Orange Dragon

Dragon (Water)

Environment: Warm forests

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 3; very young 4; young 5; juvenile 8; young adult 11; mature adult 16; old 18; very old 19; ancient 21; wyrm 23; great wyrm 25

Treasure: Triple standard

Alignment: Always neutral evil

Advancement: See table

Level Adjustment: Wyrmling +3; very young +3; young +4; juvenile +5; others —

The dragon’s bright orange hide has a rough texture similar to an alligator's thick skin. Its long, flat snout is filled with long, thin fangs. A thin, spiked frill runs from the crown of its head back along its spine to the tip of its tail. Its webbed feet end with short, hooked claws. It walks low to the ground, further strengthening the resemblance to a monstrous alligator.

Orange dragons are crafty predators who attack their prey from ambush. They prefer to lurk within deep rivers and lakes in tropical regions. The mere presence of one of these dragons is enough to grind river travel to a halt.

Orange dragons are highly territorial. They make their lairs in or near jungle rivers and lakes. Orange dragons are natural tyrants, and many of them seek to bring the monsters and humanoids in their territories under their control.

Combat

Orange dragons attack creatures simply for the sport, although a good meal or rich treasure represents a useful fringe benefit of an attack. In truth, these creatures merely enjoy inflicting pain. An orange dragon loves to bathe its opponents in its breath weapon, then flee to a safe spot to watch the delayed effects of its deadly breath take hold.

Orange dragons spend much of their time in and under water. They prefer to attack from ambush, rising out of a lake or river to douse an opponent in their horrid breath weapons. Orange dragons tip over boats merely out of spite. Even if it is busy with some other tasks, an orange might pause to unleash its breath weapon on a band of travelers merely to bask in their screams of pain. Such casual cruelty is an orange dragon's favorite pastime.

            Breath Weapon (Su): An orange dragon's breath weapon is a bizarre mixture of oily saliva and a deadly, explosive compound. When this compound is exposed to water or air, it detonates in a ferocious explosion. The dragon's oily saliva shields this mixture, but it quickly evaporates. Once it is gone, the compound explodes.

The orange dragon breathes this mixture in a line. Any creature caught in this area is covered with its sticky, gooey breath. A successful save allows a creature to avoid becoming covered in the dragon's breath weapon.

After 2 rounds, the mixture explodes in a 15-foot burst centered on each creature. The target creature takes full damage, with no saving throw, while all other creatures in the explosion's area save as normal for half damage. A creature takes damage from this breath weapon only once per detonation. A creature standing between two allies covered with the dragon's spew makes only one save and takes damage once, not once for each explosion. The two creatures covered by the breath weapon also take damage only once. They do not suffer damage from the blast centered on the other victim.

An orange dragon's breath weapon recharges slower than that of other dragons. An orange dragon can use its breath weapon once every 1d6 rounds.

            Poison Immunity (Ex): Orange dragons subsist on a wide variety of poisonous animals and plants in their jungle homes. They develop a natural immunity to poisons of all types.

            Water Breathing (Ex): An orange dragon can breathe water as easily as air. It can use its spells, breath weapon, and other abilities underwater without restriction.

            Spell-Like Abilities: 3/day--pass without trace (young or older), control water (young adult or older); heat metal (mature adult or older); 1/day--suggestion (very old or older), hallucinatory terrain (wyrm or older).