Devastation Dragon(Creature, dragon)

Dragon (Evil)

**Environment:** Any land or underground

**Organization:** Wyrmling, very young, young, juvenile, and young adult: solitary or clutch (2–5); adult, mature adult, old, very old, ancient, wyrm, or great wyrm: solitary, pair, or family (1–2 and 2–5 offspring)

Challenge Rating: Wyrmling 4; very young 5; young 6; juvenile 8; young adult 10; adult 12; mature adult 15; old 17; very old 19; ancient 20; wyrm 21; great wyrm 23

**Treasure:** Triple standard

**Alignment:** Always chaotic 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

**Level Adjustment:** Wyrmling +3; very young +3; young +3; juvenile +4; others —

*I once believed that Devastation Dragons were somehow related to Cataclysm Dragons, and while that still may be true, I find that they have a different role. Where Cataclysm Dragons represent the cycle of birth and rebirth, the cleansing to make way for a new creation, Devastation Dragons seem to be much more destructively inclined if thankfully individually weaker. Devastation Dragons seem to be intent on destruction, naturally cruel even by the standards of evil dragons. My research into their natural life cycle is unfortunately incomplete. I have seen them on a total of 16 worlds, but on only one of these worlds have I found a breeding group, on the others they were beings of varying ages but each unique. I am therefore uncertain if their propagation is a result of spelljamming journeys, planar travel, divine intervention, or some spawning of the force of destruction itself, or some sort of freak mutation within other dragon races.*

*The scholar Paluto, philosopher-king of the country of Altens on one of the worlds which had such a beast, theorized they were chromatic dragons which had been born affected by the echoes of the final days in a manner similar to human doomsayers and their spontaneous propagation was a result there of. The Devastation dragon Gix’tar’ziel claimed to be the son of Tiamat herself, birthed by the draconic goddess to wipe out all of humanity upon his world due to the actions of rampant dragon hunters centuries earlier; I have not been able to confirm his claims, while there were no longer any humans on his world and he was disturbingly close to godhood his ascension was fueled by a powerful artifact, thousands of lizardfolk priests and cultists, and opposed by the priests of Tiamat on his world which decried the great wyrm as a blasphemer. A possible Abyssal origin for Devastation Dragons is shown from the last records of the Pit Fiend general Baalfilzebion who disappeared with a cohort of diabolic troops upon the river Styx on Carceri. While long presumed lost in the Styx, a written record from the Pit Fiend was found on Carceri within the lair of a Prison Spider. I have been unable to independently verify its origin, but the Baatezu seem to accept it. In this record Baalfilzebion describes her arrival on a layer of the Abyss previously unexplored by the Baatezu. While setting up a beach head the pit fiend’s forces were attacked by several dragons matching the physical descriptions of Devastation dragons. These dragons devastated her forces and the pit fiend was forced to retreat. Gathering her surviving troops the pit fiend warned about the layer’s powerful draconic inhabitants and gave a copy of her warning to each of her surviving troops and then ordered them to scatter and find an escape route from the layer, predicting that few if any would survive. It is possible that the dragons I have encountered ultimately originated from this layer of the Abyss. I have been unable to find it, and would not hazard to travel there even if I could as the pit fiend described a great wyrm of incalculable age and skilled in wizardry.*

*The dragons themselves are relatively thin and long for their overall mass, with proportionately long tails and necks. Their heads are long and pointed, with six backwards pointing horns, two from the top of their heads, two from the bottom of their chins, and two wider, fin-like horns from the sides of their heads. Their wings have long alar phalanges with those farthest from their bodies being longest. Their backs lack spines being smooth, and they have a single rib less than the norm for dragons. The scales on their bodies are black, a dull coal-black at birth but gaining in luster as they age. Their belly and wing scales are a dull, deep midnight blue at birth, but almost like dark sapphires by the time they have grown into their power.*

