Dragon, Dungeon

About

This dragon has a long serpentine neck, small wings, and glistening scales. Two small horns dominate its triangular head. Its body is gray in color, with scales tipped in flecks of gold and green. Its eyes are rounded and gray.

The dungeon dragon is a curious creature that gets amusement by watching other beings engaged in life and death struggles. To this end, a dungeon dragon sets up a labyrinthine lair, setting traps and populating it with monsters. Younger dungeon dragons tend to lair in natural caverns to ease the burden of construction. Older, more experienced dungeon dragons have been known to construct their own sprawling subterranean complexes, even to the point of hiring on dwarf work gangs and swearing them to secrecy.

Once the construction and refurbishing of its lair are complete, the dungeon dragon transforms itself into a humanoid and ventures into the surrounding countryside. There it spreads rumors and tales of this horrible catacomb in hopes of luring adventurers forth so it may watch them via its crystal ball. Young dungeon dragons often spend years living among humanoids, even to the point of joining adventurers involved in dungeon delves. On such adventures, the intrepid dungeon dragon takes notes regarding the devious traps and monsters it encounters so that it can add such things to its own lair.

Oddly enough, although a dungeon dragon goes to great pains to amass a treasure hoard, it cares little for material wealth. Rather, it uses the treasure it gathers as bait in its dungeon to lure in adventurers and provide it the entertainment it so greatly desires. Watching adventurers explore its catacomb is the only real treasure a dungeon dragon desires. The only material possession a dungeon dragon will risk its life to save is its crystal ball. Without this vital piece of equipment, all of the dragon’s labor is in vain.

A dungeon dragon in its natural form prefers to flee any combat. It likes to watch other creatures engaged in fights for life, not itself. If forced into melee, it swats at opponents with its powerful claws and bites. A dungeon dragon is proficient in the use of all simple and martial weapons and light and medium armor and shields.