Converting True Dragons

freyar

Extradimensional Explorer
Well, I'll start by editing the Alternate Form ability from Pearl (I think Opal is a "he" but couldn't find genders in the original stats):

Alternate Form (Su): Opal can assume any animal or humanoid form of Huge size or smaller as a standard action. He can also assume the form of any of the neutral dragon varieties he rules over of any age category from wyrmling to great wyrm. The Sun Dragon can remain in an alternate form until he chooses to assume a new one or return to her natural form.

His natural form can be any size between Tiny and his normal size of Colossal and can assume the shape but not the coloration of any neutral dragon, including wingless and legless species (he can still fly magically in wingless forms). Opal can resize and reshape his natural form as a free action once per round.
 

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Cleon

Legend
Well, I'll start by editing the Alternate Form ability from Pearl (I think Opal is a "he" but couldn't find genders in the original stats):

Ahem…

Okay, I ran into an unexpected problem. The Master Set and Rules Cyclopedia entries say Pearl is a girl and the Great Dragon is a boy but does not specify a gender for the other two dragons.

Fortunately, I vaguely recalled that the Dragon Rulers have additional information in a Dragon article and that Opal appears in an adventure in AC10 - Bestiary of Dragons and Giants (1987) which identifies him as male.

The article was "The Mightiest of Dragons" in Dragon Magazine #158 (1986), which calls both Opal and Diamond "he". Unfortunately it also calls Pearl "it" rather than "she" despite the Moon Dragon's official stats specifying that she's female. Oh well!

Opal and the Great Dragon are identified as male in BECMI sources, although Diamond's gender is unstated.

Alternate Form (Su): Opal can assume any animal or humanoid form of Huge size or smaller as a standard action. He can also assume the form of any of the neutral dragon varieties he rules over of any age category from wyrmling to great wyrm. The Sun Dragon can remain in an alternate form until he chooses to assume a new one or return to her natural form.

His natural form can be any size between Tiny and his normal size of Colossal and can assume the shape but not the coloration of any neutral dragon, including wingless and legless species (he can still fly magically in wingless forms). Opal can resize and reshape his natural form as a free action once per round.

Yes, the initial update will just be copying over Pearl's common Dragon Ruler abilities and changing the names & genders, then adding ALL the special abilities of every Neutral Dragon he has listed in his portfolio.

That seemed such "fun" I just keep on procrastinating about it!
 

freyar

Extradimensional Explorer
So many things to keep track of here! We should probably pick female for Diamond to make them somewhat balanced.

That seemed such "fun" I just keep on procrastinating about it!
Never put off until tomorrow what you can put off until the day after tomorrow!

What would you like to work on next for Opal?
 

Cleon

Legend
So many things to keep track of here! We should probably pick female for Diamond to make them somewhat balanced.

Balanced? As if 3.5 was ever balanced!

I'm more inclined to follow the original sources and leave Diamond's gender unstated. Just use "they" and the like if a pronouns required.

Never put off until tomorrow what you can put off until the day after tomorrow!

What would you like to work on next for Opal?

Well it's been more than one tomorrow so I'd better get started.

Just updated the Breath Weapons with the various neutral dragons.

Now it's time for the other special abilities/special qualities. Let's see what do we have…

Amber: blink, wild shape
Jacinth: blink, blinding hide, charm animal, suggestion, dominate animal, charm monster
Jade: immunity to sonic, plane shift, detect thoughts, shatter, sculpt sound, song of discord, demand
Moonstone: planar travel, Tasha's hideous laughter, awesome presence, deep slumber, dream, false vision, Otto's irresistible dance, temporal stasis
Mystaran Jade: camouflage, water breathing, enlarge, commune with nature, greater command, hold monster
Mystaran Onyx:
camouflage, blindsight, water breathing, hold animal, corrupt water, blight, black tentacles, contagion
Pearl: hold breath, blink, control water, beguile, hallucinatory terrain, solid fog, roar of freedom, control weather

Hmm, he has blink multiple times. Wasn't expecting that!

Most of them are SLA which are fairly straightforward.

Combining them all we have:

Spell-Like Abilities: At will—detect thoughts (DC ##), plane shift; 18/day—blink; 3/day—black tentacles (DC ##), charm animal (DC ##), control water (DC ##), deep slumber (DC ##), entangle (DC ##), false vision (DC ##), greater command (DC ##), hideous laughter (DC ##), hold animal (DC ##), sculpt sound (DC ##), shatter (DC ##), solid fog (DC ##), song of discord (DC ##), suggestion (DC ##); 1/day—blight (DC ##), charm monster (DC ##), commune with nature (DC ##), contagion (DC ##), control weather (DC ##), demand (DC ##), dominate animal (DC ##), hallucinatory terrain (DC ##), hold monster (DC ##), irresistible dance (DC ##), temporal stasis (DC ##). Caster level 20th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

The other Special Attacks are mostly fairly straightforward:

Awesome Presence (Su): Moonstone dragons do not have a fear aura as do most other dragons. Instead, creatures with HD less than the dragon caught in the aura that fail their Will saves are fascinated while the dragon is present. After the dragon departs, they lose all memory of the encounter.

