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Post by Traskus on Aug 7, 2021 21:00:13 GMT -6
What Even Is a Dragon? A "dragon" is a catch-all term for a vaguely reptilian magical creature of incredible power. It's hard to articulate what makes something a dragon. They might fly, breathe fire, hoard treasure, or so on. How many things must a dragon lack before you don't call it a dragon anymore? No two people give quite the same answer. The self-proclaimed "true" dragons are sapient, can see in the dark, fly, are hexapodal, have a breath weapon, know magic, and hoard something or other. This thread will (mostly) focus on these true dragons, though other kinds and lesser dragons will be included. The Syrne didn't make (or want) dragons uniform in concept; to do so would be limiting. Instead, they made different dragons for different purposes against the C'tan, and some to be living works of art. This led them to make the blood quickenings and the myriad of shapes and sizes dragons appear in. While this didn't save the Syrne it did make dragons the most powerful entities in the Wheel today. So much so having draconic dna manifest in someone's body a hundred generations after his ancestor lay a dragon is enough to make them Exalted. Draconic Motivations Dragons were made as the ultimate weapons of the Syrne. Such was their purpose. After the War in Heaven dragons had no purpose. Time passed and a dragon named Bahamut rose up to give dragons a new purpose: conquer the Wheel and rule it as its benevolent masters, killing anyone who tries to stop them. Tiamat wanted to overthrow him because she hates taking orders. Dragons are just inclined to dominate everything around them. This could be programming from the Syrne, but we should not discount that superior ability breeds superior ambition. One would imagine dragons only resort to violence to accomplish their goals. They can and often do given their sheer power, but they also scheme. They make vast empires of business, crime, politics, or some combination thereof. A word of advice: never, ever, make a deal with a dragon. The Dragon's Hoard All true dragons have a hoard. It could start as small as a single throne gelt, but it's theirs. It's a misconception that a dragon only hoards money or something else immediately valuable. So long as something has value and can be collected into one place it's a valid hoard. One dragon is in a contest with a Modron overlord for the biggest collection of sentient hats. A dragon grows its hoard over its lifetime to display its might and how well-traveled it is. The more a hoard has in it, the more territory the dragon has or can get into. The biggest hoards are the size of crystal spheres (though one dragon hoards crystal spheres). A dragon is an individual and they all like precious metals, artifacts, princesses, and Syrneth items, but quickening can often predict other hoarding tendencies. Air dragons collect knowledge in their hoard. The obvious scholastic and mystical but also the less obvious entertainment media like first edition comics and autographed baseball cards. It is a common practice to task servants with collecting information about a pet topic of theirs to further the field of study. Earth dragons tend toward precious gemstones and artifact materials, no matter the shape they take. An earth dragon could have a lump of wraithbone and call it a day but just as commonly have it turned into a tool or statue. Fire dragons like to hoard military treasures. Weapons, armor, vehicles, and even soldiers or generals. They often have favorite times and places on top of this to keep a consistent aesthetic. They are loathe to use the expensive portions, but when they do they try to replace them. Water quickened dragons like works of art. Paintings, sculptures, and the like. Water dragons are fond of music and have their own band play pieces they collect. Wood dragons have a tendency toward wildlife and food. They collect endangered species and extremely rare food items like one-of-a-kind bottles of millennia-old wine. This makes them possibly the most active dragons since they often consume their hoard. Dragons taking livestock are usually of the wood quickening if not fire. Heart dragons like people and renown. They abduct high profile like politicians and entertainers for their hoards, whether for preservation or their own personal amusement. It is common for a heart dragon to abduct someone and rent them out for a fee, essentially becoming that person's agent. They believe people are the only unique things in the cosmos and use their relative unpredictability to support that. At least one dragon collects the magically inclined and then teaches them to further their magical expertise, causing other wizards to seek them out and expand his hoard. Alternately they could abduct a specific item for its specific significance like the blade that slew a king or a pen used to write an important document. Metal dragons favor technology and things as practical as they are. This includes furniture and buildings, too. A metal dragon could very well melt down every coin and jewelry item in its hoard, forge it into a building, use it to house the artifacts and Syrneth items, and use servants to maintain it. One did and uses it as a museum, charging money to visitors to expand it. Metal dragons might shut themselves in their lair and entertain themselves with their hoard for Vectron knows how long. Void dragons like territory. They hold the strongest desire to conquer and conquer planets at a time, with one claiming multiple crystal spheres as a hoard. They tend to allow life there to continue after establishing dominance or colonize using their own populations, using the economies of the territories to gather more conventional hoard items like money to deposit in its lair. The Dragon's Lair A dragon keeps its hoard in its lair. Younger dragons have simple things like a cavernous mountain or an underwater air pocket. Older wyrms are so large and mighty they have continent-sized palatial complexes wherein their mountain is merely the throne. A dragon may sleep in its lair for centuries while another may only visit it to drop off treasure for its guards to protect. Like hoards, dragons tend to favor lair locations and layouts by their quickening. A dragon's mere presence alters its environment according to its quickening, and commonly spawn elementals of their quickening as a result. Intelligent creatures either gather or (more likely) disperse when they know a dragon is nearby depending on its temperament. As the dragon grows larger, its territory grows to encompass the planet with macro-weather patterns to match. A dragon will either make or commission a building to lair in shortly after