Let’s Convert the Fiend Folio: Dragon (Oriental)

This time you are getting six monsters for the price of one, as there are six varieties of Oriental Dragon in the Fiend Folio. These have been rebuilt using the rules for dragons in Dungeon Crawl Classics, while trying to maintain the flavor and the intent of the originals. The Dragon Generator tool at Purple Sorcerer was enormously helpful in this regard.

One thing that I definitely changed was the Yu Lung growing equally into any other variety of Oriental Dragon. For one thing, the Shen Lung was described as the most common type, and surely the celestial T’ien Lung would be the rarest!

Modern cultural sensitivity issues are far more developed than they were in 1981 when the Fiend Folio was published. To a degree, then, these entries are a product of their time. The conversions presented herein are game artifacts only, with no intention of being culturally accurate or demeaning.

Because most Oriental Dragons lack wings, they do not have wing buffet attacks or the Action Dice associated with them. Some Oriental Dragons also have the scaly command and/or water fire abilities, described below.

Scaly Command: No scaled water-dwelling creature (primarily fish and reptiles) will ever willingly attack an Oriental Dragon with this power. Intelligent creatures may do so if they succeed in a Will save (DC 10 + dragon’s HD). Moreover, Oriental Dragons with this power can control scaled water-dwelling creatures in a half-mile radius for 2d6 turns. Creatures whose HD total up to three times the Dragon’s HD can be so controlled, and the control cannot be countered by any mortal means.

Water Fire: Some Oriental Dragons have the power to create this unearthly stuff whenever they are in contact with water. Water fire surrounds the Dragon’s body with flickering burning water, doing 2d6 damage to any creature coming in contact with the Dragon. Water Fire lasts 2d6 turns, but may be dispelled by the Dragon at any time. Contact with real or magical fire also dispels Water Fire, which cannot then be used for 1d3 hours. All Oriental Dragons are immune to water fire.

 

 

Li Lung (Earth Dragon)

Li Lung (average-sized lion-like oriental dragon): Init +11; Atk claw +12 melee (1d8) or bite +12 melee (1d12) or wing buffet +12 melee (2d12); AC 21; HD 11d12; MV 50’ or swim 50’ or burrow 50’; Act attacks 4d20; SP see below; SV Fort +11, Ref +11, Will +11; Al N.

Martial Power 1: Burrow. The dragon can “swim” through sand and dirt at its normal speed.

Martial Power 2: Frightful presence. The dragon’s visage and sheer mass are absolutely terrifying. All who look upon it must make a Will save (DC 21) or flee in terror (duration 1d4 turns or until reach a safe distance).

Unique Power 1: Earth to mud (1/hour). The dragon can transform an area of earth into sticky mud. The area transformed can be up to 50’ x 50’ in size. The mud, up to 3’ deep, slows movement to half speed for all within.

Unique Power 2: Cause earthquake (1/day). The dragon can create an earthquake centered on a point within 500’. Earth shakes for several seconds. All nearby creatures take 1d3 buffeting damage. Creatures within 50’ of the epicenter are tossed into the earth for a fall of 1d8 x 10’ (with falling damage of 1d6 per 10’ fallen). Creatures further away must make a Reflex save (DC 21) or also be tossed into the earth. Concentration of enemies is disrupted, waterways may be diverted, buildings are shaken, creatures may fall from ramparts, etc.

The only oriental dragon with wings, these have a lion's body and a dragon's head with human features. They live underground and can swim, though they cannot breathe water. Unusually for dragons, they have no breath weapon.

 

 

Lung Wang (Sea Dragon)

Lung Wang (large turtle-like oriental dragon): Init +16; Atk claw +17 melee (1d8) or bite +17 melee (1d12); AC 30; HD 16d12; MV 20’ or swim 60’; Act attacks 3d20; SP see below; SV Fort +16, Ref +16, Will +16; Al N.

Breath Weapon: Type (Steam); Save (Fort 26 for half); Damage (current hit points); Shape (Cone, 100’ long with 50’ base)

Martial Power 1: Hypnotic stare. The dragon can hypnotize targets with its gaze. The dragon can gaze into the eyes of one target per round by using one Action Die. A creature that meets the dragon’s gaze must make a Will save (DC 26) or stand stupefied as long as the dragon holds its gaze.

Martial Power 2: Capsize. The dragon can lift any ship it comes under or ram as the largest warship. Smaller ships sink instantly, whereas the largest ships can take hours to finally disappear fully beneath the waves.

Unique Power 1: Scaly command.

Unique Power 2: Amphibious.

These solitary brutes have a turtle's body, crested neck, and head like a shen lung (see below). They rule large bodies of water and can breathe either water or air.

As rulers of the seas, lung wang demand tribute from every passing ship. Regular travelers may work out an arrangement – for example, so much treasure dumped overboard at a given spot – and such arrangements will be well known to sailors in an area this creature inhabits.

 

 

Pan Lung (Coiled Dragon)

Pan Lung (small salamander-like oriental dragon): Init +5; Atk claw +6 melee (1d8) or bite +6 melee (1d12 plus grasp) or tail slap +6 melee (1d20); AC 15; HD 5d12; MV 40’ or fly 40’ or swim 40’; Act attacks 4d20, spells 1d20; SP see below; SV Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +5; Al C.

Spells (as wizard, +5 bonus to spell check): Charm person.

