Because there aren't enough miniature dragons around

[Frog Dragon]

River Drake
Tiny Dragon (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 2d12+2 (15 hp)
Speed: 10 ft (2 squares), Fly 40 ft (good), Swim 60 ft
Armor Class: 18 (+2 Size, +4 Dex, +2 Natural) Touch 16, Flat Footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/-8
Attack: Claw +6 Melee (1d4-1)
Full Attack: 2 Claws +6 (1d4-1) and bite +0 Melee (1d4-1)
Space/Reach: 2½ ft./0 ft.
Special Qualities: Blindsense 60ft, Darkvision 60ft, Immunity to Sleep and Paralysis, Low-Light Vision, Amphibious
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +8, Will +4
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 18, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 11
Skills:Hide +17 (+21), Move Silently +9 (+13), Listen +6, Search +4 Sense Motive +6 Spot +5, Survival +4
Feats: Flyby Attackb, Weapon Finesse
Environment: Forests, Rivers
Organization: Solitary, Pair or clutch (3-6)
Challenge Rating: 1
Alingment: Usually neutral
Treasure: None
Level Adjustment: +2

This aqua blue glistening creature is about 2 and a half feet long from its nose to it's tail. It has a vaguely eel-like construction, but wider, with long wings following the body that it can fold into fins. It's scales are thin and barely noticeable, but still fairly tough. It's head is similar to that of a faerie dragon and it's short forelimbs have suprisingly long and sharp claws. It has no hind legs.

River drakes are the aquatic cousins of dragons, preferring to live in holes they dig underwater. They eat fish that they catch with their claws.
A river drake tends to be down to earth and usually rather uncaring of matters unrelated to the individual or it's friends and family. Once you gain it's loyalty though, it is a reliable companion who will be quick to act as a voice of reason and calm. They like to be swimming regularly and will voice this.

A River Drake has a lifespan of about 14 to 18 years.

Combat
A river drake usually fights by flying or swimming depending on the environment past it's opponent and slashing it with talons on the way. It also has a bite it sometimes employs
Blindsense
A river dake can locate creatures within 60 feet by nonvisual means when underwater. Opponents the river drake can’t actually see still have total concealment against the river drake.
Amphibious
A river drake, while aquatic, may survive indefinitely on land.

Skills
River drakes have a +4 on Move silently and Hide checks made underwater or swimming in water due to it's colouring and body structure which make little sound and tend to distort any sounds and it's scales which are slightly reflective underwater giving the river drake something of a camouflage.
Will put two more here soon.

[DracoDei]

A reasonable goal to pursue. Let me see if I can help you reach it.

Needs the "Aquatic" sub-type in the header.

Your phrasing seems stilted in places, for instance "specimen" might be better phrased as "individual" and even that is a bit awkward.

You have "psuedodragon" in one place, almost certainly as a remnant of copy/paste (I have done the same thing myself on more than one occasion, almost assuredly).

I am not sure that "aquating" is even a word, and even if it is, I am almost entirely sure it is NOT the correct word for THIS case.


For what it is worth, one of the projects sitting around in my "to finish some time" category is a 12 age-catagory version of 3.5 Fairy Dragons...

[Debihuman]

While I like what you've done, I think you should revisit some of the special abilities to see how you can narrow the focus to fit a river drake better.

Blindsense makes more sense only when darkvision fails-- such as in murky water. Darkvision works normally underwater. Stormwrack page 11. I copied the language from the SRD: amphibious from the entry on skum and the blindsense from the shark's entry. What do you think?

Amphibious (Ex): While river drakes are aquatic, they may survive indefinately on land.

Blindsense (Ex): A river drake can locate creatures underwater within a 30-foot radius. This ability works only when the river drake is underwater.

What do you think?

Debby

[Frog Dragon]

Nice one. I think I'll copy that blindsense.
And that Aquating was just a typo and yes there was some Pseudodragon copypasta.

[Debihuman]

One more thing: River dragons should get a +8 bonus to Hide because of their size. Are you giving them an additional +8 bonus to Hide because of their coloring and body structure? That seems a bit excessive.

Not that you're asking me, but I'd recommend a +4 racial bonuses to Hide and to Move Silently due to coloration and body structure. You could still give the the +8 bonus to Move Silently, but I just like the symmetry.

I don't recommend giving them any additional skills without giving them more hit dice.

Debby

[Frog Dragon]

Good point. I forgot about the size mod thingy. And yeah +8 is a bit excessive.

[sigurd]

I like them.

Do they gorge and then eat infrequently? Are the markedly different between genders?

Do they dig lairs\holes inside of river banks? I like the idea of them having a recourse in bad weather.

How far north do they travel\live? Do they hibernate in winter?


Sigurd

Definitely yoinked for my game

Its joining Debihuman's Coral Dragon
http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.p...6&postcount=23