Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Hideous Zippleback & Snaptrapper: Two (or more) heads are better then one

It has long been said that two heads are better than one and in How to Train Your Dragon this is true of two breeds of dragon, the Hideous Zippleback and the Snaptrapper. Here are the statistics for these multi-minded wyrms for In Harms Way: Dragons.

The two headed Zippleback is also known as the Two-Headed Gormatron in the books. While often thought to have a head on both ends like a Pushmi-pullyu the picture does show a tail thus indicating that this is actually a case of wonky perspective. In any case it is obvious that the movie zippleback is based on this breed.

Original Version of the Zippleback, the Two headed gormatron

The other breed featured here is the Snaptrapper. Found only in the movies this breed has four heads and resembles a beautiful tropical blossom.


The lifecycle of the snaptrapper
 
So look below for the perfect breeds for those role players who want to share large dragon and can't agree who should be the captain. 

Hideous Zippleback (AKA Two-Headed Gormatron)


Size Hippo (3)

Special Ability/Edges Multiple Appendages (Two heads and two tails)

Breath Type/Times per Day/Damage flammable gas/ 6/ +125

Attributes STR 10 /COOR 10 / AGY 10 /END 10 / CHAR 13 / INT 7

Armor/Outer Covering 4/ light scales

Acceleration/Max. Speed 8/10

Ceiling/Range 9/133

Attack Type & Skill (Damage) Teeth + 2 (+ 40) Two bite attacks, Claws + 0 (+ 30), Head Butt + 0 (+ 30), Tail + 0 (+ 30) two tail attacks.

Break 4

Maneuv/Stability 9/11

Constitution 20 (5/5/5/5)

Diet/Habitat Fish/Mountains

Aggression Quiet and docile

Senses Sight x 4, Hearing x 2, Smell x 2, Taste x2 Alert/Observe +4/+3

Ornaments Two headed and double tailed

Vigor 20

Coloring, Pattern & Texture the glossy hide of the hideous zippleback varies from sky blue to leaf green, bronze, and orange. These colors shade to cream on the underside and the back and wings are covered with blood-red spots with a dorsal ridge of the same color.

The Hideous Zippleback is one if the most unusual dragon breeds. This dragon is elongate with two long, serpentine necks and tails. The dorsal ridge is fleshy and can 'zip' together, in order to create the illusion of one neck and tail for more streamlined flying. At the end of the necks, are two blunt heads with a large nasal horn and two thinner horns on top of its head.

This dragon has brains with their own personalities, one in each head, causing the two heads to often argue over what to do. One head tries to go one way, and the other head tries to go the other way, this can cause the dragon to crash or fly in circles. In game terns this gives a -10 penalty to Maneuver rolls. On the plus side the two heads can aid it in catching prey. They have been known to creep up on a victim and trap them between their two heads. The two heads also allow one head to watch for danger while other sleeps

Its two heads also give this dragon an unusual breath weapon. The head on the right side breathes a green, flammable gas, while the left head produces an electrical spark from its mouth to ignite the gas, creating a lethal explosion of fire. By itself, the gas can make a human nauseous and disorientated if inhaled. They can also exhale this gas in order to hide themselves in a cloud of self made fog before unexpectedly striking at their victims. In game terms the gaseous breath raises the difficulty by one for all alert, observe, and react rolls and lowers the dragons sneak roll difficulties by 1 step if the rolls are made while within the cloud.
 
A Hideous Zippleback
Snaptrapper

 
Size Mammoth (5)

Special Ability/Edges Multiple Appendages (heads  x 4)

Breath Type/Times per Day/Damage Poison gas/ 6 / +100

Attributes STR 11 /COOR 11 / AGY 9 /END 9 / CHAR 9 / INT 6

Armor/Outer Covering 2/Light Scales

Acceleration/Max. Speed 7/12

Ceiling/Range 12/112

Attack Type & Skill (Damage) Teeth +5 (+55) 4 attacks, Claws +0 (+45), Head Butt +0 (+45), Tail +0 (+45)

Break 4

Maneuv/Stability 14/6

Constitution 27 (7/7/7/6)

Diet/Habitat /Small animals/Tropical forests

Aggression Stubborn

Senses Sight x 4, Hearing x3, Smell x3,  Touch x 2 Alert/Observe +4/+3

Ornaments Barbeled and Multiple heads

Vigor 10

Coloring, Pattern & Texture the snaptrapper is a glossy emerald green to hazel green above and mint green below with hot pink inner mouths and deep yellow tongues.

 
The snaptrapper resembles a hideous zippleback but has four heads and a back ridge that resembles small leaves. Each of its four lower jaws can spilt in two at the chin. This unique jaw combined with the bright pink flesh and three yellow tongues within resemble the bloom of a tropical flower. When hunting the dragon crouches on the ground and thrusts its heads among the branches with the mouths open and tongues extended. It then lets loose a sweet (modern people would compare it to chocolate) to attract birds and insects.

 
When disturbed the snaptrapper breathes a cloud of poisonous methane gas. This gas is mildly poisonous but even more dangerous if it comes into contact with an electrical spark or flame. If this happens the gas ignites into billowing flame and does +50 points of additional damage

A Snaptrapper

Next up, those most common of dragons the basic brown, common garden, terrible terror, and horrible horror!

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