Silver Dragon
Silver_dragon_anatomy_-_Richard_Sardinha.jpg

Personality

Silver dragons enjoy the company of humanoids and often take the form of kindly old men or fair damsels. They cheerfully assist good creatures in genuine need, but usually avoid interfering with other creatures until their assistance is requested or until inaction would allow something evil to come to pass. They hate injustice and cruelty, though they concern themselves less with punishing or rooting out evildoers than with protecting the innocent and healing their hurts.

Though they can be found nearly anywhere, silver dragons love high mountains and vast, open skies with billowing clouds. They enjoy flying and sometimes soar for hours just for the pleasure of it.

Silver and red dragons often come into conflict. This is only partly because they lair in similar territories. Silver dragons despise red dragons for their love of carnage and penchant for destruction. Duels between the two varieties are furious and deadly, but silver dragons generally get the upper hand, usually by working together against their foes, and often by accepting assistance from nondragons.

Silver dragons prefer aerial lairs on secluded mountain peaks or amid the clouds themselves. A cloud lair always has an enchanted area with a solid floor for laying eggs and storing treasure.

Silver dragons often dwell in towns or in dungeons. When doing so, they typically take a humanoid form and blend in with the rest of the population. They always situate themselves near one or more open areas where they have space to assume their true forms when necessary.

Description

A silver dragon in its true form can be recognized by the smooth, shiny plate that forms its face. The dragon also has a frill that rises high over its head and continues down the neck and back to the tip of the tail. A silver dragon has the tallest frill of any metallic or chromatic dragon. Long spines with dark tips support the frill. The dragon also has ear frills with similar spines. It has two smooth, shiny horns, also with dark tips.

A silver dragon has a beaklike nose and a strong chin with a dangling frill that some observers say looks like a goatee. It has a pointed tongue.

A silver wyrmling’s scales are blue-gray with silver highlights. As the dragon approaches adulthood, its color slowly brightens until the individual scales are scarcely visible. From a distance, these dragons look as if they have been sculpted from pure metal. As a silver dragon grows older, its pupils fade until in the oldest the eyes resemble orbs of mercury. A silver dragon carries the scent of rain about it.

When viewed from below, a flying silver dragon shows a remarkably similar profile to a red dragon. It has long wings that are broadest along the trailing edge. The wing membrane attaches to the dragon’s body behind the rear legs and well down the tail, and the head has clearly visible horns. The wings also show darker markings along the trailing edges, just as a red dragon’s do. Fortunately, a silver dragon has one minor feature that sets it apart from a red dragon: The outer alar phalange forms a second “thumb” at the leading edge of the each wing. Viewers unable to discern the dragon’s color would do well to look for this vital detail.

Habits

A silver dragon often assumes a humanoid from, usually appearing as a kindly old human or a comely young elf, and spends most of its time in that form. Silver dragons do so to more readily associate with humanoids.

Some scholars maintain that silver dragons prefer the company of humans or elves to that of other silver dragons. As with most things draconic, the truth is more complex than that. Silver dragons believe themselves to be superior to most other beings, just as other kinds of dragons do. Unlike other dragons, however, silvers believe that being a dragon imposes some limitations. Many of these are practical in nature, such as their massive size and the huge living space requirements that go along with it.

What concerns silver dragons the most, however, is the draconic sense of time. They’re happy to live more than 2,000 years, but they constantly fight their tendency to reflect on things and let opportunities pass them by. They understand that short-lived races such as humans must seize every opportunity that comes their way, which gives them a drive toward accomplishment that most dragons lack. Silver dragons seek to couple their own long perspective on the world with humanity’s dynamism. It’s a lesson silver dragons believe other dragons would do well to learn.

Though lawful and good, silver dragons have no great love for hierarchies and formal authority. They believe that living a moral life involves doing good deeds and taking no actions that bring undeserved harm to other beings. Actions that cause no harm are not their business. Silver dragons are hardly pacifists, however, and they are quick to battle other beings who would do evil or harm the innocent. They usually do not take it upon themselves to root out evil, as gold and bronze dragons tend to do. Silver dragons find that, in time, evil tends to make itself felt almost everywhere, and they seek to stamp it out whenever it appears in their vicinity. Should they discover widespread evil looming over the land, however, they are both willing and able to locate its source and tackle it there.

Silver dragons form loosely knit family units or clans with a matriarch or patriarch (called the “senior”) presiding. The senior gives advice, settles disputes, and coordinates any actions the clan might take as a group. A clan of silver dragons can be spread over an entire continent, with the individual dragons in it establishing their own lairs and otherwise going about their business. Individual silver dragons might go for decades without associating directly with other clan members, but the clan takes care of its own and is always available to provide support or advice.

A silver dragon living among nondragons often develops strong attachments to its nondragon companions. When such a companion earns the dragon’s trust, the dragon maintains the relationship for as long as the companion lives, and may pick up the relationship with the companion’s descendants. A silver dragon always eventually reveals its true nature to a trusted companion. This honesty relieves any pangs of conscience the dragon may have about deceiving its companions. It also prevents any awkwardness that may develop if the dragon has to ask some special favor of a companion, such as taking care of the dragon’s abode while it embarks on some venture that might take decades to complete.

