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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

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Dragon, Diabolic

Source Monster Core pg. 112
Hell, according to some theologians, is a living entity in and of itself. Diabolic dragons, these scholars argue, are just extensions of the plane, living creatures that break off from Hell to enact its will. Whether this is true or whether diabolical dragons are simply the reborn souls of dragons sent to Hell, the fact remains that these dragons are powerful, cunning, and tyrannical. Every diabolic dragon's goal is to further Hell's will, though how this happens can vary. Regardless of their goals, these dragons always approach newcomers with an unsettling calmness.

Members

Adult Diabolic Dragon (Creature 15), Ancient Diabolic Dragon (Creature 20), Young Diabolic Dragon (Creature 11)

Sidebar - Related Creatures Azhadar

Azhadar, the great diabolic archdragon, serves the archdevil Moloch, the General of Hell. The dragon has great latitude to freely march Hell's armies where needed, but in recent centuries, she's found delight in leaving Hell to tempt great mortal warriors with countless promises. Those who give in find themselves conscripted into the armies of Hell when they inevitably meet their demise at the hands of a similarly empowered rival on the battlefield. Azhadar's most recent appearance was near Bloodcove, where she made an offer to a tyrannical pirate captain.

Sidebar - Locations Diabolic Dragon Lairs

A diabolical dragon's lair is a surprisingly sparse place. Most of these dragons find caverns or large rooms within Hell to claim as their lair but keep relatively little within. A diabolical dragon's hoard is generally made up of soul gems—magical gems designed to contain mortal souls— and infernal contracts. The contracts are ones still in effect that will resolve once the mortal signer's soul reaches Hell and is forcibly placed in a soul gem. While diabolical dragons pass the souls contained in these gems off to other parts of Hell to be used for countless purposes, most dragons hold on to the souls of mortals they find particularly intriguing and call upon the souls to be servants or for other wicked purposes at a later time.

Sidebar - Advice and Rules Diabolic Dragon Spellcasters

Diabolic dragon spellcasters tend to cast the following spells.

Young Diabolic Dragon

Divine Prepared Spells DC 30, attack +24; 4th dispelling globe, divine wrath, planar tether; 3rd blindness, chilling darkness, harm; 2nd blood vendetta, darkness, translate; 1st command (×2), fear; Cantrips (4th) detect magic, divine lance, message, sigil, void warp

Adult Diabolic Dragon

Divine Prepared Spells DC 36, attack +30; As young diabolic dragon, plus 6th banishment, blessed boundary, dominate; 5th sending, translocate, truespeech; Cantrips (6th) detect magic, divine lance, message, sigil, void warp

Ancient Diabolic Dragon

Divine Prepared Spells DC 42, attack +38; As adult diabolic dragon, plus 9th harm, massacre, wails of the damned; 8th canticle of everlasting grief, execute, pinpoint; 7th eclipse burst, planar seal, truespeech; Cantrips (9th) detect magic, divine lance, message, sigil, void warp

Dragon

Related Groups Dragon, Adamantine, Dragon, Conspirator, Dragon, Empyreal, Dragon, Fortune, Dragon, Horned, Dragon, Mirage, Dragon, Omen
Dragons come in myriad forms, with many having magical abilities or connections to magic. Some dragons draw greater power from magic than others, allowing them to manifest abilities or alter their physiques with prolonged exposure to magic. These dragons become more powerful as they age and strengthen their connections with their magical origins. Scholars debate the classification of these dragons, with some preferring the name magical dragons and others using traditional dragons due to their connection to specific magical traditions. Regardless of their names, these dragons share a number of characteristics: their ability to tap into magical energies, intensified might and cunning as they grow older, and an inclination to hoard vast amounts of treasure and wealth.

Draconic Spellcasters

Each dragon features a sidebar on spellcasting dragons of that type. To make a dragon spellcaster, remove the dragon's Draconic Frenzy and Draconic Momentum abilities, and give them the spells outlined in their sidebar. You can swap out any number of these with other spells, provided you keep the same number of spells for each rank. You might also want to increase the dragon's Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma modifier by 1 or 2 to reflect their mastery of magic.

Sidebar - Additional Lore Draconic Groupings

The broader grouping of dragons is generally sorted into more granular categories, the first of which is based on the four magical traditions. Each dragon falls into one of these large categories, and dragons in a given category share a number of common traits.

Arcane Dragons: These dragons seem to have greater control over magic and their innate abilities. Many arcane dragons have mastery over a certain subset of magic, such as illusions or teleportation. Other arcane dragons have the ability to tap into or manipulate raw magical energies, regardless of their origins. Their bodies tend to be more slender than other dragons due to their reliance on magic for hunting. Their scales generally come in perfect patterns or very organized shapes.

Divine Dragons: While the name might suggest dragons directly related to deific entities, divine dragons instead derive their power from planes other than the mortal Universe. Similar to how a god grants power to a cleric, these dragons receive magical abilities and other influences from another plane. As such, divine dragons are among the most varied of dragons. These dragons generally take on an appearance similar to other native creatures of their influential planes, making it difficult for them to hide their planar connections.

Occult Dragons: At times alien and off-putting and other times alluring and mysterious, occult dragons derive their powers from the inexplicable and unknown. These dragons use magic that seems to exist within the crevices and shadows between other forms of magic. Whether it's due to this strange magical influence or something else, occult dragons are most likely to directly interact with other creatures. While generally sporting similar builds to other dragons, occult dragons make greater use of their wings as supplementary appendages, leaving their forward limbs free to use for other things. Their scales and plating generally feature strange shapes and patterns that are rarely seen in the natural world.

Primal Dragons: While all dragons are fierce and terrifying in their own way, primal dragons seem to embody the most bestial traits among dragons. These dragons derive their power from the magic of the natural world. While primal dragons aren't directly bound to serve nature, many of them choose to act as keepers of their habitats. Primal dragons are generally larger than other dragons and fall back on their instincts more often, making them particularly dangerous when threatened. Their scales typically have less elaborate shapes than other dragons, or will sometimes resemble natural terrain. Some dragons even grow natural features like small plants on their bodies.

Draconic Families: In addition to these classifications, dragons are sometimes grouped into families. These include the enigmatic esoteric dragons, the regal imperial dragons, the space-faring outer dragons, and the mighty skymetal dragons. Draconic families are sometimes made up of dragons with obvious physiological similarities, while other families seem to be made up of dragons of similar color, habitat, behavior, or other traits that make for vague connections. Often, families include dragons of varied magical traditions. As such, the members of a given family are sometimes the subject of debate and scholarly arguments.

Sidebar - Advice and Rules Shape-Changing Dragons

Though it's uncommon, some dragons can take humanoid forms. They gain the following ability:

Change Shape [one-action] (concentrate, polymorph); The dragon takes on the appearance of any Small or Medium humanoid. This doesn't change their Speed or attack and damage bonuses with their Strikes but might change the damage type their Strikes deal (typically to bludgeoning).