Level HD Clerics
Druids
MonksMagic-Users
IllusionistsFighters
Paladins
Rangers
BardsThieves
AssassinsMonsters Up to 1-1 21 0 1-1 21 20 1 20 20 20 20 19 1+1 18 2 20 20 20 20 16 3 20 20 18 20 16 4 18 20 18 20 15 5 18 20 16 19 15 6 18 19 16 19 13 7 16 19 14 19 13 8 16 19 14 19 12 9 16 19 12 16 12 10 14 19 12 16 10 11 14 16 10 16 10 12 14 16 10 16 9 13 12 16 8 14 9 14 12 16 8 14 8 15 12 16 6 14 8 16 10 13 6 14 7 17 10 13 4 12 7 18 10 13 4 12 7 19 9 13 4 12 7 20 9 13 4 12 7 21+ 9 11 4 10 7
Level HD Clerics
DruidsWizards Fighters
Paladins
RangersThieves
BardsMonsters ½ or less 20 1-1 20 1 20 20 20 20 19 2 20 20 19 20 19 3 20 20 18 19 17 4 18 19 17 19 17 5 18 19 16 18 15 6 18 19 15 18 15 7 16 18 14 17 13 8 16 18 13 17 13 9 16 18 12 16 11 10 14 17 11 16 11 11 14 17 10 15 9 12 14 17 9 15 9 13 12 16 8 14 7 14 12 16 7 14 7 15 12 16 6 13 5 16 10 15 5 13 5 17 10 15 4 12 5 18 10 15 3 12 5 19 8 14 2 11 5 20 8 14 1 11 5
DUNGEON MASTERS GUIDE
ATTACK MATRICES FOR MISSILE AND MELEE COMBAT, CLERICS AFFECTING UNDEAD, PSIONIC COMBAT
III. MATRIX FOR CLERICS AFFECTING UNDEAD, et al.
| Type of Undead | Level of Cleric Attempting to Turn† | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9-13 | 14+ | |
| Skeleton | 10 | 7 | 4 | T | T | D | D | D* | D* | D* |
| Zombie | 13 | 10 | 7 | T | T | D | D | D | D* | D* |
| Ghoul | 16 | 13 | 10 | 4 | T | T | D | D | D | D* |
| Shadow | 19 | 16 | 13 | 7 | 4 | T | T | D | D | D* |
| Wight | 20 | 19 | 16 | 10 | 7 | 4 | T | T | D | D |
| Ghast | - | 20 | 19 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 4 | T | T | D |
| Wraith | - | - | 20 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 4 | T | D |
| Mummya | - | - | - | 20 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 4 | T |
| Spectreb | - | - | - | - | 20 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 7 | T |
| Vampirec | - | - | - | - | - | 20 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 4 |
| Ghostd | - | - | - | - | - | - | 20 | 16 | 13 | 7 |
| Liche | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 19 | 16 | 10 |
| Special**f | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 20 | 19 | 13 |
Procedure: A d20 is rolled, and if the number shown is matched or exceeded by the die roll the undead are turned. From 1-12 (or 7-12 or 1-2) undead (or evil creatures from lower planes) are affected:
T: This symbol indicates automatic turning — whether to influence by an evil cleric or actual driving away by a good cleric.
D: This symbol indicates the cleric has automatically brought the undead into friendly status (evil cleric) or destroyed or damned them (good cleric).
-: No effect upon the undead is possible where a dash is shown.
The progression on the table is not even. A variable increment of 5% appears — 19, 20. It is included to reflect two things. First, it appears to allow lower level clerics a chance to turn some of the tougher monsters. It disappears (at 4th level) and reappears again only when the clerics have reached a high level (8th and up). This reflects the relative difficulty of these clerics when faced with turning away the worst of evil creatures, but also allows the table to have them completely destroy the weaker undead. If for some reason you must have an exact progession, follow the columns for levels 1, 2, and 3, correcting to the right from there — and thus rather severely penalizing the clerics of upper levels, but by no means harming play balance. Column 4 will then read, top to bottom: T, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 20. Do not otherwise alter the table as it could prove to be a serious factor in balance — weakening or strengthening clerics too greatly.
APPENDIX M: SUMMONED MONSTERS
When a monster summoning spell is cast, consult the tables below to ascertain what sort of creature appears. Each table is presented according to the level of the spell. If the summoner is evil, the monster in parentheses may be used.
|
Monster Summoning I
|
Monster Summoning II
|
Monster Summoning III
|
Monster Summoning IV
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Monster Summoning V
|
Monster Summoning VI
|
Monster Summoning VII
|
Remember that it is always within your purview to not only select what monster is summoned but to appoint the numbers as well, where applicable. Thus you may select to have rats come to a first level summoning, but because they are relatively weak you might also allow a maximum number to appear. The major drawback to personal selection is that players might view it as personal bias on the part of the DM — whether pro or con, it is quite obvious that there are superior and inferior monsters on each list, and as a general rule it might be better to allow random selection sans "interference from the gods".
