Cypher Dragon

*The empty grassland in front of you suddenly cracks like glass; you catch a glimpse of silver scales overwritten by blazing red lines before the rest of the dragon is revealed to you.*

## Cypher Dragon

**CN** dragon (psionic)

**Base Statistics**

**CR** 4; **Size** Tiny; **Hit** **Dice** 4D12

**Speed** 60 ft.

**Natural** **Armor** +3; **Breath** **Weapon** line, 2d6 untyped

**Str** 8 **Dex** 14 **Con** 14 **Int** 18 **Wis** 12 **Cha** 12

**Ecology**

Environment any (planes that connect to the astral, ethereal, or shadow planes only)

**Organization** solitary

**Treasure** triple

**Special** **Abilities**

**Borderland Adaptation (Su)** Cypher dragons are adapted for planar travel and dwelling within border places; they never gain the extraplanar subtype and do not need to eat, drink, or breathe while in the astral or shadow planes. Furthermore, cypher dragons never suffer penalties from the planar traits of the astral or shadow planes and may perceive and attack nearby beings on those planes as though the cypher dragon were on the appropriate plane.

Additionally, once per week as a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity, the cypher dragon may transport itself to a nearby area on the astral or shadow planes (from any plane that borders its destination), or back to a nearby area on the prime material plane from the astral or shadow planes.

**Border Mastery (Su)** Old cypher dragons may transport themselves anywhere on the astral, ethereal, or shadow planes as a swift action up to twice per day, taking any number of other creatures within 100 ft. with them. A successful Will save (DC 27; the save DC is Intelligencebased) negates this travel for unwilling creatures.

As a swift action up to once per day, the cypher dragon may transport itself and any number of other creatures within 100 ft. from the astral, ethereal, or shadow planes to the last place they stood on the prime material plane (even if that place would take them more than 100 ft. from the cypher dragon upon arrival). A successful Will save negates this travel for unwilling creatures.

**Breath Weapon (Su)** A creature damaged by a cypher dragon’s breath weapon is treated as though struck by the disrupt pattern ability for the purposes of resolving the cypher dragon’s insights (for example, an cypher dragon with the disrupted healing insight would apply its effects to creatures damaged by its breath weapon). Cypher dragons treat all creature types as their active creature type.

**Insights (Su)** Starting at very young and again at every age category thereafter, the cypher dragon may select an insight as a cryptic of half its hit dice. Juvenile cypher dragons gain the fast stealth insight in addition to the insight they select.

**Manifesting**: Cypher dragons manifest as cryptics of the level indicated on the table below.

**Obfuscated Pattern (Su)** Ancient cypher dragons know how to blend their pattern with the background energies of the multiverse, vanishing from the sight of psion and sorcerer. The cypher dragon is immune to all attempts to gain information about it through supernatural means; spells, powers, and supernatural abilities that would reveal any direct or indirect information about it (such as detect chaos to discern its alignment or detect magic to observe an item within its lair) instead reveal no information whatsoever. This ability does have one flaw; it does not foil additional senses granted to another creature by magic, such as the blindsight or darkvision (for example, a creature benefitting from the touchsight power could detect the cypher dragon with it).

**Occultation (Su)** Cypher dragons are possessed of color-changing scales and hide that they enhance with sound-dampening fields and subtle psionic suggestions that the dragon is not present; they never suffer size penalties to their Stealth checks and may make Stealth checks even while being observed. Cypher dragons do not require cover or concealment in order to make a Stealth check.

**Pattern Adaptation (Su)** Young cypher dragons may alter their patterns, temporarily re-writing their base nature. Once per day, as a swift action, the cypher dragon may gain, exchange, or remove up to two of the following subtypes. Each subtype includes an associated bonus, noted in parentheses: air (+20 ft. racial bonus to all speeds), chaotic (immune to compulsion effects), cold (+2 racial bonus to Fortitude saves), earth (40 ft. burrow speed), evil (enemies within 100 ft. suffer -2 penalty on saving throws), fire (+2 racial bonus to Reflex saves), good (other allies within 100 ft. gain +2 insight bonus to saving throws), lawful (immune to energy drain), water (breathes water, 60 ft. swim speed). Pattern adaptation lasts a number of minutes equal to the cypher dragon’s Intelligence modifier, and during this time the dragon may exchange or remove the subtypes granted by this ability as a swift action.

