Jacinth Dragon [Neutral]

A jacinth's hide glitters with ever-shifting shades of bright orange, rippling like living flame.

Breath and magic are its preferred weapons, though it will claw twice and bite in close quarters. Smaller than most dragons, it grants a +4 bonus to saves against its fear aura, but it casts both wizard and priest spells, which makes it a match for most foes. It cannot polymorph without carrying that spell, yet it can blink 6/day at 10th level of ability.

The breath is a 50-foot cone of searing air that spreads from 1 foot at the jaws to 20 feet at the far end. A save vs. breath weapon halves the damage, and light combustibles such as paper, cloth and oil burst into flame unless they save vs. normal fire.

With riddles and charm, a jacinth can beguile any listener within 90 feet who is not fighting or distracted. Each round of listening carries a cumulative 10% chance of falling under an effect like suggestion. A save vs. spell keeps the target clear-headed for six rounds or more, and then the cumulative chance resumes at 5% per round; two successful saves make that person immune to this dragon.

Its swirling colors are hypnotic too: after three rounds of peaceful parley it gains +3 on surprise rolls should it decide to strike. On bright, sunny days, anyone staring at it for more than two rounds must save vs. spell or be blinded for 5d6 rounds.

Perhaps the scarcest of all nonunique dragons, jacinths number a dozen at most on any one world. They make their homes in great deserts, love the heat, and can go weeks without food or water. They avoid other creatures and treasure solitude, though curiosity sometimes gets the better of them when visitors appear. Like any dragon they adore treasure, especially the gem that gives them their name, and humans know of them mainly from the rare forays they make to collect it.

Jacinths speak their own language and can communicate telepathically with any telepathic creature or any being of Intelligence 18 or more.

No jacinth hide has ever been taken or sold. Adventurers are its only known predators.