Ancient Black Dragon
Dragon · Crown of Wrath
T5d12Sovereign
Elder swamp sovereigns, ancient black dragons shape mires with wings, whispering curses that blight lands.
Tier 5 · Role Sovereign · Pool Vigor 4 / Vitality 100 · AC 14 · ATK +8 · Save DC 19 · Dmg d12
| Stat | Score | Mod | Die |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body | 20 | +5 | d10 |
| Mind | 20 | +5 | d10 |
| Sense | 22 | +6 | d12 |
| Heart | 8 | -1 | -d3 |
| Cunning | 22 | +6 | d12 |
| Fate | 20 | +5 | d10 |
Passives
Legendary Resistance (3/day)
When it fails a save, it may choose to succeed instead.
Swamp Tyrant
Immune to acid damage; breathes air and water. Water fouls for a mile around its lair and plants wither where it nests.
Maneuvers
Frightful Presence
Each enemy within 60 ft that can see the dragon makes a Heart save (DC 19) or is frightened for 1 round.
Declarations
Declared in the enemy tactical window and resolved at the start of its next turn. Any Vitality it loses first forces the disruption roll: on a 1 the declaration is lost.
Acid Breath
Vomits a 90 ft line of hissing acid that eats flesh, mail, and bone. Each creature in the line makes a Body save (DC 19): on a failure it takes 1d12 damage, on a success it takes 1 Vigor damage.
Reactions
Wing Buffet
Once per round when a creature ends its turn within 15 ft, the dragon beats its wings: each creature within 15 ft makes a Body save (DC 19) or takes 1 Vigor damage and is knocked prone, and the dragon flies up to 20 ft.
Tactics
GM tactics
Centuries of cruelty refined into an art. Corrupts the land for miles. Lures adventurers into flooded lairs full of submerged bones. Enjoys watching foes dissolve slowly.
Running it
Rules
- Shield of Tier + Heart mod over a Vitality pool of 10 + 18 x Tier. Full Vigor at combat start; at the start of its turn it loses 1 Vigor. Dead at 0 Vitality.
- A hit rolls d12. A crit rolls two: 2d12.
- Crits on a natural 14+ (Cunning 22).
- Two attacks in a normal turn.
- Sovereign: 2 Sovereign Actions a round, spent after other combatants' turns, on top of its attacks.
- Any Vitality lost while a declaration is pending forces its disruption roll; on a 1 the declaration is lost.
- Never checks morale: it fights to 0 Vitality or to the exit written into its lowest phase.
- NPCs never take wounds.