**Psi-Like Abilities (Ps)** A cypher dragon gains the following psi-like abilities, usable at will upon reaching the listed age category. Juvenile – chameleon; Old – dream travel; Ancient – mental disruption

**Resilient Pattern (Ex)** Great wyrm cypher dragons are nearly impossible to kill; their patterns adapt to every attack. The cypher dragon gains DR 5/- when it is first struck by a natural or manufactured weapon in an encounter, which improves by 5 every time the dragon is struck thereafter (to a maximum of DR 25/-) and lasts until the end of the encounter. Additionally, whenever the dragon fails a saving throw against, or suffers damage from, a power, psi-like ability, spell, spell-like ability, or supernatural ability it becomes immune to all further uses of that ability until the end of the encounter, even if it would not normally allow power or spell resistance.

**Scour Patterns (Su)** Adult cypher dragons can scour the patterns in their immediate vicinity, disrupting access to supernatural energies. At will, as a standard action, the cypher dragon projects a 100 ft. radius aura. Creatures (including the dragon) within this aura suffer a penalty equal to ½ the cypher dragon’s intelligence modifier on their caster levels and manifester levels. The cypher dragon may cease projecting this aura as a free action during its turn, but may not resume projecting it for 4 rounds if it does so.

## Young Cypher Dragon CR 8

XP 4,800

CN Medium dragon (psionic)

Init +5; Senses Dragon senses; Perception +13

**DEFENSE**

AC 20, touch 11, flat-footed 19 (+1 Dex, +9 natural)

hp 84 (8d12+32)

Fort +10; Ref +9; Will +8

Defensive Abilities pattern adaptation; Immune sleep, paralysis

**OFFENSE**

Speed 60 ft., fly 150 ft. (average)

Melee bite +11 (1d8+4), 2 claws +11 (1d8+3)

Reach 10 ft. (bite only)

Special Attacks breath weapon (60’ line, 6d6 untyped plus disrupted healing, Reflex save (DC 18) for half damage), branding pattern

**Statistics**

**Str** 16, **Dex** 12, **Con** 18, **Int** 20, **Wis** 14, **Cha** 14

**Base** **Atk** +8; **CMB** +11; **CMD** 22

**Feats** Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Attack (claws), Lightning Reflexes, Lurker in Darkness\*

**Skills** Bluff +13, Diplomacy +13, Fly +12, Knowledge (Arcana, Planes, Psionics, Religion) +16, Perception +13, Sense Motive +13, Spellcraft +16, Stealth +12

**Racial** **Modifiers** occultation

**Languages** draconic, common, celestial, infernal, elven, undercommon

**SQ** borderland adaptation, occultation, insights (branding pattern, disrupted healing)

## Adult Cypher Dragon CR 12

**XP** 19,200

**CN** Large dragon (psionic)

**Init** +4; **Senses** Dragon senses; **Perception** +21

**DEFENSE**

**AC** 29, touch 11, flat-footed 27 (+0 Dex, +18 natural, +2 dodge, -1 size)

**hp** 175 (14d12+84)

**Fort** +15; **Ref** +11; **Will** +13

**Defensive** **Abilities** pattern adaptation; DR 5/magic; Immune sleep, paralysis; PR 23

**OFFENSE**

**Speed** 60 ft., fly 200 ft. (poor)

**Melee** bite +18 (2d6+9), 2 claws +18 (2d6+6), 2 wings +16 (1d6+3), tail slap +16 (1d8+9)

**Space** 10 ft. Reach 10 ft. (15 ft. w/bite)

**Special** **Attacks** breath weapon (80’ line, 12d6 untyped plus binding pattern, bleeding pattern, and disrupted healing, Reflex save (DC 25) for half damage), branding pattern, frightful presence (DC 21), scour patterns (-3 CL/ML), steal pattern

**Powers** **Known** (3rd level cryptic, 11 pp/day)

**1st** – *conceal* *thoughts*, *déjà* *vu*, *defensive* *precognition*

**Psi-Like Abilities** (ML 14th, concentration +18)

**At Will** – *chameleon* (+15)\*

\* includes augmentation for the dragon’s manifester level

**Statistics**

**Str** 22, **Dex** 10, **Con** 22, **Int** 24, **Wis** 18, **Cha** 18

**Base Atk** +14; **CMB** +20; **CMD** 33

**Feats** Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Attack (claw), Lightning Reflexes, Lurker in Darkness\*, Multiattack, Hover, Ability Focus (Breath Weapon)

