General Rules: Monsters - Dragon, Reef

Dragon, Reef (from Draconic Lore)
Dragon (Aquatic)

Special Attacks: Breath Weapon, Crush, Frightful Presence, Spells, Spell-Like Abilities, Symbiote, Tail-Sweep

Special Qualities: Immunities, SR, Blindsight, Keen Senses

Skills: Reef 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: Reef 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), Weapon Focus, and any metamagic feat that is available and useful to sorcerers. They can also choose from the following feats: Quicken Spell-Like Ability and Snatch.

Environment: Any aquatic

Organization: Wyrmling: Swarm (3 - 18); very young: Cluster (2 - 12); young, juvenile, and young adult: Solitary or clutch (2 - 5); adult, mature adult, old, very old, ancient, wyrm, or great wyrm: Solitary

Challenge Rating: Wrymling 1; very young 2; young 3; juvenile 5; young adult 7; adult 9; mature adult 12; old 14; very old 15; ancient 17; wyrm 18; great wyrm 20

Treasure: Double standard
Alignment: Always neutral good

Advancement: Very young 3 HD (Tiny); young 5 - 6 HD (Small); juvenile 8 - 9 HD (Medium); young adult 11 - 12 HD (medium); adult 14 - 15 HD (Large); mature adult 17 - 18 HD (Large); old 20 - 21 HD (Huge); very old 23 - 26 HD (Huge); ancient 28 - 29 HD (Gargantuan); wyrm 31 - 37 HD (Gargantuan); great wyrm 39+ HD (Colossal)

Those dragons descended from Vaimiti are among the smaller and weaker of the true dragons, but they tend to make up for a lack of physical power with magical skills, cunning, and allies.

Newly hatched reef dragons are extremely vulnerable. Unlike most other dragons, there is no paternal care given to the wyrmlings; they must survive on their own. For this reason, the cluster of hatchlings tends to stick together during the first few months of life, as the group can fight off foes that would be lethal to an individual. From this, reef dragons learn a lesson while young that most dragons never learn at all - cooperation. Reef dragons are among the most gregarious of the draconic species and often form stable, mutually beneficial relationships with coastal communities and sea nomads.

Upon hatching, reef dragons resemble pallid white worms with a flowing dorsal fin that resembles a mane. They have large, pinkish eyes. As they age, they begin to grow an outer shell of coral, granting them a considerable defensive mechanism against sea predators. An ancient or older reef dragon can easily be mistaken for part of the reef until it chooses to reveal itself. The coral that encrusts the reef dragon is alive, and it supports a number of other creatures as well.

Reef dragons are very much in tune with their homes and the surrounding waters. They are keenly aware of the complex machinery of nature and strive to live as part of the surrounding world, rather than the undisputed overlord of it. This is not to say that reef dragons are unwilling to use their powers when needed or that they are free of draconic arrogance. Rather, that arrogance tends to take other forms that pure self-aggrandizement; a reef dragon is like, as it ages, to become the self-elected protector of its territory, controlling the spread of local seafaring communities and otherwise asserting its dominance in this fashion.

Reef dragons can speak Aquan and Sûlic.

Combat
A dragon attacks with its powerful claws and bite, and can also use a breath weapon and 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).

Reef dragons will initiate combat only against those perceived as threats to themselves or the balance of their home. If they have decided to attack and are as yet undetected, they will use their considerable magical powers to enhance their speed and to confuse and disable their foes, then use their most potent offensive spells before moving in to melee range. reef dragons do not typically call upon their allies for assistance unless they truly find themselves in dire straits. They see it as their duty to attend to threats to their home reef personally. To do otherwise is a shameful show of weakness in front of the very creatures the reef dragon has agreed to protect.

