Home >Bestiary >(Bestiary) By Type >Templates >

Deep Dragon Creature (CR +2)[3pp]

Most folk encounter dragons soaring through the sky on mighty wings, and because this is what surface folk see most often, this is all they believe exists. Yet not all dragons live upon the Sunlit Lands. Some lurk deep beneath in The World Below, in dark caves, in forgotten delvings burrowing about creating vast new galleries. These deep dragon creatures possess unique gifts and adaptations that allow them to slide through otherwise impassible dungeon corridors, transverse the treacherous depths of lightless lands and stalk prey in the dark depths where night never ends. Deep Dragons have duller hides and longer, more serpentine bodies in comparison to their surface kin, they never have wings and cannot fly, but can burrow and have vicious claws.

Deep dragon” is an acquired template that can be added to any dragon type.

A deep dragon creature uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

CR: +2.

Armor Class: +2 natural armor

Defensive Abilities: DR 5/adamantine (if the deep dragon creature is CR 10 or higher this becomes DR 10/adamantine, if CR 15 or higher this becomes DR 15/adamantine); Immune acid, fire

Weakness: light blindness

Speed: Deep dragons gain burrow at half their base speed; Deep dragon creatures cannot fly, they lose both their wings and this mode of movement.

Special Abilities: A Deep dragon creature retains all the special abilities of the base creature, plus the special abilities as described below:

Compression (Ex)

A deep dragon creature can move through an area as small as one-quarter its space without squeezing or one-eighth its space when squeezing.

Deep Gaze (Su)

Buried suggestion (see below) 30 ft., Will (DC 10 +1/2 deep dragon creature’s HD + its Cha Modifier) negates (special). As suggestion, except the target need not understand the deep dragon creature and the effect is permanent until discharged. The dragon telepathically implants the suggestion into the subject. The suggestion planted must not take place immediately. When it occurs it must be based on an event or an amount of time going by. At least three days must pass before the suggestion compels the subject. During the period while the suggestion is buried, neither divination spells nor Sense Motive will reveal that the subject is under the effect of an enchantment. The subject does not attempt his saving throw until the triggering event occurs. The death of the dragon does not end this effect.

Earth Glide (Su)

A young or older deep true dragon creature glides through stone, dirt, or any sort of earth except metal as easily as a fish swims through water. Its burrowing leaves behind no tunnel or hole, nor does it create any ripple or other signs of its presence. Move earth cast on an area containing an earth gliding deep dragon creature flings the dragon back 30 ft., stunning the creature for 1 round unless it succeeds on a DC 15 Fortitude save.

Fiery Acidic Blood (Su)

Any creature that damages a deep dragon with a piercing or slashing melee weapon must make a Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 the deep dragon creature’s HD + its Con modifier) or be subject to the damage equal to Deep dragon’s spittle (see below) as it is sprayed with blood. Melee weapons with reach don’t endanger their users in this way.

Fiery Acidic Spittle (Su)

All deep dragon creatures have a thick, gooey spittle that is hot enough and acidic enough to sear and corrode both flesh and rock. Normally, as they tunnel through the earth they secret this fluid to soften stone. In battle the deep dragon creature deals an additional amount of damage based on its Hit Dice half the damage is acid the other half fire.

HD Additional Damage
1-5 +1d6
6-10 +2d6
11-15 +3d6
16-20 +4d6
21+ +5d6

Serpentine Reach (Su)

Due to the serpentine nature of their longer, narrower, widening bodies, increase the deep dragon creature’s reach by 5 ft.

Shredding Stone (Su)

A Deep dragon creature’s front claws are treated as if they are one size category larger that the base dragon. Plus the deep dragon’s claws threaten a critical on a 19-20, and the dragon gains a +4 bonus to confirm critical hits with its claws.


Section 15: Copyright Notice
