This week we continue an exploration of the creature types in the Menagerie, highlighting a few of the more interesting examples from each as we go. So far we've looked at Aberrations & Chimeras, Angels, Demons & Devils, Animals, Beasts & Insects, Axiomites & Constructs, and Fey & Proteans. This week we'll take a look at some of the most iconic of fantasy monsters, Dragons & Elementals.
These two creature types have much more in common than their recognizability, however. Both types of creatures are known for the broad similarities within their otherwise wide diversity. Even though there are many different types of Elementals, and various different shades of dragon, an adventurer can nevertheless have a sort of baseline expectation of how these monsters operate. Typically, the flavor of the specific monster adds a few special abilities and quirks that take twist the way an encounter plays out individually, while still offering the overall expected experience.
For this reason, the Dragon & Elemental chapters of the Menagerie read very differently from others. Rather than reproduce full stat blocks for every different color of Dragon, or every different type of Elemental, the book provides a "generic" stat block containing all of the aspects common to all, followed by a set of templates to modify these statistics for the specific variety in question. The Dragon and Elemental stat blocks are instead divided up by age categories, with younger Dragons and Elementals posing less of an overall danger than elder ones. When making use of these monsters, a GM would choose an age category and then modify it with a type. And so, instead of providing a few different stat blocks for each one in this blog, we'll look at a few of the different templates instead.
As we look at these creature types, and some examples from the Menagerie, it's important to be refreshed on some of the conventions that the book uses in order to maintain its level-agnostic format. Important statistics like attacks, skill, saves, or the DCs for special abilities do not list a number. Rather, they simply call out a difficulty level from the challenge table. For a DC, this is always whatever the number is directly. For an active roll, such as an attack or saving throw, this is the number on the table minus ten. Hit Points are given as a multiple of the monster's level, and damage is typically listed without a number of dice included. When listed this way, damage dice are assumed to be one die base, plus another die for every five levels the monster has. For example, one of the monster's we'll highlight later, a Red Dragon, would deal 1d6 extra fire damage with its jaws if level 1-4, 2d6 if level 5-9, 3d6 if level 10-14, and so on.
DRAGONS
Few creatures are as recognizable and dangerous as the iconic dragon. Physically powerful and highly intelligent masters of magic, dragons are never a trivial encounter, even when alone. Dragons can live for a long time, and continually grow in both size and power as they age. Dragons are divided into two sub-categories: true dragons and lesser dragons. All dragons are resistant to the energy type most closely associated with their concept, and many are weak to the opposite damage type as well.
True dragons are inextricably associated with a concept. The most recognizable concepts are elements, usually as represented by colors. Less common dragons might represent a natural environment, while extremely rare dragons have been known to represent more esoteric concepts like nightmares or spatial wormholes. Regardless of their inherent concept, true dragons have a lot in common with each other. All have potent breath weapons, which vary in area and damage based on the nature of the dragon, a large assortment of natural unarmed attacks, and potent innate magic. While not actually immortal, true dragons can live for millennia and can grow to considerable size, some even reaching the colossal size category.
Lesser dragons are beings that resemble dragons in their form or lineage, but lack the raw power and longevity of their pure-blooded cousins. This group runs the gamut from almost-dragons such as drakes and wyverns, to variants of other creatures with which dragons have had a direct or indirect influence on their lineage, such as kobolds. Lesser dragons have few overall commonalities besides their creature type, except perhaps for a tendency toward an inflated sense of self-importance resulting from their draconic heritage.
This creature type is commonly associated with magic and spellcasting. As such, those at least trained in Arcana can use that skill as a Knowledge Specialty when attempting to identify dragons.
RED DRAGON TEMPLATE
Perhaps the most iconic color of dragon, red dragons are associated with the elemental energies of fire, both the element and the plane. Red dragons like to make their lairs in mountain ranges with frequent and strong volcanic activity, which makes approach difficult for enemies that can’t take the heat. These dragons are known for being both arrogant and aggressive, and are extremely prone to active raids on settlements where they pillage both treasure and food in the form of hapless citizens. The longer a red dragon goes unchallenged, the more likely it is to become vain and self-important, considering itself above the petty troubles of those it victimizes. This vanity can sometimes be exploited, as a red dragon is more likely to let flattering and obsequious morsels live longer as long as they continue stroking its massive ego.
