cult of the dragon conversions
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freyar
Extradimensional Explorer
2e Wyvern Drake
Time for the next one:
Wyvern Drake
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Temperate mountains and forests
FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Dusk and dawn
DIET: Carnivore
INTELLIGENCE: Average (8-10)
TREASURE: Nil (E)
ALIGNMENT: Black: CE; Blue: LE; Green: LE; Red: CE; White: CE; Brown: NE; Yellow: CE
NO. APPEARING: 1d3
ARMOR CLASS: Black: 1; Blue: 0; Green: 0; Red: -3; White: 1; Brown: 2; Yellow: 0
MOVEMENT: 6, Fl 24 (E)
HIT DICE: 8+7
THAC0: 11
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACKS: 2d10/1d8 (bite/stinger)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Breath weapon, poison; surprise, bombing
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Immune to breath weapon of dragon parent and like attacks (spells, etc.)
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: G (45 feet long)
MORALE: Elite (13-14)
XP VALUE: Black 9,000 White 9,000 Blue 10,000 Brown 9,000 Green 10,000 Yellow 10,000 Red 10,000
The wyvern drake is, as its name implies, a cross between a dragon and a wyvern. It is 45 feet long (half of that is tail), with a 60-foot wingspan and a yard-long stinger at the end of its tail. Its body, limbs, and wings have the same color ranges as that of wyverns, from a dark brown to gray. A wyvern drake’s 5-foot head is colored similar to its dragon parent,
though its eyes often have red or orange swirls or patterns in the iris, a remnant of the normal wyvern eye color.
Besides a wyvern’s hissing and roaring calls, the wyvern drake can also speak the tongue of its dragon parent and the common tongue, along with one or two other languages that it learns or is taught. Those wyvern drakes raised from birth by the Cult of the Dragon normally know common, the language of their dragon parent, and perhaps a local tongue or the language of a humanoid race the Cult deals with.
Combat: Having more intelligence than a normal wyvern, the wyvern drake is a highly dangerous foe. It always fights in the open if it can, invariably attacking from the air. In addition to doing physical damage, the scorpionlike tail also injects Type F poison, killing the victim unless it saves vs. poison. The tail stinger can hit an enemy in any direction, so long as it is within reach. The clever wyvern drake can also pick up a smaller foe, carry it high into the air, then drop it (inflicting normal falling damage), or else pick up objects such a boulders and drop them onto foes (-2 on attack rolls, but inflicting 1d10 points of damage on a hit).
The wyvern drake also fights with a breath weapon inherited from its dragon parent usable three times per day Damage done by the wyvern drake’s breath weapon is equal to the beast’s normal hit point total. This damage does not vary as the beast is wounded or healed over time.
The wyvern drake is immune to attack forms that resemble its breath weapon. Wyvern drakes do not suffer any additional damage or effects from weapons or items specifically designed to kill dragons.
Wyvern drakes prefer to use their breath weapon instead of relying on physical combat when fighting an aerial opponent. Still, their stings are useful in a dogfight, as they can arch over their backs to strike opponent in front of them.
When stalking prey, the wyvern drake uses cunning. Neither sound nor shadow alert victims that they are being followed, and the attacking wyvern drake achieves a -2 penalty on the victim’s surprise roll due to its silent dive to the attack. Though it will not attack an enemy that is obviously too powerful for it, a group of humans will be attacked if the beast is hungry enough.
Habitat/Society: The wild wyvern drake prefers to live alone, staying with another of its kind only for the few months it takes to birth and rear its young to a fledgling state. It lairs on mountains or cliffs overlooking forests or plains, particularly those containing caravan or migration routes. Its average hunting ground is about 25 square miles in size, but it can travel 150 miles in a single day and back again in its search for food. Unlike ordinary wyverns, wyvern drakes never fight their own kind except when there is absolutely nothing else around to eat. Wyvern drakes hoard treasure just as dragons do.
Cult of the Dragon wyvern drakes are often used as aerial scouts and as airborne attack platforms. Most are trained to accept Cult members as riders.
