Deep Dragon

[oslecamo]

Deep Dragon

Table: Deep Dragon				HD: d12
Level 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20	Base Attack Bonus +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10 +11 +12 +13 +14 +15 +16 +17 +18 +19 +20	Fort Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 +7 +8 +8 +9 +9 +10 +10 +11 +11 +12	Ref Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +6	Will Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 +7 +8 +8 +9 +9 +10 +10 +11 +11 +12	Special Deep Dragon Body, Acid Breath, Least Deep Magic Arcane Blood, Keen Senses Blindsense 60’, Charm Immunity,  +1 Str Wings, +1 Cha Snake Form, +1 Con Humanoid Shape, +1 Str Lesser Deep Magic, +1 Con, +1 Cha Deep Arcana, +1 Str Advanced Deep Magic, +1 Cha Deep Lord, +1 Con Growth, Tail Slap, Arcane Skin, +1 Str True Seeing, Iron Scales, +1 Con, +1 Cha Deep Cunning, +1 Str Greater Deep Magic, +1 Con, +1 Cha Deep Explorer, +1 Str Growth, Crush, Frightful Presence, +1 Con, +1 Cha Deep Patience, +1 Str Master Deep Magic, +1 Con, +1 Cha Deep Hunter, +1 Str, +1 Con Drake of the Depths, +1 Str, +1 Con, +1 Cha

Skill Points: 2+Int per level (x4 at 1st level). Class skills: Appraise, Concentration, Climb, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (Any), Listen, Search, Spellcraft, Spot.
 
Proficiencies: A Deep Dragon isn't proficient with any armor or weapons, besides his own natural weapons.

Features:
Deep Dragon Body: The Deep Dragon loses all other racial bonuses, and gains Dragon traits (60’ Darkvision, low light vision, and immunity to sleep and paralysis),  bite 1d8 damage + Str mod, 2 claws attack for 1d6 +1/2 Str mod damage each and 40’ base speed, swim 30 feet, burrow 20 feet medium size. The Deep Dragon has wings, but they're too weak to do anything for now. His claws are capable of fine manipulation and can be used for somatic components of spellcasting or anything else a human hand could do.

The Deep Dragon also gets a natural armor bonus equal to his Con modifier. Whenever the Deep Dragon grows one size category, his natural armor increases by a further 1.

Acid Breath: The Deep Dragon can fire a cone of 30’ dealing 1d6 Acid damage/HD (Reflex save for half damage, DC = 10+1/2 HD+Con mod) every 1d4 rounds. Cone increases by 5’ for each additional HD.

Deep Magic: At the following levels the Deep Dragon becomes able to use SLAs a certain number of times per day. Save DCs are 10+1/2 HD+Cha mod.

• Least- At 1st level Detect Magic 1/hour per HD.
  
• Lesser- At 8th level Freedom of Movement 1/day per 4 HD (24 hour duration if cast on self) and Stone Shape 1/day per 4 HD.
  
• Advanced-At 10th level Transmute Rock to Mud and Passwall 1/day per 4 HD
  
  Arcane Blood: A Deep Dragon receives spells known and spells per day as a Sorcerer of 2/3 his level, but he has CL equal to his HD.
  If he multiclasses as a Sorcerer, the casting stacks. If a dragon takes a casting prestige class, it may choose to advance his casting as that of a Sorcerer. So a dragon 10/loremaster 10 would cast as a 16th level Sorcerer.
  
  

  Dragon Level 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

  Sorcerer Casting - 1 2 2 3 4 4 5 6 6 7 8 8 9 10 10 11 12 12 13

  
  Keen Senses: At 2nd level the Deep Dragon sees four times as well as a human in shadowy illumination and twice as well in normal light. It also has darkvision out to 120’.
  
  Blindsense: As per the SRD, range 60’.
  
  Charm Immunity: At 3rd level the Deep Dragon becomes immune to Charm effects.
  
  Ability Score Increase: The Deep Dragon ability scores increase by the shown amount.
  
