Gold Dragon
Dragon (Fire)
Environment: Warm plains
Organization: Wyrmling, very young, young, juvenile, and young adult: solitary or clutch (2-5); adult, mature adult, old, very old, ancient, wyrm, or great wyrm: solitary, pair, or family (1-2 and 2-5 offspring)
Challenge Rating: Wyrmling 5; very young 7; young 9; juvenile 11; young adult 14; adult 16; mature adult 19; old 21; very old 22; ancient 24; wyrm 25; great wyrm 27
Treasure: Triple standard
Alignment: Always lawful good
Advancement: Wyrmling 9-10 HD; very young 12-13 HD; young 15-16 HD; juvenile 18-19 HD; young adult 21-22 HD; adult 24-25 HD; mature adult 27-28 HD; old 30-31 HD; very old 33-34 HD; ancient 36-37 HD; wyrm 39-40 HD; great wyrm 42+ HD
Level Adjustment: Wyrmling +4; very young +5; young +6; others —
The dragon has large, smooth, twin horns that sweep back from its nose and brow. Twin frills adorn its long neck, and whiskers around its mouth look like the barbells of a catfish. Its saillike wings start at its shoulders and trace down to the tip of its tail. The dragon smells of saffron and incense, and its scales glisten like polished gold.
|
Age |
Size |
Hit Dice (hp) |
Str |
Dex |
Con |
Int |
Wis |
Cha |
|
Wyrmling |
M |
8d12+16 (68) |
17 |
10 |
15 |
14 |
15 |
14 |
|
Very young |
L |
11d12+33 (104) |
21 |
10 |
17 |
16 |
17 |
16 |
|
Young |
L |
14d12+42 (133) |
25 |
10 |
17 |
16 |
17 |
16 |
|
Juvenile |
L |
17d12+68 (178) |
29 |
10 |
19 |
18 |
19 |
18 |
|
Young adult |
H |
20d12+100 (230) |
31 |
10 |
21 |
18 |
19 |
18 |
|
Adult |
H |
23d12+115 (264) |
33 |
10 |
21 |
20 |
21 |
20 |
|
Mature adult |
H |
26d12+156 (325) |
35 |
10 |
23 |
20 |
21 |
20 |
|
Old |
G |
29d12+203 (391) |
39 |
10 |
25 |
24 |
25 |
24 |
|
Very old |
G |
32d12+256 (464) |
41 |
10 |
27 |
26 |
27 |
26 |
|
Ancient |
G |
35d12+315 (542) |
43 |
10 |
29 |
28 |
29 |
28 |
|
Wyrm |
C |
38d12+380 (627) |
45 |
10 |
31 |
30 |
31 |
30 |
|
Great wyrm |
C |
41d12+451 (717) |
47 |
10 |
33 |
32 |
33 |
32 |
|
Age |
Base Attack/ Grapple |
Attack |
Fort Save |
Ref Save |
Will Save |
Breath Weapon (DC) |
Frightful Presence DC |
|
Wyrmling |
+8/+11 |
+11 |
+8 |
+6 |
+8 |
2d10 (16) |
-- |
|
Very young |
+11/+20 |
+15 |
+10 |
+7 |
+10 |
4d10 (18) |
-- |
|
Young |
+14/+25 |
+20 |
+12 |
+9 |
+12 |
6d10 (20) |
-- |
|
Juvenile |
+17/+30 |
+25 |
+14 |
+10 |
+14 |
8d10 (22) |
-- |
|
Young adult |
+20/+38 |
+28 |
+17 |
+12 |
+16 |
10d10 (25) |
24 |
|
Adult |
+23/+42 |
+32 |
+18 |
+13 |
+18 |
12d10 (26) |
26 |
|
Mature adult |
+26/+46 |
+36 |
+21 |
+15 |
+20 |
14d10 (29) |
28 |
|
Old |
+29/+55 |
+39 |
+23 |
+16 |
+23 |
16d10 (31) |
31 |
|
Very old |
+32/+59 |
+43 |
+26 |
+18 |
+26 |
18d10 (34) |
34 |
|
Ancient |
+35/+63 |
+47 |
+28 |
+19 |
+28 |
20d10 (36) |
36 |
|
Wyrm |
+38/+71 |
+47 |
+31 |
+21 |
+31 |
22d10 (39) |
39 |
|
Great wyrm |
+41/+75 |
+51 |
+33 |
+22 |
+33 |
24d10 (41) |
41 |
|
Age |
Speed |
Initiative |
AC |
Special Abilities |
Caster Level |
SR |
|
Wyrmling |
60 ft., fly 200 ft. (poor), swim 60 ft. |
+0 |
17 (+7 natural) touch 10, flat-footed 17 |
Alternate form, immunity to fire, vulnerability to cold, water breathing |
-- |
-- |
|
Very young |
60 ft., fly 200 ft. (poor), swim 60 ft. |
+0 |
19 (-1 size, +10 natural) touch 9, flat-footed 19 |
|
-- |
-- |
|
Young |
60 ft., fly 200 ft. (poor), swim 60 ft. |
+0 |
22 (-1 size, +13 natural) touch 9, flat-footed 22 |
|
1st |
-- |
|
Juvenile |
60 ft., fly 200 ft. (poor), swim 60 ft. |
+0 |
25 (-1 size, +16 natural) touch 9, flat-footed 25 |
Bless |
3rd |
-- |
|
Young adult |
60 ft., fly 200 ft. (poor), swim 60 ft. |
+0 |
27 (-2 size, +19 natural) touch 8, flat-footed 27 |
DR 5/magic |
5th |
21 |
|
Adult |
60 ft., fly 200 ft. (poor), swim 60 ft. |
+0 |
30 (-2 size, +22 natural) touch 8, flat-footed 30 |
Luck bonus |
7th |
23 |
|
Mature adult |
60 ft., fly 200 ft. (poor), swim 60 ft. |
+0 |
33 (-2 size, +25 natural) touch 8, flat-footed 33 |
DR 10/magic |
9th |
25 |
|
Old |
60 ft., fly 250 ft. (clumsy), swim 60 ft. |
+0 |
34 (-4 size, +28 natural) touch 6, flat-footed 34 |
Geas/quest, detect gems |
11th |
27 |
|
