Darkness Aura. The cave dragon emits magical darkness in a 30-foot radius around it. The darkness moves with the dragon and spreads around corners. Darkvision can’t penetrate this darkness, and no natural light can illuminate it. If any of the darkness overlaps with an area of light created by a spell of 3rd level or lower, the spell creating the light is dispelled. At the start of each of its turns, the dragon chooses whether this aura is active. A successful dispel magic (DC 14) cast on the dragon suppresses this aura for 1 minute.
Innate Spellcasting. The dragon's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 18). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: dispel magic, speak with dead
3/day each: blur, counterspell, darkness, web
1/day each: dispel magic, hold person
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Magical Tunneler. The cave dragon can burrow through nonmagical unworked earth and stone. While doing so, the dragon can choose whether to leave the material it moves through undisturbed or leave a 10-foot diameter tunnel in its wake.
Vibration Sensitivity. When the dragon takes thunder damage, the shockwaves disrupt its perception. The dragon has disadvantage on attack rolls and Perception checks that rely on tremorsense until the end of its next turn.
Multiattack. The dragon uses its Frightful Presence. It then makes one Bite attack and two Claw attacks.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (3d6 + 8) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) poison damage.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d6 + 8) slashing damage.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d8 + 8) 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 18 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.
Poison Breath (Recharge 5–6). The dragon exhales a cone of black, poisonous gas in a 60-foot cone. Each target in that area must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, a creature takes 56 (16d6) poison damage and is poisoned until it finishes a short rest. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each hour, ending the effect on itself on a success. Lesser restoration or similar magic also ends this effect.
Ruff Spikes. When a creature moves to a space within 5 feet of the cave dragon, the dragon flares its many feelers and spikes. The creature must succeed on a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw or take 9 (2d8) piercing damage and be prevented from entering any space within 5 feet of the dragon.
The dragon can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action 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.
Tunnel. The dragon burrows up to its burrow speed, avoiding attacks of opportunity.
Tail Attack. The dragon makes a Tail attack.
Limb Sweep (Costs 2 Actions). The dragon sweeps its wingless limbs outward. Each creature within 10 feet of the dragon must succeed on a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw or take 15 (2d6+8) bludgeoning damage and be pushed up to 10 feet away from the dragon and knocked prone.
Cast a Spell (Costs 3 Actions). The dragon casts a spell from its list of prepared spells, using a spell slot as normal.
Lair and Lair Actions
A Cave Dragon’s Lair
Labyrinthine systems of tunnels, caverns, and chasms make up the world of cave dragons. They claim miles of cave networks as their own. Depending on the depth of their domain, some consider the surface world their territory as well, though they visit only to eliminate potential rivals.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the dragon can take one of the following lair actions; the dragon can’t take the same lair action two rounds in a row:
Cave-In.The ceiling collapses above one creature the dragon can see within 120 feet of it. The creature must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, a creature takes 10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage and is knocked prone and buried. On a success, a creature takes half the damage and isn’t knocked prone or buried. A buried creature is restrained and unable to breathe or stand up. A creature, including the buried creature, can take an action to free the buried creature by succeeding on a DC 15 Strength check.
Split the Earth. A crack appears in the ground within 120 feet of the dragon that is 10 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 20 feet deep. Each creature standing on a spot where the crack opens must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or fall in, taking 7 (2d6) falling damage. A creature that successfully saves moves with the crack’s edge as it opens. The crack remains open for 1 minute, until the dragon uses this lair action again, or until the dragon dies.
Release the Vermin. A 20-foot radius sphere of insects appears centered on a point the dragon can see within 120 feet of it. When a creature enters the cloud of insects for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, that creature must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 11 (2d10) piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The cloud of insects lasts until initiative count 20 on the next round.
Regional Effects
The region containing a legendary cave dragon’s lair is warped by the dragon’s magic, which creates one or more of the following effects:
Flight of the Beetles. Swarms of vermin within 1 mile of the lair increase in both size and number as their populations try to survive the dragon’s undiscriminating hunger.
Toxic Air. Once each hour, poisonous and odorless gases fill random passages and caverns for 1 minute, and just as quickly disperse, within 6 miles of the dragon’s lair.
Water Underground. Each time the dragon’s temper flares, but no more often than once every 30 days, flash flooding turns tunnels into death traps as tremors create fissures in the stone within 6 miles of the lair. On the surface, ponds drain away, and long-dry creek beds break their banks in flood.
If the dragon dies, these effects fade over the course of 1d10 days.
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