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Converting First Edition monsters from DRAGON magazine
- Thread starter BOZ
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BOZ
Creature Cataloguer
I guess we can do this one, since the distinction is made that they are not the same as ordinary dragons. for one thing, this one doesn't appear to be a flyer.
Dragon Magazine #94 (“Creature Catalog II,” February 1986, Roger Moore)
WYRM, Great
FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: -1
MOVE: 15”
HIT DICE: 13-15
% IN LAIR: 45%
TREASURE TYPE: H, Z
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2 claws and 1 bite
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 4-24/4-24/4-40
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Breath weapon
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Regeneration; detect invisible beings
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 5%
INTELLIGENCE: Very
ALIGNMENT: Neutral evil
SIZE: L (60’ long)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: 13-14 HD, IX/9200 + 18/hp; 15 HD, X/12,200 + 20/hp
Great wyrms are distant relatives of dragons and dragonkind, a dying breed that has become more rare with each passing year. Wingless, six-legged intelligent reptiles, great wyrms lair far from civilized areas.
These gray-green beasts are so rarely seen that encountering one is considered a lucky (or unlucky) omen. Great wyrms are so old that some are said to remember the early days of their world, and a few kingdoms protect and defend their wyrms for the information they possess (though the wyrms charge steep prices for such knowledge). Great wyrms speak their own tongue and no other, though they apparently understand many languages and will answer questions put to them in a variety of dialects and tongues.
Malign, crafty, and indirect in speech and thought, some great wyrms are also senile, and a few are said to be insane. No new wyrms have been born for centuries, and it is generally believed that these monsters are aware that their species is headed for extinction. Certainly the wyrms say little about this, and tend to eat those who are bold enough to ask them about it.
A great wyrm is capable of breathing out a cloud of poisonous gas four times a day; such a cloud is 60 yards long, 30 yards wide and 26 yards high, and all who are caught within it must save vs. breath weapon or suffer the poison’s effects. Victims who breathe the fumes will be immediately incapacitated by choking and nausea, collapsing at once without defending themselves or attacking in any way. The victims will then die in 1-4 rounds. Saving against the breath weapon will reduce the victim to half of his former hit points (round fractions up) and will leave him choking and gasping; he will, however, be able to attack at -2 “to hit” odds, and can defend himself, though without armor class bonuses for dexterity. These latter effects will last 4-16 rounds.
In addition, great wyrms are able to regenerate their wounds to a limited extent. While they cannot rebond severed limbs, they can heal wounds at a rate of 1 hp every two rounds. Although this does not greatly affect combat, it allows the wyrm to recover quickly from serious injuries if given a chance to rest. Wounds caused by fire cannot be rehealed, though those caused by acid can be healed normally.
Great wyrms pass through the same life stages that dragons do, but no wyrms younger than “old” are known to exist. They also come in the same size categories, and can detect hidden or invisible creatures within a 1” range per age level. They live about ten times as long as regular dragons, so an old wyrm is probably between 1000 and 2000 years old.
All wyrms possess the fear aura of dragons, but regardless of their age, the wyrms have the aura effect operate without bonuses to the victims’ saving throws. Great wyrms, because of their innate egotism and strength of will, cannot ever be subdued; attacking one in this manner is a grave mistake. Wyrms cannot cast magic.
Because great wyrms are so old, each one has at least one especially vulnerable spot upon its body. The dragon’s scaly hide will have been damaged by disease, combat, or by general wear and tear at these points, and nervous ganglia tend to gather there. During physical combat, a person striking at a great wyrm with a sharp-edged weapon (including arrows and hurled hand axes and daggers) has a 1% chance of accidentally hitting such a vulnerable spot. The blow will strike the dragon as if against AC 4, and the blow will do double damage to the wyrm. The wyrm will immediately retreat if struck in such a spot, and will attempt to find safety and recover from the wound. Magical attacks, even magic missiles, will not affect the wyrm in this way. If a vulnerable spot is located and recognized, attackers may strike at the spot further unless the wyrm covers the spot or moves it out of reach of weapons.
Dragon Magazine #94 (“Creature Catalog II,” February 1986, Roger Moore)
WYRM, Great
FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: -1
MOVE: 15”
HIT DICE: 13-15
% IN LAIR: 45%
TREASURE TYPE: H, Z
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2 claws and 1 bite
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 4-24/4-24/4-40
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Breath weapon
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Regeneration; detect invisible beings
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 5%
INTELLIGENCE: Very
ALIGNMENT: Neutral evil
SIZE: L (60’ long)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: 13-14 HD, IX/9200 + 18/hp; 15 HD, X/12,200 + 20/hp
Great wyrms are distant relatives of dragons and dragonkind, a dying breed that has become more rare with each passing year. Wingless, six-legged intelligent reptiles, great wyrms lair far from civilized areas.
These gray-green beasts are so rarely seen that encountering one is considered a lucky (or unlucky) omen. Great wyrms are so old that some are said to remember the early days of their world, and a few kingdoms protect and defend their wyrms for the information they possess (though the wyrms charge steep prices for such knowledge). Great wyrms speak their own tongue and no other, though they apparently understand many languages and will answer questions put to them in a variety of dialects and tongues.
Malign, crafty, and indirect in speech and thought, some great wyrms are also senile, and a few are said to be insane. No new wyrms have been born for centuries, and it is generally believed that these monsters are aware that their species is headed for extinction. Certainly the wyrms say little about this, and tend to eat those who are bold enough to ask them about it.
