Hoi Chummers,

Preliminary Note: I know Paradise Lost is 2nd Edition - updating it from second to 3rd is not difficult.

As my players are rabid, terrifying creatures, I was looking over the backend of Paradise Lost and they've helpfully fully-statted the End Boss (Ok, possible End Boss, but after they see a dracoform, all they're going to see is "Flying Nuyen - insert harm here to dispense") and because due diligence gets me out from harm, I had a look at his stats...

So...yeah, should I just restat the fragger from the back of the SR3 Core Rulebook?
Because, as it stands:

Naheka
Feathered Serpent - minion to Ryumyo (That might be a problem...or a GM hook, Bwhahahahaa....)

Attributes
Body 12 ( 8 )
Quickness 7 x 2 (x4 when flying)
Strength 32 [Yah, that's right. Anyone going hand-to-hand with a Full Dracoform is asking for death]
Charisma 6
Intelligence 6
Willpower 8
Essence 10
Magic 8
Reaction 7
Initiative 7+2d6
Attack Code: 12D, +2 Reach
Threat 7 Professionalism 4 (You all remember what these mean? Yeah, didn't think so:) )

Skills:
Conjuring 6 Whhhhaaaa?
Etiquette 6
Interrogation 6
Leadership 5
Magical Theory 6
Negotiation 6
Psychology 6
Sorcery 8 Lolwhat?

Spells:
Combat:
Manablast 6
Sleep 7 (Aaaand, yup, that's it. I figure they might have missed a few lines somewhere, so I should check to see if there's errata for the Run)
Detection:
Analyze Truth 5
Mind Probe 8
Illusion
Mask 5
Overstimulation 7
Manipulation
Mana Barrier 8

Special Abilities: Enhanced Senses (Low-light Vision, Thermal, Wide-band hearing), Hardened Armour

First notes:
Looked up Overstimulation - Will substitute "Mass Agony" and ensure it's got the full compliment of spirits on tap.

Second notes:
Oh, no, that bird is not going to fly.

My issues are:
As it stands, even with the lack of the usual fun runner toys my players store away "for a rainy day", the mages alone will hollow that thing out and turn it into a sock puppet.
Yes, I am very aware of the bullshit "Dragons can reroll stuff, lol" saves that Dracoforms have, but unless you're going mano-a-mano versus a 120 foot ribbon of muscles, hate and feathers with teeth at one end, that wizworm is going to be cratered by smart players.

I admit, the Strength stat is disgusting but unless it's able to spam Mana Barrier, as soon as the mages can fire off a few "Cripple Stat" spells, that hardened armour (the bane to all Street Sammys) is going to mean nothing when it's a drooling mess (Decrease Attribute: Intelligence cast by multi-initiated mages, unless it's Decrease Attribute: Charisma, or Decrease Attribute: Will), unconscious and soon to be auctioned-off in baggies.

IMHP, said Wizworm charging the team in a flurry of anger is it's best bet for overcoming the players - it limits options, the STR attribute makes combat easy and allows the reach to be in full effect. As soon as it doesn't go full ham and allows the 3 and 4d6 initiative players to act, that's when I work out what toy they're going to buy after completing their harvesting.


Let me know if you've better suggestions or ideas regarding this worm above.

Tir Out.

If you are updating the run to SR3, have a look at dragons in SR3, especially the Feathered Serpent. The stats for them in SR3 are generally higher than you post, except for STR.

I wholeheartedly agree with your opinion about the Conjuring and Sorcery skills. Bump them way higher. You are the GM and can do anything you want, especially if you want to give your players a Fun Challenge ™. Same with Essence, which SR3 allows up to 12Z.

These are old beings. Experienced beings. The ones that are alive now have seen kick-ass opponents before. Anything you know, the dragon knows better. No way is it going to allow itself to be in a situation where it is outnumbered and outgunned, any more than an experienced team of runners would allow it.

