Silver 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.

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-gray 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 silvery 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 mag- ical 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.

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): 60-ft. cone, damage 20d8 cold, Reflex DC 34 half; or 60-ft. cone, paralyzing 1d6+10 rounds, Fortitude DC 34 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 33 HD or less.

A potentially affected creature that succeeds on a Will DC 35 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 34 or be pinned, automatically taking 4d6+18 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+18 bludgeoning damage. Affected creatures can attempt Reflex DC 34 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 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.

Feather Fall (Sp): 2/day—as feather fall. Caster level 15th; Will DC 19.

Fog Cloud (Sp): 3/day—as fog cloud. Caster level 15th.

Control Winds (Sp): 3/day—as control winds. Caster level 15th; Fortitude DC 23.

Control Weather (Sp): 1/day—as control weather. Caster level 15th.

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

Typical Sorcerer Spells Known (6/8/8/8/8/7/7/5; save DC 18 + spell level): 0—arcane mark, dancing lights, detect magic, detect poison, disrupt undead, mage hand, mending, prestidigitation, read magic; 1st—chill touch, divine favor, protection from evil, shield, unseen servant; 2nd—aid, cat’s grace, cure moderate wounds, heat metal, mirror image; 3rd—displacement, haste, protection from energy, searing light; 4th—holy smite, ice storm, greater invisibility, order’s wrath; 5th—flame strike, shadow evocation, teleport, waves of fatigue; 6th—blade barrier, chain lightning, greater dispel magic; 7th—holy word, sunbeam.

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 silver dragons: Bluff, Disguise and Jump. This dragon has 518 skill points available.