Reef Dragons by Age

Age	Size	Hit Dice (hp)	Initiative	Speed	Armor Class	Touch	Flat-Footed
Wyrmling	D	1d12 (6)	+0	15 feet; swim 90 feet	16 (+4 size, +2 natural)	14	16
Very Young	T	2d12+2 (15)	+0	15 feet; swim 90 feet	16 (+2 size, +4 natural)	12	16
Young	S	4d12+24 (30)	+0	15 feet; swim 90 feet	20 (+1 size, +9 natural)	11	20
Juvenile	M	7d12+14 (59)	+0	15 feet; swim 90 feet	25 (+15 natural)	10	25
Young Adult	M	10d12+20 (85)	+0	15 feet; swim 120 feet	30 (+20 natural)	10	30
Adult	L	13d12+39 (123)	+0	15 feet; swim 120 feet	34 (-1 size, +25 natural)	9	34
Mature Adult	L	16d12+48 (152)	+0	15 feet; swim 120 feet	39 (-1 size, +30 natural)	9	39
Old	H	19d12+95 (218)	+0	20 feet; swim 120 feet	43 (-2 size, +35 natural)	8	43
Very Old	H	22d12+110 (253)	+0	20 feet; swim 120 feet	48 (-2 size, +40 natural)	8	48
Ancient	G	27d12+189 (364)	+0	20 feet; swim 150 feet	54 (-4 size, +48 natural)	6	54
Wyrm	G	30d12+405 (210)	+0	20 feet; swim 150 feet	62 (-4 size, +56 natural)	6	62
Great Wyrm	C	38d12+342 (589)	+0	20 feet; swim 150 feet	62 (-8 size, +64 natural)	2	62

Age	BAB/Grapple	Bite	2 Claws	2 Wings	Tail Slap	Crush	Tail Sweep
Wyrmling	+1/-13	+3 (1d3-2)	-2 (1d2-2)	-	-	-	-
Very Young	+2/-6	+4 (1d4)	-1 (1d3)	-	-	-	-
Young	+4/+1	+6 (1d6+1)	+1 (1d4)	-	-	-	-
Juvenile	+7/+9	+9 (1d8+2)	+4 (1d6+1)	-	-	-	-
Young Adult	+10/+12	+12 (1d8+2)	+7 (1d6+1)	-	-	-	-
Adult	+13/+21	+16 (2d6+4)	+11 (1d8+2)	-	+11 (1d8+6)	-	-
Mature Adult	+16/+24	+19 (2d6+4)	+14 (1d8+2)	-	+14 (1d8+6)	-	-
Old	+19/+35	+25 (2d8+8)	+20 (2d6+4)	-	+20 (2d6+12)	DC 24 (2d8+12)	-
Very Old	+22/+38	+28 (2d8+8)	+23 (2d6+4)	-	+23 (2d6+12)	DC 26 (2d8+12)	-
Ancient	+27/+51	+35 (4d6+12)	+30 (2d8+6)	-	+30 (2d8+18)	DC 30 (4d6+18)	DC 30 (2d6+18)
Wyrm	+30/+54	+38 (4d6+12)	+33 (2d8+6)	-	+33 (2d8+18)	DC 32 (4d6+18)	DC 32 (2d6+18)
Great Wyrm	+38/+70	+46 (4d8+16)	+41 (4d6+8)	-	+41 (4d6+24)	DC 34 (4d8+24)	DC 34 (2d8+24)

Age	Space/Reach	Fortitude	Reflex	Will	Breath Weapon (DC)	Fear DC	SR	Caster Level
Wyrmling	1 foot by 1 foot/0 feet	+2	+2	+3	1d8, 10-foot cone (10)	-	-	-
Very Young	2½ feet by 2½ feet/5 feet	+4	+3	+4	2d8, 15 foot cone (12)	-	-	1st
Young	5 feet by 5 feet/5 feet	+5	+4	+6	3d8, 20-foot cone (13)	-	-	3rd
Juvenile	5 feet by 5 feet/5 feet	+7	+5	+7	4d8, 30-foot cone (15)	-	-	5th
Young Adult	5 feet by 5 feet/5 feet	+9	+7	+10	5d8, 30-foot cone (17)	18	17	7th
Adult	5 feet by 10 feet/10 feet	+11	+8	+11	6d8, 40-foot cone (19)	19	19	9th
Mature Adult	5 feet by 10 feet/10 feet	+13	+10	+14	7d8, 40-foot cone (21)	22	20	11th
Old	10 feet by 20 feet/10 feet	+16	+11	+14	8d8, 50-foot cone (24)	24	23	13th
Very Old	10 feet by 20 feet/10 feet	+18	+13	+17	9d8, 50-foot cone (26)	26	24	15th
Ancient	20 feet by 40 feet/15 feet	+22	+15	+20	10d8, 60-foot cone (30)	29	27	17th
Wyrm	20 feet by 40 feet/15 feet	+24	+17	+23	11d8, 60-foot cone (32)	31	28	19th
Great Wyrm	40 feet by 80 feet/20 feet	+30	+21	+29	12d8, 70-foot cone (34)	36	31	20th

