Styx Dragon

young 13–14 HD; juvenile 16–17 HD; young adult 19–20 HD; adult 22–23 HD; mature adult 25–26 HD; old 28–29 HD; very old 31–32 HD; ancient 34–35 HD; wyrm 37–38 HD; great wyrm 40+ HD Level Adjustment: Wyrmling +4; very young +4; young +5; others —

Native to the Infernal Battlefield of Acheron, rust dragons are creatures of tarnished metal, embodying forces of decay and corruption. Some Material Plane sages posit some connection between these fiendish monstrosities and the relatively innocuous rust monster, but the rational mind correctly sees these claims as the ravings of deranged lunatics.

Rust dragons bear a strong resemblance to the metallic dragons of the Material Plane, but appear covered in rust, tarnish, or verdigris. Though some rust dragons resemble copper dragons and others silver or brass, individual rust dragons’ abilities do not differ. Their scales appear pitted and lined with corrosive color, and the membranes of their wings are very thin and iridescent.

On their native plane of Acheron, rust dragons have an ample food supply in the endless iron cubes the size of continents floating in the void. When drawn to the Material Plane, rust dragons seek out veins of metal in underground caverns, making them particularly loathed by miners. Rust dragons feed on corroded metal, but enjoy fresh meat (particularly vermin) to cleanse the palate between ores.

Combat

Rust dragons are not the furious forces of nature that pyroclastic dragons are, nor are they violently insane like howling dragons. Rather, they are simply hungry, and they attack carefully with their goal clearly fixed in mind. They do not tolerate too much interference in pursuit of that goal, and readily break off from combat if a meal proves to be more trouble than it’s worth.

Young and older rust dragons’ natural weapons are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Breath Weapon (Su): A rust dragon has two breath weapons: a line of acid or a cone of reddish-brown liquid that instantly corrodes and destroys any metal it touches.

Attended and magical metals receive Reflex saves to avoid this effect, but any metal is susceptible: iron, steel, silver, gold, even mithral and adamantine.

Metal Resistance (Ex): A rust dragon is resistant to attacks from metal weapons. Against weapons whose damage-dealing part is metal (a blade, metal point, arrowhead, or even mace head), a rust dragon has damage reduction equal to what a rust dragon two age categories older than itself has. Wyrm and great wyrm rust dragons have damage reduction 20/magic and 10/chaotic against metal weapons, and lesser weapons corrode when used against them (see Rusting Scales, below).

Rusting Bite (Ex): A rust dragon that makes a successful bite attack causes metal armor worn by the target creature to corrode, falling to pieces and becoming useless immediately. A dragon can also use its bite attack to target a weapon or other metal object, of course. The size of the object is immaterial— a full suit of armor rusts away as quickly as a sword. Magic metal items are allowed Reflex saves against a DC equal to the dragon’sbreath weapon save DC. Rusting Scales (Ex): A metal weapon with less than a +5 enhancement bonus that hits a wyrm or great wyrm rust dragon corrodes and is destroyed immediately, with no saving throw. A +5 weapon deals damage normally, but then must succeed on a Reflex save (DC equal to the dragon’s breath weapon save DC) or rust away.

Spell-Like Abilities: 3/day—wall of iron; 1/day—acid fog, repel metal or stone.

Rust dragon

STYX DRAGON

Dragon (Aquatic, Extraplanar) Environment: Any Lower Plane Organization: Solitary (1 dragon, any age), clutch (1d4+1 wyrmlings, very young, young, or juveniles or young adults), family (pair of mature adults and 1d4+1 offspring) Challenge Rating: Wyrmling 3; very young 4; young 6; juvenile 8; young adult 10; adult 12; mature adult 14; old 17; very old 18; ancient 19; wyrm 20; great wyrm 22 Treasure: Triple standard Alignment: Always neutral evil Advancement: Wyrmling 6–7 HD; very young 9–10 HD; young 12–13 HD; juvenile 15–16 HD; young adult 18–19 HD; adult 21–22 HD; mature adult 24–25 HD; old 27–28 HD; very old 30–31 HD; ancient 33–34 HD; wyrm 36–37 HD; great wyrm 39+ HD

