SRD monsters in the new statblock format

[Nail]

Wow.

Thanks, man. You rock.

 

[Dalamar]

I'm still dredging through D, now with Digester done (and Dire animals from a bit earlier since many of them were needed for the Summon Monsters I've done so far), so next up is Dinosaurs and I believe Dragons.

As an appetizer, I've attached the two big bads of the lower planes -Balor and Pit Fiend- as a separate file.

 

[Dalamar]

I'm doing the Black dragon right now, and I just realized that they're eligible for Epic feats rather early in their life. What do people think, should dragons have Epic feats?

 

[freyar]

I'd think epic feats would be ok, but probably what would be more useful would just be the normal stat blocks without feats as in the SRD. I suppose if you wanted to do an example, that would be nice, too.

 

[Dalamar]

Well, what I have been doing so far is do full statblocks, with skills, feats and spells chosen. I believe this way they are more useful for when one needs a quick reference, making it easier to swap one or two for more desirable ones for a particular encounter.

Oh, and I probably should note that I haven't counted the skills organically. That is, each category of black dragon has skill points as if it was a unique creature, not a more advanced version. I haven't checked how official WotC sources do skill points for dragons, so I'm not sure if that's how they do the skills. Somebody have a WotC adventure handy, or perhaps one of the Icons?
The feat choices are organic, mostly because I'm too lazy to judge each and every dragon separately, so I'm just adding a feat for every category to the list of the previous category.

Here's an example dragon, suggestions for better feat and spell choices are welcome.

 

[Mortis]

Oh, and I probably should note that I haven't counted the skills organically. That is, each category of black dragon has skill points as if it was a unique creature, not a more advanced version. I haven't checked how official WotC sources do skill points for dragons, so I'm not sure if that's how they do the skills. Somebody have a WotC adventure handy, or perhaps one of the Icons?

There are also the sample dragons in the Dracnomonicon - whether they are simply advanced versions of the previous I don't know and am at work and can'y check

Regards
Mortis

 

[freyar]

IIRC, the sample dragons in the Draconomicon are each unique, rather than advancing a single one through all the age categories.

 

[AWizardInDallas]

Dragons SBF

Okay I have been working over the last two weeks on getting dragons in the new stat block format. I'm now down to skill selections. I'm doing better at picking expletives for Wizards of the Coast than skills...but that's another show. In any case could someone please take a look at the skills for the black dragon and other sample dragons provided in MM1 and confirm that they break the rules for dragons (black dragon has too many skill points spent...for example climb is cross-class...take a look and you'll see what I mean)? They seem to be totally out of whack. If I could get some help with the skill selections I'd be quite happy to contribute the finished stat blocks.

Thanks!
AWizardInDallas

 

[Dalamar]

Well, I was working off of the SRD, so I didn't even check the example dragons provided for the skills they have. I've only done up to Black wyrm, but the skills I gave each variety of black are as follows:

Wyrmling: Skills Hide +15 Jump +12 Listen +9 Move Silently +7 Search +6 Spot +9 Survival +0 (+2 following tracks) Swim +8

Very Young: Hide +14 Jump +13 Listen +12 Move Silently +10 Search +9 Spot +12 Survival +0 (+2 following tracks) Swim +9

Young: Hide +13 Intimidate +13 Jump +14 Listen +15 Move Silently +13 Search +13 Spot +15 Survival +0 (+2 following tracks) Swim +10

Juvenile: Hide +16 Intimidate +16 Jump +15 Listen +18 Move Silently +16 Search +16 Spot +18 Survival +0 (+2 following tracks) Swim +11

Young Adult: Concentration +22 Hide +15 Intimidate +20 Jump +16 Listen +22 Move Silently +19 Search +20 Spot +22 Survival +1 (+3 following tracks) Swim +12

Adult: Concentration +26 Hide +18 Intimidate +23 Jump +18 Listen +25 Move Silently +22 Search +23 Spot +25 Survival +1 (+3 following tracks) Swim +14

Mature Adult: Concentration +30 Hide +17 Intimidate +27 Jump +20 Knowledge (arcana) +27 Listen +29 Move Silently +25 Search +27 Spot +29 Survival +2 (+4 following tracks) Swim +16

Old: Concentration +33 Hide +20 Intimidate +30 Jump +21 Knowledge (arcana) +30 Listen +32 Move Silently +28 Search +30 Spot +32 Survival +2 (+4 following tracks) Swim +17

Very Old: Concentration +37 Hide +23 Intimidate +34 Jump +22 Knowledge (arcana) +34 Listen +36 Move Silently +31 Search +34 Spot +36 Survival +3 (+5 following tracks) Swim +18 Use Magic Device +34

Ancient: Concentration +40 Hide +26 Intimidate +37 Jump +23 Knowledge (arcana) +37 Listen +39 Move Silently +34 Search +37 Spot +39 Survival +3 (+5 following tracks) Swim +19 Use Magic Device +37

Wyrm: Concentration +44 Hide +25 Intimidate +41 Jump +24 Knowledge (arcana) +43 Listen +43 Move Silently +34 Search +41 Spellcraft +24 Spot +43 Survival +4 (+6 following tracks) Swim +20 Use Magic Device +41 (+43 scrolls)

I went with the assumption that they'll max out all skills (since that's easier for me), choosing skills that are class skills for their color, the sense skills, and then what made sense, priorised in that order. With some exceptions, of course, such as not taking ranks in Swim for black dragons because their racial bonus and Strength coupled with the ability to Take 10 allows them to succeed in almost all checks automatically.

 

[AWizardInDallas]

Hmm, according to the SRD dragons always max out Listen, Search, and Spot at max possible ranks. Here's how I've started... I've calculated 49 skill points for a black dragon wyrmling:

(6+Int OR minimum of 1)*(HD+3) --> (6+1)*(4+3) --> (7)*(7) = 49 skill points

Also, I've determined that the wyrming would have a 7 max ranks per skill (as a 7th level character in other words). So, maxing out Listen, Search, and Spot spends 21 points, leaving 28 points.

Also, some of the sample dragons show expenditures on Bluff, Climb or other other skills that are cross-class, like Jump in your wyrmling example.