Glide. When the dragon falls and isn’t incapacitated, it subtracts up to 100 feet from the fall when calculating the fall’s damage, and it can move up to 2 feet horizontally for every 1 foot it descends, up to double its movement speed.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Tunneler. The dragon can burrow through solid rock at half its burrowing speed and leaves a 15-foot-diameter tunnel in its wake.
Multiattack. The dragon makes one Bite attack and two Claw attacks.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (2d10 + 7) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) acid damage.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d6 + 7) slashing damage.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d8 + 7) bludgeoning damage, and the target must succeed on DC 19 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Caustic Breath (Recharge 5–6). The dragon exhales sizzling acid in a 60-foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that area must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 45 (10d8) acid damage, and the creature is poisoned for 1 minute. A creature can't be poisoned in this way if it is immune to acid damage. While poisoned in this way, a creature takes 4 (1d8) acid damage at the start of each of its turns. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage, and isn't poisoned.
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.
Dig. The dragon burrows up to half its burrowing speed.
Tail Attack. The dragon makes one Tail attack.
Lunging Jaws (Costs 2 Actions). The dragon moves up to half its speed without provoking opportunity attacks, and makes one Bite attack. On a hit, if the target is Large or smaller, it is also grappled (escape DC 19). While grappled in this way, the target is also restrained. The dragon can only grapple one creature with its Lunging Jaws at a time, and if the dragon has a creature grappled in this way, it can only use its Bite attack against the grappled creature.
Description
Sand dragons, also known as brown dragons, are the apex predators of the barren desert landscape. Lacking large enough wings to achieve true flight, sand dragons hunt by burrowing through the sandy dunes, bursting out from underneath prey and dragging them down into their lairs. Even despite their lack of flight, sand dragons climb up sheer cliffs and glide across the sky, surveying the area for even more prey.
A sand dragon will claim an entire desert as their personal hunting grounds. The dragon relentlessly hunts down anything it pleases within the desert, only giving up on a chase if its prey leaves the desert's bounds. In combat, sand dragons tend to use their breath weapon only as a last resort, preferring not to ruin their prey with caustic acid.
Lair and Lair Actions
A Sand Dragon’s Lair
A sand dragon's lair typically consists of long tunnels that span underneath a large portion of a desert. Carved using the dragon's acidic breath, the tunnels are smooth to the touch. Each tunnel is interconnected with the others, forming a maze-like structure that hides the dragon's horde.
The lair of a sand dragon doesn't usually have any normal way in or out, instead the dragon burrows into the lair with its prey. More brutal sand dragons may instantly devour prey after the dragon drags it into its lair, while others may force the prey to try and navigate the twisting lair while being hunted down (usually by the dragon's wyrmlings). Rarely, a sand dragon may keep its prey alive, enslaving them to guard the lair or service the dragon's needs. If the dragon gets too hungry however, it isn't opposed to devouring its own servants.
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:
Dusty Gale. A powerful gust of wind blows against one creature within 60 feet of the dragon that it can see. The creature must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be pushed up to 20 feet horizontally in a direction of the dragon's choice.
Heatwave. Scorching heat surrounds up to three creatures that the dragon can see within 60 feet of itself. Each creature must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 13 (3d8) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Swirling Sandstorm. A vortex of sandy winds swirl around at a point the dragon can see within 90 feet of itself, filling a 20-foot radius, 20-foot tall cylinder. The vortex spreads around corners and remains until the dragon dismisses it as an action, uses this lair action again, or dies. The vortex is difficult terrain and heavily obscured. The target of a ranged attack gains half cover against the attack if the attack would pass into or through the vortex. Additionally, any creature in the vortex when it appears must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Regional Effects
The region containing a legendary sand dragon’s lair is warped by the dragon’s magic, which creates one or more of the following effects:
Intense Heat. The air within 6 miles of the dragon's lair is supernaturally heated; never falling below 100 degrees Fahrenheit, even during the normal freezing desert nights (see the Dungeon Master’s Guide for rules on extreme heat).
Obscuring Sands. Winds blow immense amounts of sand around up to 30 feet above the ground within 1 mile of the dragon's lair. The area affected is lightly obscured.
Stone Spires. Massive spires of jagged stone jut from the sands within 6 miles of the dragon's lair. Each spire is 1d6x10 feet tall.
If the dragon dies, the heat and blowing sands fade over the course of 1d10 days. Any spires remain where they are.
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