The gray dragon is likely the most avaricious, ill-tempered, and feral of all dragons. It lives to hunt for sport, more obsessed with the act of stalking and bringing down powerful prey than accumulating wealth. It is prone to fits of rage such that the gray dragon would rain death and destruction to every random habitat and settlement within miles of its lair. It dwells in temperate regions that have high rocky outcroppings surrounded by low flatlands. 

Spiked Horror. The gray dragon is covered in armor-like, bony plates called osteoderms, with spikes protruding from its forearms and limb joints. Its head features a crest of long, sharp spikes, with smaller ones jutting below its oversized jaw like a garish beard. A jagged line of barbs runs from the back of its head and along its pine, and its forked tail ends with two wicked scythe-like bony plates, which it uses to impale prey. A fang-filled mouth and a pair of long ears give the gray dragon a bat-like visage. 

Earth Connection. It is said that gray dragons evolved from fang dragons, an extinct type of bestial dragon that had no breath weapon. Legend has it that Tiamat, the Queen of Dragons, weaved her dark magic and infused unhatched fang dragons in the world with basilisk blood. Since then, only gray dragon hatchlings have been born, and each has shown a natural affinity with the Elemental nature of Earth, including immunity to petrification. 

Consummate Hunter. Driven by its predatory nature, the gray dragon prefers to fight by just using its teeth, claws, and tail, often delivering the killing blow before its target can react. At times, the gray dragon will toy with its prey, tormenting it by telling how futile it is to escape and even mimicking voices it has heard to distract or lure the target. It sees it as a testament to its hunting prowess to bring down formidable creatures with just its cunning, hunting skill, and physical attacks. Thus, it rarely uses its breath attack unless it believes its life might be in danger. The gray dragon's elemental breath is a cone of caustic, vicious slime. The slime is so sticky that it continues to dissolve the flesh of its victims for a time after the initial contact. 

Guarded Lair. A gray dragon often leaves its lair for extended periods to hunt. Before doing so, it seals its den, where it keeps its vast treasure piles with boulders and slabs of granite and limestone. The lair's outlying chambers are usually patrolled by the gray dragon's minions, which are often basilisks, cockatrices, earth elementals, galeb duhr, medusae, ooze paraelementals, and stone giants. These creatures are not necessarily subservient to the gray dragon and see it more as a mutual arrangement of protection. However, they do fear the gray dragon's wrath and take extraordinary steps not to incur it. 

Gray Dragon Lairs

Gray dragons dwell in badlands, brushlands, prairies, and tundras that have rocky crags, cliffs, and outcroppings that overlook great flatlands where they can spy potential game from great distances.

The region containing an adult or ancient gray dragon’s lair is affected by its presence, creating the following effects:

Elemental Allies. [Tooltip Not Found] scour the land within 1 mile of the lair. 

Faces in Stone. Stone within 3 miles of the lair takes on subtle shapes that suggest people, animals, and other creatures when viewed from the corner of the eye or through dim light or fog.

If the dragon dies or moves its lair elsewhere, these effects end immediately.