Breath Weapon: A red dragon’s breath weapon uses the spray shape.
Energy Type: Whenever a red dragon deals energy damage the type is always fire. Adult red dragons add d6 fire to their jaws attacks, while ancient red dragons add d10 fire to their jaws attacks instead.
Immunity: A red dragon is immune to fire damage.
Flame Sight: A red dragon’s senses are never impeded by smoke or flames, including steam. If it has concealment as a result of smoke or flames, the flat check DC to target a red dragon is increased by 4.
Traits: Red dragons add the Fire trait to those of a true dragon.
Weakness: A red dragon is weak to cold damage.
These dragons take the danger posed by any age category of dragon, and turn up the heat. Protection against fire is a must if an encounter with one of these dragons is to be had. Like most typically-encountered dragons, Red ones have a distinct tendency toward dastardly behavior. Though this is not a hard rule encoded into their genetics, enough of these dragons tend to use their power to inflict suffering on others that defending one's self is a good first step. Its ability to hide effectively in smoke and fire can make encountering one of these dragons in its lair especially difficult for those that rely exclusively on sight.
LEAD DRAGON TEMPLATE
Gregarious and talkative, lead dragons are avid collectors of art. Physical art, such as paintings and statuary, adorn may their lairs, but lead dragons seem to have an even greater affinity for ephemeral art, such as songs, stories or even an exquisite meal. These dragons typically value art and artistry more than traditional currency or gems, and as such are often generous patrons of artists of all kinds in the settlements they call home. Perhaps because of their love of storytelling, lead dragons are often the most consistently empathetic toward the plights of shorter-lived species around them. A lead dragon in a settlement is likely the owner of a famous art gallery or a patron of a talented theater troupe or exclusive restaurant, or moonlights as one of many different art critics under pseudonyms it rotates through to disguise its true nature.
Bardic Affinity: A lead dragon has all Bardic class perks of up to its level with the composition or accent trait. If a composition power or accent requires Spell Points, it can cast it three times per day. It can use these abilities while disguised with Alter Self.
Breath Weapon: A lead dragon’s breath weapon uses the line shape.
Energy Type: Whenever a lead dragon deals energy damage the type is always poison. Adult lead dragons add d6 poison to their jaws attacks, while ancient lead dragons add d10 poison to their jaws attacks instead.
Immunity: A lead dragon is immune to poison damage.
Traits: Lead dragons add the Poison traits to those of a true dragon.
Weakness: A lead dragon is weak to fire damage.
While one might assume that a dragon with the affinity for the poison energy type would be bad news, Lead Dragons buck the stereotype of their cousins by typically acting positively toward others. While this outlook is not hardwired into their essence, enough Lead Dragons behave this way that one can have a reasonable confidence that an encounter with one can end in a friendly manner. Yet, since these dragons like to disguise themselves and live among mortals, a party might have many dealings with a Lead Dragon without ever realizing it. These dragons, like the other often-good dragons, often make for great, if aloof, allies to a party, providing questing hooks and funding in their constant desire to experience the best and finest things the world has to offer.
DRAGGREGATE TEMPLATE
Sometimes, if a dragon spends enough consecutive time undisturbed in its hoard, it begins to merge with the hoard and become a permanent part of it. These draggregates become solid amalgamations of gems and precious metals instead of living beings, and indeed a draggregate is more akin to a construct than any other creature. The nature of draggregates has interesting implications for the life cycles of true dragons, suggesting that even the most cunning and defensive of dragons may need the occasional fight to the death from an adventuring party just to remain alive. Whether most dragons are aware of this symbiotic nature is unknown, though the very extreme rarity of draggregates suggests that they must be, at least to some extent. It is further supposed that the fearsome Dracoshade demon is spawned from the escaped life force of a dragon that has died in this way. Draggregates typically do not leave their hoard for any reason. The draggregate template overrides any other template the dragon might have used while still alive.
Breath Weapon: A draggregate’s breath weapon uses the same shape it used in life.
