Ashwood Dragon (Creature, dragon)

At birth an ashwood dragon's scales are a pale gray (almost white) or pale brown, these scales are smooth, large and flaky with a texture reminiscent to (young) beech bark. As they age black marks form upon some scales, like those left on trees that survive a forest fire, and their scales darken and harden becoming thicker and more like those of grown oaks and pines. Their eyes are a bright amber at birth, becoming the more subdued color of fresh sap as they age. An ashwood dragon's wings are stunted and clumsy in flight, but their claws are longer and more flexible than is the norm amongst dragon species. Male ashwood dragons sport well developed antlers that grow throughout their life, these antlers are fragile and ineffectual as weapons. Females also show small velvety growths, although they never grow into the full blown antlers of the males.

Ashwood dragons serve to maintain the forest environment around them. They watch for forest fires that would be detrimental to the environment, while at other times starting controlled fires to clear away old growth and allow new plants to grow. As guardians of the wild Ashwood dragons tend to get along well with elves and druids and are often antagonistic towards humans.

Ashwood dragons can sometimes be seen amongst the fey courts and tend to be protective of any nymphs and dryads within their territory. It is not unheard of for an injured ashwood dragon to retreat to a nearby nymph's grotto for healing.

**Type**: Dragon (Fire, Wood)

**Environment:** Temperate and warm forests

**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 Ratings:** Wyrmling 4; very young 5; young 7; juvenile 10; young adult 13; adult 15; mature adult 18; old 20; very old 21; ancient 23; wyrm 24; great wyrm 26

**Treasure:** Triple standard

**Alignment:** Always true neutral or neutral good

**Advancement:** Wyrmling 7–8 HD; very young 10–11 HD; 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

**Special Abilities**:

**Breath Weapon (Su)**: A ashwood dragon has two types of breath weapons a line of fire dealing the listed damage (Reflex save for half), or a cone of gas. This gas puts out all non-magical fires in its area, and dispels magical fires (+2/age category on the dispel check) in its area, it also deals untyped damage to Elementals with the Fire subtype equal to the damage its fire breath normally deals, and any creature caught in the area must succeed at a Fortitude save or take 1 point of Dexterity damage per age category of the ashwood dragon.

**Change Shape (Su)**: **3 times per day, as a standard action** ashwood dragon may assume the shape of any small or medium animal with HD no more than ½ their own as per the Change Shape ability (listed on 306 and 307 of the Monster Manual, and has been errata’d). Beginning at young they may also assume the shape of large animals as well; at adult this extends to include Tiny and Huge animals; at very old they may also assume the shape of Gargantuan animals (rocs and dinos); at great wyrm they may assume the shape of any animal with HD no greater than ½ their own. **They may remain in the new form until it chooses to assume a new form or return to its natural form.**

**Woodland Stride (Su)**: As the druid ability of the same name.

**Sense Fires (Su)**: A very young or older ashwood dragon can sense the distance, direction, and size of any fire of small size or larger within 1 mile/age category.

**Spellcasting**: An ashwood dragon casts spells as a sorcerer of the level indicated on the table above with two exceptions. They use Wisdom instead of Charisma to determine spells per day and save DCs and they select their spells known from the Druid spell list, Animal and Plant Domain and their subdomain lists.

**Spell-like Abilities**: At-will: *Speak with Animals* (wyrmling and older), *Speak with Plants* (very young and older); 3/day: *Control Flames* (juvenile and older; psionic power), *Plant Growth* (adult and older), *Greater Scrying*; 1/day: *Control Weather* (ancient and older), *Storm of Vengeance* (great wyrm).

**Skills**: Hide, Move Silently, and Survival are class skills for ashwood dragons. Ashwood dragons gain a +4 to Move Silently checks in wooded terrain and a +8 to hide checks in wooded terrain.