next, 4 speed demons:
A dark-scaled lizard braces itself against the ground, just like in order to start running. Its head sports draconic features, such as reptilian eyes, a long snout and sharp fangs. Its four legs are clawed, sturdy and muscular and a tail twitches at the end of its spine. This beast deploys fin-like flaps of skin behind its legs and under its jaw as it starts to run.
Finned Speeddrake CR 5
Usually N Large dragon
Init +4; Senses: darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, Listen +12, Spot +12
Languages: (understand) Common, Draconic
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AC 18, touch 13, flat-footed 14, Dodge, Mobility
(-1 size, +5 armor, +4 dex)
hp 76 (8 HD)
Immune paralysis, sleep, slow;
Fort +9, Ref +10, Will +7
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Speed 100 ft. (20 squares), Run, Spring Attack
Melee Bite +11 (1d8+6)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Base Atk +8; Grp +16
Special Actions Steady jump, Tight turn
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Abilities Str 18, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 6
SQ Evasion, Lasting speed
Feats Run (b), Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack
Skills Jump +17 (+49), Listen +12, Spot +12, Survival +12, Swim +15, Tumble +17
Advancement 9-16 HD (Large);
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Lasting Speed (Ex) A finned speeddrake is immune to magical slow effects.
Steady Jump (Ex) A finned speeddrake can take 10 on Jump check, regardless of situations.
Sharp Turn (Ex) A finned speeddrake can make turns at up to 90° without reducing its speed. It can execute such turns a number of times equal to its Dexterity modifier per round.
A crimson-scale dinosaur creature is silently looking around itself. It stands on two legs and has two weaker forelimbs at its chest, like a velociraptor. A long flat, ribbon-like tail drags behind and two ear frills turn and twitches as it prepares to sprint.
Raptor Speeddrake CR 4
Usually N Large dragon
Init +6; Senses: darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, Listen +10, Spot +10
Languages: (understand) Common, Draconic
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AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 15, Dodge, Mobility
(-1 size, +3 armor, +6 dex)
hp 51 (6 HD)
Immune paralysis, sleep, slow;
Fort +7, Ref +11, Will +6
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Speed 120 ft. (24 squares), Run
Melee Bite +11 (1d6+4)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Base Atk +6; Grp +13
Special Actions Steady jump, Tight turn
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Abilities Str 16, Dex 22, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 6
SQ Evasion, Lasting speed
Feats Run (b), Dodge, Mobility, Weapon Finesse
Skills Jump +15 (+54), Listen +10, Spot +10, Survival +10, Swim +12, Tumble +17
Advancement 7-14 HD (Large);
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Lasting Speed (Ex) A raptor speeddrake is immune to magical slow effects.
Steady Jump (Ex) A raptor speeddrake can take 10 on Jump check, regardless of situations.
Sharp Turn (Ex) A raptor speeddrake can make turns at up to 90° without reducing its speed. It can execute such turns a number of times equal to its Dexterity modifier per round.
A teal-scaled lizard slowly lumbers around. It has thick legs, broad shoulders and a tail as thick as a wood log. The lizard has bony spikes protruding from both shoulders and has a flat snout and sharp fangs.
Hulking Speeddrake CR 6
Usually N Large dragon
Init +2; Senses: darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, Listen +14, Spot +14
Languages: (understand) Common, Draconic
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AC 20, touch 11, flat-footed 18, Dodge, Mobility
(-1 size, +9 armor, +2 dex)
hp 105 (10 HD)
Immune paralysis, sleep, slow;
Fort +9, Ref +10, Will +7
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Speed 80 ft. (16 squares), Run, Spring Attack
Melee Bite +15 (2d6+9)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Base Atk +10; Grp +20
Atk Options Power Attack
Special Actions Steady jump, Tight turn
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Abilities Str 22, Dex 14, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 6
SQ Evasion, Lasting speed
Feats Run (b), Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Power Attack
Skills Jump +21 (+57), Listen +14, Spot +14, Survival +14, Swim +19, Tumble +17
Advancement 11-20 HD (Large);
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Lasting Speed (Ex) A hulking speeddrake is immune to magical slow effects.
Steady Jump (Ex) A hulking speeddrake can take 10 on Jump check, regardless of situations.
Sharp Turn (Ex) A hulking speeddrake can make turns at up to 90° without reducing its speed. It can execute such turns a number of times equal to its Dexterity modifier per round.
A light-blue-scaled reptile gently jumps around in search of prey. It has elongated legs, a long tail and a small head, almost like a snake. Its eyes are reptilian and its head sits atop a long neck, which connect to a sleek frame.
