So Starfinder has Chromatic Dragons, Metallic Dragons, Outer Dragons, Starmetal Dragons, Drakes, Dragonkin, and Kobolds. That’s a lot of dragon-type things in a sci-fantasy setting. But what Starfinder doesn’t have yet is Linnorms.
For the unfamiliar, linnorms are primodial dragons that trace their origins back to the First World. Massive wyrms, linnorms only have two legs on the fore part of their long serpentine bodies, and lack wings, though they can fly without them through innate magic. They actually possess a variety of abilities through innate magic, though they lack other dragons more sorcerous powers. Perhaps the most famous ability is their Death Curse, a literal curse that afflicts any being that slays the linnorm. They claim to predate ‘true’ dragons,
On old Golarion linnorm types were largely related to environmental features in the Northlands they called home, but that won’t do for majestic space wyrms! Instead, I propose naming them after celestial bodies – meteor, asteroid, comet, moon, planet, star. As such, let’s look at the least of these space linnorms, the meteor linnorm.
METEOR LINNORM GRAFT
Required Creature Type: Dragon
Alignment: Chaotic evil
Traits: Linnorm subtype; darkvision 120 feet, low-light vision, scent, true seeing; immunity to cold, curse effects, mind-affecting effects, paralysis, poison, and sleep; DR 5/cold iron (CR 10+; increase to DR 10/cold iron at CR 12, DR 15/cold iron at CR 15, DR 20/cold iron at CR 17); SR 11 + CR (CR 10+); supernatural flight speed of 20 feet (+ 10 feet per 2 CR).
Abilities: Breath weapon (cone 20 ft. + 10 feet per 2 CR, 1d6 B&S + 1d6 per CR), death curse (see below), meteor venom (see below), no breath, regeneration 7 (suppressed by cold iron attacks, CR 10+; increase to 10 at CR 12, 13 at CR 15, 16 at CR 17); true seeing (see below), unfettered movement (see below).
Death Curse (Su): Curse of the shattered soul. When a creature slays a meteor linnorm, it must succeed at a Will save (DC 20 + 5 per 5 CR) or permanently gain vulnerability to bludgeoning and starts off every combat off-kilter.
Meteor Venom
Type poison (injury); Save Fortitude (DC 15 + 5 per per 5 CR)
Track Dexterity (special); Frequency 1/round for 6 rounds
Effect progression track is Sluggish–Stiffened–Staggered–Petrified; Petrified functions as paralysis but can only be cured by magical effects that would remove the paralyzed condition of a caster level of 8 or higher.
Cure 2 consecutive saves
True Seeing (Su): linnorms are under a constant true seeing effect, as the spell, and can deactivate or reactivate the ability at will.
Unfettered Movement (Su): linnorms can move and attack normally even under the influence of magic that usually impedes movement, such as slow. All combat maneuver checks made to grapple them automatically fail. They automatically succeed on any checks made to escape a grapple or a pin. They are also able to move and attack normally while underwater, in zero gravity, or other environments.
Meteor linnorms generally make their homes in the debris rings around some planets and other interstellar bodies, but as sentient creatures able to communicate with others and traverse the stars on their own, they can be found anywhere. They share the general personality traits of most dragons, and typically range from hermits with strange hordes of wealth, pirate capatains, to reclusive CEOs of mega-corporations, with a variety of quirks in-between.
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Jeremy Corff
Artist and Writer