by Nael & Joe Mashuga
Wood drakes are the result of Chaos’ influence on clutches of green dragon eggs back when the Graygem wandered Adlatum. Wood drakes physically resemble their green dragon antecedents but lack wings and the ability to fly. Unlike their ancestors, wood drakes are slightly less intelligent and lack much of the magical might of true dragons.
Wood drakes are wingless through their entire lives and are hatched with a bright, almost metallic green color. As the drake ages, its scales slowly darken into a deeper more concealing green with darker bands to help with camoufl age. From birth wood drakes have the ability to assume the form of either a large viper or constrictor snake in this form wood drake young live in the forest canopy until the juvenile stage when they have become to large to hunt effectively.
Also like their true dragon ancestors, wood drakes are given to hoarding gemstones and other valuable minerals and jewels as well as precious metals.
Strategies and Tactics
Wood drake tactics are pretty straightforward when compared to other drake types. Wood drakes are opportunists, preferring to scavenge rather than actively hunt, and will usually drive off another predator so as to claim the kill as its own. Wood drakes are also known to build many pitfall and deadfall traps to assist them when hunting. One common tactic is to excavate a large hole and cover it with branches and scraped dirt, then startle or chase large prey over the trapped pit. Wood drakes seem to enjoy watching the slow death of their victims as they succumb to starvation, dehydration or any injuries they may have sustained in the fall. Wood drakes are rather sadistic and seem to enjoy playing with their prey – especially sentient prey, which seems to be a wood drake favorite.
3.5 Edition Statistics
Dragon
Environment: Dense woodlands, temperature and subtropical swamps
Organization: Wyrmling, young, juvenile, adult, and wyrm; solitary, pair, or family (1-2 and 2-5 off spring)
Challenge Rating: Wyrmling 1/2; young 2; juvenile 4; adult 6; wyrm 8
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: (2nd Edition – 3.5) Usually neutral evil; (4th Edition) Evil
Advancement: Wyrmling 2 HD, adult 6 HD, wyrm 8-15 HD
Golden Drake by Age | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Age | Size | Hit Die (hp) |
Str | Dex | Con | Int | Wis | Cha | Base Attack/ Grapple |
Attack | Fort Save |
Ref Save |
Will Save |
Breath Weapon (DC) |
Wyrmling | T | 1d12 (6 hp) |
8 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 3 | +1/-8 | +2 | +2 | +4 | +2 | – |
Young | S | 3d12+3 (22 hp) |
10 | 14 | 12 | 7 | 10 | 3 | +3/-1 | +4 | +4 | +5 | +3 | 2d4(12) |
Juvenile | S | 4d12+8 (34 hp) |
12 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 12 | 5 | +4/+1 | +6 | +6 | +6 | +5 | 3d4(14) |
Adult | M | 5d12+15 (47 hp) |
14 | 14 | 16 | 10 | 14 | 5 | +5/+7 | +7 | +7 | +6 | +6 | 4d4(15) |
Wyrm | L | 7d12+28 (83 hp) |
18 | 14 | 18 | 13 | 16 | 7 | +7/+11 | +11 | +9 | +7 | +8 | 5d4(17) |
Golden Drake Abilities by Age | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Age | Movement | Initiative | AC | Special Abilities | SR |
Wyrmling | 20 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft. |
+2 | 15 (+2 size, +2 Dex, +1 natural) | Alternate form | – |
Young | 20 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft. |
+2 | 16 (+1 size, +2 Dex, +3 natural) | – | 10 |
Juvenile | 30 ft., burrow 10 ft., climb 30 ft., swim 20 ft. |
+2 | 18 (+1 size, +2 Dex, +5 natural) | Venomous bite | 12 |
Adult | 40 ft., burrow 10 ft., climb 30 ft., swim 20 ft. |
+2 | 18 (+2 Dex, +6 natural) | – | 14 |
Wyrm | 40 ft., burrow 10 ft., climb 30 ft., swim 20 ft. |
+2 | 19 (+2 Dex, +7 natural) | Woodland stride | 16 |
Alternate Form (Su) A wood drake can assume the form of a snake of the same size as the drake’s natural form. Half of all wood drakes can assume a constrictor form, while the other half can assume the form of a viper. The wood drake loses its natural weapons, breath weapon, and venomous bite and instead gains the constrictor or viper’s natural attacks.
Breath Weapon (Su) A wood drake has a single breath weapon, a 30-foot cone of thorns.
Venomous Bite (Ex) Wood drake venom is paralytic (injury, Fortitude DC 10 + 1/2 racial Hit Dice + Constitution modifi er, initial damage 1d4 Dex, secondary effect paralysis for 1d4 minutes).
Woodland Stride (Ex) Wood drakes of the wyrm stage may move through any sort of undergrowth such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain at its normal speed and without taking damage or suff ering any other impairment. However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that are enchanted or magically manipulated to impede motion still affect it.
Skills A wood drake has a +4 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, and Spot checks and a +8 racial bonus on Balance and Climb checks. A wood drake has a +8 racial bonus on Swim checks to perform a special action or avoid a hazard. A wood drake can always choose to take 10 on a Climb or Swim check, even if distracted, rushed, or threatened. It can use the run action while swimming, so long as it swims in a straight line.
Sample Adult Wood Drake (CR 6)
NE Medium dragon
Init +6; Senses blindsense 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Listen +14, Spot +14
AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 16
(+2 Dexterity, +6 natural)
hp 47 (5d12+15)
Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +6
Immune paralysis, sleep; SR 14
Spd 40 ft., burrow 10 ft., climb 30 ft., swim 20 ft.
Melee bite +7 (1d8+2) and 2 claws +2 (1d6+1)
Special Attacks breath weapon (usable every 1d4 rounds, 30-ft. cone, 4d4 piercing, DC 15 Reflex half), venomous bite)
Str 14, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 5
Base Atk +5; Grp +7
Feats Endurance, Improved Initiative
Skills Balace +10, Climb +14, Hide +14, Listen +14, Move Silently +10, Spot +14, Survival +10, Swim +14
Languages Draconic
SQ alternate form
Alternate Form (Su) This wood drake can assume the form of a medium constrictor snake.
Skills A wood drake has a +4 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, and Spot checks and a +8 racial bonus on Balance and Climb checks. A wood drake has a +8 racial bonus on Swim checks to perform a special action or avoid a hazard. A wood drake can always choose to take 10 on a Climb or Swim check, even if distracted, rushed, or threatened. It can use the run action while swimming, so long as it swims in a straight line.
Venomous Bite (Ex) Injury, Fortitude DC 15 negates, initial damage 1d4 Dex, secondary damage paralysis 1d4 minutes.