Converting True Dragons
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Shade
Monster Junkie
Demon Drake
FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO. APPEARING: 1-4
ARMOR CLASS: 5
MOVE: 9./24. (MC: A)
HIT DICE: See Table 4
% IN LAIR: 25%
TREASURE TYPE: S, Z
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2 claws and either 1 head butt or 1 bite
DAMAGE/ATTACK: See Table 4
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Breath weapon, up to major spell use
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Invisibility, fire resistance,magic resistance, high intelligence, up to major spell use
MAGIC RESISTANCE: See Table 4
INTELLIGENCE: Average to high
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic neutral, chaotic evil
SIZE: S (1-3. long)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
CHANCE OF:
Speaking: 90%
Magic use: 80%
Sleeping: 30%
LEVEL/XP VALUE: Up to V/400 + 5 per hit point (maximum age and abilities)
Demon drakes appear to be miniature red dragons with sharp, devilish horns on the tops of their heads and fixed, evil grins. Females have orange underbellies; males are red all over. Demon drakes usually live near or in volcanic vents, but they can also be found in caverns and many barren-landscapes. Small groups of demon drakes often associate with salamanders and lair nearby. Quicklings are known to form alliances with demon drakes and ride them into battle.
Demon drakes are naturally resistant to fires, as per rings of fire resistance. They can also use improved invisibility on themselves twice per day, being able to attack and cast spells without turning visible.
The demon drake has two forms of cone-shaped fiery breath weapons. The cone shape of the major attack form is ¼” in diameter at the drake’s mouth, and it spreads out until it is 3’ wide at its far end. The cone of flame is 8’ long; see Table 4 for damage statistics, which are based on age (half damage is take if the victim makes a saving throw vs. breath weapons). This attack form may be made only four times per day. Demon drakes may also breath a lesser amount of fire an unlimited number of times per day. This minor breath weapon is only 4’ long and 2’ across at the far end. Demon drakes are immune to other demon drakes’ breath weapons.
Demon drakes are not really vicious in nature, but they defend their lairs with great single-mindedness. In such cases, they attack as if they had two additional hit dice, and their breath weapons do an additional 1-4 hp damage. Like the faerie dragons, demon drakes are infamous for their practical jokes and go out of their ways to plan and execute them. However, their practical jokes go beyond what might be considered funny or safe, sometimes resulting in real harm to the victims.
Demon drakes able to use spells will employ illusionist spells, but as they grow older, they gain a small selection of wizard and cleric spells. Unlike their cousins, their spells are not selected only on the basis of their mischief potential. Spellcasting demon drakes gain spells at the same rate that illusionists do, each hit die equaling a level. One in 24 magic-using demon drakes is a lair shaman and gains both cleric and illusionist spells at the same time, like a multiclassed character. Spell-casting demon drakes also gain one first-level wizard spell at old, very old, and ancient ages each. All demon drakes (even those that do not normally use spells) gain a first-level cleric spell at ancient age, including lair shamans, who have that spell in addition to their others. Most spells are taught by the elders of the demon drake group, except for the cleric spells, which appear to be gained from an unknown source.
Demon drakes also have unique spells that the elders of their race pass on to deserving youths who manage to prepare and execute what are referred to as “grandmaster” practical jokes. These practical jokes must be fairly subtle and affect at least a small community of creatures or a single creature whose innate power is such that the joke deserves merit. Creating an illusion of human women bathing in cool water, tempting a hunter to wade into lava, is a basic practical joke not worthy of grandmaster status. If the “women” were actually female goblins, encountered on multiple occasions by an elite patrol, the joke might be worth consideration.
Demon drakes sometimes kidnap and ransom elven, half-elven, halfling, human, brownie, leprechaun, pixie, quickling, and sprite maidens. During their time of capture, these maids are treated like princesses by the entire tribe. The ransom demand might be a minor quest to benefit the tribe or the payment of some valuable item the tribe desires. However, depending upon their infatuation with their new “princess”. the demon drakes might gift her with treasures worth double the ransom they demand. It is an honor to be kidnapped by demon drakes.at least, in the eyes of the kidnappers. They allow the maid to leave after six months even if no ransom is paid. It is considered an insult if they return the maiden prematurely.
Demon drake clans are located near some source of sulfur, hence their preoccupation with lairing in or near volcanic vents. They must consume a few ounces of sulfur every week, or their fiery breath weakens. After several weeks without sulfur, the damage from their breath is reduced by half (round fractions down).
Demon drakes speak a variant of the faerie-dragon language as well as their alignment tongue. Most also speak salamander, quickling, elven, leprechaun, or pixie. They have 120’ infravision and excellent night sight.
The following are three unique demon drake spells. A young-adult demon drake has usually earned at least one unique first-level spell, while an old demon drake might have all three spells that follow, as well as others the DM might create.
