Gold Drakeborn [Drakeborn]

Hatched from corrupted gold dragon eggs, a gold drakeborn stands seven feet tall, lean and corded, with golden scales, a stubby tail and a crest of small spines at the back of the skull. Its eyes bulge, red, green or black, above a mouth of long needle teeth. A stink of sulfur hangs around it for yards. It wears little beyond a belt or cape, and it is the only drakeborn born without wings.

It finds a victim's suffering deeply pleasurable, yet it never fights on impulse; it plans until every risk is minimized. It can turn invisible at will (ending when it attacks), polymorph into an animal of its size three times a day, and use change self three times a day to copy any human or humanoid it has seen, for 2d6+6 rounds. It has 60-foot infravision, spots hidden or invisible beings within 40 feet, sees through every illusion, and gets +4 on all saves. It runs as fast as its winged cousins and can dimension door, range 60 yards, three times a day.

Its main weapon is a crackling energy bolt from each hand, 1d8+2 damage at up to 60 yards; while disguised, the bolts look like whatever weapon its borrowed shape would carry. Three times a day it breathes a 5-foot sulfur cloud that deals 2d10 and blinds for 1d4 rounds, with a successful save meaning half damage and no blindness. It seldom bothers with its claws and bite (1d4/1d4/1d6). Every day it also gets two wizard spells, any from 1st through 4th level, favorites being wall of fire, ESP, blink, enlarge, stinking cloud, shocking grasp, fire shield or lightning bolt.

Most feared is its mind control: once a day it can puppet one creature of equal or lower Hit Dice for 2d6 rounds, unless the target saves vs. spell. A full turn of uninterrupted concentration lets it use suggestion, as often as it likes.

Dropping to 0 hit points does not end it. Green flames wrap it, it gains +2 to attack and damage, and anyone within three feet takes 1d6 unless they save vs. petrification. After six rounds, or at -20 hit points, it becomes a whirling ball of lightning that attacks each round for 2d6, hitting as a 13-HD creature. Three rounds later it bursts: everyone within ten feet takes 3d6 with no save and is stunned for 1d4 rounds (2d4 underwater), and each item caught in the blast is destroyed unless it saves vs. crushing blow.

Tough and gifted, it can thrive anywhere but chooses isolated places, alone or with a single partner; larger groups never form. It keeps trophies from its kills and cares little what they are worth.

Its urge to kill is close to compulsive, so most thinking races, other drakeborn included, steer well clear. It will eat anything, with a taste for pearls and small gems, and drinks less than other drakeborn.