  

  Level 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

  Total Bonus Gained +1 Str +1 Str, +1 Cha +1 Str, +1 Con, +1 Cha +2 Str, +1 Con, +1 Cha +2 Str, +2 Con, +2 Cha +3 Str, +2 Con, +2 Cha +3 Str, +2 Con, +3 Cha +3 Str, +3 Con, +3 Cha +4 Str, +3 Con, +3 Cha +4 Str, +4 Con, +4 Cha +5 Str, +4 Con, +4 Cha +5 Str, +5 Con, +5 Cha +6 Str, +5 Con, +5 Cha +6 Str, +6 Con, +6 Cha +7 Str, +6 Con, +6 Cha +7 Str, +7 Con, +7 Cha +8 Str, +8 Con, +7 Cha +9 Str, +9 Con, +8 Cha

  NOTE: This table presents the TOTAL bonus gained for ease of keeping count! Don't add the values from different levels!
  
  Wings: At 4th level the Deep Dragon becomes able to fly at the speed of 10 feet per HD, with poor maneuverability. The maneuverability doesn't increase naturally, but players can take the  Improved Flight feat, found in Complete Adventurer and Races of the Wild, which increases maneuverability by one step. Each wing can also be now used to deliver a natural attack dealing 1d4+1/2 str mod damage.
  
  Snake Form: At 5th level 1/day per 2 HD as a standard action the Deep Dragon can assume a serpentine (legless) form. Size remains unchanged, but the Deep Dragon can count itself as one size smaller than it actually is when advantageus such as hiding and squeezing through tight spaces, plus can start a grapple as a free action whitout provoking attacks of opportunity nor needing a new attack roll every time it hits with its Bite or Tail Slap (if any) attacks plus Constrict (2d6 base damage for medium, 2d8 for large, 3d6 for huge, 3d8 for gargantuan, 6d6 for colossal). However the Deep Dragon loses all claw attacks (as well as any other natural weapons based on limbs, but can still provide somatic components for Arcana Blood), base speed is reduced to 30 feet, fly to 10 feet and burrow to 15 feet. The Deep Dragon can turn back as another standard action.
  
  Humanoid Form: At 6th level the Deep Dragon gains the Alternate Form srd ability for any medium-sized humanoid, useable 1/day per HD.
  
  Deep Arcana: At 8th and 16th level the Deep Dragon adds one  spell with the [Earth] descriptor of a level he can cast to his list of spells known.
  
  Deep Lord: At 10th level a Deep Dragon casts spells with the [Earth] descriptor at +2 caster level and ignores any limit on caster level on such spells.
  
  Arcane skin: At 11th level the Deep Dragon gains SR equal to his HD+11.
  
  Growth:At 11th level the Deep Dragon grows to large size.
               At 16th level the Deep Dragon grows to huge size.
               
  His AC, bonus to hit, base damage, grapple and skills change accordingly, but he doesn't get any ability score bonus or penalties.
  
  Tail slap:The Deep Dragon can now make a tail slap attack dealing 1d8 +1.5 x Str modifier damage (already taking in account large size).
  
  Iron Scales: At 12th level the Deep Dragon gains DR/magic equal to half his HD.
  
  True Seeing: Starting at 12th level the Deep Dragon benefits from a permanent True Seeing ability.
  
  Deep Cunning:  At 13th level the Deep Dragon can start or end its Humanoid Shape or Snake Form as a free action.
  
  Deep Explorer: Deep Dragons sometimes venture to the surface world, looking for treasure, revengge and magic to loot.  At 15th level when the Deep Dragon hits an opponent with its bite attack, it may either
  -make a Disarm attempt as a free action that doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity and places the item in their possession
  -learn all the spells and SLAs the target has, pick one of them, and add them to their list of spells known while the victim can’t use it anymore, victim is allowed a Reflex save with DC 10+1/2 HD+Cha mod to resist, failure means it lasts until the Deep Dragon is slain, success means it only lasts 1d4 rounds. The Deep Dragon can only keep a number of spells stolen this way up to its Cha mod, but can give up old ones to make room for new ones, in which case they return to the original owner.
  -Deal double bite damage if the target had harmed the Deep Dragon before.
  
  Crush: At 16th level the dragon can make a crush attack dealing 2d8 damage base, already taking in account huge size.
  
  (click to show/hide)

  This special attack allows a flying or jumping dragon of at least Huge size to land on opponents as a standard action, using its whole body to crush them. Crush attacks are effective only against opponents three or more size categories smaller than the dragon (though it can attempt normal overrun or grapple attacks against larger opponents).
  
