Special Conversion Thread: Dragonets!

[Shade]

Dig looks good. I'm thinking that the core monsters should be the default for the summon elemental, and the sandling/sandman the exception. Maybe just allow them to summon X HD of elemental creatures with the earth subtype?

As for the spellcasting, do we want them to eclipse true dragons? At 5 HD, only the arcane dragons (hex, tome) are powerful spellcasters. Of course, the mole dragon lacks a breath weapon, so there is a tradeoff. Hmmm...looking at the 6HD tome dragon, it is a 5th-level sorcerer with access to some domain spells. Maybe that should be our role model?

If we make them 5th-level sorcerers, they'd get 7/7/5 spells per day (including bonus spells from Cha).

 

[freyar]

3 HD of elemental (earth)? Sure. We can mention mephits, sandmen, and sandlings as preferred.

Maybe 4th level sorcs. 5th level seems to give them way too many spells (even 4th does, really, but I can live with it).

 

[Shade]

Updated.

I had to adjust the HD levels of the summon ability so it could actually summon sandmen and sandlings.

I also rewrote the summon ability to resemble summon tanar'ri, summon baatezu, etc.

 

[freyar]

That looks good.

Going from the original version, I'd suggest Earth & Protection as 2 of the domains. We could go with War as a substitute for "Combat," but Scalykind might be even better.

Skills: Bluff?, Concentration, Intimidate, Knowledge (arcana)?, Listen, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Spot, Survival? (pick 2 of 3 with ?)

To go with improved grab, should this have some sort of chewing ability (auto bite damage on successful grapple)? ("If a mole dragon rolls at least five higher than it needs to hit an opponent, it locks its jaws on its hapless victim and inflicts bite damage automatically on each successive round until its grip is broken. A single hit that inflicts at least twice as much damage as the dragonet's Hit Dice causes it to break its grip.")

 

[Shade]

Going from the original version, I'd suggest Earth & Protection as 2 of the domains. We could go with War as a substitute for "Combat," but Scalykind might be even better.

I like War.

Skills: Bluff?, Concentration, Intimidate, Knowledge (arcana)?, Listen, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Spot, Survival? (pick 2 of 3 with ?)

Let's drop Survival.

To go with improved grab, should this have some sort of chewing ability (auto bite damage on successful grapple)? ("If a mole dragon rolls at least five higher than it needs to hit an opponent, it locks its jaws on its hapless victim and inflicts bite damage automatically on each successive round until its grip is broken. A single hit that inflicts at least twice as much damage as the dragonet's Hit Dice causes it to break its grip.")

We can modify this...

Worry (Ex): A fhorge that successfully gets a hold on an opponent with its improved grab ability shakes the victim violently back and forth. This attack deals bite damage each round until the victim breaks free, the fhorge is slain, or the victim dies.

 

[freyar]

Worry is perfect, just swap fhorge for mole dragon.

This thing is a pretty competent fighter, but I think it's more of a spellcasting critter. So maybe a couple metamagic feats, though which ones might depend on the spells known we choose.

CR 4 or 5 I guess, so SR shouldn't be too high. What's reasonable there, 15?

For spells known, maybe:
0 - Resistance, Acid Splash, Detect Magic, Mage Hand, Ray of Frost, Touch of Fatigue
1 - Sanctuary, Magic Stone, Magic Missile
2 - Spiritual Weapon
There's one spell from each of the domains there, and revisions are welcome.

 

[Shade]

Updated.

The spell list looks good. I swapped out magic stone for true strike (since it can't use a sling) and spiritual weapon for scorching ray (so it would have a pseudo-breath weapon).

I renamed worry to "locking jaws", since it doesn't really shake the opponent. I think we should also give it a bonus on opposed grapple checks to maintain the hold for the locking jaws. Maybe +4?

I'm not sure how useful metamagic feats would be since it can only get up to 2nd-level spell slots. It could only Empower a cantrip, for example.

Where other dragonets are flighty and mischievous, mole dragons are dour and sadistic. They are also bitter and vengeful, nursing a grudge for years or decades if harmed or shamed by an opponent. Humanoid companions who do not share a mole dragon's love of inflicting pain soon find themselves on the receiving end of the dragonet's sadism.

Power Attack? Track?

 

[freyar]

That sounds fair to me, though it could Heighten something. Ahh, let's just go with those two feats.

+4 grapple bonus is good.

 

[Shade]

Updated.

As the dragonet ages, its hide becomes encrusted with gemstones, making old mole dragons appear to be walking treasure hordes. These gemstones are the creature's only treasure, amounting to 1-8 valuable stones for each Hit Die the dragonet possesses.

Treasure: No coins, double goods (gems only), no items?

Mole dragons live in deep subterranean tunnels, burrowing through solid stone and wandering Underdark passageways. They are solitary, mating only on the rare occasions when two dragonets of the opposite sex encounter each other by chance. The female lays her eggs in a dead-end chamber and then abandons them, closing the tunnel behind her and forcing the hatchlings to burrow their way out.

Another candidate for the tunneling ability?

When they have bonded with such an individual, mole dragons can telepathically trasmit anything they hear to their companions, with a range of 300 yards. They also share the empathic ability common to all dragonets and use rasping growls and hisses to communicate smiple warnings or displeasure.

Borrowing from the pavilion dragon...

Telepathic Link (Su): A mole dragon familiar can communicate telepathically with its master to a range of 300 feet.

Does that suffice here as well?

 

[freyar]

Treasure is good, and so is the telepathic link.

Don't entirely remember the tunneling ability, but it seems to me that dig and a burrow speed will suffice. Your thoughts?