When a monster summoning spell is cast while upon a body of water or underwater, use the following tables to ascertain what sort of creature appears. Note that there are separate tables for fresh and salt water.
|
Monster Summoning I
|
Monster Summoning II
|
Monster Summoning III
|
Monster Summoning IV
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Monster Summoning V
|
Monster Summoning VI
|
Monster Summoning VII
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
MONSTER MANUAL II
Dungeon Monsters by Level and Frequency at That Level
(Abbreviations used may be found in the main text under the creature listed.)
|
LEVEL I MONSTERS
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
LEVEL II MONSTERS
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
LEVEL III MONSTERS
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
LEVEL IV MONSTERS
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
LEVEL V MONSTERS
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
|
LEVEL VI MONSTERS
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
LEVEL VII MONSTERS
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
LEVEL VIII MONSTERS
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
LEVEL IX MONSTERS
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
LEVEL X MONSTERS
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
Monsters by Terrain and Frequency on That Terrain
|
COLD, CIVILIZED MOUNTAINS
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
COLD, CIVILIZED HILLS
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
COLD, CIVILIZED FOREST
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
COLD, CIVILIZED SWAMP
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
COLD, CIVILIZED PLAINS
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
COLD, CIVILIZED DESERT
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
|
COLD, WILDERNESS MOUNTAINS
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
COLD, WILDERNESS HILLS
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
COLD, WILDERNESS FOREST
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
COLD, WILDERNESS SWAMPS
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
COLD, WILDERNESS PLAINS
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
COLD, WILDERNESS DESERT
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
|
TEMPERATE, WILDERNESS MOUNTAINS
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
TEMPERATE, WILDERNESS HILLS
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
TEMPERATE, WILDERNESS FOREST
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
TEMPERATE, WILDERNESS SWAMP
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
TEMPERATE, WILDERNESS PLAINS
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
TEMPERATE, WILDERNESS DESERT
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
|
TROPICAL, WILDERNESS MOUNTAINS
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
TROPICAL, WILDERNESS HILLS
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
TROPICAL, WILDERNESS FOREST
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
TROPICAL, WILDERNESS SWAMP
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
|
COLD FRESHWATER SURFACE
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
COLD FRESHWATER DEPTHS
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
COLD SALTWATER SURFACE
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
COLD SALTWATER-DEPTHS
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
|
TEMPERATE FRESHWATER SURFACE
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
TEMPERATE FRESHWATER DEPTHS
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
TEMPERATE SALTWATER SURFACE
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
TEMPERATE SALTWARE DEPTHS
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
|
ASTRAL PLANE
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
ETHEREAL PLANE
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare |
Outdoor Random Encounter Tables
|
COLD WILDERNESS AREAS
Die Roll Creature Encountered
Mountains
Hills and Rough Terrain
Forest
Swamp and Marsh
Plains and Scrub
Desert |
TEMPERATE WILDERNESS
Die Roll Creature Encountered
Mountains
Hills and Rough Terrain
Forest
Swamp and Marsh
Plains and Scrub
Desert |
TROPICAL AND SUBTROPICAL WILDERNESS
Die Roll Creature Encountered
Mountains
Hills and Rough Terrain
Forest
Swamp and Marsh
Plains and Scrub
Desert |
DRAGON #37
That's not in the Monster Manual!
Neutral dragons
by Arthur Collins
Taxonomic types have no doubt noticed that the dragons in the AD&D™ Monster Manual are easily separated into two types: colored dragons, ruled by Tiamat, the Chromatic Dragon (evil); and metallic dragons, ruled by Bahamut, the Platinum Dragon (good). And a well-balanced and fascinating group of beasties they are. So why am I about to propose six new types of dragons?
Part of the problem is with alignment. How come there are no neutral dragons? Surely there must be a place for the occasional dragon who doesn't give a hoot about good or evil as long as people leave his treasure alone. Likewise, half of these fascinating creatures are of good alignment, which really cuts down on the pillaging an adventurer of good can attempt without incurring the wrath of the gods (or at least the DM).
Another part of the problem is that everyone and his brother has a Monster Manual, which cuts down on the DM's options to surprise his adventurers with something that they have to think about to deal with successfully. It's very frustrating to be graphically describing an unknown beast a party has encountered, only to have some fanatic quote you chapter and verse on what it is, and what all of its abilities are. Finally, there is just something fascinating about dragons, which leads us to explore new variations simply to enjoy the essence of dragon-ness.