Construct Traits: A draggregate is mindless, has hardness, and functions similarly to clockwork.
Energy Type: Whenever a draggregate deals energy damage the energy is replaced with a spray of coins and gems, dealing bludgeoning and an equal amount of bleed damage.
Immunity: A draggregate is immune to disease, emotion, fear, mental, poison, positive, negative and subdual damage.
Traits: Draggregates add the Construct and Mindless traits to those of a true dragon.
Weakness: A draggregate is weak to adamantine.
These unusual dragons blur the line between creature and construct, and put a very different spin on the typical dragon encounter. Many of the go-to strategies for dealing with dragons can struggle to be effective against a Draggregate. While a lot like animated cautionary tales, a party that hears about one will likely be eager to rush to defeat it in order to claim its obviously vast treasure for themselves. Such parties should be wary, however, as it is likely that much of a Draggregate's hoard is cursed.
ELEMENTALS
Beings of pure animated essence, elementals are life unlike any other in existence. Defying biological norms, these creatures composed of pure esoterica only display a rudimentary intelligence when young. Similar to dragons, the longer an elemental persists the greater it grows in both size and awareness, with elders developing a cunning and wisdom that rivals, or even equals, the gods of creation.
The most common elementals are those that are living embodiments of the four primary elements of air, earth, fire and water, but elementals can exist that are combinations of essences, like magma, or even more esoteric essences, such as aether. Each type of elemental is radically different from others in most respects, but all of them share some key defensive characteristics. As beings devoid of normal biology they have no weak areas, and are immune to precision damage, such as Sneak Attacks, and attacks against them cannot get a better result than success.
This creature type is commonly associated with the fundamental nature of reality. As such, those at least trained in Nature can use that skill as a Knowledge Specialty when attempting to identify elementals.
AIR ELEMENTAL TEMPLATE
Air elementals come from the elemental plane of air. These elementals detest confinement, and prefer to avoid the ground whenever possible. When called, the most likely service an air elemental is asked to provide is to maintain a permanent and clean atmosphere somewhere that cannot usually support one, such as high atop mountains, deep underwater, or on otherwise lifeless planetoids.
Aerial Ace: An air elemental has a fly speed equal to its Speed. It has a +1 un-typed bonus to checks and damage while it is not touching the ground.
{A} Flyby Attack: The air elemental Strides and makes an attack at any point during the movement.
{A} Gust: An air elemental’s slam attack is also a ranged attack with a hex 5 range increment and the agile, propulsive and reload 0 traits.
Immunity: An air elemental is immune to the grabbed, impeded, prone and restrained conditions as well as physical damage.
Traits: An air elemental adds the Air trait to those of an elemental of its size.
Weakness: An air elemental is weak to sonic damage.
{AA} Whirlwind: The air elemental becomes a powerful, spinning funnel cloud. This functions as a tornado, except the air elemental chooses how it moves. An elemental in whirlwind form cannot use any activities other than Stride, or revert to normal form as an action. A nascent air elemental becomes a category 1 tornado, and the category is increased by 1 for each size category bigger the elemental is.
The most common types of elementals correspond to the traditional four elements, Air, Earth, Fire and Water. Each one has distinct advantages if encountered in its preferred environment. For Air Elementals in particular, their ability to use their typical melee attacks at range makes them a challenging encounter in open spaces where the elemental can use its flight to stay out of range of melee-heavy parties that lack their own ability to fly. Perhaps even more dangerous is the Air Elemental's ability to simply become a devastating tornado. The older the elemental, the bigger the funnel cloud, and the more damage it can wreak by simply moving around.
CLOUD ELEMENTAL TEMPLATE
Cloud elementals come from the regions where the elemental planes of air and water overlap. This dual nature gives cloud elementals a hybrid mastery of both elements at once. Ranging from placid cumulus to intense thunderstorm based on their mood, these elementals are extremely difficult to interact with for those without the ability to fly, but are yet quite capable of making their displeasure known from on high.
Aerial Ace: A cloud elemental has a fly speed equal to its Speed. It has a +1 un-typed bonus to checks and damage while it is not touching the ground.
