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Ancient River Dragon

Adversaries Designed by simonm223

Adversary overview

Master of the raging river

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
4
Type
Solo
Difficulty
22
HP
11
Stress
7
Attack mod
+9
Damage thresholds
Minor Damage — Mark 1 HP Minor
Mark 1 HP
35
Major Damage — Mark 2 HP Major
Mark 2 HP
65
Severe Damage — Mark 3 HP Severe
Mark 3 HP

Standard attack

Rend
Range: Melee
Damage: 4d12+12
Attack Mod: +9
Damage Type: Physical

Features

Passives

  • Relentless (4)

    This adversary can be spotlighted up to 4 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 4 ancient river dragon lair environment.

Actions

  • Shapechanger
    stress 1

    The dragon can mark a stress to take the form of a human, elf or drakona of any age, a crocodile, a heron or 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 4d12 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.

  • Blessing

    The River Dragon has a pool of 4d4 that it may grant to other creatures to add to any action or reaction. This pool of dice refreshes at sunrise each day. A player who gains these dice clears all dice when they initiate a long rest.

Reactions

  • Momentum

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

Motives & tactics

Protect Heal Enrich Bless Surge

Experiences

  • Strong swimmer +4
  • Unbreakable will +4
  • Stealthy +4
  • Perceptive +4

Ancient River Dragon

Tier 4 solo

Master of the raging river

Motives & Tactics: Protect, Heal, Enrich, Bless, Surge

Difficulty: 22 | Thresholds: 35/65 | HP: 11 | Stress: 7

ATK: +9 | Rend: Melee | 4d12+12 Physical

Experience: Strong swimmer +4, Unbreakable will +4, Stealthy +4, Perceptive +4

HP:

STRESS:

Features

Relentless (4) - Passive: This adversary can be spotlighted up to 4 times per GM turn. Spend Fear as usual to spotlight them.
Momentum - Reaction: When this adversary makes a successful attack against a PC, you gain a Fear.
Fly and Swim - Passive: The dragon can fly and can breathe under water. Its movement and actions are not hindered when it moves through water.
Shapechanger - Action: The dragon can mark a stress to take the form of a human, elf or drakona of any age, a crocodile, a heron or a carp. The shape of the dragon has no impact on its stats.
Breath of hot fog - Action: 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 4d12 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.
Radiating vitality - Passive: Where this dragon settles is a tier 4 ancient river dragon lair environment.
Blessing - Action: The River Dragon has a pool of 4d4 that it may grant to other creatures to add to any action or reaction. This pool of dice refreshes at sunrise each day. A player who gains these dice clears all dice when they initiate a long rest.

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