Converting True Dragons

[Shade]

I do not think I am alone when I say, Can we HAVE too many dragons??

I don't think I'm alone when I answer with a resounding "NO!".

 

[RavinRay]

Just throw them all into an über-Council of Wyrms campaign and watch the scales fly!

 

[Shade]

Next!


ICHTHYODRAKE
Created by: Gregory Detwiler
FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO. APPEARING: 1-2
ARMOR CLASS: 2
MOVE: //15"
HIT DICE: 10-12
% IN LAIR: Nil
TREASURE TYPE: See below
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 bite
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 8-64
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Breath weapon, swallowing whole, continuous damage, high damage bite
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Acute senses, saving throw bonuses
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Animal
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: L (100' long)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
LEVEL/XP VALUE: 10 HD: VIII/4200 + 14 per hit point; 11-12 HD: IX/6,100 + 16 per hit point

The ichthyodrake is one of the largest and most fearsome marine predators in existence. A rich deep green in color, it resembles a titanic fish with a dragon's head. The creature is apparently a distant relative of the true dragons, as it shares the same size and age categories, sensory and detection powers (except for infravision, which it lacks), fear-producing aura, and saving-throw bonuses as other dragons. However, these dragons cannot
speak or use magic, and they never seem to sleep. Worse yet, ichthyodrakes cannot be subdued, bribed, or flattered. A single V-shaped set of gills lies just behind the eyes and jaw attachments. Ichthyodrakes are so massive that they can ram and sink even the largest ocean-going vessels, though they prefer a diet of fish to a diet of people.

Few other sea creatures have developed the use of sound to the same degree as the ichthyodrake, which uses this ability well in its search for food. Ichthyodrakes reside at the top of the food pyramid, chiefly preying on "normal" predatory fishes such as sharks and barracudas. Such a monster's fins can be made to quiver at will, sending vibrations which can be felt in a 10-mile radius. These vibrations attract the attention of oceanic predators and bring them swarming in, where they are attacked and eaten. The ichthyodrake's jaws are so large that even the largest ordinary sharks can be swallowed whole. Once inside, prey takes 2-12 hp acid damage per round from the ichthyodrake's digestive fluids until wholly digested. If a character is swallowed and digested, and the ichthyodrake is cut open afterward, any surviving magical or metallic gear that saved vs. acid is found in the creature's stomach. Digested characters cannot be brought back to life by any means short of a wish.

When dealing with particularly powerful single foes, ships, or parties, the ichthyodrake can use its breath weapon three times per day. This is a sonic blast that sends severe vibrations through the water in a 20'-long by 80'-wide cone. Any creature caught in the area of effect takes 4-40 hp damage, and all nonliving materials must save vs. crushing blow. Because of this and the other powers it possesses, the ichthyodrake has no known natural enemies,
except for powerful adventurers.

Source: Dragon Magazine #134, June 1988.

 

[Shade]

For starters, 10-12 HD at juvenile age puts them on par with white, black, and brass dragons back then.

In size, it is closer to a gold dragon.

So, shall we follow the gold's size progression, but the black/brass's HD progression?

 

[Shade]

The creature is apparently a distant relative of the true dragons, as it shares the same size and age categories, sensory and detection powers (except for infravision, which it lacks), fear-producing aura, and saving-throw bonuses as other dragons.

No low-light vision for these fellas?

However, these dragons cannot speak or use magic, and they never seem to sleep. Worse yet, ichthyodrakes cannot be subdued, bribed, or flattered.

Int 2 at every age category?

Ichthyodrakes are so massive that they can ram and sink even the largest ocean-going vessels, though they prefer a diet of fish to a diet of people.

Give 'em dragon turtle's capsize ability?

Such a monster's fins can be made to quiver at will, sending vibrations which can be felt in a 10-mile radius. These vibrations attract the attention of oceanic predators and bring them swarming in, where they are attacked and eaten.

Should this be a special ability, or simply flavor text?

The ichthyodrake's jaws are so large that even the largest ordinary sharks can be swallowed whole. Once inside, prey takes 2-12 hp acid damage per round from the ichthyodrake's digestive fluids until wholly digested. If a character is swallowed and digested, and the ichthyodrake is cut open afterward, any surviving magical or metallic gear that saved vs. acid is found in the creature's stomach. Digested characters cannot be brought back to life by any means short of a wish.

Improved grab and swallow whole seem like no-brainers. Have you seen any dragons with scaling swallow whole (i.e., can swallow bigger creatures and stomachs can contain more creatures of various sizes)?

When dealing with particularly powerful single foes, ships, or parties, the ichthyodrake can use its breath weapon three times per day. This is a sonic blast that sends severe vibrations through the water in a 20'-long by 80'-wide cone. Any creature caught in the area of effect takes 4-40 hp damage, and all nonliving materials must save vs. crushing blow.

Cone that deals sonic damage with the secondary effect of a shatter spell?

 

[RavinRay]

No low-light vision for these fellas?

I just wonder though that in deep dark water, it's gonna come in handy. I'll take a look at Stormwrack and see how other aquatic creatures compare.

Int 2 at every age category?

