Common Green Dragon
Dragon, Common Green (CR 13, Threat Role)
Dragons are so different from every other creature that they have their own unique classification. They have four legs, although the front 'feet' are dexterous enough to serve quite well as hands. They also have two or more completely functional wings, and they are powerful and speedy fliers. They have a large and dexterous prehensile tail, and seeing a monster as big as a dragon hanging from a branch is a sight you will remember for the rest of your life, however long that might be.
Dragons are intelligent and terribly alien. What a dragon considers important is not what other races consider important. They are also frequently, but not always, intensely malign. Some rare dragons may be allies with lesser races (all races are lesser to a dragon, as they see it) or even genuine friends to others. Most dragons, even those traditionally considered "good," are vain and jealous things, consumed with petty grievances and cruel enough to punish every slight, no matter how small or imaginary.
Dragons will hunt at great distances. Due to their powerful and magically enhanced metabolisms, dragons need to eat far less than would seem 'natural' for a beast their size. Rather than a blessing, this is a terrible curse upon the world, because things as awful as dragons should be rare, and, as the name "common green" might imply, they are not. Even worse, since dragons need far less food than is natural, they tend to be horrifically picky eaters, and have been known to kill an entire herd of cows to find the tastiest one, or rampage through an entire town looking for the prettiest maiden.
Dragons also have a tendency to 'play' with their food in most terrible ways. If you want to rescue that prettiest maiden, best to be quick about it. It is often speculated that dragons are deliberately wretched in their behavior, in order to force would-be dragon-slayers into action 'before they're ready', and so increase the dragon's long-term safety. Indeed, many dragons are far too intelligent and clever for their own good. There are hundreds of stories of adventurers taunting dragons into foolish actions, and it is true that, in a battle, it is hard for a dragon to take any 'lesser' race seriously. In a dragon's mind, the only creatures worthy of consideration, much less respect, are other dragons.
The world belongs to the dragons. The rest of us just live here.
Dragons tend to be categorized into loose species-groups based upon their physical appearance and traits. Most common among these are the white, black, blue, green, red chromatic dragons, followed closely by the bronze, copper, silver, gold and platinum metallic dragons. Other species groups exist, such as the earth dragons (brown, gray, yellow, and ocher), the spirit dragons (force, prismatic, empyrean, and tellurian) the gem dragons (crystal, onyx, jade, sapphire, ruby and amber), the drifting dragons (cloud, mist, shadow, sand, and dust), and the tempered dragons (iron, steel, mithril and adamant), to name the most common. In addition there are many odd dragons which defy categorization, such as coiled dragons, nested dragons, radiant dragons, sea dragons, celestial dragons, star dragons, moon dragons, sun dragons, fairy dragons, and many, many more besides.
While the physical appearance of the dragon is the easiest means of distinguishing them from one another, a dragon's coloration isn't a drab monochrome. Green dragons, for example, are mottled with browns, tans and olive colors in addition to their base green color, allowing them to effortlessly blend into flora-rich environments. While they prefer forests and other areas with ubiquitous flora, green dragons can be found nearly anywhere.
Green dragons are unique in several ways from other traditional dragons. First, while they are quite competent fliers, they are also absurdly quick climbers, able to slither through forest branches with terrible grace. Second, they always have at least two tails (and sometimes more than two), each carrying a straight, poisoned barb on the end. While in motion, the tails do not appear disproportionately long, but in combat, they can stretch them to startling lengths attacking distant foes with surgical precision.
GENERAL
CR 13 Hit Dice 19
XP 51,200 (Threat role, special due to henchmen)
NE Huge Dragon
Init +6; Senses Standard Blindsense 60 ft., Perception +20
DEFENSE
AC 34, touch 24, flat-footed 30 (+8 armor, +4 dex, +6 natural, +6 deflection)
hp 885 (Threat role, special henchmen do not affect the dragon's body hit points. Greens have a LOT of hit points!)
Fort +16, Ref +16, Will +16 (dragon bonuses included)
Aura: Terrible Majesty (see below)
SR: -
Special Defenses: Tail Detach (see below)
Immunities: magical sleep, paralysis, acid, sonic. Immunity to the first five instances of any status condition.
Weaknesses: -
OFFENSE
Speed 40 ft., Climb 120 ft., Fly 80 ft. (good)
Space / Reach: 15 ft. / 5 ft.
