Gold Dragon, Ancient

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.

Gold dragons are graceful, sinuous, and wise. They hate injustice and foul play, often embarking on self-appointed quests to promote good. A gold dragon often assumes human or animal guise.

On hatching, a gold dragon’s scales are dark yellow with golden metallic flecks. The flecks get larger as the dragon matures until, at the adult stage, the scales are completely golden. Gold dragons’ faces are bewhiskered and sagacious; as they age, their pupils fade until the eyes resemble pools of molten gold.

Gold dragons can live anywhere. Their lairs are secluded and always made of stone, whether caves or castles. These usually have loyal guards: animals appropriate to the terrain, storm giants, or good cloud giants. Giants usually form a mutual defensive agreement with a dragon.

Gold dragons usually sustain themselves on pearls or small gems. Such gifts are well received, as long as they are not bribes.

Gold dragons usually parley before fighting. When conversing with intelligent creatures, they use Intimidate and Sense Motive to gain the upper hand. In combat, they employ bless and their luck bonus; older dragons use their luck bonus at the start of each day. They make heavy use of spells in combat. Among their favorites are cloudkill, <a href=”/delayed-blast-fireball-2603″>delayed blast fireball/a>, fire shield, globe of invulnerability, maze, sleep, slow, and stinking cloud.</p>

Breath Weapon (Su): 60-ft. cone, damage 20d10 fire, Reflex DC 36 half; or 60-ft. cone, weakening 10 strength damage, Fortitude DC 36 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 300-ft are subject to the effect if they have 34 HD or less.

A potentially affected creature that succeeds on a Will DC 36 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 Medium 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 20-ft × 20-ft in this case). Creatures in the affected area must succeed on a Reflex DC 36 or be pinned, automatically taking 4d6+24 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.

Tail Sweep (Ex): This special attack allows a dragon of at least Gargantuan size to sweep with its tail as a standard action. The sweep affects a half-circle with a radius of 30 feet, extending from an intersection on the edge of the dragon’s space in any direction. Creatures within the swept area are affected if they are of Small size or less. A tail sweep automatically deals 2d6+24 bludgeoning damage. Affected creatures can attempt Reflex DC 36 to take half damage.

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 Medium size or smaller with his claws, or Large 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.

Alternate Form (Su): A gold 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.

Water Breathing (Ex): Can breathe underwater indefinitely and can freely use breath weapon, spells, and other abilities underwater (the cone of fire becomes a cone of superheated steam underwater).

Bless (Sp): 3/day—as bless. Caster level 15th.

Luck Bonus (Sp): Once per day an adult or older gold dragon can touch a gem, usually one embedded in the dragon’s hide, and enspell it to bring good luck. As long as the dragon carries the gem, it and every good creature in a 100-foot radius receives a +1 luck bonus on all saving throws and similar rolls, as for a stone of good luck (see the item description, page 267 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide). If the dragon gives an enspelled gem to another creature, only that bearer gets the bonus. The effect lasts 1d3+30 hours but ends if the gem is destroyed. This ability is the equivalent of a 2nd-level spell.

Geas/Quest (Sp): 1/day—as geas/quest. Caster level 15th.

Detect Gems (Sp): An old or older gold dragon can use this ability three times per day. This is a divination effect similar to a detect magic spell, except that it finds only gems. The dragon can scan a 60-degree arc each round: By concentrating for 1 round it knows if there are any gems within the arc; 2 rounds of concentration reveal the exact number of gems; and 3 rounds reveal their exact location, type, and value. This ability is the equivalent of a 2nd-level spell.

Sunburst (Sp): 1/day—as sunburst. Caster level 15th; Reflex DC 27 partial.

Spells: As 15th-level sorcerer. *Can also cast cleric spells and those from the Law, Luck and Good domains as arcane spells.

Typical Sorcerer Spells Known (6/9/8/8/8/8/7/5; save DC 19 + spell level): 0—arcane mark, detect magic, detect poison, flare, light, mage hand, mending, prestidigitation, read magic; 1st—charm person, magic missile, protection from evil, shield of faith, true strike; 2nd—aid, calm emotions, cure moderate wounds, fog cloud, resist energy; 3rd—haste, searing light, suggestion, tongues; 4th—freedom of movement, holy smite, order’s wrath, Otiluke’s resilient sphere; 5th—cone of cold, dispel evil, teleport, wall of force; 6th—antimagic field, blade barrier, greater dispel magic; 7th—holy word, plane shift.

Feats: This dragon has 12 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 gold dragons: Disguise, Heal and Swim. This dragon has 570 skill points available.