Fang Dragon

Fang dragons are encased in bony plates that jut into spurs at the joints, and their long forked tails end in two scythe-like blades of bone. Clusters of small horns or spikes stud the head. The plates are a mottled gray-brown, the wings small but powerful, and the eyes usually a glittering red or orange, though other colors occur. They fly badly, but a single beat of the wings can launch them into a forward lunge. Four small, weak underclaws can carry treasure, handle rings, wands, rods or weapons no larger than a dagger, and even make spellcasting gestures. Superb vocal control lets them mimic human voices convincingly and use spell scrolls and voice-triggered magic made by humans.

Greedy, grasping and sly, fang dragons have little magical talent but are masters of physical fighting. Claw rakes and tail slashes carry an 80% chance of bowling over a victim of medium size or smaller. A creature knocked aside must pass a Strength check to stay upright (fragile carried items must save) and a Constitution check or be dazed the following round, and anyone hit by a claw must make a Dexterity check or take 1d4 more damage from the body spurs. These blows clear away lesser foes or pin the main target, which the dragon then bites.

There is no breath weapon. Instead, a victim bitten who fails a save vs. breath weapon loses hit points permanently, and the dragon gains them. Those points come back if the victim eats or touches the slain dragon's blood or brain fluid, but only when the kill happens within two rounds for each of the victim's experience levels. Its spells and magic work at a level of 8 plus combat modifier. Hatchlings can already read magic and detect magic, and gain +1 on saves against spells aimed at it. With age it adds shield twice daily (young), dispel magic once daily (juvenile), spell turning once daily (adult), telekinesis twice daily (old) and, as a wyrm, regeneration of 1 hp per four rounds (self only).

They hunt far from home, usually blocking their lair entrances with huge boulders while away. They know fragments of many languages and will haggle to escape hopeless or costly fights. Fellow fang dragons are never attacked. Mating comes about every 60 years and lasts a single night.

They eat any fresh meat, preferring intelligent mammals. Its powdered fangs and brain fluid are sought for making a nine lives stealer sword +2 and similar weapons. Red and fang dragons instinctively dislike each other.