Dragon, Wind, Ancient

Family: Dragon - Wind

Gargantuan dragon, chaotic neutral

Armor Class 20 (natural armor)
Hit Points 351 (19d20 +152)
Speed 30 ft., fly 120 ft. (hover)

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
28 (+9) 16 (+3) 26 (+8) 18 (+4) 17 (+3) 20 (+5)

Saving Throws Dex +10, Con +15, Wis +10, Cha +12
Skills Acrobatics +17, Intimidation +12, Perception +17, Stealth +10
Damage Resistances cold
Damage Immunities lightning
Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 27
Languages Common, Draconic, Primordial
Challenge 21 (33,000 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +7

SPECIAL TRAITS

  • Freedom of Movement. The dragon ignores difficult terrain, and magical effects can’t reduce its speed or cause it to be restrained. It can spend 5 feet of movement to escape from nonmagical restraints or being grappled.
  • Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
  • Storm Sight. The dragon can see through areas obscured by fog, mist, clouds, or precipitation.
  • Whirling Winds. Gale force winds rage around the dragon’s body. Arrows, bolts, and other ordinary projectiles launched at the dragon are deflected upward and automatically miss. Boulders hurled by giants or siege engines, and similar projectiles, are unaffected.

ACTIONS

  • Multiattack. The wind dragon uses its Frightful Presence. It then makes one Bite attack and two Claw attacks.
  • Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +16 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (2d10 + 9) piercing damage.
  • Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +16 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d6 + 9) slashing damage.
  • Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +16 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (2d8 + 9) bludgeoning 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 20 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.
  • Tempest Breath (Recharge 5–6). The dragon exhales a blast of stormy wind in a 90-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 23 Strength saving throw. On a failure, a creature takes 36 (8d8) bludgeoning damage and 36 (8d8) lightning damage and is pushed up to 45 feet away from the dragon and forced prone. On a success, a creature takes half the damage and isn’t pushed or forced prone. Nonmagical flames in the area are extinguished.

LEGENDARY ACTIONS

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 Attack. The dragon makes a Tail attack.
  • Wing Attack (Costs 2 Actions). The dragon beats its wings. Each creature within 15 feet of the dragon must succeed on a DC 24 Dexterity saving throw or take 16 (2d6 + 9) bludgeoning damage and be forced prone. The dragon can then fly up to half its flying speed.

LAIR

Wind dragons make their lairs where they can overlook and dominate their claims, but the location must be remote enough that inhabitants can’t pester them with requests for protection or justice. As they have little to fear from the elements, a shallow cave high on an exposed mountain face is ideal. Wind dragons enjoy heights dotted with rock spires and tall, sheer cliffs. They perch in the howling wind and catch updrafts and downdrafts sweeping through canyons and tearing across crags.

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:

  • Air Blast. A torrent of wind blasts outward in a 60-foot-radius sphere centered on a point the dragon can see within 120 feet of it. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be forced prone and stunned until the end of its next turn. Flying creatures, other than wind dragons, have disadvantage on the saving throw.
  • Blinding Wind. Sand and dust swirls up from the ground in a cylinder that is 30 feet tall with a 20-foot radius, centered on a point the dragon can see within 120 feet of it. The area within the cylinder is difficult terrain. A creature that enters the cylinder for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or be blinded until the end of its next turn. The cylinder of sand and dust lasts until the dragon uses this lair action again or until the dragon dies.
  • Gale Force Smash. A blast of wind slams into a surface of the lair and sends fragments of ice and stone flying out from a point on the ground, wall, or ceiling the dragon can see within 120 feet of it. Each creature within 15 feet of that point must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 18 (4d8) bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

ABOUT

Howling wind encircles the dragon, filling and pushing its wings without the need for them to beat.

Wind dragons view anywhere touched by air as their property, and mortals point to them as the epitome of arrogance. Their narcissism is not without reason, for awe-inspiring power supports their claims of rightful control. To the dragons of the shifting gales, strength is the ultimate arbiter.

Braggarts and Bullies. Wind dragons number among the greatest bullies and worst tyrants of mortal creatures. The sometimes-foolhardy creatures take offense at any perceived challenge and pleasure in humiliating rivals. They claim great swathes of territory but care little for its governance—they perceive mortals in that territory as possessions. Vassals receive only dubious protection in exchange for their loyalty. A wind dragon might seek bloody vengeance for the murder of a follower, but it’s unlikely to go to any length to prevent the loss of that life in the first place.

Lords of the Far Horizons. Some believe that the dragons of the winds claim much more than they are capable of controlling or patrolling. Because they so love altitude, they prefer to rule and meet with earth-bound supplicants at the highest point available: the summit of a great mountain or atop a towering monument erected by fearful slaves. But these dragons are also driven by wanderlust and roam far from their thrones. They return eventually, ready to subjugate new generations and press a tyrannical claw on the neck of anyone who questions their right to rule.

Perpetual Infighting. These wandering tyrants are even more territorial among their own kind than they are among groundlings. Simple trespass by one wind dragon into the territory of another can lead to a battle to the death. Thus, their numbers never grow large, and the weakest among them are frequently culled.

Portable Hoards. Wind dragons’ hoards typically consist of only a few truly valuable relics. Other dragons might sleep on a bed of coins, but common things bore wind dragons. While all true dragons desire and display great wealth, wind dragons concentrate their riches in a small number of notable trophies or unique historic items—often quite portable.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Tome of Beasts 1 ©2023 Open Design LLC; Authors: Daniel Kahn, Jeff Lee, and Mike Welham.

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