General Rules: Monsters - Dragon, Dire

Dragon, Dire (from Draconic Lore)
Dragon

Special Attacks: Crush, Frightful Presence, Impaling, Rage, Tail-Sweep, Vorpal Bite

Special Qualities: Immunities, SR, Blindsight, Keen Senses

Skills: Dire dragons have 6 skill points per Hit Die, plus bonus points equal to their Intelligence modifier x Hit Dice and purchase the following skills at 1 rank per skill point: Listen, Spot, and Search. The remaining skill points are generally spent on Bluff, Concentration, Diplomacy, Escape Artist, and Knowledge (any)(all skills taken individually) at a cost of 1 skill point per rank. Dragons cannot purchase skills that are exclusive to a class.

Feats: Dire dragons have one feat plus an additional feat per 4 hit dice. Dragons favor Cleave, Improved Initiative, Improved Sunder, Power Attack, Skill Augmentation (Listen and Spot), and Weapon Focus. Almost all dire dragons take Combat Reflexes as their first feat (to allow them to take better advantage of their impaling ability, and follow up with Improved Critical (Vorpal Bite), Weapon Focus (Vorpal Bite), Power Attack, Cleave, and Great Cleave. They can also choose from the following feats: Flyby Attack, Hover, Quicken Spell-Like Ability, Snatch, and Wingover.

Environment: Any mountains

Organization: Wyrmling, very young, young, juvenile, and young adult: Solitary or clutch (2 - 5); adult, mature adult, old, very old, ancient, wyrm, or great wyrm: Solitary, pair, or family (1 -2 and 2 - 5 offspring)

Challenge Rating: Wrymling 2; very young 4; young 6; juvenile 7; young adult 8; adult 10; mature adult 12; old 14; very old 15; ancient 17; wyrm 18; great wyrm 19

Treasure: Half standard
Alignment: Always neutral

Advancement: Wyrmling 11 - 12 HD (Medium); very young 14 - 15 HD (Large); young 17 - 18 HD (Large); juvenile 20 - 21 HD (Huge); young adult 23 - 24 HD (Huge); adult 26 - 27 HD (Huge); mature adult 29 - 30 HD (Gargantuan); old 32 - 33 HD (Gargantuan); very old 35 - 36 HD (Gargantuan); ancient 38 - 39 HD (Colossal); wyrm 41 - 42 HD (Colossal); great wyrm 44+ HD (Colossal)

Dire dragons are dragons that have lost their eldritch connection of the elemental and arcane forces of the Three Worlds. Due to their lack of a mystical bond with the forces that underlie fundamental reality, dire dragons are not regarded as True Dragons, but rather as something different, degenerate, and worrying.

No one knows exactly how a dragon becomes severed from the elemental and arcane aspects of their being. Some have speculated that the lines of dragon's whose sire has been killed begin to degenerate into dire dragons. As evidence for this, those scholar point to the physical similarities between fang dragons and dire dragons, opinion that most dire dragons are fang dragons who have devolved since the death of Yævauð. Some of those who hold to that view have taken to monitoring known molten dragons, searching to see if they have started to devolve since the death or Rœðan. Those who believe this to be misguided point to the continued existence of topaz dragons despite Tvennumbrúni's death nearly two thousand years ago; those who adhere to this position counter with the assertion that Colwyn must have simply been lying about having killed the topaz dragon sire.

Other scholars have opined that these mystical bonds are severed when a dragon commits some particularly egregious (by dragonish standards) transgression or moral offense. Still others have suggested that some malevolent entity or organization is intentionally dividing dragons from their heritage, a disquieting and unsettling thought. Finally, a small minority of sages assert that the devolution of dragons into this bestial state is inevitable and natural.

Unlike True Dragons, dire dragons are little more than brute animals - in much the same way that a shark is little more than a fish with teeth. They are all claws, teeth, and fury. They have no desires or vanities to play upon other than hunger. A dire dragon's skin is smooth and light gray, becoming darker and rougher as it ages. The scales of older dire dragons are incredibly thick and tough, turning aside blows from even the most potent magical weapons. Dire dragons are adorned with sharp bony spikes and horns on each joint and along their back. Close examination of any of the bony portions reveal that all of them are covered with small hooks and spines. Finally, a dire dragon's skeleton is greatly reinforced, granting it extraordinary strength, toughness, and power.

Dire dragons are the subject of fierce debate among those versed in dragonology, especially the member of the Cult of the Dragon. Some hold that dire dragons can be restored to their former status as True Dragons if only the proper arcane rituals and formulas could be discovered. This factions seeks to study and protect the dire dragons, hoping to learn who they formerly were, and how to return them to their august state. Others believe that dire dragons are to be pitied for their fall from power, but like rabid animals, they should be put down for their own good and for the safety of others. Still others hold that dire dragons are an abomination, and should be ruthlessly exterminated as befits an affront to the divinity of the True Dragons. Needless to say, these disagreements are sometimes quite intense. For their part, the dire dragons seem to not care at all.