*For dragon hunters which would face the beast I must first warn that their breath is none of the conventional five energies which would be easily fended off with magic. Instead they breathe out great gouts of destructive energy. Visible only as a distortion in the way light passes through the area for a few moments they fire off wide cones which fill the air with crushing force that seems to strike from chaotically shifting directions, tearing and rending everything within the area of the breath. They are aggressive creatures and can often be lured into attacking without much foresight, especially when young; it is not until adulthood that these dragons are full mental matches for average humanoids and, unlike white dragons which are natural predators using such cunning as is common to such beasts, their sadistic love of destruction can lead them to underestimate opponents rather easily. Even as they age they are impatient and destructive creatures with a tendency to lash out first and think second. A hunter must be careful, however, to pick their field wisely as the dragons are able to disintegrate and otherwise destroy objects making it dangerous to fight them in a region where the floor or ground is thin; to take advantage of these powers older Devastation dragons have been known to enslave kobolds, gnomes, and other humanoids to force them to dig great pits and tunnels mere feet beneath the ground throughout their lair and its surroundings; as such I would advise flight against these beasts even more than against most dragons. Older specimens also show an uncanny foresight and knowledge of event sometimes far and away from their lair; I believe they have a certain oracular ability, but have been unable to confirm it. As their spellcasting ability seems uniquely dependent upon the spoken word, or at least more so than common spells of wizards and sorcerers, I would suggest that if it is possible to place them in an area of magical silence it can prove quite valuable to do so, but they are also not the type to rely heavily on the use of magic when facing an opponent instead preferring long standing effects. The oldest wyrms I’ve seen are the ones to earn their name. The wyrm of Kal’s End as it was called, if only in text, had the ability to call down a storm of destruction across a region hundreds of miles in radius, leaving the land dead and buildings irreparably damaged, beyond the touch of magic and beyond the skills of even the world’s finest artisans to find any use for the materials, all attempts to do so found only wretched things that warped against the nature of such materials and arts. Gix’tar’ziel showed the same capability, and worse seemed to be able to shatter weapons which struck him, and his very presence twisted the landscape making it a land of the living dead and infused the region with a deep evil. As a final warning to would be hunters, or any which deal with such creatures, the peasants who fear to speak their names lest the dragon sense it and be enraged are half right. One should never speak the name of such a dragon, for they warp it into a tool of destruction and the very speaking of it can cause pain, or even death, to the speaker. Even titles and euphemisms eventually develop such a destructive nature, which forced Gix’tar’ziel’s priesthood to be very creative in their appellations for the wyrm. The names herein should now be safe, their bearers dead.*

*As a closing note I will urge any who reads this to slay any Devastation dragon they should come upon. They are creatures fueled by an urge to destroy and bring devastation to their surroundings and from my encounters I have seen nothing else within them than a sadistic love of these acts. As such they are truly dangerous creatures which place above even fiends on the scale of foes to other beings and which will destroy whole countries, races, and civilizations if not stopped.*

*-Zasper, the Dragon Sage, Liber Draconis vol. LIV*

**Breath Weapon (Su):** An Devastation Dragon has one form of breath weapon a cone of destructive force. This breath weapon is a force effect dealing the listed damage, but ignores hardness and deals double damage to objects in its path.

**Force Immunity (Ex):** An Devastation Dragon is immune to damage from force effects and can even pass through force effects when it so desires, moving through them as if they were not there; it may choose to allow a force effect to block its path or sustain its weight. If an Devastation dragon is unconscious it automatically passes through all force effects.

**Sustenance from Destruction (Su):** An Devastation Dragon does not need to eat, simply to destroy. As long as a Devastation Dragon spreads a sufficient amount of destruction (increasing with size and age category; exact amount determined by the DM) it does not need to eat, drink, or sleep.

**Name of Destruction (Su):** An Devastation Dragon is a creature of doom foreshadowed and its very name a word of devastation and destruction. Any creature speaking the personal truename of an Devastation Dragon takes 3d6 damage per age category of the dragon but may make a Fortitude save (DC is Charisma based like Frightful Presence, DC 13 at Wyrmling, 14 at Very Young, 16 at Young, 17 at Juvenile, and as Frightful Presence beyond that point) to halve this damage. Even an impersonal truename is dangerous and any creature speaking a truename which applies to a Devastation Dragon takes 1d6 damage per age category of the dragon, a successful Fortitude save (same DC) negates. Finally any name, title, or appellation being used to refer to an Devastation Dragon and that the dragon recognizes as referring to it and has done so for at least 10 years is dangerous dealing 1d6 damage per 2 age categories of the Devastation Dragon; a successful Fortitude save (same DC) negates this damage. Devastation Dragons are immune to this effect even that of other Devastation dragons.

**Word of Destruction (Su):** By uttering a single word a very young or older devastation dragon can destroy one object up within 100-ft. An attended or magical object is allowed a Fortitude save (DC is Constitution based and equals that of the dragon’s breath weapon normally) to resist this destruction, and an object with a volume greater than 125 cubic feet per two age categories of the dragon (1 5-ft cube/2 age category; 6 5-ft cubes at great wyrm) only has that portion of it destroyed starting from a point within range of the dragon’s choosing. An devastation dragon may use this ability 1/day per age category they have attained.

