Monday, January 3, 2011

General Rules: Monsters - Dragon, Topaz

Dragon, Topaz (adapted from the Monster Manual II)
Dragon (Water)

Special Attacks: Breath Weapon, Crush, Frightful Presence, Spells, Spell-Like Abilities, Tail-Sweep
Special Qualities: Immunities, SR, Blindsight, Fire Resistance 30, Keen Senses, Planar Travel, Water Breathing
Skills: Topaz dragons have 6 skill points per Hit Die, plus bonus points equal to their Intelligence modifier x Hit Dice and purchase the following skills at 1 rank per skill point: Bluff, Concentration, Diplomacy, Escape Artist, Knowledge (any)(all skills taken individually), Spot, and Search. Dragons cannot purchase skills that are exclusive to a class.
Feats: Topaz dragons have one feat plus an additional feat per 4 hit dice. Dragons favor Cleave, Improved Initiative, Improved Sunder, Power Attack, Skill Augmentation (Listen and Spot), Weapon Focus, and any metamagic feat that is available and useful to sorcerers. They can also choose from the following feats: Ability Focus, Flyby Attack, Hover, Quicken Spell-Like Ability, Snatch, and Wingover.
Environment: Any aquatic
Organization: Wyrmling, very young, young, juvenile, and young adult solitary or clutch (2 - 5); adult mature adult, old, very old, ancient, wyrm, or great wyrm solitary, pair, or family (1 - 2 and 2 - 5 offspring)
Challenge Rating: Wrymling 3; very young 4; young 6; juvenile 9; young adult 12; adult 14; mature adult 17; old 19; very old 20; ancient 22; wyrm 23; great wyrm 25
Treasure: Double standard
Alignment: Always chaotic neutral
Advancement: Wyrmling 8 - 9 HD (Small); very young 11 - 12 HD (Medium); young 14 - 15 HD (Medium); juvenile 17 - 18 HD (Large); young adult 20 - 21 HD (Large); adult 23 - 24 HD (Huge); mature adult 26 - 27 HD (Huge); old 29 - 30 HD (Huge); very old 32 - 33 HD (Huge); ancient 35 - 36 HD (Gargantuan); wyrm 38 - 39 HD (Gargantuan); great wyrm 41+ HD (Colossal)

Although Tvennumbrúni is believed to be long dead, his descendants are common throughout the Færie Realms and can be found throughout the Three Worlds. Topaz dragons tend to be unfriendly and selfish. Though they are not malevolent, their erratic behavior makes any dealings with them unpleasant and dangerous.

A topaz wyrmling's scales are dull yellow with orange highlights. As it ages, its color slowly brightens until its individual scales become scarcely visible. From a distance, the creature looks as if it had been sculpted from pure topaz. A topaz dragon's pupils fade as it ages, so by the time it becomes a great wyrm, its eyes resemble glowing orbs of fire.

Topaz dragons spend most of their time in the water, often favoring the Elemental Plane of Water. They frequently lair on secluded beaches or caves below the waterline. No matter where they reside, they keep their lairs completely dry. These dragons love to lounge on outcroppings that are lashed by waves and wind-blasted sea spray. Of course, such vantages also allow them to spot passing prey, such as sharks and large squids.

Because they inhabit similar territories, topaz dragons and bronze dragons often come into conflict. Duels between the two are always furious and deadly.

Combat
A dragon attacks with its powerful claws and bite, and can also use a breath weapon and special physical attacks, depending on its size. It prefers 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).

Topaz dragons generally dislike intruders, but they prefer to begin any potential confrontations with conversation. They quickly attack intruders who prove either hostile or boring. When outdoors, a topaz dragon prefers to express its displeasure first through its wind and weather control abilities, and then with physical attacks. Indoors, it usually leads off with its breath weapon.

