Poisoning Resistance. The dragon has advantage on saving throws against being poisoned.
Legendary Resistance (2/Day). If the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
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: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d10 + 5) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) fire damage.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) slashing damage.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) 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 16 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.
Fire Breath (Recharge 5–6). The dragon exhales poisonous gas in a 65-foot long, 10 ft wide cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw, taking 52 (15d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
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 18 Dexterity saving throw or take 12 (2d6 + 5) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone. The dragon can then fly up to half its flying speed.
Description
Flame stalkers are somewhat animalistic dragons that live in low mountains, mountainous plateaus, along rocky forests and in dead jungles. They are not very intelligent but resent humanoids and are extremely hard to tame by conventional methods.
Lair and Lair Actions
Flame stalker dragons lair in high mountains or hills, dwelling in caverns under snow-capped peaks, or within a stone outcropping above a small forest. Caves with volcanic or geothermal activity are the most highly prized flame stalker lairs, creating hazards that hinder intruders and letting searing heat and volcanic gases wash over a dragon as it sleeps.
With its hoard well protected deep within the lair, a red dragon spends as much of its time outside the mountain as in it. For a flame stalker, the higher the mountain, the more territory, and the more territory, the more prey and treasure.
Throughout the lair complex, native animals crawl about and around crudely decorated stone statues of the dragon and its slain enemies that it created itself by focusing its fire breath into a super thin streak to cut perfectly through the stone.
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:
- Magma erupts from a point on the ground the dragon can see within 100 feet of it, creating a 20-foot-high, 5-foot-radius geyser. Each creature in the geyser’s area must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 13 (3d8) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
- A tremor shakes the lair in a 30-foot radius around the dragon. Each creature other than the dragon on the ground in that area must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone.
- Heated spikes of earth erupt from the ground at a point the dragon can see within 100 ft of it, filling a 15-foot radius square there. Immediately after the dragon uses this lair action, each target in the chosen area must make a DC 14 Constitution or Dexterity saving throw (target's choice), taking 11 (2d10) piercing damage and 4 (1d8) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. The spikes remain for 3 rounds or until the dragon uses this lair action again. The spikes remain a hazard in their area as long as they remain.
Regional Effects
Flame stalker dragons, due to their much more animalistic behavior compared to their suprising intelligence, have very little regional magical power compared to true dragons. Nonetheless, the region containing a legendary flame stalker’s lair is warped by the dragon’s magic, which creates one or more of the following effects:
- Small earthquakes are common within 3 miles of the dragon’s lair.
- Wild animals that lair within 3 miles of the dragon's lair are slightly more aggressive than normal.
- Water sources within 1 mile of the lair are supernaturally warm.
If the dragon dies, these effects fade over the course of 1d8 days.
Comments