Drake, Coral

Family: Drake

Medium dragon, neutral evil

Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 178 (21d8+84)
Speed 30 ft., swim 60 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
19 (+4)	15 (+2)	18 (+4)	10 (+0)	13 (+1)	10 (+0)

Saving Throws Con +7, Dex +5, Str +7
Damage Resistances cold
Skills Athletics +7, Perception +4, Stealth +5
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Aquan, Common, Draconic
Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Innate Spellcasting. The drake’s spell casting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 12). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
  • 3/day each: blur
• Water Breathing. The drake can only breathe underwater.

BONUS ACTIONS

• Speed Surge (3/day). A drake can draw on its draconic heritage for a boost of strength and speed that allows it to double its movement speeds that round.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The drake makes one bite attack, one sting attack, and two claw attacks.
• Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, 5 ft. reach, one target. Hit: 15 (2d10 + 4) piercing damage.
• Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, 5 ft. reach, one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) slashing damage.
• Sting. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, 5 ft. reach, one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw, taking 14 (4d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
• Breath Weapon (Recharge 5-6). Coral drakes nurture their offspring in specialized throat sacs. They can pressurize these sacks to spew forth a 15-ft. cone of its spawn. Any creatures in this area must succeed a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or take 27 (6d8) piercing damage from thousands of tiny bites, or half as much damage on a successful one. In addition, all creatures in the area must succeed a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be stunned for 1 round.

ABOUT

Like a piece of moving coral, this drake’s coloration and scale patterns change to match nearby anemones, corals, seaweed, and urchins. This adaptation allows the creature considerable stealth in its natural habitat. It avoids combat if it can, preferring to hide and protect its young. Long serrated spines stretch from the coral drake’s body, waving in brilliant colors against a blue sea. The creature’s long snout stretches out from its narrow face and an array of spikes and slender protrusions form a jagged crown. Inside the mouth, serrated teeth form multiple ringed ridges where its young feed on leftover scraps of food and small parasites. Needle-thin talons spring from finned appendages, and a stinger frilled with tiny barbs curves at the end of its slender tail. A coral drake measures 7 ft. from the tip of its snout to its barbed stinging tail. Thin and agile, the beast weighs less than 100 lbs.

Egg Warders. Both male and female coral drakes gestate their delicate eggs inside sacks within their mouths and throats. This oral incubation protects the vulnerable eggs, but even still, only a handful of these creatures ever reach maturity since their parents use the ravenous spawn for defense when faced with dangerous enemies. Coral drakes live in warm waters near great coral reefs. Many of these creatures hollow out small lairs in these reefs and protect their meager hoards with the aid of the area’s natural inhabitants.

Taking advantage of its natural immunity to poison, coral drakes often choose lairs nestled in forests of poisonous urchins, stinging anemones, and toxic corals.