Author Topic: [3.5] (Monster) Wing Dragon [Repost from GitP] (P.E.A.C.H.)  (Read 1986 times)

Offline Draco Dei

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(This was originally an entry in one of Vorpal Tribble's creature creation contests.)


Wing Dragon
Wing Dragons by Age
(click to show/hide)
Wing Dragon Abilities by Age
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Environment: Any except underground or underwater
Organization: Wyrmling, very young, young, juvenile, and young adult: with parents or foster parents as 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: Wyrmling 6?; very young 7?; young 8?; juvenile 10?; young adult 11?; adult 12?; mature adult 14?; old 16?; very old 17?; ancient 18?; wyrm 19?; great wyrm 21??
Treasure: Triple Standard
Alignment: Always Neutral Good
Advancement: Wyrmling 4-5 HD; very young 7-8 HD; young 10-11 HD; juvenile 13-14 HD; young adult 16-17 HD; adult 19-20 HD; mature adult 22-23 HD; old 25-26 HD; very old 28-29 HD; ancient 31-32 HD; wyrm 34-35 HD; great wyrm 37+ HD
Level Adjustment: Wyrmling +?; very young +?; young +?; juvenile +?; young adult+?; adult +?; mature adult +??; old +??; very old +??; ancient +??; wyrm +??; great wyrm +??
Favored Class: Rogue

Wing Dragons are kind-hearted, if highly egotistical acrobats. They love a challenge of any sort ranging from a simple race to going into battle against an enemy. In a friendly challenge, they are scrupulously fair and are enraged by cheating. They lay out the rules with as much care as their somewhat limited mental resources allow. Although they don't actually like to gamble (except with their lives, but NOT for their lives, if you see the difference) they can usually be talked into a wager if they truly feel the odds are in their favor. Against a true enemy though, anything goes.
Right at hatching a wing dragon has a body and neck that are a brilliant, eye catching orange. The rest of its scales and its wings are deepest black. All of this is generally irrelevant since they can change the coloration of their scales at will. Their wings are even more versatile, able to alter their proportions and shape in a minor degree of shape-changing that takes the flying skills from merely better than most dragons, into the realm of the truly amazing. There bodies are sleek, without any horns, whiskers, etc to break the streamlining, save for fins on the tail. Their legs are also short, making them slower on the ground than most other dragons (at GMs discretion this may also reduce the reach of their claw attacks).

Wing Dragons are monogamous and the chance that one whose draconic mate dies will never take another is fairly high. What is unusual is that the first mate of a Wing Dragon is often not another Wing Dragon. This is due to a cultural idealization of romance, and true lifetime love combined with their racial weakness of poor judgment. The legend that the wife of the first wing dragon started out her life as a human provides fuel to this. Many wing dragon parents and mentors will encourage youngsters to take 'training mates' from among humans or other similarly short-lived intelligent races. The Wing Dragons are faithful to these spouses, although there are two caveats to this. The first is quite simply that the dragon make no bones about the transitory nature of the union (it is only until the non-dragon's natural death after all), and may seek to find a permanent mate and become engaged without the slightest shame, and indeed will probably seek relationship advice from the 'training spouse' just as it would from any other friend. Some spouses take rather better to this than others. The second is that the Wing Dragon may forgo extensive magical curative measures and/or *raise dead* to prolong the spouse's life. Easy come, easy go.

Wing dragon lairs are often found where the flying is interesting. Complex wind currents, areas frequented by violent storms, or narrow canyons that they can challenge themselves to navigate at high speed are all attractive to them. The mightiest of them often live on permanent floating platforms, above even the cloud lairs of silver dragons. Strangely enough, many of them do not have territories that they lay claim to. They wear their hoards in the form of complex (but often silent) jewelry strung together with silk sashes or the like. These itinerant wing dragons forgo hunting, so that none can claim they are taking away from those whose territory they might cross in their wanderings, instead earning their daily food by putting on performances for locals (especially nobles), both of trick flying and of sky painting. Many carry saddles, festooned with so many straps and buckles that a rider's legs would have to be snapped in multiple places for them to fall off... to those who dare, and who can pay their price they will give wild rides that will remain in the rider's mind forever. Soaring to where the sky turns pale and the houses they pass over seem mere specks to the rider for long enough for the rider to truly experience the tranquility... then suddenly diving full speed, only to pull up seemingly perilously short of the ground and go slaloming through a forest at speed. Barrel rolls, loops, wing-overs, and other acrobatic maneuvers are generally included at some point or another in the ride. Anyone who can both not vomit (Fortitude save against the Breath Weapon DC), and not scream in pure terror (Will save against same DC) on such a ride earns their respect as a near-equal. Note that harm to a rider under such circumstances is considered a failure of skill, although heart attacks and similar stress-induced ailments are exceptions.

The draconic community considers wing dragons to be pesty annoyances (however useful they may be in the particular situations that call for their talents). Most have long since given up trying to chase the itinerant ones off, since they simply end up having circles flown around them while being chuckled at in a somewhat maniacal fashion. Evil dragons plot against them to bring them to ruin or direct combat. Good dragons however, especially chaotic ones, find that they have there uses, even in day to day life, and have made virtue of the unavoidable by making pacts with the wing dragons (free access, but no hunting in their territory, and buzzing of peasants kept within reasonable limits), in return the wing dragons serve as the news sources and letter and package carriers of the draconic community.

Combat
Style:
Wing dragons look on combat as simply another place to test and glory in their skills and earn the adulation of others. They make use of tactics to the best of their abilities, but are not afraid to go against superior odds. Against lesser opponents they often aim for the most perfect victory. To defeat 20 bandits who have more guts than skill is a nothing, merely taking out the trash... to defeat them without them so much as touching you, knocking them out without doing the least permanent injury, and to have the last one unconscious while still (momentarily) standing before the first one fully collapses to the ground? Now THAT takes a MASTER. Younger wing dragons may hold back on their abilities against weak foes, eschewing for instance the use of the breath-weapon. Their elders however can find perfection of form even in the killing of a rabbit, using every tool in their arsenal (... excepting any resources that are not rapidly renewable and might be needed for any unexpected troubles). All the same, even the most mature are somewhat reckless in their natures, knowing that no victory against a worthy foe is without glory, or at least something to learn from (if they succeed more by luck than skill in a given situation). On the other hand to go down to defeat is the only way, in the end, to prove just WHERE the limits of one's skill is. For this reason they go relatively gladly when the need arises, even to certain death.
Tactics:
Wing dragon tend to surround themselves in a cloud of fog, often disguising it as natural fog or clouds if they need to close range from afar. Upon bringing the fog into contact with an opponent they will turn it optic black and then attempt to use flyby attacks to deal sneak attack damage, combining Tumbling and Silent Flight (for a -5 penalty to each) to ensure that counterattacks are limited and ineffective. If they can't move their clouds fast enough to keep up with a mobile opponent they will generally use the same tactics, or resort to taunts to draw the opponent into terrain that favors the wing dragon or tire out less hardy foes. They will generally pursue a fleeing foe, knowing that their superior speed means that even if it IS an attempt to draw them out of position, it is unlikely to succeed.

Dogfight (Ex): A Wing Dragon may use the tumble skill while airborne, substituting their flight speed for their ground movement rate in calculating how far they may move.