Age	Strength	Intelligence	Wisdom	Dexterity	Constitution	Charisma	Special Abilities
Wrymling	7	10	12	10	11	10	-
Very Young	11	12	12	10	12	12	-
Young	12	12	14	10	12	12	Symbiote I
Juvenile	14	14	14	10	14	14	-
Young Adult	14	16	16	10	14	16	Damage Reduction 5/+1
Adult	18	16	16	10	16	16	Symbiote II
Mature Adult	18	18	18	10	16	18	-
Old	26	20	18	10	20	20	-
Very Old	26	22	20	10	20	20	Damage Reduction 10/+2
Ancient	34	24	22	10	24	22	Symbiote III
Wyrm	34	26	24	10	24	22	Tsunami
Great Wyrm	42	28	26	10	28	24	Damage Reduction 20/+3

Blindsight (Ex): A reef 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.

Breath Weapon (Su): The reef dragon's breath weapon is a cone of grit - a mix of ground coral, sand, bone, shell shards, and other hard matter, which is filtered out of the water by the dragon and then stored until needed. In addition to dealing piercing damage, all those caught within the cone must make a Fortitude saving throw at the same DC or be blinded for 1d6 rounds as countless tiny particles tear into their eyes. Creatures that are wearing protective eye gear or who lack eyes automatically succeed at this save. The reef dragon can use this breath weapon both below and above water. Using a breath weapon is a standard action. Once a dragon breathes, it can't breathe again until 1d4 rounds later. A blast from a breath weapon always starts at the dragon's mouth and extends in a direction of the dragon's choice. Creatures caught in the area can attempt Reflex saves to take half damage, the DC is listed on the tables above.

Crush: A jumping reef 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): Reef dragons are immune to sleep and paralysis effects.

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.

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

Symbiote I (Ex): Reef dragons have countless living creatures inhabiting the coral that grows on their bodies. Most of these are innocuous and inoffensive creatures - tiny fish, small brightly colored worms, and so on. A small number, though, are of considerably greater power. These creatures often enter into a mutually beneficial relationship with their host. Once per day, a reef dragon can cast summon nature's ally II as a druid of a level equal to their caster level, though only aquatic animals can be summoned in this fashion.

Symbiote II (Ex): Once per day, a reef dragon can cast summon nature's ally IV as a druid of a level equal to their caster level, though only aquatic animals can be summoned in this fashion.

Symbiote III (Ex): Once per day, a reef dragon can cast summon nature's ally VII as a druid of a level equal to their caster level, though only aquatic animals can be summoned in this fashion.

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.

Spell-Like Abilities: Once per day - tsunami.

Spells: A reef dragon knows and casts arcane spells as a sorcerer of the level indicated on the table above, gaining bonus spells for a high Charisma score.

Skills: Reef dragons that can cast spells have the Spellcraft skill for free at 1 rank per Hit Die.

Notes: As with several other entries from Draconic Lore, the reef dragon needed some fixes. The dragon's breath weapon was given the wrong stats, which I fixed, and the dragon's listed saving throw bonuses did not include the adjustments for high ability scores. Also, this is the only type of dragon that I have found that has an age category with a Diminutive size, and the tables for dragon statistics (such as attack damage) don't go that small, so I had to make some stuff up to fill in that gap.

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