Adult Purple Dragon

Purple dragons are known by some people as deep dragons, and are easily the least-understood and least-commonly encountered chromatic dragon species. Few surface dwellers know of their existance, and the few who have heard of them assume them to be myths. Unlike other chromatic dragons, purple dragons are very serpentine and sleek. They have thin, swept-back wings and long skulls balanced on long necks, allowing them to slink through subterranean tunnels with ease Purple dragon scales are a deep violet or indigo, and shine brightly like thousands of tiny amethyst gems when in light. But in the darkness of their subterranean tunnels, their scales appear dark and black.

Masterful Manipulators. Like green dragons, purple dragons are talented manipulators, capable of achieving this manipulation through lies, misdirection, and even direct mental domination. Depending on the dragon this domination may be realized through magic or the dragon's own innate abilities. Purple dragons seek control for a large number of reasons. Some simply delight in abusing their power, while others like to acquire groups of thralls for security, or even for expendable scouts to look into newly discovered (and potentially dangerous) tunnels.

 Explorers of the Deep. Even more than manipulations, purple dragons love to explore. To a purple dragon, the surface world is but a small expanse compared to the great volumes of tunnels and caverns deep in the world. The subterranean world is packed with never-before-seen vaults holding untold treasures and discoveries. Their preferred treasures are maps and cartographic tools in addition to traditional wealth. The greatest find for a purple dragon is any place never before trod by sentient beings, or tombs and caves locked away for millenia. Such prizes are so valuable, that a purple dragon may bargain with humanoids who arrive with more information pertaining to such locations. The information would have to be very good, however, to convince the dragon not to simply dominate the individuals and send them down on its own terms.

Sunless Stalkers. Purple dragons have developed a particular sensitivity to sunlight, so much so that direct contact with it can burn their scales and flesh and potentially even kill them. For this reason, purple dragons almost never venture onto the surface, and rarely leave subterranean tunnels they call home. Though most purple dragons live in or around the Underdark, a few have been known to venture into the sunless realm of the Shadowfell. There they sometimes treaty with intelligent undead such as wraiths, and find permanent solace from the heat of the sun.

Preference for Seafood. Purple dragons lay their eggs in hidden caches near underground lakes or deep ocean grottos far from the light. They prefer a diet of seafood, favoring blind cave fish, crabs, or clams. When the urge to consume more intelligent prey comes over them, purple dragons will hunt kuo-toas and occasionally aboleths. When faced with outsiders, a purple dragon will wait as long as possible before pouncing, taking time to spy on its prey and get a sense of any potential weaknesses or abilities. When the decision is made to attack, the dragon surprises its prey from the darkness, stunning it with its breath weapon to make domination more easy.

Purple dragons spend all of their time below ground, venturing ever increasing distances from their lairs to explore even deeper than before. A purple dragon's permenant lair is a honeycomb of rocky hollows connected by narrow, winding tunnels, with dozens of offshoots and emergency exits for the dragon to take advantage of if attacked. Many tunnels lead to dead ends or traps, requiring adventurers who spelunk into them to display impressive feats of exploration in order to navigate. Occasionally, a purple dragon will set up residence in some structure previously inhabited by some other creature of the Underdark. In order to be favorable, however, such lairs must be appropriately elaborate and complex. While busy exploring, purple dragons will rest in temporary shelters such as small caves or caverns. Many older dragons, skilled in the use of magic, go to great lengths to find scrolls which allow them to teleport instantaneously back to their lair whenever their adventures are complete.

Lair Actions

On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the dragon takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the dragon can't use the same effect two rounds in a row:

• The dragon makes a Claw attack against a single creature in range. On a hit the creature suffers the attack's normal effects, and must make a DC 19 Constitution saving throw. A creature that fails the save is thrown 25 feet in a direction of the dragon's choosing, and until the end of its next turn can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. A creature takes 11 (2d10) force damage if it ends this forced movement or its turn inside an object. If a creature is inside an object at the end of its next turn when this effect ends it is pushed to the nearest unoccupied space closest to where the creature first entered.

• The dragon targets a single creature within 10 feet that is stunned. The creature must succeed on a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw or be dominated by the dragon, ending the stunned effect on itself. The effect is otherwise identical to the dominate person spell and lasts until the dragon dies or the creature succeeds on the saving throw.

• Magical darkness spreads from a point the dragon chooses within 60 feet of it, filling a 15-foot-radius sphere until the dragon dismisses it as an action, uses this lair action again, or dies. The darkness spreads around corners. A creature with darkvision can't see through this darkness, and nonmagical light can't illuminate it. If any of the effect's area overlaps with an area of light created by a spell of 2nd level or lower, the spell that created the light is dispelled.

Regional Effects

Though purple dragons are often missing from their lairs, their permanant homes can still have a negative effect on others around them. The region containing a legendary purple dragon’s permanent lair is warped by the dragon’s magic, which creates one or more of the following effects:

• Drow are drawn to the lair to worship the dragon and help protect it.

• Shadows envelop the areas within 6 miles of the lair, choking nonmagical sources of light; bright light from mundane sources is considered dim light, and dim light from mundane sources is considered darkness.

• A creature that attempts to take a long rest within 6 miles of the lair must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw at the end of the rest, or else fail to receive the benefits of the rest as they are plagued by nightmares.

If the dragon dies, the choking darkness subsides and the drow abandon the lair, both within 1d10 days.

Creatures attempting to sleep in the area must now succeed on a DC 5 Wisdom saving throw in order to benefit from a long rest. This effect ends once the dragon's final resting place is purified, such as through a hallow spell.