In proposing this new breed of dragon, I am assuming that all these types conform to the characteristics of dragons in general, except where otherwise noted. In addition, all of these dragons share the following standard characteristics:
FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO. APPEARING: 1-3, except in the case of Sardior, the Ruby Dragon.
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Breath weapon + possible magic use (except for Sardior,
who definitely uses magic)
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
The neutral dragons are basically reclusive creatures, dwelling in out-of-the-way places, and are not too receptive to unexpected visitors. Like all dragons, they get their kicks from lolling around on a pile of treasure. They are named after precious and semi-precious stones, and are especially fond of gems and jewelry. They are generally smaller and slower than other dragons, but make up for this with their outstanding intelligence and overwhelming personalities.
The neutral dragons are all very charismatic and suave. They delight in riddling talk, and seek to entrap the creatures they encounter by charming them with their voices. Anyone not engaged in such things as combat who listens to the dragon's voice faces a 10% cumulative chance per round of being entranced. While the intended victim is entranced, the dragon has a chance (varying with the dragon type; see chart) of implanting a suggestion in his mind. The dragon gets one attempt per creature to suggest, and the victim is allowed a saving throw as against the spell of the same name. If the victim makes the saving throw, the entrancement is broken for a minimum of six rounds. The dragon will try to keep the intended victim talking, in order to try again, but this time will get only a 5% cumulative chance per round of entrancing the victim(s). If the dragon fails in a suggestion attempt on the second try, the intended victim cannot be affected again.
Going along with their intelligence and charisma, all neutral dragons have a 50% chance of being psionically endowed. They are also telepathic, although they cannot communicate telepathically with non-telepathic creatures or characters with an intelligence below 17. Magic-using neutral dragons employ both magic-user and druid spells.
Since they are smaller than other dragons, the neutral dragons' fear aura in attacking is saved against at +4 for all opponents. Neutral dragons cannot polymorph themselves, unless they know the appropriate spell. They have the innate ability to blink six times per day, as in the spell. Particulars about each type of dragon are listed in the accompanying chart.
PSIONIC DISCIPLINES (where applicable)
Crystal dragons have 2 minor disciplines each; Topaz dragons, 3 minors;
Emerald, 2 minors and 1 major; Sapphire, 3 minors and 1 major; Amethyst,
3 minors and 2 majors; and Sardior, the Ruby Dragon, has the following
4 minor and 3 major disciplines: Domination, ESP, Invisibility,
Levitation, Molecular Rearrangement, Energy Control, and Dimension
Walk. All neutral dragons have a level of mastery for all
disciplines equivalent to twice their age level; Very Young dragons
operate at 2nd level of mastery, Young at 4th level of mastery, and so
on.
CRYSTAL DRAGONS
These creatures live on mountain crags, far away from all other beings.
They like to come out at night and lie under the stars. Crystal dragons
can breathe a dazzling cloud twice per day, 4" long by 4" wide by
2" high, that causes temporary blindness for everyone enveloped in it.
After emerging from the cloud, creatures remain blinded for 10-60 rounds
(saving throw cuts this in half). The dazzling cloud is as bright
as daylight, and can be seen for miles. Most creatures within 60' of it
will by -2 to hit, due to its brightness (except for creatures not
adversely affected by brightness or fiery light, such as fire elementals).
Basically nocturnal creatures such as goblins, et al, will strike
at -4.
Crystal dragons are a milky white in color, but when the moon or stars shine on them, their hide becomes luminescent and sparkling. In bright sunlight, they are almost unbearable to look at, because of the dazzling brilliance that their hide reflects.
TOPAZ DRAGONS
These creatures, light orange in color, prefer to dwell along bleak,
rocky seacoasts, although they have no inordinate love for the water
as bronze dragons do. Twice per day they can use their breath to
dehydrate objects. Their breath dries up 3 cu. ft. per h.p. of
the dragon when directed against liquids. Other materials suspended
in the liquid (for instance, salt) will precipitate out. When directed
against living creatures, the breath will cause every creature in its
path (3" long cone with 1" base) to lose 7-12 strength points due to
dehydration. After being dehydrated by a topaz dragon, a creature must
be nursed back to health carefully. Affected creatures will regain their
strength at the rate of one-half point per day with adequate care and
rest. A successful saving throw reduces damage to 1-6 strength points
drained. Characters with a constitution of more than 15 may recover 1
strength point per day after 6 days. Curative spells will not negate
the effects of this dehydration.
Any creature reduced to a strength of less than 3 will lapse into a coma, and will die in 3-12 turns unless a strength spell or a raise dead spell is cast on him. These spells will not cure the individual of his dehydration, however, nor help him recover his strength, but will only let him pass into normal sleep for 4-24 turns. Any creature reduced to zero strength points is killed instantly.