  A crush attack affects as many creatures as can fit under the dragon’s body. Creatures in the affected area must succeed on a Reflex save (DC equal to that of the dragon’s breath weapon) or be pinned, automatically taking bludgeoning damage during the next round unless the dragon moves off them. If the dragon chooses to maintain the pin, treat it as a normal grapple attack. Pinned opponents take damage from the crush each round if they don’t escape.
  
  A crush attack deals the indicated damage plus 1½ times the dragon’s Strength bonus (round down).
  
  Frightful Presence: The ability takes effect automatically whenever the dragon attacks, charges, or flies overhead. Enemies within a radius of 30 feet × half the dragon's level are subject to the effect if they have fewer HD than the dragon. A potentially affected enemy that succeeds on a Will save (DC 10 + ½ dragon’s HD + dragon’s Cha modifier) remains immune to that dragon’s frightful presence for 24 hours. On a failure, enemies with 4 or less HD become panicked for 4d6 rounds and those with 5 or more HD become shaken for 4d6 rounds. Dragons ignore the frightful presence of other dragons.
  
  Deep Patience:  Deep Dragons know how to deal with other underdark schemers such as drows and mind flayers. At 17th level when the Deep Dragon takes the Defensive Fighting action, it adds its Cha bonus to AC, SR, DR, Will saves and Sense Motive checks for the duration. If it takes the Total Defense action, it can also adds its Cha bonus to AC, SR, DR, Will saves and Sense Motive checks, and next round can as a single fullround action  (fullattack or charge )+cast a spell with a casting time of a standard action or less, as long as the attacks are targeting somebody that attacked them while taking the Total Defense action.
  
  
  Deep Hunter:  At 19th level in the round after using Total Defense, the Deep Dragon can adds its Cha mod to attack and damage rolls, Spot, Listen and SR penetration.
  
  Drake of the Depths:  Most true dragons would consider being called a drake a great insult, even worst than being called a wyvern, but the Deep Dragon, physically smaller than most its brethern, quite values being underestimated, being all too happy others think of them as just big dumb magicless lizards with wings. At 20th level the Deep Dragon can perfectly mask any magic effects and items currently on itself from all observation, and is himself immune to all indirect divinations while burrowing. Knowledge checks take a -20 penalty against it.
  
  
  (click to show/hide)

  Been some time since I made a true dragon, just how many of those are there?
  
  Anyway the Deep Dragon has some interesting bits, in particular the whole snake shape thingy where they can more resemble some of the older dragon legends where they were described as basically giant snakes that maybe could or could not fly. Also quite a lot of earth SLAs although they don’t seem to actually have the Earth subtype.  Slower growth than other dragons but bigger isn’t always better when you gotta move inside tight tunnels.
  
  Also something wrong with the table but I can't figure out what so if here's hoping somebody's feeling charitable and finds the solution.
  
  So if you want to play an underdark wyrm, the Deep Dragon’s for you!
  
  

[~Corvus~]

Snake form is full of so many changes. Why does it lose AC and burrow? As if the Dragon's Touch AC weren't bad enough!  If anything, it should retain its ground movement and burrow speeds, since it still retains its SLAs anyways; it's not like burrow speeds are broken.

I recommend some wording changes:

Size remains unchanged, but the Deep Dragon can count itself as one size smaller than it actually is when advantageus such as hiding and squeezing through tight spaces. It retains its Bite and Tail Slap natural attacks, and gains Improved Grab with these attacks and thus can start a grapple as a free action whitout provoking attacks of opportunity nor needing a new attack roll every time it hits (with Tail Slap or Bite). Once grappling, it may Constrict for 2d6 base damage for medium, 2d8 for large, 3d6 for huge, 3d8 for gargantuan, 6d6 for colossal. (rest is fine)

[oslecamo]

Using the official Improved grab ability is a plain  nerf since that one is specifically limited to grappling creatures smaller than yourself.

Fair enuff in AC penalty, removed it.

Burrow speeds can be broken if combined with hit-and-run tactics against flightless enemies. Also great for evading enemies, escaping, closing in and whatnot. But ok, fully removing burrow may be too much so allowed it for snake form.

Either way legless creatures aren't exactly known for their great speed so reduced movements stay.