Very old |
60 ft., fly 250 ft. (clumsy), swim 60 ft. |
+0 |
37 (-4 size, +31 natural) touch 6, flat-footed 37 |
DR 15/magic |
13th |
28 |
|
Ancient |
60 ft., fly 250 ft. (clumsy), swim 60 ft. |
+0 |
40 (-4 size, +34 natural) touch 6, flat-footed 40 |
Sunburst |
15th |
30 |
|
Wyrm |
60 ft., fly 250 ft. (clumsy), swim 60 ft. |
+0 |
39 (-8 size, +37 natural) touch 2, flat-footed 39 |
DR 20/magic |
17th |
31 |
|
Great wyrm |
60 ft., fly 250 ft. (clumsy), swim 60 ft. |
+0 |
42 (-8 size, +40 natural) touch 2, flat-footed 42 |
Foresight |
19th |
33 |
|
* Can also cast cleric spells and those from the Law, Luck, and Good domains as arcane spells. |
||||||
Gold dragons are graceful, sinuous, and wise. They hate injustice and foul play, often embarking on self-appointed quests to promote good. A gold dragon often assumes human or animal guise.
On hatching, a gold dragon's scales are dark yellow with golden metallic flecks. The flecks get larger as the dragon matures until, at the adult stage, the scales are completely golden. Gold dragons' faces are bewhiskered and sagacious; as they age, their pupils fade until the eyes resemble pools of molten gold.
Gold dragons can live anywhere. Their lairs are secluded and always made of stone, whether caves or castles. These usually have loyal guards: animals appropriate to the terrain, storm giants, or good cloud giants. Giants usually form a mutual defensive agreement with a dragon.
Gold dragons usually sustain themselves on pearls or small gems. Such gifts are well received, as long as they are not bribes.
Combat
Gold dragons usually parley before fighting. When conversing with intelligent creatures, they use Intimidate and Sense Motive to gain the upper hand. In combat, they employ bless and their luck bonus; older dragons use their luck bonus at the start of each day. They make heavy use of spells in combat. Among their favorites are cloudkill, delayed blast fireball, fire shield, globe of invulnerability, maze, sleep, slow, and stinking cloud.
Breath Weapon (Su): A gold dragon has two types of breath weapon, a cone of fire and a cone of weakening gas. Creatures within a cone of weakening gas must succeed on a Fortitude save or take 1 point of Strength damage per age category of the dragon.
Alternate Form (Su): A gold dragon can assume any animal or humanoid form of Medium size or smaller as a standard action three times per day. The dragon can remain in its animal or humanoid form until it chooses to assume a new one or return to its natural form.
Water Breathing (Ex): A gold dragon can breathe underwater indefinitely and can freely use its breath weapon, spells, and other abilities while submerged (the cone of fire becomes a cone of superheated steam underwater).
Luck Bonus (Sp): Once per day an adult or older gold dragon can touch a gem, usually one embedded in the dragon's hide, and enspell it to bring good luck. As long as the dragon carries the gem, it and every good creature in a 10-foot radius per age category of the dragon receives a +1 luck bonus on all saving throws and similar rolls, as for a stone of good luck. If the dragon gives an enspelled gem to another creature, only that bearer gets the bonus. The effect lasts 1d3 hours plus 3 hours per age category of the dragon but ends if the gem is destroyed. This ability is the equivalent of a 2nd-level spell.
Detect Gems (Sp): An old or older gold dragon can use this ability three times per day. This is a divination effect similar to a detect magic spell, except that it finds only gems. The dragon can scan a 60-degree arc each round: By concentrating for 1 round it knows if there are any gems within the arc; 2 rounds of concentration reveal the exact number of gems; and three rounds reveal their exact location, type, and value. This ability is equivalent of a 2nd-level spell.
Other Spell-Like Abilities: 3/day--(juvenile or older); 1/day--geas/quest (old or older), sunburst (ancient or older), foresight (great wyrm).
Skills: Disguise, Heal, and Swim are considered class skills for gold dragons.