Single Melee
- Dragon's Bite +21 (2d8+15/19-20x2)
- additional Tail attacks per Serpentine Tail standard attack (see Henchmen writeup)
Full Melee
- Dragon's Bite +21 (2d8+15/19-20x2)
- additional Tail attacks per Serpentine Tail full melee attack (see Henchmen writeup)
Ranged none
Special Attacks Breath Weapon, Terrible Majesty, Addling Roar, Coiling Roll, at least 2 Serpentine Tail Henchmen
Action Points 2 (includes Threat role)
STATISTICS
Str 26, Dex 33, Con 21, Int 22, Wis 16, Cha 30
Base Atk +13; CMB +22; Maneuver Defense: 30
Feats
Skills Stealth +21,
Languages Common, Draconic, Awnsheghlien
SPECIAL ABILITIES
- Addling Roar (Ex)
As a standard action, the dragon may emit an ear-shattering howl of unimaginable power. This is a sonic-based attack that affects all creatures within 100 feet of the dragon's space. The dragon must have line of effect for this power to operate, but does not require line of sight. This power inflicts 13d6 of sonic damage. Targets may make a Fort save, DC 22, for half damage if successful.
- Breath Weapon (Su)
As a standard action, the green dragon aspirates a long hiss, exhaling a cloud of noxious, acidic gas in a 30-foot cone. Creatures caught in the radius of the breath weapon must make a Reflex save, DC 22, or take 13d6 points of acid damage. Those who succeed on the save take only half damage.
Furthermore, the cloud lingers on the battlefield until the end of the encounter, dealing an additional 3d6+2 points of acid damage to all creatures within it at the start of each of the dragon's turns. (GM's are encouraged to add the cloud to the initiative order just before the dragon, to help remember this damage effect).
Last, all creatures inside the cloud have partial concealment (20% miss chance) against any other creature who relies on sight-based senses for targeting. Because of its blindsense ability, the green dragon ignores this concealment. Green dragons can use this partial concealment to initiate a Stealth stance instead of needing total concealment, though they must follow all other rules for Stealth.
- Terrible Majesty (Su)
All enemy creatures who are within 100 feet of the dragon's space when it takes an attack action must make a Will save versus a DC of 22. This is a free action which requires line of sight, but does not require line of effect. Those who make this save receive the Nervous condition for one round. Those who fail this save receive the Trembling condition for the rest of the encounter. Note that once you have made this save once, succeed or fail, you are immune to that particular dragon's Terrible Majesty for the next 24 hours.
- Coiling Roll (Ex)
As a move action up to once per round, the dragon may use Coiling Roll to move his ground speed (40 feet) and end his move in a space occupied by one or more creatures, instead of having to end his move in an unoccupied space. Creatures who are in one or more of the spaces where the dragon ends this move action are moved to any square adjacent to the dragon's current space (the dragon chooses which space this is), following the standard rules for Forced Movement. Additionally, affected creatures must make a Reflex save, DC 22, or take 3d6+2 points of bludgeoning damage and be knocked Prone. Creatures who succeed on their save take no damage and are not knocked prone, but they are still subject to the forced movement.
If a character somehow fully resists the dragon's forced movement and chooses to remain in the dragon's space, both characters are considered Squeezed.
While Coiling Roll allows a move action, the forced move, damage and prone effects only apply to any creatures who occupy one or more of the squares where the dragon ENDS the move action. Furthermore, Coiling Roll can only be used by the dragon if it begins and ends its move on the ground (it may not use Coiling Roll with its Climb or Fly movement abilities). Finally, Coiling Roll can never be used more than once per round, regardless of how many move actions or action points the dragon uses in a given round.
- Detach Tail (Ex)
When the dragon is reduced to zero or fewer hit points, the dragon collapses to the ground and dies. During this time, any damage or status conditions applied to the dragon or its tails deal no damage and cannot inflict new status conditions or ongoing effects. However, at the start of the dragon's next turn, the dragon's tails burst from the dragon's body in a gory spectacle, each of them landing in a 10'x10' space within 30 feet of the dragon's corpse. The separated tails coil and thrash about, continuing to behave as independent creatures, except with limited mobility. If the dragon was suffering from any status conditions when it was slain, those conditions are immediately cleared from the surviving tails.
Optional: GM's looking for a recurring villain that is a Green Dragon could make the Detach Tail ability voluntary (1 swift action per tail), allowing the dragon to leave behind a distraction and escape using stealth and flight. Regrowing a detached tail should take some appropriately long time, like a year and a day, giving the dragon plenty of time to fester with rage and a need for vengeance on the party that did this to him.
