Dragon, Mock

Huge beast, unaligned

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
20 (+5)	13 (+1)	17 (+3)	2 (-4)	11 (+0)	10 (+0)

Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 57 (6d12 + 18)
Speed 40 ft., swim 20 ft.
Saving Throws Strength +7, Dexterity +3
Skills Athletics +7, Perception +2
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages –
Challenge 3 (700 XP)

Special Traits

• Flying Leap. As part of its movement, the mock dragon may leap up to 25 feet, passing through (or over) spaces occupied by Large or smaller creatures. This portion of its movement does not provoke opportunity attacks from Medium or smaller creatures.
• Reptilian Reflexes. The mock dragon has advantage on initiative rolls, unless surprised.

Actions

• Multiattack. The mock dragon makes one bite attack and two claw attacks, or one tail-sweep and one bite.
• Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) piercing damage. A Tiny or Small target must succeed at a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or become grappled (escape DC 14) and restrained. Until the target escapes subsequent bite attacks against that target hit automatically.
• Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 5) slashing damage. The mock dragon cannot make claw attacks if it is grappling a target.
• Tail-sweep. The mock dragon sweeps its tail in a 10-foot cone. Each affected creature must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or take 7 (2d6) damage and be knocked prone.
• Venom Breath (Recharge 6). The mock dragon breathes out a toxic mist in a 15-foot cone. Those in the cloud take 7 (3d4) poison damage and are blinded for 1 minute. A successful DC 15 Constitution saving throw halves the damage and negates the blinded condition, and those who fail can continue to make saving throws at the end of each of their turns, ending the blindness on a success.

Tactics

The reptilian-brained mock dragon attacks out of hunger, not malice, and will show a preference for more easily swallowed prey. In combat it first uses its venom breath, and then uses its flying leap to attack small targets. It will often use its tail-sweep against multiple (or particularly irksome) opponents, and then whirl around to bite a prone enemy.

The great reptilian beast is easily over a dozen feet of bulging muscle, not including its whip-like tail. Its emerald scales glitter like gems in the noonday sun as it stretches regally, ruffling its fanlike wings to shake away the dust, and slowly blinking its malignant yellow eyes.

All Part of the Plan. Mock dragons appeared and proliferated not long after the Titanswar ended, when allies of the losers – especially dragons – were hunted by the victors, and anything vaguely dragonlike would attract inconvenient mobs of aspiring dragon-slayers.

Given the timing, as well as the cunning and resourcefulness of real dragons, it would be easy to conclude that mock dragons are a clever ruse, twisted through dark magic from naturally occurring giant lizards. If so, the scheme worked: as more and more “dragon” sightings turned out to be of these more mundane (and notably hoard-less) lizards, the fervor for dragonhunting has faded. Some folks have even begun to believe that real dragons never existed in the first place, although the origin of that rumor is unknown.

Lesser Dragons. Despite its appearance, the mock dragon is a weak imitation of the real thing: its “wings” do little more than give feeble assistance to its great leaps, instead of breathing fire it merely coughs out a cloud of noxious miasma, and it seems unwilling or unable to answer even the simplest of riddles. That said, it is ever-alert, savage in combat, and has an arsenal of attacks and tricks.