Mole Dragon [Dragonet]

Bulky, wingless and short-tailed, with huge digging claws, mole dragons have bumpy, stonelike hide and mica-bright scales. Over the years gemstones become embedded in the hide until old ones look like walking treasure piles. Those stones, 1-8 per Hit Die, are their only treasure.

The mole-like claws are too big and clumsy to fight with, but the bite is savage. An attack roll at least five higher than needed means its jaws lock on, dealing bite damage automatically every round after. The grip breaks only when one hit deals at least double the dragonet's Hit Dice in damage.

With no breath weapon, it relies on magic instead. Each can use dig thrice daily, moving one 10-foot cube of earth per Hit Die, and conjure an elemental-kin, a sandling or sandman, once a day. Those of 4-5 HD add passwall 3/day plus unlimited stone shape, and 5-HD specimens also get wall of stone 3/day and conjure elemental (earth) weekly. Priest spells come from the Protection, Guardian, Elemental, Divination and Combat spheres: three 1st-level spells daily, plus one 2nd-level spell at 4 HD or two at 5 HD.

Mole dragons bore through solid rock deep underground and wander the tunnels of the deep underworld. They live alone and mate only when two happen to meet. The female lays in a blind tunnel, walls it up and leaves, so the hatchlings must dig their own way out.

Now and then they join duergar or derro for a while, and very rarely bond with a powerful evil character who lives below ground, since they can stand the surface for only a few hours. A bonded mole dragon can relay everything it hears telepathically up to 300 yards away, shares the usual dragonet empathy, and growls or hisses to warn or complain. Unlike flighty dragonets, they are grim, sadistic and vengeful for decades, and companions who dislike cruelty soon become its victims.

They feed on precious metal, following gold or silver veins and leaving empty tunnels, which makes dwarves and other mining peoples hate them. They live 41-50 years.