Combat
A dragon attacks with its powerful claws and bite, and can also use special physical attacks, depending on its size. It prefers to fight on the wing, staying out of reach until it has worn down the enemy with ranged attacks. Older, more intelligent dragons are adept at sizing up the opposition and eliminating the most dangerous foes first (or avoiding them while picking off weaker enemies).

Dire dragons in combat have no strategy beyond raw force - but that is typically all they need.

Dire Dragons by Age

Age	Size	Hit Dice (hp)	Initiative	Speed	Armor Class	Touch	Flat-Footed
Wyrmling	M	10d12+20 (85)	+0	50 feet; fly 100 feet (average)	20 (+10 natural)	10	20
Very Young	L	13d12+26 (110)	+0	50 feet; fly 100 feet (average)	22 (-1 size, +13 natural)	9	22
Young	L	16d12+48 (152)	+0	50 feet; fly 100 feet (average)	25 (-1 size, +16 natural)	9	25
Juvenile	H	19d12+76 (199)	+0	50 feet; fly 150 feet (poor)	27 (-2 size, +19 natural)	8	27
Young Adult	H	22d12+110 (253)	+0	50 feet; fly 150 feet (poor)	30 (-2 size, +22 natural)	8	30
Adult	H	25d12+125 (287)	+0	50 feet; fly 150 feet (poor)	33 (-2 size, +25 natural)	8	33
Mature Adult	G	28d12+140 (322)	+0	50 feet; fly 200 feet (poor)	34 (-4 size, +28 natural)	6	34
Old	G	31d12+217 (418)	+0	50 feet; fly 200 feet (poor)	37 (-4 size, +31 natural)	6	37
Very Old	G	34d12+238 (459)	+0	50 feet; fly 200 feet (poor)	40 (-4 size, +34 natural)	6	40
Ancient	C	37d12+333 (573)	+0	50 feet; fly 200 feet (clumsy)	39 (-8 size, +37 natural)	2	39
Wyrm	C	40d12+360 (620)	+0	50 feet; fly 200 feet (clumsy)	42 (-8 size, +40 natural)	2	42
Great Wyrm	C	43d12+387 (666)	+0	50 feet; fly 200 feet (clumsy)	45 (-8 size, +43 natural)	2	45

Age	BAB/Grapple	Bite	2 Claws	2 Wings	Tail Slap	Crush	Tail Sweep
Wyrmling	+10/+14	+14 (1d8+4)	+9 (1d6+2)	+9 (1d4+2)	-	-	-
Very Young	+13/+22	+18 (2d6+5)	+13 (1d8+2)	+13 (1d6+2)	+13 (1d8+7)	-	-
Young	+16/+27	+23 (2d6+7)	+18 (1d8+3)	+18 (1d6+3)	+18 (1d8+10)	-	-
Juvenile	+19/+35	+27 (2d8+8)	+22 (2d6+4)	+22 (1d8+4)	+22 (2d6+12)	DC 23 (2d8+12)	-
Young Adult	+22/+40	+32 (2d8+10)	+27 (2d6+5)	+27 (1d8+5)	+27 (2d6+15)	DC 26 (2d8+15)	-
Adult	+25/+44	+36 (2d8+11)	+31 (2d6+5)	+31 (1d8+5)	+31 (2d6+16)	DC 27 (2d8+16)	-
Mature Adult	+28/+53	+41 (4d6+13)	+36 (2d8+6)	+36 (2d6+6)	+36 (2d8+19)	DC 29 (4d6+19)	DC 29 (2d6+19)
Old	+31/+57	+45 (4d6+14)	+40 (2d8+7)	+40 (2d6+7)	+40 (2d8+21)	DC 32 (4d6+21)	DC 32 (2d6+21)
Very Old	+34/+62	+50 (4d6+16)	+45 (2d8+8)	+45 (2d6+8)	+45 (2d8+24)	DC 34 (4d6+24)	DC 34 (2d6+24)
Ancient	+37/+70	+54 (4d8+17)	+49 (4d6+8)	+48 (2d8+8)	+48 (4d6+25)	DC 37 (4d8+25)	DC 37 (2d8+25)
Wyrm	+40/+75	+59 (4d8+19)	+54 (4d6+9)	+54 (2d8+9)	+54 (4d6+28)	DC 39 (4d8+28)	DC 39 (2d8+28)
Great Wyrm	+43/+79	+63 (4d8+20)	+58 (4d6+10)	+58 (2d8+10)	+58 (4d6+30)	DC 40 (4d8+30)	DC 40 (2d8+30)

