620_17668_DraconomiconA.qxd 9/5/03 4:45 PM Page 37
Black Dragons by Size Size Tiny Small Medium Large Huge Gargantuan
Overall Length 4 ft. 8 ft. 16 ft. 31 ft. 55 ft. 85 ft.
Body Length 1 ft. 2-1/2 ft. 5 ft. 9 ft. 16 ft. 24 ft.
Neck Length 1 ft. 2 ft. 5 ft. 9 ft. 15 ft. 23 ft.
Tail Length 2 ft. 3-1/2 ft. 6 ft. 13 ft. 24 ft. 38 ft.
Maximum Wingspan 8 ft. 16 ft. 24 ft. 36 ft. 60 ft. 80 ft.
Minimum Wingspan 4 ft. 8 ft. 12 ft. 18 ft. 30 ft. 40 ft.
Weight 5 lb. 40 lb. 320 lb. 2,500 lb. 20,000 lb. 160,000 lb.
Black dragons dwelling in dungeons prefer dark, watery locations. Black Dragon Identifiers A black dragon has deep-socketed eyes and broad nasal openings that make its face look like a skull. It has segmented horns that curve forward and down, somewhat like a ram’s horns, but not as curly. These horns are bone-colored near their bases, but darken to dead black at the tips. As the dragon ages, the flesh around the horns and cheekbones deteriorates, as though eaten by acid, leaving only thin layers of hide covering the skull. This phenomenon is not harmful to the dragon, but enhances its skeletal appearance. Most of a black dragon’s teeth protrude when the mouth is closed, and big spikes stud the lower jaw. A pair of small horns jut from the chin, and a row of hornlets crown the head. The tongue is flat, with a forked tip, and the dragon often drools acidic slime.
ALL ABOUT DRAGONS
Black dragons are among the most evil-tempered true dragons. They prefer dismal swamps or bogs, the more stagnant and fetid the better, but can be encountered anywhere water and dense vegetation are found together— including jungles, rain forests, and moors. They have no natural enemies, though they attack and kill almost anything unfortunate enough to stumble upon them. Black dragons living in forest areas often encounter green dragons, but the two species usually manage to maintain an uneasy truce, so long as the black dragons stick to the watery areas. Black dragons make their lairs in large, damp caves or multichambered submerged caverns. They always dwell near water, and their lairs usually have a submerged entrance and a land entrance. Older black dragons hide both entrances to their lairs with plant growth.
Standing Height 1 ft. 2 ft. 4 ft. 7 ft. 12 ft. 16 ft.
CHAPTER 1:
BLACK DRAGONS
Body Width 1 ft. 2 ft. 3 ft. 5 ft. 8 ft. 10 ft.
Illus. by S. Wood
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