Desert-Drake

AUTHOR: Matt Kearns (GandalfOfBorg)

ISSUE: 6:23

 

Attributes

BRG 19 (+6)

NIM 17 (+5)*

PER 15 (+4)

STR 24 (+9)*

VIT 16 (+5)

WIT 18 (+6)

Reactions

STAM +9

SWIFT +10*

WILL +10

WIS +6

 

Defence

15

Size

Huge

Courage

3

Health

31

Move

108

Renown

12

 

Edges

none

Flaws

none

Special Abilities

Armour (12), Multiple Attacks (claw, maw, tail), Natural Weapon (claws, 4d6; maw, 7d6; tail, 6d6), Slow Healing, Sweep of Tail, Terror, Spells

Skills

Armed Combat: Natural Weapons (Claws, Maw, Tail) +17, Insight +15, Intimidate (Fear) +27, Language: Sindarin +8, Language: Westron +8, Observe (Smell, Spot) +18, Survival (Desert) +9

 

TN Equivalent

20

 

Description

Desert-drakes are smaller than the other dragons, no larger than 70 feet in length, as well as much more lithe and agile. They are covered in rustic brown and yellow scales to help in their desert camouflage.

 

 

Unique Special Abilities

Slow Healing: Desert-drakes have an extremely slow rate of natural healing. After 10 years of rest, a Were-Worm regains 2 Health point per year.

 

Sweep of Tail: Any creature that sustains damage from a Desert-drake's tail attack and fails a TN 15 Strength or Nimbleness test (target's choice) is knocked down.

 

 

History

Similar to Cold-drakes, the Desert-drake has little to no recorded history. Believed to be another of Morgoth's failed spawning attempt to create Winged-drakes. Whether Morgoth abandoned the Desert-drakes or they couldn't adapt to survive in the deadly colds of the North where his kingdom lie is unknown. In any case, they were never used by Morgoth or Sauron and at the breaking of Thangorodrim, they were among those in the mass exodus of evil creatures fleeing the destruction of their master's domain and subsequent imprisonment. Finding most of the climes of western Middle Earth too cool for their blood, they fled to the far reaches of Mordor or further into the unknown deserts of the East and South.

 

 

Habitat

Desert-drakes are found in deserts and arid plains, such as remote Mordor, Khand, and beyond.

 

 

Society

Unlike other dragons, Desert-drakes keep no lairs, preferring a roaming and solitary life.

 

 

Usage

As these dragons are so far away from the lands of Gondor, Rohan, and such, Desert-drakes would only be encountered if a party was exploring the far-reaching and unknown-to-be charted regions of Middle Earth of remote Mordor, the Far East, and the South. Due to their nomadic lifestyle, they would be more than likely found in a random encounter in any of these regions where they are found.

 

Desert-drakes bear no allegiance to Sauron, probably due to that even he has forgotten about them. They are also occasioned to be pressed into service by Were-worms or, more likely, hunted by them. If they were captured or bewitched into service by a sorcerer or Were-Worm, it would be quite powerful indeed and would employ it in similar effect as Morgoth did so long ago.