Innate Spellcasting. The ascended chimera's spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 15). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: detect magic
1/week: awaken
Spellcating. The ascended chimera is a 5th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 15, +4 to hit with spell attacks). It has the following wizard spell prepared:
Cantrips (at will): friends, mage hand, prestidigitation, toll the dead
1st level (3 slots): absorb elements, catapult, shield
2nd level (2 slots): blindness/deafness, darkness, dragon's breath
3rd level (2 slots): counterspell, dispel magic, fear
Multiattack. The chimera makes three attacks: one with its bite, one with its horns, and one with its claws. When its fire breath is available, it can use the breath in place of its bite or horns.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d6 + 6) piercing damage.
Horns. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (1d12 + 6) bludgeoning damage.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d6 + 6) slashing damage.
Fire Breath (Recharge 5–6). The dragon head exhales fire in a 15--foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw, taking 35 (8d8) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Description
A chimera is a vile combination of goat, lion, and dragon, and features the heads of all three of those creatures. It likes to swoop down from the sky and engulf prey with its fiery breath before landing to attack. As if this description of a regular specimen wasn't bad enough, someone, somewhere thought it would be a good idea to keep chimerae as pets and/or guardians. Normally, one can do so by providing them with enough food to keep them fed and 'happy', however, at some point in time a self-proclaimed 'stable genius' of a wizard inventend a ritual spell to increase one of his chimera's intelligence.
The result of this ritual called itself an ascended chimera, considering its higher intelligence to be a sign of its obvious superiority over its peers and, in time, the wizard that created it. The first of its kind was smart enough to trick the wizard into thinking that the ritual had failed and then began learning the wizard's magicks in secret, creating more of its kind before killing its creator.
An ascended chimera looks like an ordinary example, except perhaps for a greater glint of intelligence in its draconic eyes. It speaks and understands Draconic and Common and can learn more languages too. Should it mate with a normal chimera, its offspring has a 50% chance of being of the ascended variety.
Next to being smarter, the ascended chimera also grows in strength and character. It enjoys enslaving lesser beings and, strangely enough, herding normal animals. At the latter it is actually quite proficient as well and its favorite pets are often awarded with an awaken spell cast on them in turn.
In combat, it often pretends to be a normal chimera to probe its prey's defenses, before using its magical capabilities. An ascended chimera is far more cunning than its normal counterpart, capable of surprising enemies with its spellcasting and tactics. Most specimens exceptionally enjoy surprising an enemy prepared for their fire breath with the dragon's breath using different elements.
The spells listed are the ones that are handed down from parent to offspring, learnt from the first of their kind, who stole this knowledge from its wizard creator. It is possible that individuals have learned other spells, but most do not actively seek to do so, as it would require them to keep an actual spellbook to account for the spells they learn beyond their natural capability.
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