Reaper Drakes

[Mask]

These wyrms were bred from the same stock as seige drakes (http://barroks-tower.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=314&s=) but bred for a totally different role in war fare. The basic body plan is the same as that of a seige drake; small foreparts, large haunches, and a massive tail. Where the siege drake is unarmored and peaceful, though, the reaper drake is a living tank. Its head and shoulders are covered by thick plates of subcutanious bone, it's eyes deeply recessed. The most obvious, and important, difference is in the tale, its sole weapon. This massive appendage, easily three times the length of its torso, is thick and supple, flexible and agile. Twin rows of sharp bone blades run down the side of the last ten feet of the tail, wicked implements of death when swung around.
The reaper drakes purpose in battle is to break up enemy formations and strong points and to serves as a rear guard in the case of retreat. The handler uses verbal cues to direct it into possition, where it then hunkers down, using its armored plates to protect its vulnerable legs, and flails at all around it with its deadly tail, cleaving men and horses in half as easily as cheese.

This is also an old idea of mine; I love the visual image of it.

As with the seige dragon, feel free to stat this monster up if you feel the inclination. I don't know whether it would be better to treat it's tail like a whirlwind attack or like the dragon's tail swipe...

[Mask]

Oh, and just to beat Acolyte to it, I'm going to quote from the American Pageant history book:
"The McCormik automatic raper, which does the work of ten men!"
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Mask]

Again with the spam accusations...

But, anyway...

I do agree with the comment that these are less cool than the seige drakes.

Personally, I picture them in something like the Battle of Helms deep; a massive defensive action where you put a few of these on the walls and the enemy just walks into the meat grinder. :D :D :D
And yes, I admit that the don't quite fit the D&D mode because they are designed for mass combat, not for taking on small groups of highly skilled adventures.

I don't know why, but I've always loved the idea of creatures that use their tale as their primary weapon...

[Smilin_Bandit]

I would like to mention that if your looking to send large heavy objects sailing from long distances towards siege walls, and your in the business of using monstrous creatures to do your bidding, there are already quite a few creatures that fit the bill for both the Reaper Drake and the Siege Drake. It's called a giant.

Line a few of these brutes up several hundred meters from the wall you want to breach and give them a couple piles of heavy stones or metal balls to toss and you have yourself a fast moving artillery unit that doesn't require much training, and their rate of fire is much higher than both a siege engine and the drakes. They have two hands and proficiency in tossing heavy objects.

~Smilin_Bandit~ :top: