Amphibious. The dragon can breathe air and water.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Dragon Spellcasting. The dragon's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 17, +9 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: frostbite (as an 11th level spellcaster), shape water
2/day: ice knife (as a 4th level spell), lesser restoration
1/day: Rime's binding ice (as a 4th level spell), aura of vitality
Stone's Endurance. Any bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage the dragon takes is reduced by 9.
Multiattack. The dragon can use its Frightful Presence. It then makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (3d6 + 4) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) cold damage.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) slashing damage.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage.
Frightful Presence. Each creature of the dragon's choice that is within 120 feet of the dragon and aware of it must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the dragon's Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours.
Healing Breath (Recharge 6). The dragon exhales a breath of positive energy in a 60-foot-cone. Each creature of the dragon's choice within the area immediately regains 26 (5d8+4) hit points.
Ice Breath (Recharge 5–6). The dragon exhales a beam of gelid air in a 60-foot line that is 10 feet wide. Each creature in that line must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw, taking 52 (12d6) cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. If a creature takes any of this damage, their speed is reduced by 20 feet for 1 minute, or until they use an action on their turn to make a DC 11 Strength ability check, ending the effect on a success.
The dragon can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The dragon regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Detect. The dragon makes a Wisdom (Perception) check.
Tail Attack. The dragon makes a tail attack.
Wing Attack (Costs 2 Actions). The dragon beats its wings. Each creature within 10 feet of the dragon must succeed on a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw or take 9 (1d10 + 4) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone. The dragon can then fly up to half its flying speed.
Description
The kindest of the stone dragons, marble dragons partake in simple joys and wonders: the whistling of the breeze across their frozen homes, the babbling of the brooks beneath the ever-frozen ice, and the passing of the torch between the winter and spring months. Revelers in life, marble dragons seek to preserve life in all its splendor, and vehemently oppose forces of death or negative energy.
It's easy to distinguish a marble dragon from other stone dragons by its dalmation-like spotted scales, squared-off head, and deer-like horns. Its eyes are usually a russet or raven-blue color, almost black, and almost twinkling when in direct sunlight.
Patience is a Virtue. Marble dragons possess an incredible empathy, even as hatchlings. It's temperment is very even, almost motherly in nature, and is possessed of a very long and warming temper. Anger seems to be an emotion these dragons know not of, and even against its hated foes (undead and devils), it is more disappointed than furious, as if these aberrations were somehow failed along the way.
Marble dragons will fight to prevent the end of a life, even in defense of its home. While it acts decisively, it uses the powers of ice and snow to slow and incapacitate its targets over felling them.
Holy Benefactors. Marble dragons seek companions and allies in all walks of life; from mighty angels to humble rats and squirrels. Such life seems to empower the marble dragon, granting it solace in its menagerie of critters and creatures.
When other dragonkin are within vicinity of the marble dragon's lair, it will seek them out as friends or faithful stewards. Kobolds who nest near a marble dragon find themselves beset with a calmness and grace unlike their other kin, and dragonborn clans often find the range of a marble dragon's lair to be comforting and warming, turning the ranges into their ancestral domain.
A Wealth of Life. The hoard of a marble dragon is a unique one. Rather than store back gold, jewels, artifacts, or other valuables, the marble dragon considers the life it fosters as its hoard. It values connections, bonds, and kinships dearly, and works to preserve such graces and virtues within its land. The more life that exists within a marble dragon's lair, the more content and at peace the marble dragon becomes.
Spirit Nature. The dragon does not need to eat or drink. It sustains itself on life and life-giving energy, such as sunlight or the positive emotions of living beings. When the dragon completes a long rest, one creature of its choice that it can see is subjected to the calm emotions spell for 1 hour, a creature affected this way is unable to be hostile or directly harmful to any other creature.
Lair and Lair Actions
The domain of the marble dragon is an expanse of frozen tundra, with crystalline lakes of ice and loping hills of snow. Within this domain, a humble lair of ice is formed beneath the depths of a frozen lake or carved into the icy outcrop of a mountain or canyon. Evergreens grow tall here, and wildlife are aplenty thanks to the life-giving warmth of the winter-blessed flora of the region. An aura of peace and confort wafts over the area like the smell of fresh morning dew.
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:
- Pools of water that the dragon can see within 120 feet of it surge outward in a grasping tide. Any creature on the ground within 20 feet of such a pool must succeed on a DC 17 Strength saving throw or be pulled up to 20 feet into the water and knocked prone.
- Clouds of powder snow wash over up to three points within 120 feet of the dragon. Each point is teh center of a 20-foot-radius flurry, making the area heavily obscured and difficult terrain. Creatures that enter the are for the first time or start their turn there must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or be unable to take reactions; and on its next turn, the creature can take an action or a bonus action, but not both.
- The dragon choose up to six creatures (which can include itself) and envelops them in a wave of positive energy. Each affected creature is cured of one of the following conditions: blinded, deafened, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, poisoned, or stunned
Regional Effects
The region containing a legendary marble dragon’s lair is augmented by the dragon’s magic, which creates one or more of the following effects:
- A perpetual light snow powders the land within 6 miles of the lair, making it take twice as long as normal to traverse. The snow doesn't hamper vision in any significant manner, and is soothing to creatures other than aberrations, fiends, and undead.
- Water sources within 1 mile of the lair are supernaturally clean and clear, like liquid crystal.
- Fog lightly obscures the land within 6 miles of the lair.
- Wildlife is unnaturally calm and content within 6 miles of the area.
If the dragon dies, the effects fade over 1d10 days. Experienced shepherds and farmers can prevent the wildlife from returning to its natural state by spending each day tending to the fauna.
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