Customizing Black Dragon [Archive] - Wizards Community

Customizing Black Dragon [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Uratoh
12-01-04, 05:48 PM I'm working on making a Black Dragon...not sure what type he'll be just yet...he needs to be a decent threat (in a balance of power sense) to a 10 HD Blackscale Lizardfolk Half Fiend Barbarian.

The story is that the Lizard's father, a Horned Devil, killed either the dragon's father or children, depending on how the age catagory works out, to make armor for his son...his son rather likes pretending to be a black dragon. I just want to make this dragon a CHARACTER as opposed to some numbers the PCs fight/kill at some point.
Dartanel
12-01-04, 06:25 PM Your target age category should probably be an adult Black Dragon.
An adult Black Dragon is CR 11. Your PC is, I think, CR 12.

So you'll need to up the Dragon a little bit. An easy way to do it would be to give it the elite array ability scores.
And if this dragon is specifically hunting the PC, then adjust its feats accordingly.

Note: The victim dragon in this case would have to be a parent. No child dragon would be big enough to make armor for a medium size PC.
whitelightsaber
12-01-04, 06:26 PM Do you have draconimicon (spelled not to guud)? If so there is plenty of stuff to customize any and all dragons there. You could focus him all around his breath weapon or all around his melee attacks. what are you generally looking to do with him, in terms of what you want him to do. Combat ? sneaky plans ?

whitelightsaber
Dartanel
12-01-04, 09:52 PM The dragon would probably know better then to focus on his breath weapon. If he studied his enemy at all he'd know he's resistant to acid.
Purkake
12-02-04, 03:30 AM Thats the fun part. Get the metabreath feat that lets you change the element of your breath weapon. :devil:
Dartanel
12-02-04, 03:51 AM There isn't one :( It's a spell. One that's too high a level for the dragon to cast.
Maybe a magic item of it, though... hmm...
cwslyclgh
12-02-04, 04:17 AM The dragon would probably know better then to focus on his breath weapon. If he studied his enemy at all he'd know he's resistant to acid.he has what... resistance 10 to acid as a half-fiend? thats not going to slow down an adult dragons breath weapon very much... on the other hand the breath weapon is probably potent enough as it is, with oput needing to focus feats and such on it especialy...
Uratoh
12-02-04, 11:12 AM Plus, he's wearing black dragonhide armor, which grants further acid resistance.
Derren S.
12-02-04, 11:21 AM 1. Normal dragon armor doesn't give resistence to the wearer. The armor has resistence, not the wearer.

2. Resistances don't stack.
Rastan3
12-03-04, 02:03 AM A character you say? Then why not assign character classes and equipment? Even a tiny wyrmling can be deadly with a 8D6 (rogue) sneak attack or a favored ememy (lizardmen) bonus of +8. Considering that black dragons get hide, move silently, spot, and listen as racial skills and rogue and ranger character classes are a natural. Add in the fun of a ring of invisibility, a wand or two and let the party get started.
okaynowa
12-03-04, 03:46 AM Hmmm... In one campaign I ran, a regular recurring villain was a black dragon whose wings had been torn off decades earlier by a troll (the troll itself was the major villain in the campaign). The dragon was prone to talking to itself and licking rocks, throwing fits of apoplectic rage, and generally lurking in mines where it wasn't wanted. That was a fun character to play, as a DM :)

There's a good opportunity to play up this black dragon in your campaign as a vengeful stalker. It's got power, skill, and draconic patience. Don't force it to attack the PC directly. Have it go after the PC's children, friends, business partners, etc. The PC likes to style himself as a black dragon? The real black dragon can start framing him (incriminating acid marks at the scene of the crime). People have sometimes likened draconic behavior to that of big cats-- let the dragon been seen as toying with the target of his vengeance. Do it right and the PC will be seeing that black dragon lurking in every shadow.

