Dragon Turtle

Dragon turtles are among the most fearsome creatures of the oceans. As large and voracious as the oldest of its land-based dragon kin, a dragon turtle strikes with its deadly jaws, steaming breath, and crushing tail.
A dragon turtle's rough shell is the same dark green color as the deep water where this monster dwells. Silver highlights lining the shell resemble light dancing on open water, and a surfacing dragon turtle is sometimes mistaken for the reflection of the sun or moon on the waves.

Dragons of the Deep.

Like true dragons, dragon turtles collect treasure, first by sinking ships and then by sifting through the wreckage for coins and other precious items. A dragon turtle swallows treasure for transport, then regurgitates it when it reaches its lair. Dragon turtles dwell in caves hidden in coral reefs or beneath the seafloor, or along rugged stretches of coastline. If a choice cave is already inhabited, a dragon turtle attacks its current residents in an attempt to take over.

Mercenary Monsters.

A dragon turtle is smart enough to be bribed, and pirates sailing seas patrolled by these creatures quickly learn to offer them treasure in exchange for safe passage. Clever sahuagin sometimes ally with dragon turtles, enticing them with treasure to use their blistering breath weapons in sahuagin raids against ships and coastal settlements.

Elemental Might.

Dragon turtles sometimes find their way through sunken planar rifts to the Elemental Plane of Water. Those monstrous specimens can often be found in the service of marids, which strap magnificent coral thrones to the backs of dragon turtles and ride them as mounts.

Basic Information

Biological Traits

Dragon turtles were distantly related to dragons and had dragon blood. They appeared as huge turtle-like creatures with a long tail and neck with large, taloned flippers. Their heads had a golden crest down the center.

Scales

The scales of a dragon turtle were generally smooth, but overtime becoming more coarse until finally being molted. By that time the scales had lost much of their durability.

Shell

The shell of a dragon turtle measured between 15 to 25 feet (4.6 to 7.6 meters) in diameter and was strong enough to leave it almost impossible to harm. The shells were streamlined with jagged protrusions. The shell was often a shade of deep green, similar to the color of the ocean, with silver highlights running along the raised areas. This meant that a surfacing dragon turtle was often mistaken for light reflecting on the water.
Due to the shell's immense strength, shields made from dragon turtle shells were exceptionally tough and had resistance to heat or steam attacks. Their shells were also valued for use as book covers, jewelry, spell components, furniture, or as a building material.

Ecology and Habitats

Temperate
Sea, ocean

Dietary Needs and Habits

Dragon turtles were carnivorous and would eat almost anything in order to satisfy their appetite, even other dragon turtles. If food was in particularly short supply, dragon turtles were known to hunt sea birds using their steam breath attack.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

High quality dragon turtle scales, those which had not been naturally molted, were highly valued for the production of armor that was both durable and flexible.

Civilization and Culture

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Dragon turtles generally spoke Aquan, Draconic, and sometimes Common.

Average Weight

8,000‒32,000 lb (3,600‒15,000 kg)

Average Length

20‒30 ft (6.1‒9.1 m)

Geographic Distribution

• Sea of Fallen Stars