Crow's-nest Dragon [Dragonet]

These coastal dragonets earned their name by circling and perching on ships' lookouts while feeding on fish stirred up by the hull, much as gulls do. They resemble pseudodragons without the venomous sting, with pearly white scales and tails as long as their serpentine bodies, trailing about 2 feet behind. Their broad, pelican-like wings fold tight when they dive.

Strong jaws give a fierce bite. They gulp small fish whole, and flocks team up on tuna or even swordfish. The favorite attack is a high dive at +4 to hit and double bite damage. Tiny forelegs are useless in a fight but can handle small objects.

Threatened, they usually fly off. Chased by a flying predator, a crow's-nest dragon can exhale fog cloud once per day, cast at 9th level; sea winds soon scatter it, but it buys time to escape. Swift flyers and decent swimmers after a dive, they cannot breathe water but can stay under up to 10 minutes.

Now and then one answers a find familiar spell cast at sea or simply adopts a sailor or seafaring wizard as a companion or henchman. They make superb scouts, sending their bird's-eye view telepathically to one companion within 240 yards, but otherwise share only emotions and cannot transmit sounds as pseudodragons do; aloud they can only chirp in different tones. Loyal but flightier and more chaotic than pseudodragons, they need less pampering yet get into mischief even when well treated.

They nest high on rugged sea cliffs, mate for life, and raise 3-5 young together, living 11-20 years. Fish and cephalopods are their food, cuttlefish and squid their favorites. Sharks, whales, giant eagles and manticores prey on them.

Sailors count them as good luck, and with reason: some magic seems to protect a ship they escort, raising its seaworthiness by 15% while a flock travels with it. Kill one aboard and the whole flock leaves at once, never to come back.