So its Int puts it on par with mundane animals, maybe a 3 at least.

Give 'em dragon turtle's capsize ability?

We'll have to scale it up with its size.

Should this be a special ability, or simply flavor text?

For now I'll go with flavor.

Improved grab and swallow whole seem like no-brainers. Have you seen any dragons with scaling swallow whole (i.e., can swallow bigger creatures and stomachs can contain more creatures of various sizes)?

IIRC no.

Cone that deals sonic damage with the secondary effect of a shatter spell?

This is exactly what I did for my homebrew jade dragon (except that magical/psionic items are unaffected), so yes, let's use it.

 

[Wolf72]

I like the Faerie Dragon picture from the draconomicon ... I didn't like the static HD.

I made it 12 age cat dragon ... but with only 12 HD. Wyrmling was 1HD and each cat it went up a HD.

The stats seemed okay so just changed them with size and HD when it seemed to fit, take a look at my attachement (in MS word, I did it in simple tables that go all wierd when looked at with a different word program)

 

[Gothenem]

No low-light vision for these fellas?

Agreed.

Int 2 at every age category?

Yeah, with the Animal Intelligence listed, I agree.

Give 'em dragon turtle's capsize ability?

We'll have to scale it up with its size.

Agreed on both parts.

Improved grab and swallow whole seem like no-brainers. Have you seen any dragons with scaling swallow whole (i.e., can swallow bigger creatures and stomachs can contain more creatures of various sizes)?

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the sea serpent must hit with its bite or tail slap attacks. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it winds a grapple check, it establishes a hold. If it gets a hold of a foe with its bite, it can attempt to swallow the foe the following round. If it gets a hold with its tail slap it can constrict.
Swallow Whole (Ex): A sea serpent can attempt to swallow an opponent at least two size categories smaller than itself by making a successful grapple check. Once inside, the opponent takes bite damage plus 1d8 points of acid damage every round from the sea serpent's digestive tract. A swallowed creature can attempt to cut its way out by using a light slashing or piercing weapon to deal 3 points of damage per age category of the sea serpent to it digestive tract (AC 15). Once the creature exits, muscular action closes the hole; other swallowed opponents must cut their own way out.
A sea serpent's digestive tract can hold up to one opponent of two size categories smaller than itself, and four times as many of each size category below that. For example, a Huge sea serpent's digestive tract can hold 1 Medium, 4 Small, 16 Tiny, or 64 Diminutive or smaller opponents.

Like that?

Cone that deals sonic damage with the secondary effect of a shatter spell?

You probably don't need the shatter effect, as sonic ignore's an objects hardness. That should be enough to meet the needs.

Should this be a special ability, or simply flavor text?

For now I'll go with flavor.

I concur. If it comes down to it, we could include a summon swarm ability, but I'm in favor of this being flavor text.

 

[RavinRay]

Give 'em dragon turtle's capsize ability?

It might seem more like the leviathan's ram ability, especially if it's back isn't that broad and it is streamlined like the dragon eel or yu lung. If we are going to stick with the dragon turtle's capsize ability we should use the lung wang's entry for scaling the damage.

Originally Posted by Dragon Magazine #345, Sea Serpents
Swallow Whole (Ex): A sea serpent can attempt to swallow an opponent at least two size categories smaller than itself by making a successful grapple check...

How did I miss that one, silly me.

 

[Shade]

The improved grab and swallow whole from the sea serpents should work out great.

OK, here's a Huge dragon turtle's capsize ability...

Capsize (Ex): A submerged dragon turtle that surfaces under a boat or ship less than 20 feet long capsizes the vessel 95% of the time. It has a 50% chance to capsize a vessel from 20 to 60 feet long and a 20% chance to capsize one over 60 feet long.

RavinRay also suggested this...

Ramming (Ex): Once every 12 rounds, a leviathan can move at up to 720 feet and ram a Large or smaller creature or any sort of ship. To ram, the leviathan must end its movement in the target's space. If the target is a ship, the creature always precedes this attack with a long surface approach so everyone aboard can see what's coming. This attack deals 6d6+22 points of damage. If the target is a creature, it can attempt either an attack of opportunity or a Reflex save (DC 31) for half damage.

Upon ramming a ship, the leviathan can make a Strength check to breach its hull, which causes the ship to sink in 1d10 minutes. The break DC varies with the type of vessel rammed, as follows: rowboat DC 20, keelboat DC 23, sailing ship or longship DC 25, warship DC 27, or galley DC 30. (See Chapter 5 of the DMG for information about ships). Regardless of the check result, every creature aboard must attempt a Reflex saving throw (DC 15). Success means the creature takes 1d10 points of damage from being thrown about by the impact; failure means the creature is hurled overboard.

...which is for a Colossal creature so would have to be scaled down for lower age categories.

We might also look to the water elemental's water mastery ability for suggestions on effects by size category:

A water elemental can be a serious threat to a ship that crosses its path. An elemental can easily overturn small craft (5 feet of length per Hit Die of the elemental) and stop larger vessels (10 feet long per HD). Even large ships (20 feet long per HD) can be slowed to half speed.