EMERALD DRAGONS
Emerald dragons make their homes in extinct or dormant volcanoes. Twice
per day they can use a keening sort of voice (breath) weapon which will
set up a sonic vibration, knocking all affected creatures within
hearing distance unconscious for 10-60 rounds. Those who make a saving
throw vs. breath weapon are deafened for 10-60 rounds.
The emerald dragon is a beautiful creature whose scaly hide seems to be in constant motion due to the many shades of green on the body. The interplay of the various shades can be very distracting to an observer, and the emerald dragon knows how to undulate its body to create a hypnotic effect on those it is parlaying with, dulling the observer's reactions. Thus, after the first three rounds of a peaceable encounter with this sort of dragon, the dragon is able to attack (if it deems it necesssary or wishes to) with complete surprise.
SAPPHIRE DRAGONS
Sapphire dragons make their lairs in deep underground caverns, avoiding
inhabited places where orcs, dwarves, etc., live. Twice per day the
sapphire dragon can set up a sonic vibration by its keening wail,
which disintegrates a number of hit points equal to the number of
hit points the dragon has. Creatures not killed outright by loss of hit
points would survive, but with weapons, armor and clothing totally
disintegrated. Magical items get a saving throw.
Sapphire dragons can be occasionally mistaken (on sight) for young blue dragons, although an adventurer who has encountered blue dragons before sometimes realizes his mistake if he has reason to recall that blue dragons prefer arid environments, while sapphire dragons are liable to be found in caverns in any climate.
AMETHYST DRAGONS
Amethyst dragons love to dwell near isolated highland turns. Twice per
day, the amethyst dragon can shriek, with the same effects as a
banshee.
Amethyst dragons are a sparkling lavender in color.
SARDIOR, THE RUBY DRAGON
Finally, we come to the Ruby Dragon. This is not a breed of dragon, but
a unique individual. Sardior the Ruby Dragon is the Prince of Neutral
Dragons. He dwells in a magical castle that roams the night sky, high up
in the atmosphere. He keeps his castle moving so that it is always in
the earth's shadow. Often, when Sardior's castle is sighted, sages think
they are seeing a reddish star making unusual conjunctions with other
stars in the night sky.
Sardior keeps a court of fuve thanes, one each of the various breeds of neutral dragons. They are: Hrodel (a female crystal dragon), who has the psionic disciplines of empathy and invisibility; Tithonnas (a male topaz dragon), who has the disciplines of clairaudience, clairvoyance, and sensitivity to psychic impressions; Smargad (a male emerald dragon), who has domination, hypnosis, and teleportation; Charsimma (a female sapphire dragon), who has cell adjustment, ESP, suspend animation, and etherealness; and Aleithilithos (a male amethyst dragon), who has detection of good/evil, detection of magic, object reading, energy control, and dimension walk.
Occasionally (10% of the time), one of these dragons will roam the earth without Sardior and the other thanes. If encountered, the thane may reward beings that find favor with it, usually in the form of gems, but sometimes in the granting of a boon.
All of Sardior's thanes are huge, ancient dragons. It must be remembered, of course, that Sardior and company are a stay-at-home lot, not given much to interfering with others' business. All the neutral dragons honor Sardior, but being what they are, his sovereignty does not much affect their daily lives of treasure-mongering. All are agreed, however, that Sardior is the most brilliant conversationalist and raconteur of all dragons.
Sardior has two breath weapons, both of which he can employ twice per day: a shriek (like an amethyst dragon) or a dazzling cloud (like a crystal dragon). He has a ruddy appearance, but his handsome features and general grace ensure that only a very inexperienced dragon-hunter would mistake him for a red dragon.
So much for neutral dragons. Put one of these in your campaign, and listen to the music of agonizing wails when your hardened dragon-slayers encounter something that they've never heard of before. (Chortle, chortle!) After all, keeping them on their toes is what makes for exciting play.
