Converting True Dragons

[Shade]

Added to Homebrews.

Breath weapon equals 60-foot cone of electricity damage, delayed 1 round?

 

[RavinRay]

Post #300!

A breath weapon with a delayed effect gives a chance for targets to move out of the area of effect unless it somehow clings to them like the orange dragon's "sticky, gooey breath" and the yellow dragon's salt encrusting breath. The concentrated cloud of heavy particles should perhaps be able to cling to targets or make it difficult for them to swim out of it.

 

[freyar]

The question is if we want it to affect everything that was in the cloud or if it's more of a "battlefield control" option. I personally would think that the particles cling to anything in the area of the breath (minus Ref save of course).

Shade, shouldn't the cone size be based on dragon size?

 

[Shade]

I agree with "everything in the area", and yes, it should be variable based on size.

 

[freyar]

Let's try this:

Breath Weapon (Su): The breath weapon of an aquatic dragon is a cone of adhesive particles that stick to everything in the area. 1 round after the use of the breath weapon, the particles undergo a reaction with the surrounding water and deal electricity damage to anything they touch, including equipment. A successful Reflex save at the time the breath weapon is used halves the damage (by reducing the number of particles that stick to a character and his or her equipment). This breath weapon does not function out of the water.

 

[Shade]

Looks good. I imagine characters familiar with the attack rushing to get out of the water before the shock strikes.

This sea-green creature lives in all depths of the ocean, immune to changes in water pressure from some inborn magical ability.

I think we did pressure tolerance for another conversion. Any ideas?

Edit: Found it...

Water Pressure Tolerance (Ex): Sea giants take no damage from water pressure at depths of less than 1 mile (see Water Dangers in the Dungeon Master's Guide).

Although it cannot breathe air, it can take great draughts of water in its lungs to enable it to "hold its breath" out of the water for 10 rounds at a time, though it cannot then bite.

Modify the usual hold breath ability?

Hold Breath (Ex): An aquatic dragon can hold great draughts of water in its lungs. It may do so for a number of rounds equal to x times its Constitution score. If out of water at that time, it risks drowning.

Almost all aquatic dragons are capable of speaking, being intelligent; very few of them use magic, however, because of the difficulty in acquiring spell books and scrolls underwater. A spell-using dragon of this type often has as its lair a cavern with a chamber filled with air to preserve books and papers. Magical items of interest to aquatic dragons are those which enable their users to go without breathing or which are normally regarded by airbreathers as cursed, because they fill the lungs of the user with water. These items enable an aquatic dragon to conduct extended plundering and hunting forays on the land of coastal areas. As for spells, the dragon gains a 1st-level magic-user spell the first two stages of its life, a 2ndlevel spell for each of the next two, a 3rdlevel spell for each of the two after that, and one 4th-level spell for each of the last two life stages.

It sounds to me that the only reason they aren't good spellcasters is the limitations based on wizardly spellcasting. Now that most dragons are sorcerers, the spellbook/scrolls aren't really an issue.

The entrances of aquatic dragon lairs are tangled in seaweed, one strand of which is often tied to the beast's tail when it is asleep, thus awakening the dragon with its movement when someone tries to enter. Consequently, it is difficult at best to catch an aquatic dragon napping.

I'm not sure what to do with that, if anything. Listen, Search, and Spot are already class skills for dragons.

Additionally, these dragons are immune to the effects of strangle weed, as their neck muscles and pressure-resistant bodies are so strong, so they often use this plant in their lairs as well.

Immunity to strangulation?

Aquatic dragons gain +2 to their saving throws vs. water-based attacks, +1 to their saving throws vs. fire-based attacks, and have a -2 penalty to their saving throws vs. electrical attacks. These same values also apply to their chances to be struck in combat by creatures using these powers (such as elementals) and to the number of hit points taken per hit die of damage from such effects. Thus, an attack by a lightning quasi elemental would do +2 hp/HD damage and have a +2 bonus to hit.

Resistance to fire that improves as it ages?

Vulnerability to electricity?

