Reef Drake

Family: Drake

Huge dragon, neutral evil

Armor Class 18 (natural armor)
Hit Points 152 (16d12 + 48)
Speed 30 ft., burrow 30 ft., swim 60 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
25 (+7)	14 (+2)	17 (+3)	7 (–2)	15 (+2)	13 (+1)

Saving Throws Dex +6, Wis +6, Cha +5
Skills Stealth +6
Damage Resistances thunder
Senses blindsight 10 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages Draconic
Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +4

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Siege Monster. The reef drake deals double damage to objects and structures.
• Tunneler. The drake can burrow through coral and solid rock at half its burrowing speed and leaves a 10-foot-diameter tunnel in its wake.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The drake makes one Bite attack and two Slam attacks.
• Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 26 (3d12 + 7) slashing damage.
• Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (3d6 + 7) bludgeoning damage.
• Concussive Snap (Recharge 5–6). The reef drake snaps its jaws, emitting concussive force in a 90-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, a creature takes 35 (10d6) thunder damage, is pushed up to 15 feet away from the drake, and stops holding its breath, if was doing so. On a success, a creature takes half as much damage, isn’t pushed, and doesn’t lose its held breath. Constructs and objects and structures have disadvantage on the saving throw.

BONUS ACTIONS

• Reef Stealth. If the reef drake is within 10 feet of a coral reef, it can take the Hide action.
• Siege Follow-Through. If a reef drake destroys an object or structure, it can make a bite attack against a creature it can see within 5 feet of that object or structure.

ABOUT

An enormous, scaled wyrm bursts from the reef in a flurry of bubbles and jagged rock. Its snout sports an enormous pair of scissor-like mandibles.

Reef drakes live in coral reefs and submerged cave systems.

Long centuries under the sea have seen their forms flatten and their limbs shrivel, leaving a drake that resembles a centipede more than its terrestrial kin. This odd shape is uniquely suited to the drake’s preferred terrain, allowing it to carve out and hide in narrow tunnels and choose its prey unseen.

Amiable and Ravenous. Reef drakes are, like many of their terrestrial cousins, intelligent creatures fully capable of conversing with others. Often, they will hold long conversations in Draconic with aquatic humanoids, coming off as jovial, amiable, and casual right up until the moment they bite their conversational partner in half. While pleasant creatures to talk to, reef drakes are far more interested in sating their hunger or testing their might than they are even the most pleasant conversation, and they socialize only briefly—even with other reef drakes—preferring their solitude and ambush-tunnels.

Jaws of Death. Reef drakes are ambush predators. They memorize shipping lanes and the migration patterns of large fish, nestle into a hiding spot along those routes, and wait for days, weeks, or even months. They strike when they spot their quarry, devouring their prey or shattering ship keels to get at the prey inside. When confronted with a quarry that fights back, a reef drake drags the fight into a coral reef, where it can hide among the rocks and ambush its foes again and again. On rare occasions, a reef drake takes great personal offense at a port in its territory or a ship that has escaped its attacks and attacks a settlement. The drake’s concussive snap can collapse buildings and shatter ships in dock, but these chaotic attacks can be dangerous for the drake. While in a settlement, the drake has no places to hide and may find it difficult to retreat.