Uses for a wyrmling friend

[Jowgen]

Due to plot stuff, I may start my next campaign having become the adoptive father of a green dragon wyrmling. I'll be raising it as per Draconomicon rules, spending 1 day a week training it and expending the 10 gp/day to keep it happy. Eventually, there will be the handle animal check' but what really matter to me is...

What the devil do I do with it?

We're at mid-levels, so I certainly won't take it along into any dungeons, but just letting it sit at home seems like a terrible waste. Can anyone think of a good way to get some use out of the damn thing? :smallannoyed:

Also, I'm open to name suggestions. :smallsmile:

[KingSmitty]

google supermount.

you grow up as an adoptive father of a dragon. You can't convince me you wouldn't learn how to ride it.

with the supermount builds, im not sure how far along you'd have to be to have a dragon mount, but its definitely past mid levels unfortunately.

I may be mistaken but dragon cohort could prove useful here.

[SangoProduction]

....Adoptive father? Don't evil dragons tend to eat anything they can, including siblings? Well, I guess you are higher level than it for now.

[Vrock_Summoner]

....Adoptive father? Don't evil dragons tend to eat anything they can, including siblings? Well, I guess you are higher level than it for now.

Note that in D&D, "always Evil" means "always Evil - barring exceptional circumstances." And having a Good (or, far more likely, Neutral) adoptive father might well be that exceptional circumstance.

... Then again, the poster mentioned wanting to "get some use out of the damn thing," so maybe them being close is too much to hope for.

[Inevitability]

Let greeny breathe acid, collect it, put it in bottles, sell it.

[the_david]

google supermount.

you grow up as an adoptive father of a dragon. You can't convince me you wouldn't learn how to ride it.

with the supermount builds, im not sure how far along you'd have to be to have a dragon mount, but its definitely past mid levels unfortunately.

I may be mistaken but dragon cohort could prove useful here.
He'd have to wait 26 years before he could ride his WYRMLING green dragon.

[Jowgen]

Alright, no mount-stuff in the immediate future. Bottling acid doesn't work as they breathe acid energy rather than physical acid (Draconomicon is a fascinating read).

I do intend to make it good, as per BoED rules (character of mine in this is exalted good, took on the egg because moral stuff). The "use for the damn thing" is just me, not the character :smalltongue:

I just realized, considering that I'll be the one raising it from hatching; the DM may well give me some influence over how it's stated. That might turn out something nice. Any suggestions for that?

[KingSmitty]

He'd have to wait 26 years before he could ride his WYRMLING green dragon.

that depends on how long he's been a surrogate father for said dragon, it could've been 25 years 11 months and 29 days since it hatched.....

[Jowgen]

that depends on how long he's been a surrogate father for said dragon, it could've been 25 years 11 months and 29 days since it hatched.....

Exactly how long I don't know, but it will be more than a few months but less than 5 years.

So yeah, anybody got any good ideas on how to optimize a green dragon wyrmling without expending gold? I'm not sure how much influence I'll get over the build, but lets assume I get to:

- Pick a soverign archetype
- Assign ability scores via standard array.
- choose feats (maybe flaws)
- distribute skill points

[Sliver]

Incarnum! Go Incarnum.

[Jowgen]

Incarnum! Go Incarnum.

Never used it, so only passingly acquainted; why Incarnum? :smallconfused:

[BWR]

Anyway, this actually happened to me in one game. I was stuck trying to be, in the wyrmling's own words, Mommy (never mind I didn't have the right genitals to qualify, much less species), trying to teach a highly intelligent but ignorant and rather dangerous little blighter the ways of the world. The idea of 'training' it and using it never entered my mind or the mind of the GM or fellow players, we were all about raising and taking care of it.
My advice would be to ignore possible mechanical benefits (I really find it somewhat weird to raise your kid to be your mount, and find it perplexing that lots of these creatures would actually permit it on a regular basis, never mind the moral issues of raising sentient beings to basically be slaves), and focus on the fun story and roleplaying possibilities the situation allows.

[Jack_Simth]

Green dragon?
Well, it's fragile, so there's no combat for it for a while (other than eating the odd rat and surprised thief), but...

It's got Darkvision-120, Blindsense-60, and can see four times as well as a human in shadowy illumination. It's also got five levels of 6+Int Mod skills, and a decent set of class skills, including Spot, Listen, hide, and move silently. Makes a pretty decent night watchman.

Is there an Arcanist in the party? Improved Familiar Dragon Familiar is a thing, and you should be able to get a waiver on the alignment restriction if the dragon is of a compatible alignment. They don't even need to roll UMD to use wands, and they very much CAN use wands.

[Nifft]

Green dragon?
Well, it's fragile, so there's no combat for it for a while (other than eating the odd rat and surprised thief), but...

It's got Darkvision-120, Blindsense-60, and can see four times as well as a human in shadowy illumination. It's also got five levels of 6+Int Mod skills, and a decent set of class skills, including Spot, Listen, hide, and move silently. Makes a pretty decent night watchman.

Is there an Arcanist in the party? Improved Familiar Dragon Familiar is a thing, and you should be able to get a waiver on the alignment restriction if the dragon is of a compatible alignment. They don't even need to roll UMD to use wands, and they very much CAN use wands.
Yeah, I came in to this thread to talk about how useful dragon senses are.

I agree that it would be a nice night watchwyrm, but also it's a great "scout" -- exceeding the typical PC's visual range significantly even while standing 10 feet behind you. So, not really a scout, but rather a very good spotter who does not leave your protection.

2d6 acid damage in a 20 ft. cone every 1d4 turns isn't bad, since free damage is never bad, so long as there's not much risk involved. Get a way to resist acid -- preferably acid resistance 10, or higher -- and have your little buddy shoot the cone right through your square. Might be very useful against swarms.

Get the wyrmling a wand of glitterdust. The wyrmling can target squares with invisible or stealthy enemies.

Get the wyrmling a ring of evasion, or a couple levels of Rogue or Monk -- or use your body to provide full cover for the wyrmling when area effects are in play. Or get a modified handy haversack which has a cat-flap, er, wyrmling-flap -- basically a magic item which allows your little buddy to see what's going on, but not risk damage unless it sticks its neck out to take an action, at least so long as you're alive & kicking.

[marphod]

Dragon's have feats, a caster level, and time. Sounds like you can raise it and train it in a profession, and get it to give you a discount since you're family.

(Your very own, sentient, dedicated wight)