Silver Dragon (Shield Dragon)

Dragon (Cold)

Environment: Temperate mountains

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 4; very young 5; young 7; juvenile 10; young adult 13; adult 15; mature adult 18; old 20; very old 21; ancient 23; wyrm 24; great wyrm 26

Treasure: Triple standard

Alignment: Always lawful good

Advancement: Wyrmling 8-9 HD; very young 11-12 HD; young 14-15 HD; juvenile 17-18 HD; young adult 20-21 HD; adult 23-24 HD; mature adult 26-27 HD; old 29-30 HD; very old 32-33 HD; ancient 35-36 HD; wyrm 38-39 HD; great wyrm 41+ HD

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

 A smooth, shiny plate forms the dragon's face. It has a frill that rises high over its head and continues down the neck and back to the tip of the tail. Long spines with dark tips support the frill. It has two smooth, shiny horns, and wings that are wide and sleek. The dragon has the scent of rain, and its scales gleam like liquid metal.

Silver dragons are regal and statuesque. They cheerfully assist good creatures that are in genuine need and often take the forms of kindly old men or fair damsels when associating with humans.

A silver wyrmling's scales are blue-grey with silver highlights. As the dragon approaches adulthood, its color gradually brightens until the individual scales are scarcely visible. From a distance, these dragons look as if they have been sculpted from pure metal. Silver dragons are sometimes known as shield dragons because of the silver plates on their heads. As a silver dragon grows older, its pupils fade until in the oldest the eyes resemble orbs of mercury.

           Silver dragons prefer aerial lairs on secluded mountain peaks or amid the clouds themselves. A faint smell of rain always accompanies them. Even in clouds, though, the lair always has a magical area with a solid floor for laying eggs and storing treasure.

Silver dragons seem to prefer human form to their own, and they often have mortal companions, even forming deep friendships. Inevitably, however, a dragon resumes its true form and departs for a time. Silver dragons have a taste for human cuisine and can live on such fare indefinitely.

Because they lair in similar territories, silver dragons and red dragons often come into conflict. Duels between the two varieties are furious and deadly, but silver dragons generally get the upper hand by working together against their foes, often with human allies.

Combat

Silver dragons are not violent and avoid combat except when faced with highly evil or aggressive foes. If necessary, they use fog cloud or control weather to blind or confuse opponents before attacking. When angry, they use reverse gravity to fling enemies helplessly into the air, where they can be snatched. Against flying opponents, a silver dragon hides in clouds (creating some with control weather on clear days), then jumps to the attack when it has the advantage.

            Breath Weapon (Su): A silver dragon has two types of breath weapon, a cone of cold and a cone of paralyzing gas. Creatures within a cone of paralyzing gas must succeed on a Fortitude save or be paralyzed for 1d6 rounds per age category of the dragon.

            Alternate Form (Su): A silver 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.

            Cloudwalking (Su): A silver dragon can tread on clouds or fog as though on solid ground. The ability functions continuously but can be negated or resumed at will.

Spell-Like Abilities: 3/day--fog cloud (adult or older), control winds (old or older); 2/day--feather fall (juvenile or older); 1/day--control weather (ancient or older), reverse gravity (great wyrm).

Skills: Bluff, Disguise, and Jump are considered class skills for silver dragons.