Hive Mind. The Ancient Blighted Sand Dragon shares a hive mentality with other Blighted creatures, allowing them to coordinate attacks. If one Blighted creature is aware of a hostile creature, all others in the hive mind are also aware.
Blighted Scourge. Natural weapon attacks by the Ancient Blighted Sand Dragon can infect creatures with the Blighted Scourge. A creature hit by the dragon’s attack must succeed on a DC 21 Constitution saving throw or contract the Blighted Scourge.
Sandstorm Aura. The Ancient Blighted Sand Dragon creates a 40-foot radius sandstorm around it. This area is heavily obscured and counts as difficult terrain for non-Blighted creatures. Creatures that start their turn within the aura must succeed on a DC 21 Constitution saving throw or take 21 (6d6) blighted energy damage and be infected with the Blighted Scourge.
Multiattack. The Ancient Blighted Sand Dragon makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 32 (4d10 + 9) piercing damage plus 14 (4d6) blighted energy damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 21 Constitution saving throw or be infected with the Blighted Scourge.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (3d8 + 9) slashing damage.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 24 (3d10 + 9) bludgeoning damage.
Blighted Breath (Recharge 5-6). The Ancient Blighted Sand Dragon exhales a 90-foot cone of blighted energy. Each creature in that area must make a DC 21 Constitution saving throw, taking 88 (16d10) Blighted damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. Creatures that fail the save are also infected with the Blighted Scourge.
The Ancient Blighted Sand 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 Ancient Blighted Sand Dragon regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
- Tail Attack. The Ancient Blighted Sand Dragon makes one tail attack.
- Wing Buffet (Costs 2 Actions). The dragon beats its wings, creating a strong gust. Each creature within 15 feet must succeed on a DC 21 Dexterity saving throw or take 17 (3d6 + 7) bludgeoning damage and be pushed 10 feet away and knocked prone.
- Blighted Sandstorm (Costs 3 Actions). The Ancient Blighted Sand Dragon summons a surge of blighted sand, expanding its Sandstorm Aura by an additional 20 feet and increasing the blighted damage to 28 (8d6) for 1 minute.
Description
Once a majestic ruler of the vast Whispering Sands, this Ancient Blighted Sand Dragon has been irrevocably corrupted by the Blighted Scourge. Towering over the dunes like a living storm, its once-golden scales have blackened and cracked, pulsating with veins of dark energy. What were once regal, gleaming eyes are now voids of eerie violet light, exuding the malevolence of its newfound hive mind.
The air around the dragon churns with an endless sandstorm, concealing its movements and eroding everything caught within. Its mere presence spreads the Blighted Scourge, infecting the land and those unfortunates enough to encounter it. With each step, it leaves behind trails of decay, turning the once-thriving desert into a desolate, corrupted wasteland.
Despite its loss of individuality, remnants of the dragon’s ancient intellect remain, making it a cunning and ruthless predator. It lurks beneath the sands, striking when least expected, dragging entire caravans beneath the dunes before they even realize they are doomed. Those who attempt to escape find themselves ensnared in its wing-born tempests or vaporized by its Blighted Breath, a devastating force capable of stripping flesh from bone in an instant.
Few have faced the Ancient Blighted Sand Dragon and lived to tell the tale. The lucky ones perish instantly, while the unlucky succumb to the Blighted Scourge, becoming twisted, mindless husks serving the hive. If left unchecked, this corrupted dragon could spread its blight beyond the desert, consuming the entire Isle in a tide of darkness and sand.
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