. When young, their bodies are pale and fleshy like maggots, but as they age their skin darkens and their rolls of fat give way to muscle, until by adulthood they are lean and strong. Shortly after hatching, hex dragons begin to develop their telling marks, dozens of small runes that appear across their scales. As they age, these runes grow brighter and brighter, burning with an eldritch fire in their later years. Their voices are high-pitched, melodious, and sweet as poisoned honey.
  "Younger hex dragons lair in large huts constructed by charmed or otherwise coerced servants far out in the wilderness, lavishly furnished despite their isolated locales and decorated with death imagery. As the dragons age, they either enslave a larger workforce to construct even grander palaces (some eventually growing to resemble small cities in the middle of nowhere) or they find large natural caverns underground and have their slaves carve suitably ostentatious frescoes and pilasters into the walls. Either way, hex dragon lairs are hellish places filled with strange odors, smoking vats and braziers, pickled specimen jars, and mummified corpses.
  "Like most true dragons, hex dragons can eat almost anything. When given a choice, however, they are quite picky -- even ritualistic -- about their food, some going so far as to only eat specific organs from specific creatures during specific phases of the moon."
• Tome Dragon: "Tome dragons are guardians and gatherers of lore. The greatest of the dragons in terms of sheer spellcasting power, they specialize in conjuration and divination magic. Many spend whole centuries researching such arcane mysteries as planar conjunctions, outsider ecology, fate, destiny, and the flow of time itself. Individually or in small cabals, they search for the source of all magic and develop powers of spellcraft and foresight that rival those of the deities. Extraplanar excursions are frequent, especially for older tome dragons, and the most ancient are known to move about using astral projections more often than with their physical bodies. Ever sagacious, tome dragons are prone to great arrogance and hubris, possessing intellects to rival the greatest human sages from infancy, most find it inconceivable that they could be lacking in knowledge or judgment.
  "Tome dragons have disproportionately long tails ending in pointed fins that flick through the air as they corkscrew in flight. Their scales are silver and pristine, with an iridescent sheen like a raindow salmon's. Their short limbs and in slender digits well suited to fine manipulation (even the largest of tome dragons can turn the pages of a small book without difficulty). Tome dragons have expressive faces wreathed in great manes of silky hair (an oddity among dragonkind), and frills of thin spines jut from their cheeks. Their eyes reflect the colors of the sky: pale blue at birth, turning to azure by early adulthood, then deep purple, and finally a dark midnight blue flecked with silver starlight. Their voices vary, but are always full of character: thick accents, raspy coughs, smoky whispers, and booming laughs are all common.
  "Tome dragons are more social than other dragon species, and many have been known to lair with others of their kind. These cabals almost invariably gather in enormous libraries they build on secluded mountainsides. Such libraries are frequently mistaken for monasteries because of their locations and the minimalist adornments tome dragons prefer.
  "Tome dragons need very little food to survive, and most eat as little as possible, food is just a distraction, in their eyes, from more worldly persuits. What they do eat tends to be very plain. Tome dragons do, however, have a soft spot for fine teas, the more exotic ingredients the better."

