Smoke Dragon

This creature is a small, 3-foot long, dragon with a grayish underbelly and black scales. Its feet are tipped with smoke-gray talons and it has red-tinged wings and blue-gray eyes. Small under-curved horns protrude from its head and its serpentine tail writhes like a plume of smoke.

Smoke Dragon (CR 2)

Small Dragon (Air)
Alignment: Neutral
Initiative: +1
Senses: Dragon Senses; Perception +9

Speed: 15 feet, Fly 60 feet (good)
Space: 5 feet

Defense

Armor Class: 17, touch 12, flat-footed 16 (+1 Dex, +5 natural, +1 size)
Hit Points: 22 (3d12+3)
Saving Throws: Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +4
Immunity: paralysis, sleep
Spell Resistance: 10

Offense

Melee: bite +5 (1d6), 2 claws +5 (1d4)
Reach: 5 feet

Special Attacks: Breath Weapon (20 ft. cone, Fort DC 12, nauseated)

Spells Known (CL 7th; Concentration +12):

• 3rd (3/day) - Haste, Heroism
  
  
• 2nd (5/day) - Blur, Hypnotic Pattern (DC 17), Mirror Image
  
  
• 1st (7/day) - Comprehend Languages, Mage Armor, Protection From Evil, Shocking Grasp, Vanish
  
  
• 0 (at will) - Arcane Mark, Detect Magic, Light, Mage Hand, Prestidigitation, Read Magic, Resistance

Statistics

Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
11 (+0)	12 (+1)	13 (+1)	10 (+0)	12 (+1)	10 (+0)

Base Attack Bonus: +3
CMB +2
CMD 13 (17 vs. Trip)

Feats: Alertness, Weapon Finesse

Skills: Bluff +6, Escape Artist +4, Fly +13, Knowledge (nature) +6, Perception +9, Sense Motive +3, Stealth +11 (+15 in areas of smoke or fog)

• Racial Modifiers: +4 to Stealth in areas of smoke or fog

Languages: Common, Draconic

Special Qualities: smoke form

Special Abilities

Breath Weapon (Su)

A smoke dragon's breath weapon is a 20 ft. cone of thick, black smoke. Creatures caught in the smoke must succeed on a Fortitude save or be nauseated as they choke and cough. A creature that chokes for 3 or more consecutive rounds takes 1d6 points of nonlethal damage per 2 HD of the smoke dragon.

Smoke Form (Ex)

Once per day, a smoke dragon can assume a smoky form as a move action. It can spend up to 1 minute per day per HD in smoke form. This time does not have to be consecutive, but it must be spent in 1-minute increments. A smoke form dragon can fly at a speed of 60 feet (good maneuverability). The ability is otherwise similar to a gaseous form spell.

Ecology

Environment: Temperate Forests or Marshes
Organization: solitary or wing (2-5 plus 1d4 non-combatant hatchlings)
Treasure: standard


Smoke dragons lair in marshes, dense forests, or just about any area where thick fog is present (or can be present). They venture from their lair when the fog is the thickest, so most encounters occur in the morning. Lairs take the form of natural caves or caverns and are usually near a natural source of water. They eat just about anything but prefer a diet of fruits, plants, and berries. They also eat small animals such as mice and other rodents found slinking about near their lair. A smoke dragon's feeding grounds is generally small and most cover an area of less than 1 square mile.

Smoke dragons live in small groups and such a group always includes at least one mated pair. Hatchlings can assume smoke form for 1 minute per day but cannot fly. If eggs are present, the female guards them closely and will fight to the death protecting them. Eggs are round, mottled gray and black.

Smoke dragons are generally inoffensive creatures and keep to themselves. Only when threatened or if their lair is threatened do they attack. In such cases, a smoke dragon unleashes its breath weapon and then swoops in to attack with its claws and bite. If the smoke dragon is outnumbered or overwhelmed, it uses its smoke form to avoid its opponents and flee. Multiple smoke dragons gang up against foes, alternating their breath weapon and natural attacks with the other smoke dragons in the gang; i.e., one smoke dragon belches forth its breath weapon while the others swoop in and attack with their claws and bite.

Copyright Notice Author Scott Greene.