Beguile (Su): A jade dragon often speaks in riddles. When it speaks for one full round, all creatures within 10 feet per age category must succeed on a Will save or become enthralled (as the spell). Beguile is a sonic, mind-affecting, language-dependent charm effect. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the same jade dragon's beguile ability for 24 hours. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Blinding Hide (Ex): In areas of natural sunlight or a daylight spell, a young or older jacinth dragon's hide reflects the sun so brightly that any creature within range (10 feet x dragon's age category) viewing the dragon must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC equals breath weapon DC) or be blinded for 5d6 rounds. A creature that successfully saves is instead dazzled for 1d4 rounds.

Camouflage (Ex): Since a Mystaran jade dragon looks like a green dragon in areas of shadowy illumination or darkness, it takes a DC 20 Spot check to notice its true nature. Anyone with ranks in Knowledge (arcana) can use that skill instead of Spot to notice the difference. Because the resemblance is only visual, creatures with the scent ability automatically notice the difference.

Camouflage (Ex): Since a Mystaran onyx dragon looks like a black dragon in areas of shadowy illumination or darkness, it takes a DC 20 Spot check to notice its true nature. Anyone with ranks in Knowledge (arcana) can use that skill instead of Spot to notice the difference. Because the resemblance is only visual, creatures with the scent ability automatically notice the difference.

Corrupt Water (Sp): Once per day an adult or older onyx dragon can stagnate 10 cubic feet of water, making it become still, foul, and unable to support animal life. The ability spoils liquids containing water. Magic items (such as potions) and items in a creature’s possession must succeed on a Will save (DC equal to that of the dragon’s frightful presence) or become fouled. This ability is the equivalent of a 1st-level spell. Its range is equal to that of the dragon’s frightful presence.

Dream (Su): As the spell, except that a moonstone dragon can only send itself to the recipient's dream at will as a standard action.

Hold Breath (Ex): A pearl dragon can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to 24 x its Constitution score before it risks drowning.

Planar Travel (Su): A moonstone dragon can plane shift between the Ethereal Plane and the Material Plane or the Plane of Faerie (if it exists in your cosmology) as a standard action, though it takes care to avoid places exposed to direct sunlight.

Roar of Freedom (Su) Three times per day, an ancient pearl dragon can utter a thrilling roar that functions as a break enchantment spell on the dragon or a single willing ally within 30 feet. The caster level equals the dragon's caster level.

Wild Shape (Su): A young adult or older amber dragon can wild shape just as a druid of the same caster level, with the following restriction: The amber dragon can only assume animal shapes of tiny to huge size, and it can only choose one animal form for each use of wild shape it possesses. It need not use each wild shape use on a different animal. Thus a very old amber dragon could wild shape up to four times per day and has access to four different animal forms of tiny to huge size to choose from. If the dragon later gains the wild shape ability from class levels, the uses per day stack and it uses the limitations of its innate ability or the class, whichever is better for the dragon.
 


Cleon

Legend
Spell-Like Abilities: At will—detect thoughts (DC ##), plane shift; 18/day—blink; 3/day—black tentacles (DC ##), charm animal (DC ##), control water (DC ##), deep slumber (DC ##), entangle (DC ##), false vision (DC ##), greater command (DC ##), hideous laughter (DC ##), hold animal (DC ##), sculpt sound (DC ##), shatter (DC ##), solid fog (DC ##), song of discord (DC ##), suggestion (DC ##); 1/day—blight (DC ##), charm monster (DC ##), commune with nature (DC ##), contagion (DC ##), control weather (DC ##), demand (DC ##), dominate animal (DC ##), hallucinatory terrain (DC ##), hold monster (DC ##), irresistible dance (DC ##), temporal stasis (DC ##). Caster level 20th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

Okay, the above lists all the non-tweaked SLAs of the base Neutral Dragons.

Obviously I'll update or remove the (DC ##) for the finished version.

