Unstable Terrain (Aura). When any enemy within 10 feet of the dragon makes an attack that does not include the dragon as a target, that enemy falls prone and takes 5 damage.
Terrain Advantage. The area of the aura counts as difficult terrain. The dragon can ignore the movement restriction of difficult terrain.
Multiattack. The dragon makes one Bite attack and one Claw attacks.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d10+5) piercing damage.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8+5) slashing damage.
Earthen Maw (Recharge 6). The dragon shoots molten stone out of the ground, covering the area of a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 17 (2d10+6) piercing damage, and is restrained. If the creature already is either restrained or prone, it is petrified instead. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage, and isn’t restrained or petrified.
Sudden Quake. If the dragon is pulled, pushed, slid, or knocked prone, each creature in his aura has to succeed on a DC 16 Constitution Saving Throw or is knocked prone.
The dragon can take 1 legendary action, described in the Lair Action section. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn.
Rising Tremors. Each other creature in the aura has to succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save the creature takes 19 (3d8+5) thunder damage, is knocked prone and its movement speed is reduced to 0 until the end of its next turn. On a successful save, it takes half damage and isn't knocked prone. The aura effect resets to 10 feet after taking this Legendary Action.
Description
When the ground tremors start, most mortals breathe whispered prayers to the gods or make offerings to the primal spirits to quiet the earth. When people begin disappearing on the fringes of a settlement, the remaining inhabitants begin to suspect a more sinister cause. The arrival of an earthquake dragon in a region is heralded by minor tremors. In subsequent days, the shaking grows increasingly violent. Soon buildings are crumbling and people are disappearing into chasms that spontaneously appear in roads and fields.
Earthquake dragons are menaces to civilization. They move from settlement to settlement, hunting mortals as much for sport as for food. An earthquake dragon might leave a town in ruins for no other reason than the fact that it can. Once it has ruined a city and chased away or eaten the inhabitants, an earthquake dragon might dwell in the ruins for months, digesting its food and basking in the destruction it has wrought. Then, when it tires of this sedentary activity, it moves on to the next region to repeat the process.
Lore
Arcana DC 15: When Erek-Hus, the King of Terror, slew Io, many dragons felt the touch of fear as they never had before. In reaction, some searched for protection in the form of a patron who could defend them. These dragons found an ally in the primordial Balcoth, the Groaning King. This primordial of impenetrable stone welcomed them and fulfilled his promise to guard them by swallowing them up in his great maw. Within the burning furnace of his stomach, the dragons became petrified. Some Balcoth vomited up to serve him, using the powers he granted them to swim through the earth and tear it asunder; others escaped years later, when Balcoth was decapitated in a battle against the gods.
Encounters
Earthquake dragons are temperamental creatures that enjoy hunting on their own, so they rarely tolerate allies for long. However, an earthquake dragon might form a loose alliance with earth archons, elementals, stone giants and titans, earth giants and titans, and other relatively inedible creatures. A group of humanoids that manages to contact an earthquake dragon might persuade it to serve them if they offer it an opportunity for devastation. Galeb duhrs, genasi, and goliaths seek to ally with earthquake dragons, conspiring toward various ends - often the destruction of a neighboring city or tribe. Earthquake dragons grow restless quickly, though, and if a dragon thinks an ally has outlived its usefulness, the dragon quickly turns on that creature. Earthquake dragons do have a weakness for gems, though, so their continued cooperation can sometimes be bought with sufficient wealth.
Lair and Lair Actions
Rising Tremors. At the start of initiative count 20 the dragon increases its aura effects by 5 feet to a total of 30 feet. After the aura reaches 20 feet, the dragon can take one additional Legendary Action to have each other creature in the aura to succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save the creature takes 19 (3d8 + 5) thunder damage, is knocked prone and its movement speed is reduced to 0 until the end of its next turn. On a successful save, it takes half damage and isn't knocked prone. The aura effect resets to 10 feet after taking this Legendary Action.
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