When the dragon's body is slain, any unspent action points are lost. Don't let this happen to you!
- Serpentine Tail (Ex)
Every green dragon has at least two Serpentine tail henchmen when it is encountered (and maybe more, depending on the number of PCs in the encounter; see the Henchmen rules for details. Note that green dragons have two more henchmen than all other Threat roles would normally start with, with additional henchmen (tails) for party sizes greater than 4.
Each tail of the green dragon is treated as a separate creature for purposes of targeting, being targeted, and hit points. Indeed, the hit points of the tails must be tracked separately for each tail, and the dragon's hit points are tracked separately from that. However, if any tail is damaged while the dragon's body is alive, the tail takes only half damage from the attack (round up), with the other half going to the dragon's body (round down). It is entirely possible to kill one or more of a green dragon's tails before you kill the dragon itself (and, indeed, is actually a great tactic!).
Despite all that, each tail gets some of the properties of the dragon it is attached to, while the dragon is alive. While the dragon's main body still lives, all tails gain the dragons immunities, saves and special defenses, share its movement and initiative score. Once the dragon's body is slain, however, the tails stop sharing these traits except for the initiative score, instead using the statistics listed for Serpentine Tail, below.
TREASURE
sell value of approximately 33,750 gp (Threat Role and Dragon Bonus included, but reduced due to special Henchmen; total is 3x normal for CR)
COMBAT TACTICS
Like many dragons, green dragons are ambush predators, preferring to hide in trees and surprise their enemies with tail attacks in any surprise round they might get. This sets off their Terrible Majesty aura, and if the creatures run instead of standing to fight, the dragon will stay in the trees, following its prey and kill it with Addling Roar and Serpentine Tail attacks from range.
If its prey stands and fights, however, they will use their first round to breathe their acid cloud to gain concealment, spend an action point to charge their foes, and then use their remaining move action to make a coiling roll attack, now that they're on the ground.
Subsequent rounds will primarily consist full attack actions whenever possible. The second action point can be spent to expand the area of effect of the acid cloud by breathing a second time, or to use Addling Roar to soften up the prey even more.
Green dragons are smart predators, but vastly arrogant, and unlikely to flee from a battle they are losing. If a fight starts to go poorly, they might use stealth to reposition themselves to better advantage, but they will probably fight to the death, assuming that lesser creatures have no chance of actually accomplishing that.
Serpentine Tail (CR 13, Henchman Role)
Green dragons always have at least two tails by default, as part of the standard Threat role monster. However, depending on party size, a green dragon may have more than two tails, based on the Henchmen rules. A party with four or fewer PCs would encounter a "normal" Green Dragon, which has 2 tails, whereas a party of 5 PCs would encounter a green dragon with 3 tails, etc.
Every Serpentine Tail contains one set of sensory organs for the dragon's 'Standard Blindsense' ability, ensuring the tails remain dangerous even after the dragon is slain, detaching from the dragon's body and thrashing about with spasmodic abandon and unimpaired accuracy. However, a Serpentine Tail has no mind of its own, so it will indiscriminately attack all non-dragon creatures in its vicinity if the host dragon dies.
Serpentine Tails are unusual henchmen because they begin play attached to the green dragon. However, Serpentine Tails do not share the host dragon's health. Instead, each Serpentine Tail has its own pool of hit points, tracked separately from the beginning of the encounter, and these tails can be attacked directly, instead of attacking the dragon itself. GM's should assign a number to each of the tails during the encounter, to let the players more clearly attack the tail they want. If players attack a tail while the host dragon is still alive, the tail takes only half of the damage (round up) with the other half being dealt to the host dragon's body instead (round down). Note that it is entirely possible to kill one or more Serpentine Tails before the host dragon itself is slain.
While the host dragon lives, all of the Serpentine Tails gain many of the host dragon's characteristics, such as its defenses and immunities. Serpentine Tails also share the space of the host dragon until the dragon's body is slain, at which point they are split into distinct, size-large creatures, each with their own independent movement and attacks.
GENERAL
CR 13 Hit Dice 19
XP 25,600
N Large Dragon
Init +6; Senses Standard Blindsense 60 ft., Perception +20
DEFENSE
AC 34, touch 24, flat-footed 30 (+8 armor, +4 dex, +6 natural, +6 deflection)
hp 295
Fort +16, Ref +16, Will - (see Immunities)
Aura: -
SR: -
Special Defenses: -
Immunities:
- While attached to the host dragon, it has all the immunities and defenses of the host dragon (including the dragon's immunity to the first 5 instances of any status condition; this is tracked separately for each tail)
- When detached, immune to Prone, immune to fear-based status conditions and immune to any spells, spell-like or extraordinary abilities which require a Will save.