Ecology: The wyvern drake eats the equivalent of a cow or horse per day. It swallows victims whole once combat is finished, without chewing, and only the bones and any metal or stone items on the corpse are not digested. (It cannot swallow prey whole in melee.) Carrion is regarded as a food of last resort. Wyvern drakes have few natural enemies, though other large territorial predators will attack them if they consider them to have invaded their ranges.
Time for the next one:
Wyvern Drake
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Temperate mountains and forests
FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Dusk and dawn
DIET: Carnivore
INTELLIGENCE: Average (8-10)
TREASURE: Nil (E)
ALIGNMENT: Black: CE; Blue: LE; Green: LE; Red: CE; White: CE; Brown: NE; Yellow: CE
NO. APPEARING: 1d3
ARMOR CLASS: Black: 1; Blue: 0; Green: 0; Red: -3; White: 1; Brown: 2; Yellow: 0
MOVEMENT: 6, Fl 24 (E)
HIT DICE: 8+7
THAC0: 11
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACKS: 2d10/1d8 (bite/stinger)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Breath weapon, poison; surprise, bombing
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Immune to breath weapon of dragon parent and like attacks (spells, etc.)
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: G (45 feet long)
MORALE: Elite (13-14)
XP VALUE: Black 9,000 White 9,000 Blue 10,000 Brown 9,000 Green 10,000 Yellow 10,000 Red 10,000
The wyvern drake is, as its name implies, a cross between a dragon and a wyvern. It is 45 feet long (half of that is tail), with a 60-foot wingspan and a yard-long stinger at the end of its tail. Its body, limbs, and wings have the same color ranges as that of wyverns, from a dark brown to gray. A wyvern drake’s 5-foot head is colored similar to its dragon parent,
though its eyes often have red or orange swirls or patterns in the iris, a remnant of the normal wyvern eye color.
Besides a wyvern’s hissing and roaring calls, the wyvern drake can also speak the tongue of its dragon parent and the common tongue, along with one or two other languages that it learns or is taught. Those wyvern drakes raised from birth by the Cult of the Dragon normally know common, the language of their dragon parent, and perhaps a local tongue or the language of a humanoid race the Cult deals with.
Combat: Having more intelligence than a normal wyvern, the wyvern drake is a highly dangerous foe. It always fights in the open if it can, invariably attacking from the air. In addition to doing physical damage, the scorpionlike tail also injects Type F poison, killing the victim unless it saves vs. poison. The tail stinger can hit an enemy in any direction, so long as it is within reach. The clever wyvern drake can also pick up a smaller foe, carry it high into the air, then drop it (inflicting normal falling damage), or else pick up objects such a boulders and drop them onto foes (-2 on attack rolls, but inflicting 1d10 points of damage on a hit).
The wyvern drake also fights with a breath weapon inherited from its dragon parent usable three times per day Damage done by the wyvern drake’s breath weapon is equal to the beast’s normal hit point total. This damage does not vary as the beast is wounded or healed over time.
Code:
Dragon Parent Breath Weapon
Black Jet of acid 5 feet wide, 60 feet long; victim takes half damage if successful save vs. breath weapon is made.
Blue Bolt of lightning 5 feet wide, 100 feet long; save for half.
Green Cloud of chlorine gas 50 feet long, 40 feet wide, and 30 feet high; half damage if save is made vs. breath weapon.
Red Cone of fire 5 feet at mouth, 90 feet long, 30 feet wide at cone’s widest; half damage if save is made.
White Cone of frost 5 feet wide, 70 feet long, 25 feet wide at cone’s widest; half damage if save is made vs. breath weapon.
Brown Jet of acid 5 feet wide, 60 feet long; victim takes half damage if successful save vs. breath weapon is made.
Yellow Blast of scorching air and sand 50 feet long, 40 feet wide, and 20 feet high; half damage if save is made vs. breath weapon.The wyvern drake is immune to attack forms that resemble its breath weapon. Wyvern drakes do not suffer any additional damage or effects from weapons or items specifically designed to kill dragons.
Wyvern drakes prefer to use their breath weapon instead of relying on physical combat when fighting an aerial opponent. Still, their stings are useful in a dogfight, as they can arch over their backs to strike opponent in front of them.