Styx Dragons by Age

Breath Frightful Base Attack/ Fort Ref Will Weapon Presence Age Size Hit Dice (hp) StrDexConInt WisCha Grapple Attack Save Save Save (DC) DC

Wyrmling S 5d12+5 (37) 13 10 13 10 11 10 +5/+2 +7 +5 +4 +4 1d6 (13) — Very young M 8 d12+16 (68) 15 10 15 12 13 12 +8/+10 +10 +8 +6 +7 2d6 (16) 15 Young M 11 d12+22 (93) 17 10 15 12 13 12 +11/+14 +14 +9 +7 +8 3d6 (17) 16 Juvenile L 14 d12+42 (133) 19 10 17 14 15 14 +14/+22 +17 +12 +9 +11 4d6 (20) 19 Young adult L 17 d12+68 (178) 23 10 19 14 15 14 +17/+27 +22 +14 +10 +12 5d6 (22) 20 Adult H 20 d12+100 (230) 27 10 21 16 17 16 +20/+36 +26 +17 +12 +15 6d6 (25) 23 Mature adultH 23 d12+115 (264) 29 10 21 18 19 18 +23/+40 +30 +18 +13 +17 7d6 (26) 25 Old H 26 d12+156 (325) 31 10 23 20 21 20 +26/+44 +34 +21 +15 +20 8d6 (29) 28 Very old H 29 d12+174 (362) 33 10 23 22 23 22 +29/+48 +38 +22 +16 +22 9d6 (30) 30 Ancient G 32 d12+224 (432) 35 10 25 24 25 24 +32/+56 +40 +25 +18 +25 10d6 (33) 33 Wyrm G 35 d12+280 (507) 37 10 27 24 25 24 +35/+60 +44 +27 +19 +26 11d6 (35) 34 Great wyrm G 38 d12+304 (551) 39 10 27 26 27 26 +38/+64 +48 +29 +21 +29 12d6 (37) 37

Level Adjustment: Wyrmling +5; very young +5; young +5; juvenile +6; others —

Also known as shadowdrakes or darkwyrms, Styx dragons haunt the putrid waters of the River Styx throughout its nearly infinite length. One of the few creatures immune to the harmful effects of the river, Styx dragons swim with impunity across the top layers of all the Lower Planes, feasting on fiends and any other creature they can find and catch.

A Styx dragon has a long, serpentine body with tiny, flipperlike claws that are useless on land and in combat. Its wings are too small to carry it aloft, but help to propel it through the water. Its tail splits into two long, bladed whips that it can use to slash and grab its prey. A Styx dragon’s scales are slimy and range from dark brown to rusty red in color. Its eyes glow with a lurid yellow light.

Styx dragons make their lairs by burrowing into the mud on the banks of the

Styx. They do not like to leave their native plane, but if one is forcibly brought to the Material Plane, it will thrive in fetid water.

Styx dragons normally subsist on the flesh of fiends, but enjoy eating any meat— particularly rotting carrion. Combat

A Styx dragon’s physical attacks are limited: It attacks with the twin blades of its tail instead of claws, it cannot use its wings effectively, and it does not gain tail slap attacks in addition to its tail blades. Its tail blades deal damage as if

the dragon were one size category larger than actual, however, as does its tail sweep. Young and older Styx dragons’ natural weapons are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. Breath Weapon (Su): A Styx dragon has two types of breath weapon, a line of acid that persists for 3 rounds (dealing half damage on the second round and one-quarter damage on the third round), or a cone of stupefying gas. Creatures within the cone must succeed on a Fortitude save or take 1 point of Intelligence damage per age category of the dragon. Amphibious (Ex): Although Styx dragons are aquatic, they can survive indefinitely on land. Constrict (Ex): With a sucStyx dragon cessful grapple check, a Styx dragon can crush a grabbed opponent, dealing twice its tail blade damage as bludgeoning damage. Disease (Ex): Any creature hit by a Styx dragon’s bite or tail attack must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC equal to that of the dragon’s breath weapon save DC) or contract Stygian wasting. The symptoms of the disease include flesh rotting away and hair falling out. The incubation period is 1 day, and the disease deals 1d6 points of Charisma damage. A victim must make three successful Fortitude saves in a row to recover from Stygian wasting (see Disease, page 292 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide). Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a Styx dragon must hit a creature that is at least one size category