Large flying firebreathing creature wanted

[Zombimode]

... that is not a true dragon.

The CR range I'm interested in is CR 5 to CR 8 (CR 9 would be borderline ok). If the creature is dragon-like, that would be ideal. Sadly, the Fire Drake (Draconomicon) does not have a breath weapon.

If there isn't anything else, I would use a chimera, but I would rather use something else.

Sure, I could always apply some templates, but I tend to reserve templates for "special" creatures.

[Cosi]

Half-Dragon (Red) Wyvern? Comes in at CR 8, though that's probably high when you consider that it could already fly.

[noob]

DMM Cleric who persist enlarge person?
That large creature who had sorcerer casting but as sla(which means that he casted like a sorcerer but he had all the advantages of sla) of a caster level superior to his CR(much more dangerous than a dragon but I forgot from where it came do someone remember its name)
An red ethereal gaunt?
They can all breath fire and fly with the spells allowing that.

[Deadline]

Half-Fiend Pyrohydra? Clocks in at CR 8 at the lowest.

[Zombimode]

DMM Cleric who persist enlarge person?

Cute, but not exactly what I'm looking for.


That large creature who had sorcerer casting but as sla(which means that he casted like a sorcerer but he had all the advantages of sla) of a caster level superior to his CR(much more dangerous than a dragon but I forgot from where it came do someone remember its name)

That would be a Spellweaver. Again, not exactly a flying creature. (Not to mention that a living Spellweaver would be much, much rarer than a young red dragon that I want to replace here)


An red ethereal gaunt? Same as the Cleric.

Half-Fiend Pyrohydra, Half-Dragon Wyvern: sure, but I would like to stay away from templates if possible.


Backround: I want to replace the encounter with a young red dragon in the Zenith Trajectory adventure from the Shackled City adventure path. The encounter comes completely out of the blue and has no consequences and barely any meaning. So the PCs just ran into a dragon and kill it by the wayside. That is decidedly not how I want do use dragons. Also, it's not like there is a shortage of dragon encounters in the adventure path, including another one in the same adventure.

So I'm searching for a replacement creature that allows for the encounter to proceed in a similar way but isn't an actual dragon. A more plausible monster to just run into a tropical mountain range.

[MisterKaws]

Tauric Drakkensteed-[Insert high mentals race here] into Dragonborn is HD 5 LA 3, and the only thing you really lose is trample+misc. racial stuff from the base humanoid.

Ninja edit: Put some other bizarre dragon-ish creature instead of drakkensteed, thing's too weak for that CR, although a fire-breathing dragon centaur is quite cool.

[Telonius]

Cute, but not exactly what I'm looking for.



That would be a Spellweaver. Again, not exactly a flying creature. (Not to mention that a living Spellweaver would be much, much rarer than a young red dragon that I want to replace here)

Same as the Cleric.

Half-Fiend Pyrohydra, Half-Dragon Wyvern: sure, but I would like to stay away from templates if possible.


Backround: I want to replace the encounter with a young red dragon in the Zenith Trajectory adventure from the Shackled City adventure path. The encounter comes completely out of the blue and has no consequences and barely any meaning. So the PCs just ran into a dragon and kill it by the wayside. That is decidedly not how I want do use dragons. Also, it's not like there is a shortage of dragon encounters in the adventure path, including another one in the same adventure.

So I'm searching for a replacement creature that allows for the encounter to proceed in a similar way but isn't an actual dragon. A more plausible monster to just run into a tropical mountain range.

AFB - remind me, is that the one that's attacking King Jerry, or is it Hookface? Personally I played the King as a polymorphed Gold dragon, which would have explained the Red attacking.

[Zombimode]

AFB - remind me, is that the one that's attacking King Jerry, or is it Hookface? Personally I played the King as a polymorphed Gold dragon, which would have explained the Red attacking.

Yeah, it is attacking Crazy Jared's (posing as "King Jerry") hut. The attacking dragon is supposed to be a progeny of Hookface. But I find that rather unlikely. Hooface is described as having slept the last few decades. A young dragon is at most 25 years old. Also, in the Hookface encounter later in chapter 9 does not mention it in any way.

[PraxisVetli]

Half pyroclastic magebred horrid dire bat!

[ATHATH]

Find something that flies and give it some DFA levels, perhaps?

[Flickerdart]

A nightmare (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/nightmare.htm) is CR5, flies, has flaming hooves and breathes a cone of hot, choking smoke you can fluff as fire.