When stalking prey, the wyvern drake uses cunning. Neither sound nor shadow alert victims that they are being followed, and the attacking wyvern drake achieves a -2 penalty on the victim’s surprise roll due to its silent dive to the attack. Though it will not attack an enemy that is obviously too powerful for it, a group of humans will be attacked if the beast is hungry enough.
Habitat/Society: The wild wyvern drake prefers to live alone, staying with another of its kind only for the few months it takes to birth and rear its young to a fledgling state. It lairs on mountains or cliffs overlooking forests or plains, particularly those containing caravan or migration routes. Its average hunting ground is about 25 square miles in size, but it can travel 150 miles in a single day and back again in its search for food. Unlike ordinary wyverns, wyvern drakes never fight their own kind except when there is absolutely nothing else around to eat. Wyvern drakes hoard treasure just as dragons do.
Cult of the Dragon wyvern drakes are often used as aerial scouts and as airborne attack platforms. Most are trained to accept Cult members as riders.
Ecology: The wyvern drake eats the equivalent of a cow or horse per day. It swallows victims whole once combat is finished, without chewing, and only the bones and any metal or stone items on the corpse are not digested. (It cannot swallow prey whole in melee.) Carrion is regarded as a food of last resort. Wyvern drakes have few natural enemies, though other large territorial predators will attack them if they consider them to have invaded their ranges.
freyar
Extradimensional Explorer
Well, not quite any help on the poison. Anyways, here is the half-dragon wyvern for comparison:
Half-Dragon Wyvern
Large Dragon
Hit Dice: 7d12+21 (66 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 20 ft., fly 60 ft. (average)
Armor Class: 22 (1 size, +1 Dex, +12 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 21
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+19
Attack: Sting +14 melee (1d6+8 plus poison) or talon +14 melee (2d6+8) or bite +14 melee (2d8+8)
Full Attack: Sting +14 melee (1d6+8 plus poison) and bite +12 melee (2d8+8) and 2 wings +12 melee (1d8+4) and 2 talons +12 melee (2d6+8)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Poison, improved grab, breath weapon (see table)
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent, immunity to sleep, paralysis effects, and energy (see table)
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +6
Abilities: Str 27, Dex 12, Con 17, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 11
Skills: Hide +7, Intimidate +3, Listen +13, Move Silently +11, Spot +16*
Feats: Ability Focus (poison), Alertness, Flyby Attack, Multiattack (B)
Environment: Warm hills
Organization: Solitary, flight (1 plus 2d4 wyverns), or clutch (1d4)
Challenge Rating: 8
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: As dragon parent
Advancement: 8-10 HD (Huge); 11-21 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: -
Going with 45 feet long for the wyvern drake (half of which is tail) reasonably gives a 20 ft space (or maybe even 30?), so I should really advance this to gargantuan for comparison (though I didn't really do that for the mantidrake). I'll probably peg the wyvern drake at 12HD b/c 8 seems low (?), so I'll see about advancing this one (minus skills):
Advanced Half-Dragon Wyvern
Gargantuan Dragon
Hit Dice: 12d12+84 (162 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 20 ft., fly 60 ft. (average)
Armor Class: 25 (-4 size, +19 natural), touch 6, flat-footed 25
Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+x
Attack: Sting +24 melee (2d6+11 plus poison) or talon +24 melee (4d6+11) or bite +24 melee (4d8+11)
Full Attack: Sting +24 melee (2d6+11 plus poison) and bite +22 melee (4d8+11) and 2 wings +22 melee (3d6+6) and 2 talons +22 melee (4d6+11)
Space/Reach: 20 ft./15 ft.
Special Attacks: Poison, improved grab, breath weapon (see table)
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent, immunity to sleep, paralysis effects, and energy (see table)
Saves: Fort +15, Ref +8, Will +9
Abilities: Str 43, Dex 10, Con 25, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 11
Skills: ...
Feats: Ability Focus (poison), Alertness, Flyby Attack, Snatch, Hover, Multiattack (B)
Environment: Warm hills
Organization: Solitary, flight (1 plus 2d4 wyverns), or clutch (1d4)
Challenge Rating: 13?
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: As dragon parent
Advancement: 13-21 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: -
The wyvern drake doesn't actually look quite this potent, so maybe I'll scale the HD down to beyond the recommended minimum for gargantuan monsters. Poison will be more deadly, but I'll rejigger the attacks based on dragon stats, I guess. Any other comments?
