Goodman Games

Hey all. As you may or may not have seen yet, I just posted stats for the traditional lunar dragon in the 4e DragonMech topic. But I appear to be on a roll now - the DragonMech campaign setting declares that the stats provided are for the most common variety of lunar dragon, but other ones exist. I feel like finally creating stats for those. So here's a thread to brainstorm before I use the Monster Builder (yes, I'll be sticking with 4e DragonMech stats. People can back-convert if they want, but when it comes to homebrewing, I prefer the simplicity of 4e. That's really what pulled me in - the ease of custom monsters. Though custom classes are now more of a pain). Anyway, without further ado, I give you concepts:

#1: the lunar vent dragon

• native to sulfurous chasms
• breath weapon turns you into vapors. I'll handle this a little like petrification, only in reverse. Initially weakened and ongoing damage, then insubstantial on a failed save, and a couple failed saves later, you discorporate. Reassembling your body will require Remove Affliction coupled with a quest of DM's devising. Or maybe a resurrection spell coupled with a locating spell and a summoning spell to pull your pieces together.
• tends to consume vapors. It gains a special attack against targets that have not saved against its breath weapon, which deals damage and allows the dragon to heal. (Since it's a solo, the healing surge approach may be too much. Maybe just temp hp equaling its level?)

#2: the lunar dragon hydral

• inspired by the thelihydra from Hyperconscious, this lunar dragon resembles a cross between a neothelid and a dragon. So it has a tentacled head.
• breath weapon is a psychoactive slime. It deals acid and psychic damage, plus ongoing damage and dazed.
• elder and ancient hydrals can exert their influence through the slime, choosing to end the dazed condition to instead dominate the target.
• somewhat like a hydra, lunar dragon hydrals do not die when their head is cut off. Instead, the head turns into a pile of corrosive sludge which then animates. Their head then grows back. I plan on handling this as a recharge 4,5,6 power usable as an immediate reaction to when the hydral takes damage in melee.
• EDIT: And oh yeah, I thought it would be neat if we explored really bizarre flight biology for this one. Since it's already more tentacular than traditional dragons, I was thinking that in place of wings this dragon would have writhing sets of tentacles that maintain a slimy membrane.

Names are just placeholder names.

And now I present to you a second breed of dragon, the lunar scum dragon.

I suppose you could call the vile creature before you a dragon - but dragons aren't known for having so many tentacles. Its head resembles a neothelid's, little more than a soft, beak-like maw filled with tentacles. Its body is lithe, ending in a tail that splits into multiple tentacled forks at the tip. In place of standard wings, three tentacles sprout on each side of its body, writhing and twisting as they maintain the mucous membrane that keeps it aloft.

Elder Lunar Scum Dragon * Level 19 Solo Controller
Gargantuan aberrant magical beast (dragon, lunar) * XP 12,000

Initiative +13 Senses Perception +11
HP 735 Bloodied 368 (see also bloodied breath)
AC 33; Fortitude 32; Reflex 31; Will 31
Resist 20 fire, 20 psychic
Saving Throws +5
Speed 6, Fly 7, Overland Flight 10
Action Points 2

* Tentacles (standard; at-will; basic melee)
Reach 3; +24 vs AC; 2d6+7 damage and the target is grabbed.
* Claw (standard; at-will; basic melee)
Reach 3; +24 vs AC; 2d6+7 damage
* Fling (standard; at-will; targets grabbed opponents only)
Automatically hits; the dragon pushes the target 1 or 2 squares and knocks it prone.
* Double Attack (standard; at-will)
The dragon makes two claw attacks. Against a grabbed target, it first makes a fling attack.
* Corrosive Beheading (immediate reaction, when the dragon is hit by a melee attack; recharge 6) * Acid, Conjuration, Healing, Psychic
You think beheading the foul beast has beaten it. But to your horror, the head grows back even as the original head dissolves into a puddle of slime that now also attacks you. The dragon regains 20 hit points and summons a Corrosive Sludge Minion within three squares of itself.
* Breath Weapon (standard; recharge 5,6) * Acid, Psychic
Close blast 5; +23 vs Reflex; 4d8+7 acid and psychic damage, and the target is dazed and takes ongoing 5 acid and psychic damage (save ends both).
* Bloodied Breath (free; when first bloodied; encounter) * Acid, Psychic
Breath weapon recharges and the lunar dragon uses it immediately.
* Psychoactive Slime (minor, recharge 6) * Charm
Ranged 10; +23 vs Will; targets creatures that have not saved against the breath weapon; the target is no longer dazed, but dominated until it saves against the ongoing damage.
* Maddening Presence (standard, encounter) * Charm
Close burst 5; +23 vs Will; the target does nothing on its turn except attack the nearest creature (enemy or ally), moving if necessary (save ends). The target only makes basic attacks while under this effect. If more than one creature is nearest, determine the target randomly.

