Adult River Dragon

Adversary overview

A seasoned river administrator

While all dragons serve as the emissaries and administrators of the Celestial Empire, few do so with the enthusiasm of the River Dragon. These distinctive dragons are easily recognized by their appearance with a pearl-coloured serpentine body, a lion’s claws, a head shaped like that of a horse but with deer’s antlers and the face of a dog with long, sinuous whiskers. Despite their lack of wings, river dragons are accomplished flyers, swimming through the air as easily as the water. It is said that seeing a river dragon in the wild will bring good luck to whoever is so blessed and river dragons are generally altruistic and kind but aloof. River dragons invariably make their lairs at the bottom of rivers, moving to ever greater estuaries as they grow and age, with the oldest and most powerful river dragons residing at the bottom of the two great rivers: the Pearl river and the Cinnabar river. Within 1 mile of an adult or older River Dragon’s lair the rivers flow with greater force. Fish and fowl are abundant and the grasses grow tall. Any Survival checks made to find food near the lair of a River Dragon do so at advantage.

Stat block

Tier

3

Type

Solo

Difficulty

18

HP

11

Stress

6

Attack mod

+6

Damage thresholds

Minor

Mark 1 HP

22

Major

Mark 2 HP

35

Severe

Mark 3 HP

Standard attack

Rend

Range: Melee

Damage: 3d12+6

Attack Mod: +6

Damage Type: Physical

Features

Passives

Relentless (3)

This adversary can be spotlighted up to 3 times per GM turn. Spend Fear as usual to spotlight them.
Fly and Swim

The dragon can fly and can breathe under water. Its movement and actions are not hindered when it moves through water.
Radiating vitality

Where this dragon settles is a tier 3 river dragon lair environment.

Actions

Shapechanger
stress 1

The dragon can mark a stress to take the form of a human adult, a drakona adult, a crocodile or of a carp. The shape of the dragon has no impact on its stats.
Breath of hot fog
stress 1

The dragon can mark a stress to breathe out a cloud of fog. This affects an area ahead of it up to far range. Within the fog cloud nobody other than the dragon can see beyond close range. Any creature who begins an action or who moves into the fog on their action will take 3d12 damage although they may make an instinct reaction roll to reduce this damage to half. As part of the same action the dragon may move up to far range and attempt to hide. The fog will clear at the start of the Dragon's next action.

Reactions

Momentum

When this adversary makes a successful attack against a PC, you gain a Fear.