Steel Dragon
Dragon (Air)
Environment: Temperate plains
Organization: Wyrmling, very young, young: solitary (with humanoid companions) or clutch (2-5); juvenile, young adult, adult, mature adult, old, very old, ancient, wyrm, great wyrm: solitary (with humanoid companions)
Challenge Ratings: Wyrmling 2; very young 4; young 4; juvenile 5; young adult 7; adult 8; mature adult 11; old 12; very old 13; ancient 15; wyrm 16; great wyrm 18
Treasure: Triple standard
Alignment: Usually lawful neutral, often lawful good
Advancement: Wyrmling 5-6 HD; very young 8-9 HD; young 11-12 HD; juvenile 14-15 HD; young adult 17-18 HD; adult 20-21 HD; mature adult 23-24 HD; old 26-27 HD; very old 29-30 HD; ancient 32-33 HD; wyrm 35-36 HD; great wyrm 38+ HD
This dragon’s body is somewhat feline. Its face is very expressive and humanlike, surrounded by spines, almost like a hair and a beard. The dragon smells of wet metal, and its scales shine like burnished steel.
|
Age |
Size |
Hit Dice (hp) |
Str |
Dex |
Con |
Int |
Wis |
Cha |
|
Wyrmling |
S |
4d12+4 (30) |
11 |
10 |
13 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
|
Very young |
S |
7d12+7 (52) |
13 |
10 |
13 |
12 |
13 |
12 |
|
Young |
M |
10d12+20 (85) |
15 |
10 |
15 |
14 |
13 |
14 |
|
Juvenile |
M |
13d12+26 (110) |
17 |
10 |
15 |
16 |
15 |
14 |
|
Young adult |
M |
16d12+48 (152) |
19 |
10 |
17 |
18 |
15 |
16 |
|
Adult |
L |
19d12+57 (180) |
21 |
10 |
17 |
20 |
19 |
16 |
|
Mature adult |
L |
22d12+88 (231) |
23 |
10 |
19 |
20 |
19 |
18 |
|
Old |
L |
25d12+100 (262) |
25 |
10 |
19 |
22 |
21 |
18 |
|
Very old |
H |
28d12+140 (322) |
27 |
10 |
21 |
22 |
23 |
20 |
|
Ancient |
H |
31d12+186 (387) |
29 |
10 |
23 |
24 |
25 |
20 |
|
Wyrm |
H |
34d12+238 (459) |
31 |
10 |
25 |
24 |
25 |
22 |
|
Great wyrm |
H |
37d12+296 (536) |
33 |
10 |
27 |
26 |
27 |
24 |
|
Age |
Base Attack/Grapple |
Fort Save |
Ref Save |
Will Save |
Breath Weapon (DC) |
Frightful |
|
Wyrmling |
+4/+0 |
+5 |
+4 |
+4 |
1d6 (13) |
-- |
|
Very young |
+7/+4 |
+6 |
+5 |
+6 |
2d6 (14) |
-- |
|
Young |
+10/+12 |
+9 |
+7 |
+8 |
3d6 (17) |
-- |
|
Juvenile |
+13/+16 |
+10 |
+8 |
+10 |
4d6 (18) |
-- |
|
Young adult |
+16/+20 |
+13 |
+10 |
+12 |
5d6 (21) |
21 |
|
Adult |
+19/+28 |
+14 |
+11 |
+15 |
6d6 (22) |
22 |
|
Mature adult |
+22/+32 |
+17 |
+13 |
+17 |
7d6 (25) |
25 |
|
Old |
+25/+36 |
+18 |
+14 |
+19 |
8d6 (26) |
26 |
|
Very old |
+28/+44 |
+21 |
+16 |
+22 |
9d6 (29) |
29 |
|
Ancient |
+31/+48 |
+23 |
+17 |
+24 |
10d6 (31) |
30 |
|
Wyrm |
+34/+52 |
+26 |
+19 |
+26 |
11d6 (34) |
33 |
|
Great wyrm |
+37/+56 |
+28 |
+20 |
+28 |
12d6 (36) |
35 |
|
Age |
Speed |
Initiative |
AC |
Special |
Caster |
SR |
|
Wyrmling |
60 ft., fly 150 ft. (average), swim 30 ft. |
+0 |
14 (+1 size, +3 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 14 |
Alternate form, immunity to acid, poison resistance |
1st |
16 |
|
Very young |
60 ft., fly 150 ft. (average), swim 30 ft. |
+0 |
17 (+1 size, +6 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 17 |
Minor arcane shield |
3rd |
18 |
|
Young |
60 ft., fly 200 ft. (poor), swim 30 ft. |
+0 |
19 (+9 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 19 |
Moderate arcane shield |
5th |
20 |
|
Juvenile |
60 ft., fly 200 ft. (poor), swim 30 ft. |
+0 |
22 (+12 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 22) |
Enthrall |
7th |
22 |
|
Young adult |
60 ft., fly 200 ft. (poor), swim 30 ft. |
+0 |
25 (+15 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 25 |
DR 5/magic |
9th |
24 |
|
Adult |
60 ft., fly 200 ft. (poor), swim 30 ft. |
+0 |
27 (-1 size, +18 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 27 |
Charm person |
11th |
26 |
|
Mature adult |
60 ft., fly 200 ft. (poor), swim 30 ft. |
+0 |
30 (-1 size, +21 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 30 |
DR 10/magic |
13th |
28 |
|
Old |
60 ft., fly 200 ft. (poor), swim 30 ft. |
+0 |
33 (-1 size, +24 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 33 |
Suggestion |
15th |
30 |
|
Very old |
60 ft., fly 200 ft. (poor), swim 30 ft. |