Alignment Chaotic Evil * Languages Lunar
Str 22 (+15) Dex 19 (+13) Wis 14 (+11)
Con 24 (+16) Int 16 (+12) Cha 18 (+13)

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Corrosive Sludge Minion * Level 19 Minion Soldier
Small aberrant animate (blind, lunar, ooze) XP 600

Initiative +15 Senses Perception +13
HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minion
AC 35; Fortitude 32; Reflex 31; Will 31
Speed 6

Distracting Ichor (standard, at-will) * Acid, Psychic
+26 vs AC; 7 acid and psychic damage and the target is marked until the end of its next turn.

Alignment Chaotic Evil * Languages -
Str 25 (+16) Dex 19 (+13) Wis 19 (+13)
Con 19 (+13) Int 19 (+13) Cha 19 (+13) - ability scores left as first created in Monster Builder. I will be changing it (reducing Str, for one, but I'll leave it intact until I decide on all the stats as a whole).

Also, please note that I made this an elder dragon rather than an adult to showcase the Psychoactive Slime power, one possessed by elder and ancient lunar scum dragons, but not younger ones.

Just wanted to say I've updated the lunar scum dragon, with the Maddening Presence text copied and pasted.

It's been a while, but here's the next in the line:

Lunar Rift Dragon * Level 16 Solo Controller
Huge aberrant magical beast (lunar, dragon) XP 7000
Initiative +11 Senses Perception +10
HP 648; Bloodied 324
AC 30, Fortitude 29; Reflex 27; Will 28
Resist 15 fire, 15 psychic
Saving Throws +5
Speed 6, Fly 7 (clumsy), Overland Flight 10
Action Points 2

* Bite (standard, at-will, basic melee)
Reach 2; +21 vs AC; 1d10+7 damage and ongoing 5 poison damage.
* Vaporous Claw (standard, at-will) * Poison
Reach 2; +21 vs AC; 1d10+7 poison damage, and at the start of the target's next turn, the target and all adjacent creatures take 10 poison damage.
* Lunar Frenzy (standard, at-will)
The dragon makes a bite and two claw attacks against two or three targets.
* Breath Weapon (standard, recharge 5,6) * Necrotic, Polymorph, Poison
Close blast 5; +20 vs Fortitude; 4d10+7 necrotic damage and the target is weakened and takes ongoing 5 necrotic and poison damage (save ends both). First failed saving throw: the target becomes insubstantial until it saves against this effect. If the target fails a third saving throw or is reduced to 0 hit points before saving against this effect, the target discorporates.
* Bloodied Breath (free, when first bloodied, encounter)
The dragon's breath weapon recharges and the dragon uses it immediately.
* Consume Vapors (standard, recharge 5,6) * Healing, Necrotic
Targets creatures that have not saved against the lunar dragon's breath weapon; Close blast 3; +20 vs Fortitude; 3d8+7 necrotic damage, and the dragon regains 50 hit points.
* Maddening Presence (standard, encounter) * Charm
Close burst 5; +20 vs Will; the target does nothing on its turn except attack the nearest creature (enemy or ally), moving if necessary (save ends). The target only makes basic attacks while under this effect. If more than one enemy is nearest, determine the target randomly.

Oh, that's nasty! (DM Translation: I like it!)