establishing the layout of its territory if they cannot find a suitable place existing. Dragons of Tiamat can and do lair from place to place, and ones that stay in one place cause environmental catastrophe from the volatility of their existence. She'd be proud, really. A dragon avoids fighting in its lair if it can help it. Even a foolish dragon will have one or more of alarms, alarm spells, guards, or traps to slow adventurers down while it tries to leave to the outside. Air dragons lair in places with stable, dry climates like mountaintops and arid steppes. This lets them keep their hoard in good condition underground without massive, expensive climate control vaults. They build or commission towers to further elevate their position and house their hoards. Their lairs let them keep an elevated position to watch for intruders and swoop down when they need to take off. Their mere presence makes the weather creates gale force winds, further making blizzards or tornadoes depending on the locale. This in turn attracts megafauna like mammoths and rocs who can resist the winds. Earth dragons live in mountain caverns, underground, and in fortresses (including castles). They want to keep their quickening active whenever possible and only fly when they feel it most advantageous. The thick rock and secluded locations keep their hoard safe. Their presence does not change the weather. Rather it causes crystal to unnaturally grow out of the ground in their territory. It can even turn trees into amber in a matter of days. The precious gems make its hoard that much bigger and prospectors gather around earth dragons to seek their fortune before invariably being attacked. It mutates the wildlife to have thicker hides and attracts creatures like rogue golems. Fire dragons lair in hot locations; forges, planetary mantles, but they absolutely love active volcanoes. The heat comforts them and keeps people away. After establishing a territory, they find or have made a fortress. When they can't lair in such a place, their mere presence eventually either births a volcano or otherwise makes their territory volcanically active. They sleep in molten rock and metal, sometimes so long people forget a dragon was there at all. The ground in their territory opens up to reveal low-set magma flows, setting forests on fire and attracting creatures like salamanders or flamingos. The constant lava makes fire dragon lairs rich in obsidian and pumice; the constant churning of minerals makes their lairs fertile. They keep their hoards in pockets and caves away from the heat but near lava pits to deal with intruders. Water dragons are attracted to well, water. Most obviously lakes and oceans. Their hoards are strewn about the lairs; underwater, in underwater caves, or underground in pits. They keep false pits marked with an X and hand out maps to the interested to bait thieves and keep their hoards safe. They could sleep anywhere in their territories but young dragons sleep in caves and older, larger wyrms sleep on the bottom. Their presence creates mist and an alternation of calm, beautiful weather and powerful storms. Dragons that lair in lakes create more, stronger rivers as the lake expands. This creates healthier plants and more room for larger numbers of bigger fish and thus whatever eats them. Given time, sea monsters congregate around this area. This said, water dragons have been known to lair in deserts. Their presence has a different effect here. Sandstorms take the place of thunderstorms and oases dot the landscape near their hoards and sleeping area. Wood dragons live in forests and grasslands. They keep their hoards in clearings and the hollowed out trunks of large trees when caves aren't available. They lair in deserted buildings and ruins if available. Wood dragons can have one of two effects on their area: they can either cause a boom of life or a massive amount of toxic decay. This appears to be based on preference and how sociable the dragon is. The boom of life makes plants larger and more vibrant, enriching the rest of the food chain and attracting megafauna like kaiju and dinosaurs. The bust will drive all but the hardiest animals away as the plant life decays and it becomes a bog, occasional methane pockets creating bursts of flame at random. Heart quickened dragons like to live in conventional houses. Mansions are houses, right? Their love of people keeps them in or near population centers where they can host social events. If they can't do this, they lair near ley lines and other magically-relevant places (they try both when possible). Its presence warps nearby life into bizarre shapes and attracts daemons until a warp rift opens to the place the dragon favors most. Metal dragons like to lair in palaces and other buildings reserved for executive authority, in capital cities if they can arrange it. They prefer to buy these things if their hoard isn't dependent on set locations. Bahamut's own palace is the size of a tectonic plate and made of pure platinum, his throne room the size of a mountain range. Their environment becomes calmer. The wildlife becomes tougher, scales hardening to be tough as metal. People act more upon their ideals than their own individual wants. Lands of the truly free, dammit. As time passes, the dragon's territory attracts forged daemons of a certain material that protects it; said forged daemons can infect rocks to turn into the artifact material of their structure. A metal dragon's horde is usually kept in a vault. A metal dragon's lair is most likely to have creature comforts for guests and servants. Void dragons lair in space stations, spelljammers, and large asteroids. They keep their hoards in said structures or in asteroid belts and planetary rings depending on their actual lair's location. They sleep clutching their houses, rather than in them. Like a giant, hard body pillow. The vacuum of space precludes environmental effects but they attract meteoroids and become wrapped in an asteroid globe. Watch out because some of them are actually void krakens. Over time their lair turns into a giant space hulk the size of a small moon with the dragon at its core. Not all space hulks are void dragon lairs, but most void dragon lairs are space hulks. This doesn't actually attract life of any kind, but anything that could exist in space is fair game. It is common for expeditions to encounter kythons. Other Dragons and Dragonoids Not all dragon populations maintained their splendor. Others were so stricken for resources that energy-intensive activities like flying, fire breathing, or even sapience were lost to the stresses of evolution. Drakes, wyverns, faerie dragons, dragon turtles, the list goes on and the line between "dragon" and "terrible lizard" blurs. Some