Half-Dragon Wyvern
Large Dragon
Hit Dice: 7d12+21 (66 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 20 ft., fly 60 ft. (average)
Armor Class: 22 (1 size, +1 Dex, +12 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 21
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+19
Attack: Sting +14 melee (1d6+8 plus poison) or talon +14 melee (2d6+8) or bite +14 melee (2d8+8)
Full Attack: Sting +14 melee (1d6+8 plus poison) and bite +12 melee (2d8+8) and 2 wings +12 melee (1d8+4) and 2 talons +12 melee (2d6+8)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Poison, improved grab, breath weapon (see table)
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent, immunity to sleep, paralysis effects, and energy (see table)
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +6
Abilities: Str 27, Dex 12, Con 17, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 11
Skills: Hide +7, Intimidate +3, Listen +13, Move Silently +11, Spot +16*
Feats: Ability Focus (poison), Alertness, Flyby Attack, Multiattack (B)
Environment: Warm hills
Organization: Solitary, flight (1 plus 2d4 wyverns), or clutch (1d4)
Challenge Rating: 8
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: As dragon parent
Advancement: 8-10 HD (Huge); 11-21 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: -
Going with 45 feet long for the wyvern drake (half of which is tail) reasonably gives a 20 ft space (or maybe even 30?), so I should really advance this to gargantuan for comparison (though I didn't really do that for the mantidrake). I'll probably peg the wyvern drake at 12HD b/c 8 seems low (?), so I'll see about advancing this one (minus skills):
Advanced Half-Dragon Wyvern
Gargantuan Dragon
Hit Dice: 12d12+84 (162 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 20 ft., fly 60 ft. (average)
Armor Class: 25 (-4 size, +19 natural), touch 6, flat-footed 25
Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+x
Attack: Sting +24 melee (2d6+11 plus poison) or talon +24 melee (4d6+11) or bite +24 melee (4d8+11)
Full Attack: Sting +24 melee (2d6+11 plus poison) and bite +22 melee (4d8+11) and 2 wings +22 melee (3d6+6) and 2 talons +22 melee (4d6+11)
Space/Reach: 20 ft./15 ft.
Special Attacks: Poison, improved grab, breath weapon (see table)
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent, immunity to sleep, paralysis effects, and energy (see table)
Saves: Fort +15, Ref +8, Will +9
Abilities: Str 43, Dex 10, Con 25, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 11
Skills: ...
Feats: Ability Focus (poison), Alertness, Flyby Attack, Snatch, Hover, Multiattack (B)
Environment: Warm hills
Organization: Solitary, flight (1 plus 2d4 wyverns), or clutch (1d4)
Challenge Rating: 13?
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: As dragon parent
Advancement: 13-21 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: -
The wyvern drake doesn't actually look quite this potent, so maybe I'll scale the HD down to beyond the recommended minimum for gargantuan monsters. Poison will be more deadly, but I'll rejigger the attacks based on dragon stats, I guess. Any other comments?
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freyar
Extradimensional Explorer
Ok, just starting notes on the wyvern drake:
Gargantuan. I'll go with 10HD as a compromise.
For stats, I think I'll go with
Str 40, Dex 13, Con 27, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 11.
Not sure whether to add in the extra natural attacks. Ideally, a wyvern drake's natural attacks should be similar to a wyvern's, but the original doesn't have as many as the 3e wyvern (probably close to the 2e wyvern, though). May try to vary these a bit.
As always, I'm open to suggestions.
Gargantuan. I'll go with 10HD as a compromise.
For stats, I think I'll go with
Str 40, Dex 13, Con 27, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 11.
Not sure whether to add in the extra natural attacks. Ideally, a wyvern drake's natural attacks should be similar to a wyvern's, but the original doesn't have as many as the 3e wyvern (probably close to the 2e wyvern, though). May try to vary these a bit.
As always, I'm open to suggestions.
freyar
Extradimensional Explorer
Well, I'm finally getting back to this one a little, but here's a question: does anyone have the stats for the 2e wyvern? In particular, does it only have bite and sting attacks (as opposed to 3.X, in which wyverns have also talons and wings)?
