General Rules: Monsters - Drake, Courier

Drake, Courier (from Draconic Lore)
Dragon

Special Attacks: Memory Overload, Rake, Read Memory

Special Qualities: Bonded Skill, Hidden Mind, Homing Instinct, Immunities, Keen Senses, Mental Bond, Project Memory

Skills: Courier drakes have (6 + Intelligence modifier) skill points per Hit Die and purchase the following skills at 1 rank per Hit Die: Climb, Jump, Listen, Search, and Spot. Remaining skill points are typically spent on physical skills such as Swim rather than mental or social skills such as Knowledge or Diplomacy.

Feats: Courier drakes have one feat plus an additional feat per 4 hit dice. Drakes favor Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Skill Augmentation (Listen and Spot), Weapon Focus (Bite), and Weapon Focus (Claw). Drakes can also choose from the following dragon feats: Flyby Attack, Hover, and Wingover.

Environment: Any land

Organization: Solitary or pack (2 - 4)

Challenge Rating: Hatchling 1; adult 2; old 3; elder drake 4

Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral

Advancement: Hatchling 4 HD (Tiny); adult 6 HD (Small); old 8 HD (Small); elder drake 10 HD (Medium)

Courier drakes are tiny dragons with the ability to mentally project their memories into another being's mind.

Most courier drakes are three feet long, but they can range anywhere from one to six feet in length, depending on their age. Their scales resemble gleaming pearls, and their deep black eyes lack pupils of any sort. The small tufts of hair on a courier drake's legs and chin conceal scent glands that it uses to both mark its territory and to attract a mate.

Although they originally used their memory projection ability to share travel routes and the location of food caches with one another, bonded courier drakes have become prized by the Rhadynnic Great Houses as a way to reliably deliver messages over long distances in a short amount of time.

Courier drakes make loving and protective friends. A courier drake's bonded companion can often be identified by the faintly musky smell left behind by the drake's constant affectionate nuzzling.

Combat
Courier drakes will fight only in self-defense or to protect their bonded companions. In combat, an elder drake will use its memory overload ability first, following up with claw and bite arracks while its opponent is still stunned and reeling. Younger courier drakes simply attack with their claws and teeth from the air, taking advantage of their maneuverability and small size to harass their opponents in much the same ways as a falcon might.

Courier Drakes by Age

Age	Size	Hit Dice (hp)	Initiative	Speed	Armor Class	Touch	Flat-Footed
Hatchling	T	3d12+3 (22)	+0	30 feet; fly 60 feet (good)	13 (+2 size, +1 natural)	12	13
Adult	S	5d12+5 (37)	+0	30 feet; fly 60 feet (good)	15 (+1 size, +4 natural)	11	15
Old	S	7d12+7 (52)	+0	30 feet; fly 60 feet (good)	17 (+1 size, +6 natural)	11	17
Elder Drake	M	9d12+18 (76)	+0	30 feet; fly 90 feet (average)	18 (+8 natural)	10	18

Age	BAB/Grapple	Bite	2 Claws	2 Rakes	Tail Slap	Telepathy Range	Skill Bonus	Special Abilities
Hatchling	+3/-5	+5 (1d4)	+0 (1d3)	+0 (1d4)	-	500 feet	+2	Hidden Mind, Homing Instinct
Adult	+5/+2	+7 (1d6+1)	+2 (1d4)	+2 (1d6)	-	1,000 feet	+4	Project Memory
Old	+7/+4	+9 (1d6+1)	+4 (1d4)	+4 (1d6)	-	2,000 feet	+6	Read Memory
Elder Drake	+9/+11	+11 (1d8+2)	+6 (1d6+1)	+6 (1d8+1)	+6 (1d4+3)	1 mile	+8	Memory Overload

Age	Space/Reach	Fortitude	Reflex	Will	Strength	Intelligence	Wisdom	Dexterity	Constitution	Charisma
Hatchling	2½ feet by 2½ feet/5 feet	+4	+3	+3	11	6	10	10	12	6
Adult	5 feet by 5 feet/5 feet	+5	+4	+4	12	7	10	10	13	7
Old	5 feet by 5 feet/5 feet	+6	+5	+5	13	8	10	10	13	8
Elder Drake	5 feet by 5 feet/5 feet	+8	+6	+6	14	9	10	10	14	9

Bonded Skill (Ex): Courier Drakes grant a competence bonus to their bonded companion's Survival checks equal to the amount listed on the table above. Courier drakes also receive this as a racial bonus to their own Survival checks.

Hidden Mind (Ex): A courier drake's mind cannot be read or detected through magical or psionic means. This ability makes courier drakes such trusted messengers. This ability does not protect against the read memory ability of a courier drake of a higher age category.

Homing Instinct: Once a courier drake has physically visited a location, it can unerringly find its way to that location from any other location it has visited.

Immunities (Ex): Courier drakes are immune to sleep and paralysis effects.

Keen Senses (Ex): A courier drake has low-light vision. A courier drake also has darkvision with a range of 50 feet per age category.

Memory Overload (Ex): A courier drake can stun another creature within 30 feet for 1d4+1 rounds by sending a barrage of confusing and painful memories. The target can make a Will save (DC 10 + twice the drake's age category) to avoid being stunned. The drake can use this ability twice per day and will only use it in dire circumstances, either to protect itself of its bonded companion.

Mental Bond (Su): Drakes posses a telepathic bond that lets them communicate with other members of their species. This ability is used to cry for help when in danger or to seek a mate. The maximum range of this ability is determined by its age category.

Occasionally, a drake finds another sentient creature that greatly impresses it in some fashion. When this happens, the drake may extend a mental invitation to that creature to become its companion. If the invitation is accepted, the drake and its companion are linked for life and the drake can use its mental bond to communicate with its new companion. In addition, each type of drake confers certain instincts to its companion through this link that gives the companion a competence bonus in a certain skill. The extent of this bonus is equal to twice the drake's age category and is only granted when the drake and its companion are within telepathic range of one another.

An individual can only bond with one drake of any type at a time.

Project Memory (Ex): The courier drake can send a mental 'illusion' of one of its memories to another living creature within 30 feet. The memory includes all five senses. This could be used to illustrate a route the drake has traveled or to repeat a message spoken in the drake's presence. The courier drake can use this ability at will as a free action. This ability does not disorient or otherwise confuse the target, unlike the memory overload ability.

Courier drakes frequently use this ability to share travel routes with one another. A drake can find its way to a location it has viewed in the memories of another drake using its homing instinct ability.

Rake (Ex): Rake attacks deal the listed damage. Before a drake can use its rake attacks against an opponent, it must first hit that opponent with both its claw attacks that round. If the drake is grappled, a drake can use bite, claw, and rake attacks. The claws do not need to hit for a drake to be able to use its rake attacks if it is grappled.

Read Memory (Ex): Once per day, the courier drake can invade another creature's mind and view one of its memories that is up to five minutes long. The creature must be within 30 feet of the drake, and an unwilling target can make a Will save to keep the drake out of its memories (DC 10 + twice the drake's age category). Most courier drakes will not use this ability without an invitation, as they have found that members of other species greatly object to having their privacy violated in such a manner.

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