| CRYSTAL | TOPAZ | EMERALD | SAPPHIRE | AMETHYST | RUBY | |
| ARMOR CLASS | 2 | 1 | 0 | -1 | -2 | -3 |
| MOVE: | 9"/18" | 9"/18" | 9"/24" | 9"/24" | 12"/30" | 12"/32" |
| HIT DICE: | 4-6 | 5-7 | 6-8 | 7-9 | 8-10 | 12 (96 hp) |
| % IN LAIR: | 55% | 55% | 60% | 65% | 70% | 80% |
| TREASURE: | H, Ux2 | H, Ux2 | H, Ux3 | H, I, Ux2 | H, Ix2, Ux2 | 100% H, Ix3, Ux5 |
| DAMAGE/ATTACK: | 1-4/1-4/2-12 | 2-5/2-5/2-16 | 1-6/1-6/3-18 | 1-6/1-6/5-20 | 1-8/1-8/5-30 | 1-10/1-10/5-40 |
| INTELLIGENCE: | Exceptional | Exceptional | Exceptional | Genius | Genius | Supragenius |
| SIZE: | 12' long | 15' long | 20' long | 24' long | 30' long | 36' long |
| PSIONIC ABILITY: | 100 | 120 | 180 | 200 | 250 | 344 |
| A/D modes | C/F | BD/FH | AD/FJ | AC/FI | ACE/FGJ | All/all |
| CHANCE OF | ||||||
| Speaking: | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% | 100% |
| Magic-user: | 30% | 35% | 40% | 45% | 50% | 100% |
| Sleeping: | 25% | 20% | 15% | 10% | 10% | 5% |
| SUGGESTION: | 35% | 40% | 50% | 55% | 65% | 75% |
| SPELLS GAINED* | ||||||
| CRYSTAL | TOPAZ | EMERALD | SAPPHIRE | AMETHYST | RUBY | |
| Very Young | 1 1st-D | 1 1st-D | 1 1st-D 1 1st-MU | 1 1st-D 1 1st-MU | 2 1st-D 1 1st-MU | ** |
| Young | 1 1st-MU | 1 1st-D 1 1st-MU | 1 1st-D 1 1st-MU | 1 1st-D 1 1st-MU 1 2nd-D | 1 2nd-D 2 2nd-MU | |
| Sub-adult | 1 2nd-D | 1 2nd-D 1 1st-MU | 1 2nd-D 1 2nd-MU | 1 2nd-D 2 2nd-MU | 2 3rd-D 1 3rd-MU | |
| Young Adult | 1 2nd-MU | 1 2nd-D 1 2nd-MU | 1 2nd-D 1 2nd-MU | 2 3rd-D | 1 3rd-MU 2 4th-D | |
| Adult | 1 3rd-D | 1 3rd-D 1 2nd-MU | 1 3rd-D 1 3rd-MU | 2 3rd-MU | 2 4th-MU 1 5th-D | |
| Old | 1 3rd-MU | 1 3rd-D 1 3rd-MU | 1 3rd-D 1 3rd-MU | 2 4th-D | 2 5th-MU 1 5th-D | |
| Very Old | 1 4th-D | 1 4th-D 1 3rd-MU | 1 4th-D 1 4th-MU | 2 4th-MU | 2 6th-D | |
| Ancient | 1 4th-D 1 4th-MU | 1 4th-D 1 4th-MU | 1 4th-D 1 5th-MU | 1 5th-D | 2 6th-MU | |
* "1 1st-D" means one first-level druid spell; "2 3rd-MU" means two third0level magic-user spells, etc.
** Sardior, the Ruby Dragon, has 3 each of both druid and magic-user spells of levels 1-7, and has spell books listing all the magic-user spells of those levels.
It is assumed that since dragons' MU spells are of a special, verbal-only kind, so also are the neutral dragons' druid spells of a special kind, attuned to their
natures, and not requiring mistletoe or other material or somatic components.
Polyhedron #73 (July 1992) [AD&D 2nd Edition]
Dragon, Bahamut
CLIMATE/TERAIN: Any
FREQUENCY: Unique
ORGANIZATION: Solitary or with gold dragon court
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: Special
INTELLIGENCE: Godlike (22)
TREASURE: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, S, T, U (all x 10)
ALIGNMENT: Lawful Good
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: -15
MOVEMENT: 18, FI 40 (C), Sw 24, Jp 18, Br 18
HIT DICE: 70 (490 hit points)
THACO: 2
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3 + special
DAMAGE/ATTACKS: 6-60/6-60(6d10)/10-1 00(10d10)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Spells, breath weapon
SPECIAL DEFENSES: +3 or better weapon to hit, spells
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 90%
SIZE: G (420' long)
MORALE: Fearless (19-20)
XP VALUE: 72,000
Bahamut, the platinum dragon, is the king of all goodly-aligned dragons. The ancient, wingless serpent is considered a deity among dragons and dragonkind.
Although Bahamut's immense form seems threatening, his benevolent expression displays his kindness and hints at his great wisdom. He is quick to aid the causes of good creatures -- usually by assigning other dragons to the tasks. If he feels the threat is great, he will assume a different guise and tend to the matter himself.
The most handsome of all dragons, Bahamut's platinum scales glow with a faint blue sheen. The scales are huge, thick, and virtually indestructable. Only the most magical of weapons can penetrate them. The scales shimmer as the great one walks, creating a mirror-like glare that is difficult to look directly upon. His boulder-size eyes are a pale lavender, in sharp contrast to his glistening, spiral ebony horns. Only a few living beings have ever seen this magnificent form. Bahamut chooses to wear the guises of humans, demihumans, and common creatures so he does not frighten lesser beings.
