Brass Dragon, Old

Metallic dragons make up the good branch of dragonkind, but they are every bit as aggressive as their evil cousins when threatened or challenged. They also tend to be covetous and proud.

Brass dragons are notoriously talkative. They may have useful information, but usually share it only after long rambling and hinting for a gift.

At birth, a brass dragon’s scales are a dull, mottled brown. As the dragon gets older, the scales become more brassy until they reach a warm, burnished appearance. The grand head-plates of a brass dragon are smooth and metallic, and it sports bladed chin horns that grow sharper with age. Wings and frills are mottled green toward the edges, darkening with age. As the dragon grows older, its pupils fade until the eyes resemble molten metal orbs.

Brass dragons love intense, dry heat and spend most of their time basking in the desert sun. They are accompanied by a tangy metallic or sandy odor. They lair in high caves, preferably facing east to enjoy the morning warmth, and their territories always contain several spots where they can sunbathe and trap unwary travelers in conversation.

Brass dragons can and will eat almost anything if the need arises, but they normally consume very little. They are able to get nourishment from the morning dew, a rare commodity in their habitat, and have been seen carefully lifting it off plants with their long tongues.

Because they share similar habitats, blue dragons are brass dragons’ worst enemies. The larger blues have the advantage in one-on-one confrontations, so Brass dragon usually try to evade them until they can rally their neighbors for a mass attack.

Brass dragons would rather talk than fight. If an intelligent creature tries to leave without engaging in conversation, the dragon might force compliance in a fit of pique, using suggestion or a dose of sleep gas. A creature put to sleep may wake to find itself pinned or buried to the neck in the sand until the dragon’s thirst for small talk is slaked. When faced with real danger, younger brass dragons fly out of sight, then hide by burrowing into the sand. Older dragons spurn this ploy but still prefer to have the advantage in combat.

Breath Weapon (Su): 100-ft. line, damage 8d6 fire, Reflex DC 27 half; or 50-ft. cone, sleep (no HD limit) 1d6+8 rounds, Will DC 27 negate. 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 24 HD or less.

A potentially affected creature that succeeds on a Will DC 25 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 27 or be pinned, automatically taking 2d8+13 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.

Speak With Animals (Sp): At will—as speak with animals. Caster level 11th.

Endure Elements (Sp): 3/day—as endure elements. Caster level 11th; Will DC 14.

Suggestion (Sp): 3/day—as suggestion. Caster level 11th; Will DC 16.

Control Winds (Sp): 3/day—as control winds. Caster level 11th; Fortitude DC 18.

Spells: As 11th-level sorcerer. *Can also cast cleric spells and those from the Chaos and Knowledge domains as arcane spells.

Typical Sorcerer Spells Known (6/7/7/7/6/4; save DC 13 + spell level): 0—arcane mark, detect magic, disrupt undead, flare, light, mage hand, prestidigitation, read magic, resistance; 1st—detect secret doors, mage armor, magic missile, protection from evil, shield; 2nd—blur, Leomund’s trap, mirror image, resist energy, scorching ray; 3rd—clairaudience/clairvoyance, fireball, haste, tongues; 4th—chaos hammer, divination, fire shield; 5th—true seeing, wall of force.

Feats: This dragon has 9 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 brass dragons: Bluff, Gather Information and Survival. This dragon has 252 skill points available.