+0 |
35 (-2 size, +27 natural), touch 8, flat-footed 35 |
DR 15/magic |
17th |
32 |
|
Ancient |
60 ft., fly 200 ft. (poor), swim 30 ft. |
+0 |
38 (-2 size, +30 natural), touch 8, flat-footed 38 |
Mass suggestion |
19th |
34 |
|
Wyrm |
60 ft., fly 250 ft. (poor), swim 30 ft. |
+0 |
41 (-2 size, +33 natural), touch 8, flat-footed 41 |
DR 20/magic |
20th |
36 |
|
Great wyrm |
60 ft., fly 250 ft. (poor), swim 30 ft. |
+0 |
44 (-2 size, +36 natural), touch 8, flat-footed 44 |
Mass charm |
21st |
38 |
Steel dragons are sociable, clever, and curious, and they prefer human form to their own. They are endlessly curious about the art, culture, history, and politics of civilized races.
At birth, a steel dragon’s scales are a deep blue-gray with steely highlights. As the dragon gets older, its color lightens to a lustrous burnished steel, gaining increased shine as it continues to age. In human form, a steel dragon always has one steel-gray feature, such as hair, eyes, nails or sometimes a ring, tattoo, or other ornamentation. In its natural form, a steel dragon smells of wet metal.
Steel dragons rarely live in caves. They prefer to live among humans and similar beings in a humanoid-style dwelling such as a mansion, castle, or other place of sufficient size to have a strongroom where they can keep treasure. They use their special abilities to infiltrate human society, masquerading as sages, scholars, wizards, or other intellectuals. Although they keep their true nature secret, steel dragons are always able to recognize one another.
Though steel dragons prefer to dine in human form, they need to eat enough to maintain their true form. They make monthly trips to hunt in dragon form, explaining these absences in ways consistent with the roles they take in human society. For example, a dragon in the guise of a historian might claim to have been off exploring records in another city’s library.
Combat
Steel dragons prefer talking to fighting, but if forced into a conflict, they usually begin with spells and avoid melee. If seriously threatened, a steel dragon reverts to its draconic shape and uses its breath weapon. Steel dragons try to use their spells and abilities to incapacitate foes unless their opponents have obvious lethal intent and the ability to inflict serious harm. If outmatched, a steel dragon tries to teleport away or assumes a human guise and becomes lost in a crowd.
Breath Weapon (Su): A steel dragon has two breath weapons, a line of acid and a cone of poisonous gas. Every creature within the area of the poison gas must succeed on a Fortitude save or take 1 point of Constitution damage per age category of the dragon. It must then succeed on a second save at the same DC 1 minute later or take the same amount of damage. The dragon can create an area smaller than its maximum, if it so chooses.
Alternate Form (Su): A steel dragon can assume any animal or humanoid form of Medium size or smaller as a standard action five times per day. This ability functions as a polymorph spell cast on itself at its caster level, except that the dragon does not regain hit points for changing form and can only assume the form of an animal or humanoid. The dragon can remain in its animal or human form until it chooses to assume a new one or return to its natural form.
Moderate Arcane Shield (Su): A steel dragon gets a +10 bonus on its spell resistance against all arcane spells of 4th level or lower.
Poison Resistance (Ex): Steel dragons have a +10 racial bonus on Fortitude saving throws against poison.
Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day—enthrall (juvenile or older), charm person (adult or older), suggestion (old or older), mass suggestion (ancient or older), mass charm (great wyrm).
Skills: Bluff, Craft, Disguise, and Profession are considered class skills for steel dragons.
Spells: Same as true dragon spellcasting, except that steel dragons can also cast cleric spells and those from the Knowledge or Trickery domains as arcane spells.
