Cobblestone Dragon, Ancient

Family: Dragons

Large dragon, chaotic neutral

Armor Class 22 (natural armor
Hit Points 462 (37d10 + 259
Speed 60 ft., climb 60 ft., fly 30 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
12 (+1)	29 (+9)	24 (+7)	14 (+2)	23 (+6)	13 (+1)

Saving Throws Dex +16, Wis +13, Cha +8
Skills Acrobatics +16, Insight +20, Perception +13, Stealth +16
Damage Resistances bludgeoning
Condition Immunities deafened
Senses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 23
Languages Common, plus three other languages
Challenge 21 (50,000 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Agility. As a bonus action on each of its turns, the dragon can take either the Dash, Disengage, or Dodge action.
• Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
• Malleable Form. The dragon can squeeze through openings as small as 2 feet in diameter.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The dragon makes three attacks: one with its Bite and two with its Claw.
• Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +16 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 86 (14d10 + 9) piercing damage.
• Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +16 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 23 (4d6 + 9) slashing damage.
• Breath Weapons (Recharge 5–6). The dragon uses one of the following breath weapons.
• Petrifying Breath. The dragon exhales a cloud of petrifying gas in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in the affected area must succeed on a DC 24 Constitution saving throw or begin to turn to stone and become restrained. A creature restrained in this manner must repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns. If it succeeds on three saving throws in this manner, the effect ends. If it fails two saving throws in this manner, it is instead permanently petrified.
• Silent Mist. The dragon exhales a thin mist in a 120-foot-radius circle centered on it, which lasts for 1 minute and heavily obscures the affected area. Sounds produced in the affected area cannot be heard outside it.

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.

• Claw. The dragon makes a Claw attack.
• Move. The dragon moves up to its speed.
• Hide (Costs 2 Actions). The dragon takes the Hide action.
• Breath Weapon (Costs 3 Actions). The dragon uses or recharges its Breath Weapons action.

LAIR

Cobblestone dragons lair in abandoned, underground, or otherwise inaccessible portions of large cities. Collapsed portions of sewer systems work best for them, but if need be, they burrow and hollow out large portions of earth, creating subterranean caverns in rubble and rocks. Beneath these ruins, cobblestone dragons form small flights of kin.

They share their hoards of collected and memorized whispers, conversations, and secrets with each member of their flight. Knowing the value of their gathered information, they take careful pains to hide their dens and make them difficult to traverse. The tunnels leading to these dens are always designed for quadrupedal creatures with malleable bodies.

Lair Actions

On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the cobblestone dragon takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects.

• A tunnel in the lair closes, blocking access in and out of the lair via that tunnel.
• A tunnel in the lair opens, allowing access to and from the main chamber.
• Part of the roof of the lair collapses, creating a dust cloud obscuring sight throughout the lair.

Regional Effects

The region containing an ancient cobblestone dragon’s lair is warped by the dragon’s magic, which creates one or more of the following effects within 1 mile of the lair.

• Rubble, destroyed ruins, and collapsed buildings in the area are more stable than they appear.
• Every alleyway, empty or near-empty street, and empty building has light mist in or around it in the early morning and on overcast or cloudy days.
• Rats, small animals, and vermin are easier to notice.

ABOUT

Cobblestone dragons are named for the rocky, rough texture of their scales. Their skeletons are cartilaginous, giving them incredible flexibility and affording them the ability to move swiftly through terrain and past obstacles. While their breath weapon does not create elemental force or gaseous exhalation, it produces either a mist or smoke, at their discretion, that absorbs sound. The one giveaway to their natural stealth tactics is their two sets of horns, which run from their temples and end in swirls. Cobblestone dragons are small in stature—the youngest among them are the size of small hounds, and the largest rival the mightiest bear, replete with sharp bone plating instead of teeth and clawed hands akin to a humanoid’s.

Cobblestone dragons make their home in large cities where the roads are developed and alleyways are plentiful. Small creatures in comparison to their larger cousins, cobblestone dragons like to wander the cities they call home, collecting rumors and whispers about anything and everyone they come across. With perfect recall, they take these words to others in their den and share them. These words and conversations mean nothing to them by and large, but the trading of words from one to another is their way of hoarding and sharing among themselves—words are their treasure.

Their natural capabilities aid them in this pursuit, such as shifting scales to blend in with streets, walls, or ceilings and skeletons that bend and twist to allow them access into places otherwise unreachable. Most helpful of all, their breath weapons encompass their steps, deadening the sound of their movements. The smallest of their kind slip into homes and public places, while the larger ones either stay in their hidden family dens or use their considerable abilities to hide in high-traffic places such as temples, markets, and castles.