Courtship and mating among silver dragons is always a civilized and decorous affair. They always seek mates outside their own clan—mating within the clan is a serious taboo. Either sex can initiate courtship. When two silver dragons agree to be mates, they seek the approval of the seniors from both clans. The approval is largely ceremonial, and is rarely withheld (never without good reason). Many silver dragons mate for life, but not all do so. Once a courtship is completed, one of the pair leaves its clan and joins the mate’s clan. Usually, the younger dragon or the dragon of lower status is the one to change clans, but this is not always so.

Silver dragons are dedicated omnivores and always seek a variety of foods. Many prefer human fare and exist on it exclusively for years without suffering any ill effects. Though many silver dragons have favorite dishes, they seldom pass up the chance to try something new.

Silver dragons prefer portable treasure that they can keep with them while living among humanoids. They especially prize items that show exceptional workmanship, everything from carefully cut gems to intricate carvings to textiles and jewelry.

Silver dragons are nonviolent and avoid combat except when faced with evil or aggressive foes. Often they remain in their assumed forms and attempt to quickly end battles using their spells and magical abilities. When fighting in their true forms, they prefer to remain airborne, and they use any clouds in the area to conceal themselves and to take advantage of their cloudwalking ability. No matter who or how they are fighting, silver dragons usually seek to eliminate the leader or the most aggressive foe first, in hopes of persuading the survivors to surrender or retreat.

Game Rule Information

Alignment: Lawful good.
Hit Die: d12.
Base attack bonus equal to total Hit Dice (as fighter).
Good Fortitude, Reflex, and Will saves.
+1 natural armor bonus per Racial Hit Dice, excluding first.

Class Skills
A dragon's class skills include Concentration (Con), Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (any) (Int), Perception (Cha), Sense Motive (Cha), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier) × 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Dragons have a +2 competence bonus to the Appraise checks (or Intelligence checks made to appraise an item) (Drc pg 28)

Racial Features

All of the following are racial features for true dragons.

Combat

Natural Weapons And Iterative Attacks Read Here

Size Space / Reach 1 Bite (1.0*Str) 2 Claws (0.5*str) 2 Wings (0.5*str) 1 Tail Slap (1.5*str) 1 Crush (1.5*str) 1 Tail Sweep (1.5*str)
Tiny 2.5' / 0' (5' w/ bite) 1d4 1d3
Small 5' / 5' 1d6 1d4
Medium 5' / 5' 1d8 1d6 1d4
Large 10 ' / 5' (10' with bite) 2d6 1d8 1d6 1d8
Huge 15' / 10' (15' with bite) 2d8 2d6 1d8 1s6 2d8
Gargantuan 20' / 15' (20' with bite) 4d6 2d8 2d6 2d8 4d6 2d6
Colossal 30' / 20' (30' with bite) 4d8 4d6 2d8 4d6 4d8 2d8

1. A dragon’s bite attack has reach as if the creature were one size category larger. All other attacks are made with the standard reach for the dragon’s size.

Breath Weapon (Su)

Using a breath weapon is a standard action. Once a dragon breathes, it can't breathe again until 1d4 rounds later. If a dragon has more than one type of breath weapon, it still can breathe only once every 1d4 rounds. A blast from a breath weapon always starts at any intersection adjacent to the dragon and extends in a direction of the dragon's choice, with an area as noted on the table below. If the breath weapon deals damage, creatures caught in the area can attempt Reflex saves to take half damage. Saves against nondamaging breath weapons use the same DC; the kind of saving throw is noted in the variety descriptions. The save DC against a breath weapon is DC 10 + ½ dragon’s HD + dragon’s Con modifier.

Breath weapons come in two basic shapes, line and cone, whose areas vary with the dragon's size.

Dragon Breath Weapons

Dragon Size Line* (Length) Cone** (Length)
Tiny 30 ft. 15 ft.
Small 40 ft. 20 ft.
Medium 60 ft. 30 ft.
Large 80 ft. 40 ft.
Huge 100 ft. 50 ft.
Gargantuan 120 ft. 60 ft.
Colossal 140 ft. 70 ft.

*A line is always 5 feet high and 5 feet wide.
**A cone is as high and wide as its length.

Frightful Presence (Ex)

At a certain age dragons can unsettle foes with its mere presence. The ability takes effect automatically whenever the dragon attacks, charges, or flies overhead. Creatures within a radius of 30 feet × the dragon’s age category are subject to the effect if they have fewer HD than the dragon. A potentially affected creature that succeeds on a Will save (DC 10 + ½ dragon’s HD + dragon’s Cha modifier) remains immune to that dragon’s frightful presence for 24 hours. On a failure, creatures with 4 or less HD become panicked for 4d6 rounds and those with 5 or more HD become shaken for 4d6 rounds. Dragons ignore the frightful presence of other dragons.