Edit: I have what appear to be abbreviated 1e stats which only have 2 attacks of 2d8 each. Sound right for 2e?
Edit: I have what appear to be abbreviated 1e stats which only have 2 attacks of 2d8 each. Sound right for 2e?
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Echohawk
Shirokinukatsukami fan
Wyvern
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Temperate mountain forests and jungles
FREQUENCY: Uncommon
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Dusk and dawn
DIET: Carnivore
INTELLIGENCE: Low (5-7)
TREASURE: E
ALIGNMENT: Neutral (evil)
NO. APPEARING: 1-6
ARMOR CLASS: 3
MOVEMENT: 6, Fl 24 (E)
HIT DICE: 7+7
THAC0: 13
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-16/1-6
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Poison
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: G (35' long)
MORALE: Very steady (14)
XP VALUE: 1,400
A distant cousin to the dragon, the wyvern is a huge flying lizard with a poisonous stinger in its tail.
The 35-foot-long dark brown to gray body of the wyvern is half tail. Its leathery batlike wings are over 50 feet from tip to tip. The head alone is 4 feet long and filled with long, sharp teeth. Unlike the dragon, it has only hind legs, using them the same way a hunting bird would. The tip of the tail is a thick knot of cartilage from which a 2- foot-long stinger protrudes, very much like that of a scorpion. The eyes are red or orange. A wyvern does not have a strong odor, although its lair might smell of a recent kill. These beasts can make two sounds: a loud hiss, which sounds like a hot sword plunged into water, and a low, deep-throated growl, much like that of a bull crocodile.
Combat: Rather stupid, but aggressive, wyverns will nearly always attack. In combat, the wyvern always prefers to be flying, and will seize any opportunity to take flight and continue combat. If trapped on the ground it will bite (2-16 points of damage) and use its stinger (1-6 points of damage), attacking the most convenient target or targets. The tail is very mobile, easily striking over the back of the wyvern to hit an opponent to its front. The stinger injects poison (type F) into the wound, against which the victim must make a save vs. poison or die. Even if the saving throw is successful, the victim suffers 1-6 points of physical damage from the sting.
From the air the wyvern is a far more deadly opponent. It dives upon ground targets, attempting to snatch them up in its two taloned claws (1-6 points of damage each) and fly off. Man-sized victims are snatched if at least one talon hits for damage. Large victims require both talons to hit in order to snatch them up. The wyvern cannot fly while carrying anything bigger. After a dive, it takes the wyvern a full round to circle around. On the next round it can dive again. Once airborne with prey in its talons, the wyvern stings and bites each round, both at +4 to hit, until the victim is motionless. In aerial combat, the wyvern will make a pass during which it will either bite or sting. Then it will land and feast, not hunting again until the next day.
As a hunter, the wyvern is cunning. It will avoid letting its shadow fall across its prey as a warning. The final approach of the dive is done in complete silence, imposing a -2 surprise modifier on the target. It trails its prey from downwind whenever possible. A mature wyvern often waits for the right moment to strike, and is willing to let prey go that is too powerful or within easy reach of cover. Such a wyvern understands that men, particularly those armed in bright metal, are stronger than their size would indicate. Given a perfect opportunity, it will attempt to snatch up an unarmored member and fly out of range.
Habitat/Society: The wyvern is a solitary creature, nesting only with its mate and young. It tends to lair on mountainsides that overlook forests, jungles, or sometimes plains. A wyvern makes its lair in large caverns that can be found in such places, staking out a territory about 25 miles across. If game is sparse, it will hunt with a small group of its own kind. Only young wyverns attack others of their kind, usually to establish new territory. Older wyverns settle disputes in an unknown manner without actual combat.
Some wyverns have been known to work with evil dragons. Usually these dragons completely dominate the weaker and smaller wyverns.
Ecology: An adult wyvern consumes the equivalent of a man-sized to large creature once per day. This could translate to a horse, pig, or a handful of sheep. While it eats them whole, the bones are not digested, and neither are metal objects. The wyvern eats carrion only if desperate.