Topaz Dragons by Age

Age
Size
Hit Dice (hp)
Initiative
Speed
Armor Class
Touch
Flat-Footed
Wyrmling
S
7d12+7 (52)
+0
40 feet; burrow 5 feet; swim 60 feet; fly 100 feet (average)17 (+1 size, +6 natural)
11
17
Very Young
M
10d12+20 (85)
+0
40 feet; burrow 5 feet; swim 60 feet; fly 150 feet (poor)19 (+9 natural)
10
19
Young
M
13d12+26 (110)
+0
40 feet; burrow 5 feet; swim 60 feet; fly 150 feet (poor)22 (+12 natural)
10
22
Juvenile
L
16d12+48 (152)
+0
40 feet; burrow 5 feet; swim 60 feet; fly 150 feet (poor)24 (-1 size, +15 natural)
9
24
Young Adult
L
19d12+76 (199)
+0
40 feet; burrow 5 feet; swim 60 feet; fly 150 feet (poor)27 (-1 size, +18 natural)
9
27
Adult
H
22d12+110 (253)
+0
40 feet; burrow 5 feet; swim 60 feet; fly 150 feet (poor)29 (-2 size, +21 natural)
8
29
Mature Adult
H
25d12+125 (287)
+0
40 feet; burrow 5 feet; swim 60 feet; fly 150 feet (poor)
32 (-2 size, +24 natural)
8
32
Old
H
28d12+168 (350)
+0
40 feet; burrow 5 feet; swim 60 feet; fly 150 feet (poor)
35 (-2 size, +27 natural)
8
35
Very Old
H
31d12+186 (387)
+0
40 feet; burrow 5 feet; swim 60 feet; fly 150 feet (poor)38 (-2 size, +30 natural)
8
38
Ancient
G
34d12+238 (459)
+0
40 feet; burrow 5 feet; swim 60 feet; fly 200 feet (clumsy)39 (-4 size, +33 natural)
6
39
Wyrm
G
37d12+333 (573)
+0
40 feet; burrow 5 feet; swim 60 feet; fly 200 feet (clumsy)42 (-4 size, +36 natural)
6
42
Great Wyrm
C
40d12+400 (660)
+0
40 feet; burrow 5 feet; swim 60 feet; fly 200 feet (clumsy)
41 (-8 size, +39 natural)
2
41

Age
BAB/Grapple
Bite
2 Claws
2 Wings
Tail Slap
Crush
Tail Sweep
Wyrmling
+7/+4
+9 (1d6+1)
+4 (1d4)
-
-
-
-
Very Young
+10/+12
+12 (1d8+2)
+7 (1d6+1)
+7 (1d4+1)
-
-
-
Young
+13/+16
+16 (1d8+3)
+11 (1d6+1)
+11 (1d4+1)
-
-
-
Juvenile
+16/+24
+19 (2d6+4)
+14 (1d8+2)
+14 (1d6+2)
+14 (1d8+6)
-
-
Young Adult
+19/+29
+24 (2d6+6)
+19 (1d8+3)
+19 (1d6+3)
+19 (1d8+9)
-
-
Adult
+22/+38
+28 (2d8+8)
+23 (2d6+4)
+23 (1d8+4)
+23 (2d6+12)
DC 26 (2d8+12)
-
Mature Adult
+25/+34
+32 (2d8+9)
+27 (2d6+4)
+27 (1d8+4)
+27 (2d6+13)
DC 27 (2d8+13)
-
Old
+28/+38
+36 (2d8+10)
+31 (2d6+5)
+31 (1d8+5)
+31 (2d6+15)
DC 30 (2d8+15)
-
Very Old
+31/+42
+40 (2d8+11)
+35 (2d6+5)
+35 (1d8+5)
+35 (2d6+16)
DC 31 (2d8+16)
-
Ancient
+34/+58
+42 (4d6+12)
+37 (2d8+6)
+37 (2d6+6)
+37 (2d8+18)
DC 34 (4d6+18)
DC 34 (2d6+18)
Wyrm
+37/+63
+47 (4d6+14)
+42 (2d8+7)
+42 (2d6+7)
+42 (2d8+21)
DC 37 (4d6+21)
DC 37 (2d6+21)
Great Wyrm
+40/+72
+48 (4d8+16)
+43 (4d6+8)
+43 (2d8+8)
+43 (4d6+24)
DC 40 (4d8+24)
DC 40 (2d8+24)

Age
Space/Reach
Fortitude
Reflex
Will
Breath Weapon (DC)
Fear DC
SR
Caster Level
Wyrmling
5 feet by 5 feet/5 feet
+6
+5
+7
2d8, 20-foot cone (14)
-
-
-
Very Young
5 feet by 5 feet/5 feet
+9
+7
+9
4d8, 30-foot cone (17)
-
-
-
Young
5 feet by 5 feet/5 feet
+10
+8
+11
6d8, 30-foot cone (18)
-
-
1st
Juvenile
5 feet by 10 feet/10 feet
+13
+10
+14
8d8, 40-foot cone (21)
-
-
3rd
Young Adult
5 feet by 10 feet/10 feet
+15
+11
+15
10d8, 40-foot cone (23)
23
20
5th
Adult
10 feet by 20 feet/10 feet
+18
+13
+18
12d8, 50-foot cone (26)
26
22
7th
Mature Adult
10 feet by 20 feet/10 feet
+19
+14
+19
14d8, 50-foot cone (27)
27
24
9th
Old
10 feet by 20 feet/10 feet
+22
+16
+22
16d8, 50-foot cone (30)
30
26
11th
Very Old
10 feet by 20 feet/10 feet
+23
+17
+24
18d8, 50-foot cone (31)
32
27
13th
Ancient
20 feet by 40 feet/15 feet
+26
+19
+27
20d8, 60-foot cone (34)
35
29
15th
Wyrm
20 feet by 40 feet/15 feet
+29
+20
+29
22d8, 60-foot cone (37)
37
30
17th
Great Wyrm
40 feet by 80 feet/15 feet
+32
+22
+32
24d8, 70-foot cone (40)
40
32
19th