In Bahamut's lifetime, he has visited every known world and plane at least once. His insatiable curiousity has taken him to many peoples, and he has consequently learned to communicate with nearly every known race. The platinum dragon is aided in this linguistic task by his ever-present receptive form of telepathy. However, due to changes in local dialects, Bahamut may have to cast a spell to aid him so he can better converse in up-to-date terminology.
Combat: Bahamut rarely involves himself in struggles, relying on other goodly-aligned dragons and creatures to deal with the situations. However, if a situation is especially threatening or if Bahamut's curiousity is piqued enough to cause his involvement, the platinum dragon and his gold dragon court will enter the fray. When the foes are obviously evil, the platinum dragon strikes first with his concussive blast, using this breath each round as often as necessary. If the nature of the foes is uncertain, Bahamut uses his vapor breath, which puts affected creatures into a gaseous form. The dragon and his court gather up any weapons and armor, wait for their foes to materialize, and then question them -- or finish them off if the targets are unwilling to talk. The platinum dragon prefers to use his spells and spell-like abilities to aid worthy causes rather than in combat. However, if pressed, he will use these spells to fight. Bahamut uses his physical attacks as a last resort, as the great one dislikes dirtying his claws and teeth with the blood of evil creatures.
Bahamut's gold dragon court first rely on their breath weapons in combat, followed by spells. Like the platinum dragon, they prefer not to fight physically. However, they will do so if the platinum dragon seems threatened.
Breath weapon/special abilities: Bahamut has three breath weapons. The most visible breath weapon is a frosty white cone of cold 10' wide at his mouth, 250' long, and 80' wide at the base. All those within the cone suffer 20d20 + 12 hit points of damage, save vs. breath weapons for half. Any creature caught within the cone has a 50% chance to drop anything held in its hands (saving throw not withstanding), as the objects have become too cold to handle. Further, for the next four rounds those creatures suffer half movement rate and are -4 on all attack rolls and Armor Class ratings because of their bodies' uncontrolable shivering. The second breath is a whispy blue cloud of magical vapor that is 120' long, 60' wide, and 60' deep. All those caught within the cloud are reduced to half their current hit points. Those who save are reduced by one-quarter. Further, all creatures which do not save turn gaseous for 3d4 turns. All equipment and items worn do not turn gaseous, but fall to the ground. The third breath is a concussive blast of air which is 10' wide at Bahamut's mouth, 150' long, and 50' wide at the base. This horrible assault kills all creatures within its range which have 60 hit points or less. There is no saving throw. Creatures possessing more than 60 hit points suffer 60 points of damage, no saving throw. Bahamut can use one breath per round as many times a day as desired. Creatures struck by a breath weapon save at -4 because of Bahamut's awesome power.
Bahamut is able to cast at will any first through seventh level priest spell and first through ninth level wizard spell. Bahamut can cast 100 spell levels per day. For example, Bahamut can cast 20 fifth level spells or any other combination thereof to equal 100.
In addition, he has the permanent abilities of receptive telepathy and shapechange. He can become astral or ethereal at will, and he is immune to Cold and gaseous attacks.
Bahamut casts spells and uses his abilities at 20th level.
Habitat/Society: While Bahamut has been known to inhabit virtually any clime in the guise of a human or demihuman, he most often resides in an immense crystal palace behind the East Wind. Sages speculate this palace is either on the elemental plane of air or in the Seven Heavens or TriParadises. The wisest of sages believe the palace occupies a pocket dimension between the plane of air and the Seven Heavens and that Bahamut and his gold dragon court are the dimension's only occupants. Legends say the crystal palace is covered with glyphs and wards and protected by spells humankind has yet to discover.
The platinum dragon journeys to human and demi-human lands out of curiosity. Bahamut has a fondness for the creatures and occassionally travels among them to learn about trends in their cultures, current politics, and new magical or clerical discoveries. During these forays, he is almost always accompanied by the seven gold dragons of his court -- who also assume an acceptable guise.
Sages say the platinum dragon is most fond of the form of an elderly man followed by seven yellow canaries. Other recorded forms have included a straggly-appearing urchin and his seven rag-tag friends, a prince and his carriage drawn by seven horses, and a beggar surrounded by yelping dogs. The sages are certain he has other guises, though nothing else has been documented.
Although Bahamut's court is comprised of gold dragons, he enjoys the company of all good dragons, delighting in their differences and varied personalities.
Bahamut's treasure is stored deep inside his crystal palace. Despite the immensity of the piles of gems, gold, and magical items, he considers the wealth inconsequential in the overall scheme of things. However, he uses bits of his treasurepassing out coins and gems to those down on their luck and using magic items to his own advantage.