Spells

A dragon knows and casts arcane spells as a sorcerer of the level indicated in its variety description, gaining bonus spells for a high Charisma score. Some dragons can also cast spells from the cleric list or cleric domain lists as arcane spells. Additionally, creatures with innate spellcasting abilities, such as dragons, do not require material components to cast their spells. If a spell has a focus, however, a dragon or other innate spellcaster must have the focus on its person. (Drc pg 24)

Spell-Like Abilities

A dragon’s spell-like abilities depend on its age and variety. It gains the abilities indicated for its age plus all previous ones. Its age category or its sorcerer caster level, whichever is higher, is the caster level for these abilities. The save DC is 10 + dragon’s Cha modifier + spell level.

Damage Reduction

Some dragons have damage reduction. Their natural weapons are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Immunities (Ex)

All dragons have immunity to sleep and paralysis effects. Each variety of dragon has immunity to one or two additional forms of attack no matter what its age, as given in its description.

Spell Resistance (Ex)

As dragons age, they become more resistant to spells and spell-like abilities, as indicated in the variety descriptions.

Blindsense (Ex)

Dragons can pinpoint creatures within a distance of 60 feet. Opponents the dragon can’t actually see still have total concealment against the dragon.

Keen Senses (Ex)

A dragon sees four times as well as a human in shadowy illumination and twice as well in normal light. It also has darkvision out to 120 feet.

Dragon Overland Movement

Chromatic and metallic dragons are exceedingly strong flyers and can cover vast distances quickly.
Dragons do not tire as quickly as other creatures when moving overland on the ground. If a dragon attempts a hustle or a forced march, check for nonlethal damage once every 2 hours instead of every hour.

Silver Dragon specific features

Breath Weapon (Su)

A silver dragon has two types of breath weapon, a cone of cold and a cone of paralyzing gas. Creatures within the cone must succeed on a Fortitude save or be paralyzed for 1d6 rounds plus 1 round per age category of the dragon.

Alternate Form (Su)

A silver dragon can assume any animal or humanoid form as a standard action three times per day. This ability functions as a a polymorph spell cast on itself at its caster level, except that the dragon does not regain hit points for changing form and can only assume form of an animal or humanoid. The dragon can remain in its animal or humanoid form until it chooses to assume a new one or return to its natural form.

Cloudwalking (Su)

A silver dragon can tread on clouds or fog as though on solid ground. The ability functions continuously but can be negated or resumed at will.

Fogvision (Ex)

A Wyrmling or older silver dragon can see perfectly well in fog, smoke, clouds, rain, sleet, snow, and similar weather conditions.

Graceful Flight (Ex)

A silver dragon's aerial maneuverability is one step better than normal.

Spell-like Abilities
Feather Fall (Hatchling), Fog Cloud (Wyrmling), Control Winds (Very Young), Control Weather (Young), Reverse Gravity (Juvenile), Storm of Elemental Fury (Young adult), *Stormrage (Mature adult), Whirlwind, Greater (Very Old), Summon Elemental Monolith (Air) (Wyrm)

*Stormrage: Increase existing flightspeed by 40 and increase manueverability to perfect for the duration of the effect. (This replaces the spell effect's granted flightspeed at perfect manueverability).

Usable, collectively, (Charisma modifier + age category) times per day (per house rule).

Skills

Bluff, Disguise, and Acrobatics, are considered class skills for silver dragons.

Silver dragons have a +4 racial bonus to Bluff and Disguise checks due to their knack for interacting with and infiltrating humanoid society.

HD Age (Size) Special abilities Caster level(1) Breath weapon SR Ability modifier
1 Hatchling (S) Acid & Cold immunity, dragon traits, Cloudwalking, Alternate Form, Graceful Flight, Feather Fall, Vulnerability to Fire 1 2d8 cold / paralyze gas (20' cone / 20' cone)
7 Wyrmling Fog Vision, Fog Cloud 3 2 str/con, 4 int/wis/cha
10 Very young (M) DR 5/magic, Control Winds, Frightful presence 5 4d8 (30' / 30') 20 2 str/con
13 Young Control Weather 7 6d8 22 2 str/int/wis/cha
16 Juvenile (L) DR 10/magic, Reverse Gravity 9 8d8 (40' / 40') 24 2 str/con/int/wis/cha
19 Young adult Storm of Elemental Fury 11 10d8 26 4 str, 2 con
22 Adult (H) DR 15/magic 13 12d8 (50' / 50') 28 4 str, 2 con/int/wis/cha
25 Mature adult Stormrage 15 14d8 30 2 str
28 Old DR 20/magic 17 16d8 32 2 str/con/int/wis/cha
31 Very old Whirlwind, Greater 19 18d8 34 2 str/int/wis/cha
34 Ancient (G) DR 25/magic 21 20d8 (60' / 60') 36 2 str/con/int/wis/cha
37 Wyrm Summon Elemental Monolith (Air) 23 22d8 38 4 str/con, 2 int/wis/cha
40 Great wyrm (C) DR 30/magic 25 24d8 (70' / 70') 40 4 str, 2 con/int/wis/cha

(1) Can also cast cleric spells and those from the Air, Good, Law, and Sun domains as arcane spells.

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