things are only called "dragons" because we lack a better term for them. With little exception, dragons look upon darathric (lesser dragons) with pity. They are the product of great, sustained misfortune. They take no pleasure in understanding their own superiority to these creatures. That said, many a dragon has recruited these still-powerful beasts into their armies. It's a scary thing to see the sun blotted out by the leathery wings of wyverns and Dragonblooded while the horizon is flooded by advancing lizards the size of pickup trucks coming toward you. Dragons and Dragonblooded Dragons are so powerful that if a sliver of their draconic dna enters a humanoid's genes it turns them Exalted. This could be his immediate child or a descendant generations down the line. This often informs how the dragon interacts with them. You're more likely to care about your kid than your great-great-great-great-great grandkid, after all. This transcends quickening and is truly individualized. The prouder dragons consider Dragonblooded to be mutts and pretenders. More pragmatic ones try to recruit them for their power and leverage their connection to make that easier. An army of Darahar is a sight to behold. The dragons that actually make Dragonblooded have pretty strict requirements for a humanoid mate. It could be wealth, prestige, status, but often they favor raw ability. It's cliche but a bard who actually tries to seduce a dragon is more eloquent, graceful, and attractive than a peasant and will put in actual effort to impress the dragon. And that's before getting into Exalts. Draconic Servants Most dragons have servants, even the ones that don't want them. Even a rather young dragon might have whatever caretakers helped it hatch if its parents aren't present. A dragon takes servants to protect itself when it is asleep or weak, and its hoard when it is absent. Still others have the servants do his bidding for him. A servant of a dragon doesn't always know or wish to be one. They could just be a security firm and the dragon is their boss in a disguise. They could be a cult leader (usually for kobolds). They could be up-front with their existence and desires. Though their methodology is often tied to their quickening. This extends to the races and careers they employ as well. They use physiologies that pair well with their lairs. The most common type of servant a dragon has is an individual who lived in its territory when it got there. Fairly intuitive but worth mentioning. They feed the dragon, keep its affairs tidy if told to, and generally enact its will. Another obvious choice are the dovahkiin, such is their purpose. They make good guards for their breath weapon and ability to fight harder as they sustain damage. Tau castes also sign on with their caste's associated quickening (except metal, who only serve the C'tan). Beyond this, a dragon's quickening as with most things influences what kinds of servants they have and what they have them do. As a dragon's hoard expands, they start to enlist exalts. A dragon is not picky about the kind of exalt it employs. Rather, it finds a purpose for the exalt after enlisting him. Air dragons hire security to protect their hoard and keep it in good condition while he goes out to expand the hoard. It's a simple way to do things but air dragons prefer simple and effective over the complex and risky. They hire races adapted to the wind and cold. Hyperboreans, kenku, and the like. They value the ability to maintain the hoard over raw strength. The dragon has traps and weapons to help with that. An air dragon employs her most trusted servants to gather knowledge in encyclopedia data slates, usually having them record observations and testimony of wildlife. Earth dragons enlist servants as guards for sections of the hoard. A squad is assigned to a room or so to keep it safe and polished. They favor dragonborn and other races that can see in the dark and endure less than ideal conditions. They like fighters and assassins to prevent collateral damage. Earth dragons employ rogues and illusionists to gather their hoard, given the items they seek are usually under heavy security. An earth dragon is most likely to enlist adventurers. Even if the hoard items break, they're still made of valuable material and that's what matters at the end of the day. Fire dragons are a practical sort. They only want soldiers and engineers. Soldiers to protect and/or invade territory and engineers to keep everything ship-shape. They want mighty races to serve in their armies and use their machines of war. Orks, tieflings, and hobgoblins are common. Fire dragons send them out to conquer territory (even joining then when they feel it necessary) while they gather hoard items. The rank and file get what they get or already had while champions and the lair guards have the best equipment the dragon can provide. Water quickened dragons patron artists and musicians to expand their hoard, and perform the compositions they make. They might have the ability to defend themselves but the dragon is often of a mind to hire guards directly. They run the lair and hoard like an art museum and are paid generously to foster loyalty. They like the aquatic and amphibious races to maintain their lair and enact their will. Cecaelia, sahuagin, etc. Saltwater dragons attract full-blown sea monsters through the sheer volume of prey items. Their territories are hyper-saturated with predators like megalodons and dragon turtles. The dragons who live near port towns use their servants to gather and sell fish and perform on the street. Wood dragons enlist servants that can navigate their territories and do whatever they need to. This leads to an overwhelming amount of elves. Their longevity and ability to excel at whatever they put their mind to makes them possibly the best servants a dragon could ask for. The territory's natural bounty and the dragon's protection make the elves feel the arrangement worthwhile. Some elves don't even know about the dragon and just protect the forest itself or the ruins within. A swamp wood dragon attracts hardier folk than forest dragons. They somehow get the offputting races like dark eldarin and arachne, races that can resist the toxins in the air and water. These races are so violent that maintenance staff double as security when they arrive, requiring no cross-training. Heart dragons prefer variety in their servants. They don't care for race as much as profession and the dragon treats servants like specialized labor in a company. The servants have a job and they do it. The dragon then hires the servants out for pay, and sometimes she even gives a cut to her servant in exchange. The heart dragon wants to expand territory through diplomacy and political maneuvering