Ecology: Bahamut is capable of eating nearly anything. He only requires sustenance while outside the crystal palace. His favorite meals include the early-morning frost on blades of grass, honey, and daisy petals. His nemesis is Tiamat, the chromatic dragon.
Gold Dragon Court: Bahamut's loyal court is comprised of seven great wyrm gold dragons. Each of these dragons has maximum hit points, is well-versed in the most effective of spells, and is intensely loyal to Bahamut. There is only a 10 percent chance Bahamut will be encountered without his court. When in his presence they appear in a form that complements his own-in their true bodies when he appears as a dragon, as canaries when he is an elderly man, and in other shapes as the situation warrants.
Sitting on Bahamut's gold dragon court is a position of unmatched prestige. Once appointed to the court, a great wyrm gold dragon serves until his or her death or until he or she is too infirm to aid Bahamut. When a replacement gold dragon is needed, Bahamut observes all gold wyrms and great wyrms, secretly testing them. These tests are elaborate, dangerous, and challenges the mettle of the greatest of dragons. Only the most noble and courageous dragons have a chance to be named to the court.
Some sages speculate that Bahamut only chooses gold dragons for his court because a hundred centuries ago the platinum dragon was gold. Sages say Bahamut's great goodness caused him to transcend his golden form and become a unique breed of dragon -- the most powerful dragon ever.
Dragon, Tiamat
CLIMATE/TERAIN: Any
FREQUENCY: Unique
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: Special
INTELLIGENCE: Godlike (21)
TREASURE: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, S, T, U (all x 15)
ALIGNMENT: Lawful Evil
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: -15
MOVEMENT: 9, FI 30 (C), Sw 12, Jp 12
HIT DICE: 60 (420 hit points)
THACO: 2
NO. OF ATTACKS: Up to 7 + special
DAMAGE/ATTACKS/
CLAWS/TAIL: 3-30 + 12/3-30 + 12
RED DRAGON BITE/BREATH: 3-30 + 12/24d10 + 12
GREEN DRAGON BITE/BREATH: 2-20 + 12/24d6 + 12
BLUE DRAGON BITE/BREATH: 3-24 + 12/24d8 + 12
BLACK DRAGON BITE/BREATH: 3-18 + 12/24d4 + 12
WHITE DRAGON BITE/BREATH: 2-16 + 12/12d6 + 12
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Spells, breath weapon
SPECIAL DEFENSES: +2 or better weapon to hit, spells
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 80%
SIZE: G (360/ long)
MORALE: Fearless (19-20)
XP VALUE: 68,000
Tiamat, called the "Queen of Evil Dragons" or the "Bane of Bahamut," is the most powerful and malicious of the chromatic dragons. Sages say no act is too evil for Tiamat -- if it nets her more wealth, influence, and causes harm to the forces of good.
The great dragon looks like a nightmare creation, sporting the necks and heads of white, black, green, blue, and red great wyrms. While the mass of huge heads seem to move independently like a group of writhing snakes, they are directed by one intelligence lodged deeply inside the dragon's massive body. Tiamat's five necks join just above massive, muscular shoulders. The colors of the necks and heads blend at the base in a swirl of colors that quickly turns jet black just below the shoulders. The black scales are small for a dragon of this size, about the size of a man's fist, and gleam like ebony pearls. The great dragon's belly is blue tinged with black, and her long, razor sharp talons are ruby red. Tiamat's great tail -- nearly twice as long as her body from chest to haunches -- seems to shift in hue as it twitches from emerald green to midnight black to sapphire blue. The queen's legs are as thick as great trees, and her wings -- black on the exterior and red as blood on the underside -- are huge. Still, they are not powerful enough to lift her great bulk with ease; Tiamat flies magically. The wings simply aid in her maneuverability.
Tiamat's teeth in her five heads are an opal white, sharp and long. And when the queen opens her mouths, the air seems to smell of brimstone and sulphur.
The centuries-old evil dragon has visited many lands in her many guises, becoming fluent in the languages of all evil creatures and all of dragonkind. She is also able to communicate in the languages of most men and demi-humans although she is loathe to lower herself to their level and do so.
Combat: Tiamat prefers to have her battles fought by troops of evil creatures loyal to her and by adult and older chromatic dragons. Despite her great power, she is fearful that direct combat with good creatures could cause her injury or death. So she prefers to orchestrate conflicts from the background. Such fights have escalated into full-scale wars between humans and evil creatures, with the humans never knowing who was ultimately behind the struggle.
When Tiamat is forced to fight, she begins her assault using all five breath weapons directed at the strongest targets. As of yet, she has found no mortal creature to survive beyond that first attack. Tiamat uses her spells to discern targets' weaknesses and motivations. She has been known to charm potential victims to learn of treasure hordes, then kill them quickly and horribly after the treasure is attained.
