Keen Senses: The crows-nest dragon has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight, hearing or smell.
Magic Resistance: The crows-nest dragon has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Limited Telepathy: The crows-nest dragon can magically communicate simple ideas, emotions, and images telepathically with other dragons within 240 yards of it.
Variant: Familiar The crows-nest dragon can serve another creature as a familiar, forming a magic, telepathic bond with that willing companion. While the two are bonded and as long as they're within 1 mile of each other, the crows-nest dragon can only transmit their own vision and their feelings but not sound to their companion. Also while within 10 feet of each other, the companion shares the crows-nest dragon's Magic Resistance trait. At any time and for any reason, the crows-nest dragon can end its service as a familiar, ending the telepathic bond.
Good Fortune The crows-nest dragon bestow a minor blessing upon sailing vessel they travel with. Granting the sailing vessel an advantage on saving throws against hazards.
Semi-Prehensile Tail The crows-nest dragon has a semi-prehensile tail that can be used to hold and manipulate small light weight objects. It can also be used to anchor the crows-nest dragon's to objects or as an aid in climbing.
Hold Breath The crows-nest dragon can hold its breath for up to ten minutes.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (2d4 + 1) piercing damage.
Fog Breath Once a day the crows-nest dragon exhales a cloud of mystical vapor that duplicates the effects of a Fog Cloud spell cast by a 9th level caster.
Description
Crow's-Nest Dragons are a piscovorous dragonet species native to the coastal regions. Much like sea gulls, they are known for their habit of following ships to feed on the fish that the vessels invariably disturb; their name reflects their tendency to swoop around and perch upon the crow's nest.
Sometimes likened in appearance to pseudodragons, a crow's-nest dragon resembles a small lizard with a long snout full of sharp, conical fangs used to grab slippery prey. They have a very streamlined shape, as their typical hunting behavior entails diving into the water to pursue their piscine meals; they can't breathe water, but can hold their breath for up to 10 minutes. They possess semi-prehensile, monkey-like tails that double their body length to four feet, and long, wide wings that fold close to the body - very reminiscent in shape of a pelican's. This breed of dragonet is very distinctive for its pearl-like iridescent white scales.
Sailors welcome crow's-nest dragons because they consider them a sign of good fortune - indeed, the race has enough magical abilities that a flock's happy presence actually does bestow a minor blessing upon the vessel they travel with, which mechanically is determined by a +15% bonus to the ship's seaworthiness rating. For this reason, sailors prohibit anyone from attacking "their" crow's-nest dragons, as should a member of the flock be killed, the survivors will abandon that vessel and never return.
Like all dragonets, crow's-nest dragons will respond to find familiar spells, and they are amongst the breeds that will sometimes select humanoids as companions - being coastal creatures, naturally, they prefer sailors. Unlike their pseudodragon cousins, whilst they do possess the ability to communicate psionically with a chosen individual within 240 yards, they can only transmit their own vision and their feelings; they have no ability to transmit sound.
Bonded crow's-nest dragons are loyal, but flighty and chaotic - more like Faerie Dragons than Pseudodragons, even sharing the faerie dragons' Chaotic Good alignment. They need much less pampering than pseudodragons, but even when well-treated, are prone to mischievous behavior; their curiosity is insatiable, and sailors assert that their hunger is just as bad.
A crow's-nest dragon typically feeds on fish and cephalopods, being preyed upon in turn by large marine and arboreal predators such as sharks and giant eagles. They defend themselves with their vicious bite, which can rip and tear savagely. When clearly outmatched, they use their breath weapon - a cloud of mystical vapor that duplicates the effects of a Fog Cloud spell cast by a 9th level caster - to cover their escape. They can only use this breath weapon once every day.
Like most dragonets, they mate for life, establishing nests on the tops of rugged sea-cliffs and producing clutches of 3 to 5 offspring at a time.
Crow's-nest dragons are amongst the shortest-lived dragonets, with a natural lifespan of 11 to 20 years.
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