Clockwork Dragon, Three-Headed

Family: Dragon - Clockwork

An orange glow burns in the eyes of an enormous mechanical dragon. Gears whir as the black-plated war machine spreads steel wings, spewing flames over a battalion of screaming knights.

Huge construct, unaligned

Armor Class 18 (natural armor)
Hit Points 275 (22d12 + 132)
Speed 40 ft., fly 60 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
25 (+7) 10 (+0) 23 (+6) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 1 (-5)

Saving Throws Strength +12, Constitution +11
Skills Athletics +12, Perception +10
Damage Immunities poison, psychic
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 20
Languages understands Common but can’t speak
Challenge 14 (11,500 XP)

Special Traits

  • Bound. The dragon is magically bound to three circlets. As long as the dragon is within 1 mile of a circlet wearer on the same plane of existence, the wearer can communicate telepathically with the dragon. While the dragon is active, the wearers see through its eyes and hear what it hears. During this time, the wearers are deaf and blind with regard to their own senses. If only two circlet wearers are within 1 mile of the active dragon each hour spent wearing the circlets imposes one level of exhaustion on those wearers. If only a single wearer is within 1 mile of the active dragon, each minute spent wearing the circlet gives that wearer one level of exhaustion. If no circlet wearers are within 1 mile of the dragon, it views all creatures it can see as enemies and tries to destroy them until a circlet wearer communicates with the dragon or the dragon is destroyed. A circlet wearer can use its action to put the dragon in an inactive state where it becomes incapacitated until a wearer uses an action to switch the dragon to active. Each circlet is a magic item that must be attuned.
  • Immutable Form. The dragon is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form.
  • Magic Resistance. The dragon has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
  • Siege Monster. The dragon deals double damage to objects and structures.

Actions

  • Multiattack. The dragon can use its Oil Spray. It then makes five attacks: three with its bite and two with its fists.
  • Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (2d10 + 7) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) fire damage.
  • Fist. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d6 + 7) bludgeoning damage.
  • Fire Breath (Recharge 6). The dragon exhales fire in three separate 60-foot cones. Each creature in one of these cones must make a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw, taking 45 (13d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature in overlapping cones has disadvantage on the saving throw, but it takes damage from only one breath.
  • Oil Spray. The dragon sprays oil in a 30-foot-cone. Each creature in the area must succeed on a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw or become vulnerable to fire damage until the end of the dragon’s next turn.
  • Tail Sweep. The dragon swings its bladed tail. Each creature within 15 feet of the dragon must make a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, a creature takes 16 (2d8 + 7) slashing damage and is knocked prone. On a success, a creature takes half the damage but isn’t knocked prone.

About

Clockwork dragons are siege machines fashioned after their namesake. The one-headed variety stands roughly twelve feet tall, while the three-headed dragon exceeds twenty.

Weapons of War. Only the most developed nations can afford to build clockwork dragons, but they are worth the cost. A single machine easily turns the tide of most battles and lasts decades.

Their mace-tipped fists can breakdown any structure, while mechanical wings give them flight. The dragons’ bladed tails kill enemies in a single sweep and a special oil cannon in their chest makes any target vulnerable to the dragon’s fiery breath.

Group Control. A clockwork dragon is created and controlled by a team of three engineers that wear special circlets.

While just one of these engineers can control a dragon for a short period of time, any sustained period of solo control is so taxing it kills the engineer. If all the engineers remove their headbands while the dragon is active, the construct attempts to massacre every creature it can see.

Construct Nature. A clockwork dragon doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Creature Codex. © 2018 Open Design LLC; Authors Wolfgang Baur, Dan Dillon, Richard Green, James Haeck, Chris Harris, Jeremy Hochhalter, James Introcaso, Chris Lockey, Shawn Merwin, and Jon Sawatsky.