Age	Space/Reach	Fortitude	Reflex	Will	Impaling Damage	Fear DC	SR	Caster Level
Wyrmling	5 feet by 5 feet/5 feet	+9	+7	+8	+9 (1d6+4)	-	-	-
Very Young	5 feet by 10 feet/10 feet	+10	+8	+9	+13 (1d8+5)	-	-	-
Young	5 feet by 10 feet/10 feet	+13	+10	+11	+18 (1d8+7)	-	-	-
Juvenile	10 feet by 20 feet/10 feet	+15	+11	+12	+22 (2d6+8)	-	11	-
Young Adult	10 feet by 20 feet/10 feet	+18	+13	+15	+27 (2d6+10)	21	14	-
Adult	10 feet by 20 feet/10 feet	+19	+14	+16	+31 (2d6+11)	23	15	-
Mature Adult	20 feet by 40 feet/15 feet	+21	+16	+18	+36 (2d8+13)	25	16	-
Old	20 feet by 40 feet/15 feet	+23	+17	+19	+40 (2d8+14)	27	17	-
Very Old	20 feet by 40 feet/15 feet	+26	+19	+22	+45 (2d8+16)	29	18	-
Ancient	40 feet by 80 feet/20 feet	+29	+20	+23	+49 (4d6+17)	31	19	-
Wyrm	40 feet by 80 feet/20 feet	+30	+21	+24	+54 (4d6+19)	33	20	-
Great Wyrm	40 feet by 80 feet/20 feet	+32	+23	+26	+58 (4d6+20)	35	21	-

Age	Strength	Intelligence	Wisdom	Dexterity	Constitution	Charisma	Special Abilities
Wrymling	18	4	12	10	15	8	Rage
Very Young	21	4	12	10	15	8	Vorpal Bite
Young	24	4	12	10	17	8	Damage Reduction 5/+1
Juvenile	27	4	12	10	19	10	-
Young Adult	30	4	14	10	21	10	Damage Reduction 10/+2
Adult	33	4	14	10	21	12	-
Mature Adult	36	4	14	10	21	12	Damage Reduction 15/+2
Old	39	4	14	10	25	14	Greater Rage
Very Old	42	4	16	10	25	14	Damage Reduction 20/+3
Ancient	45	4	16	10	29	16	-
Wyrm	48	4	16	10	29	16	Damage Reduction 25/+3
Great Wyrm	51	4	16	10	29	18	Damage Reduction 30/+4

Blindsight (Ex): A dire dragon can ascertain creatures by nonvisual means (mostly hearing and scent, but also by noticing vibration and other environmental clues) with a range of 30 feet x the dragon's age category.

Crush: A jumping or flying dire dragon of at least Huge size can land on opponents as a standard action, using its whole body to crush them. Crush attacks are only effective against opponents three or more size categories smaller than the dragon (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. Creatures in the affected area must attempt a Reflex save or be pinned, automatically taking 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 attacks. Pinned opponents take crush damage each round if they don't escape.

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 or charges. Creatures within a radius of 30 feet x the dragon's age category are subject to the effect if they have fewer Hit Dice than the dragon. A potentially affected creature that succeeds at a Will save remain immune to the dragon's frightful presence for one day. On a failure, creatures with 4 or fewer Hit Dice become panicked for 4d6 rounds and those with 5 or more Hit Dice become shaken for 4d6 rounds. Dragons ignore the frightful presence of other dragons.

Immunities (Ex): Dire dragons are immune to sleep and paralysis effects.

Impaling (Ex): In addition to the normal attacks common to all dragons, dire dragons may use their various horns, spines, and spikes to make exceptionally vicious attacks of opportunity. Whenver a dire dragon has an against a creature within 5 feet, it may attempt to impale the creature on its jagged spikes, doing damage as per its age category.

Keen Senses (Ex): A dragon sees four times as well as a human in low-light conditions, and twice as well in normal light. It also has darkvision with a range of 100 feet x the dragon's age category.

Rage (Ex): At will, a dire dragon may fly into a wild rage during battle. When the dragon does this, it temporarily gains +4 to Strength, +4 to Constitution, and a +2 morale bonus to Will saves, but suffers a -2 penalty to Armor Class. This rage lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 plus its (modified) Constitution bonus. The bonus to Constitution increases the dragon's hit points by 2 per Hit Die, but these points go away at the end of the rage when its Constitution score drops back to normal.

At the end of this time, the dragon is fatigued (-2 to Strength, -2 to Dexterity, and cannot charge or run) for the rest of the encounter. Given the dire dragon's high Constitution, its rage is likely to last for the entire combat.

A dire dragon can only enter a rage once per encounter. Entering a rage takes no time itself, but the dragon can only do this during its action, not in response to someone else's action.

Greater Rage (Ex): An Old or older dire dragon's rage bonuses become +6 to Strength, +6 to Constitution, and a +3 morale bonus to Will saves. The -2 penalty to Armor Class remains the same. The improved bonus to Constitution now increases the dragon's hit points by 3 per Hit Die, though these hit points till go away at the end of the rage.

Spell Resistance (Ex): As dragons age, they become more resistant to spells and spell-like abilities as listed on the table above.

Tail Sweep: A dragon of at least Gargantuan size can sweep with its tail as a standard action. The sweep affects a half-circle with a diameter of 30 feet, centered on the dragon's rear. A Colossal dragon's tail sweep has a 40-foot radius. Creatures within the swept area are affected if they are four or more sizes smaller than the dragon. The sweep automatically deals the listed damage. Affected creatures can attempt Reflex saves to take half damage.

Vorpal Bite (Ex): The dire dragon's teeth are extraordinarily sharp, and its jaw muscles are among the strongest of any living creature. When a Very Young or older dire dragon scores a successful critical hit with its bite attack, the opponent's head. if it has one, is severed.

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