Fog Immunity (Su): Wing Dragons can see through any type of gas, liquid, or particulate matter as if it were clear. This includes magical fogs and effects, including its own breath weapon. (none of which stops them from seeing things they can see through with perfect clarity, but they can also see through it, and if that doesn't make sense, just keep repeating "It's Magic!" to yourself until it does). Note that if the predominant material limits the quality of vision, but the substance(s) suspended in it do not. Thus they could see through mud, provided it was over half water by volume, as well as they could see through water, but could not see through lava just because it had impurities in it.

Improved Draconic Senses (Ex): A dragon sees six times as well as a human in shadowy illumination and three times as well in normal light. It also has darkvision out to 180 feet, and blindsense that can pinpoint creatures within a distance of 90 feet. In the case of blindsense remember that opponents the dragon can't actually see still have total concealment against the dragon, and also that Create Air reduces the range of Blindsense to 60 feet (as well as imposing a -4 penalty to Listen checks within it).

Limited Spider Climb (Su): This works as per Spider Climb, except that movement is only 5 feet per round while climbing, and ANY solid surface can be attached to, not just one that a normal spider could climb. Any slickness short of that provided by Oil of Slipperiness does nothing to prevent this. Thus a Wing Dragon can land and cling to a Wall of Force (even upside down to an horizontal one), melting icy cliff, or just merely a wooden palisade. Note, however, that those last two might collapse under the dragon's weight. This ability is always active.

Pride in Grace (Ex): (Due to its complexity and the rareness that it will ever come up in most campaigns this rule is highly optional.)
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Unblinking (Ex): A wing dragon cannot be dazed, dazzled, blinded, or otherwise harmed by light. This includes these conditions brought upon by spells dealing with light, such as Flare, and damage from such spells as Sunbeam or Sunburst, but NOT Blindness/Deafness or Power Word: Blind.

Wingclaws (Ex/Su): Wing dragons shapechanging wings include the ability to grow a set of small claws at the joint where the wing fingers are. These are useless as weapons (including weilding any weapon except perhaps a hand crossbow) or for fine manipulation of most sorts, but can each hold an object of up to 1/20th of a light load and can release/throw (with a forward sweep of the wing) them. This means that when they gain the Limited Snatch ability listed below, they can drop up to 7 objects at a time (4 in the feet, 2 in the wingclaws, and 1 in the mouth).

Evasion (Ex):  If a very young or older wing dragon makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, it instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if a wing dragon is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless wing dragon does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Heroic Idiocy (Ex): Wing dragons of at least very young age category are too foolhardy and self confident to be intimidated, especially when they are in their element. They gain a bonus equal to their age category versus fear effects, when on the wing and in combat this bonus is doubled.

Limited Snatch (Ex): The Dragon can drop any object(s) it holds as a free action (unaimed), or use a standard action to drop any number (aimed as a proficient weapons) or fling them aside (also counts as proficient attacks). Wing Dragons like dropping rocks and grenade like missiles (including bundles of smoke sticks which scatter as they fall), both as an exercise in skill and as a combat tactic to make up for their lack of offensive breath weapon. Other favorite projectiles:
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Weather Master (Ex): For purposes of wind effects wing dragons of at least very young age category are not counted as one size class smaller while flying. They are immune to damage from naturally occurring lightning and natural environmental temperatures (except those tinged with strong spiritual energies). Thus, while they could comfortably sunbathe in the light of a supernova at any range (at least until the blast wave of particles OTHER than photons hit them), but the flames that are natural to an infernal plane or those of the elemental plane of fire would give them trouble.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex):  A wing dragon of young or older age category can react to danger before its senses would normally allow it to do so. It retains its Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if it is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, she still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. If a wing dragon already has uncanny dodge from a class it automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead.

Create Air (Sp): The Wing Dragon creates an envelop of continuously generated air around itself (and any creatures it is in contact with or comes in contact with at its option), allowing it to breath even underwater (although it will be giving off bubbles like crazy and surrounded in a "skin" of air) and to fly and breath in airless environments. This gives a +10 bonus on all saves against inhaled threats including the Druid spell Miasma and the internal claws of a Belker. While using this ability the Wing Dragon (and anyone in contact with it) can mostly only smell the air it is creating, and it is insulated to a degree from the minute motions of the air around it. For these reason it cannot use the Scent special quality if it has it while under the effects of this, and its blindsense is reduced to 60 feet. Wing Dragons may freely use their breath weapon as normal while using this ability.

Expeditious Movement (Sp): A wing dragon of at least Old status may produce an effect similar to Expeditious Retreat except that if they cast it on themselves it affects ALL of their movement rates (not just land-speed) and instead of a flat bonus it doubles the movement rate. This ability is usable 3 times per day.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): A wing dragon of young adult status or older can no longer be flanked. This defense denies another wing dragon or a rogue the ability to sneak attack the character by flanking her, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels (or other class(es) that grant Uncanny Dodge) + wing dragon hit dice than the target does. If a wing dragon already has uncanny dodge from a class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead, and the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum rogue(or other such class) level + wing dragon hit dice required to flank the dragon.

Freedom of the Clouds (Su):  For a total time per day of 1 round per Hit Die, a Wing Dragon with this ability can act normally regardless of magical effects that impede movement as if they were affected by the spell freedom of movement. This effect occurs automatically as soon as it applies, lasts until it runs out or is no longer needed, and can operate multiple times per day (up to the total daily limit of rounds).

On your Tail (Sp[Su?] ):  Wing dragons may expend spell slots to follow transportation and other effects to keep up with enemies or friends using teleportation and some other effects. This must be done within one round of the casting of the effect by the target being followed and requires using a spell slot equal to (or greater than) that of the spell or effect (including psionic powers) being copied, but can still do it even if no spell slots remain. If no spell slots of high enough level remain but still can cast for that day then expend two highest-level spell slots. If a spell or effect has multiple levels (for multiple classes) always use the lowest one. For spells that involve instantaneous relocation (as opposed to changing form or ONLY melding into objects) the wing dragon always arrives in the same relative position to where the creature being followed arrived as they were to the target when it transported unless this area contains a solid object and the spell being copied does not allow arrival within a solid object (For an example of spells or effects that in fact REQUIRES such an arrival, see Tree Stride and Teleport via Plants). In case of arrival within a solid object for a spell that doesn't normally allow such the dragon appears in the nearest open space, taking 1d6 for each 10' so displaced. For spells with a non-instantaneous duration the spell ends during the first turn for the wing dragon after the parallel effect ended for the target (or earlier if the wing dragon chooses and the spell can be ended at such a point). A Wing Dragon may expend 5 rounds of its Freedom of the Clouds ability overcome Dimensional Anchor or a similar effect to use On Your Tail for the duration of one such following.
Examples of spells that can be followed using this include but are not limited to:
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Walk Among Them (Su): As per "Alternate form" ability except as follows. A young adult or older wing dragon can assume any  the form of a generic member of a race with racial intelligence 3 or greater that is has had frequent contact with for at least one year which has a size class equal to or less than the wing dragon's natural form OR a half-wing dragon version of any such race as a standard action twice per day. The wing dragon retains its own dexterity score in alternate forms. If it decreases 2 or more size categories when using this ability to turn into a half-wing dragon then its maneuverability in that form improves by one step (usually to perfect). The dragon can remain in this alternate form until it chooses to assume a new one or return to its natural form. The form and half-dragon form for each race are each unique to the particular wing dragon, and may never be altered in appearance as a result of this ability (further magic may modify them normally however).