Age
Strength
Intelligence
Wisdom
Dexterity
Constitution
Charisma
Special Abilities
Wrymling
13
14
15
10
13
14
Cold Immunity, Planar Travel, Water Breathing
Very Young
15
14
15
10
15
14
-
Young
17
16
17
10
15
16
-
Juvenile
19
18
19
10
17
18
Feather Fall
Young Adult
23
18
19
10
19
18
Damage Reduction 5/+1
Adult
27
20
21
10
21
20
Fog Cloud
Mature Adult
29
20
21
10
21
20
Damage Reduction 10/+1
Old
31
22
23
10
23
22
Control Winds
Very Old
33
24
25
10
23
24
Damage Reduction 15/+2
Ancient
35
26
27
10
25
26
Control Weather
Wyrm
39
28
29
10
29
28
Damage Reduction 20/+3
Great Wyrm
43
30
31
10
31
30
Shapechange

Breath Weapon (Su): The topaz dragon's breath weapon is a cone of dehydration that looks like a watery blast. When directed against an aqueous liquid (water or a liquid composed mostly of water), this effect evaporates one cubic foot of water per hit point of damage dealt. Creatures caught in the cone take the indicated damage. Using a breath weapon is a standard action. Once a dragon breathes, it can't breathe again until 1d4 rounds later. A blast from a breath weapon always starts at the dragon's mouth and extends in a direction of the dragon's choice. Creatures caught in the area can attempt Reflex saves to take half damage, the DC is listed on the tables above.

Crush: A flying or jumping topaz dragon of at least Huge size can land on opponents as a standard action, using its whole body to crush them. Crush attacks are only effective against opponents three or more size categories smaller than the dragon (though it can attempt normal overrun or grapple attacks against larger opponents). A crush attack affects as many creatures as can fit under the dragon's body. Creatures in the affected area must attempt a Reflex save or be pinned, automatically taking bludgeoning damage during the next round unless the dragon moves off them. If the dragon chooses to maintain the pin, treat it as a normal grapple attacks. Pinned opponents take crush damage each round if they don't escape.

Fire Resistance (Ex): Topaz dragons have fire resistance 30.

Frightful Presence (Ex): A young adult or older dragon can unsettle foes with its mere presence. The ability takes effect automatically whenever the dragon attacks or charges. Creatures within a radius of 30 feet x the dragon's age category are subject to the effect if they have fewer Hit Dice than the dragon. A potentially affected creature that succeeds at a Will save remain immune to the dragon's frightful presence for one day. On a failure, creatures with 4 or fewer Hit Dice become panicked for 4d6 rounds and those with 5 or more Hit Dice become shaken for 4d6 rounds. Dragons ignore the frightful presence of other dragons.

Immunities (Ex): Topaz dragons are immune to sleep and paralysis effects. Topaz dragons are also immune to cold damage and harmful cold effects.

Keen Senses (Ex): A dragon sees four times as well as a human in low-light conditions, and twice as well in normal light. It also has darkvision with a range of 100 feet x the dragon's age category.

Planar Travel (Su): Topaz dragons have the ability to travel between the worlds once per day. They may travel to any of the Three Worlds or any of the Færie Realms.

Spell Resistance (Ex): As dragons age, they become more resistant to spells and spell-like abilities as listed on the table above.

Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): Three times per day - control winds, fog cloud, shapechange; twice per day - feather fall; once per day - control weather; save DC 10 + spell level + dragon's Charisma modifier.

Spells: A topaz dragon knows and casts arcane spells as a sorcerer of the level indicated on the table above, gaining bonus spells for a high Charisma score.

Water Breathing (Ex): A topaz dragon breathes water as readily as air.
Tail Sweep: A dragon of at least Gargantuan size can sweep with its tail as a standard action. The sweep affects a half-circle with a diameter of 30 feet, centered on the dragon's rear. Creatures within the swept area are affected if they are four or more sizes smaller than the dragon. The sweep automatically deals the listed damage. Affected creatures can attempt Reflex saves to take half damage.

Skills: A topaz dragon has the Swim skill for free at 1 rank per Hit Die. Topaz dragons that can cast spells have the Spellcraft skill for free at 1 rank per Hit Die.

Notes: The most obvious note is that the topaz dragon as presented here does not have psionic powers. I know that many people consider the psionic nature of the gem dragons to be their defining feature, but I don't use psionics in the Three Worlds campaign setting (or any other D&D campaign settings for that matter) in part because they don't fit the flavor of the campaign and in part because the psionics rules for D&D are all terrible. Despite this, I wanted versions of the gem dragons in the Three Worlds campaign setting, so I made this non-psionic version. If you are looking for a psionic version of a topaz dragon, you'll have to look elsewhere.

Instead of psionics, this version of the topaz dragon has spellcasting abilities like a sorcerer and spell-like abilities. I also modified the planar travel ability of the gem dragons to line up better with the cosmology of the Three Worlds campaign setting.

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