Sand Dragon

Natural Habitat

Anywhere (prefers Deserts and Arid Wastes)

Frequency

Very Rare

Number

1

Description

Sand dragons are buff coloured with scales that thin to wickedly sharp, transparent, curved edges. They are slightly smaller than other dragons, being six hex creatures.

Comments

Sand dragons are vindictive and impetuous as a desert storm. They are as duplicitous as a mirage, and can never be trusted unless some kind of hold can be established over them.

Abilities

General abilities for dragons, as noted above. They are often Adepts of the College of Air or Earth magics. Their General Knowledge magic will be around Rank 15, Special Knowledge, about Rank 10. On rare occasions, more masterful Adepts may be encountered who will know both Colleges, and all magic will be Rank 15 or higher.

Their scales deflect 12 point of physical damage, provide 6 points of armour against damage to Endurance and 10 points of spell armour. Aside from this, they may shift damage around their body, to some degree. Each of their hexes is damaged discretely, and if at the beginning of a Pulse, they are not dead, then the least damage, only, is applied. The hexes are Head, Left Forequarter (includes the wing), Right Forequarter (includes the wing), Left Rear leg, Right Rear leg, Tail. At the beginning of each Pulse, the hex that has taken the least damage is consulted and this is applied. If a hex has taken no damage, then none is taken. A Specific Grievous Injury is only applied on the hex if it is legal. In other words, a wound to the hip can not be applied unless the damage is inflicted in one of the rear leg hexes. In the case of the wings, Specific Grievous Injuries to the leg, foot, arm or hand may be applied at the DM's discretion. The special damage of a Specific Grievous Injury may not be shed, although the damage to EN or FT may be.

When a sand dragon launches into the air, or upon landing, they may raise a sand storm which will be as wide as its wingspan (15 hexes, usually). The storm will extend 10 hexes behind them on take off, or 10 hexes before them if landing. Anyone caught in the area of effect must roll roll under 2 x their MD or be blinded. A D10 is rolled if the result is 1 - 4, then the duration of the blindess effect is for 1 Pulse. If 5 - 7 is rolled, then it is 2 Pulses, if 8 or 9 is rolled, the duration is 3 Pulses, and if 10, 4 Pulses.

Although they have the usual movement rate in the air, sand dragons are not amongst the best flyers. They can never climb more than a couple of hundred feet above the ground, and have an absolute flight ceiling of 1,000 ft above sea level.

By spending 10 FT and a Free Act, they may assume a form similar to that caused by the spell, Wind Walking. This doubles their TMR while running or stone running. They may make the transformation without cost if they are in the area of effect of a Windstorm, the target of a Whirlwind Vortex or similar magics.

Movement Rates

Flying: 750;Running: 250:Stone Running: 250: Burrowing: 150:

PS:	250-300	MD:	20-25	AG:	18-22	MA:	25-30	EN:	10-60	FT:	110-140
WP:	30-35	PC:	21-30	PB:	2-4	TMR:	17/6	NA:	Top scales absorb 12 DP

Weapons

At Range, a sand dragon may use its transfixing gaze or fear.

They may breathe a flesh-stripping cone of wind-borne sand which extends 60 ft from their maw, spreading to 20 ft wide at maximum range. Any creature of flesh caught in the volume must resist or be sand-blasted to death. If they successfully resist, they take D+15 damage.

It may attack up to four opponents on its flank who are within 7 hexes by slashing its wing at them. This attack can deliver C Class Specific Grievous Injuries.

In Melee, a sand dragon can attack with two claws, a bite and a tail swipe without penalty. In Close, a dragon may roll on all opponents in its hexes.

A sand dragon gains the Penetration ability with natural attacks that inflict A or B Class injuries. Penetration inflicts no damage, instead, only reducing the Protection value of armour. The dragon gains 1 point of Penetration for every D10 of damage rolled. This means that if the attack generates 2 D10 damage, it also inflicts 2 points of Penetration. In the event where rollup D10 are generated, these also add to Penetration.

The head is 8 feet long and 4 feet wide. If the dragon rolls 15% of its modified Strike Chance when it bites an opponent who is less than 5 ft tall, then they are swallowed. Each round they are swallowed, they add 1 to their die rolls, doubling each Pulse, and reduce their damage by 1 D10 per Pulse, then 1 point per Pulse when they have no dice left.

If a sand dragon occupies more than twice as many hexes as their opponent, and their PS is 100 or more greater, then they may tear limbs and heads off instead of inflicting damage. This requires the use of two of their normal attacks.

Breath: BC auto, [Special], Ranged, Melee & Close.

Bite: BC 70%, [4 rollup D10], Melee & Close, B Class Rank 10.

Claw: BC 50%, [3 rollup D10], Melee & Close, B Class Rank 10.

Wing: BC 50%, [3D + 12], Extended & Melee, C Class Rank 8.

Tail: BC 60%, [2D + 2], Melee Rear, C Class, Trip, Rank 8.

Roll: BC 80%, [D + 14], Close, C Class, Rank 8.