(Chromatic) Black

Hissing green acid drips from the fanged maw of this black-scaled, horned dragon.

Black Dragon

CE dragon (water)

BASE STATISTICS

CR 3; Size Tiny; Hit Dice 4d12
Speed 60 ft., swim 60 ft.
Natural Armor +3; Breath Weapon line, 2d6 acid
Str 11, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 8, Wis 11, Cha 8

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Acid Pool (Su)

An ancient or older black dragon can use its breath weapon to create an acid pool as a standard action. This acid pool has a radius of 5 feet per age category of the dragon. When an acid pool is created, anyone inside its area takes an amount of damage equal to the dragon’s breath weapon (Reflex half). Any creature that starts its turn touching this pool takes damage, but can make a Reflex save for half. Each round, the total damage dice of the pool is halved until the result would be less than 1d6. The acid pool floats on water, and deals damage to anything on the surface.

Acidic Bite (Su)

At old age, a black dragon’s bite deals an additional 2d6 points of acid damage. An ancient dragon’s damage increases to 4d6, and a great wrym’s to 6d6.

Charm Reptiles (Sp)

A great wyrm black dragon can use this ability three times per day. It works as a mass charm monster spell that affects only reptilian animals. This ability is the equivalent of an 8th-level spell.

Corrupt Water (Sp)

Once per day an adult or older black dragon can stagnate 10 cubic feet of still water, making it foul and unable to support water-breathing life. The ability spoils liquids containing water. Liquid-based magic items (such as potions) and items in a creature’s possession must succeed on a Will save (DC equal to the dragon’s frightful presence) or become ruined. This ability is the equivalent of a 1st-level spell. Its range is equal to that of the dragon’s frightful presence.

Speak with Reptiles (Sp)

A young or older black dragon gains the constant spell-like ability to speak with reptiles. This functions as speak with animals, but only with reptilian animals.

Spell-Like Abilities (Sp)

A black dragon gains the following spell-like abilities, usable at will upon reaching the listed age category.

Swamp Stride (Ex)

A very young or older black dragon can move through bogs and quicksand without penalty at its normal speed.

Water Breathing (Ex)

A black dragon can breathe underwater indefinitely and can freely use its breath weapon, spells, and other abilities while submerged.

ECOLOGY

Environment warm marshes
Organization solitary
Treasure triple

Lording over the darkest swamps and marshes, black dragons are the undisputed masters of their domain, ruling through cruelty and intimidation. Those who dwell within a black dragon’s reach live in fear. Black dragons tend to make their lairs in remote parts of the swamp, preferably in caves at the bottom of dark and fetid pools. Inside, they pile up their filthy treasure and sleep amid the roots and muck. Black dragons prefer their food a bit rotten and will often allow a meal to sit in a pool for days before consuming it. Black dragons prefer treasures that do not rot or decay, making their hoard, full of coins, gemstones, jewelry, and other objects made from stone or metal.

Age Category Special Abilities Caster Level
Wyrmling Immunity to acid, water breathing
Very young Swamp stride
Young Speak with reptiles
Juvenile Darkness
Young Adult DR 5/magic, spell resistance 1st
Adult Corrupt water, frightful presence 3rd
Mature adult DR 10/magic 5th
Old Acidic bite, plant growth 7th
Very old DR 15/magic 9th
Ancient Acid pool, insect plague 11th
Wyrm DR 20/magic 13th
Great wyrm Charm reptiles 15th

Variant: Bog Dragon (Black)

[Source]

A bog dragon is a black dragon hatched in a peat bog.

A bog dragon uses all of the statistics of a standard black dragon except as noted below.

Special Abilities: A bog dragon never gains the charm reptiles or speak with reptiles special abilities.

As it ages, the bog dragon instead gains the abilities listed below.

Animate Dead (Sp)

At young age, a bog dragon can use animate dead at will as a spell-like ability (CL equal the dragon’s Hit Dice). When using this ability, the bog dragon can only create zombies and can only target corpses, which have been submerged in a bog for at least 24 continuous hours.

Control Undead (Sp)

A great wyrm bog dragon can use control undead at will as a spell-like ability (CL equal to the dragon’s Hit Dice). The dragon can only control corporeal undead in this manner.

Smoldering (Su)

Whenever a bog dragon of at least old age takes 10 or more points of fire damage from a single attack, its natural weapons gain the flaming weapon property for 1 minute. For as long as the dragon’s natural weapons have this property, those weapons cannot deal acid damage.

Variant: Hydra Dragon (Black)

[Source]

An hydra dragon is a black dragon with multiple heads.

An hydra dragon uses all of the statistics of a standard black dragon except as noted below.

Defensive Abilities: An hydra dragon gains fast healing 5. This fast healing applies only to damage inflicted upon the hydra dragon’s body (see Special Qualities, below).

Melee: An hydra dragon has five bite attacks, but loses all natural attacks other than bite attacks. An hydra dragon’s bite attacks deal the indicated base damage plus the dragon’s Strength modifier (instead of 1-1/2 times the dragon’s Strength modifier).

Special Attacks: An hydra dragon gains pounce. An hydra dragon’s breath weapon requires the dragon to use all of its heads in unison, and is not affected by the dragon’s number of heads.

Spells: If you are using the rules for the witch base class, an hydra dragon’s sorcerer spells are drawn from the witch spell list instead of the sorcerer spell list. If you are not using the rules for the witch base class, the hydra dragon’s spells are unchanged.

Special Qualities: An hydra dragon gains the hydra traits and regenerate head special qualities of an hydra. Note that an hydra dragon is immune to acid damage, and acid damage thus cannot be used to prevent it from regrowing heads with its regenerate head ability.

Variant: Whisper Dragon (Black)

[Source]

A whisper dragon is a black dragon with an affinity for will-o-wisps.

A whisper dragon uses all of the statistics of a standard black dragon except as noted below.

Type: A whisper dragon loses the water subtype and gains the air subtype.

Immune: Instead of being immune to acid, a whisper dragon is immune to electricity and fear.

Breath Weapon: A whisper dragon’s breath weapon deals electricity damage instead of acid damage.

Special Abilities: A whisper dragon never gains the acid pool and acidic bite special abilities, nor does it gain the normal spell-like abilities of a black dragon.

As it ages, it instead gains the following.

Feed on Fear (Su)

Any time a whisper dragon of at least old age is within 15 feet of a dying creature or creature subject to a fear effect, the whisper dragon gains fast healing 5.

Spell-Like Abilities (Sp)

A whisper dragon gains the following spell-like abilities, usable at will upon reaching the listed age category. Juvenile—faerie fire, whispering wind; Old—summon (level 4, 1 will-o’wisp, 40% chance minus 10% per will-o-wisp currently summoned); Ancient—phantasmal killer.

Swamp Gas (Su)

An ancient or older whisper dragon can use its breath weapon to create a cloud of electrified gas as a standard action. This functions as the miasma special ability gained by an ancient or older green dragon, except every creature and object within the cloud (including the whisper dragon) is also effected by faerie fire effect (as per the spell, no save) for as long as it remains within the cloud.

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