Blue Dragon, Old

Chromatic dragons form the evil branch of dragonkind. They are aggressive, greedy, vain, and nasty.

Blue dragons are vain and territorial. They are one of the dragon varieties best adapted to digging into sand.

A blue dragon’s scales vary in color from an iridescent azure to a deep indigo, polished to a glossy finish by blowing desert sands. The size of its scales increases little as the dragon ages, although they do become thicker and harder. Its hide tends to hum and crackle faintly with builtup static electricity. These effects intensify when the dragon is angry or about to attack, giving off an odor of ozone and sand.

Their vibrant color makes blue dragons easy to spot in barren desert surroundings. However, they often burrow into the sand so only part of their heads are exposed. Blue dragons love to soar in the hot desert air, usually flying in the daytime when temperatures are highest. Some nearly match the color of the desert sky and use this coloration to their advantage.

Blue dragons lair in vast underground caverns, where they also store their treasure. Although they collect anything that looks valuable, they are most fond of gems—especially sapphires. They are sometimes are forced to eat snakes, lizards, and desert plants to sate their great hunger but especially prefer herd animals such as camels. When they get the chance, they gorge themselves on these creatures.

Typically, blue dragons attack from above or burrow beneath the sands until opponents come within 100 feet. Older dragons use their special abilities, such as hallucinatory terrain, in concert with these tactics to mask the land and improve their chances to surprise the target. Blue dragons run from a fight only if they are severely damaged, since they view retreat as cowardly.

Breath Weapon (Su): 100-ft. line, damage 16d8 electricity, Reflex DC 29 half. Using a breath weapon is a standard action. Once a dragon breathes, it can’t breathe again until 1d4 rounds later.

Frightful Presence (Ex): A young adult or older dragon can unsettle foes with its mere presence. The ability takes effect automatically whenever the dragon attacks, charges, or flies overhead. Creatures within a radius 240-ft are subject to the effect if they have 26 HD or less.

A potentially affected creature that succeeds on a Will DC 27 remains immune to that dragon’s frightful presence for 24 hours. On a failure, creatures with 4 or less HD become panicked for 4d6 rounds and those with 5 or more HD become shaken for 4d6 rounds. Dragons ignore the frightful presence of other dragons.

Crush (Ex): This special attack allows a flying or jumping dragon of at least Huge size to land on opponents as a standard action, using its whole body to crush them. Crush attacks are effective only against opponents of Small or less size (though it can attempt normal overrun or grapple attacks against larger opponents).

A crush attack affects as many creatures as can fit under the dragon’s body (an area of 15-ft × 15-ft in this case). Creatures in the affected area must succeed on a Reflex DC 29 or be pinned, automatically taking 2d8+15 bludgeoning damage during the next round unless the dragon moves off them. If the dragon chooses to maintain the pin, treat it as a normal grapple attack. Pinned opponents take damage from the crush each round if they don’t escape.

Snatch (Ex): The dragon can choose to start a grapple when it hits with a claw or bite attack, as though it had the improved grab special attack. If the dragon gets a hold on a creature of Small size or smaller with his claws, or Medium size or smaller with his bite, it squeezes each round for automatic bite or claw damage. A snatched opponent held in the dragon’s mouth is not allowed a Reflex save against the dragon’s breath weapon.

The dragon can drop a creature it has snatched as a free action or use a standard action to fling it aside. A flung creature travels 1d6×10 feet, and takes 1d6 points of damage per 10 feet traveled. If the dragon flings a snatched opponent while flying, the opponent takes this amount or falling damage, whichever is greater.

Blindsense (Ex): Dragons can pinpoint creatures within a distance of 60 feet. Opponents the dragon can’t actually see still have total concealment against the dragon.

Keen Senses (Ex): A dragon sees four times as well a human in shadowy illumination and twice as well in normal light. It also has darkvision out to 120 feet.

Create/Destroy Water (Sp): A blue dragon of any age can use this ability three times per day. It works like the create water spell, except that the dragon can decide to destroy water instead of creating it, which automatically spoils unattended liquids containing water. Magic items (such as potions) and items in a creature’s possession must succeed on a Will DC 27 or be ruined. This ability is the equivalent of a 1st-level spell.

Sound Imitation (Ex): A juvenile or older blue dragon can mimic any voice or sound it has heard, anytime it likes. Listeners must succeed on a Will DC 27 to detect the ruse.

Ventriloquism (Sp): 3/day—as ventriloquism. Caster level 9th; Will DC 15.

Hallucinatory Terrain (Sp): 1/day—as hallucinatory terrain. Caster level 9th; Will DC 18.

Spells: As 9th-level sorcerer. *Can also cast cleric spells and those from the Air, Evil and Law domains as arcane spells.

Typical Sorcerer Spells Known (6/7/7/7/5; save DC 14 + spell level): 0—dancing lights, detect magic, ghost sound, mage hand, message, ray of frost, read magic, resistance; 1st—alarm, command, magic missile, Nystul’s magic aura, shield of faith; 2nd—darkness, invisibility, mirror image, shatter; 3rd—cure serious wounds, dispel magic, haste; 4th—dimension door, stone shape.

Feats: This dragon has 10 feats available.

Skills: These skills are considered class skills for all dragons: Concentration, Diplomacy, Escape Artist, Intimidate, Knowledge (any), Listen, Search, Sense Motive, Spot and Use Magic Device. These skills are considered class skills for blue dragons: Bluff, Hide and Spellcraft. This dragon has 300 skill points available.