Converting True Dragons
Cleon
Legend
Oh I don't mind it that much, it just seems odd to have a previously Illusionist-casting dragon switch to clerical.
I suppose we could give it a +1 DC to illusion spells as a "specialist sorcerer" kind of deal, but that seems a little odd.
Can't see anything offhand.
Give me a while and I might find something to quibble about.
Shade
Monster Junkie
I gave you awhile.
Moving on...
Yellow Dragon
Frequency: Rare
No. Appearing: 1-4
Armor Class: 3
Move; 9”/24”
% in lair: 75%
Treasure Type: H
No. of attacks: 3
Damage/attack: 1-8/1-8/3-18
Special Attacks: Breath weapon and Possible Magic Use
Special Defenses: Limited shapechange
Magic Resistance: See text above
Intelligence: 14-17
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Size: L (48’)
Psionic Ability: Nil
Chance of Speaking 50%, Magic use 75%, Sleeping 20%
The yellow dragon enjoys the company of men to the point of freely mixing with them in the guise of a Cleric, Magic-User or Illusionist depending upon the type of spells it can cast, or as a man-at-arms if it cannot cast spells. The yellow dragon can shapechange to human form three times per day but the same human (form/appearance) will always result from the change; thus, disguise as various humans is not possible.
The dragon’s lair is usually at a point overlooking an often-traveled road or near a small town, thus allowing the dragon the chance to mix with humans. The yellow dragon is outright rude and almost hateful to both humanoids and demihumans, and will attack such a band, unless it is accompanied by a majority of humans, on sight 45% of the time. While the yellow dragon is not evil, he is very gullible and any plausible story told to him by a human must be saved against like a Suggestion spell; thus, the dragon often ends up following either good or evil purposes if the person he last talked to has a charisma that is quite high. For every point of a person’s charisma below 10, the dragon gains +1 on its s.t.vs Suggestion, but it loses one point for every point above 13. Remember, the suggestion must be reasonable, and, once melee is joined, this ability of men to “sweet talk” a yellow dragon is gone.
The yellow dragon can attack with spells (it can select Cures or Cause spells from clerical lists) or a claw/claw/bite routine but its most feared weapon is its breath. It has two forms usable twice per day each:
1. Cause Disease. This breath is in cloud form covering a cone 6” long and 3” at its base. Any in the cone must save twice versus magic. The first save is to prevent the effects of a Stinking Cloud spell once the figure is out of the gas (the gas does not linger but evaporates in 1 round). The effect, if the s.t. fails, lasts for 4-16 rounds (i.e. cannot cast spells, attacks to hit are at -3, strength and dexterity bonuses are lost as effective strength and dexterity drop by 4 points. Any with a resultant strength or dexterity of 2 or less are absolutely helpless and will fall over in a heap.) Worse still, the figure is subject to a disease that will permanently drain 1 point of strength and 1 point of dexterity per day for from 1-6 days unless a Cure Disease from a 12th or higher-level Cleric is applied or a Heal spell is used. Once a point is lost, however, it can only be regained by a Wish or a Restoration applied within 4 days of the loss of the strength or dexterity point.
2. Cause Blindness. This breath is a cloud of gas of the same proportions as the Disease gas. Those inside must save versus blindness or be blinded until a Cure Blindness or Heal spell is applied.
Dispel Magic or Remove Curse has no effect upon either gas. Note that both weapons do 1 hit point of damage per age level of the dragon, with no saving throw allowed. Spells are gained at the rate of 1 first-level spell for the first four age levels of the dragon and 1 second-level spell for the next four age levels.
Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #38 (1980).
RavinRay
Explorer
Did you wiki those names? What about blond? Mustard seems a good name for a nasty dragon.
Behavior-wise it's a very sociable dragon like the song and steel dragons of Faerûn, although it's unfriendly and ornery like the similarly colored topaz dragon. Surprisingly it seems to have a Sense Motive penalty against Bluff checks.
Has two breath weapons, the first of which combines stinking cloud and a Str and Dex draining disease, plus another breath that apparently is a poison that deals blindness on contact.
What about blond? Mustard seems a good name for a nasty dragon.Behavior-wise it's a very sociable dragon like the song and steel dragons of Faerûn, although it's unfriendly and ornery like the similarly colored topaz dragon. Surprisingly it seems to have a Sense Motive penalty against Bluff checks.
Has two breath weapons, the first of which combines stinking cloud and a Str and Dex draining disease, plus another breath that apparently is a poison that deals blindness on contact.
GrayLinnorm
Explorer
Given its breath weapons, mustard might actually fit.
Cleon
Legend
I gave you awhile.
Well I said I might not that I would.
EDIT: Well if you insist, there's a "possiple" in the first sentence after Combat.
EDITED EDIT: Oh yes, and there's a "Chameleon dragons have the unusal ability"in the first sentence after the description.
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Cleon
Legend
I like Mustard for them. It's a better fit than Shade's other proposals.
Shade
Monster Junkie
And don't underestimate the PCs...as soon as a mustard dragon threatens them, they'll be expecting a ketchup dragon to arrive and assist it.
Mustard it is. Size and speed matches a 1e Red. AC matches a Black. For the ability scores, Int is in the High to Genius range, so Int can follow anything from Copper to Gold. I'd recommend lower Wis, due to its gullible nature, and probably good Cha since it likes to blend in. Its claw damage is on par with a red, but its bite is only as good as a black. Set the Str progression between the two? What about Con?