**Skills** Bluff +21, Diplomacy +21, Fly +11, Knowledge (Arcana, Dungeoneering, Planes, Psionics, Religion) +24, Perception +21, Sense Motive +21, Spellcraft +24, Stealth +17, Use Magic Device +21

**Racial Modifiers** occultation, fast stealth

**Languages** draconic, common, celestial, infernal, elven, undercommon, giant, dwarf

**SQ** borderland adaptation, occultation, insights (binding pattern, bleeding pattern, branding pattern, disrupted healing, fast stealth, steal pattern)

## Ancient Cypher Dragon CR 17

**XP** 102,400

**CN** Huge dragon (psionic)

**Init** +3; **Senses** Dragon senses; **Perception** +31

**DEFENSE**

**AC** 39, touch 9, flat-footed 37 (-1 Dex, +30 natural, +2 dodge, -2 size)

**hp** 341 (22d12+198)

**Fort** +21; **Ref** +14; **Will** +19

**Defensive** **Abilities** pattern adaptation, recognize pattern (+5), improved evasion; DR 15/magic; Immune sleep, paralysis; PR 28

**OFFENSE**

**Speed** 60 ft., fly 200 ft. (poor)

**Melee** bite +30 (2d8+15), 2 claws +30 (2d6+10), 2 wings +28 (1d8+5), tail slap +28 (2d6+15)

**Space** 15 ft. Reach 15 ft. (20 ft. w/bite)

**Special** **Attacks** breath weapon (100’ line, 20d6 untyped plus binding pattern, bleeding pattern, dislocated pattern, disrupted healing, and shining pattern, Reflex save (DC 31) for half damage), branding pattern, frightful presence (DC 27), scour patterns (-4 CL/ML), steal pattern, crush (DC 31)

**Powers** **Known** (11th level cryptic, 85 pp/day)

**1st** – conceal thoughts, déjà vu, defensive precognition

**2nd** – cloud mind, concealing amorpha, psionic scent

**3rd** – dispel psionics, ectoplasmic grapnel, ubiquitous vision

**4th** – energy adaptation, vanishing strike

**Psi-Like Abilities** (ML 22nd, concentration +28)

**At Will** – chameleon (+20)\*, dream travel (DC 22)\*, mental disruption (2 rounds, DC 25)\*

\* includes augmentation for the dragon’s manifester level

The save DCs are Charisma-based.

**Statistics**

**Str** 30, **Dex** 8, **Con** 26, **Int** 28, **Wis** 22, **Cha** 22

**Base** **Atk** +22; **CMB** +33; **CMD** 44

**Feats** Ability Focus (Breath Weapon), Hover, Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Attack (claws), Lightning Reflexes, Lurker in Darkness\*, Multiattack, Overchannel, Quicken Power, Toughness, Wingover

**Skills** Appraise +34, Bluff +31, Diplomacy +31, Fly +16, Knowledge (Arcana, Dungeoneering, Planes, Psionics, Religion) +34, Intimidate +31, Perception +31, Sense Motive +31, Spellcraft +34, Stealth +24, Use Magic Device +31

**Racial** **Modifiers** occultation, fast stealth

**Languages** draconic, common, celestial, infernal, elven, undercommon, giant, dwarf, aquan, ignan

**SQ** borderland adaptation, occultation, insights (binding pattern, bleeding pattern, branding pattern, dislocating pattern, disrupted healing, fast stealth, improved evasion, recognize pattern, shining pattern, steal pattern), border mastery, obfuscated pattern

Strange and solitary, cypher dragons slip in and out of the transitive planes on their own endeavors. They seem to take an interest in the patterns that occur at planar borders and how mortals affect those patterns, but as their name suggests cypher dragons are intensely private and information on their motivations is difficult to come by. Cypher dragons move their lairs often and deliberately place them in unexpected places (one legendary wyrm stored his for more than a thousand years within the final dream of a dying god) and tend to avoid conflict. If they must fight, they approach battle like an assassin, striking from ambush and without pity.