It can have a coterie of 6 (8 if you bump to SR3) spirits always on call, all at the dragon's Essence Force, at least some of them patrolling the dragons environs. No way will it be caught by surprise. No way will it not send minions to wear down the enemy first. If a spirit is destroyed, summon another one to replace it. "Go sic'em, Billy boy!" "Go sic'em, Bobby boy!" "Go sic'em, Billy-Bob boy!" etc.

Animal Control (reptiles). More minions.

Who says an ancient, rich creature with a Great Dragon as sponsor has no Foci? Mana Barrier 8 (Not sure how this translates into SR3, but what the hell? The dragon created his own spell the way PCs can.) in an F8 Spell Focus. Increase Reflexes +3 in another Focus. Guess who shoots first?

If it is looking bad, run away. Survive.

Experience always wins out. The world isn't run by tough, fast young men. It's ruled by sneaky, old men. Occasionally an even sneakier, old woman. Is Naheka female? Make her even sneakier. I've been married three times. I know.

And I would also suggest adding some initiate levels with metamagics. Make it a grade 5, and give it Shielding - boom - all the players spells targeting the dragon are now at +5 TN. Turn that WP of 8 into an effective WP of 13 and watch manabolts slide off. Be mean and give it reflective shielding, and watch your party kak their pants when that killer fireball comes right back at them.

Add Invoking, and have the dragon send a small batch of great-forms their way, all with hardened armour, and watch THEM soak up all the heavy firepower, until they're critically low on ammo, and then have the Dragon enter, stage left. Hell, why not give the dragon posession, and have it race one of the mages back to their body when they're caught astral scouting, and see how much damage you can do while using one of them as a sock-puppet.

All of your suggestions are awesome and appropriate, but I love this one!

Great suggestions all - problem, experienced players. Experienced GM.

Agree on the Feathered Serpent stats...but the AHOLA wizworm ISN'T a Great Form ™.
Otherwise I know they'd be, "Yaeh, nah bro" and dissapear.

Agree on the sorcery, summoning, etc, and would toss in a few initiation ranks, with masking, invoking and reflection at the very least (Chanelling too, come to think of it)
And I know that, as this was a 2nd edition bag of fun, that there was no metamagic funtime, so got to play that smart.

I'll be keeping the strength, but I get the strong feeling from the tone and context that Ryumyo uses Naheka as a minion. A valuable tool, but one that's able to be replaced, and not that smart besides.
Hmmm, the tone of the thing is harder now - but thanks for the confirmation re:updating.

-Tir

I can’t immediately find or remember an analogue for Feathered Serpents, but Cathay Dragons are given Spellcasting 35, have likely mastered up to Circle 8, can have 4 spells/round, and cast with a Will Step of 11. Charisma, Toughness, and Perception are all in the same range as Strength, with DEX being fairly low, only slightly above a sample Troll Sky Raider.

Common dragons have less magical ability, most of their stats are lower (but still in the vicinity of their Strength) with Perception dropping into metahuman ranges and DEX moving to the upper limit of human ability. Keep in mind that when I refer to human/metahuman abilities I’m talking Adepts, not normal sixth-worlders.

I once converted some Horrors like the Baggi or the Construct Qural’lotectica, and I remember the numbers poking into the 20s.

That said, if this is a disposable henchman I might not boost the skills much—ultimately 6-8 is enough for a lot of purposes, so just boost what he’s said to specialize in.

~J

Thanks Kagetenshi - Looking forward to your 20 years on the board?

I forgot it hadn’t happened yet

(In one sense, it probably has. I lurked for around six-eight months before joining and making Dumpshock my new part-time job. I have to say, I poked my head in all of half a dozen times, but I miss the Lounge. It was nice knowing it existed. My apologies to any mods whose trauma I just resurfaced.)

~J

Wait, mods still hang out here? I thought they'd died out, years ago...

"Sometimes, in the distance, you can hear their voices, as if they were still with us..."


Tir