Sand Dragon, Wyrmling

Medium dragon, neutral evil

Armor Class 18 (natural armor)
Hit Points 52 (7d8 + 21)
Speed 30 ft., burrow 20 ft., fly 60 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
17 (+3)	12 (+1)	17 (+3)	11 (+0)	14 (+2)	12 (+1)

Saving Throws Dex +3, Con +5, Wis +4, Cha +3
Skills Nature +2, Perception +6, Stealth +3
Damage Resistances piercing
Damage Immunities fire
Condition Immunities blinded
Senses blindsight 10 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 16
Languages Draconic
Challenge 3 (700 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +2

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Sand Camouflage. The sand dragon has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in sandy terrain.
• Sandy Nature. The sand dragon is infused with elemental power, and it requires only half the amount of air, food, and drink that a typical dragon if its size needs.
• Stinging Sand. The first time the sand dragon hits a target with a melee weapon attack, the target must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or have disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks until the end of its next turn.

ACTIONS

• Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d10 + 3) piercing damage.
• Breath Weapon (Recharge 5–6). The sand dragon uses one of the following breath weapons:
  • Sand Blast. The dragon exhales superheated sand in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 11 (2d10) piercing damage and 11 (2d10) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
  • Blinding Sand. The dragon breathes fine sand in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or be blinded for 1 minute. A blinded creature can take an action to clear its eyes of sand, ending the effect for it.

ABOUT

Sand constantly sloughs from this brown dragon and twirls about in the air surrounding it. Falling sand reveals the creature’s desiccated form. Spikes of dried and caked sand jut from its body.

Overlords of dry and desolate domains, sand dragons enjoy the solitude of a harsh climate. They begrudgingly share territory with blue dragons and wasteland dragons, but these dragons often keep clear of each other.

Sometimes, they come together in alliances of convenience, though more often one of the dragons believes it can take the other’s territory by force.

Cantankerous Loners. A sand dragon’s desire for isolation and the scarcity of available food renders it an irritable host at best. A dragon’s first response upon noticing intruders rarely goes further than killing and eating them. Travelers who offer the dragon plenty of fresh meat stand a chance to pass through its domain unharmed. The sand dragon tolerates lesser creatures that inhabit the same land, such as sandwyrms, provided they don’t compete for resources. It may bully these creatures to hunt on its behalf.

Sand Sculptors. Sand dragons express themselves through the medium of sand or similar materials in their lairs. Spiraling towers erupt from the ground, reaching dozens of feet in height and seeming on the verge of collapse. In the rare instances where the dragons decide to attack settlements, they commit the location to memory and duplicate the buildings as sand sculptures to near perfection. They often etch screaming faces in the walls of the buildings to commemorate the terror they unleashed during their attacks. Sand dragons also use sand to encase the remains of those who dared attack the dragons in their lairs, molding the sand to match the likenesses of the creatures when they were alive.

Guardians of Lost Empires. When tons of sand, silt, and other debris cover up the remains of forgotten kingdoms, they may slumber undisturbed for centuries. Bored or curious sand dragons sometimes discover the ruins of these little-remembered empires and loot their ancient treasures and magic items. The dragons guard these locations closely, not wishing to encourage treasure hunting mercenaries to invade their lairs.