Creating Rock Dragons.

I'd suggest getting creative with the breath weapons, and only use the occasional standard energy type.

Perhaps something like:

Basalt = magma
Granite = rock fragments
Pyrite = corrosive fire
Slate = something to do with layers (perhaps like a prismatic wall, but different effects?)
Sulphur = nauseating fire

Maybe all rock dragons could get two breath weapons, similar to the metallic dragons? Except that the second breath weapons are not non-lethal, but destructive?

For example, one idea might be an "earthquake cone" breath (basalt?). The rock fragments from Shade would be another idea.

Knight Otu said:

Maybe all rock dragons could get two breath weapons, similar to the metallic dragons? Except that the second breath weapons are not non-lethal, but destructive?

For example, one idea might be an "earthquake cone" breath (basalt?). The rock fragments from Shade would be another idea.

Click to expand...

I like this idea, I like it alot.

As for the primary breathweapons. Somehow I keep seeing green acid dripping from the pyrite dragons jaws before my inner eye... But I could go with Magma (fire that sticks) for the Basalt dragon.

If we go with Knight Otu's idea, what kind of secondary breathweapons should the different types have?

Maybe the definitions will lead to further inspiration:

Granite: A common, coarse-grained, light-colored, hard igneous rock consisting chiefly of quartz, orthoclase or microcline, and mica, used in monuments and for building.

Granite is an igneous rock that is composed of four minerals. These minerals are quartz, feldspar, mica, and usually hornblende. Granite forms as magma cools far under the earth's surface. Because it hardens deep underground it cools very slowly. This allows crystals of the four minerals to grow large enough to be easily seen by the naked eye.

Granite is an excellent material for building bridges and buildings because it can withstand thousands of pounds of pressure. It is also used for monuments because it weathers slowly. Engravings in the granite can be read for hundreds of years, making the rock more valuable. Granite is quarried in many places in the world.

Unyielding endurance; steadfastness: a will of granite.

Basalt: A hard, dense, dark volcanic rock composed chiefly of plagioclase, pyroxene, and olivine, and often having a glassy appearance.

Basalts are dark colored, fine-grained extrusive rock. The mineral grains are so fine that they are impossible to distinguish with the naked eye or even a magnifying glass. They are the most widespread of all the igneous rocks. Most basalts are volcanic in origin and were formed by the rapid cooling and hardening of the lava flows. Some basalts are intrusive having cooled inside the Earth's interior.

Pyrite: A brass-colored mineral, FeS2, occurring widely and used as an iron ore and in producing sulfur dioxide for sulfuric acid. Also called fool's gold, iron pyrites.

Pyrite is also known as iron sulfide. It is one of the most common minerals on the Earth's surface. Many people call pyrite "Fools Gold" because the crystal resemble gold in color. Pyrite is much harder than gold and it looses its glitter quickly when exposed to the air. In fact when it is rubbed on a streak plate the streak will be green to dark gray. Pyrite has a hardness of 6.5 on the Mohs hardness scale. Its cleavage is cubic or not distinct.

Sulfur: A pale yellow nonmetallic element occurring widely in nature in several free and combined allotropic forms. It is used in black gunpowder, rubber vulcanization, the manufacture of insecticides and pharmaceuticals, and in the preparation of sulfur compounds such as hydrogen sulfide and sulfuric acid.

At room temperature, sulfur is a soft bright yellow solid. Although sulfur is infamous for having a rotten egg smell, this is acctually caused by hydrogen sulfide (H2S), elemental sulfur is odorless. It burns with a blue flame that emits sulfur dioxide, notable for its peculiar suffocating odor. Sulfur is insoluble in water but soluble in carbon disulfide and other nonpolar solvents. Common oxidation states of sulfur include −2, +2, +4 and +6. Sulfur forms stable compounds with all elements except the noble gases.

Slate: A fine-grained metamorphic rock that splits into thin, smooth-surfaced layers.
A dark or bluish gray to dark bluish or dark purplish gray.

Slate is a fine-grained metamorphic rock with perfect cleavage that allows it to split into thin sheets. Slate usually has a light to dark brown streak. Slate is produced by low grade metamorphism, which is caused by relatively low temperatures and pressures.

EDIT: Added additional definitions.

Sulfur should be small and yellow. Poisonous bite.

Granite would be really big.....

Idea on a clay one, other rocks etc?

The "earthquake cone" sounds cool.

Other ideas:

Basalt = clinging magma, earthquake cone
Granite = rock fragments, ???
Pyrite = corrosive fire, glittering disorientation gas (glitterdust and confusion combo)
Slate = something to do with layers (perhaps like a prismatic wall, but different effects?), cold pressure (cold and force)
Sulphur = nauseating fire, poison gas

An idea.

What about petrification as a secondary "destructive" breath weapon? It's a pretty unique ability that seems to fit thematically with "Rock Dragons."

I would give it to the Granite Dragon myself, if ony because that is the first type of rock to come to mind when talking about petrification effects.

Shade said:

The "earthquake cone" sounds cool.

Other ideas:

Basalt = clinging magma, earthquake cone
Granite = rock fragments, ???
Pyrite = corrosive fire, glittering disorientation gas (glitterdust and confusion combo)
Slate = something to do with layers (perhaps like a prismatic wall, but different effects?), cold pressure (cold and force)
Sulphur = nauseating fire, poison gas

Click to expand...

That was a lot of info on the different rocks/minerals.

Anyway on to the breathweapons.

Basalt: Good, I like that, and I think it fits, we can go with a volcano theme on that one.
Granite: We use the rock fragments as the main attack (dealing 50% piercing/50% slashing damage) and we can use Mistah J's idea for a petrifying breathweapon as the secondary (making the Granite the most powerful of the rock dragons probably, we'll figure that out later).
Pyrite: I still want to give this one a pure acid breathweapon, but I like the secondary breathweapon idea a lot.
Slate: I think a prismatic breathweapon would be a little to powerful for a non-epic dragon. I like the cold pressure idea (half each of cold and force) for the primary breathweapon, but we need an effect for the secondary.
Sulphur: I like both these ideas, the primary weapon deals fire damage, and those who fail their saves are also nauseated for a number of rounds equal to the dragons age category? Also the poison gas secondary breathweapon idea is great, but which ability score should it affect? I am thinking Con like the poison spell, but I am open for suggestions.

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Ferret: If you have any ideas for other rock types, feel free to share them.

I would suggest that for the Pyrite dragon, it's breath weapon should not be fire-based just to upset those characters who have prepared themselves to deal with a gold.

'What do you mean acid! I'm wearing my ring of fire resistance...'

I guess it's far too late to suggest the Marble Dragon.

How about a concrete breath weapon - a cone of quick drying concrete that basically works like petrification.

Regards,
Mortis