Weaknesses: -
OFFENSE
Speed
- While attached to the host dragon, the tail moves with the dragon.
- When detached, Speed is 10 ft., Climb 10 ft.
- See also Coiling Roll, below
Space / Reach: 10 ft. / 5 ft. if detached (see below), if still attached to the dragon, the tail is considered part of its space.
Single Melee Serpentine Tail +21 (2d8+9/x2) + Special Reach + Area of Effect + Poison (see below)
Full Melee 3x Serpentine Tail +21 (2d8+9/x2) + Special Reach + Area of Effect + Poison (see below)
Ranged -
Special Attacks Lancing Strike, Coiling Roll
Action Points 0
STATISTICS
Str 26, Dex 33, Con 21, Int -, Wis -, Cha -
Base Atk +13; CMB +22; Maneuver Defense: 30
Feats -
Skills -
Languages -
SPECIAL ABILITIES
- Coiling Roll (Ex)
As a move action up to once per round, a Serpentine Tail may use Coiling Roll to surge forward 40 feet and end its move in a space occupied by one or more creatures, instead of having to end its move in an unoccupied space. Creatures who are in one or more of the squares where the Serpentine Tail ends this move action are moved to a square adjacent to the Serpentine Tail's current space (the Tail chooses which space this is), following the standard rules for Forced Movement. Additionally, affected creatures must make a Reflex save, DC 22, or take 3d6+2 points of bludgeoning damage and be knocked Prone. Creatures who succeed on their save take no damage and are not knocked prone, but they are still subject to the forced movement.
If a character somehow fully resists Coiling Roll's forced movement and chooses to remain in the Tail's space, both characters are considered Squeezed.
While Coiling Roll includes a move action, the forced move, damage and prone effects only apply to any creatures who occupy one or more of the squares where the Serpentine Tail ENDS the move action. Coiling Roll can never be used more than once per round, regardless of how many move actions the Serpentine Tail uses in a given round.
- Lancing Strike (Ex)
A Serpentine Tail can make a single Lancing Strike attack with a standard action, or three Lancing Strike attacks with a full-attack action.
Lancing Strike has a limited form of reach that can only be used during an attack action during the Serpentine Tail's turn. Lancing Strikes can target any creatures within 40 feet of the Serpentine Tail as though the the Tail had 40 feet of reach. However, this reach cannot be used outside of the Serpentine Tail's turn for attacks of opportunity. Note that using reach does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Lancing Strike also has a limited area of effect, allowing each attack to target two adjacent 5-foot squares. Each time Lancing Strike is used, only a single attack roll is made, comparing the result against the AC of all creatures in the two adjacent target squares, and then rolling a single damage roll which is applied to all struck foes. Note that, like the limited reach, the area of effect of the Lancing Strike only applies to attacks made during the Serpentine Tail's turn, not attacks of opportunity. Also, both squares of the AOE must be within the 40-foot reach of the attack, and both squares must always be adjacent to each other (though they may be horizontally, diagonally or vertically aligned in relation to the Tail making the attack). This is treated as an area-of-effect attack for purposes of dealing damage to swarms, etc.
Finally, creatures struck by a Lancing Strike must make a Fortitude save, DC 22, or become poisoned:
- Lancing Strike - injury; save Fort DC 22; frequency 1/round for 4 rounds; effect 1d3 Dex damage and target is Slowed; cure 1 save.
Note that this poison cannot stack with itself. If a creature is poisoned by the Lancing Strike attack, it cannot be 'further' poisoned. However, if it shakes off the poison and is attacked again by another Lancing Strike, it must make a new save against potentially becoming poisoned again.
TREASURE
sell value of approximately 11,250 gp
COMBAT TACTICS
In combat, the Serpentine Tail will simply provide extra attacks to the green dragon while it is alive. Once the dragon is slain, they lose most of their mobility, but gain immunity to nearly all mind-affecting effects, all fear effects and the Prone condition.
Serpentine Tails will always fight to destruction, and will attack all non-dragon creatures within their reach without regard for any non-dragon allies that might be present (they're mindless!). Similarly, they will not choose targets based on proximity but instead will always attack the person that most recently damaged them, even if it was only for a single point of damage.