Dragon, Bregdi

Family: Dragons

Huge dragon, unaligned

Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 270 (20d12 + 140)
Speed 20 ft., swim 40 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
25 (+7)	16 (+3)	25 (+7)	2 (-4)	16 (+3)	7 (-2)

Skills Perception +8, Stealth +8
Damage Vulnerabilities slashing
Damage Immunities poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren’t cold steel
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 18
Languages
Proficiency Bonus +5
Challenge 14 (11,500 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Ambusher. In the first round of a combat, the bregdi has advantage on attack rolls against any target it surprised.
• Aversion of Amber. The bregdi has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks against any creature with 1 lb. or more of amber in its possession.
• Damage Transfer. While attached to a target, the bregdi takes only half the damage dealt to it (rounded down), and that target takes the other half.
• Hold Breath. While out of water, the bregdi can hold its breath for 1 hour.
• Underwater Camouflage. The bregdi has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made while underwater.
• Water Breathing. The bregdi can breathe only underwater.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The bregdi makes two Hook Claw attacks. If both attacks hit a Huge or smaller target, the target is grappled (escape DC 13), and the bregdi can use Crushing Embrace.
• Hook Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 23 (3d10 + 7) piercing damage.
• Crushing Embrace. The bregdi wraps its body around a Huge or smaller target grappled by it. While the bregdi is attached, the target is blinded and is unable to breathe. The target must succeed on a DC 20 Strength saving throw at the start of each of the bregdi’s turns or take 23 (3d10 + 7) bludgeoning damage. When the bregdi moves, any Medium or smaller target it is grappling moves with it. If something moves the target, the bregdi moves with it. The bregdi can detach itself by spending 5 feet of its movement. A creature, including the target, can use its action to try to detach the bregdi and force it to move into the nearest unoccupied space, doing so with a successful DC 20 Strength check. When the bregdi dies, it detaches from any target it is attached to.
• Reel Line. One Large or smaller creature holding a fishing line or rigging in the water that reaches the same space as the bregdi must make a DC 20 Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the target is pulled into an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the bregdi, and the bregdi makes a Hook Claw attack against it.

ABOUT

Standing at a height of around 20 feet and stretching over 40 feet in length, the bregdi’s sheer size allows it to dwarf most boats and vessels. Its body is streamlined and sleek, designed for swift movements through the water. Its back is adorned with a series of sharp, bony ridges that run from its head down to the tip of its long, lizard-like tail. It has no limbs, just bat-like wings, enabling the bregdi to propel itself through the water with impressive agility.

A bregdi is a malicious sea monster feared for its habit of chasing and attacking boats. Once it catches up to a vessel, it wraps its enormous fins around the gunwales, engulfing the boat in its deadly embrace before diving beneath the waves.

Despite their limited intelligence, some opportunistic bregdis have learned to exploit the presence of fishing lines. When a bregdi spots a fishing lure, it may gently grab it with its claw, imitating a fish caught on the line. Once a fisherman is “hooked” and starts reeling in, the bregdi plays along, simulating sluggish struggling motions and slowly approaching the shore. Upon reaching the land, the bregdi violently tugs on the lure, yanking its unsuspecting prey into the water.

Bregdis favor large bodies of water where they can find ample prey and conceal themselves. These malicious creatures are large enough to sink boats, posing a great danger to fishermen and sailors. While they can survive out of water for short periods, only the most desperate bregdis venture onto land to hunt.

Bregdis possess powerful jaws capable of inflicting severe damage, and their hook claws are used to grab and restrain prey. Their hunting tactics often involve ambushes and surprise attacks, utilizing their size and strength to overpower their victims.

Legends warn that encountering a bregdi requires the use of cold steel and the presence of amber beads as means of defense. Slashing at the creature’s fins can force it to release its grip on a boat, while the sight of an amber bead is enough to instill fear and cause the bregdi to retreat.