Reactive Casting (Ex bonus to Sp and Su abilities): Wing Dragons are the essence of speed and quick reactions to unpredictable circumstances. As such when using metamagic feats for spell casting abilities that do not have to have the slots filled beforehand, they do NOT require a full round action unless the base time is a full round action. This means, for instance, that they could cast an empowered quickened ray of frost as a 6th level spell as a free action (assuming of course that they had those feats, knew that spell, and had a 6th level spell available to cast it from). Note ESPECIALLY that this means that the Quicken Spell feat is an effective option for them, including for their innate sorcerous abilities. 

Improved Evasion (Ex): This ability works like evasion, except that while the dragon still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks henceforth she takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless wing does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

Breath of Dreams (Ex extension of Su ability): The Wing Dragon may now maintain the size and position of any of its fog clouds even in its sleep as if it was awake stationary. Complex patterns may require concentration checks at the GM's discretion.

True Haste (Sp): As per Haste except that no bonus to base movement rate is given, but if the creature forgoes the extra attack granted, or does not attack in a given round it gains an additional move action (which may ONLY be used for movement), and it is single target only, with a range of Short. A Wing Dragon may use this ability 3 times per day.

Watch This! (Ex): Once per day, for a number of rounds equal to its hit-dice category a Wing Dragon may raise its maneuverability to Perfect. This is a free action and does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Defensive Roll (Ex): A wing dragon of very old or older status can roll with a potentially lethal blow to take less damage from it than it otherwise would. Once per day, when it would be reduced to 0 or fewer hit points by damage in combat (from a weapon or other blow, not a spell or special ability), the wing dragon can attempt to roll with the damage. To use this ability, the wing dragon must attempt a Reflex saving throw (DC = damage dealt). If the save succeeds, it takes only half damage from the blow; if it fails, it takes full damage. It must be aware of the attack and able to react to it in order to execute its defensive roll-if it is denied its Dexterity bonus to AC, it can't use this ability. Since this effect would not normally allow a creature to make a Reflex save for half damage, the wing dragon's evasion ability does not apply to the defensive roll.

Flying Skill Mastery (Ex): While flying, with the following skills the Wing Dragon may take 10 on a check even if stress and distractions would normally prevent it from doing so: Balance, Tumble, and Move Silently. This ability also applies to checks to avoid becoming lost, but for those the dragon doesn't have to be flying.

Dream Flight (Ex): A wing dragon of Great Wyrm status may attempt to fly even in its sleep. This must be basically straight and level flight. Tumble (for heading) and Balance(For pitch) rolls are necessary with DC's dependant on weather conditions. Windless conditions would be DC 45 for each.

Other Spell-like Abilities: At Will - Prestidigitation(All Age Categories); 3/day -  Know Direction(Very Young and older) , Control Winds (Juvenile and older) ,  Cat's Grace(Mature Adult and older) ; 1/day Control Weather(with effects as if the wing dragon was a Druid. This SLA is gained at Young Adult), True Seeing(Ancient and older), Time Stop(Great Wyrm)

Skills: The class skills for a Wing Dragon are: Balance, Bluff, Concentration, Craft(Sky Painting), Diplomacy, Escape Artist, Heal, Hide,  Knowledge (Any), Listen, Move Silently, Spot, Search, and Tumble. They receive a bonus equal to their age category on any check made to avoid becoming lost. While flying or falling Wing Dragons have the Balance, Move Silently, and Tumble skills for free at 1 rank per Hit Die. Note that, for the purposes of reducing damage, the moment of impact during a crash or fall counts as flying or falling. Their keen senses stand in sharp contrast to their poor judgment, granting them a +5 racial bonus on Spot and Listen checks, Their color changing scales allow them a bonus to Hide checks in any particular environment equal to 3+Age Category + Intelligence modifier. This only applies to on specific environment/color scheme at a time. If the background against which the dragon is attempting to hide changes they lose this bonus until they reenter the old environment or take a move equivalent action to change their scale colors. If the dragon takes at least ten minutes to study a specific spot it plans to hide in and then spends at least two minutes to change her scales to perfectly match that exact local then this bonus changes to 2 + Hit Dice + Intelligence modifier while hiding their. At any given time the Dragon can remember 1 + Age Category + Intelligence modifier such scale patterns. These can also be used to memorize other similar complex scale patterns. If used as part of a disguise check this (together with their polymorphic wings) gives a +5 modifier to attempt to disguise as any other dragon (specific individual or general type).

Breath Weapon (Su): The breath weapon of the Wing Dragon is harmless magical smoke. It is unique and peculiar among dragons. Of primary interest to sages is that, strictly speaking, it really is absolutely harmless. Many an awe struck peasant gazing at a Wing Dragon's 'Sky painting' would believe this. Anyone who has ever fought a Wing Dragon would agree with every technical point but declare the conclusion of 'harmless' to be complete ivory tower nonsense. Also unusual is that they may utilize it every round instead of every 1d4 rounds. It is non-toxic, completely odorless, and its magical properties preclude it being concentrated enough to displace breathable air measurably. However the Wing Dragon can exercise an amazing amount of control over it. The color can be altered as a free action to anything from completely transparent (which doesn't mean that the visibility improves if the area also contains another type of fog, smoke, or dust), to a black mist sufficient to turn high noon into pitch dark (and worse yet a pitch dark that darkvision can't see through), to any shade, color, and opacity you can imagine. It can also be made to glow in any color and any intensity the Wing Dragon wishes, up to and including illuminating everything within it and for 20 feet around it as a light spell. A darkness spell that overcomes the light effect does not destroy the fog, but merely prevents the fog from glowing within its area of effect and turns the area dark as it normally would. At any one time a Wing Dragon may maintain a cloud or clouds of totally opaque fog equal to the amount it could expel in 10 rounds, provided it is within 1 mile per age category. Any excess dissipates, however the Wing Dragon may choose which parts to have dissipate. Once per round, as a move action, part of a move action, or as part of expelling its breath weapon, a Wing Dragon may manipulate its fog changing the color, glow, etc of each part. It may move as many cubes at it likes, but each may move no more than 10' x the Wing Dragons age category. Note that for purposes of Sky Painting the Barnstormer is in NO way restricted to 5' cubes... they can make doll-sized fog sculptures if they so chose... 5' cubes are merely as simplification for combat purposes.

Lore
Knowledge[Arcana]




DCLore
17 This creature is definitely a True Dragon, normally one can tell a True Dragon's species by such clues as wing-shape, head-shape, and coloration. In this particular case the wings and coloration are nothing you have heard of before, and the head-shape lacks many noticeable features. This reveals any STANDARD True Dragon traits.
22 This is a wing dragon. They can change their coloration at will for decorative purposes or camouflage and their breathweapon is a non-toxic fog that can be of almost any color. They are fond of putting on flight demonstrations for payment, and can do pictures in the sky made out of their breath weapon that remain hours at a time.
27 Wing dragons can telekinetically manipulate their fog and they generally use an intensely black form of it for battlefield obscurement, they are deft flyers, and can prefer to strike with a rogues precision, approaching their target on silent wings and then continuing past them to be out of range before effective counterstrike is possible. To close from long range they may attempt to disguise themselves within their breath weapon to appear as a cloud or patch of dense fog. They can see through their own breathweapon as well as clouds, smoke, or mist, even magically created ones.
32 This reveals everything in this creature entry including personality, role in draconic societies, and abilities (SLA's Unblinking, etc).