Which one? Or both? The lunar rift dragon certainly creates a nasty image of how it would fight on the moon: rising from sulphurous vents, turning you into gas, and then inhaling you. I intentionally creating a inverted version of petrification. And then there's the fact that its claws turn to poisonous vapors that rend through you as it strikes. I'll have to create older versions that get to turn incorporeal.

Or do you think the lunar scum dragon is nasty? I made that one a mechanical offspring of the hydra and draconians. Certainly also awesome. And creating a minion that can mark you is going to be quite the distraction.

So, do you think there's any other niches that lunar dragons really need? Now there's three lunar dragon breeds and three lunar deities - do you think it makes a nice parallel, or would it be worth coming up with other new lunar dragon breeds? Maybe some sort of lunar swarm dragon.

I'm also not yet sure how I'll handle this, but I want to design a cog dragon for DragonMech. Maybe it'll be a template for modifying terrestrial dragons. Inspired by a character concept I had (a kobold coglayer who thought of himself as a dragon, with his gadgets as his hoard), these dragons hoard broken pieces of mechs and the like in favor over gold. I'm not yet sure what I want them to do, but they'll have a supernatural affinity for steam technology, and gears embedded in their scales. Perhaps I should start off with a 3.5 template that exchanges sorcerous spellcasting levels for steam powers as a coglayer, with like a whirling aura of gears and such. Just a preview for my next work.

My players will hate you when they get to higher levels.

I like the Rift Dragon more but both are pretty good. In fact the Scum Dragon would probably fit better with my campaign storyline.

Well, I'll just have to stat up the lower level younger ones, won't I? And I take it you run a DragonMech game converted to 4e, then? I have some steamborg stuff worked up that needs feedback. (I keep forgetting to post it here. I think I linked it on 4e DragonMech though).

4e Steamborg: http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/ ... ender?pg=3

And I've made some quick conversions to lower level, younger dragons:

Adult Lunar Scum Dragon:

• change level to 12 (3,500 XP)
• change size to huge
• change initiative to +9
• change perception to +6
• HP 500, bloodied 250
• AC 26, Fort 25, Ref 24, Will 23
• Reach 2
• tentacles and claw: +17 vs AC, 1d8+5 damage
• Corrosive beheading heals 15 hp
• breath weapon: +16 vs Ref, 3d8+5 and ongoing 5
• Maddening presence: +16 vs Will
• lose Psychoactive Slime
• Str 19 (+10), Con 21 (+11), Dex 16 (+9), Int 13 (+7), Wis 11 (+6), Cha 15 (+8)

Adult's Corrosive Sludge Minion:

• XP 175
• Initiative +11
• perception +9
• AC 28, Fort 25, Ref 24, Will 24
• +19 vs AC, 5 damage
• Str 22 (+12), Con 16 (+9), Dex 16 (+9), Int 16 (+9), Wis 16 (+9), Cha 16 (+9) - I'd forgotten I hadn't updated the stats. Int, Wis, and Cha should all go down.

Young Lunar Scum Dragon:

• change level to 6 (1,250 XP)
• change size to large
• change initiative to +4
• change perception to +2
• HP 296, bloodied 148
• AC 20, Fort 19, Ref 18, Will 18
• Change to resist 10 fire and psychic
• Reach 1
• tentacles and claw: +11 vs AC, 1d6+4 damage
• Corrosive beheading heals 10 hp
• breath weapon: +16 vs Ref, 3d6+4 and ongoing 5
• Maddening presence: +10 vs Will
• lose Psychoactive Slime
• Str 16 (+6), Con 18 (+7), Dex 13 (+4), Int 10 (+3), Wis 8 (+2), Cha 12 (+4)

Young's Corrosive Sludge Minion

• XP 63
• Initiative +6
• perception +4
• AC 22, Fort 19, Ref 18, Will 18
• +13 vs AC, 4 damage
• Str 19 (+7), Con 13 (+4), Dex 13 (+4), Int 13 (+4), Wis 13 (+4), Cha 13 (+4)

