Sea Wyrm [Dragon-kin]

These long, legless, wingless sea dragons of tropical and subtropical waters probably inspired many sailors' tales of sea serpents. Lazy, serene and majestic, they swim near shore when undisturbed, and deep-water sailors sometimes see whole families traveling together.

A sea wyrm grows longer with age without getting much stronger, so a youngster's bite and squeeze hurt as much as an elder's: 2d6 for the bite and 3d8 for constriction. It ignores anything that leaves its territory alone but attacks intruding ships and creatures. Against a vessel, every 10 points of constriction counts as 1 hull point, and a ship shorter than the wyrm can be fully encircled, capsized and pulled beneath the waves, so small-boat fishermen dread them.

Adults and ancients have more tricks. A bite that beats the needed roll by 5 swallows the target, who takes the normal 2d6 and then 2d6 more each round from digestive acid until escaping by the usual means. Once a day, instead of attacking, one can breathe a cone of sleep gas 30 feet long, 5 feet wide at the mouth and 30 at the end; those who fail a save vs. breath weapon sleep for 3d8 rounds.

They breathe air and water equally well, slither across land like snakes, and lair in undersea caves or remote island caverns. Wyrms mate for life: a pair is always mates, a trio always mates plus one hatchling. The female lays one egg at a time, guarded jealously by both until it hatches, and families stay together until the young can feed themselves. Taken as hatchlings, sea wyrms become loyal, loving pets for merfolk, tritons or nereids and will fight to the death for them.

A sea wyrm defends about two miles around its lair and roams up to thirty miles to feed. It eats nearly anything but loves fish and fruit, and has been seen wrapping a fruit tree to squeeze down fruit it can't reach. Its body has no useful parts, but traders increasingly buy eggs to raise wyrms as escorts for their ships, and skins sell for 1,000-3,000 gp.