A great wyrm is capable of breathing out a cloud of poisonous gas four times a day; such a cloud is 60 yards long, 30 yards wide and 26 yards high, and all who are caught within it must save vs. breath weapon or suffer the poison’s effects. Victims who breathe the fumes will be immediately incapacitated by choking and nausea, collapsing at once without defending themselves or attacking in any way. The victims will then die in 1-4 rounds. Saving against the breath weapon will reduce the victim to half of his former hit points (round fractions up) and will leave him choking and gasping; he will, however, be able to attack at -2 “to hit” odds, and can defend himself, though without armor class bonuses for dexterity. These latter effects will last 4-16 rounds.
In addition, great wyrms are able to regenerate their wounds to a limited extent. While they cannot rebond severed limbs, they can heal wounds at a rate of 1 hp every two rounds. Although this does not greatly affect combat, it allows the wyrm to recover quickly from serious injuries if given a chance to rest. Wounds caused by fire cannot be rehealed, though those caused by acid can be healed normally.
Great wyrms pass through the same life stages that dragons do, but no wyrms younger than “old” are known to exist. They also come in the same size categories, and can detect hidden or invisible creatures within a 1” range per age level. They live about ten times as long as regular dragons, so an old wyrm is probably between 1000 and 2000 years old.
All wyrms possess the fear aura of dragons, but regardless of their age, the wyrms have the aura effect operate without bonuses to the victims’ saving throws. Great wyrms, because of their innate egotism and strength of will, cannot ever be subdued; attacking one in this manner is a grave mistake. Wyrms cannot cast magic.
Because great wyrms are so old, each one has at least one especially vulnerable spot upon its body. The dragon’s scaly hide will have been damaged by disease, combat, or by general wear and tear at these points, and nervous ganglia tend to gather there. During physical combat, a person striking at a great wyrm with a sharp-edged weapon (including arrows and hurled hand axes and daggers) has a 1% chance of accidentally hitting such a vulnerable spot. The blow will strike the dragon as if against AC 4, and the blow will do double damage to the wyrm. The wyrm will immediately retreat if struck in such a spot, and will attempt to find safety and recover from the wound. Magical attacks, even magic missiles, will not affect the wyrm in this way. If a vulnerable spot is located and recognized, attackers may strike at the spot further unless the wyrm covers the spot or moves it out of reach of weapons.
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Shade
Monster Junkie
Bless you, BOZ! 
Here's an attempt at a starter stat block:
Great Wyrm
Gargantuan Dragon (Air?)
Hit Dice: 13d12+X (X hp)
Initiative: +X
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 21 (-4 size, +X Dex, +X natural), touch X, flat-footed X
Base Attack/Grapple: +13/+X
Attack: Bite +X melee (4d10+X)
Full Attack: Bite +X melee (4d10+X) and 2 claws +44 melee (4d6+X)
Space/Reach: 20 ft./15 ft.
Special Attacks: Breath weapon, fast healing X, frightful presence
Special Qualities: Blindsense X ft., darkvision 60 ft., immunities (disease, paralysis, sleep), low-light vision, spell resistance 11
Saves: Fort +X, Ref +X, Will +X
Abilities: Str X, Dex X, Con X, Int 12, Wis X, Cha X
Skills: 112
Feats: 5
Environment: X
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: X
Treasure: X
Alignment: Usually neutral evil
Advancement: 14-26 HD (Gargantuan); 27-39 HD (Colossal)
Level Adjustment: -
Here's an attempt at a starter stat block:
Great Wyrm
Gargantuan Dragon (Air?)
Hit Dice: 13d12+X (X hp)
Initiative: +X
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 21 (-4 size, +X Dex, +X natural), touch X, flat-footed X
Base Attack/Grapple: +13/+X
Attack: Bite +X melee (4d10+X)
Full Attack: Bite +X melee (4d10+X) and 2 claws +44 melee (4d6+X)
Space/Reach: 20 ft./15 ft.
Special Attacks: Breath weapon, fast healing X, frightful presence
Special Qualities: Blindsense X ft., darkvision 60 ft., immunities (disease, paralysis, sleep), low-light vision, spell resistance 11
Saves: Fort +X, Ref +X, Will +X
Abilities: Str X, Dex X, Con X, Int 12, Wis X, Cha X
Skills: 112
Feats: 5
Environment: X
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: X
Treasure: X
Alignment: Usually neutral evil
Advancement: 14-26 HD (Gargantuan); 27-39 HD (Colossal)
Level Adjustment: -
Shade
Monster Junkie
Here are some comparable-sized dragons for ability score ideas:
Desert landwyrm: Str 35, Dex 10, Con 24, Int 21, Wis 17, Cha 20
Swamp landwyrm: Str 39, Dex 10, Con 26, Int 17, Wis 17, Cha 24
Corpse tearer linnorm: Str 36, Dex 9, Con 26, Int 17, Wis 20, Cha 19
Swamp linnorm: Str 32, Dex 10, Con 27, Int 15, Wis 20, Cha 18
Storm drake: Str 35, Dex 13, Con 24, Int 15, Wis 19, Cha 20
Thus: Str 32-39, Dex 9-13, Con 24-27, Int 12, Wis 17-20, Cha 18-24.
Since its Int is a bit lower than its peers, we could either raise it up, or lower Wis and Cha as well.
Desert landwyrm: Str 35, Dex 10, Con 24, Int 21, Wis 17, Cha 20
Swamp landwyrm: Str 39, Dex 10, Con 26, Int 17, Wis 17, Cha 24
Corpse tearer linnorm: Str 36, Dex 9, Con 26, Int 17, Wis 20, Cha 19
Swamp linnorm: Str 32, Dex 10, Con 27, Int 15, Wis 20, Cha 18
Storm drake: Str 35, Dex 13, Con 24, Int 15, Wis 19, Cha 20
Thus: Str 32-39, Dex 9-13, Con 24-27, Int 12, Wis 17-20, Cha 18-24.
Since its Int is a bit lower than its peers, we could either raise it up, or lower Wis and Cha as well.
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