Special Conversion Thread: Dragonets!

[Shade]

Combat: Common dragonets are fairly aggressive but rarely attack creatures larger than man size. However, they fight fiercely if they or their nests are threatened. Their preferred mode of attack is to spit a corrosive and flammable saliva--an evolutionary prelude to the better-known breath weapons. They may spit in combat for two rounds in a row, then once every four rounds thereafter for a total of 5-8 attacks each per day. Only one victim at a time may be so attacked.

To determine the effectiveness of a common dragonet's spitting attack, make a to hit roll for it as for a normal attack (out to a 30' range). Note whether or not the attack roll would have hit the victim if the victim had not been using a shield by checking against the shield-using and shieldless armor-class values of the victim. If the shield deflected the attack, the shield must then make a saving throw vs. acid or else be destroyed (magical bonuses apply). If no shield deflects an attack that hits a victim, the victim's armor and equipment must save vs. acid or be destroyed (magical bonuses apply); the victim himself takes 2-20 hp damage. The victim must make a saving throw vs. dragon breath to avoid permanent blindness from the attack. The saliva is also flammable, and any character who is carrying a flame source and is struck by the saliva has a 50% chance of having the flame ignite the saliva, which explodes for 1-8 hp damage to all within a 5' radius of the flame.

The saliva may be neutralized by using either a scroll of protection from acid or protection from dragon breath. Use of a great helm offers a +4 on saving throws to prevent blindness. Equipment carried in a container must save vs. acid only if the container itself fails its saving throw (at which point it falls apart).

Incendiary Spittle (Ex?): Once every 1d4 rounds, a common dragonet may a glob of corrosive, incendiary spittle at a single opponent. The dragonet must succeed on a ranged touch attack. The spittle deals 2d10 points of acid damage, and must succeed on a DC X (Reflex? Fortitude?) save or be permanently blinded. Additionally, the spittle is extremely flammable. A victim carrying an open flame (such as a torch, a flaming weapon, or under the effects of a fire shield spell) must succeed on a Reflex save or the spittle ignites in a fiery explosion, dealing 1d8 points of fire damage to the victim and all adjacent creatures and objects. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Should the spittle remain flammable for a few rounds unless the neutralizing effects are made?

 

[freyar]

I think that's a good start. I'd actually make this Su like a breath weapon, and the save should probably be Ref to avoid blindness. Also, we need to add that it has range 30 ft with no range increments.

I'd say that the spittle is flammable for a few rounds but that you can avoid it easily, so let's just have it explode only right when it's spit.

Do we want the acid to damage equipment as in the quote?

 

[Shade]

Hmmm...I was thinking that we could just fall back on the "if you roll a 1 on a save, your equipment is randomly affected", but since there is no save against the acid, that won't work.

Probably the easiest thing is to just require a saving throw for equipment as if the character had rolled a 1 on its save. Thoughts?

 

[freyar]

How about random equipment damage if they roll a 1 on the save vs blindness? That's sort of about getting out of the way, even though it's a ranged touch.

 

[Shade]

That feels like a bit of a stretch.

Here's a stab at a revision...

Incendiary Spittle (Su): Once every 1d4 rounds, a common dragonet may a glob of corrosive, incendiary spittle at a single opponent. The dragonet must succeed on a ranged touch attack (to a maximum range of 30 feet with no range increments). The spittle deals 2d10 points of acid damage. The victim must also succeed on a DC 15 Reflex save or be permanently blinded. Additionally, if the save fails, one piece of the victim's equipment is at risk from the acid, suffering the same acid damage as the victim; use the rules for determining damage to equipment (see Items Affected by Magical Attacks in the DMG/PHB).

The spittle is extremely flammable. A victim carrying an open flame (such as a torch, a flaming weapon, or under the effects of a fire shield spell) must succeed on a DC 15 Reflex save or the spittle ignites in a fiery explosion, dealing 1d8 points of fire damage to the victim and all adjacent creatures and objects. The save DC is Constitution-based.

 

[freyar]

I think that's a pretty good version. It seems to capture what we wanted to put in there.

Do you think we should put in flavor text about "harvesting" the saliva? We could say that a vial of saliva acts as a vial of acid and explodes as alchemical fire if it hits a flame.

 

[Shade]

That sounds about right for harvesting the spittle.

Skills: 6
Listen 3, Spot 3?

Feats: 2
Flyby Attack, Multiattack?

Organization: Solitary, pair, family (mated pair plus x young), or x (2-20)

Challenge Rating: 3? (It's at least as good as a Drakkensteed at that CR, although it is one HD lower)

Treasure: Standard? (Type "C" looks like about standard for their HD)

Advancement: 4-6 HD (Medium); 7-10 HD (Large)?

 

[freyar]

Those skills and feats are good.

From this

Habitat/Society: Common dragonets seem to be at ease in many sorts of temperate environments, including hills, swamps, forests, and plains. They live to be 200 years at most, reproducing by laying eggs. Egg laying occurs once every decade for female dragonets, with 2-5 eggs being laid. Few of these eggs hatch, however (see Ecology). A group of dragonets will fiercely defend their lairs and will aid other dragonets, but they are not capable of elaborate planning.
...
Common dragonets are no longer common, as their eggs are preyed upon so heavily by assorted creatures of the wild. The parents are easily distracted from their nests to chase off intruders, leaving the nests open to birds, rodents, and other assorted beasts.

I'd say pair plus 1-2 young for family. Maybe the larger group should be a flight?

CR 3, Standard treasure, and advancement are good.

 

[Shade]

Updated.

How about this?

The hide of the common dragonet can be made into corrosion-resistant leather armor. This leather is difficult to work, so the leatherworker must make a proficiency check with a -3 modifier. The hides of two common dragonets must be used to make enough armor for a adult human (the hide from one is enough for a being of 4' height or less). This armor gives the wearer a +4 saving throw vs. all acidic attacks, and it can be dyed in any color or pattern.

 

[freyar]

Looks pretty good. For weight, let's go with 100-150 lb. The upper end is the weight of the similarly sized komodo dragon.

Hmm, where have we done craft check stuff before? Anyway, I would say this is dragonhide armor that grants a resistance bonus on saves vs acid. Maybe +4 is too much, though, so say +1? I'll try to take a look at dragoncraft items in Draconomicon, too.