I'm in the process of creating new dragons for Minkai, based of course on Japanese legends about dragons. For instance, minkaian dragons are three times as old at any given age category as a typical Inner Sea dragon. I've come up with the following SLAs. I'd love comments!
Special Abilities All minkaian dragons develop the following spell-like abilities as they age.
If a dragon’s age category has no caster level, halve the next age’s level for purposes of duration. (For instance, if young dragons become 1st level casters, very young ones would be level 1/2 and wyrmlings level 1/4.) Conversely, minkaian dragons develop permanent shapeshifting with enough age, although “permanent” is relative: after all, a dragon may and will at some point dismiss a form. (If a dragon starts a day with an assumed permanent form, that counts as the dragon’s use of that type of form for the day.) Note that a dragon with permanent shapeshifting becomes able to procreate in shapeshifted form with natural animals or humanoids, although a female dragon will abort her fetus if she changes form while pregnant. The resulting offspring is always a magical creature of an appropriate sort. (For instance, the offspring of a minkaian dragon & a horse or deer might be a kirin.)
The progression of minkaian dragon shapeshifting abilities --
- Wyrmling – one form: snake form (own size to 1 less), duration 10 minutes/CL (D) once/day as if Beast Shape III.
- Very young – more forms: any animal form (own size to wyrmling –1), duration 10 minutes/CL (D) once/day as if Beast Shape III.
- Young – greater duration: any animal (own size to wyrmling –1), duration 1 hour/CL (D) once/day as if Beast Shape III.
- Juvenile – new form: any animal (own size to wyrmling –1), duration 1 hour/CL (D) once/day as if Beast Shape III;
specifically human form (medium), duration 10 minutes/CL (D) once/day as if Alter Self.
- Young adult – greater duration: any animal (own size to wyrmling –1), duration 1 day/CL (D) once/day as if Beast Shape III;
specifically human (medium), duration 1 hour/CL (D) once/day as if Alter Self.
- Adult – more forms: any animal (own size to wyrmling –1), duration 1 day/CL (D) once/day as if Beast Shape III;
any small or medium humanoid form, duration 1 hour/CL (D) once/day as if Alter Self.
- Mature adult – greater duration: any animal (own size to wyrmling –1), duration 1 day/CL (D) once/day as if Beast Shape III;
any small or medium humanoid, duration 1 day/CL (D) once/day as if Alter Self.
- Old – more forms: any animal (own size to wyrmling –1), duration 1 day/CL (D) once/day as if modified Beast Shape III*;
any humanoid (own size to wyrmling –1), duration 1 day/CL (D) once/day as if modified Alter Self*;
* extrapolate size bonuses and penalties for forms outside the listed size options.
- Very old – greater duration: any animal (own size to wyrmling –1), duration permanent (D) once/day as if modified Beast Shape III;
any humanoid (own size to wyrmling –1), duration 1 day/CL (D) once/day as if modified Alter Self.
- Ancient – greater duration: any animal (own size to wyrmling –1), duration permanent (D) once/day as if modified Beast Shape III;
any humanoid (own size to wyrmling –1), duration permanent (D) once/day as if modified Alter Self.
- Wyrms – flexible forms: any animal (own size to wyrmling –1), duration permanent (D) once/day as if modified Beast Shape III;
any humanoid (own size to wyrmling –1), duration permanent (D) once/day as if modified Alter Self;
may switch animal forms, or else humanoid forms, as a swift action, as if modified Adjustable Polymorph.
Once the wyrm has ceased to be that type of creature, their ability to assume forms of that type has been used up for that day.
- Great Wyrms – flexible forms & greater frequency:
any animal (own size to wyrmling –1), duration permanent (D) & at will, as if modified Beast Shape III;
any humanoid (own size to wyrmling –1), duration permanent (D) & at will, as if modified Alter Self;
may alter their form multiple times as a swift action, as if applying Adjustable Polymorph to any form they possess – including an Elemental Body – switching back-and-forth between types at will.
