Converting monsters from Dragon magazine (Part Two)

[Cleon]

I think the original breath weapon has 5d8, but 5d6 also seems reasonable. These are pretty low CR probably.

I could go either way on the exceptional advancement.

After glancing at post #901 the breath weapon did to 5d8. That's pretty meaty for a 5HD AD&D monster, so 5d10 would be a closer fit with the original.

But if we keep it, I would still like its breath damage to increase with Advancement, but 1d10/HD seems to much to me. Maybe an extra 1d10 per two extra hit dice? Then a 9HD Huge lindorm would do 7d10 and a 15HD Gargantuan one 10d10 with its breath.

 

[freyar]

Shade slipped it back to 5d8, which I think is fair here. The low HD are an important factor. I also like Shade's proposed advancement, though I could go to +1 damage die per 2 HD.

 

[Cleon]

Shade slipped it back to 5d8, which I think is fair here. The low HD are an important factor. I also like Shade's proposed advancement, though I could go to +1 damage die per 2 HD.

I don't have anything against 5d10, since the original had a pretty high-damage breath weapon.

I prefer +1 die per 2HD since it has the breath weapon damage increase synchronize with its size steps. If its +1 die per 3HD the lindorm gains the damage boost a HD before each size increase (6d8 at 8HD, 8d8 at 14HD, while its size increases at 9HD and 15HD)

 

[Shade]

I'm fine with +1 per 2 HD. I just suggested the slower progression since it was more "deficient" than most true dragons.

Updated.

Should they have any of the following abilities common to true dragons: frightful presence, keen senses, blindsense?

 

[Leopold]

Frightful Presence and Blindsense. Keen Senses? Well they are the retarded step children so probably not.

 

[demiurge1138]

I like keen senses. Frightful presence and blindsense can fall by the wayside, methinks.

 

[Cleon]

I like keen senses. Frightful presence and blindsense can fall by the wayside, methinks.

Methinks keen senses and blindsense go together, so I vote for both.

Frightful presence? Probably not, I imagine them as being slightly pathetic looking. A basic dragon turtle surely looks more frightening than a lindorm, and they don't terrify folk by their mere presence.

 

[freyar]

I'm going to vote with Cleon: keen senses and blindsense, but no frightful presence. However, I'm not averse to dropping blindsense, either; that's just a slight preference.

 

[Shade]

We could halve the blindsense range of true dragons, bringing it to 30 feet.

 

[Cleon]

We could halve the blindsense range of true dragons, bringing it to 30 feet.

OK by me, how about cutting down its draconic keen senses too. Something like:

Keen Senses (Ex): A false lindorm sees three times as well as a human in shadowy illumination. It also has darkvision out to 90 feet.