Determination. The dragon has advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened.
Multiattack. The dragon makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws. While in human form, it can make two shortsword attacks.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d10 + 6) piercing damage.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d6 + 6) slashing damage.
Shortsword (human form). Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.
Breath Weapons (Recharge 5–6). The dragon uses one of the following breath weapons.
Acid Breath. The dragon exhales acid blast in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw, taking 54 (12d8) acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Deafening Breath. The dragon exhales deafening blast of gas in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or be deafened 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.
Change Shape. The dragon magically polymorphs into a humanoid or beast that has a challenge rating no higher than its own, or back into its true form. It reverts to its true form if it dies. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying is absorbed or borne by the new form (the dragon's choice).
In a new form, the dragon retains its alignment, hit points, Hit Dice, ability to speak, proficiencies, Legendary Resistance, lair actions, and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores, as well as this action. Its statistics and capabilities are otherwise replaced by those of the new form, except any class features or legendary actions of that form.
Description
Steelheart is a young steel dragon posing as Katelyn Brekstel from Darmshall in Vaasa. Like all steel dragons, she loves human and demi-human companions. In her human form, she appears between 12 and 14 years old (she is really 27 years old) with the statistics of a Scout. Her deeply tanned skin, blonde hair, and light gray eyes make her pretty, but not overly so. She dresses in ordinary clothing with light leather armor and carries a short sword and dagger. Katelyn seems a little quiet and shy. Steelheart lost her parents to evil dragons in Vaasa and has sworn to avenge them, but she tells the PCs that her parents were captured, in the hope of attracting heroes to help her destroy her parents' murderers. While in their company, she does not take her dragon form except to fight an evil dragon.
General
Steel dragons in their natural forms are especially feline in their movements and stature. They have scales that shine like burnished steel as adults and usually smell like wet metal. Younger dragons' scales are a darker blue-gray and less lustrous. Their wings consist of overlapping blades that look like feathers, and the scales on their chests resemble shields.
Their faces are particularly expressive, sometimes giving the illusion of a human-like face. They have many long spines surrounding their faces, which give the appearance of hair.
In humanoid forms, steel dragons usually keep their true identities secret; however, they always have at least one visual indication of their true nature in the form of steel-gray hair, eyes, tattoos, or another feature.
Personality
Steel dragons, as a rule, are amiable, curious, and witty. They would rather spend their time among human cultures than in their own true forms.
However, they have difficulty when dealing with all kinds of absolute authority, even authority that is used for good. This puts steel dragons at odds with other kinds of metallic dragons that use their power and experience to justify their actions, especially bronze dragons and gold dragons; this also makes them bitter enemies of chromatic dragons. For those same reasons, steel dragons usually work within their chosen communities to promote freedom and undermine authoritarian forces.
Steel dragons like the company of humans, elves, half-elves and dwarves, and they usually support adventurers that oppose tyrants.
Favored Treasure
They prefer to invest in property and business unlike other dragons, who prefer to hoard monetary treasures. Some steel dragons do hoard items, but they prefer to hoard works of art, antiquities, books, finery, magic items or servants.
Combat
Similar to brass dragons, most steel dragons would rather talk than fight, yet like all dragons, they can be formidable opponents. In combat, they avoid melee and instead rely on their magical spells. A steel dragon can cast the spells of clerics as arcane magic and also can use the spells usually considered a part of the knowledge and trickery domains. If truly losing a battle, a steel dragon will likely teleport away.
A steel dragon can breathe both a cone of acid and a cone of deafening gas.
Society
Unlike most other dragons, steel dragons do not live in caves, preferring castles, towers, palaces, mansions, and the like.
While they prefer to eat in their human forms, doing so would not provide them enough nourishment to survive, so they have to make excuses to go hunting secretly in their dragon forms every three tendays or so.
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