Dragon [Dark Sun]

On the desert world, dragons are not born. A human or half-elf defiler/psionicist of 20th level can choose to become one, casting a dragon metamorphosis spell, the first of the psionic enchantments it will wield. Most hide away to perform it in secret. Once begun, the change ends only with the dragon's completion or the caster's death.

Every stage is excruciating. The caster grows taller and heavier, turns reptilian and finally loses every trace of humanity. A finished dragon is roughly 40 feet long and 25 tons (50,000 pounds) and bears huge wings and nearly impenetrable scales. From the first stage it stops aging and can never die of natural causes, and the enchantment that changes it also lets it understand and speak any language, as tongues.

All the sorcerer tyrants of the seven city-states are dragons of 21st level or more. After centuries pursuing this power, they are only now dimly realizing that powerful preservers can undergo a similar change (see preserver-saint), and many doubt it. From 25th through 29th level the dragon goes through a rampage: wracked by pain, neither human nor dragon, it is half-mad with the need to finish, and it destroys every plant and animal that does not further its rise.

A dragon keeps all its psionic powers and, at each new level, gains one science, one discipline and more psionic strength points. Psionic enchantment must be channeled through an obsidian orb. Such orbs are not magical, only a required material component, and a dragon can craft any number and stash them wherever it likes, so it is rarely without one. Before each new level it must swallow every activated orb it owns, a component of the metamorphosis spell. Without an orb it can still use psionics and spells below 10th level.

Its body arms itself in stages. Claws come first (2d10 at 24th level, rising to 2d10+15 by 30th), then a 4d12 bite at 25th, a breath weapon at 27th, and a 5d10 tail sweep at 28th. The breath is a cone of superheated sand 50 feet long, 5 feet wide at the mouth and 100 feet across at the end, dealing 10d12 at first and as much as 25d12 at 30th level. Its hide toughens with each stage: AC improves sharply, from 28th level it needs +2 weapons to hit (+1 earlier, from 25th), and magic resistance appears at 20%, rising to 40% and then 80%. Its Hit Dice are 4-sided. Late stages bring jumping and then flight, and whatever its level, it saves as a wizard of 21st level or more.

A potion of dragon control works on any of these dragons for 5d4 rounds, a scroll of protection from dragon breath works normally, and a sword +2, dragon slayer affects one of any level. Dragonbane works as usual, but age dragon does nothing because they are effectively immortal.

Each new level requires gaining the experience and then successfully casting the metamorphosis spell, with costs that change by stage. Low stages (21st-23rd): a year of daily eight-hour study of ancient texts no other defiler has used, at least 10,000 gp in riches, a huge structure to transform in, and living creatures totaling 1,000 Hit Dice or more, which die one heartbeat after casting begins as the riches vanish; the caster must be alone deep inside the structure.

Middle stages (24th-26th): two years of preparation, spending three of every 15 days with a powerful being on an elemental plane, at least 5,000 gp, at least 2,000 Hit Dice of victims, and a new structure that serves all three levels. High stages (27th-29th): performed on an elemental plane or the Astral, with no structure or riches, but with at least 200 Hit Dice of Prime Material creatures of 10 HD or more each who come willingly and die in the casting, plus at least three powerful natives of that plane cooperating through the 24-hour ritual.

Final stage (30th): no preparation, only one component, the body of an intelligent good creature of 20 HD or more, able to cast 9th-level wizard or 7th-level priest spells, beaten in single combat. The one-turn casting must happen over it within an hour.

One fully transformed 30th-level dragon, a savage beast of vast psionic power, has gone unchallenged in the region for so many centuries that people believe it is the only one. The region is a small corner of a larger world, though, and others probably exist far away. Only the great dragon knows whether it is aware of them.