Ummm, okay, it was a wall of text...
Hmmm, maybe ever-so-slightly less wall will help:
Minkaian dragons may never assume a larger size category than their own, but may fantastically shrink down to become a creature of up to 1 size category smaller than they were as wyrmlings! For animal shapes, they favor cows, dogs, eels, fish, rats, and especially snakes, but other animals are possible. Birds, foxes, and tigers – their typical enemies – are avoided. For humanoids, old men or beautiful women are preferred.
If a dragon’s age category has no caster level, halve the next age’s level for purposes of duration. (For instance, if young dragons become 1st level casters, very young ones would be level 1/2 and wyrmlings level 1/4.)
Conversely, minkaian dragons develop permanent shapeshifting with enough age, although “permanent” is relative: after all, a dragon may and will at some point dismiss a form. (If a dragon starts a day with an assumed permanent form, that counts as the dragon’s use of that type of form for the day.) Note that a dragon with permanent shapeshifting becomes able to procreate in shapeshifted form with natural animals or humanoids, although a female dragon will abort her fetus if she changes form while pregnant. The resulting offspring is always a magical creature of an appropriate sort. (For instance, the offspring of a minkaian dragon & a horse or deer might be a kirin.)
The progression of minkaian dragon shapeshifting abilities --
- Wyrmling – one form: Snake (own size to 1 less), duration 10 minutes/CL (D) once/day as if Beast Shape III
- Very young – more forms: Any animal (else as animal before)
- Young – greater duration: Animals w/ duration 1 hour/CL (D)
- Juvenile – new form: Animals as before; Specifically human form (size medium), duration 10 minutes/CL (D) once/day as if Alter Self
- Young adult – greater duration: Animals w/ duration 1 day/CL (D); Human (medium) w/ duration 1 hour/CL (D)
- Adult – more forms: Animals as before; Any small or medium humanoid form (else as human before)
- Mature adult – greater duration: Animals as before; Humanoids (small or medium) w/ duration 1 day/CL (D)
- Old – more forms: Animals as before*; Any humanoid (own size to wyrmling –1)* (else as before);
.... * extrapolate size bonuses and penalties for forms outside the listed size options.
- Very old – greater duration: Animals w/ duration permanent (D); Humanoids as before
- Ancient – greater duration: Animals as before; Humanoids w/ duration permanent (D)
- Wyrms – flexible forms: Animals as before, but switchable*; Humanoids as before, but switchable*; both still once/day**
.... * may switch to any form of the same type as a swift action, as if modified Adjustable Polymorph
.... ** shifting back to dragon uses up that type of form's shapeshifting ability for the day
- Great Wyrms – flexible forms & greater frequency: Animals w/ duration permanent (D) at will*; Humanoids w/ duration permanent (D) at will*; inter-switchable**
.... * no limit on times per day
.... ** may alter form as a swift action, as if applying Adjustable Polymorph to any form they possess – including an Elemental Body – switching back-and-forth between types at will.
I would dearly love comments!
The Bestiary has the Change Shape universal monster ability, which allows a creature to circumvent some of the restrictions that polymorph spells normally have. Wouldn't it be simpler to grant them additional shapes (and size/type options) that can be assumed via Change Shape for each age category?
By the way, I could totally see this transformation as part of the 'molting' that a dragon goes through when it reaches the next age category, and the new form gained being reflective of the dragon's character or karmic state.
The Bestiary has the Change Shape universal monster ability, which allows a creature to circumvent some of the restrictions that polymorph spells normally have. Wouldn't it be simpler to grant them additional shapes (and size/type options) that can be assumed via Change Shape for each age category?
By the way, I could totally see this transformation as part of the 'molting' that a dragon goes through when it reaches the next age category, and the new form gained being reflective of the dragon's character or karmic state.
Thanks for the suggestions! I'll check out Change Shape.