Clockwork Dragon (Creature, Dragon)

**Clockwork Dragon**

Construct (Living Construct, Dragonforged)

**Environment**: Any mountains or underground, occasionally found on Mechanus and other Lawful planes

**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 clock (2-5).

**Challenge Ratings**: Wyrmling 3; very young 4; young 5; juvenile 7; young adult 9; adult 11; mature adult 14; old 16; very old 18; ancient 19; wyrm 20; great wyrm 23

**Treasure**: Triple Standard

**Alignment**: Always Lawful Neutral

Clockwork dragons are a mystery amongst the meta-dragons. Unlike their kin, lodestone dragons, ironrune dragons, brightsteel dragons, and forgewright dragons, the creation of clockwork dragons is unknown. Clockwork dragons claim that they are the natural evolution of meta-dragons, the perfect pinnacle of the breed, intone with the clockwork of reality acting in unison with its flows and rhythms. Course other dragons, meta and otherwise, call that a piece of lies told by conceited wyrms to over inflate their own position.

Now enough about their origins, greater sages than I couldn’t work those out so, I won’t even try it. As to their nature, clockwork dragons are creatures of law. Though native to the Prime they share more in common with modrons and inevitables than humans in mindset, in fact many have migrated to Mechanus because it’s more comfortable. Oh that’s not to say they can’t lean towards good or evil, but few actually embrace either, and fewer still ever forsake law. They live heavily regimented lives, everything has its time and its place and they don’t like interruptions; in fact a good way to get on ones bad side is to make it have to break its schedule, and sometimes they schedule out their lives for years in the future. Of course they aren’t as unchanging as modrons or inevitables, but it’s still difficult to get them to change their ways. Many spend their time in contemplation of the laws of the multiverse, and some even take it upon themselves to enforce these laws whether attempting to enforce them all or like inevitables enforcing only a specific law varies from dragon to dragon. In truth it is not unheard of for clockwork dragons to work alongside maruts or other inevitables in their pursuit of justice.

Like other meta-dragons clockwork dragons require magical items in their reproductive cycle. This is an important note when dealing with such dragons as it gives mortals a tool with which to bargain, albeit an expensive tool. Clockwork dragons will sometimes offer aid, though, in return for such treasure, although they will not aid one in breaking cosmic laws.

Clockwork dragons appear to be made from a brownish-yellow metal, although under their hide clockwork gears can be seen. They have thick, stocky necks, and wide powerful jaws. Their wings are wide but have a smaller wingspan than most dragons. Their tails are long and wide. Surprisingly as they gain size their internal workings become smaller and more complex actually granting them greater agility and speed despite the increase in bulk. By straining themselves they can even push themselves to new levels in a dangerous fashion.

**Special Abilities**

**Breath Weapon (Su)**: A clockwork dragon has two breath weapons, a cone of *haste* gas which affects all creatures within with a *haste* effect for 1 round/age category, no creature may be affected by this breath weapon for 1 minute after the effect ends, and a cone of *slow* gas which affects all creatures within as with a *slow* spell for 2 rounds/age category (Will negates).

**Least Overclock (Ex)**: Once per round a clockwork dragon may take 2 damage per hit die to make an extra move action during any round. This damage cannot be reduced by any means, and bypasses rregeneration. In addition, any time the clockwork dragon uses the overclock ability, she takes unavoidable nonlethal damage equal to 1d4 per age category that can only be healed with 8 hours of rest.

**Alternate Form (Su)**: A clockwork dragon can assume the form of any humanoid or quadruped construct form of a size no larger than it's natural form as a standard action three times per day. The base form of the creature must not have higher hit dice than the clockwork dragon. The dragon can remain in its alternate form until it chooses to assume a new one or return to its natural form.

**Overclock (Ex)**: Once per round a very young or older clockwork dragon may take 2 damage per hit die to make an extra standard action during any round, it may not use this ability and Least Overclock in the same round. This damage cannot be reduced by any means, and bypasses regeneration. In addition, any time the clockwork dragon uses the overclock ability, she takes unavoidable nonlethal damage equal to 1d4 per age category that can only be healed with 8 hours of rest.

**Clockwork Mind (Ex)**: A young or older clockwork dragon is immune to all mind-affecting effects, and stunning.

**Clockwork Body (Ex)**: An adult or older clockwork dragon is no longer subject to critical hits, subdual damage, death from massive damage, necromancy effects, or any spell or spell-like ability which allows a Fort save and does not also affect objects.

**Greater Overclock (Ex)**: Once per round old or older clockwork dragon may take 2 damage per hit die to make an extra standard and move action. It may not also use Least Overclock or Overclock in the same round. This damage cannot be reduced by any means, and bypasses regeneration. In addition, any time the clockwork dragon uses the overclock ability, she takes unavoidable nonlethal damage equal to 1d4 per age category that can only be healed with 8 hours of rest.

**True Overclock (Su)**: A great wyrm clockwork dragon may now use Least Overclock, Overclock, and Greater Overclock in the same round. In addition it may as a standard action duplicate a *Time Stop* effect by taking 4 damage per hit die. During the *Time Stop* effect it may not use Least Overclock, Overclock, or Greater Overclock, and it may not initiate the *Time Stop* effect during the same round that it is using one of the above. After the *Time Stop* effect ends the clockwork dragon must wait a number of rounds equal to the subjective time it was in the *Time Stop* before duplicating *Time Stop* again; it may however continue to use Least Overclock, Overclock, and Greater Overclock. In addition, any time the clockwork dragon uses the overclock ability, she takes unavoidable nonlethal damage equal to 1d4 per age category per overclock that can only be healed with 8 hours of rest.

**Spells**: A clockwork dragon casts spells as a sorcerer of the listed level and may choose spells known from the sorcerer/wizard list.

**Skills**: Appraise and Diplomacy are class skills of clockwork dragons.