Snake Speeddrake CR 5
Usually N Large dragon
Init +9; Senses: darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, Listen +12, Spot +12
Languages: (understand) Common, Draconic
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AC 18, touch 13, flat-footed 14, Dodge, Mobility
(-1 size, +4 armor, +5 dex)
hp 76 (8 HD)
Immune paralysis, sleep, slow;
Fort +9, Ref +11, Will +7
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Speed 100 ft. (20 squares), Run
Melee Bite +12 (1d8+4)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Base Atk +8; Grp +15
Special Actions Steady jump, Tight turn
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Abilities Str 16, Dex 20, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 6
SQ Evasion, Lasting speed
Feats Run (b), Dodge, Mobility, Weapon Finesse
Skills Jump +16 (+48), Listen +12, Spot +12, Survival +12, Swim +14, Tumble +17
Advancement 9-16 HD (Large);
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Lasting Speed (Ex) A snake speeddrake is immune to magical slow effects.
Steady Jump (Ex) A snake speeddrake can take 10 on Jump check, regardless of situations.
Sharp Turn (Ex) A snake speeddrake can make turns at up to 90° without reducing its speed. It can execute such turns a number of times equal to its Dexterity modifier per round.
Speeddrakes are a new breed of dragons that can run countless miles in record times. These creatures are renown for their speed, and thus are highly prized as mounts for the common beings. However, it has been tougher to actually catch it than train. Recently, four speeddrake species have been discovered: the sturdy finned speeddrake, the avian-like raptor speeddrake, the large hulking speeddrake and a sleek snake speeddrake.
Strategies and Tactics
Being good runners and sprinters, speeddrakes start chasing their preys as soon as they spot them, like a cheetah. Unlike these felines, speeddrakes can pursuit their preys for miles before quit the chase, yet this tactic quickly exhausts intruders or potential food. When engaged against larger intruders, a speeddrake runs circles around it striking at each possible passage. It prefers hit-and-run tactics, as it slowly fatigue intruders without getting counterattacked.
Ecology
Speeddrakes, despite their human-like intelligence, behave more like regular animals such as wolves and lions. They live in packs, each with the strongest and fastest as their leader. They do not hoard treasure like other dragons, but are as much protective for their offspring. Each female become fertile once per year, and lays a clutch of 3 to 5 eggs. Families are distinct and each member has its own responsibility in the pack. These carnivorous feed on anything the can catch.
Environment
Speeddrakes live primarily in wastelands and plains, but it is not uncommon to see these dragons in mountains and underground passageways.
Typical Physical Characteristics
Speeddrakes vary according to species, but all breeds are about 7 to 10 feet long from snout to tail, have four legs tipped with claws and sports draconic features. The raptor speeddrake is bipedal, while the others are quadruped. The hulking speeddrake has a build length of 6 feet long from shoulder to shoulder, while the others have about 3 to 4 feet long.
Alignment
Speeddrakes are usually neutral, but like humanoids, they can have any kind of morale codes and ethics. A pack leader might transmit its ethics to its members by its behavior, but each dragon can choose their path.
Society
While their manners resemble predatory animals, they behave more humanly with other creatures. Other speeddrake packs can form alliances and rivalries just humanoid tribes. They defend their territories from intruders and helps those in need. They seem to have a special kinship with humanoids. Those who befriend such beasts are accepted as their personal companion and rider. Of course, a stubborn speeddrake might only accept a rider that can manage to tame it, just like a bucking horse or bull. This friendship can last for years, but the rider and speeddrake must share the same morale code; if the rider is drastically at the opposite to the speeddrake’s alignment, the speeddrake rejects its former companion and immediately attack it as a form of punishment for manipulating it.
Typical Treasure
Speeddrakes do not carry or hoard treasure, but one accompanying a rider might carry personal gear and armor.
For Player Characters
Speeddrakes make excellent mounts for both combat and travelling. Taming one is rather difficult. Against a strong-willed speeddrake, both Handle Animal and Ride checks increase by 5. These checks decrease if the speeddrake is friendly to its rider, yet it extends only to its chosen companion. Buying such a dragon is difficult and rare bargain, and it costs 1,500 gp per the speeddrake’s HD. A trainer charge 500 gp per HD to train to rear a speeddrake.
Paladins can call a speeddrake as his/her special mount, yet it is considered as a paladin 5 levels lower than usual for the purposes of determining the speeddrake’s bonuses as a special mount.
Carrying Capacity: For a finned speeddrake, a light load is up to 300 pounds; a medium load, 301-600 pounds; and a heavy load, 601-900 pounds. For a raptor or snake speeddrake, a light load is up to 228 pounds; a medium load, 229-459 pounds; and a heavy load, 460-690 pounds. For a hulking speeddrake, a light load is up to 519 pounds; a medium load, 520-1,038 pounds; and a heavy load, 1,039-1,560 pounds.
More seriously, do your true dragons get sorceror caster levels as they age?
I agree, this looks like a good flavor, though I do wonder if we might want to add tiny wings for the extra attacks (something like the Stygian dragon, which also can't fly). Not sure about this. Maybe just add pounce and/or improved grab + constrict?