Epic Dragons

• Force Dragon: "Force dragons are arrogant and aloof, tending to prefer solitude and isolation from the masses of what they consider lesser creatures. The only other creatures they respect are prismatic dragons and certain deities.
  "A wyrmling force dragon hatches from an egg the size of a farmer’s hut, and emerges covered in glittering scales like tiny diamonds. As it ages, its scales become less brilliant, but they still refract light—often surrounding the dragon in a shimmering haze of light. Great wyrm force dragons are naturally invisible, since their light passes smoothly through their bodies. A force dragon’s translucent scales thicken and harden as it ages, making a great dragon’s hide nearly as impenetrable as a wall of force. Unlike nonepic dragons, force dragons have no odor whatsoever.
  "Force dragons lair in remote regions far from civilization, but show no marked preference for one terrain type over any other. Ancient forests, forbidding mountains, vast deserts, and yawning subterranean chasms are all potential lairs for these reclusive beings. Despite their massive size, force dragons eat very little, alternating periods of active eating with long sleeps. They eat any kind of meat, but sages speculate that they also feed on force effects or even on raw magical power."
• Prismatic Dragon: "Prismatic dragons are flamboyant, personable, and charming, quite unlike the aloof force dragons, despite being their undeniable superiors. They enjoy the wild diversity of life, particularly the incredible spectrum of human personality. Though they rarely venture into humanoid communities, they enjoy visitors to their remote lairs and rarely attack any creature unless provoked.
  A wyrmling prismatic dragon is covered in tiny, brightly reflective scales and surrounded by a shimmering aura of multicolored light. Even the scales of great wyrm are very small and fine, making its skin appear as smooth as a snake’s, though the brilliant scales are virtually invulnerable. Like force dragons, prismatic dragons are completely odorless.
  "Prismatic dragons make their lairs wherever they please. While some prefer remote fastnesses far from any sign of civilization, others choose to live in sea caves just outside a port city, in the ruins overlooking a bustling trading town, or in the forest just beyond a hamlet’s pasture land. They seem to eat a small amount relative to their size, and are generally careful to hunt over a wide range of territory to avoid depleting resources or angering local cattle herders. They eat any kind of meat, and may in fact derive sustenance from light."
• Time Dragon: "Even wyrmling time dragons are huge creatures, with silvery-white scales that lay close to the body; the lack of ridges makes the time dragon look unusually smooth. They have a single spike that protrudes from the back of the head, nearly doubling the length of the cranium, and two spikes that attach to the end of the tail, giving it a forked appearance. The wings are triangular in shape, with the narrowest points where they attach to the back; fully spread, it gives the wings an hourglass-like shape.
  "As time dragons age, their scales darken to charcoal black, and they develop a black, hourglass-shaped mask over their eyes and twelve black, unevenly-spaced stripes along their body. These stripes gradually move down the body as the dragon ages, with a new stripe appearing by the mask when one disappears off the end of the tail.
  "Only disasters or other creatures can kill time dragons. The passage of time itself cannot. As such, they are the only truly immortal nondeific dragons. Because of their unique ties to the timestream, time dragons age randomly. Knowing the age category of a time dragon does not, therefore, give an accurate estimation of its age, as shown on the following chart. To use this chart, roll for each age category the dragon has to see how long it took for it to reach its current level of maturity (and to give you an idea of its actual age).

• d%	Time
  up to 05	5d12 minutes
  06-15	1d12 hours
  16-25	1d6 days
  26-35	1d4 weeks
  36-45	1d12 months
  56-65	1d10 years
  66-85	1d10 decades
  86-00	1d10 centuries
  above 00	1d2 millennia

• "For each age category the dragon possesses, add 5% to the roll."

 

[RealAlHazred]

Time Dragon 19 have you guys seen this horror it is just so dumb looking.

I mean, it's basically a draconic sundial. And sundials are extremely attractive pieces to have on your lawn!

I just like the fact that a Great Wyrm Time Dragon, a creature with the highest CR in 3.5E, could be 12 years, 2 months, 16 days, 2 hours, and 5 minutes old.

 

[JoeyD473]

For me this is a hard one. I actually like all of these dragons. They are interesting and could always be used in games in interesting and creative ways that most players wouldn't be ready for. I am sad that Hex Dragon got piled on right away because of that

 

[RealAlHazred]

For me this is a hard one. I actually like all of these dragons. They are interesting and could always be used in games in interesting and creative ways that most players wouldn't be ready for. I am sad that Hex Dragon got piled on right away because of that

Oh, I love the Hex Dragon. The whole thing is set up so you can imply a Hag, and when the PCs try to get her, they find a Dragon instead. Surprise! But somebody's got to go and we only have five options.

 

[JoeyD473]

Oh, I love the Hex Dragon. The whole thing is set up so you can imply a Hag, and when the PCs try to get her, they find a Dragon instead. Surprise! But somebody's got to go and we only have five options.

Oh I understand. I was jsut hoping there wasn't going to a pile on so early. But it's ok

 

[RealAlHazred]

New thread is here: D&D Survivor: Spelljammer Dragons.
New companion thread: Companion Thread to D&D Survivor: Spelljammer Dragons.