Half-Dragon, Wing
Wing Dragons with their habit of 'training spouses' are among the most likely to be parent to half-dragons that are part of society. Certain of the Chromatic dragons might come close except that they usually eat the victim shortly after the rape. Wing Dragons do not abandon their spouses or immature offspring. They are not much for aiding their half-dragon children after they are moved out and on their own though.


As per usual except as follows:
Speed: ALL half Wing Dragons have wings and can fly at 3 times their land speed (good maneuverability).
AC: Natural Armor bonus improves by +2.
Statistics adjustments: STR +2, DEX +8, CON +2, INT +0, WIS +0, CHR +2
Special Qualities: As per usual for a half-dragon, and they also have the 'Dogfight' quality. Have Fog Immunity for their racial bonus immunity. 
Special Attacks: Breath weapon: Can expel 27 5' cubes 3 times per day (DC is 20 if it ever matters).
Feats: As per usual for a half-dragon, but also receive a limited version of Weapon Finesse that only applies to  natural weapons as a bonus feat.


Notes: BW volume equal to volume of cone BW averaged since the Wing Dragon breaths every round and the rest every 2.5 rounds on average.
« Last Edit: October 23, 2022, 01:37:06 AM by Draco Dei »
P.E.A.C.H. = Please Examine And Critique Honestly

Offline Draco Dei

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Re: Wing Dragon [Repost from GitP]
« Reply #1 on: July 15, 2022, 01:24:11 AM »
I think I made this example pair of Juvenile Age-Category twins using the Elite Array, and fudging the "treasure" since I was Away From Book for that chart at the time... hard to remember since it was many years ago.
Castor
Medium Dragon (Air)
Hit Dice: 12d12 + 3d4 + 45 (143 hp)
Initiative: + 9 (+5 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 20 ft (4 squares), Fly 200 ft (Good), Swim 40 ft
Armor Class: 30 (+1 Bracers of Armor +1, +2 Mithrel Buckler +1, +5 Dex, +11 Natural, +1 Deflection), 16 touch, 30 flat-footed
Base Attack/Grapple: +13/+16
Attack: Bite +18 melee (1d8+3)
Full Attack: Bite +18 melee (1d8+3), 2 Claws +13/+12 melee (1d6+1), 2 Wings +13 melee (1d4+1) and 2 +14 ranged touch dropped/thrown objects if flying. (May replace any natural attack(s) with dropped/thrown objects held in that limb.)
OR
Bite +18 melee (1d8+3), Heavy Crossbow +1 +13 Ranged (1d10+1), 2 Wings +13 melee (1d4+1) and 2 +14 ranged touch dropped/thrown objects if flying. (May replace any natural attack(s) with dropped/thrown objects held in that limb.)
OR
Heavy Crossbow +1 +18 Ranged (1d10+1)
Space/Reach: 5ft/5ft
Special Attacks: Limited Snatch, +2d6 Sneak Attack
Special Qualities: Breath Weapon, Dragon Traits, Fast Healing 1/10, Spell-casting, Spell-like Abilities (Including Create Air, and Expeditious Movement), Dogfight, Evasion, Fog Immunity, Heroic Idiocy, Improved Draconic Senses, Scent, Uncanny Dodge, Limited Snatch, Limited Spider Climb, Pride in Grace(OPTIONAL RULE), Unblinking, Wingclaws, Weather Master
Saves: Fort +12, Ref +14, Will +12 (+4 bonus vs Fear, or +8 bonus vs Fear when in combat and in the air)
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 21 (base 19), Con 16, Int 10, Wis 7, Cha 25 (Base 21)
Skills: Balance +20 (+5 when not in air), Concentration +14, Knowledge (Arcana) +8, Knowledge(Geography) +9, Knowledge (Local) +9, Knowledge (Nature) +9, Knowledge (Nobility) +4, Knowledge (Religion) +4, Knowledge (The Planes) +4, Listen +6, Move Silently +20(+5 when not in air), Perform (Sky Painting) +9, Speak Language (2 skill points spent), Spellcraft +12, Spot +26 (plus penalty cancellation for telescope), Tumble +23(+8 when not in air or impacting), Use Magic Device +21
Feats: Dodge, ExpertiseB, Faster HealingB (1), Fly-by AttackB, HoverB, Gemini Strike(2), Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Mobility, Spell Focus (Evocation), Weapon FinesseB, Weapon Focus[Dropped/Thrown Object]B, WingoverB
Environment: Usually Any Open-Aired Surface (so no jungles or forests)
Organization: Castor and Pollux
Challenge Rating: 13
Treasure:
Splash and other throwables: 20 vials of Acid, 1 small wine bottle of Acid (equivalent to 10 vials all using the same to-hit roll and stacking damage for purposes of Acid Resistance), 10 Vials of Holy Water, 20 vials of Alchemist's Fire, 10 Smoke-sticks (Each attached to a weighted miniature vial of alchemists fire that deals no splash damage, and only 1 point of fire damage on a direct hit)
Wands: Wand of Fireball (12 charges, heightened to level 4, Caster level 10), Wand of Entropic Shield 24 charges, 3 wands of Cure Light Wounds (10 charges each), Wand of Invisibility 5 charges, Wand of Greater Invisibility 43 charges, Wand of See Invisibility 13 charges
Potions, Oils, and similar: 5 potions of Greater Magic Fang, 5 vials of Silversheen, 3 potions of Cure Critical Wounds, 5 Anti-Toxin
Ammunition: 60 normal bolts, 20 Alchemical Silver Bolts, 40 Cold Iron Bolts, 15 Adamintine Bolts
Misc: Arc Vest, 1 scroll of True Haste(2), Telescope, Eyes of the Eagle, Gloves of Dexterity +2, Cloak of Charisma +4, 3 pairs of masterwork manacles, Mug Book, Spell Component Pouch, ink, pen, log-book
Alignment: Neutral Good
(1) Complete Warrior p.61 AND Masters of the Wild: A Guidebook to Barbarians, Druids, and Rangers (page number unknown at this time).
(2) See below.


Spells per day: 6/7
Spells known:
Level 0: Detect Magic, Flare (DC 18), Light, Read Magic, Resistance
Level 1: Burning Hands (DC 19), Mage Armor, Shield