and politically inclined servants are valued highest as a result. Over time, servants will mutate into something either resembling the dragon they serve or whatever their subconscious sees them as. Metal dragons are the least picky when it comes to a servant's physiology. Rather, a metal dragon favors princesses or what passes for one in her area. Their status adds value to the hoard while doubling as a pair of hands. The natural rarity of princesses means a metal dragon is seldom in his territory as he goes out to gather more. They seldom do guard work but rather work as diplomats and domestic servants, though a warrior princess won't suddenly lose her title in a dragon's territory. A metal dragon of enough prestige will employ artificers to make golems to work with the forged daemons living in his territory to protect it. When the dragon's lair grows large enough, she will teach her servants self defense and basic martial disciplines. A dead princess is a worthless princess, after all. Author's note: Don't think just because they're princesses and domestic servants means they're pretty girls in maid outfits. She could just as easily be a self-absorbed sentient cloud with a valley girl accent serving as a concierge who just happens to be a king's daughter. SMs should have fun with what a princess could be or do. Void dragons favor tough servants suited to the void. This usually means ryphorians and astralbound maintaining the exterior of their lair and limulians manning the interior. Space hulk expeditions are so common that a dragon can outfit their servants with power armor and void suits without spending a single throne at times. A specific void dragon has become an infamous space pirate doing this, running afoul of a ruinstorm daemon to his own peril multiple times. Lastly, void dragons like the undead for their low upkeep. |
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Post by Traskus on Aug 7, 2021 21:01:02 GMT -6
Dragon Physiology True draconic ( dovah darastrix) physiology (four legs, two wings, horns, scales, breath weapon, etc.) isn't what we're going for here. The taxonomic order of dragons ( dovah) are not part of the natural animal kingdom or the tree of life, adjacent to life as we know it. So much so that it's in question if we can even call them animals, though for our purposes they are. A dragon has the usual reptilian setup with some avian features but there are features that set them apart. They are as follows: Blood: A true (as in, from the book 1 bestiary) dragon's blood is oxygen and nutrient-rich, far more than is scientifically predictable. It smells like a less sweet version of amber and is used (to varying effect) in soap, folk remedies, and male enhancement drugs. This doesn't carry over to the rest of dragonkind. Faerie dragon blood gets you high and hydras have toxic blood. Draconic Fundamentum: Possibly the most important organ to keep a dragon above other draconic creatures: the power of the breath weapon. Young dragons can only breathe like a flamer, but older ones can breathe poison, lightning, entropy, raw magic, and more as a sheer bolt of elemental power. Dragons imparted a lesser version of this organ to the dragonborn, letting them breathe fire sparingly. Fire dragons develop this organ the most quickly. Hardened Scales: A dragon's scales are so durable they function as armor, and adventurers who manage to kill one take their hides for that very reason. Metal dragons have the strongest scales. Occulobe: The one draconic organ all dragons share is the occulobe, which grants them the ability to see in the dark. The only other creatures with this organ are daemons... Secondary Heart: Dragons have at least two hearts. They do this to give their primary heart a break in times of stress, and remember that fighting Exalts is not always stressful. A dragon is capable of surviving without this, and a dragon once gave his second heart to an ailing prince to save his life. Wings: According to all known laws of aviation, there is no way that a dragon should be able to fly. Its wings are too small to get its massive body off the ground. The dragon, of course, flies anyway because dragons don't care what humanoids think is impossible. Despite their massive size and incredible biology, dragons don't need to eat much. Rather, don't need to eat often. A wyrmling dragon can get by on as little as a sheep per month if he doesn't exert himself much. This is hard on agrarian societies but everything is. An adult dragon understandably has to eat a lot more than that, but their digestive system and preferences have hardened so they can eat raw elements if needed. They need to eat as much as a dozen wyrmlings but a lot less often. As a dragon ages, they lose the need to eat specific things and can start eating the element of their quickening directly. A dragon does not stop growing. The oldest and largest ones have grown to the size of stars; air, fire, and metal dragons even eat stars. Dragon Society and Dragons in Society Dragons do not have the concept of "equals", only threats and inferiors. They try to be noble and abide by a set of rules, but no one's perfect and even dragons agree with that statement. What's worse: a dragon will sometimes fly into a fit, their nobility corrupted into whatever the dragon believes is the vilest vice. Even the most upstanding dragon will have episodes not unlike drug-addled athletes. Dragons will gladly act for mutual benefit with other dragons if the deal is right, but convincing a dragon to work with lesser beings is a gamble even if the benefit is clear. It is in fact possible to take a dragon as a mount, even a true dragon. An intelligent dragon will demand steep payment and supplication to give a ride into battle but even a lesser dragon is a tough sale. A dragon who rules a polity probably won't take a rider out of safety concerns but those who do only demand the greatest mages and warriors. The easiest way to train your dragon is to raise it from birth so it'll think you're its mother, raising it like a cross between a rabid donkey and a meth-using tiger. Again, not easy. To tame a wild one is more difficult, you must break its conditioning from the wild by showing you are neither threat nor prey. This is easiest with wyverns, who have a taste for fruit so you don't need to constantly feed it sheep or groxes. |
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Post by Traskus on Dec 4, 2021 12:15:44 GMT -6