[Grod_The_Giant]

How 'bout a manticore? Cr 5, big, flies, has a bunch of natural weapons and a big pseudo-area attack that he can't quite spam. Not fire-breathing, but I imagine you could slot it into the encounter just fine. (If you need fire, maybe it dipped its spikes in oil or something? They have Int 7 and Wis 12, so they're hardly dumb animals).

[John Longarrow]

Hieracosphinx with a level in warlock?

[DrMotives]

Combine these ideas, you get a Manticore with 3 levels in DFA. 2 invocations, 2d6 damage on the fire (or cold or lightning or sickness) breath isn't very high, but it's spammable every round.

[Andezzar]

Backround: I want to replace the encounter with a young red dragon in the Zenith Trajectory adventure from the Shackled City adventure path. The encounter comes completely out of the blue and has no consequences and barely any meaning. So the PCs just ran into a dragon and kill it by the wayside. That is decidedly not how I want do use dragons. Also, it's not like there is a shortage of dragon encounters in the adventure path, including another one in the same adventure.

So I'm searching for a replacement creature that allows for the encounter to proceed in a similar way but isn't an actual dragon. A more plausible monster to just run into a tropical mountain range.Some mage summoned a dragon or made an illusion of a dragon.

[Chronos]

There's also the chimera, which is naturally large, flying, and has a draconic breath weapon of your choice.

[daremetoidareyo]

Multi-headed Goliath dragonfire adept 3. It counts as large when it is convenient for me to suggest...

[Zombimode]

There's also the chimera, which is naturally large, flying, and has a draconic breath weapon of your choice.

Thats is probably what I will be going for. Fun fact: both a young red dragon and a chimera are CR 7... one is not like the other...:smalltongue:

[Ruethgar]

Dragon Touched from DMGII isn't exactly a template that would give 1/day 1d6/character level 30ft line breath weapon for an overpriced +2 LA. Magical Training+Precocious Apprentice+Fiery Burst can get you a spamable fire attack on pretty much anything with ok Int or Cha if the regional is waved, same with Magically Adept(or was it Magical Affinity) but that give you Int mod cantrips so creatures can benefit.

There is also my list of Lesser Dragons (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?388339-Lesser-Dragons) which are ritually associated and retrained/chaos shuffled animals. Some of them could fit in the above.

The Greater Winged Snake(an advanced constrictor) is a CR 4 according to the MM, but I would probably bump it up one for flight. You can add the +2 LA of Dragon Touched if you want. Or Elder Serpent of Set with Fiery Burst if you wanted to be a little more mean.

[The Viscount]

There's also the chimera, which is naturally large, flying, and has a draconic breath weapon of your choice.


How 'bout a manticore? Cr 5, big, flies, has a bunch of natural weapons and a big pseudo-area attack that he can't quite spam. Not fire-breathing, but I imagine you could slot it into the encounter just fine. (If you need fire, maybe it dipped its spikes in oil or something? They have Int 7 and Wis 12, so they're hardly dumb animals).

Why choose? The Mantimera from Shining South is a chimera with a manticore tail. It's got all the advantages of both.

[johnbragg]

So I'm searching for a replacement creature that allows for the encounter to proceed in a similar way but isn't an actual dragon. A more plausible monster to just run into a tropical mountain range.

OK, don't know if my idea is "more plausible", and it's probably too unusual for a random encounter, but using PAthfinder templates:

Owlbear (CR 4) + Advanced (+1) + HAlf-Fiendish (+1) + Fire-Infused (+1). A buffed-up, flying, fire-breathing owlbear, with SR and element resistances.

[daremetoidareyo]

OK, don't know if my idea is "more plausible", and it's probably too unusual for a random encounter, but using PAthfinder templates:

Owlbear (CR 4) + Advanced (+1) + HAlf-Fiendish (+1). A buffed-up, flying owlbear, with SR and element resistances.

Awaken him and give him class levels in aerial avenger.

[Chronos]

Quoth The Viscount:

Why choose? The Mantimera from Shining South is a chimera with a manticore tail. It's got all the advantages of both.
Ordinarily, this is where I'd complain about taking two unrelated monsters and just smushing them together randomly for no good reason... but then again, we are talking about the chimera and manticore here. I suppose it was inevitable.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Why choose? The Mantimera from Shining South is a chimera with a manticore tail. It's got all the advantages of both.
Of course there is.

https://sfdcinsea.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/batman-facepalm.gif?w=300&h=210