Acid Sack. The dragon has a sack at the base of its neck where it builds up acid. The sack has an AC of 18, and creatures have a -5 penalty on attack rolls to hit it. Hitting the acid sack deals damage to the dragon as normal. Once the dragon has taken 35 damage in this way, it's breath weapon's damage is reduced to 36 (8d8), it can't use its acid spit, and it gains its putrid splash ability.
Amphibious. The dragon can breathe air, water, and acid.
Aquatic Ambusher. If the dragon is submerged in water, it has advantage on (Dexterity) Stealth checks and initiative rolls.
Innate Spellcasting. The dragon's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 16). The dragon can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
1/day each: create or destroy water, greater invisibility, plant growth
Legendary Resistance (3/day). If the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead, and attack rolls against the dragon have advantage until the start of the dragon's next turn.
Multiattack. The dragon can use its Frightful Presence. It then makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws. It can replace its bite attack with an acid spit attack.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d10 + 6) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) acid damage. If the target is Large or smaller, it must succeed on a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw or be grappled (escape DC 14). While grappled in this way, the dragon can't use its acid spit attack, and if the dragon uses its acid breath, the target automatically fails it's saving throw. The grapple ends if the dragon bites another target.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d6 + 6) slashing damage.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d8 + 6) bludgeoning damage.
Acid Spit. Ranged Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, range 40/60 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (6d6) acid 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 16 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.
Acid Breath (Recharge 5–6). The dragon exhales acid in a 60-foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that line must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw, taking 54 (12d8) acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature wearing nonmagical armor that fails the saving throw has it's AC bonus from that armor reduced by 1d8. The armor is destroyed if it's AC is reduced below 10.
Putrid Splash. The dragon vomits up slime in a 30 foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw take 10 (3d6) acid damage or be poisoned for 1 minute. A poisoned creature can repeat the save at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success. The area is then difficult terrain for creatures other than the dragon.
A creature that starts its turn in the difficult terrain or enters it for the first time on a turn takes 3 (1d6) acid damage.
Cloying Miasma (Recharges After a Short or Long Rest). When the dragon is reduced to 97 hit points, it releases a cloud of noxious gas in a 20 foot radius centered on itself that lasts for 1 minute and follows the dragon. The area is lightly obscured, and creatures inside the cloud are poisoned while in the cloud.
Wing Block. When the dragon takes damage, it can use its wings to intercept the source of the damage, reducing it by half. The dragon's flying speed is then reduced by 20 feet until the end of its next turn.
The 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 dragon regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Detect. The dragon makes a Wisdom (Perception) check.
Tail Swipe. The dragon makes a tail attack.
Hide. If the dragon is lightly or heavily obscured, it moves up to 20 feet and takes the Hide action.
Acid Rain (Costs 2 Actions). The dragon spreads it’s wings as they begin to drip with acid and then flies up 10 feet and then half it’s fly speed as acid rains from it’s wings before landing. Each creature that the dragon flies over must make a DC 18 Dexterity Saving Throw or take 13 (3d8) damage.
Lair and Lair Actions
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the dragon takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the dragon can't use the same effect two rounds in a row:
- Pools of water that the dragon can see within 120 feet of it surge outward in a grasping tide. Any creature on the ground within 20 feet of such a pool must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be pulled up to 20 feet into the water and knocked prone.
- A cloud of swarming insects fills a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on a point the dragon chooses within 120 feet of it. The cloud spreads around corners and remains until the dragon dismisses it as an action, uses this lair action again, or dies. The cloud is lightly obscured. Any creature in the cloud when it appears must make on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature that ends its turn in the cloud takes 10 (3d6) piercing damage.
- Magical darkness spreads from a point the dragon chooses within 60 feet of it, filling a 15-foot-radius sphere until the dragon dismisses it as an action, uses this lair action again, or dies. The darkness spreads around corners. A creature with darkvision can't see through this darkness except for the dragon, and nonmagical light can't illuminate it. If any of the effect's area overlaps with an area of light created by a spell of 2nd level or lower, the spell that created the light is dispelled.
- The dragon chooses a point on the ground it can see within 120 feet of it. A 20-foot-radius, 20-foot-high cylinder of watery filth centered on that point erupts from the ground until initiative count 20 on the next round. Each creature in the cylinder when it appears or that ends its turn there must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The cylinder is difficult terrain.
- Tendrils of roiling muck extend from the dragon's lair to grasp up to three creatures of the dragon's choice that it can see within the lair. A targeted creature must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be restrained until initiative count 20 on the next round.
- A bubble of swamp gas erupts in a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on a point the dragon can see within its lair. Each creature in the area must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Regional Effects
The region containing a legendary black dragon's lair is warped by the dragon's magic, which creates one or more of the following effects:
- The land within 6 miles of the lair takes twice as long as normal to traverse, since the plants grow thick and twisted, and the swamps are thick with reeking mud.
- Water sources within 1 mile of the lair are supernaturally fouled. Enemies of the dragon that drink such water regurgitate it within minutes.
- Fog lightly obscures the land within 6 miles of the lair.
- Creatures that spend a year within 10 miles of the dragon's lair are filled with listless despair.
- Trilling, obnoxious birds, bugs, and reptiles follow any Humanoid creatures unknown to the dragon within 6 miles of the lair, imposing disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks. The dragon can suppress this effect at will.
- Stinging bugs are aggressive and the air is heavy with the odor of rot within 6 miles of the lair.
If the dragon dies, these effects fade over the course of 1d10 days.
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