We need to add a few "dragon ruler SLAs" to the above. I suggest:

At will—astral projection, detect chaos, detect law, greater dispel magic, greater teleport, locate object, protection from chaos (DC ##), protection from law (DC ##), telekinesis;

Does that seem enough for Spell-Like Abilities?
 

freyar

Extradimensional Explorer
That is a lot of special abilities even compared to Pearl I think. We're going to have to cut or combine some of those, or some poor DM is going to have a conniption.

As for the SLAs, that seems like plenty. I'd go ahead and just move blink to at will, since 18/day is so much anyway.
 

Cleon

Legend
That is a lot of special abilities even compared to Pearl I think. We're going to have to cut or combine some of those, or some poor DM is going to have a conniption.

Already combined a bunch of the Neutral Dragons Special Attacks/Qualities to produce the Spell-Like Abilities - a lot of the SLAs were originally separate.

That left eleven SAs separate from the Dragon Ruler ones it has in common with Pearl who has… eight… chaotic-specific dragon SAs if I'm counting right.

We could fold the Camouflages together and make Awesomeness an option for its Frightful Presence, which'll cut out two.

That makes it nine SAs.

The Camouflage ability seems a bit pointless as Opal has Alternate Form and can just turn himself into another dragon if he wanted to conceal his true nature. Plus Spot DC 20 to notice the difference is so low for an Epic Level Creature it seems unlikely to work.

But then, a few of Pearls special abilities are so weak she'd not get much use out of them.
 

freyar

Extradimensional Explorer
I will agree to merging Camouflage into Alternate Form as well as expanding Frightful Presence -- maybe Opal can choose which effect to use? Wild Shape might combine well into Alternate Form, too; what do you think?
 

Cleon

Legend
I will agree to merging Camouflage into Alternate Form…

It might be clearer if the special ability were separate, but since it only works when in jade or onyx forms it might work better as a sub-power of Alternate Form.

Let's see…

Alternate Form (Su): Opal can assume any animal or humanoid form of Huge size or smaller as a standard action. He can also assume the form of any of the neutral dragon varieties he rules over of any age category from wyrmling to great wyrm. The Moon Dragon can remain in an alternate form until he chooses to assume a new one or return to his natural form.


His natural form can be any size between Tiny and her normal size of Colossal and can assume the shape but not the coloration of any neutral dragon, including wingless and legless species (he can still fly magically in wingless forms). Opal can resize and reshape his natural form as a free action once per round.

When in the form of a Mystaran jade dragon or a Mystaran onyx dragon, Opal gains the following quality.

Camouflage (Ex): In areas of shadowy illumination or darkness, a Mystaran jade dragon looks like a green dragon and a Mystaran onyx dragon looks like a black dragon. It takes a DC 20 Spot check to notice Opal's form is not a black dragon or green dragon in such circumstances. Anyone with ranks in Knowledge (arcana) can use that skill instead of Spot to notice the difference. Because the resemblance is only visual, creatures with the scent ability automatically notice the difference.

…as well as expanding Frightful Presence -- maybe Opal can choose which effect to use?

Yes, he'd just pick one when using it.

Awful? Presence (Ex): Opal can unsettle or mesmerize foes with his mere presence. The power takes effect automatically whenever Opal attacks, charges, or flies overhead. Dragons ignore the effects of Opal's awful presence. Creatures within a radius of 360 feet are subject to the effect if they have fewer than 50 Hit Dice. An affected creature can resist the effects by making a Will save (DC 46). A successful saving throw makes a creature immune to Opal's awful presence for one day. Whenever the power is activated, Opal chooses whether those viewing him are frightened or awestruck, as follows:​
Fright: Creatures with 4 Hit Dice or fewer become panicked for 4d6 rounds if they fail their saving throws. Creatures with 5 or more Hit Dice become shaken for 4d6 rounds if they fail their saving throws. The save DC is Charisma-based.​
Awe: Creatures with fewer HD than Opal who fail their Will saves are fascinated while the dragon is present. After Opal departs, they lose all memory of the encounter.​

You know, I don't care for the "they lose all memory of the encounter" in our 3E conversion of the Moonstone Dragon. The AD&D original's ability to project awe didn't cause complete amnesia:

An affected creature stands quietly, taking no action until the dragon has departed, and has no clear memory of the encounter.​
Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994)

I'm wondering whether we should change that to "their memory of the encounter are dim and hazy?

However, the original monster's awe caused victims to stand quietly no matter what happens to them as long as they're in the presence of the dragon. They could get slowly and agonizingly chewed to death by a passing mole and it wouldn't break the effect!

Wild Shape might combine well into Alternate Form, too; what do you think?

I'd keep Wild Shape separate, since Alternate Form already has a bunch of dragon-related fluff in it.

Plus, Wild Shape has a lot of "except as noted here" exceptions.
 

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