Pollux
Medium Dragon (Air)
Hit Dice: 12d12 + 3d6 + 45 (133 hp)
Initiative: + 7
Speed: 20 ft (4 squares), Fly 200 ft (Perfect), Swim 40 ft
Armor Class: 34 (+2 Bracers of Armor +2, +2 Mithrel Buckler +1, +11 Natural, +2 Deflection), 19 touch, 34 flat-footed
Base Attack/Grapple: +14/+17
Attack: Bite +21 melee (1d8+3)
Full Attack:
Bite +21 melee (1d8+3), 2 Claws +19/+18 melee (1d6+1), 2 Wings +19 melee (1d4+1) and 2 +20 ranged touch dropped/thrown objects if flying. (May replace any natural attack(s) with dropped/thrown objects held in that limb.)
OR
Bite +19 melee (1d8+3), Mighty [+3] Shortbow +1 +21/+17/+12 ranged (1d6+4), 2 Wings +19 melee (1d4+1) and 2 dropped/thrown objects if flying. (May replace any natural attack(s) with dropped/thrown objects held in that limb.)
Space/Reach: 5ft/5ft
Special Attacks: Limited Snatch, +4d6 Sneak Attack
Special Qualities: Breath Weapon, Dragon Traits, Fast Healing 1/10, Spell-like Abilities (Including Create Air, and Expeditious Movement), Dogfight, Evasion, Fog Immunity, Heroic Idiocy, Improved Draconic Senses, Scent, Uncanny Dodge, Limited Snatch, Limited Spider Climb, Pride in Grace(OPTIONAL RULE), Trapfinding, Trap Sense +1, Unblinking, Wingclaws, Weather Master
Saves: Fort +13, Ref +21, Will +13 (+4 bonus vs Fear, or +8 bonus vs Fear when in combat and in the air)
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 24 (base 20), Con 16, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 17
Skills: Appraise +3, Balance +22(+7 when not in air), Diplomacy +8, Forgery +2, Intimidate +4, Knowledge (Local) +7, Knowledge (Nature) +1, Knowledge (Nobility) +1, Listen +23, Move Silently +25(+10 when not in air), Perform (Sky Painting) +21, Sense Motive +5, Speak Language (2 skill points spent), Spot +28, Tumble +25(+8 when not in air or crashing), Use Magic Device +21
Feats: Dodge, ExpertiseB, Faster HealingB (1), Fly-by AttackB, HoverB, Gemini Strike(2), Improved Toughness, Iron Will, Mobility, Multi-Attack, Weapon FinesseB, Weapon Focus[Dropped/Thrown Object]B, WingoverB
Environment: Usually Any Open-Aired Surface (so no jungles or forests)
Organization: Castor and Pollux
Challenge Rating: 13
Treasure:
Wands: 2 wands of Cure Light Wounds (23 charges each), Wand of Zone of Truth 30 charges, Wand of Cure Minor Wounds 47 charges
Splash and other throwables: 10 Smoke-sticks (Each attached to a weighted miniature vial of alchemists fire that deals no splash damage, 20 vials of Acid, 1 small wine bottle of Acid (equivalent to 10 vials all using the same to-hit roll and stacking damage for purposes of Acid Resistance), 10 Vials of Holy Water, 20 vials of Alchemist's Fire, 10 Smoke-sticks (Each attached to a weighted miniature vial of alchemists fire that deals no splash damage, and only 1 point of fire damage on a direct hit)
Potions, Oils, and similar: 5 potions of Greater Magic Fang, 5 vials of Silversheen, 3 potions of Cure Critical Wounds, 5 potions of Entropic Shield, 4 potions of Mage Armor, 4 potions of Shield, 5 Anti-Toxin
Ammunition: 80 normal arrows, 20 Alchemical Silver Arrows, 50 Cold Iron Arrows, 20 Adamintine Arrows
Misc: Arc Vest, 1 scroll of True Haste(2), Telescope, Eyes of the Eagle, Gloves of Dexterity +4, Pectoral of Maneuverability, Cloak of Protection +2, Mug Book, 1 pair of masterwork manacles.
Alignment: Neutral Good
(1) Complete Warrior p.61 AND Masters of the Wild: A Guidebook to Barbarians, Druids, and Rangers (page number unknown at this time).
(2) See below.


Description and non-combat procedures:
Castor and Pollux are twin brothers who work as hired patrol dragons, mostly against raiders, although they also keep an eye out for wanted criminals and each have a mug book of the current most wanted. They are very well equipped by their employer, in addition to each having there own personal treasure which includes 1 scroll each that is capable of turning them into a whirling engine of destruction for a brief period of time. When on the job the Wing Dragon jocularity is totally surpressed in front of anyone outside the gaurd.
When on patrol they usually alternated disguising themselves as a cloud (With Castor providing half the volume, but Pollux doing most of the work in shaping the outside with his Perform(Sky Painting) skill to create a realistic "disguise") and drifting with the wind, and high speed, high altitude runs up wind to reset for another phase of drifting. If they are unsure of the intentions of a group they locate, Castor will burst out of the cloud with a greeting roar calculated to distract the targets as he turns his part of the cloud invisible and gathers it around him to approach, circling around to the opposite side of the group before closing range (note the movement limitations of the cloud). If he is satisfied, he will return, only turning his part of the cloud white again when they are at least half a mile distant. If not, he may give fair warning (but not a chance to back out) and then cast Zone of Truth from a wand.

Combat
When and if battle is joined against a small number of foes, they will ideally opaque their fogs and each occupy one(randomizing their position within the clouds each round to make it harder for melee fighters to seek them out, or for AoEs to hit them), exchanging positions to perform a Gemini strike on one target each round. While doing this they will arrange their respective angles and speeds of approach to make sure that any AoE that can hit both of them will also hit as many of their opponents as possible.
If opponents bunch up to prevent flanking and prove tough enough that standard fly-by attacks are inadvisable, they will use their vests of lightning to perform fly-by bolting attacks without exposing themselves to melee counter-attacks. Against large bodies of weaker foes, Pollux may lure them into surrounding him so that Castor can catch them in repeated fireballs, while Pollux uses his Expertise and Multi-attack feats to best effect and negates the fireballs with his Evasion and high reflex save.
If opponents rely on short term buff spells, especially if Quickened (remember Castor has Spellcraft and will be using it), then they may abandon their clouds and open range. In such a case, Castor may hand his crossbow of to Pollux to harry them with to draw out healing spells with the occasional hit from extreme range, while their own fast healing takes care of any damage they themselves may have sustained and the enemies buffs run out. With or without the crossbow attacks, they are willing to dog fleeing opponents for hours at a time, never allowing the range to be closed enough for spells to reach them, but never letting the enemy out of their sight even for 2 hours or slightly more if they are grievously wounded initially. When enemy buffs have run out and the twins are fully healed, they will attack again. If part of their quarry escapes by teleportation they will usually immediately attack the remainder, before the wizard or sorcerer can return for a second load (and probably even continue the attack even when and if they do). If all targets vanish at once they will split up to fly a spiraling search pattern eliminate the possibility of Dimension Door or other mid-range teleportation spells. If this fails they go for headquarters immediately to report the escapees. The scrolls of True Haste will be saved for a dire emergency such as preventing the imminent death of their brother or innocents (note the plural) or retrieving the corpse of their brother for return to life and preventing its looting (in that order of priority).

Dogfight (Ex): A Wing Dragon may use the tumble skill while airborne, substituting their flight speed for their ground movement rate in calculating how far they may move.

Fog Immunity (Su): Wing Dragons can see through any type of gas, liquid, or particulate matter as if it were clear. This includes magical fogs and effects, including its own breath weapon. (none of which stops them from seeing things they can see through with perfect clarity, but they can also see through it, and if that doesn't make sense, just keep repeating "It's Magic!" to yourself until it does). Note that if the predominant material limits the quality of vision, but the substance(s) suspended in it do not. Thus they could see through mud, provided it was over half water by volume, as well as they could see through water, but could not see through lava just because it had impurities in it.

Improved Draconic Senses (Ex): A dragon sees six times as well as a human in shadowy illumination and three times as well in normal light. It also has darkvision out to 180 feet, and blindsense that can pinpoint creatures within a distance of 90 feet. In the case of blindsense remember that opponents the dragon can't actually see still have total concealment against the dragon, and also that Create Air reduces the range of Blindsense to 60 feet (as well as imposing a -4 penalty to Listen checks within it).