DracoliskThe Legion of Everblight used to breed basilisks and expose them to the fallen dragon's essence to create a dragon with the power of a basilisk, but greater. They succeeded, to their own demise. Dracolisks are a fully realized draconic "evolutionary" branch now. This is merely an established dracolisk, greater abominations are far larger and more powerful. | STR 5 | DEX 3 | CON 4 | CHA 3 | FEL 1 | CMP 2 | INT 2 | WIS 3 | WIL 3 | Skills: acrobatics 2, arcana 3, athletics 3, brawl 4, perception 4, stealth 2 Speed: 8 (16) Size/Resilience: 9/8 Static/Mental Defense: 10/15 HP/Resolve: 20/5 Armor: thick scales (all 6) Level: 4 Attacks: bite/claw (6k2 r; melee, brawling) Poison breath (3k3 pen 6 e; 20m, s/-, spray, toxic) Abilities: stone gaze - if a creature sees dracolisk, and the dracolisk is aware of its presence with its eyes uncovered, it may force the creature to make a TN 20 arcana+constitution test. If it fails, it turns to stone and is immobilized and helpless. They may retry the saving throw on their turn as a full action, turning back to normal on a success. Aqualung - this creature breathes air and water with equal ease. Feats: sound constitution x6, swift attack, weapon proficiency (basic, ranged 2) Recluse Traits: amphibious, dark sight, flyer, resource points (breath: 8) Lair ActionsDifficult terrain: Webs and vines are rustled and moved, making the terrain difficult. The dracolisk's opponents must pass a TN 20 acrobatics test or become restrained until its next turn. Lifelike horror: The warp has coalesced the fear the dracolisk's targets past and present felt. Up to 5 creatures in the lair must make a fear 2 test. Statue's eyes: The dracolisk projects its power into two of the statues in its lair, being able to see through it and giving it a stone gaze ability until the next lair action. Regional EffectsAcid bath: still water such as ponds or lakes turn to acid. Statues: statues of the dracolisk's opponents and prey populate the region and become more common as you approach the lair. Stone silent: as you get closer to the lair, the region gets more silent as animals become more scarce. Ancient DracoliskEven centuries-old dracolisks cannot compete with the weakest of true dragons, but they come very close. | STR 7 | DEX 3 | CON 6 | CHA 3 | FEL 1 | CMP 2 | INT 2 | WIS 3 | WIL 3 | Skills: acrobatics 3, arcana 4, athletics 3, brawl 4, intimidation 1, perception 5, stealth 4 Speed: 10 (20) Size/Resilience: 12/10 Static/Mental Defense: 10/15 HP/Resolve: 25/5 Armor: thick scales (all 6) Level: 5 Attacks: bite/claw (8k2 r; melee, brawling) Poison breath (4k3 pen 8 e; 30m, s/-, spray, toxic) Abilities: stone gaze - if a creature sees the dracolisk, and the dracolisk is aware of its presence with its eyes uncovered, it may force the creature to make a TN 25 arcana+constitution test. If it fails, it turns to stone and is immobilized and helpless. They may retry the saving throw on their turn as a full action, turning back to normal on a success. Aqualung - this creature breathes air and water with equal ease. Feats: lightning attack, sound constitution x7, swift attack, weapon proficiency (basic, ranged 2) Recluse Traits: legendary actions (3), legendary resistance, amphibious, dark sight, flyer, resource points (breath: 10) Lair ActionsDifficult terrain: Webs and vines are rustled and moved, making the terrain difficult. The dracolisk's opponents must pass a TN 25 acrobatics test or become restrained until its next turn. Lifelike horror: The warp has coalesced the fear the dracolisk's targets past and present felt. Up to 5 creatures in the lair must make a fear 3 test. Statue's eyes: The dracolisk projects its power into two of the statues in its lair, being able to see through it and giving it a stone gaze ability until the next lair action. Regional EffectsAcid bath: still water such as ponds or lakes turn to acid. Statues: statues of the dracolisk's opponents and prey populate the region and become more common as you approach the lair. Stone silent: as you get closer to the lair, the region gets more silent as animals become more scarce. Draconian fleshgrafters seek to learn the deepest secrets of dragonkind, even the ones most dragons don't know. They put everything they have into making themselves more draconic and then making use of that new power. The non-draconic who do this are often called "dracoboos" in mockery, and Exalts advise against trying. | STR 2 | DEX 2 | CON 2 | CHA 5 | FEL 2 | CMP 2 | INT 3 | WIS 4 | WIL 4 | Skills: arcana 5, athletics 1, ballistics 1, brawl 3, command 2, forbidden lore 4, intimidation 3, politics 3, scrutiny 4, weaponry 1 Speed: 4 Size/Resilience: 5/6 Static/Mental Defense: 18/15 HP/Resolve: 12/6 Level: 5 Armor/aura: drake leather (5 all) Attacks: claw (3k2 r; melee, brawling, tearing) Pyromancer's kindler (3k2 E pen 4; S/-, 10m, clip 3, rld 2Full; Gear(Implement), Flame) Feats: jaded, fearless, weapon proficiency (basic, ranged 2) Abilities: dragon breath - as the dragonborn power Traits: caster (abjuration 3, divination 2, dracosophy 5, evocation 2), dark sight Gear: robes, drake leather armor, canteen of water, jade circlet, draconic heart and 1 arm, pyromancer's kindler, dragon teeth, dragon scales, snake belts, ghost peppers, cockatrice feathers, and a lot of gold coins Dragon sentries are the dragonblooded that guard the exterior a dragon's lair (or other people's lairs, but we're here for dragons). What they lack in powerful lizardy-ness they make up for in their ability to sleep standing up. | STR 4 | DEX 4 | CON 3 | CHA 3 | FEL 2 | CMP 3 | INT 4 | WIS 2 | WIL 3 | Skills: acrobatics 1, athletics 1, brawl 2, perception 2, stealth 1, weaponry 3 Speed: 8 (16) Size/Resilience: 4/5 Static/Mental Defense: 20/20 HP/Resolve: 12/6 Level: 3 Armor/aura: thick scales (4 all)/4 Attacks: claw (5k3 r; melee, brawling) Polearm (6k2 pen 2 r; melee, reach) Feats: danger sense, guardian, jaded, ki strike, stunning fist, trance, weapon proficiency (basic) Elegance, hidden objects, nick of timeAbilities: quickening (any), claws, dragon heart - as the dragonblooded powers, minus the quickening's characteristic bonus Traits: armor plating (4), aura (4), dark sight, flyer, resource points (breath: 6) Gear: clothes, jerky, polearm, sharpening stone, Dragon turtles are massive, territorial monsters. They are dragons of the sea, attacking ships for their food, valuables, and maidens of noble blood. Seagoing peoples such as merfolk and sailors have entire ships made for tribute to appease it, even bribing it to attack opponents. When pressed, a dragon turtle will seek out a water dragon for protection in exchange for whatever treasure it has eaten over the past few weeks.  | STR 7 | DEX 2 | CON 5 | CHA 3 | FEL 3 | CMP 3 | INT 2 | WIS 3 | WIL 3 | Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl 4, Charm 2, Intimidate 3, Perception 3, Scrutiny 2 Speed: 9 (18) Size/Resilience: 15/11 Static/Mental Defense: 10/20 HP/Resolve: 16/6 Level: 3 Armor: None (4 arms, head, legs), shell (10 body) Feats: Iron Jaw, Jaded, Power Attack, Strong Minded, Swift Attack, Weapon Proficiency (ranged 2, melee 2) Traits: Amphibious), Armor Plating (4/10), Darksight, Fear (1), Resource Points (Breath: 6), Unnatural Toughness Abilities: Hot-Blooded - as the Dragonblooded power. Quickening: Water - as the Dragonblooded power. Blood of Io - as the Dragonblooded asset. Colossal - This creature only subtracts their size from static defense, instead of twice its size. Shell armor - Damage dice from hits to this creature (directly or indirectly) cannot explode. Steam Breath - This creature's breath weapon works equally well above and below water. Attacks: Bite (7k3 R; brawling, tearing) Claw (6k2 R; brawling, tearing) Tail (5k3 I; brawling, tearing, unwieldy) Breath Weapon (4k3 E pen 6, flame; S/-, 20m) Gear: Gems, platinum, valuable textiles (all in its stomach) Lair ActionsDragon turtles live at the bottom of the water, usually in rocky areas, coral reefs, or sunken ships. Blasting Current: A strong water current moves through the lair. Everyone within 10m of the dragon turtle must pass a tn 15 strength test or be moved 10m in a uniform direction of the dragon turtle's choice. Entangling Kelp: Evil kelp reaches out to ensnare threats to the dragon turtle, probably because they know they get made into ice cream. Everything within 6m of a point nominated by the dragon turtle must pass a tn 15 strength test or be restrained until the next lair action. Steam Eruption: Steam erupts (shocking, I know) in a 5m cone from a point on the ground with the profile of a flamer, but cannot set targets on fire. Regional EffectsA dragon turtle's territory extends 10km from its lair. Diverting Currents: Underwater currents push intruders away from the lair. Any swimming creature or underwater vehicle within 2km has its speed halved while heading toward the lair. Hot Water: Geothermal vents heat the waters in the territory to tropical levels, which is hilarious in arctic oceans and ice caps.  Drakes are the worst fear of dragonkind: becoming small, powerless, stupid creatures. Evolution cares not for your wants and drakes show this. If you didn't know better, you'd say drakes are just big lizards. Thankfully you do know better, they are indeed big lizards. They behave as a cross between big cat and monitor lizard; this makes them the ultimate land predator. Those that can be tamed or domesticated are a favorite mount for paladins and knights. | STR 4 | DEX 3 | CON 4 | CHA 1 | FEL 1 | CMP 2 | INT 1 | WIS 2 | WIL 2 | Skills: brawl 2, perception 1 Speed: 7 Size/Resilience: 7/6 Static/Mental Defense: 11/15 HP/Resolve: 10/4 Level: 2 Armor: thick scales (5 all) Attacks: bite/claw (6k2 pen 3 r; melee, brawling) Feats: heightened senses (sight, smell), sound constitution x4 Abilities: dueling technique rivalry - as the tin star power Siege monster - treat the resilience of buildings as half when calculating damage taken from this creature. Unnerve - opponents in melee with this creature may not consume items. Drugs, food, etc. Traits: dark sight  An elder brain who wants to defend itself will get mind flayers to go out and grab a dragon for it to dominate. The result is an elder brain dragon. Sadly the best a mind flayer can do is a rather small and young one. The mutation the elder brain imposes on the dragon's body allows it to create more mind flayers quickly. The power and majesty of a dragon's existence gives the elder brain a constant sense of fulfillment and exhilaration that it never felt before. | STR 7 | DEX 4 | CON 6 | CHA 3 | FEL 2 | CMP 5 | INT 6 | WIS 5 | WIL 5 | Skills: Academic Lore 5, Arcana 5, Brawling 3, Common Lore 2, Command 5, Forbidden Lore 5, Perception 3, Scrutiny 5, Weaponry 3 Speed: 11 (22) Size/Resilience: 12/10 Static/Mental Defense: 6/30 HP/Resolve: 22/10 Level: 5 Armor: Iron scales (10 all) Attacks: bite/claw (10k3 r; tearing, brawling) Tadpole brine breath (35m; S/-; 6k3 I; line (5), infest, if this attack kills the target for good, they resurrect as a mind flayer on their next turn allied to the elder brain dragon) Massive Tentacles (3k2 I, Flexible, Reach) Feats: Danger Sense, Eidetic Memory, Iron Jaw, Mental Fortress, Power Attack, Powerful Charge, Strong Minded Abilities: Shatter concentration - If a target takes more than one wound of damage from a given attack from this creature, they lose concentration of one spell they were maintaining. Traits: amphibious, armor plating (10), caster (divination 5, enchantment 5, evocation 3, illusion 5), dark sight, flyer  Faerie dragons are impish creatures. They lack the size and majesty of true dragons but in exchange evolved more magical ability. They live in forests and abduct children. | STR 2 | DEX 4 | CON 2 | CHA 3 | FEL 3 | CMP 3 | INT 3 | WIS 3 | WIL 4 | Skills: academic lore 3, deceive 4, disguise 1, intimidate 1, larceny 2, perception 3, politics 2, scrutiny 3, stealth 4 Speed: 6 (12) Size/Resilience: 3/4 Static/Mental Defense: 25/20 HP/Resolve: 6/7 Level: 3 Aura: 5 Attacks: bite/claw (4k2 r; melee, brawling, toxic) Dragon fire (80m; S/-; 3k3 e; annoying, spray) Feats: ki strike, spell might, tested Abilities: magical aptitutde, prestidigitation - as the atlantean power Pixilate - this creature has a +1k0 bonus to enchantment and illusion focus power tests Traits: amphibious, caster (conjuration 2, enchantment 3, illusion 3), dark sight, flyer Gear: enchanted stone Lair ActionsFaerie dragons live in forests, usually in massive trees where they can fly about through nooks and crannies evading intruders. Aura of Chaos: The faerie dragon creates warp strands to distract targets. If a ranged attack misses the faerie dragon, have the attacker re-roll the attack against a random creature (friend or foe) outside cover within 10m of the faerie dragon. This lasts until the next lair action. Grasping Vines: The vines in the faerie dragon's lair overgrow to trip up intruders. The lair's terrain becomes difficult until the next lair action.Regional EffectsMalleable Time: Faerie dragons live in warp-saturated areas and tap into it to make time into a ball of timey-wimey stuff. No matter how long something is in the territory, the sm decides how much time in realspace passed outside it. Hydras are beasts of legend and the result of a dragon that exchanges its sapience for immortality. Tough call. It has many heads, one of which is immortal and the only one with a brain. Its regenerative abilities have led cultures to worship them like their true dragon ancestors to the extent a tiefling legion uses it as their emblem.  | STR 5 | DEX 2 | CON 5 | CHA 1 | FEL 1 | CMP 2 | INT 1 | WIS 2 | WIL 2 | Skills: athletics 2, brawl 3, perception 3 Speed: 7 Size/Resilience: 10/7 Static/Mental Defense: 12/15 HP/Resolve: 14/4 Level: 2 Armor: thick scales (4 all) Attacks: bite (7k2 pen 4 r; melee, brawling, reach) Feats: blademaster, fearless, furious assault, iron jaw, jaded, lightning attack, swift attack, wall of steel Ettin endurance, master combatant - as the featsAbilities: resurrection - as the perpetual power. Circumventing resurrection requires another perpetual cutting off its main head. Multiple heads- the hydra has five heads as a start. If the hydra takes critical damage sufficient to kill it, it instead loses one of its mindless heads. Reactive heads - the hydra gains one extra reaction per head it has beyond the first. These reactions can only be used for multiple attacks. The hydra can make extra opportunity attacks equal to the number of heads it has. Regrowth - If the hydra loses one of its heads to non-e damage, it regrows two more at the beginning of the next round unless it's a cryohydra or pyrohydra. Wakeful - while the hydra sleeps, at least one of its heads is awake. If desired: Cryohydra - gain a frost breath attack (5k2 e; 5m, s/-; spray with tn 5*heads to dodge,snare (tn 15)) Pyrohydra - gain a fire breath attack (5k2 e; 5m, s/-; flame with tn 5*heads to dodge) Traits: armor plating (4), dark vision, regeneration 3 bestial, colossalLair ActionsHydras live in the water (surprise!), usually lakes in front of caves to sacred underground sites. Quicksand: Two 3m diameter (including down) cylindrical pits appear in the lair of the hydra's choice. Creatures ending their turn or moving through them must pass a tn 15 dexterity test or sink. While sunk, the creature can't breathe and have to make tn 20 athletics test as a full action to get out. The quicksand disappears at the next lair action. Swarm: A swarm of frighteningly large piranhas appear in the water. These are a size 4, threat rating 1, damage rating 1 minion squad. Firefight: The hydra has the good sense to cover itself in muddy water to keep cool. The hydra's regrowth ability is not ignored by e damage until the next lair action.  A kirin is an ungulate variety of dragon that serve the gods of Order. They are noble and territorial, in ways each an extension of Bahamut's will. Bahamut would send one to each planet to serve as its sole protector. This was to soften planets (emotionally and physically) in preparation for draconic invasion. | STR 5 | DEX 3 | CON 3 | CHA 5 | FEL 2 | CMP 2 | INT 4 | WIS 5 | WIL 4 | Skills: acrobatics 1, arcana 2, brawl 3, perception 4, scrutiny 2 Speed: 16 (all) Size/Resilience: 9/8 Static/Mental Defense: 16/15 HP/Resolve: 15/6 Level: 5 Armor/Aura: thick hide (5 all)/5 Feats: fearless, ki strike, tested Attacks: hoof/horn (5k2 i or r; melee, brawling) Abilities: telepathy - this creature may telepathically communicate with any creature within 20m. Immunity to toxic - self explanatory Traits: caster (abjuration 2, divination 3, enchantment 2, healing 5, necromancy 1, transmutation 4), dark sight, flyer, phasing, quadruped Lair ActionsKirins live in idyllic, scenic places. Cloud castles, oases, and the like. Holy Rain: The kirin makes it rain holy water until the next lair action. If caught in the rain, daemons (and daemonhosts) of non-Bahamut alignment take 2k2 e spell damage. Gust: Each creature of the kirin's choice must pass a tn 15 size test or be pushed 3m in a direction of the kirin's choice. The lair counts as difficult terrain until the next lair action. Sunlight: An opening in the clouds allows light into the lair, dispelling the darkness until the next lair action. This qualifies as natural sunlight, if it isn't actually natural sunlight. Thunderbolt: All creatures in the lair must pass a tn 20 acrobatics test or take 3k2 e spell damage with the shocking property as small bolts of lightning strike.  Salamanders are a variety of ophidian that live in volcanoes and the mantle of planets. They are such a nuisance that secret organizations have special snake punching contingencies to beat them up. They start life as small fire snakes. The one presented here is a juvenile. Older salamanders are larger and more akin to serpentoid eruptions than anything else. | STR 4 | DEX 2 | CON 2 | CHA 2 | FEL 2 | CMP 2 | INT 2 | WIS 2 | WIL 2 | Skills: brawl 2, weaponry 3 Speed: 6 Size/Resilience: 5/5 Static/Mental Defense: 12/15 HP/Resolve: 4/4 Level: 3 Armor: snake butt (4 leg/s) Feats: Attacks: claw (5k2 r; melee, brawling, toxic) Spear (6k2 pen 3 e; melee, reach, two hands) Abilities: snake for a butt!, snake hug - as the ophidian power and feat Elemental incarnation, create elemental - as the primordial powers Heated weapons - melee weapon attacks by this creature deal e type damage, regardless of its native damage type. Traits: caster ( pyromancy 2), dark sight Gear: spear, marshmallows, chocolate, graham crackers, tungsten bracelets Lair ActionsSalamanders are fond of warm environments like volcanoes and manufactorums. Salamanders have lair actions so long as there are at least two. Red Hot: E damage has an extra kept die until the next lair action as the place heats up. Smoke: A cloud of smoke appears, as though a point in the lair had a smoke grenade go off. Magma Plume: A salamander stabs the ground with its spear, allowing magma or slag to shoot up in a brief geyser. Anyone within 3m (except the salamander) must pass a tn 15 acrobatics test or take 4k2 e damage. Anyone who enters the blast zone or start its turn there must also make this test. It cools off after ten minutes.  Wyrms. Why did it have to be wyrms? Wyrms are the miniscule offspring of the one true Wyrm, so large it encompasses a world. They live in oceans when they can but they can live anywhere, even the Astral Sea if needed. A telltale sign of a wyrm is its wyrmsign: the elevation of ground or water in its passing. | STR 6 | DEX 4 | CON 5 | CHA 4 | FEL 1 | CMP 1 | INT 4 | WIS 3 | WIL 3 | Skills: brawl 3, intimidate 4, perception 3, scrutiny 2 Speed: 13 (26) Size/Resilience: 30/18 [9] Static/Mental Defense: 1/10 HP/Resolve: 26/4 Level: 3 Armor: thick hide (10 all) Attacks: bite/claw (6k4 +15 r; melee, brawling, tearing) Feats: jaded, power attack, powerful charge, swift attack, wild shape Strong back - this creature's lift/carry capacity is increased by its size. Grand slammer - This creature may target up to three creatures with the same attack, provided they are all adjacent to one another. Abilities: snake for a butt!, snake hug - as the ophidian power and feat Not of this world, wake, hunter's terrible beauty, jormungand - as the leviathan powers Abilities: big, strong hands, huge guts!, world breaker, smashing hulk (shown), - as the titan powers (huge guts resilience in brackets) Frightful Presence - Whenever this creature charges or makes an all out attack, all creatures within melee range of it must test against its fear rating. Ebbing wounds - gain regeneration 