Converting True Dragons

[GrayLinnorm]

This ability from Monster Manual II may be useful for the marsh dragon:

Marsh Move (Ex): Swamplight lynxes take no movement penalties for moving in marshes or mud.

For SLAs: I second contagion. Other possibilities: Melf's acid arrow, stinking cloud, cloudkill, and plague (from Player's Handbook II).

 

[freyar]

Acid arrow, stinking cloud, and cloudkill all seem like good possibilities to me, also, though stinking cloud and cloudkill may be too similar. I hesitate about a PHBII spell, though. Something like poison or even transmute rock to mud might work, too.

RavinRay, I would like your suggestion about the black dragons, but the original text says that marsh dragons get along better with blacks than other varieties of dragon.

Something like Marshmove would be a good idea, too.

 

[RavinRay]

Oops, my bad.

 

[RavinRay]

I'll take a look at the Krynnish amphidragon, said to be a cross between a green dragon and the turtle-like sea dragon, as it is the only other true dragon I know of that has a warty hide, to see if that has any game effect at all.

 

[GrayLinnorm]

In the original stats, the marsh dragon had a higher intelligence than the white dragon.

 

[Shade]

Comparing it to other 1E dragons....

Intelligence ranges from comparble to a black to comparble with a gold. Its Int ranged from 8-18. Perhaps we should settle on a middle ground, say 13 (High), which would have placed it on par with a brass or copper dragon?

Sizewise, it matches the white just fine. AC also matches the white.

Comparing 1E damage, its claws are weaker than even the white, but its bite is on par with a blue. So to equate this to Str, somewhere between the two? In 3.5, the white and blue are usually only 2 points apart, so we could place it squarely between them at each age category.

Using the conversion guidelines, its speed would be 20 ft, fly 50 ft., swim 30 ft. at the assumed juvenile category. This is awfully slow, even by dragon standards, though.

 

[freyar]

Comparing it to other 1E dragons....

Intelligence ranges from comparble to a black to comparble with a gold. Its Int ranged from 8-18. Perhaps we should settle on a middle ground, say 13 (High), which would have placed it on par with a brass or copper dragon?

Sounds reasonable. Size and AC matching white is also good.

Comparing 1E damage, its claws are weaker than even the white, but its bite is on par with a blue. So to equate this to Str, somewhere between the two? In 3.5, the white and blue are usually only 2 points apart, so we could place it squarely between them at each age category.

Seems good to me.

Using the conversion guidelines, its speed would be 20 ft, fly 50 ft., swim 30 ft. at the assumed juvenile category. This is awfully slow, even by dragon standards, though.

Maybe make the speed equivalent to black or else a tiny bit slower?

 

[RavinRay]

The smallest dragons, white and bronze, are the fastest fliers by great wyrm age (250 ft.) because they start out with a fly 150 ft. speed at wyrmling age. So if the marsh dragon matches the white in HD and size, it ought to match it in speed as well, which gives it a marginal advantage over the black.

 

[Shade]

The smallest dragons, white and bronze, are the fastest fliers by great wyrm age (250 ft.) because they start out with a fly 150 ft. speed at wyrmling age. So if the marsh dragon matches the white in HD and size, it ought to match it in speed as well, which gives it a marginal advantage over the black.

That'll work. It does have "short stumpy, but powerful wings", so it could be a strong flier.

 

[Mortis]

That'll work. It does have "short stumpy, but powerful wings", so it could be a strong flier.

Perhaps same speed as the white but a lower manoeuverability.

Regards
Mortis