Limited Spider Climb (Su): This works as per Spider Climb, except that movement is only 5 feet per round while climbing, and ANY solid surface can be attached to, not just one that a normal spider could climb. Any slickness short of that provided by Oil of Slipperiness does nothing to prevent this. Thus a Wing Dragon can land and cling to a Wall of Force (even upside down to an horizontal one), melting icy cliff, or just merely a wooden palisade. Note, however, that those last two might collapse under the dragon's weight. This ability is always active.

Pride in Grace (Ex): (Due to its complexity and the rareness that it will ever come up in most campaigns this rule is highly optional.)
(click to show/hide)


Unblinking (Ex): A wing dragon cannot be dazed, dazzled, blinded, or otherwise harmed by light. This includes these conditions brought upon by spells dealing with light, such as Flare, and damage from such spells as Sunbeam or Sunburst, but NOT Blindness/Deafness or Power Word: Blind.

Wingclaws (Ex/Su): Wing dragons shapechanging wings include the ability to grow a set of small claws at the joint where the wing fingers are. These are useless as weapons (including weilding any weapon except perhaps a hand crossbow) or for fine manipulation of most sorts, but can each hold an object of up to 1/20th of a light load and can release/throw (with a forward sweep of the wing) them. This means that when they gain the Limited Snatch ability listed below, they can drop up to 7 objects at a time (4 in the feet, 2 in the wingclaws, and 1 in the mouth). They are also highly suitable for wand use.

Evasion (Ex): If a very young or older wing dragon makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, it instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if a wing dragon is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless wing dragon does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Heroic Idiocy (Ex): Wing dragons of at least very young age category are too foolhardy and self confident to be intimidated, especially when they are in their element. They gain a bonus equal to their age category versus fear effects, when on the wing and in combat this bonus is doubled.

Limited Snatch (Ex): The Dragon can drop any object(s) it holds as a free action (unaimed), or use a standard action to drop any number (aimed as a proficient weapons) or fling them aside (also counts as proficient attacks). Wing Dragons like dropping rocks and grenade like missiles (including bundles of smoke sticks which scatter as they fall), both as an exercise in skill and as a combat tactic to make up for their lack of offensive breath weapon.

Weather Master (Ex): For purposes of wind effects wing dragons of at least very young age category are not counted as one size class smaller while flying. They are immune to damage from naturally occurring lightning and natural environmental temperatures (except those tinged with strong spiritual energies). Thus, while they could comfortably sunbathe in the light of a supernova at any range (at least until the blast wave of particles OTHER than photons hit them), but the flames that are natural to an infernal plane or those of the elemental plane of fire would give them trouble.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): A wing dragon of young or older age category can react to danger before its senses would normally allow it to do so. It retains its Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if it is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, she still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. If a wing dragon already has uncanny dodge from a class it automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead.

Create Air (Sp): The Wing Dragon creates an envelop of continuously generated air around itself (and any creatures it is in contact with or comes in contact with at its option), allowing it to breath even underwater (although it will be giving off bubbles like crazy and surrounded in a "skin" of air) and to fly and breath in airless environments. This gives a +10 bonus on all saves against inhaled threats including the Druid spell Miasma and the internal claws of a Belker. While using this ability the Wing Dragon (and anyone in contact with it) can mostly only smell the air it is creating, and it is insulated to a degree from the minuit motions of the air around it. For these reason it cannot use the Scent special quality if it has it while under the effects of this, and its blindsense is reduced to 60 feet. Wing Dragons may freely use their breath weapon as normal while using this ability.

Expeditious Movement (Sp): A wing dragon of at least Old status may produce an effect similar to Expeditious Retreat except that if they cast it on themselves it affects ALL of their movement rates (not just land-speed) and instead of a flat bonus it doubles the movement rate. This ability is usable 3 times per day.

Breath Weapon (Su): The breath weapon of the Wing Dragon is harmless magical smoke. It is unique and peculiar among dragons. Of primary interest to sages is that, strictly speaking, it really is absolutely harmless. Many an awe struck peasant gazing at a Wing Dragon's 'Sky painting' would believe this. Anyone who has ever fought a Wing Dragon would agree with every technical point but declare the conclusion of 'harmless' to be complete ivory tower nonsense. Also unusual is that they may utilize it every round instead of every 1d4 rounds. It is non-toxic, completely odorless, and its magical properties preclude it being concentrated enough to displace breathable air measurably. However the Wing Dragon can exercise an amazing amount of control over it. The color can be altered as a free action to anything from completely transparent (which doesn't mean that the visibility improves if the area also contains another type of fog, smoke, or dust), to a black mist sufficient to turn high noon into pitch dark (and worse yet a pitch dark that darkvision can't see through), to any shade, color, and opacity you can imagine. It can also be made to glow in any color and any intensity the Wing Dragon wishes, up to and including illuminating everything within it and for 20 feet around it as a light spell. A darkness spell that overcomes the light effect does not destroy the fog, but merely prevents the fog from glowing within its area of effect and turns the area dark as it normally would. At any one time a Wing Dragon may maintain a cloud or clouds of totally opaque fog equal to the amount it could expel in 10 rounds, provided it is within 1 mile per age category. Any excess dissipates, however the Wing Dragon may choose which parts to have dissipate. Once per round, as a move action, part of a move action, or as part of expelling its breath weapon, a Wing Dragon may manipulate its fog changing the color, glow, etc of each part. It may move as many cubes at it likes, but each may move no more than 10' x the Wing Dragons age category. Note that for purposes of Sky Painting the Barnstormer is in NO way restricted to 5' cubes... they can make doll-sized fog sculptures if they so chose... 5' cubes are merely as simplification for combat purposes.


Other Spell-like Abilities: At Will - Prestidigitation(All Age Categories); 3/day - Know Direction(Very Young and older) , Control Winds (Juvenile and older)

Skills:
The class skills for a Wing Dragon are: Balance, Bluff, Concentration, Craft(Sky Painting), Diplomacy, Escape Artist, Heal, Hide, Knowledge (Any), Listen, Move Silently, Spot, Search, and Tumble. They receive a bonus equal to their age category on any check made to avoid becoming lost. While flying or falling Wing Dragons have the Balance, Move Silently, and Tumble skills for free at 1 rank per Hit Die. Note that, for the purposes of reducing damage, the moment of impact during a crash or fall counts as flying or falling. Their keen senses stand in sharp contrast to their poor judgment, granting them a +5 racial bonus on Spot and Listen checks, Their color changing scales allow them a bonus to Hide checks in any particular environment equal to 3+Age Category + Intelligence modifier. This only applies to on specific environment/color scheme at a time. If the background against which the dragon is attempting to hide changes they lose this bonus until they reenter the old environment or take a move equivalent action to change their scale colors. If the dragon takes at least ten minutes to study a specific spot it plans to hide in and then spends at least two minutes to change her scales to perfectly match that exact local then this bonus changes to 2 + Hit Dice + Intelligence modifier while hiding their. At any given time the Dragon can remember 1 + Age Category + Intelligence modifier such scale patterns. These can also be used to memorize other similar complex scale patterns. If used as part of a disguise check this (together with their polymorphic wings) gives a +5 modifier to attempt to disguise as any other dragon (specific individual or general type).