Martial Power 1: Hypnotic stare. The dragon can hypnotize targets with its gaze. The dragon can gaze into the eyes of one target per round by using one action die. A creature that meets the dragon’s gaze must make a Will save (DC 15) or stand stupefied as long as the dragon holds its gaze.

Martial Power 2: Grasp. When the dragon successfully bites a target, it holds on, doing an automatic 1d10 damage each round unless the target succeeds in a Reflex save (DC 15). The grasp can be broken by a successful Mighty Deed or an opposed Strength check vs. +5.

Unique Power 1: Amphibious.

Unique Power 2: Scaly command.

Unique Power 3: Water fire.

A smaller, thinner and longer variety of the shen lung (see below), but without their larger relative’s tail spike, pan lung live in marshes and swamps. They can breathe air or water at will, and have an inextractable magical organ in their brains which gives them the power of flight.

 

 

Shen Lung (Spirit Dragon)

Shen Lung (large salamander-like oriental dragon): Init +15; Atk claw +16 melee (1d8) or bite +16 melee (1d12) or spiked tail +16 melee (1d20 + impale); AC 25; HD 15d12; MV 60’ or fly 60’ or swim 60’; Act attacks 4d20, 1d16 spells ; SP see below; SV Fort +15, Ref +15, Will +15; Al C.

Spells (as cleric, +8 spell check bonus): Blessing, curse, weather control.

Martial Power 1: Impale. A target hit by the dragon’s spiked tail must succeed on a DC 20 Reflex save or be impaled for an additional 1d8 damage.

Martial Power 2: Immunities. The dragon is immune to poison and electrical attacks.

Martial Power 1: Ice storm (3/day). 60’ cone with 30’ base, 6d6 (Fort DC 20 for half).

Martial Power 4: Fire vulnerability. The dragon takes twice normal damage from magical or mundane fire-based attacks.

Unique Power 1:  Amphibious.

Unique Power 2: Change shape (1/day). The dragon can transform into a human form (equal chances man or woman), assuming all physical traits of that creature.

Unique Power 3: Neutralize poison (1/day). The dragon can cancel the effects of any one poison by touching the affected creature.

Unique Power 4: Scaly command.

Unique Power 5: Water fire.

Unique Power 6: Vermin ward. No insect, arachnid or arthropod can approach within 60’ of the dragon.

The most common oriental dragon, shen lung are wingless, long and four-footed, with a spiked back and tail, whiskers and two horns on the head. Inside the brain is an inextractable magical organ which gives shen lung the ability to fly.  These oriental dragons live in rivers and lakes and can breathe air and water.

 

 

 

 

T’ien Lung (Celestial Dragon)

T’ien Lung (godlike salamander-like oriental dragon): Init +21; Atk claw +22 melee (1d8) or bite +22 melee (1d12) or tail slap +22 melee (1d20); AC 31; HD 21d12; MV 80’ or fly 160’; Act attacks 5d20, spells 1d30; SP see below; SV Fort +21, Ref +21, Will +21; Al L.

Breath Weapon: Type (fire); Save (Reflex 31); Damage (Current hit points, half with save); Shape (Cone, 90’ long with a 30’ base)

Spells (as cleric, +12 bonus to spell check): Blessing, food of the gods, holy sanctuary, word of command, restore vitality, remove curse, weather control, invisible companion.

Martial Power 1: Magic resistance. All spells cast against dragon subject to 50% chance of failure before saves are rolled.

Martial Power 2: Hypnotic stare. The dragon can hypnotize targets with its gaze. The dragon can gaze into the eyes of one target per round by using one action die. A creature that meets the dragon’s gaze must make a Will save (DC 31) or stand stupefied as long as the dragon holds its gaze.

Unique Power 1: Luck giver (1/day). The dragon can grant a permanent bonus of +1 Luck to one creature every 24 hours. The same creature cannot receive this bonus more than once per month.

Unique Power 2: Change shape (1/day). The dragon can transform into a human form (equal chances man or woman), assuming all physical traits of that creature.

Unique Power 3: Gust of wind (1/day). The dragon can generate powerful hurricane-strength wind, blowing in a single direction originating from the dragon in cone shape up to 100’ wide at termination. Creatures must make Strength check (DC 31) or be blown backward 210’, taking 21d4 damage.

The yellow-hued t'ien lung live on high mountain peaks and in cloud castles; they are rulers of the air. Though wingless, they fly by using the same organ in the brain as  possessed by pan lung and shen lung. T'ien lung are very fond of eating opals and pearls and look favorably on any mortal giving them such delicacies.

 

 

 

Yu Lung (Carp Dragon)

Yu Lung (small fish-like oriental dragon): Init +5; Atk claw +6 melee (1d8) or bite +6 melee (1d12); AC 15; HD 5d12; MV 10’ or swim 40’; Act attacks 3d20; SP see below; SV Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +5; Al N.

Yu lung are shy creatures living in fresh water. They have a dragon's head and fore-claws, and the body and tail of a giant carp. Although they breathe only water, they can emerge awkwardly onto land for up to one hour. When a yu lung reaches 101 years of age, they are metamorphosed into another kind of oriental dragon. To determine type, roll 1d16: (1-3) li lung, (4-6) lung wang, (7-9) pan lung, (10-15) shen lung, or (16) t’ien lung.