In her lair, Tiamat's court of five great wyrm dragons fight for her. The court is comprised of one dragon from each basic chromatic color, and each has maximum hit points. If Tiamat suffers more than 150 hit points of damage in a combat she will automatically teleport without error to Avernus.
Breath weapons/special abilities: Tiamat's white great wyrm head breathes a cone of cold 70' long, 5' wide at the mouth, and 25' wide at the base. Creatures caught within the cone suffer 12d6 + 12 points of damage. The black head breathes a stream of acid 5' wide and 60' long. Those in the stream suffer 24d4 + 12 points of damage. The green head breathes a cloud of poisonous chlorine gas that is 50' long, 40' wide, and 30' high. Those in the cloud suffer 24d6 + 12. The blue head's breath weapon is a lightning bolt 5' wide at the mouth and 100' long. The bolt causes 24d8 + 12 points of damage. The most fearsome head, the red, breathes a gout of searing flame 90' long, 5' wide at the mouth, and 30' wide at the base. Those caught by the magical fire suffer 24d10 + 12 points of damage.
A successful save vs. breath weapon reduces the damage from any breath by one half, and creatures must make a saving throw for each individual breath weapon they are caught in. All saving throws are made at -3 because of the power of the attack. The five heads can breathe simultaneously, on separate targets or the same target, every other round.
Tiamat is immue to all fire, cold, acid, gas, and lightning attacks, and she is immune to non-magical and +1 weapons. She can travel astrally or ethereally at will. Further, she has the following abilities at will: pyrotechnics, tongues, cause fear, polymorph self, and teleport without error. Each day she can cast three wizard spells at each level from 1st through 7th.
Tiamat casts spells and uses her abilities at 18th level.
Habitat/society: Tiamat lives on Avernus, although she is able to live in virtually any clime and on nearly any plane. Her lair is a castle of immense proportions which she constructed magically out of molten lava and the bones of her victims. Although solid, the castle's exterior walls appear to flow like lava and cause most creatures to avoid the place.
Tiamat's court dwells in the castle. Sages believe the place is also populated by other guards, such as elementals, fiends, and unnamed creatures. The castle is an extension of the queen's personality -- its spires are twisted and grotesque, there are no windows, and the walls are studded with bits of sharp material and jagged bones which can injure all but the most wary. The macabre, yet impressive, structure is avoided by nearly all the inhabitants of Avernus.
The great evil dragon knows what is transpiring within every square inch of her castle and within many square miles beyond. Because of this, it is impossible to surprise her in her lair. Her treasure is vast and litters the castle, in some places it is so thick she has shaped it into walls and uses it to cover the floor. Tiamat has a precise inventory of her wealth -- down to each insignificant copper -- and she has spent decades mentally cataloging it so she knows what all the magical items can do. She uses some of the items to further her malign gains.
The queen of evil dragons spends nearly all her time within the castle. She remains knowledgable about what is transpiring on other worlds and planes through magical items, spies, and cults of humans and demi-humans she has bent to her will. On rare occasions when something has sparked her interest enough for personal investigation, she dons a human or demi-human guise and takes one member of her court, also disguised, with her. These instances have included skirmishes between various races, newly-unearthed treasure finds, and political struggles. Tiamat's favorite guises include a comely young elven woman and her escort, a young girl accompanied by her father, and an elderly sage with her grandson in tow. Sages believe she has also assumed the form of goblins, gnolls, lizardmen, and other creatures when attempting to rally others for battle. Some sages speculate that she has acted as various groups' leaders and kings, ordering the subjects to do her bidding.
Ecology: Tiamat is capable of eating anything. On Avernus she requires no sustenance, drawing her energy from the plane itself. However, when she travels to other worlds and planes she feasts upon creatures she defeats, molten objects, and the very ground. Her favorite sustenance, however, is helpless creatures; she feeds upon their abject terror before swallowing them.
Tiamat's enemies are numerous and include Bahamut and all good dragons. However, only Bahamut has been able to stand up to her might-and recorded conflicts with the king of good dragons have ended in stalemates.
Sages speculate Tiamat was born many hundred years ago during a war between evil dragons. The gods threw the combatants together into one body. And this new form demanded that the evil dragons no longer fight amongst themselves.
Tiamat's Court: The queen's court is comprised of five dragons-male great wyrms of red, black, white, green, and blue. The court is handpicked by the queen based on their loyalty and the amount of gifts and service they have provided. When a member of her court becomes too infirm, she takes the dragon to another plane, personally slays him, and immediately selects a replacement. Members of the court store their treasure within Tiamat's castle, in separate chambers which are considered their own territories.