Calefact Dragon (3.5e Monster)

= Calefact Dragon =

Full article: Calefact Dragon (3.5e Monster)

''Calefact dragons are ancient forgemasters, said to have given the secrets of the furnace to the mortal folk. Masters of artifice and heat, their very presence scorches the land and their deafening roar causes dormant volcanoes to awaken.''

Covered almost completely with obsidian scales as hard as adamantine, a calefact dragon's body glows with an inborn fire, the luminous heat of their inner furnace pouring through their mouth and skin. Boasting a fearsome and heatworn appearance, the scorching temperature of their internal organs patterns their body with a cinder-like glow.

Calefact dragons have a powerful connection to the elements of earth and fire, and often appear in locations where these two elements are prominently represented. They can burrow through earth and magma with fearsome speed and have among the hardest scales of any known true dragon species.

Calefact dragons are known to surround themselves with artifice, as the craft and the forge brings them closer to home. Their lairs are often sticklingly hot caverns or the calderas of active volcanoes, ornate with artful steel and stone, finely emblazoned armor stands and giant weapons proudly displayed. Calefact dragons grow especially angry when seen as beings that can only destroy, as they take great pride in their ability to create and mold existing matter into aesthetically pleasing shapes.

Combat
A calefact dragon's natural weapons and any weapons it wields are treated as lawful-aligned as well as magic (wyrmling – adult) or epic (mature adult – great wyrm) for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Breath Weapon (Su): A calefact dragon has two types of breath weapons. The primary consists of molten slag. The damage stems from a violent admixture of acid and fire that isn't reduced by resistance, but immunity to acid and/or fire halves the damage dealt. On top of dealing damage, a calefact dragon's molten slag burns away any mundane protection against heat a creature has (except for magical effects or extraordinary abilities that convey such protection; see Heat Dangers, Sandstorm pg12), and furthermore nauseates creatures with intense pain for 1 round unless they succeed on a Fortitude save.

The calefact dragon's secondary breath weapon is its ability to spit lava, which covers up to 2 10-foot squares of ground per age category the dragon has in a roughly knee-high layer of molten rock. Any square occupied by lava is considered difficult terrain and any creature standing in it takes 2d10 points of damage for every age category the dragon has (or 1d10 damage per age category if the creature has immunity to fire).

A creature in danger of exposure to lava is allowed a Reflex save to avoid the damage, but if successful must immediately make a single move action at the start of its next turn to escape the area the lava occupies. If it cannot or chooses not to, it takes full damage. If the ground is uneven, the lava slowly rolls down any slopes present at a speed of 10 feet per round, and fills up any gaps in the floor.

Exposure to lava causes metal and other materials to heat. A creature that wears metal armor or otherwise carries large amounts of metallic objects is affected as by the heat metal spell when in contact with lava.

Objects that are susceptible to heat or that have a melting point lower than that of steel will also melt (and catch flame if applicable) when in contact with a calefact dragon's lava.

A calefact dragon is immune to the effects of both its breath weapons.

The calefact dragon normally leaves no tunnel when it burrows, but may choose to leave a tunnel through sufficiently solid material if it so desires.

For as long as any creature remains within the calefact dragon's natural reach, it suffers 2d6 points of damage per age category the dragon has every round. This damage does not stem directly from fire but rather from intense, primordial heat that affects everything with its blister, and as such resistance to fire does not protect against a calefact dragon's heat aura. Immunity to fire halves any heat damage dealt.

Any creature with heat protection (see Protection against Heat, Sandstorm pg14) is dealt damage as if the calefact dragon's age category is one lower for every point of heat protection they have (minimum wyrmling; 2d6 damage). Spells like endure elements confer protection against heat or cold.

A calefact dragon's heat aura extends beyond its reach, creating an area of unearthly heat (see Heat Dangers, Sandstorm pg12) out to a certain distance depending on their age category. In this area, temperatures can exceed 180°F and are almost intense enough to make water boil. A character inside a calefact dragon's heat aura takes 1d6 lethal damage and 1d4 nonlethal damage every round unless adequately protected.

Any spell with the Cold descriptor cast within a calefact dragon's heat aura immediately fizzles upon casting unless the spellcaster that cast the spell succeeds on a caster level check against the calefact dragon's spell resistance, even if such a spell normally wouldn't allow spell resistance. If the cold spell also targets or is cast in a way as to affect the calefact dragon personally, the caster must check against the dragon's spell resistance a second time (if the spell allows spell resistance) before the spell takes any effect on the dragon.



Spell-Like Abilities: See Table: Calefact Dragon Abilities by Age.



Sample Calefact Dragon, Adult
An adult calefact dragon's natural weapons are treated as lawful and magic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Breath Weapon (Su): Cone, 50 ft., of molten slag, damage 30d10, Reflex DC 34 half. Any creature that takes damage must make a DC 34 Fortitude save or be nauseated for 1 round. The save DCs are Constitution-based.

Secondary breath weapon lava spit, twelve 10-ft. squares, 12d10 damage upon contact (6d10 if immune to fire), successful DC 34 Reflex save negates, if the creature can escape the lava with a move action at the begin of its next turn. Lava moves down slopes and holes with a speed of 10 feet per round.

Heat (Su): 12d6 heat damage per round to any creature within the dragon's reach (half damage if creature is immune to fire), unearthly heat radiated out to 500 ft.

SRD:Spell-Like Ability: At will—fabricate, transmute rock to lavaSpC (six 10-ft. cubes) (DC 25), wall of magmaSand (DC 22), wall of stone'' (DC 22). Caster level 18th.

Wizard Spells Prepared (4/7/7/6/6/6/6/4/4/3; base DC 20 + spell level)
0—acid splash, dancing lights, detect magic, read magic; 1st—burning hands, grease, identify, magic weapon, obscuring mist (×2), silent image; 2nd—continual flame, fog cloud, fox's cunning (×2), locate object, see invisibility, scorching ray; 3rd—displacement, fireball (×2), greater magic weapon, haste, slow; 4th—lesser globe of invulnerability, polymorph, stone shape (×2), wall of fire (×2); 5th—break enchantment, transmute mud to rock, transmute rock to mud, major creation (×3); 6th—disintegrate (×3), mage's lucubration, move earth (×2); 7th—control weather, delayed blast fireball (×2), statue; 8th—dimensional lock, polymorph any object (×2), temporal stasis; 9th—meteor swarm, shapechange, wish. Caster level 18th.