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5e Updates: Monstrous Compendium
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<blockquote data-quote="Stalker0" data-source="post: 8095468" data-attributes="member: 5889"><p>Since your going to do so many dragons, I'll just note a few of my desires and pet peeves about the standard dragons.</p><p></p><p>To me, Dragons are supposed to be Alpha Predators, top dogs on the planetary food chain (and of course the namesake of the franchise). They are the embodiment of the living tank....they combine a strong durable defense with an incredible offense. Its not that dragons are the toughest things, and its not that they are the most damaging things....its that they combine high strengths in both to generate a weapon you just do not mess with.</p><p></p><p>So a few notes:</p><p></p><p>1) Dragons as written have incredible senses and even get detect as a legendary action. But it doesn't do anything, its just perception. I wish this was pushed further, dragons don't just see you....they see "through you". They see your soul, your thoughts, your intentions. This could be manifested as a form of foresight, advantage against foes they use detect on, able to exploit a vulnerability (aka vulnerability the game mechanic) you didn't even know you had, etc.</p><p></p><p>2) Dragon breath weapons are their hallmark, and though they do good damage, they aren't always the sexiest option. I like to see breath's really scale up on the higher dragons, they can burn away magics, alter their shapes, linger and shape the battlefield, recharge more often at high levels, etc.</p><p></p><p>3) Dragon defenses should always be tough....and the high level dragons are I think worthy of true Damage Reduction (similar to the heavy armor mastery feat, but against magic weapons too). Its not a damage threshold, but true honest to god damage reduction. Also top dragons should get proficiencies in all saves, dragons don't have weak points to exploit like lesser monsters, they are always tough, its just some things are tougher than others. That said, I wouldn't not give them magic resistance, as dragons are innate creatures of magic, and frankly that mechanic is used way too often for higher CR monsters. Though of course, some kind of "unstoppable" ability as you have already used in other monsters.</p><p></p><p>4) I like that dragons are magical creatures and so get magical effects as they age, but spellcasting never feels right for them. I would love to see some magics imbued into their abilities. They have mage armor on all the time (reflected in their AC), some dragons breath blows you away like gust of wind (included in the breath stat block), some essence dragons have a <em>passwall </em>innate abiity that they can literally just pass through walls and barriers. So just ideas, but the thought being is that dragons should not "cast" spells in a fight, magic is an innate part of them, they are magic, so its either always on, or always applied to their attacks and movements.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Stalker0, post: 8095468, member: 5889"] Since your going to do so many dragons, I'll just note a few of my desires and pet peeves about the standard dragons. To me, Dragons are supposed to be Alpha Predators, top dogs on the planetary food chain (and of course the namesake of the franchise). They are the embodiment of the living tank....they combine a strong durable defense with an incredible offense. Its not that dragons are the toughest things, and its not that they are the most damaging things....its that they combine high strengths in both to generate a weapon you just do not mess with. So a few notes: 1) Dragons as written have incredible senses and even get detect as a legendary action. But it doesn't do anything, its just perception. I wish this was pushed further, dragons don't just see you....they see "through you". They see your soul, your thoughts, your intentions. This could be manifested as a form of foresight, advantage against foes they use detect on, able to exploit a vulnerability (aka vulnerability the game mechanic) you didn't even know you had, etc. 2) Dragon breath weapons are their hallmark, and though they do good damage, they aren't always the sexiest option. I like to see breath's really scale up on the higher dragons, they can burn away magics, alter their shapes, linger and shape the battlefield, recharge more often at high levels, etc. 3) Dragon defenses should always be tough....and the high level dragons are I think worthy of true Damage Reduction (similar to the heavy armor mastery feat, but against magic weapons too). Its not a damage threshold, but true honest to god damage reduction. Also top dragons should get proficiencies in all saves, dragons don't have weak points to exploit like lesser monsters, they are always tough, its just some things are tougher than others. That said, I wouldn't not give them magic resistance, as dragons are innate creatures of magic, and frankly that mechanic is used way too often for higher CR monsters. Though of course, some kind of "unstoppable" ability as you have already used in other monsters. 4) I like that dragons are magical creatures and so get magical effects as they age, but spellcasting never feels right for them. I would love to see some magics imbued into their abilities. They have mage armor on all the time (reflected in their AC), some dragons breath blows you away like gust of wind (included in the breath stat block), some essence dragons have a [I]passwall [/I]innate abiity that they can literally just pass through walls and barriers. So just ideas, but the thought being is that dragons should not "cast" spells in a fight, magic is an innate part of them, they are magic, so its either always on, or always applied to their attacks and movements. [/QUOTE]
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