Young Lunar Rift Dragon

• change level to 9 (2,000 XP)
• change size to large
• change initiative to +5
• change perception to +4
• HP 408, bloodied 204
• AC 23, Fort 22, Ref 20, Will 21
• Reach 1
• bite: +14 vs AC, 1d8+5 and ongoing 5
• vaporous claw: +14 vs AC, 1d8+5 and next turn adjacent deal 5
• breath weapon: +13 vs Ref, 3d10+5 and ongoing 5
• consume vapors: +13 vs Fort, 3d6+5 and regain 30
• Maddening presence: +13 vs Will
• Str 19 (+8), Con 22 (+10), Dex 13 (+5), Int 12 (+5), Wis 10 (+4), Cha 14 (+6)

Actually I'm not running DragonMech. It is a New World (early colonization of America) like setting. Basically the Old World was a standard fantasy setting. Resources were running low so the empire (like Roman Empire) discovered the new continent and started colonizing/utilizing the new land. The Dragonborn are similar to Native Americans. The Tieflings have an Aztec like empire south of the colonies. In the meantime something happens in the Old World and everything is destroyed. Undead, demons, devils, etc everywhere. Since I like aberrations they are playing an important part in the lower levels.

I've glanced over your steamborg in the WotC forum but I haven't given it a hard look.

Nice - I like the concept. It's a bit like my friend's Age of Exploration setting but with an apocalyptic element thrown in. Very nice. Well, use the scum dragon well. I'm inclined to say that the scum produced when its head dissolves is its breeding mechanism. If the ooze is allowed to develop, an embryonic scum dragon forms within, nourished by the hunting ooze until it "hatches."

Also, a great thought on the rift dragon: a friend suggested the possibility of pulling yourself together after the dragon consumes your vapors. If a player asks about it (with perhaps a little nudging from me), I'd allow a target slain by consume vapors to undertake a skill challenge to pull themselves together. Three successes necessary, using arcana or endurance. Other skills allowable if explained, though I could best imagine religion being used. With each successful check, the character can make a basic attack against the dragon. With three successes, the target is pulled back together and can spend a healing surge (healing as usual for characters at or below 0 hp). However, the character is now inside the dragon. The dragon cannot attack them, but the lack of air means threat of suffocation. I don't recall if 4e has lain out rules for that - it probably has, and I'll assume that for now. If forced on the fly, I'd say endurance checks to hold breath. If you deal 30 damage to the rift dragon, it either spits you up or you cut your way free (taken from 4e's MM2, the rhemoraz). It could use tidying up probably, but it's too cool an idea to pass up. This is just what I threw together quickly.

I pointed my brother to these stats. He intends to use them in his non-D&D encounters. He was going to run D&D encounters but the store didn't get the material so he started running my adventure. He has since followed a different path but the Lunar Scum Dragon would fit perfectly.

The players saw a Lunar Scum Dragon in a dream sequence in my game. They defeated some slime creatures and then heard a roar. They saw the big dragon like thing flying towards them. At which point everyone woke up. I know a lot of people feel cheated by dream sequences but my players enjoyed this one. I think it has to do with my keeping it short (one combat) and they didn't get an rewards that was lost after the dream. Well my brother who was changing his character from a cleric to a runepriest did lose his magic maul but no one understood why I just gave him the maul, made him a runepriest, and told everyone that doesn't seem odd to you. Shortly after that another dragonborn explained the runes that he had been reading in an old book and he official changed to runepriest. He also created his maul by combining his holy symbol and a maul he discovered.

Wow, thanks. It feels good to know that these monsters are being used. The lunar scum dragon always was my favorite. And you know, when it comes to Lovecraftian horrors, dream sequence battles just seem right.

My brother ended up running the young lunar scum dragon in his non-D&D encounters. Here is the blog.

Sweet! Thanks for sharing. I see it would have been a TPK if the DM didn't hold back. Did your brother think it was overpowered, or did it seem to be more a problem of throwing fire at it, lacking a defender and controller, and getting dominated so soon? Maybe I need to go back and reduce its power a little bit?

Slime Dragon Stock Art
Not as horrifying as your description but I thought I'd pass it along.

Very cool. And thanks for the compliment on my own creepy description. I try.