Downpour: A cloud elemental can choose to make the area directly under it filled with rain. It can choose the intensity of this rain at will, and doing so is a free action it can trigger at any time on its turn.
{A} Flyby Attack: The cloud elemental Strides and makes an attack at any point during the movement.
{AA} Hail: If the cloud elemental is using its Downpour or Snowstorm abilities, it can release a dense pelting of frozen rain. Creatures in the area must attempt a [hard] Reflex save.
Success: As failure, but half damage of each type.
Success (+5): As success, and 5 less damage of each type.
Failure: The target takes bludgeoning and cold damage, each using its slam damage dice.
Failure (-10): As failure, plus 10 more damage of each type.
Immunity: A cloud elemental is immune to the grabbed, impeded and restrained conditions as well as cold, electric, fire and physical damage.
Snowstorm: A cloud elemental can choose to make the area directly under it filled with snow. It can choose the intensity of this snow at will, and doing so is a free action it can trigger at any time on its turn.
{A} Thunderbolt: The cloud elemental Strikes with a bolt of intense lightning as a ranged attack with no maximum distance. The thunderbolt deals electric damage and persistent electric damage equal to its slam damage dice.
Traits: A cloud elemental adds the Air, Cold, Electricity and Water traits to those of an elemental of its size.
Weakness: A cloud elemental is weak to force and sonic damage.
Less common than "pure" Elementals are the hybrid elementals, which are composed of a mixture of two different traditional elements. Like their Air Elemental cousins, hostile Cloud Elementals can be difficult to defeat for parties that lack flight or ranged capabilities. At yet, their ability to constantly produce rain can make these elementals important allies in otherwise arid regions. Like the Lead Dragon above, this highlights how many of the "monsters" in the Menagerie can be used to facilitate world-building on top of just encounter design.
AETHER ELEMENTAL TEMPLATE
Aether elementals come from the astral plane, rather than one of the inner planes as is typical for elemental kind. Indeed, how these strange beings came to exist as anthropomorphic nothing is a brain teaser that continues to stump many scholars that study the fundamental nature of the cosmos. And yet, despite the absurdity of their being, aether elementals remain stubbornly real, and quite hard to deal with, even to those that have tools meant to fight both elemental and incorporeal creatures.
Astral Supremacy: An aether elemental has a fly speed equal to its speed, and can fly through solid objects and in a vacuum without hindrance. It has a +1 un-typed bonus to checks and damage if it is in a vacuum or in the astral plane.
{A} Ethereal Strand: The aether elemental acts as if it has Concentrated on the telekinesis spell. This effect is not magic.
Immunity: An aether elemental is immune to any damage it is not weak to.
Incorporeal Elemental: While aether elementals are weak to ghost touch weapons and ectoplasmic spells, the best result an attack against it can get is still success even with those effects applied to it. All of its attacks gain the ghost touch property and its Ethereal Strand ability always benefits from the ectoplasmic spell metamagic ability, so it can fully affect corporeal targets.
Insubstantial: An aether elemental can never be more than sensed to vision, hearing, smell or touch.
Traits: An aether elemental adds the Incorporeal trait to those of an elemental of its size.
Weakness: An aether elemental is weak to force and un-typed damage, ghost touch weapons and ectoplasmic spells.
Although most elementals embody the traditional energy elements, or a combination of them, some elementals are physical embodiments of more esoteric planes, such as the Astral plane. Of course, physical embodiment is a bit of a strange phrase to use with regards to the Aether Elemental, since there really isn't anything physical about it. These elementals can be some of the most challenging for parties that aren't equipped to handle incorporeal threats. While it may seem fortunate that these elementals are rare, that very rarity makes identifying them, and thus knowing how to deal with them, even more challenging.
The Realm of Runes Menagerie would be severely lacking if it did not include plenty of Dragons and Elementals. By utilizing this template format, a great deal of variety can be injected into these creature types without needing to constantly repeat some very long portions of stat blocks over and over. This also makes adding new types of Dragons and Elementals in future Menageries easier as well. Next week we'll continue our tour of the Menagerie with a more agrarian bent, by looking at Plants & Fungi.
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