Hugo is having to take a hiatus on illustrations, because the pesky day job calls. As soon as he's able to return to these (probably mid- to late November), I'll post them up so you can witness them. I'll be continuing on with the Frogtober monsters until the end of the month, and I'm glad we were able to enter the hiatus on a high note.
I hope you enjoy the mud drake, and I'll see you tomorrow with another monster.
Oh dude, not on the carpet!
This dragon is a
mishmash of creature parts. Its main body and head are shaped like a toad, it
has stubby bat-like wings that flap constantly to keep it aloft, and it has a
long crocodilian tail. Mud constantly falls in clumps from the dragon.
Mud Drake CR 11
XP 12,800
N Large dragon
Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light
vision; Perception +15
DEFENSE
AC 25, touch 9,
flat-footed 25 (+16 natural, –1 size)
hp 149 (13d12+65)
Fort +13, Ref +10, Will +12
Defensive Abilities
dense mind; DR 10/piercing; Immune acid, paralysis, sleep; Resist fire 10
Weaknesses
vulnerability to water
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft., fly
60 ft. (poor), swim 50 ft.
Melee bite +19
(2d6+7/19–20),
2 claws +19 (1d8+7), tail slap +17 (1d8+3)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks acidic
critical, breath weapon (40-ft. cone, 6d6 acid damage and 6d6 bludgeoning
damage, Reflex DC 21 for half, usable every 1d4 rounds)
Spell-Like Abilities
(CL 13th; concentration +16)
3/day—slowing mud[ACG] (DC 16)
1/day—transmute rock to mud
STATISTICS
Str 25, Dex 10, Con 21, Int 9, Wis 14, Cha 16
Base Atk +13; CMB +21 (+23 bull rush); CMD 31 (33 vs. bull rush, 35 vs. trip)
Feats Hover,
Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (bite), Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes,
Multiattack, Power Attack
Skills Climb +15,
Fly +9, Intimidate +16, Knowledge (geography) +10, Knowledge (nature) +10,
Perception +15, Stealth –4 (+12 in muddy areas), Survival +15, Swim +20; Racial Modifiers +16 Stealth in muddy
areas
Languages Common,
Draconic
ECOLOGY
Environment
temperate and warm marshes
Organization
solitary
Treasure standard
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Acidic Critical (Ex)
If a mud drake confirms a critical hit with one of its natural attacks, it
deals acid damage equal to the natural attack’s base damage (unmodified by
Strength).
Breath Weapon (Su)
A creature that fails its save against a mud drake’s breath weapon becomes entangled
and must make an additional DC 21 Reflex save to avoid becoming covered in mud
and stuck to the ground. A flying creature that fails this Reflex save is
unable to fly and falls to the ground. An entangled creature takes 1d6 points
of acid damage for 2 additional rounds, while a mud-covered creature takes 3d6
points of acid damage for 4 additional rounds. Washing off the mud requires a
gallon of water per creature entangled or stuck in the mud.
Dense Mind (Ex) A
mud drake that fails a Will save against a mind-affecting spell or effect is
not subject to the spell or effect until the end of its next turn. At the
beginning of its turn, it can spend a move action to attempt new Will saves
against all mind-affecting spells or effects that have not yet taken effect.
Vulnerability to Water
(Ex) A spell or effect that creates a lot of water (such as create water or hydraulic push) and strikes a mud drake forces the drake to succeed
on a DC 20 Reflex save to avoid having some of its muddy exterior washed off.
On a failed save, the drake loses 5 points of fire resistance, and its DR is
reduced by 5. The drake must spend a full-round action rolling around in mud to
restore its DR and fire resistance to normal.
Mud drakes are lazier than typical dragons that bully lesser
swampland races, such as lizardfolk and boggards, into serving them.
Occasionally, they must use their might to repel an attack on the humanoids
they have cowed to ensure their vassals don’t turn on them. In these cases, and
when sheer muddy-mindedness overcomes them, they ferociously attack. They are
straightforward fighters that take advantage of environments in which their
foes are slowed while they have maneuverability. Mud drakes target flying
creatures in preference to landbound opponents when they use their breath
weapons, but they otherwise liberally apply their acidic, muddy breath weapons
to freeze foes in place and burn entrapped foes.
Mud drakes are carnivorous but supplement their diets with
copious amounts of mud. They replenish the mud coating their bodies by bathing
in mud regularly. This mud remains affixed to the drakes throughout the day,
unless they are exposed to incredible amounts of water.
A typical mud drake is 12 feet long and weighs 1200 pounds,
a quarter of which is mud. A mud drake has a brutishly short lifespan compared
to many other dragons, only reaching 50 years of age.