Castor and Pollux's Battle Code - While sharply limited in its vocabulary (just enough for tactical communication, including specific spells and abilities to use), this language can be spoken in many forms: Verbally, written in the air by means of their breath weapons or Prestidigitation or with small, simple and quick changes of scale coloration. The have NOT shared this language with anyone else to date.

Lore
Knowledge[Arcana]



DCLore
17 This creature is definitely a True Dragon, normally one can tell a True Dragon's species by such clues as wing-shape, head-shape, and coloration. In this particular case the wings and coloration are nothing you have heard of before, and the head-shape lacks many noticeable features. This reveals any STANDARD True Dragon traits.
22 This is a wing dragon. They can change their coloration at will for decorative purposes or camouflage and their breathweapon is a non-toxic fog that can be of almost any color. They are fond of putting on flight demonstrations for payment, and can do pictures in the sky made out of their breath weapon that remain hours at a time.
27 Wing dragons can telekinetically manipulate their fog and they generally use an intensely black form of it for battlefield obscurement, they are deft flyers, and can prefer to strike with a rogues precision, approaching their target on silent wings and then continuing past them to be out of range before effective counterstrike is possible. To close from long range they may attempt to disguise themselves within their breath weapon to appear as a cloud or patch of dense fog. They can see through their own breathweapon as well as clouds, smoke, or mist, even magically created ones.
32 This reveals everything in the general wing dragon creature entry including typical personality, role in draconic societies, and abilities (SLA's Unblinking, etc).


Knowledge[Local]
DCLore
17There are dragons who patrol this area in the service of <Insert Local Noble or other Authority figure here>.
22The dragons in question are twins named Castor and Pollux, they are very fast and often disguise themselves as clouds.
27Castor and Pollux have a wide variety of magic items at their disposal and use lightning and fire in combat against larger groups. Against smaller groups they strike in near-perfect tandem, aiming for vital areas.

Feats:
Gemini Strike[General]
You and a team-mate strike as one, speeding by to deliver such well coordinated blows that you gain the benefits of both hit-and-run tactics, and superior postioning... and then some.

Prerequisites:
Ride-by Attack OR Fly-by Attack OR Spring Attack, OR Swim-by Attack
Dodge AND Mobility
Sneak Attack +2d6 OR Skirmish +1d6/+1 OR BAB +6


Benefits:
Two or more allied creatures who each have this feat may activate it when initiative is called for, but before it is actually rolled. They must declare which specific individuals they are activating it with, and all members of a group must have this feat. In such a case they both/all act on the lowest initiative in the group.
Alternatively, groups may be formed mid-combat by all prospective group members announcing such on their respective turns which are then delayed to an initiative 2 points lower than the lowest one in the group. If any prospective group member elects not to enter the forming group, then the others already in the group may elect to proceed with only the members who are already delaying, who act immediately, in order of the initiatives they had before they started delaying.
While acting together, group members must use the same types of actions (Full round, Swift, Move Equivalent, Standard), in the same order, and each of these actions is taken simultaneously with every other member of the group. (although they may always use any type of action to do nothing at all to maintain this synchronization). If moving at the same time, they must expend proportionate (or equal if they have the same speed) amounts of their movement at the same times, although slowing down is modeled as expending movement without changing squares.
If two or more members of a group have each moved at least 10 feet, will (unless something changes to prevent them) move a further 10 feet, currently are creating a flank with each other against that opponent and are using any of the feats that allow movement both before and after an attack, then they each gain an additional +1 to hit against that opponent, and each deal an additional 1d6 of Sneak Attack damage, provided that individual is already dealing at least +2d6 of Sneak or Skirmish damage.
Normal: Turns are taken in sequential order.


Magic items
Arc Vest
Once per round if two of these are activated (a standard action) within 30 feet of each other at the same moment (usually requiring a readied action on the part of one of the activators, but in Castor and Pollux's case they may use Gemini Strike) it produces an arc of electricity between the two that deals 15d6 damage. A reflex save may be made against a DC of 14+ the average of the wearers dexterity modifiers for half damage. This expends one charge from each vest. Alternatively, a wearer may drain all current charges to produce a standard lightning bolt that deals 3d6 damage per charge so expended. In such a case the DC is a static 14. They have 3 charges, and recover one charge per 2 hours. They must be worn to be activated in either mode.
Strong Evocation; CL 15th; Craft Wondrous Item, Lightning Bolt; Price 20,250 gp each.


Scroll of True Haste
As per Haste except that no bonus to base movement rate is given, but if the creature forgoes the extra attack granted, or does not attack in a given round it gains an additional move action (which may ONLY be used for movement), and it is single target only, with a range of touch. The scrolls that Castor and Pollux have have an effective spell level of 3, a caster level of 8, and were a present from their mother when they graduated from the patrol academy, with the condition that they would return to her immediately if they ever used them so she could make sure they were not being TOO reckless in their tactics. They are specifically designed to be tough and highly legible enough to be read at any aerial speed that Castor or Pollux could reasonably achieve.
« Last Edit: October 23, 2022, 01:35:27 AM by Draco Dei »
P.E.A.C.H. = Please Examine And Critique Honestly

Offline bhu

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Re: [3.5] (Monster) Wing Dragon [Repost from GitP] (P.E.A.C.H.)
« Reply #2 on: August 15, 2022, 11:22:33 PM »
Ill try looking at these this weekend, I'm putting in a 60 hour week.

Did anyone ever figure out why VT got banned?

Offline Draco Dei

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Re: [3.5] (Monster) Wing Dragon [Repost from GitP] (P.E.A.C.H.)
« Reply #3 on: August 21, 2022, 01:38:19 PM »
Ill try looking at these this weekend, I'm putting in a 60 hour week.

Did anyone ever figure out why VT got banned?
Thank you. I look forward to it.

No idea. I think it is against the rules to ask on GitP because it constitutes discussing it?
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Re: [3.5] (Monster) Wing Dragon [Repost from GitP] (P.E.A.C.H.)
« Reply #4 on: September 30, 2022, 12:00:57 AM »
It's simultaneously weaker in some ways and more powerful in others than a White Dragon when you just look at ability scores, ac, etc.  But it has a LOT more abilities and no damaging breath weapon.  The CR will probably need adjusting, but I think we'd have to go through it one age category at a time.

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Re: [3.5] (Monster) Wing Dragon [Repost from GitP] (P.E.A.C.H.)
« Reply #5 on: October 04, 2022, 12:46:39 AM »
It's simultaneously weaker in some ways and more powerful in others than a White Dragon when you just look at ability scores, ac, etc.  But it has a LOT more abilities and no damaging breath weapon.  The CR will probably need adjusting, but I think we'd have to go through it one age category at a time.
Well... the breath weapon isn't DIRECTLY damaging... but combined with the Sneak Attack and how many attacks true dragons get... but you already knew that, yes?

P.S. General comments are welcome, not just CR stuff.

A few things, completely at random:
How would most player groups feel about being buzzed by one of these, which does NOT circle back around to chat, but might glance over its shoulder to see the looks on their faces?
Would Concealing Mist be a good spell to take when they get their sorcerer casting, or does the breath weapon make that redundant? What about Fog Cloud for longer ranges (without the delay of moving their breath-weapon to where they need it to be, but also I think the range is also strictly longer? Need to sleep now or I would check...)?
« Last Edit: October 04, 2022, 01:03:22 AM by Draco Dei »
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Re: [3.5] (Monster) Wing Dragon [Repost from GitP] (P.E.A.C.H.)
« Reply #6 on: October 07, 2022, 10:13:33 PM »
It's simultaneously weaker in some ways and more powerful in others than a White Dragon when you just look at ability scores, ac, etc.  But it has a LOT more abilities and no damaging breath weapon.  The CR will probably need adjusting, but I think we'd have to go through it one age category at a time.
Well... the breath weapon isn't DIRECTLY damaging... but combined with the Sneak Attack and how many attacks true dragons get... but you already knew that, yes?

