dragon-magic-oef

DRAKKENSTEED
“Fitting that those of us devoted to the deities should ride beasts
of legendary heritage.”
—Aureas, half-celestial paladin
Drakkensteed
This large creature stands on four slender legs with nobility
and a regal air. Serpentine in nature and covered in thick
scales, the beast resembles a dragon with narrow legs and a
short, angular head. Its snout comes to a point like that of a
horse, but fangs protrude from the upper and lower jaw. A
thin, lizardlike tail thrashes idly from side to side behind
it, capped with a triangular piece of chitin. Two wide,
leathery wings remain folded against the creature’s side,
ready to be unfurled at a moment’s notice.
CHAPTER 4
DRACONIC
BEASTS
Drakkensteed CR 3
Always N Large animal (dragonblood)
Init +2; Senses low-light vision; Listen +6,
Spot +5
AC 15, touch 11, flat-footed 13
(–1 size, +2 Dex, +4 natural)
hp 30 (4 HD)
Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +3
Speed 50 ft. (10 squares), fly 60 ft. (poor)
Melee bite +8 (1d8+6)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Base Atk +3; Grp +13
Atk Options trample
Abilities Str 23, Dex 15, Con 19, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 12
Feats Alertness, Wingover
Skills Listen +6, Spot +5
Trample (Ex) As a full-round action, a drakkensteed can
move up 100 feet and literally run over Medium or
smaller creatures, dealing 1d6+9 points of bludgeoning
damage (Reflex DC 18 half) to each target. See MM 316
for more details.
Drakkensteeds are powerful but skittish animals that resemble
a cross between dragons and horses. Possessing strong
wings and resilient bodies, drakkensteeds are highly sought
after as mounts but rarely caught and tamed.
STRATEGIES AND TACTICS
Rare and mighty animals, drakkensteeds stay hidden from
the rest of the world. In combat, a drakkensteed prefers to
fly above the battlefield, landing only to trample an opponent.
Most drakkensteeds prefer to bowl over their foes and
sometimes use the overrun action to do so; more often, they
charge an opponent to gain a bonus on an attack roll, flying
out of reach to compensate for their lowered Armor Class.
When forced to ground, drakkensteeds usually make use of
their natural bite attack to keep enemies at bay, maneuvering
to escape whenever possible. When ridden in combat, a
drakkensteed does everything it can to protect its rider and
bites enemies that come within striking distance without
hesitation, regardless of the opponent’s size or strength.
SAMPLE ENCOUNTER
Drakkensteeds are wary creatures that have little contact
with the civilized world, making encounters with them few
and far between.
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DRAKKENSTEED LORE
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (nature) can learn more
about drakkensteeds. When a character makes a skill check,
the following lore is revealed, including the information from
lower DCs.
Knowledge (nature)
DC Result
18 Drakkensteeds are rare equine creatures that resemble
dragons in many ways. They are skittish and seldom
seen by humanoids.
23 Drakkensteeds are fi erce fi ghters when cornered and
have been known to trample foes repeatedly to ensure
that a threat has been removed.
28 Drakkensteed herds fly over long distances together,
moving from one secluded location to the next by
soaring above the clouds, remaining out of sight of
creatures on the ground.
33 Rarely, paladins ride drakkensteeds into battle, gaining
special powers from their draconic ancestry. A paladin
on a drakkensteed can terrify even the most stalwart
soldiers on a battlefi eld.
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Illus. by Daarken
113