Pretty--Oops! (Illusion/Alteration)
Level: 1
Components: V,S,M
Range: 0
CT: 1 round
Duration: Special
ST: Negates
Area of Effect: ½ cubic foot
Explanation/Description: This spell may be cast upon small living creatures or small inanimate objects. If cast upon a living creature, the creature is allowed a saving throw vs. paralysis, or it is paralyzed for 5-8 hours. Each hour after the fourth hour, the creature is entitled to another saving throw. If the saving throw succeeds, the creature immediately recovers. If still paralyzed at the end of eight hours, the creature automatically recovers. A piece of wool, bird down, or similar item is required for casting the spell.
When the spell is cast, the demon drake concentrates upon the illusory form it wishes the object or victim to take. The form should be of the same approximate shape and size of the object or creature upon which the spell is cast. A poisonous snake might be transformed into a bejeweled dagger, a hornet’s nest into a sealed container, and a cockatrice into a sleeping lap dog.
Should a creature or object with pretty—oops! be touched or take damage, it automatically transforms into its original form. Detect illusion spells reveal this magical disguise for what it is.
Slither--Hiss! (Illusion/Evocation)
Level: 2
Components: V,S,M
Range: 30’
CT: 1 round
Duration: 24 hours
ST: Negates
Area of Effect: 10’ diameter sphere
Explanation/Description: Demon drakes use this spell to guard their caverns from intruders. The spell is closely related to magic mouth but with a twist. The material component of this spell is a lizard skin or snake skin. The spell is able to discern between different creatures as does the magic mouth spell, and can be programmed to activate against a specific type of intruder.
When the spell is activated by an intruding creature, a rustling, slithering sound is heard, seeming to come from farther inside the cave or in the direction the intruder is traveling. This sound is discernible whether the intruder is noisy or quiet. The sound is obviously that of something large and serpentine. Each intruding creature is allowed a saving throw vs. spells; those that fail to save become uneasy and catch glimpses of something huge and foreboding in most every shadow and crevice. These victims each fall prey to a spook spell 1-4 rounds later, if they remain within the spell’s area of effect.
Pretty--Boom! (Illusion/Evocation/Alteration)
Level: 3
Components: V,S,M
Range: 0
CT: 1 round
Duration: 24 hours
ST: l/2
Area of Effect: 10’ sphere
Explanation/Description: The material component for this spell is a gem of at least 1 gp value. When cast, the gem takes on the appearance of a gem of 10-100 times its real value. This enchantment lasts exactly 24 hours. At the end of this time, the gem explodes with great force, doing 3-12 hp damage to anyone within 5’. Those within 10’ are allowed a saving throw vs. wands; if successful, they take half damage. The explosion is based upon force, not fire. The burst produces shrapnel-like shards capable of turning a backpack, bag, or pouch into shreds while still doing damage to the bearer of the item. If the gem explodes in a bag of holding or portable hole, the item is destroyed, but the bearer of the bag or hole takes no damage.
The caster of the spell may dispel this spell before it explodes simply by speaking a command word within 10’ of the gem. Only the caster can so deactivate the pretty—-boom! gem, even if another spellcaster knows the command word. Dispel magic works normally against this spell.
Alternately, the demon drake may choose not to have the gem explode. Instead, the gem might evaporate into a stinking cloud, as per the wizard spell, or might explode with a great noise but doing only 1 hp damage and creating a 20’-diameter cloud of sulfurous smoke lasting one turn.
Table 4 Demon Drakes' Statistics
Age MR HD Length Claw Butt* Breath (major) Breath (minor)
Very young 12% ½ 1' - 1 1-4 1
Young 18% 1 1'6" 1 1-2 1-4 1
Sub-adult 24% 1 + 3 2' 1 1-3 1-6 1-2
Young adult 30% 2 2'3" 1 l-4 1-6 1-3
Adult 36% 2 + 3 2'6" 1 1-4 l-8 l-4
Old 42% 3 2'9" 1-2 l-6 2-8 l-4
Very old 48% 4 3' l-2 1-6 l-10 1-6
Ancient 54% 5 3'3" l-3 2-8 l-10 1-6
* Damage from biting is equal to the butt-damage value minus 1 hp, with a minimum value of 1 hp damage.
Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #146 (1989).
FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO. APPEARING: 1-4
ARMOR CLASS: 5
MOVE: 9./24. (MC: A)
HIT DICE: See Table 4
% IN LAIR: 25%
TREASURE TYPE: S, Z
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2 claws and either 1 head butt or 1 bite
DAMAGE/ATTACK: See Table 4
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Breath weapon, up to major spell use
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Invisibility, fire resistance,magic resistance, high intelligence, up to major spell use
MAGIC RESISTANCE: See Table 4
INTELLIGENCE: Average to high
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic neutral, chaotic evil
SIZE: S (1-3. long)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
CHANCE OF:
Speaking: 90%
Magic use: 80%
Sleeping: 30%
LEVEL/XP VALUE: Up to V/400 + 5 per hit point (maximum age and abilities)
Demon drakes appear to be miniature red dragons with sharp, devilish horns on the tops of their heads and fixed, evil grins. Females have orange underbellies; males are red all over. Demon drakes usually live near or in volcanic vents, but they can also be found in caverns and many barren-landscapes. Small groups of demon drakes often associate with salamanders and lair nearby. Quicklings are known to form alliances with demon drakes and ride them into battle.
Demon drakes are naturally resistant to fires, as per rings of fire resistance. They can also use improved invisibility on themselves twice per day, being able to attack and cast spells without turning visible.
The demon drake has two forms of cone-shaped fiery breath weapons. The cone shape of the major attack form is ¼” in diameter at the drake’s mouth, and it spreads out until it is 3’ wide at its far end. The cone of flame is 8’ long; see Table 4 for damage statistics, which are based on age (half damage is take if the victim makes a saving throw vs. breath weapons). This attack form may be made only four times per day. Demon drakes may also breath a lesser amount of fire an unlimited number of times per day. This minor breath weapon is only 4’ long and 2’ across at the far end. Demon drakes are immune to other demon drakes’ breath weapons.
Demon drakes are not really vicious in nature, but they defend their lairs with great single-mindedness. In such cases, they attack as if they had two additional hit dice, and their breath weapons do an additional 1-4 hp damage. Like the faerie dragons, demon drakes are infamous for their practical jokes and go out of their ways to plan and execute them. However, their practical jokes go beyond what might be considered funny or safe, sometimes resulting in real harm to the victims.
Demon drakes able to use spells will employ illusionist spells, but as they grow older, they gain a small selection of wizard and cleric spells. Unlike their cousins, their spells are not selected only on the basis of their mischief potential. Spellcasting demon drakes gain spells at the same rate that illusionists do, each hit die equaling a level. One in 24 magic-using demon drakes is a lair shaman and gains both cleric and illusionist spells at the same time, like a multiclassed character. Spell-casting demon drakes also gain one first-level wizard spell at old, very old, and ancient ages each. All demon drakes (even those that do not normally use spells) gain a first-level cleric spell at ancient age, including lair shamans, who have that spell in addition to their others. Most spells are taught by the elders of the demon drake group, except for the cleric spells, which appear to be gained from an unknown source.
Demon drakes also have unique spells that the elders of their race pass on to deserving youths who manage to prepare and execute what are referred to as “grandmaster” practical jokes. These practical jokes must be fairly subtle and affect at least a small community of creatures or a single creature whose innate power is such that the joke deserves merit. Creating an illusion of human women bathing in cool water, tempting a hunter to wade into lava, is a basic practical joke not worthy of grandmaster status. If the “women” were actually female goblins, encountered on multiple occasions by an elite patrol, the joke might be worth consideration.
Demon drakes sometimes kidnap and ransom elven, half-elven, halfling, human, brownie, leprechaun, pixie, quickling, and sprite maidens. During their time of capture, these maids are treated like princesses by the entire tribe. The ransom demand might be a minor quest to benefit the tribe or the payment of some valuable item the tribe desires. However, depending upon their infatuation with their new “princess”. the demon drakes might gift her with treasures worth double the ransom they demand. It is an honor to be kidnapped by demon drakes.at least, in the eyes of the kidnappers. They allow the maid to leave after six months even if no ransom is paid. It is considered an insult if they return the maiden prematurely.
Demon drake clans are located near some source of sulfur, hence their preoccupation with lairing in or near volcanic vents. They must consume a few ounces of sulfur every week, or their fiery breath weakens. After several weeks without sulfur, the damage from their breath is reduced by half (round fractions down).
Demon drakes speak a variant of the faerie-dragon language as well as their alignment tongue. Most also speak salamander, quickling, elven, leprechaun, or pixie. They have 120’ infravision and excellent night sight.
The following are three unique demon drake spells. A young-adult demon drake has usually earned at least one unique first-level spell, while an old demon drake might have all three spells that follow, as well as others the DM might create.
Pretty--Oops! (Illusion/Alteration)
Level: 1
Components: V,S,M
Range: 0
CT: 1 round
Duration: Special
ST: Negates
Area of Effect: ½ cubic foot
Explanation/Description: This spell may be cast upon small living creatures or small inanimate objects. If cast upon a living creature, the creature is allowed a saving throw vs. paralysis, or it is paralyzed for 5-8 hours. Each hour after the fourth hour, the creature is entitled to another saving throw. If the saving throw succeeds, the creature immediately recovers. If still paralyzed at the end of eight hours, the creature automatically recovers. A piece of wool, bird down, or similar item is required for casting the spell.
