Linnorm, Crag

This immense, wingless dragon rears up on a serpentine body. Its triple tail and powerful talons swipe at the air.

Linnorm, Crag CR 14

XP 38,400
CE Gargantuan dragon
Init +8; Senses darkvision 120 ft., low-light vision, scent, true seeing; Perception +22

DEFENSE

AC 29, touch 10, flat-footed 25 (+4 Dex, +19 natural, –4 size)
hp 202 (15d12+105); regeneration 10 (cold iron)
Fort +16, Ref +15, Will +13
Defensive Abilities freedom of movement; DR 15/cold iron; Immune curse effects, fire, mind-affecting effects, paralysis, poison, sleep; SR 25

OFFENSE

Speed 40 ft., fly 100 ft. (average), swim 60 ft.
Melee bite +23 (2d8+12/19–20 plus poison), 2 claws +23 (1d8+12), tail +18 (2d6+6 plus grab)
Space 20 ft.; Reach 20 ft.
Special Attacks breath weapon, constrict (tail, 2d6+18), death curse

STATISTICS

Str 34, Dex 18, Con 25, Int 5, Wis 18, Cha 21
Base Atk +15; CMB +31 (+35 grapple); CMD 45 (can’t be tripped)
Feats Blind-Fight, Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack
Skills Fly +16, Perception +22, Swim +38
Languages Aklo, Draconic, Sylvan

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Breath Weapon (Su)

Once every 1d4 rounds as a standard action, a crag linnorm can expel a 120-foot line of magma, dealing 15d8 points of fire damage to all creatures struck (Reflex DC 24 halves). This line of magma remains red-hot for 1 round after the linnorm creates it. Creatures that took damage on the first round take 6d6 fire damage the second round (Reflex DC 24 negates), as does any creature that walks across the line of magma. If the magma was expelled while the linnorm was airborne, it instead rains downward during the second round as a sheet of fire no more than 60 feet high that does 6d6 damage (Reflex DC 24 negates) to any creature that passes through it. On the third round, the line of magma cools to a thin layer of brittle stone that quickly degrades to powder and sand over the course of several hours; magma that’s turned to a sheet of fire is consumed entirely during the second round, leaving behind only a stain of smoke in the air that swiftly disperses.

The save DC is Constitution-based.

Death Curse (Su)

When a creature slays a crag linnorm, the slayer is affected by the curse of fire.

Curse of Fire: save Will DC 22; effect creature gains vulnerability to fire. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Freedom of Movement (Ex)

A crag linnorm is under the constant effect of freedom of movement, as per the spell of the same name. This effect cannot be dispelled.

Poison (Su)

Bite—injury; save Fort DC 24; frequency 1/round for 10 rounds; effect 2d6 fire damage and 1d4 Con drain; cure 2 consecutive saves. The save DC is Constitution-based.

True Seeing (Ex)

A crag linnorm has constant true seeing, as per the spell of the same name.

ECOLOGY

Environment cold hills
Organization solitary
Treasure triple

Like all linnorms, the deadly crag linnorm is a powerful, primeval dragon, a denizen of the wild regions far north of where most civilizations dare to tread. The crag linnorm is among the weakest of its kind, yet still a devastating predator in its own right. Favored, if not by the gods, then by some primal intelligence of the mysterious world of the fey, the linnorm bestows a powerful curse on any who manage to slay it. A crag linnorm is 60 feet long and weighs 12,000 pounds.

Variant: Crag Linnorm, Heim (CR 14)

[Source]

This immense, wingless blue-grey dragon rears up on a serpentine body. Its double tail and powerful talons swipe at the air. This linnorm tends to haunt abandoned northland mead halls rather than the cold foothills of its brethren.

Breath Weapon (Su)

Once every 1d4 rounds as a standard action, a heim linnorm can expel a 120-ft. line of sapphire blue light; any creature struck must make a successful Will save (DC 24) or immediately go to its home. Once the subject arrives home, the effect ends.

Creatures with no home or lair cannot be affected by this effect, although even a regular place to sleep could be considered a “home.” A successful save results in 5d6 points of non-lethal damage.

The creature may have to traverse threatened or dangerous areas (passing by hostile beasts or moving through a cloudkill) to get home, or it may even have to break through a barrier (like a wall of ice). A barrier that requires more than 5 rounds to get through is considered impassable for the purposes of this effect.

The effect ends immediately if the creature physically cannot reach its home—including a situation forcing the creature to pass through an area that would, without a doubt, kill it. For example, a creature with only 25 hp that must navigate a pool of acid to get home is unaffected by the spell, as is a creature with no planar travel ability whose home is on another plane.

While under the effects of protection from evil or a similar spell, the subject can ignore the compulsion, but such a ward does not prevent establishing this effect, nor dispel it. This is a mind-affecting compulsion effect. The save DC is Constitution-based.

This replaces a crag linnorm’s normal breath weapon special attack.

Death Curse (Su)

When a creature slays a heim linnorm, the slayer is affected by the curse of exile.

Curse of Exile: save Will DC 22; effect: this curse casts someone off his home soil. If the slayer fails his save, he is marked as an exile within the boundaries of the slayer’s tribe or kingdom and may not be given shelter or assistance by anyone in that tribe or kingdom. Any community member who makes a Perception check (DC 15) recognizes his exile status. Anyone who provides aid to exiles within that tribe or kingdom suffer a bestow curse.

An exile has two days to begin to leave the tribal land or kingdom; thereafter, he takes 1d8 damage at dawn on any day he remains within and isn’t closer to the border of the designated land than the morning before. He cannot heal naturally or gain the benefits of a conjuration (healing) spell within the designated land.

The area from which he is alienated cannot exceed 800 square miles. This is a curse effect and can be removed by any spell that can remove bestow curse though the removal DC is increased by +5. The save DC is Charisma-based.

This replaces a crag linnorm’s normal Death Curse special attack.

Environment cold urban; this replaces a crag linnorm’s cold hills.