Displacer Drake (3.5e Monster)


 * Feats not found in the PHB are in the Draconomicon.

"There are worse things in the jungle if you look for them hard enough. Likely they'll find you first..."

After several centuries a Displacer Wyrm begins to take to the skies as a Displacer Drake. Incredibly large and sinuous they are a more frightening version of their Wyrm incarnation with multiple eyes, a spinier back, and an ability to fly without wings or visible locomotion. They have picked up an additional language by now as well. At this point they likely have only the dominant species on the planet and their own kind to feed upon. Many feel an odd urge to place limits upon their own species. Some think this is to prevent rivals, but cannier sages point out they may be guaranteeing themselves a food supply by ensuring against over-population.

Combat
After several centuries a Displacer Wyrm begins to take to the skies as a Displacer Drake. Incredibly large and sinuous they are a more frightening version of their Wyrm incarnation with multiple eyes, a spinier back, and an ability to fly without wings or visible locomotion. They have picked up an additional language by now as well. At this point they likely have only the dominant species on the planet and their own kind to feed upon. Many feel an odd urge to place limits upon their own species. Some think this is to prevent rivals, but cannier sages point out they may be guaranteeing themselves a food supply by ensuring against over-population.

Fetid Breath: Once every 1d4 rounds the Displacer Drake can breathe a 70' Cone of poisonous vapor. The poisons are a byproduct of their odd metabolism, and how they rid their body of toxins (they effectively have no liver or kidneys). Before this they simply vomit them up on a regular basis, but now their bodies have mutated to allow them to spray them in the form of an aerosol mist. Any creature in the Cone must make a DC 48 Reflex Save or take 2d6 temporary Int and Wisdom damage. Additionally they must make an additional DC 48 Fortitude Save each round for 3d6 rounds, or take a cumulative -2 penalty to Listen, Spot, and Search checks each round. When all 3 skills have a negative penalty the Displacer Drake is effectively invisible to the victim. The penalty lessens by 4 points a day until normal (a Greater Restoration spell negates the penalties immediately). Save DC is Constitution Based.

Frightful Presence : Whenever the Displacer Drake attacks, charges, or flies overhead anything within 360' has to make a DC 44 Willpower Save (Save DC is Charisma Based) if it has fewer Hit Dice than the Drake. If they fail they are Panicked for 2d6 rounds, if they succeed they are Shaken for 2d6 rounds and immune to this Drake's Frightful Presence for 24 hours.

Distortion Field : Effectively the Displacer Drake is surrounded by an Anti-Magic Field that only works against Illusion spells, or effects simulating them. They cannot be cast within 10' of a Displacer Drake.

Spell-Like Abilities : Land Womb, Scry Trap 3/day. Caster Level 21st.

Displacement : Any melee or ranged attack targeting the Displacer Drake has a 50% chance of missing unless the attacker has some means of locating them other than sight. See Invisibility doesn't negate this but True Seeing does.

Resistance to Ranged Attacks :  Displacer Drakes have a +6 Resistance Bonus to ranged magical attacks that specifically target them (except for ranged touch attacks).

Wide Angle Vision: Due to it's many eyes a Displacer Drake cannot be flanked, and it has a +4 Racial Bonus on Spot and Search checks.

Flight: Displacer Drakes levitate by unknown means (they have no wings). For all intents and purposes they have a permanent Feather Fall effect on their person at all times.

Immunities: Displacer Drakes are immune to Sleep effects and Paralysis.

Skills: Displacer Drakes get a +8 Racial Bonus to Hide and Swim checks. They may always Take 10 on a Swim check, even if threatened or endangered. They may use the Run action while swimming in a straight line.

Life Cycle: Displacer Drake eggs take 4-6 weeks to hatch, giving birth to swarms of voracious Displacer Fish. The Fish add to their weight with every meal (roughly half an ounce per meal at the start, but rapidly gaining stride as they get bigger). The metabolic side effects from their rapid growth drive them blood-mad, and by the time they are up to 50 pounds they begin slaughtering one another. The last surviving member of the swarm is roughly 400+pounds. They will then pupate for 1-3 weeks depending on how much they've eaten. A Displacer Fish swarm that eats well will turn on itself within a few weeks. But they are otherwise nearly immortal, and poorly fed swarms can live for hundreds of years. They will then spend 10-40 years as a Displacer Eel before pupating again, to rise as a Displacer Newt and move onto land. Their metabolism will have stabilized by now and growth is fairly regular as long as they can eat. After another 10-40 years the Newt will become a Wyrm. Most never make it beyond this state, and spend their lives eating and rutting. If they aren't killed after a few hundred years they become a Drake and begin a true reign of terror, possibly leaving the jungle behind.