If you're looking for mechanical twists, give the dragon something weird and fun: say, this black dragon has learned to use its acidic breath to corrode the ground, creating an instant morass beneath an opponent's feet (similar to the ground-softening power of a gibbering mouther). Something unexpected and memorable.
Uratoh
12-03-04, 11:58 AM It seems I wasnt entirely clear...the lizardman is an NPC villian, I just like creating overly complex power balances in my world...the PCs may even end up working with blackie (unlikely, but)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Uratoh 12-01-04, 05:48 PM	I'm working on making a Black Dragon...not sure what type he'll be just yet...he needs to be a decent threat (in a balance of power sense) to a 10 HD Blackscale Lizardfolk Half Fiend Barbarian. The story is that the Lizard's father, a Horned Devil, killed either the dragon's father or children, depending on how the age catagory works out, to make armor for his son...his son rather likes pretending to be a black dragon. I just want to make this dragon a CHARACTER as opposed to some numbers the PCs fight/kill at some point.
Dartanel 12-01-04, 06:25 PM	Your target age category should probably be an adult Black Dragon. An adult Black Dragon is CR 11. Your PC is, I think, CR 12. So you'll need to up the Dragon a little bit. An easy way to do it would be to give it the elite array ability scores. And if this dragon is specifically hunting the PC, then adjust its feats accordingly. Note: The victim dragon in this case would have to be a parent. No child dragon would be big enough to make armor for a medium size PC.
whitelightsaber 12-01-04, 06:26 PM	Do you have draconimicon (spelled not to guud)? If so there is plenty of stuff to customize any and all dragons there. You could focus him all around his breath weapon or all around his melee attacks. what are you generally looking to do with him, in terms of what you want him to do. Combat ? sneaky plans ? whitelightsaber
Dartanel 12-01-04, 09:52 PM	The dragon would probably know better then to focus on his breath weapon. If he studied his enemy at all he'd know he's resistant to acid.
Purkake 12-02-04, 03:30 AM	Thats the fun part. Get the metabreath feat that lets you change the element of your breath weapon. :devil:
Dartanel 12-02-04, 03:51 AM	There isn't one :( It's a spell. One that's too high a level for the dragon to cast. Maybe a magic item of it, though... hmm...
cwslyclgh 12-02-04, 04:17 AM	The dragon would probably know better then to focus on his breath weapon. If he studied his enemy at all he'd know he's resistant to acid.he has what... resistance 10 to acid as a half-fiend? thats not going to slow down an adult dragons breath weapon very much... on the other hand the breath weapon is probably potent enough as it is, with oput needing to focus feats and such on it especialy...
Uratoh 12-02-04, 11:12 AM	Plus, he's wearing black dragonhide armor, which grants further acid resistance.
Derren S. 12-02-04, 11:21 AM	1. Normal dragon armor doesn't give resistence to the wearer. The armor has resistence, not the wearer. 2. Resistances don't stack.
Rastan3 12-03-04, 02:03 AM	A character you say? Then why not assign character classes and equipment? Even a tiny wyrmling can be deadly with a 8D6 (rogue) sneak attack or a favored ememy (lizardmen) bonus of +8. Considering that black dragons get hide, move silently, spot, and listen as racial skills and rogue and ranger character classes are a natural. Add in the fun of a ring of invisibility, a wand or two and let the party get started.
okaynowa 12-03-04, 03:46 AM	Hmmm... In one campaign I ran, a regular recurring villain was a black dragon whose wings had been torn off decades earlier by a troll (the troll itself was the major villain in the campaign). The dragon was prone to talking to itself and licking rocks, throwing fits of apoplectic rage, and generally lurking in mines where it wasn't wanted. That was a fun character to play, as a DM :) There's a good opportunity to play up this black dragon in your campaign as a vengeful stalker. It's got power, skill, and draconic patience. Don't force it to attack the PC directly. Have it go after the PC's children, friends, business partners, etc. The PC likes to style himself as a black dragon? The real black dragon can start framing him (incriminating acid marks at the scene of the crime). People have sometimes likened draconic behavior to that of big cats-- let the dragon been seen as toying with the target of his vengeance. Do it right and the PC will be seeing that black dragon lurking in every shadow. If you're looking for mechanical twists, give the dragon something weird and fun: say, this black dragon has learned to use its acidic breath to corrode the ground, creating an instant morass beneath an opponent's feet (similar to the ground-softening power of a gibbering mouther). Something unexpected and memorable.
Uratoh 12-03-04, 11:58 AM	It seems I wasnt entirely clear...the lizardman is an NPC villian, I just like creating overly complex power balances in my world...the PCs may even end up working with blackie (unlikely, but)