P.S. General comments are welcome, not just CR stuff.

A few things, completely at random:
How would most player groups feel about being buzzed by one of these, which does NOT circle back around to chat, but might glance over its shoulder to see the looks on their faces?
Would Concealing Mist be a good spell to take when they get their sorcerer casting, or does the breath weapon make that redundant? What about Fog Cloud for longer ranges (without the delay of moving their breath-weapon to where they need it to be, but also I think the range is also strictly longer? Need to sleep now or I would check...)?

Given the way most players in my experience have behaved, I'd say they'd attack.  Fog Cloud has a Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft. level) range with a 20 foot radius.  Their breath would largely make the other spell redundant.

Why is it's climb speed limited?

Offline Draco Dei

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Re: [3.5] (Monster) Wing Dragon [Repost from GitP] (P.E.A.C.H.)
« Reply #7 on: October 08, 2022, 03:22:35 AM »
Given the way most players in my experience have behaved, I'd say they'd attack.
Ah, yes... I SUSPECT I might know the GENERAL phylum of group you are talking about... not the sort to request Arcana checks as free actions I take it? Or are you saying that even if you didn't require them to ask, and based the DC on a wyrmling regardless of the actual age of the Wing Dragon that they would still be annoyed enough to attack? If so, I doubt your groups have many PHB type or Freedom variant paladins?
Fog Cloud has a Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft. level) range with a 20 foot radius.
Right, so definitely good for getting some coverage into place at a distance quickly.
  Their breath would largely make the other spell redundant.
Yeah, by the time they actually get racial sorcerer casting their breath weapon is going to be fairly large. Even if the per-round amount is less than Concealing Mist the fact they can arrange it means they can usually cover exactly what they need to. Even more so if you are considering the total amount of mist they can maintain at a given time.
Why is it's climb speed limited?
For the Limited Spider Climb? Because even that much is more than they should ever need. It is mostly just so they can land on vertical and inverted surfaces. More about the landing site possibilities than the non-flying movement. Gave them that much so they could adjust position a bit if necessary. It now occurs to me that facing is more important than position from a fluff POV (because 3.5 doesn't track facing). I guess it also makes the fact they don't lose their dex bonus more plausible. Maybe I should increase it to 10' at some age category (or from the start) so they can 5' step while using that ability?
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Re: [3.5] (Monster) Wing Dragon [Repost from GitP] (P.E.A.C.H.)
« Reply #8 on: October 08, 2022, 06:05:10 PM »
Ah, yes... I SUSPECT I might know the GENERAL phylum of group you are talking about... not the sort to request Arcana checks as free actions I take it? Or are you saying that even if you didn't require them to ask, and based the DC on a wyrmling regardless of the actual age of the Wing Dragon that they would still be annoyed enough to attack? If so, I doubt your groups have many PHB type or Freedom variant paladins?

Most local groups I've had the misfortune to play with eschew Paladins.  No this would be more of a "Them Dragons is good xp" issue.  The Murderhobos I first DM'd for would ask me upon meeting any NPC "how much xp are they worth.", to which I would reply "Squirrel.  It's a (beep) squirrel.  It's not a threat of any sort, so no xp."

"But we don't know that it isn't a half dragon squirrel till we try..."

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Re: [3.5] (Monster) Wing Dragon [Repost from GitP] (P.E.A.C.H.)
« Reply #9 on: October 10, 2022, 05:43:46 AM »
Most local groups I've had the misfortune to play with eschew Paladins.  No this would be more of a "Them Dragons is good xp" issue.  The Murderhobos I first DM'd for would ask me upon meeting any NPC "how much xp are they worth.", to which I would reply "Squirrel.  It's a (beep) squirrel.  It's not a threat of any sort, so no xp."

"But we don't know that it isn't a half dragon squirrel till we try..."
I..
Good grief.
My sympathies. :bigeyes
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Re: [3.5] (Monster) Wing Dragon [Repost from GitP] (P.E.A.C.H.)
« Reply #10 on: October 15, 2022, 08:39:33 PM »
Most local groups I've had the misfortune to play with eschew Paladins.  No this would be more of a "Them Dragons is good xp" issue.  The Murderhobos I first DM'd for would ask me upon meeting any NPC "how much xp are they worth.", to which I would reply "Squirrel.  It's a (beep) squirrel.  It's not a threat of any sort, so no xp."

"But we don't know that it isn't a half dragon squirrel till we try..."
I..
Good grief.
My sympathies. :bigeyes

Thank you.  There's a reason I play online these days.

Offline bhu

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Re: [3.5] (Monster) Wing Dragon [Repost from GitP] (P.E.A.C.H.)
« Reply #11 on: November 09, 2022, 12:01:06 AM »
I'm still not sure the bonus feats and abilities make up for the lack of a breath weapon.  Also, how are you going to keep track of/remember all that stuff?

Offline Draco Dei

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Re: [3.5] (Monster) Wing Dragon [Repost from GitP] (P.E.A.C.H.)
« Reply #12 on: November 17, 2022, 10:23:04 PM »
I'm still not sure the bonus feats and abilities make up for the lack of a breath weapon.
[pedantic]Well, they technically have a breath weapon,[/pedantic] but I completely take your meaning. Draconomicon also claims that in combat against PCs the physical attacks are actually the more effective, and since this can be "Enter battle with already in effect, or use it first round, gain benefits including Sneak Attack the rest of the battle." it might actually be MORE effective. Not to mention the defensive benefits?
Or am I missing something?
  Also, how are you going to keep track of/remember all that stuff?
I never let that sort of thing get in the way of realizing the image I have in my head... also, a lot of it isn't that hard to manage since it either doesn't come up, or it is baked in to other things the creature is doing? Maybe? I'm taking a break while by players RP, so I don't have time to check the stats this minute. Will try to do so later.
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Re: [3.5] (Monster) Wing Dragon [Repost from GitP] (P.E.A.C.H.)
« Reply #13 on: November 19, 2022, 12:39:14 AM »
[pedantic]Well, they technically have a breath weapon,[/pedantic] but I completely take your meaning. Draconomicon also claims that in combat against PCs the physical attacks are actually the more effective, and since this can be "Enter battle with already in effect, or use it first round, gain benefits including Sneak Attack the rest of the battle." it might actually be MORE effective. Not to mention the defensive benefits?
Or am I missing something?
I'd have to playtest it in a few fights to be sure.

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Re: [3.5] (Monster) Wing Dragon [Repost from GitP] (P.E.A.C.H.)
« Reply #14 on: November 19, 2022, 11:51:24 AM »
Corrections/Caviats: I find it hard to believe that the non-damaging breathweapons of metallic dragons are without their applications. Just hitpoint damage that might only be good against masses of much lower CR opponents (so NPCs generally, or if a PC is spamming summons??).

Of course, the cheasier uses of metabreath are... cheesily effective I should guess?
P.E.A.C.H. = Please Examine And Critique Honestly