Converting monsters from Second Edition Monstrous Compendiums

[Cleon]

This works for me.

Let's keep Improved Dazzle in mind, but I'd like to work on variety in this menu first.

Do you have anything particular in mind?

 

[freyar]

Well, so far, for the menu, we have:

Breath Evasion (Ex): The undead dragon slayer gains evasion (as the rogue class feature) against breath weapons. If the slayer has evasion from another source, its breath evasion becomes increases to improved evasion against breath weapons.

Improved Dragon Defense (Ex): The undead dragon slayer gains an additional +2 dodge bonus to AC and a +1 bonus to Reflex saves against attacks made by dragons, which stacks with Dragon Defense.

Improved Weapon Throwing (Ex): An undead dragon slayer can throw any weapon as an attack against a dragon. The attack does not take any penalties for being an improvised weapon but instead gains a +4 racial attack bonus and does additional damage equal to 1d6 plus 1d6 per 2 HD of the undead dragon slayer. The attack bonus does not stack with that gained from the Weapon Throwing ability.

---
True Strike (Sp): The undead dragon slayer may use true strike once per day as a move action on any attack against a dragon.

Dazzling Display (Su): As a standard action or part of a full attack action, an undead dragon slayer may make a series of complicated motions with its weapons which befuddles any dragon that sees it. A dragon within 120 ft that views the display (as a gaze attack) must make a Fortitude save or become dazzled for X rounds. In addition, the dragon must make a Concentration check at XX DC to cast any spell, use a spell-like ability, or maintain a spell that requires Concentration. If the Dazzling Display is part of a full attack action, all attacks take a -2 attack penalty.


Stuff above the --- line is already in homebrews. And we still have some variables to fill on the Dazzling Display. Other suggestions include:
Something like wingbind.
Smite dragon.
We wanted some for casters, too; free metamagic vs dragons was one idea.
Any thoughts?

 

[Cleon]

Stuff above the --- line is already in homebrews. And we still have some variables to fill on the Dazzling Display. Other suggestions include:
Something like wingbind.
Smite dragon.
We wanted some for casters, too; free metamagic vs dragons was one idea.
Any thoughts?

Wingbind and Smite Dragon are both good.

Free metamagic's alright, but we could do with something a bit more unique too.

Maybe some special spells it can cast spontaneously, which are only useful against Dragons?

 

[Shade]

Perhaps allow it to use spells usually only usable against animals/humanoids/etc. against dragons? For example, reduce person and hold animal.

 

[Cleon]

Perhaps allow it to use spells usually only usable against animals/humanoids/etc. against dragons? For example, reduce person and hold animal.

An excellent idea.

We could limit it by school, e.g.:

Enchant Dragon (Sp): X/day an undead dragon slayer can alter an Enchantment spell that usually has no effect on dragons, such as charm person, so it will affect dragons as if they were the type of creature the spell is most effective against.

Transmute Dragon (Sp): As Enchant Dragon (see above), except it alters a Transmutation spell, such as reduce person, so it affect dragons.

 

[Shade]

An excellent idea.

We could limit it by school, e.g.:

Enchant Dragon (Sp): X/day an undead dragon slayer can alter an Enchantment spell that usually has no effect on dragons, such as charm person, so it will affect dragons as if they were the type of creature the spell is most effective against.

Transmute Dragon (Sp): As Enchant Dragon (see above), except it alters a Transmutation spell, such as reduce person, so it affect dragons.

Good call!

 

[Cleon]

Good call!

Any other ideas?

I'm thinking we should consider abilities by spell school.

So far we've got enhancements for Transformations and Enchantments, but what else can we come up with.

"Locate Dragon" or "Scry Dragon" for the Diviner?

 

[Shade]

Any other ideas?

I'm thinking we should consider abilities by spell school.

So far we've got enhancements for Transformations and Enchantments, but what else can we come up with.

"Locate Dragon" or "Scry Dragon" for the Diviner?

That could work.

Some sort of damage-booster or energy substitution for the Evoker?

 

[Cleon]

That could work.

Some sort of damage-booster or energy substitution for the Evoker?

Yeah, not sure about energy substitution per se, since I'd like it to be Dragon specific. Maybe their evocation spells have an additional effect against Dragons.

Alternatively, their Evocation spells do 50% extra force damage against dragons (so a fireball would do half force damage against a Red Dragon, and 150% fire plus 50% force against a White Dragon, due to the former's Fire subtype immunity to fire and the latter's Cold subtype vulnerability to fire.

 

[freyar]

These are great ideas!

Before I get back to that, I'm going to try filling in the Dazzling Display variables:
Dazzling Display (Su): As a standard action or part of a full attack action, an undead dragon slayer may make a series of complicated motions with its weapons which befuddles any dragon that sees it. A dragon within 120 ft that views the display (as a gaze attack) must make a Fortitude save or become dazzled for 1d4 rounds. In addition, the dragon must make a Concentration check at DC 30? to cast any spell, use a spell-like ability, or maintain a spell that requires Concentration. If the Dazzling Display is part of a full attack action, all attacks take a -2 attack penalty.


Extra Force (Sp): X times per day, an undead dragon slayer may alter any evocation spell so that it does an extra 50% of force damage against dragons. For example, a caster level 10 fireball does 10d6 hp of fire damage and 5d6 additional hp of force damage to dragons in the area.