When the spell is cast, the demon drake concentrates upon the illusory form it wishes the object or victim to take. The form should be of the same approximate shape and size of the object or creature upon which the spell is cast. A poisonous snake might be transformed into a bejeweled dagger, a hornet’s nest into a sealed container, and a cockatrice into a sleeping lap dog.
Should a creature or object with pretty—oops! be touched or take damage, it automatically transforms into its original form. Detect illusion spells reveal this magical disguise for what it is.
Slither--Hiss! (Illusion/Evocation)
Level: 2
Components: V,S,M
Range: 30’
CT: 1 round
Duration: 24 hours
ST: Negates
Area of Effect: 10’ diameter sphere
Explanation/Description: Demon drakes use this spell to guard their caverns from intruders. The spell is closely related to magic mouth but with a twist. The material component of this spell is a lizard skin or snake skin. The spell is able to discern between different creatures as does the magic mouth spell, and can be programmed to activate against a specific type of intruder.
When the spell is activated by an intruding creature, a rustling, slithering sound is heard, seeming to come from farther inside the cave or in the direction the intruder is traveling. This sound is discernible whether the intruder is noisy or quiet. The sound is obviously that of something large and serpentine. Each intruding creature is allowed a saving throw vs. spells; those that fail to save become uneasy and catch glimpses of something huge and foreboding in most every shadow and crevice. These victims each fall prey to a spook spell 1-4 rounds later, if they remain within the spell’s area of effect.
Pretty--Boom! (Illusion/Evocation/Alteration)
Level: 3
Components: V,S,M
Range: 0
CT: 1 round
Duration: 24 hours
ST: l/2
Area of Effect: 10’ sphere
Explanation/Description: The material component for this spell is a gem of at least 1 gp value. When cast, the gem takes on the appearance of a gem of 10-100 times its real value. This enchantment lasts exactly 24 hours. At the end of this time, the gem explodes with great force, doing 3-12 hp damage to anyone within 5’. Those within 10’ are allowed a saving throw vs. wands; if successful, they take half damage. The explosion is based upon force, not fire. The burst produces shrapnel-like shards capable of turning a backpack, bag, or pouch into shreds while still doing damage to the bearer of the item. If the gem explodes in a bag of holding or portable hole, the item is destroyed, but the bearer of the bag or hole takes no damage.
The caster of the spell may dispel this spell before it explodes simply by speaking a command word within 10’ of the gem. Only the caster can so deactivate the pretty—-boom! gem, even if another spellcaster knows the command word. Dispel magic works normally against this spell.
Alternately, the demon drake may choose not to have the gem explode. Instead, the gem might evaporate into a stinking cloud, as per the wizard spell, or might explode with a great noise but doing only 1 hp damage and creating a 20’-diameter cloud of sulfurous smoke lasting one turn.
Table 4 Demon Drakes' Statistics
Age MR HD Length Claw Butt* Breath (major) Breath (minor)
Very young 12% ½ 1' - 1 1-4 1
Young 18% 1 1'6" 1 1-2 1-4 1
Sub-adult 24% 1 + 3 2' 1 1-3 1-6 1-2
Young adult 30% 2 2'3" 1 l-4 1-6 1-3
Adult 36% 2 + 3 2'6" 1 1-4 l-8 l-4
Old 42% 3 2'9" 1-2 l-6 2-8 l-4
Very old 48% 4 3' l-2 1-6 l-10 1-6
Ancient 54% 5 3'3" l-3 2-8 l-10 1-6
* Damage from biting is equal to the butt-damage value minus 1 hp, with a minimum value of 1 hp damage.
Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #146 (1989).
Shade
Monster Junkie
It looks like we can simplify the spellcasting to that of a specialist wizard (illusionist) equal to their Hit Dice, and note that these innate caster levels stack with actual class levels taken later (or the mystic theurge prestige class, in the case of the "lair shaman").
Leopold
NKL4LYFE
AFter reading this section these are gonna suck.
Faerie dragon stats I found (couldn't find them in SRD didn't look too hard though):
STR 5 Dex 20 Con 9 Int 16 Wis 12 Cha 16
Demon Drake:
Str 5 Dex 18 Con 9 Int 14 Wis 12 Cha 18
FD can be found here:
http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache...rie+dragon+d20+stats&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
Faerie dragon stats I found (couldn't find them in SRD didn't look too hard though):
STR 5 Dex 20 Con 9 Int 16 Wis 12 Cha 16
Demon Drake:
Str 5 Dex 18 Con 9 Int 14 Wis 12 Cha 18
FD can be found here:
http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache...rie+dragon+d20+stats&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
Last edited:
Leopold
NKL4LYFE
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