Deep Dragon

Rarely seen on the surface, deep dragons are the great hunters of the deep underworld. They hatch a striking, iridescent maroon, soft-scaled and stuck in dragon shape, and stay home until they can take two more shapes: a vast winged worm or serpent, and a humanlike or drow body.

They tunnel and fight with stone-tearing claws and love to hunt through the dark caverns in all their shapes. Serpent form has Armor Class 6 and movement 9, flying 4 (D) and swimming 11; it loses the claws but can constrict, which needs a hit and then deals 3d8 per round, hampers movement and spellcasting, and imposes a -1 attack penalty and 1 point of AC penalty on the victim. Human form has Armor Class 10, movement 12 and swimming 12, and fights by weapon or spell. Armor can be worn, but any shape change wrecks it and deals the dragon 2d4. The bipedal form can be tuned in size, build, coloring and features to pass for a dwarf, duergar, orc, half-orc, hobgoblin, human, half-elf or elf (drow or surface), or any similar creature of like size, always convincingly as a race, though it imitates a specific person well enough to fool others only 66% of the time.

A deep dragon values its own survival first and the thrill of the hunt second. It sidesteps obvious traps, ambushes and open fights with numerous or magically strong hunters, but it can hardly resist a spell duel or close combat, and loves stalking, sudden pounces, burying foes under rockfalls conjured by spells, and blasting them with destructive magic.

The breath is a cone of flesh-eating gas 50 feet long, 40 wide and 30 high. A save vs. breath weapon halves the damage, but those with dry, exposed skin save at -2. Cloth, wood and metal are untouched, while leather counts as dry skin. It casts at 9th level adjusted by combat modifier. From birth it has infravision, true seeing and unfailing detect magic, and charm, hold and sleep effects cannot touch it. Extreme heat and cold harm it less: -3 on each damage die, minimum 1 per die.

Age powers: snakeform 3 times daily (very young); bipedal form 3 times daily (young); an extra daily change into each form and regeneration of 1d4 hp per turn (juvenile); regeneration of 1d4 every 6 rounds and free action at will (adult); regeneration of 1d4 every 4 rounds and levitate 3 times daily, combinable with free action (mature adult); transmute rock to mud and telekinesis 3 times daily (old); move earth 3 times daily (very old); passwall and disintegrate twice daily each, the latter only on nonliving matter, though that includes undead and a living target's clothing and gear (venerable); one more daily use of every power gained from old age on, stone shape twice daily and tongues once daily (wyrm); repulsion 3 times daily, affecting undead and all living things except true dragons, plus one more use each of stone shape and tongues (great wyrm).

Deep dragons are eager explorers and sometimes climb to the surface, especially as young adults, to recover stolen treasure, settle scores or grab magic. Their lairs below are trapped and heavily defended, often in caverns too cramped for most creatures and even for the dragon's own full form, and protected by mechanical traps, magical wards and monstrous guards such as transplanted deadly fungi. Treasure is split among hidden caches guarded by traps and magic, and the dragons can use most magic items, keeping any they capture. Many serve drow as guardians, fed by the dark elves with slaves, captives and condemned drow.

They eat nearly anything but especially enjoy clams, fish, brinekin and aboleth. Cloakers and mind reavers are their dangerous rivals. They steer clear of other dragons and never battle or steal from fellow deep dragons. All the general traits and powers of true dragons also apply to them.