**Wake of Destruction (Su):** A young or older devastation dragon leaves a trail of destruction in its wake. Whenever a young or older devastation dragon leaves the space that was previously occupied by the dragon is rent by a pure destructive force. This force deals 1d6 damage to any creature in the square or which enters the square, a successful Fortitude save (DC is Con based, use breath weapon table) halves this damage; this is a force effect. This effect deals double damage to objects in the space or walls, ceilings, and floors touching the space. This effect lasts for 1 round after the dragon leaves the square(s) and during that time the space it is affecting is difficult to see through offering concealment to creatures with at least 1 square of it between them and the viewer. An devastation dragon can choose to suppress or reactivate this ability as a free action.

**Invocations:** A young or older Devastation Dragon has the ability to use invocations as a Doomsayer of the listed level. They gain the bonus Malison for each grade associated with the Path of Destruction whenever they gain access to a new grade of invocations, but do not gain any other abilities associated with an Apocalyptic Path.

**Mind of Devastation (Su):** The mind of a Juvenile or older Devastation Dragon is a dangerous thing. Any creature targeting it with an Enchantment or Telepathy effect or contacting it through telepathy (including sensing it through Mindsight) must make a Will save (DC is Charisma based, same as Frightful Presence, 18 at Juvenile) or take 1d8 Int, Wis, and Cha damage and be *confused* for 1 round per 2 age categories the Devastation Dragon has obtained.

**Force of Annihilation (Special):** An Adult or older Devastation Dragon begins to show their true nature. An object destroyed by such an devastation dragon cannot be restored, even mundane attempts to restore it by (for example) smelting it down and recasting the metal come out inevitably twisted and ruined, and magical attempts see the same results; it is rendered useless even as raw materials. A creature slain by such an Devastation Dragon cannot be revived, even *True Resurrection* failing to restore life to such a creature, although they can be reanimated or return as a ghost or other incorporeal undead; this effect damages the soul preventing true rest thus making such a return more probable (at the DM’s discretion). An undead creature reduced to 0 hit points by such a dragon is instantly destroyed even if they would normally return (such as being a lich, ghost, or vampire). Mortal magic cannot overcome these effects, but direct divine action or certain major artifacts can do so. Though in many ways closest to a Supernatural ability this ability functions even in anti-magic generated by anything less than a god and abilities which grant a creature the Supernatural abilities of another creature cannot grant them this ability.

***Commune* (Sp):** An Old or older Devastation Dragon can commune with the force of destruction itself once per day. This functions as the spell *Commune* but instead of contacting a specific deity they contact the essence of destruction; this essence can be assumed to have knowledge that is possessed by any god with a portfolio including death or destruction. Their caster level equals their caster level for invocations.

***Vision* (Sp):** An Old or older Devastation Dragon can use *Vision* as a spell-like ability once per day. Their caster level equals their caster level for invocations.

**See the True Name (Su):** A Venerable or older Devastation Dragon is able to feel a creature or object’s truename the better to destroy it utterly. An Devastation Dragon of this age instantly knows the personal truename of anything it sees if it desires such information.

***Apocalypse Rains from the Sky* (Sp):** A Wyrm or older Devastation Dragon is able to invoke absolute destruction within a wide area. Once per month they may, as a standard action, use *Apocalypse Rains from the Sky*BoVD as a spell-like ability they do not suffer any effect due to the Corruption cost or need any material component or other components. Their caster level for this spell like ability equals their caster level for invocations +4.

**Living Blight (Su):** Wherever a Great Wyrm Devastation Dragon lives becomes a blighted region incapable of sustaining life. Any region in which is lairs for at least 1 month becomes unable to support plant life of any form, all normal plants within the area immediately dying at the end of the first month of occupancy and even magical plants following. Creatures cannot regain hit points within the area, nor can they be resurrected, and any dead creature within the area will rise as an undead creature within 24 hours unless such a rise is prevented by magic. In addition if Taint rules are used the area becomes tainted with both Corruption and Depravity. This extends out 120 miles from the Great Wyrm’s lair and this effect lasts 1 year per month that the Great Wyrm lairs within the region (time spent living there is counted for this duration including the first month before it activates).

**Shatter Swords (Su):** A force of absolute destruction a Great Wyrm Devastation Dragon is not easily harmed. Ray spells and other magical ranged touch attacks targeting the dragon have a 20% miss chance, in addition to any other miss chances they may possess and if they miss due to this chance are redirected at their source. Any weapon striking a Great Wyrm Devastation Dragon with less than a +6 enhancement bonus is instantly destroyed (Reflex negates, DC is Constitution based like Breath Weapon). If a creature strikes the dragon with a natural weapon it is not destroyed but they take 6d6 damage and cannot use that natural weapon for any purpose (including as a hand or wing) for 1 minute, a successful Fortitude save (same DC) halves the damage and allows them to continue to use that limb.

**Skills:** In addition to the skills common to all true dragons an devastation dragon treats Hide, Move Silently, and Truespeak as class skills.