2 while submerged in water Traits: amphibious, caster (enchantment 2, hydromancy 3), resource points (tranquility: 17), stuff of nightmares, unnatural toughness colossal, from beyond, legendary resistance, mana burst (charisma), relentless, unkillable![]() Wyverns are violent, uppity creatures. They maintain their ancestors' territorial nature but lack their power. They're a cousin to drakes, able to fly but weaker. Despite all this, offering one fruit will appease it. Keep this up and you can tame one and make it your mount. | STR 4 | DEX 2 | CON 3 | CHA 1 | FEL 1 | CMP 1 | INT 1 | WIS 2 | WIL 2 | Skills: brawl 2, perception 1 Speed: 6 (12) Size/Resilience: 7/6 Static/Mental Defense: 8/10 HP/Resolve: 5/3 Level: 3 Armor: iron scales (5 all) Attacks: bite/claw (5k2 r; melee, brawling) Stinger (4k2 r; melee, brawling, toxic) - if the target fails the saving throw against the toxic property, the property deals 1d5 wounds instead of just 1. Feats: swift attack Abilities: infilatrator - this creature's attacks ignore cover from artificial sources (spells, structures, etc.). Traits: dark sight, flyer Lair ActionsWyverns make nests in caves near the tops of cliffs or massive trees. They've posed such a problem the imperial guard use tanks with shrapnel launchers to take them down, like extreme duck hunt. Dust Devil: The wyvern beats its wings to kick up a dust and debris, granting it concealment within 10m. Anything (besides wyverns) in the area must pass a tn 10 constitution test or be blinded until the end of their next turn, repeatable each turn they are in the cloud. The cloud dissipates at the next lair action or wind a strong wind comes along. Swoop: The wyvern may make a full action with the movement subtype without provoking an attack of opportunity. Jet Stream: A massive wind blows a uniform direction. Everyone in it must pass a tn 15 size test or be blown 5m, plus one per check. Regional EffectsA wyvern's territory has few other predators, allowing herbivores to thrive. There are also animal carcasses leaking wyvern venom strewn about, either the remains of its meal or a fresh kill it hasn't come back for yet. Poison Saturation: Toxic properties from creatures and plants require an extra raise to resist.  Most people who see a dragon only see a very young one if not a wyrmling. Once. Older wyrms such as this are far more powerful. A young adult dragon is a dragon that can use all its abilties but still vulnerable to things smaller than spelljammer weapons. I'd recommend a tank division with air support when approaching one though. Still, this is only a young adult dragon. Older wyrms more full of years are still far more powerful than this. A young adult dragon is more than just a book 1 dragon+. It has that, but there's more to it. | STR 10 (5) | DEX 5 (4) | CON 9 (4) | CHA 9 (5) | FEL 4 | CMP 4 | INT 5 | WIS 5 | WIL 5 | Skills: Academic Lore 5, Acrobatics 3, Arcana 4, Athletics 4, Ballistics 4, Brawl 5, Charm 5, Command 5, Common Lore 1, Deceive 4, Forbidden Lore 3, Intimidation 5, Perception 5, Politics 4, Scrutiny 4, Weaponry 4 Speed: 20 (20) [14] Size/Resilience: 30 /20 [(size of race+5)/2 +2] (10//4+1])
Static/Mental Defense: 0 [37-2x size of race]/25
HP/Resolve: 60 [42]/10
Level: 5
Armor: iron scales (12 all) [0 all]
Feats: Sturdy, Danger Sense, Eidetic Memory, Iron Jaw, Ki Strike,Power Attack, Powerful Charge, Sound constitution x4, Strong Minded, Tested, Weapon Proficiency (basic, melee 3, ranged 2), dragonshout, dragonsong
Attacks: Claws and Teeth (11k4 +15 R; Brawling, Tearing)
Dragon Fire (80m; S/-; 9k3 E; Flame)
[Slam (5k3 +(size/2 round up) I; Brawling)]
Abilities: Blood quickening (any) OR adamic dragon (any) - as the dragonblooded power, minus the characteristic increase. The dragon does not need to spend breath for its quickening ability, it's always active.
Change Shape - The dragon may transform into or back from a race of their choosing they know of. In this shape, she gains the size and racial power of the race chosen and her characteristics change to those in parenthesis until she changes back into her true form. She also loses the flight, fear, and armor plating traits (unless she doesn't, which might happen) as well as her claws/teeth attacks. She reverts to her true form if she dies. Any equipment she is wearing or carrying is absorbed or borne by the new form at the dragon's choice. She uses the derived stats in brackets in this form.
Cross the rubicon - The dragon may operate in spelljammer scale.
Frightful Presence - Whenever this creature charges or makes an all out attack, all creatures within melee range of it must test against its fear rating.
Metabreath - This creature may, if desired, change the effects of its dragon fire attack or add rider effects onto them on a per-attack basis. If so, it may choose up to two of the following options per attack.
Bolt breath - The dragon fire loses the flame property. It gains the incendiary property and +1k1 damage.
Change breath - It may forfeit the chance for targets to catch fire and instead grant the attack the dazzling, shocking, snare (tn 15), tearing, toxic, orgone array, or festering property.
Spread breath - The dragon fire attack deals -1k0 damage, but its range is increased by 10m. This effect can be enacted multiple times, stacking its effects.
Weakening breath - The target/s are at no risk of catching fire, but if they fail a tn 15 constitution roll they suffer a check to all rolls until the end of the scene.
Big strong hands, huge guts!, titanic might, smashing hulk - Titan powers. Speed and damage include the bonus. Huge guts resiliences in parenthesis.
Traits: Amphibious, Flyer (20), Unnatural Toughness, Armor Plating (12), Dark Sight, Caster (Abjuration 3, Conjuration 2, Evocation 5, Divination 4, Healing 2), Fear 3, Resource Points (Breath: 10)
legendary resistanceDragons are exalted. Any exalt out there, a dragon can be similar to yet better than. Simply give the stat blocks appropriate exalt powers, whatever resource points they might use (lose breath if you do this), and go to town. As for adult dragons, I can't help you because I am not well-versed in spelljammer rules. Dragon's Hoard EffectsA dragon's hoard is almost as magical as it is. Leaving an item in a hoard for an extended period of time (one adventure's worth) increases its quality by one to a maximum of best quality, which is cumulative. This does not add features like hearthstone slots or make it into an ore like silver, it merely makes it shinier and more dragon-y. The dragon considers the item theirs by then so getting it back is the hard part. If a dragon is killed in its lair, one equipped item per other creature in the lair is made into shimmer.
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