I also think resistance to cold makes sense due to their presence in ocean depths.

Recycle this?

Immunity to Water (Ex): A wavefire is immune to the detrimental effects of spells with the water descriptor.

 

[freyar]

Looks good. I imagine characters familiar with the attack rushing to get out of the water before the shock strikes.

I think we did pressure tolerance for another conversion. Any ideas?

Edit: Found it...

Water Pressure Tolerance (Ex): Sea giants take no damage from water pressure at depths of less than 1 mile (see Water Dangers in the Dungeon Master's Guide).

You beat me to finding it, though I might have suggested the titan instead... This looks right, though I think the description in the dragon's text would make it Su and maybe remove the 1 mile limit. We might mention that it is due to innate magic to justify the Su.

Modify the usual hold breath ability?

Hold Breath (Ex): An aquatic dragon can hold great draughts of water in its lungs. It may do so for a number of rounds equal to x times its Constitution score. If out of water at that time, it risks drowning.

Ok, w/o a special ability, x=2. How about 4?

It sounds to me that the only reason they aren't good spellcasters is the limitations based on wizardly spellcasting. Now that most dragons are sorcerers, the spellbook/scrolls aren't really an issue.

I agree, but, to keep the intent of the original, it might be good to go with a slower CL progression. That's why I mentioned copper upthread.

I'm not sure what to do with that, if anything. Listen, Search, and Spot are already class skills for dragons.

We could do nothing, or we could give it an ability to ignore (or reduce) the usual penalty on Listen checks while sleeping.

Immunity to strangulation?

Sure, but I'd be interested in knowing more about strangle weed just in case. Is there a conversion of that somewhere?

Resistance to fire that improves as it ages?

Vulnerability to electricity?

I also think resistance to cold makes sense due to their presence in ocean depths.

Recycle this?

Immunity to Water (Ex): A wavefire is immune to the detrimental effects of spells with the water descriptor.

I agree with resistance to fire and cold and Immunity to Water. It certainly reads about vulnerability to electricity, but that's sure weird for something with an electric breath weapon. I guess that's ok, though.

 

[Shade]

Ok, w/o a special ability, x=2. How about 4?

Let's go with 8, like some of the aquatic dinosaurs.

I agree, but, to keep the intent of the original, it might be good to go with a slower CL progression. That's why I mentioned copper upthread.

Fair enough.

We could do nothing, or we could give it an ability to ignore (or reduce) the usual penalty on Listen checks while sleeping.

Hmmm...will consider it.

Sure, but I'd be interested in knowing more about strangle weed just in case. Is there a conversion of that somewhere?

Tome of Horrors.

I agree with resistance to fire and cold and Immunity to Water. It certainly reads about vulnerability to electricity, but that's sure weird for something with an electric breath weapon. I guess that's ok, though.

We could always say that it is immune to its own breath weapon, perhaps because the particles cannot cling to its scales, or because its body naturally inhibits their ability to "energize".

Suggested advancement of resistance to fire and cold?

Updated.

 

[freyar]

Ok, strangle weed seems to kill by constriction, so maybe some immunity to constriction attacks? Seems a bit weird. Could make the DR include piercing or slashing.

I'm fine with your interpretation of the immunity to its own breath.

Maybe resistance to fire and cold should be 5 every three age categories (ending with 20 at Ancient and older)?

 

[RavinRay]

I'm looking at the grappling rules for suggestions on strangulation.

If You’re Pinned by an Opponent

When an opponent has pinned you, you are held immobile (but not helpless) for 1 round. While you’re pinned, you take a -4 penalty to your AC against opponents other than the one pinning you. At your opponent’s option, you may also be unable to speak. On your turn, you can try to escape the pin by making an opposed grapple check in place of an attack. You can make an Escape Artist check in place of your grapple check if you want, but this requires a standard action. If you win, you escape the pin, but you’re still grappling.

Being pinned sounds similar to being constricted in this case. Maybe the aquatic dragon can be immobile but take no additional damage due to the constriction in either HP loss or Constitution damage.