Converting True Dragons

freyar said:

That works on the languages. Tactics are also good!

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Updating Pearl the Moon Dragon Working Draft.

freyar said:

The other Colossal unique dragons I checked in the CC are around 120+ ft long and 220+ tons, except for Ahi, who's rather puny for his size category. One is 170 feet and 350 tons. Want to go with something like 140 ft and 260 tons?

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Well there are 2E AD&D versions of Tiamat that are 360 feet (Polyhedron #36, 1992) or 500 feet (DMGR4, 1992) long, and she has kids of the 140 ft. size you suggest (i.e. An-Ur).

Besides, Pearl is a Chaotic shapechanging dragon, so might be whatever size she wants to be.

How about:

Pearl's natural pearlescent dragon form is mutable and can change size and shape at will as described under her Alternative Form ability. Her normal Colossal size can range from 100 to 300 feet in length (including tail) and weighs 50 to 1,000 tons.

Alternate Form (Su): Pearl can assume any animal or humanoid form of Huge size or smaller as a standard action. She can also assume the form of any of the chaotic dragon varieties she rules over of any age category from wyrmling to great wyrm. The Moon Dragon can remain in an alternate form until she chooses to assume a new one or return to her natural form.

Her natural form can be any size between Tiny and her normal size of Colossal and can assume the shape but not the coloration of any chaotic dragon, including wingless and legless species (she can still fly magically in wingless forms). Pearl can resize and reshape her natural form as a free action once per round.

That sounds fun, sure!

Is description the last bit left?
A giant, opalescent dragon of shifting form.

freyar said:

That sounds fun, sure!

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Updating Pearl the Moon Dragon Working Draft.

freyar said:

Is description the last bit left?
A giant, opalescent dragon of shifting form.

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Well we need some background text too.

I'm reluctant to use opalescent in the description since the next Dragon Ruler is called Opal. That said, pearlescent is a bit too on-the-nose.

Also, we gave her super size changing abilities so I'd avoid "giant" as that wouldn't apply if she chose to be cat-sized!

How about:

An awe-inspiring dragon, pale white like moonlight. Its scales gleam with subtle iridescent colors like the mother of pearl inside a nacreous mollusc's shell.

Hmm, no needs a bit more "shiftiness".

An awe-inspiring dragon whose form subtly shifts between the shapes of different types of dragon. Its scales are pale white like moonlight and gleam with the subtle iridescence of a pearl.

Yup, that'll do!

For the rest, let's keep it simple:

The Moon Dragon, or Pearl as she is also called, is an immortal dragon who rules over Chaotic dragons. In her full glory Pearl is larger than any great wyrm among the mortal dragons. She answers to no one except The Great Dragon who commands all dragonkind. There are two other Dragon Rulers who directly serve The Great One: Diamond the Star Dragon, who rules Lawful dragons, and Opal the Sun Dragon, who rules Neutral dragons. Pearl sometimes meets with Diamond and Opal but avoids dealing with other Dragon Rulers such as Bahamut, Ruby, or Tiamat.

The Moon Dragon Ruler rarely visits the Prime Material, she usually appears to deal with some matter affecting a large number of Chaotic dragons or at the Great Dragon's direct bidding, although some visits have seemingly been whims inspired by her Chaotic temperament. When she does appear, Pearl is normally accompanied by multiple great wyrms. Her palace on the Plane of Limbo is staffed by many more Chaotic creatures, not all of them dragons. The Moon Dragon's courtiers and palace followers all worship Pearl with fanatical devotion.

That's all great!

I'm happy enough with triple standard treasure. CR is always difficult for epic critters. Hmm. Pearl is probably somewhere between a juvenile and young adult force dragon, so I could see CR of 26 or maybe 27. What do you think?

Also, are we doing anything with that parenthetical of dragon types?

freyar said:

That's all great!

I'm happy enough with triple standard treasure. CR is always difficult for epic critters. Hmm. Pearl is probably somewhere between a juvenile and young adult force dragon, so I could see CR of 26 or maybe 27. What do you think?

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Well I put the highly questionable "25??" there because that's the Challenge Rating of Bahamut and Tiamat in Manual of the Planes and Dragon #272.

However, I can't help feeling that's too low, especially as that's a 3.0 source and True Dragons had their CR tweaked up a bit in 3.5.

We can agree that Tiamat's significantly tougher than a Great Wyrm Red Dragon (CR 25 in 3.0, CR 26 in 3.5) and Bahamut's tougher than a Great Wyrm Gold Dragon (CR 26 in 3.0, CR 27 in 3.5) I hope?

Therefore Pearl should be at least a Challenge Rating higher than a Great Wyrm Mystaran Amber Dragon's CR 27.

Maybe several CRs higher.

The official Improving Monster Rules on Adding Hit Dice say "+1 per 2 HD added" for creatures of the Dragon Type and Pearl's 48 HD are 7 higher than the Great Amber's 41 HD, which'd mean 27+3 for CR 30.

That feels a bit high to me though.

freyar said:

Also, are we doing anything with that parenthetical of dragon types?

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I've added the following after the "normally accompanied by multiple great wyrms" bit:


Updating Pearl the Moon Dragon Working Draft.

I took the conservative option and put in "Challenge Rating: 28", one higher than a Great Wyrm Amber.

We can always adjust it later.

I do like CR 28. It's hard to put her much above that in comparison to the epic dragons anyway. And anything less feels pretty weak for what's basically a dragon god.

Shall we call that settled and move to the next one?

freyar said:

I do like CR 28. It's hard to put her much above that in comparison to the epic dragons anyway. And anything less feels pretty weak for what's basically a dragon god.

Shall we call that settled and move to the next one?

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Agreed. We've spent long enough on her!

Updating Pearl the Moon Dragon Working Draft (Final!).

So Opal next, I guess.

I'll just link to the Original Stats.

Okay, I guess the first question is how many Hit Dice do we give Opal?

Double the original's 27 for 54 Hit Dice, which is six more HD than Pearl?

But the original Opal had three more HD than Pearl's 24, which'd be 51 Hit Dice?

We also need a set of Neutral Dragons for his special abilities.

I think we discussed this back in the misty dawns of prehistory…

…Oh, we did!

Post on Dragon Types.

Post on Hit Dice.

…and we sort of agreed on something!

freyar said:

No divine ranks. I like adding 24HD, so 48HD for Pearl. +40 NA and +8 AC from something else (or in that neighborhood) seems good to me. Speeds like Bahamut sound good. Your proposed abilities are good too. Let's get that working draft!

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Now I'm wondering of an even number of Hit Dice would work better, like 50 Hit Dice for Opal and 52 Hit Dice for Diamond?

If we have Pearl/Opal/Diamond go 48/51/54 HD then the base saves will go +26/+27/+29 and I'd rather have the jump in saving throws from Ruler to Ruler be even.

Could make it 48/52/56 HD, but that'd give Diamond three more Hit Dice than the 53 HD of standard-issue Bahamut. Don't much care for that.

The Great Dragon is a rung above all the other Rulers, so we should give it plenty of Hit Dice!

I think I like 48/50/52 given Bahamut's HD.

I still agree with my old choice of the green MCA dragons for Opal, so that's good!

That enough to start a working draft?

freyar said:

I think I like 48/50/52 given Bahamut's HD.

I still agree with my old choice of the green MCA dragons for Opal, so that's good!

That enough to start a working draft?

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Well it's enough to get started.

Might post a Working Draft sometime later today, but it'll be such a massive statblock I'm likely to put it off as long as I think I can get away with it!