Special Conversion Project: Greater drakes

[Shade]

Attempted revision of spit muck ability...

Spit Muck (Ex): Retchenbeasts have a revolting attack they can bring to bear - vomiting up a sticky, sludgelike liquid from the storage pouch in their throats. The retchenbeast must succeed on a ranged touch attack. A victim struck must succeed on a DC 15 Fortitude save or be sickened. This condition lasts until the muck is washed off (a full-round action requiring at least a gallon of water). Regardless of whether the save is successful, the muck has a tendency to drip into the victim’s eyes and slows movement to the extent that the victim suffers a -2 circumstance penalty to Armor Class. In addition, anyone within 10 feet of a “mucked” victim must succeed on a DC 15 Fortitude save or suffer a lesser version of the sickened condition (-1 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks) due to the stench. Retchenbeasts are immune to this ability. The save DC is Constitution-based.

The retchenbeast must have access to a fetid, swampy region to replenish its disgusting “muck” attack, for the creature’s “muck” attack draws heavily on the mud and mire of the swampland environment. The retchenbeast can employ its spit muck attack once every 3 rounds, so long as it has access to swamp muck and mire. Salivary glands help “store” a dose of wet muck in the retchenbeast’s throat bladder for nearly a month between uses. Refilling its throat bladder requires a move action.

 

[freyar]

I like. Do we need anything else here?

 

[Shade]

A retchenbeast's body is x feet long, half of which is its tail. Its wingspan is about x feet. A retchenbeast weighs between between x and x pounds.

Jonathan mentioned that the smaller ones were about the size of a pony. This is one of the smaller ones.

Anyone know the length and width of a typical pony? I tried Wikipedia, but everything appears mentioned in hands and only deals with height.

 

[freyar]

Let's go with 8ft, including tail. That would put us at about 800-1000 lb. My wife estimates that the average pony is 4ft long, but they can almost be as large as a full horse.

 

[Shade]

Great! 6-foot wingspan (short, stumpy wings)?

 

[freyar]

Sounds about right.

 

[Shade]

Wow...you were right there, ready to pounce.

Ready for the next one?

 

[freyar]

Wow...you were right there, ready to pounce.

Sometimes I get a little bored at work, especially when I don't sleep well.

Ready for the next one?

Sure!

 

[Shade]

SILISLITHIS (SEA DRAKE)
Large Dragon

Hit Dice: 13d12+39 (123 hp)
Initiative: +5 (+1 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 40 ft., swim 40 ft., fly 150 ft. (poor)
AC: 16 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +6 natural)
Attacks: Bite +15 melee, 2 claws +13 melee
Damage: Bite 1d10+3, 2 claws 1d8+1
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Spit water stream
Special Qualities: Cold resistance 5
Saves: Fort +11, Ref +11, Will +9
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 4, Wis 12, Cha 12
Skills: Intuit Direction +7, Listen +16, Search +4, Spot +16
Feats: Alertness, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Multiattack

Climate/Terrain: Oceans and coastal shorelines
Organization: Solitary or family (3-9)
Challenge Rating: 9
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 14-20 HD (Large), 21-26 HD (Huge)

A silislithis’ scales are tiny and close-set, giving the creature a sleekness that allows it to glide through the water with supple grace. A bony frill flanks each side of the silislithis’ head, protecting the gill slits that allow the creature to breathe while underwater. The silislithis’ powerful wings are used not only in flight but also as fins while the creature swims, slicing through the water with powerful strokes. A silislithis has webbing between its digits, and the tail sports fins on both the dorsal and ventral sides. Coloration ranges through the blues, aquamarines, and greens, with the wings usually a shade or two lighter than the overall body color. Silislithi are also known as “sea drakes.”

Combat
In water, a silislithis usually attacks first with its bite and, if successful, follows up with claw attacks. (The silislithis swims with its legs pressed close to the sides of its body, as this streamlining allows the creature to move faster through the water.) On land, it uses all three attacks in a single round, usually targeted against a single foe.

Spit Water Stream (Ex): Silislithi can only use this attack when out of water. They fill their throat bladders with sea water, then compress the bladder to shoot a high-speed stream of water at opponents. The force of this watery attack acts as the geyser effect of a decanter of endless water, dealing 1d4 points of damage to a single target. A silislithis can employ its water stream attack every other round, so long as it refills its throat bladder between uses. The attack is ineffective underwater, but the bladder is put to a different use in that environment - by closing off its esophageal valve, the bladder’s contents can be forced through two vents just behind the creature’s wings. This “jet propulsion” mirrors the movement capabilities of the octopus and squid, giving the silislithis an additional spurt of speed while swimming.

Cold Resistance 5 (Ex): As part of their adaptation to the aquatic environment, silislithi ignore the first 5 points of cold damage each round.

RIVISLITHIS: The rivislithis, or river drake, is a freshwater version of the sea drake, able to breathe both air and fresh water (but not sea water, just as the silislithis cannot breathe fresh water). The rivislithis’ coloration tends more toward the greens and grays, and it lacks the silislithis’ cold resistance, but is otherwise indistinguishable from its ocean-dwelling cousin.

 

[Shade]

Once again, cold resistance can just go on the SQ line.

It gets one more feat.

Intuit Direction becomes Survival.

It gets nine more skill ranks.

It needs the +8 racial bonus on Swim checks for swim speed.