The wyvern has no natural enemies, although it would not be a match for certain powerful creatures. It is noted for the foul taste of its flesh. No one has found a way to cure its hide and the bones are light and brittle to aid in flying. Certain body parts are used by spell casters as spell components, for which they will pay a reasonable price.
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Temperate mountain forests and jungles
FREQUENCY: Uncommon
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Dusk and dawn
DIET: Carnivore
INTELLIGENCE: Low (5-7)
TREASURE: E
ALIGNMENT: Neutral (evil)
NO. APPEARING: 1-6
ARMOR CLASS: 3
MOVEMENT: 6, Fl 24 (E)
HIT DICE: 7+7
THAC0: 13
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-16/1-6
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Poison
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: G (35' long)
MORALE: Very steady (14)
XP VALUE: 1,400
A distant cousin to the dragon, the wyvern is a huge flying lizard with a poisonous stinger in its tail.
The 35-foot-long dark brown to gray body of the wyvern is half tail. Its leathery batlike wings are over 50 feet from tip to tip. The head alone is 4 feet long and filled with long, sharp teeth. Unlike the dragon, it has only hind legs, using them the same way a hunting bird would. The tip of the tail is a thick knot of cartilage from which a 2- foot-long stinger protrudes, very much like that of a scorpion. The eyes are red or orange. A wyvern does not have a strong odor, although its lair might smell of a recent kill. These beasts can make two sounds: a loud hiss, which sounds like a hot sword plunged into water, and a low, deep-throated growl, much like that of a bull crocodile.
Combat: Rather stupid, but aggressive, wyverns will nearly always attack. In combat, the wyvern always prefers to be flying, and will seize any opportunity to take flight and continue combat. If trapped on the ground it will bite (2-16 points of damage) and use its stinger (1-6 points of damage), attacking the most convenient target or targets. The tail is very mobile, easily striking over the back of the wyvern to hit an opponent to its front. The stinger injects poison (type F) into the wound, against which the victim must make a save vs. poison or die. Even if the saving throw is successful, the victim suffers 1-6 points of physical damage from the sting.
From the air the wyvern is a far more deadly opponent. It dives upon ground targets, attempting to snatch them up in its two taloned claws (1-6 points of damage each) and fly off. Man-sized victims are snatched if at least one talon hits for damage. Large victims require both talons to hit in order to snatch them up. The wyvern cannot fly while carrying anything bigger. After a dive, it takes the wyvern a full round to circle around. On the next round it can dive again. Once airborne with prey in its talons, the wyvern stings and bites each round, both at +4 to hit, until the victim is motionless. In aerial combat, the wyvern will make a pass during which it will either bite or sting. Then it will land and feast, not hunting again until the next day.
As a hunter, the wyvern is cunning. It will avoid letting its shadow fall across its prey as a warning. The final approach of the dive is done in complete silence, imposing a -2 surprise modifier on the target. It trails its prey from downwind whenever possible. A mature wyvern often waits for the right moment to strike, and is willing to let prey go that is too powerful or within easy reach of cover. Such a wyvern understands that men, particularly those armed in bright metal, are stronger than their size would indicate. Given a perfect opportunity, it will attempt to snatch up an unarmored member and fly out of range.
Habitat/Society: The wyvern is a solitary creature, nesting only with its mate and young. It tends to lair on mountainsides that overlook forests, jungles, or sometimes plains. A wyvern makes its lair in large caverns that can be found in such places, staking out a territory about 25 miles across. If game is sparse, it will hunt with a small group of its own kind. Only young wyverns attack others of their kind, usually to establish new territory. Older wyverns settle disputes in an unknown manner without actual combat.
Some wyverns have been known to work with evil dragons. Usually these dragons completely dominate the weaker and smaller wyverns.
Ecology: An adult wyvern consumes the equivalent of a man-sized to large creature once per day. This could translate to a horse, pig, or a handful of sheep. While it eats them whole, the bones are not digested, and neither are metal objects. The wyvern eats carrion only if desperate.
The wyvern has no natural enemies, although it would not be a match for certain powerful creatures. It is noted for the foul taste of its flesh. No one has found a way to cure its hide and the bones are light and brittle to aid in flying. Certain body parts are used by spell casters as spell components, for which they will pay a reasonable price.
