Converting True Dragons

[Cleon]

Despite its name, the following dragon bears little resemblance to its namesake in the Epic Level Handbook.

Dragon, Prismatic
Climate/Terrain: Temperate or tropical
Frequency: Very rare
Organization: Solitary (clan)
Activity cycle: Day
Diet: Omnivore
Intelligence: High (13-14)
Treasure: See below
Alignment: Chaotic neutral
# Appearing: 1 (2-4)
AC: 0 (base)
Movement: 9, Fl 30 (C), Sw 12
Hit Dice: 11 (base)
THAC0: 9 (base)
# Attacks: 3 plus special
Damage/Attack: 1d6+1 (x2)/1d20+2
Special Attacks: Breath weapon, spells, special
Special Defenses: Fear
Size: G (30’ base length)
Morale: Fanatic (17-18)
XP Value: see below

Where's its Magic Resistance line?

I'm guessing it'll be "See below", but it looks odd that it's missing.

 

[freyar]

Magic resistance is in the table attached at the bottom of Shade's post.

 

[Cleon]

Magic resistance is in the table attached at the bottom of Shade's post.

I know it's got MR listed in the table, I was pointing out it's missing from the main AD&D stat block for some reason. I was expecting something like:

Damage/Attack: 1d6+1 (x2)/1d20+2
Special Attacks: Breath weapon, spells, special
Special Defenses: Fear
Magic Resistance: See below
Size: G (30’ base length)

Anyhow, adapting the SRD Bronze Dragon would seem a good approach.

For the breath weapon, I'm thinking it could cause a hold like effect due to a coating of rime that the victim can break out of with a Strength or Escape Artist check.

 

[Shade]

Added the basics to Homebrews.

 

[RavinRay]

For the breath weapon, I'm thinking it could cause a hold like effect due to a coating of rime that the victim can break out of with a Strength or Escape Artist check.

This reminds me of the entangling/entrapping breaths of the 2e obsidian dragon (unrelated to the renegade 3e gem dragon), amber dragon, and moon dragon. Can we adapt the entangled condition?

 

[freyar]

I don't get where the hold or entangled business is coming from. It's supposed to be a slow breath weapon. You mean if a critter is all wet? Isn't that one of the corner cases we want to simplify out or leave for DM adjudication?

 

[RavinRay]

I re-read the breath weapon. At first impression it did appear to have an entanglement effect to me, but now slow does seem sufficient. I was thinking along the lines of, if a breath weapons coats the target in something (semi-)solid, it's gotta entangle or slow that.

 

[Cleon]

I re-read the breath weapon. At first impression it did appear to have an entanglement effect to me, but now slow does seem sufficient. I was thinking along the lines of, if a breath weapons coats the target in something (semi-)solid, it's gotta entangle or slow that.

I feel entangle is a better match than slow. They aren't sluggish, their movements are restricted by all the hardened dragon-spit coating them.

 

[freyar]

There are two different effects we're talking about here, which I'm bolding:

The breath weapon itself transmutes water into a milky, luminous solid matter similar to mother-of-pearl. Although the material is not ice and does not melt, it does evaporate under the same conditions as liquid water; exposed to air or sunlight, a mass of this material will eventually dissolve. While solid, the water has the same saving throws as wood of the same thickness. When the gas cloud contacts a stream, river, lake, or similar body of water, the water solidifies to a depth of one-half inch per age category of the dragon (3 inches for an adult, age category 6).

Water-based creatures such as water weirds and elementals must save vs. breath weapon or die. A surviving creature suffers 1d12 points of damage per age category and is slowed for 1d4 turns. The creature’s physical attack damage is increased by 50% for as long as it is slowed.

Creatures with a high water content (such as humans and demihumans) are also vulnerable to the breath weapon. The gas permeates the skin, making it crack and flake away like peeling bark, and causes severe trauma to organs and muscles. This has three effects (modified by a saving throw):

* Initial exposure to the gas causes 4d6 damage. Prolonged exposure does not inflict additional damage.
* The equivalent of a slow spell for one round per age category of the dragon.
* Additional damage while slowed: strenuous activity (running, melee) inflicts 1d8 per round, moderate activity (spellcasting, walking, firing a bow) inflicts 1d8-4 points of damage. No damage or negative damage means that a cast spell is not disrupted by pain.

A successful saving throw vs. breath weapon halves the initial damage and duration of the slow effect, but does not affect the additional damage of straining traumatized muscles.

Special Tactics: Prismatic dragons often lie in ambush in a lake or deep river, using their wings or waveform power (achieved at juvenile age) to drench prey. If a drenched prey fails a saving throw against the breath weapon, all saturated clothing, ahir, and so on hardens into a solid shell, much like a body cast. The shell must be broken before the victim can move again.

Wet surfaces that do not absorb water well (bare skin, leather, metal) will receive only a thin coating, as easily broken as an eggshell. Most people will have no trouble moving their hands or speaking.

Absorbent surfaces, such as normal clothing, must be shattered. A successful bend bars roll cracks the shell on one limb sufficiently to allow movement. An immobilized, statue-like victim can tip himself over, shattering the shell if it fails to save vs. crushing blow. No amount of tapping from within the shell can break it. A solid blow against AC 6 frees one limb or the torso if the shell fails its saving throw vs. crushing blow. The shell absorbs 5 points of damage, the rest affects the trapped victim. When one part of the shell shatters, the shell covering an adjacent limb is 50% likely to shatter as well.

The first bolded bit is a slow effect because the internal water of the creature is (partially?) solidified. The second bolded bit (and the following) is more like entanglement due to the being coated in hardened liquid. But, frankly, if we're going to cut something to simplify this breath weapon, that second "entanglement" effect is where I'd start cutting.

 

[Cleon]

There are two different effects we're talking about here, which I'm bolding:

The first bolded bit is a slow effect because the internal water of the creature is (partially?) solidified. The second bolded bit (and the following) is more like entanglement due to the being coated in hardened liquid. But, frankly, if we're going to cut something to simplify this breath weapon, that second "entanglement" effect is where I'd start cutting.

I was going more for the second effect over the first, but I'd be OK having it harden its victims from the outside in, in which case I'll go along with a slow effect.

Hmm, if it causes the victim's skin, muscles and organs to flake off shouldn't it be doing ability damage of some sort, not to mention be excruciatingly painful?