Creating Rock Dragons.

[Shade]

Well then maybe we could have it as the primary breathweapon. How many other dragons have a sonic-based breathweapon?

Of the true dragons:

Battle
Emerald
Howling
Pyroclastic (part-sonic)
Sapphire

 

[Mortis]

Of the true dragons:

Battle
Emerald
Howling
Pyroclastic (part-sonic)
Sapphire

That's the problem with leaving most of my books at our club, when it comes to checking things at home I only have the SRD.

Thanks,
Mortis

 

[Shade]

I'm glad to help out. Sonic is definitely the least-represented of the five main energy types.

 

[Krishnath]

I'm glad to help out. Sonic is definitely the least-represented of the five main energy types.

True, but perhaps we should save the sonic breathweapon for one of the alternates? (i.e. The next group of rock dragons, Yeah, I know, but they are chaotic so there's probably more than five ).

But a breathweapon that functions as mindfog and erase, I like that... I also like the silencing breathweapon idea... Dammit! Can't use both.

 

[Gez]

What about the alignments?

I'm thinking:
Basalt Chaotic Neutral.
Granite Chaotic Good.
Pyrite Chaotic Evil. Maybe Chaotic Neutral, but not Chaotic Good. Pyrite is "fool's gold", so he shouldn't be friendly.
Slate Chaotic Good.
Sulphur Chaotic Evil. Maybe it's cliched, but fire and brimstone... Well, maybe Chaotic Neutral.

Given that the ferrous will have two evil, two neutral, and one good, it could be interesting to "balance" it out by having two good, two neutral, and one evil rock dragons.

I agree that, despite the name (pyrite, pyros) that it shouldn't be a fire dragon, to fool people who put on their rings of fire resistance when the fool's gold dragon attack.

Though maybe acidic fire... Half damage is acid, half is fire. There's an alchemical item in the Eberron Campaign Setting that does just that.

For the breathweapon of the Slate dragon, I'm thinking about a strong stream of water. Causes slight commotion damage (like 1d4 per age category) and provokes an effect equivalent to a bull rush, out to the limit of the range, with using the Slate Dragon's Constitution score instead of its Strength. As I see the Slate Dragon as the weakest of the family, it is thematically sound to have it have a breathweapon that repels enemies more than it hurts them.
Not sure about erase, it would be terrifying to wizards and their precious spellbooks...

Basalt = line of clinging magma, earthquake cone
Granite = cone of rock fragments, line of petrification
Pyrite = line of acid (maybe acidic fire), cone of glittering disorientation gas (glitterdust and confusion combo)
Slate = line of water+bull rush, cone of mindfog
Sulphur = cone of nauseating fire, cone of poison gas

Also, the pecking order! From strongest to weakest, I suggest:
Granite (roughly equivalent to Silver)
Basalt (roughly equivalent to Blue)
Sulfur (roughly equivalent to Green)
Pyrite (roughly equivalent to Brass)
Slate (roughly equivalent to White)

And environment. My long stay in Britanny makes me associate granite and slate with temperate aquatic...

 

[Krishnath]

Flip the Basalt and Granite dragons and you have a deal, which means we'll start with the weakest. The Slate Dragon.

Now, to start with it, we need to determine its starting HD as a wyrmling, any suggestions?

 

[Mortis]

Now, to start with it, we need to determine its starting HD as a wyrmling, any suggestions?

If we're equating it's power to a white then probably 3 HD but I could go to 4 HD.

Regards,
Mortis

 

[Gez]

Dragons gain 3 HD per age category, so a great wyrm's HD is equal to its wyrmling HD +33.

The existing dragons are, from weakest to strongest (Wyrmling HD Wyrming size/Great Wyrm HD Great Wyrm size):
White (3 T/36 G)
Brass (4 T/37 G)
Black (4 T/37 G)
Green (5 S/38 G)
Copper (5 T/38 G)
Blue (6 S/39 G)
Bronze (6 S/39 G)
Silver (7 S/40 C)
Red (7 M/40 C)
Gold (8 M/41 C)

So, the Slate would be 3/36, with for size progression either the Brass' and White's (TSMMLLHHHHGG) or maybe another (TSMMMLLLHHHG, for example). I'd rather favor copying the Brass and White for the size progression, though, more streamlined that way.

 

[Mortis]

So, the Slate would be 3/36, with for size progression either the Brass' and White's (TSMMLLHHHHGG) or maybe another (TSMMMLLLHHHG, for example). I'd rather favor copying the Brass and White for the size progression, though, more streamlined that way.

I would certainly go along with 3/36 together with the size progression of the Brass and White dragons (TSMMLLHHHHGG)

Regards,
Mortis

 

[Shade]

Works for me as well.