Dragons are wondrous creatures of myth and legend, the kind of monster that should really create a challenge for those that encounter one. Towards that end, I've taken my own approach to dragons in the Hammersong's Legacy Campaign Setting. I've started with the basic assumption that size is the primary designator of a dragon's age, starting with a man-size Young Dragon, proceeding through a large Adult Dragon and a huge Old Dragon to the gargantuan Great Wyrm. Each age category has its own HD, etc., and builds sequentially on the abilities of the age categories that came before. I prefer this approach for a number of reasons:
1. It creates attack values, saving throw values, hit points and natural attack damage values that are in keeping with the way other monsters work. (i.e. advancement in ability is based on adding more hit dice, not adding more hit points per hit die).
1b. This in turn lets me make young dragons with differing amounts of hitpoints, so I can have a sickly young dragon and a very brawny, robust young dragon, without having to stick with the static numbers required by the official method. I can roll the Hit Dice to determine hitpoints, instead of using the static number.
2. I can have different stats for miniatures of different sizes. The official S&W dragon stats don't offer me that flexibility as easily.
I also avoided the classic metallic and chromatic tropes with dragons in this setting, instead basing their type on their breath weapon. Death dragons breathe necromantic energy, fire dragons breathe fire, and so forth. Other than that, it is assumed that all dragons have very similar abilities. I chose this path because I wanted a different flavor to dragons than the classic metallic and chromatic types. I thought it would be more evocative and perhaps more primal, which is the kind of flavor I'm wanting for the setting as a whole. Only time will tell, of course, if I captured that primal essence or not.
In the interests of gaining feedback, I am posting my dragon write-up here for your review. Please check them out and let me know what you think.
Dragon, Teranthan
Dragons on Terantha are ancient reptilian creatures with leathery wings, four legs and a long muscular tail. Dragons from different regions have a variety of distinctive features, such as feathered wings, crests, fiery manes, ivory spikes running down its spine and various exotic colorations, but most such distinctions are simply cosmetic differences. Dragons are known and feared for their size, physical prowess, and magical abilities. The oldest surviving dragons are among the most powerful mortal creatures native to the Plane Prime. Extremely intelligent, dragons can communicate through speech, and practice powerful magic. Dragons are renowned as much for their wisdom and knowledge as for their accumulated hordes of treasure.
A dragon attacks with its powerful claws and bite, and can also use a breath weapon and special physical attacks, depending on its size. Dragons typically prefer to fight on the wing, staying out of reach until it has worn down the enemy with ranged attacks. Older, more intelligent dragons are adept at sizing up the opposition and eliminating the most dangerous foes first (or avoiding them while picking off weaker enemies).
Dragons of Terantha are distinguished by size into four basic age categories, gaining more abilities and greater power as they age. In addition, Teranthan dragons are also categorized by the type of breath weapon they possess, as is shown in the Dragon Type table.
Table: Dragon Type
Death: Line of necromantic energy
Fire: Cone of flame
Ice: Cone of frost
Storm: Line of electricity
Swamp: Line of acid
Venom: Cone of poison
Cones are often thirty feet wide per age category, originating from the mouth of the dragon and expanding to a base of thirty feet wide per age category. Lines are five feet wide, originating from the mouth of the dragon and extending out thirty feet per age category. Targets caught within a dragon's breath weapon may attempt a saving throw for half damage. When a dragon uses its breath weapon in a round, it may not cast spells or make physical attacks. Once the dragon has used its breath weapon, it may not do so again for another 1d4 rounds.
In addition, all dragons (even young dragons) possess exceptional perception, including the ability to detect all invisible objects and creatures, and are immune to sleep and paralysis effects, as well as effects related to their breath weapon type. A dragon diving from above gain a +2 attack bonus on its attacks against its foes, and may attack with its wings, but doing so requires the dragon to land.
Young Dragons
Young dragons are roughly the size of a large human warrior. They possess the general abilities listed above that are common to all dragons.
Young Dragon: AC 0 [19]; HD 8; Atk: breath weapon (4d6) or bite (1d8), two claws (1d6); ST: 8; SP: common dragon abilities; MV: 15, fly 21; CL 11; XP 1,700.
Adult Dragons
Adult dragons are roughly the size of a large horse, tiger or rhinoceros. In addition to the abilities possessed by all dragons, adult dragons have a magic resistance of 35%, a frightful presence that requires all creatures with less Hit Dice than that of the dragon to make a saving throw or flee in terror for 4d6 rounds (if 1 HD or less) or suffer -2 on all attack rolls and saving throws (if higher than 1 HD), and can cast spells as a 3rd level magic-user. The adult dragon gains additional attacks based on its size: two wing buffets and a tail attack (in addition to damage, the target must make a saving throw or be knocked prone). Finally, given its size, an adult dragon can snatch a single creature up to the size of a human child in a claw as it flies by. Any creature that has been snatched up by a dragon automatically suffers claw damage each round, and have a 50% chance of being pinned in the dragon's grasp. Victims can be transferred to the mouth with a successful attack roll, whereupon it suffers automatic bite damage each round. Creatures trapped in a dragon's mouth cannot attempt a saving throw to half the damage of a dragon's breath weapon.
Adult Dragon: AC -3 [24]; HD 14; Atk: breath weapon (6d6) or bite (2d6), two claws (1d8), two wing buffets (1d6), tail slap (1d8 + save or be knocked prone); ST: 3; SP: adult dragon abilities; MV: 15, fly 24; CL 21; XP 4,700.
Old Dragons
Old dragons are roughly the size of a large elephant or a tyrannosaurus rex. In addition to the abilities of adult dragons, old dragons have a magic resistance of 50%, suffer only half damage from non-magical weapons, and can cast spells as a 6th level magic-user. In addition, an old dragon can snatch up a single creature up to the size of a large human in its claw.
Old Dragon: AC -6 [25]; HD 22; Atk: breath weapon (8d6) or bite (2d8), two claws (2d6), two wing buffets (1d8), tail slap (2d6 + save or be knocked prone); ST: 3; SP: old dragon abilities; MV: 15, fly 27; CL 31; XP 7,700.
Great Wyrms
Great wyrms are roughly the size of a large whale. In addition to the abilities possessed by old dragons, great wyrms have a magic resistance of 65%, and can cast spells as a 9th level magic-user. A great wyrm can snatch up a single creature up to the size of an ogre or troll in its claw as it flies by.
Great Wyrm: AC -9 [28]; HD 30; Atk: breath weapon (10d6) or bite (4d6), two claws (2d8), two wing buffets (2d6), tail slap (2d8 + save or be knocked prone); ST: 3; SP: great wyrm abilities; MV: 15, fly 30; CL 40; XP 10,400.
With Regards,
Flynn
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