White dragon illustration and stats

[Katemare]

Wait, I think I can redesign it for 4E very quickly... At least worth trying.

 

[megamania]

I like the idea and the presentation is really good. Pleasing to the eye, easy to follow. Well done.

 

[Katemare]

I only wish it were 4e... I've got white dragons in my current campaign!

No, I can't do this quick enough... The goal is too different: in 3.5, visual reformatting clarifies implementation of a monster in and out of combat.

In 4E, combat implementation is quite clear (at most, abilities can use descriptions in plain English, such as "Aura of Winter: violent snowfall conceals, hinders movement and deals damage"). 4E statblock is what inspired me in the first place. In the same time, flavor is minimalistic and out-of-combat crunch non-existent.
So, in 4E visual description infoblocks would be quite different: flavor and evaluation of attacks, encounter ideas, tactics by round for said encounters, plot seeds. Such description would be supplemental, as in "Explaining the white dragon", not a full monster entry (4E statblock can't me more straightforward, no point in reformatting it).

If you have suggestions on this, go on %)

 

[Treebore]

I agree that I found the Bullette presentation better.

 

[jephlewis]

Both this and the bulette look friggin' awesome! I'll second that "wotc needs to hire you" bit.

 

[JackSmithIV]

No, I can't do this quick enough... The goal is too different: in 3.5, visual reformatting clarifies implementation of a monster in and out of combat.

Oh, no worries at all! I would imagine such an adaption would be quite difficult. That's got to be one of the few unfortunate side-effects of 4E monster stat blocks.

Appreciate the energy, though, and I still enjoy your efforts!

 

[Katemare]

Oh, no worries at all! I would imagine such an adaption would be quite difficult. That's got to be one of the few unfortunate side-effects of 4E monster stat blocks.

I wouldn't call the self-sufficiency of a statblock "an unfortunate side-effect" It's a good thing.

 

[JackSmithIV]

I wouldn't call the self-sufficiency of a statblock "an unfortunate side-effect" It's a good thing.

Oh, of course! I'm in love with it! But it doesn't leave room for more freeform styles like what you've done here with the White Dragon.

 

[Noumenon]

Sorry to bump this old thread, but I just became aware of it. You can't subscribe to "posts by Katemare," after all, AFAIK.

I can't decide whether fitting all four dragons on two pages makes sense. 4th Edition presented fewer, special dragons instead of a big continuous table of generic dragons. But 4th is easier to level up and down.

I still love your encounter suggestions. I miss the tactical suggestions that the bulette had. Maybe dragons just aren't that interesting.

 

[Katemare]

I still love your encounter suggestions. I miss the tactical suggestions that the bulette had. Maybe dragons just aren't that interesting.

Aren't they? Then this must be my big failure. I think that white dragons are one of the most interesting of true dragons, and I was really disappointed with them in 4E (not crawling all over the place anymore %).

Younger white dragons can:

• Set ambush, especially in snow or under the ice surface of a frozen lake, and then dramatically pop to attack when least expected.
• Hunt in packs, unlike other dragons.
• Crawl all over the icy place, including on walls and ceiling.
• Breath ice cones from all these places.
• Fly away to avoid attacks, to escape or to dive from above.
• Swim and burrow with similar effects.
• Use predator hunting tactics, such as waiting for best moment to attack - when party crosses the icy bridge or frozen lake.
• Set their clutch lair in snowy or icy cave and create all those features with their breathes.
• Keep their treasure, piles of diamonds and other gems, in a chamber where ice refracts and reflects the light, like in a fun house.
• Have a refrigerator chamber where frozen prey is kept.
• Also leave frozen prey all over territory, so that PC could find it and prepare for an encounter.
• Be dumb and arrogant when spoken to. And cutely gullible.
• Play with their chosen prey using fog cloud.

Well, most of all I like their extensive mobility. They're like aliens, no place is safe from a determined group of this white menace.

I see, I should outline these things clearer, like in bulette illustration. Such as include complete encounters and their power-like action in them.

Something like pre-made "pop from under the ice" action with ice stats and all process step by step. Thanks, Noumenon.