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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

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PFS StandardAncient Forest Dragon

Forest dragons oversee the endless growth of nature, protect it from plunder, and reclaim ruins for the wilderness. Some say these dragons jealously hoard nature's bounty for themselves while seeing everyone else who tries to benefit from nature as thieves and poachers. They loathe the progress of technology and civilization, preferring the company of monsters and animals.

Forest dragons are their forests in a literal sense. Over time, their hair becomes mossy, their hide toughens like bark, and small insects or animals live within them.

Recall Knowledge - Dragon (Arcana): DC 44
Recall Knowledge - Plant (Nature): DC 44
Unspecific Lore: DC 42
Specific Lore: DC 39

Elite | Normal | Weak
Proficiency without Level

Changes from being Weak are marked in red below.
NOTE: The -2 damage penalty to non-strike offensive abilities (-4 if the ability is limited, such as spells) is NOT factored in.

Weak Ancient Forest DragonCreature 18

Legacy Content

Rare CE Gargantuan Dragon Plant 
Source Bestiary 3 pg. 76
Perception +33; darkvision, scent (imprecise) 60 feet
Languages Common, Draconic, Elven, Sylvan, Terran
Skills Acrobatics +29, Athletics +35, Deception +29, Intimidation +31, Nature +34, Stealth +27 (+31 in forests), Survival +33
Str +9, Dex +4, Con +7, Int +5, Wis +8, Cha +6
AC 42; Fort +30, Ref +27, Will +33; +1 status to all saves vs. magic
HP 390; Immunities paralyzed, poison, sleep; Weaknesses fire 15
Countered by Metal If the forest dragon takes damage from a metal item, they lose woodland stride and pass without trace until the end of their next turn.Frightful Presence (aura, emotion, fear, mental) 90 feet, DC 37. Animals, fungi, and plants take a –2 circumstance penalty to the save.Fed by Water [reaction] (healing, necromancy, primal) Frequency once per hour; Trigger The forest dragon is targeted with a water spell or effect; Effect The forest dragon gains 40 temporary Hit Points.
Speed 40 feet, fly 160 feet; woodland stride
Melee [one-action] jaws +34 [+29/+24] (magical, reach 20 feet), Damage 4d10-2+17 piercing plus 3d6 poison and lignifying biteMelee [one-action] claw +34 [+30/+26] (agile, magical, reach 15 feet), Damage 4d8-2+17 slashing plus GrabMelee [one-action] tail +34 [+29/+24] (magical, reach 30 feet), Damage 4d8-2+17 bludgeoning plus GrabPrimal Innate Spells DC 39, attack +33 (-4 dmg); 6th tangling creepers; 4th entangle, speak with plants (at will), tree shape (see forest shape); Cantrips (6th) know direction; Constant (1st) pass without trace (forest terrain only)
Breath Weapon [two-actions] (evocation, primal) The dragon unleashes a swarm of insects that deals 20d6 piercing damage in a 60-foot cone (DC 39 basic Reflex save) before dispersing. A creature that critically fails is stunned 2 from the insects' venom; this is a poison effect. The dragon can't use Breath Weapon again for 1d4 rounds.Coiling Frenzy [two-actions] The dragon makes one claw Strike and one tail Strike in either order, each against the same target. If either Strike hits, the dragon automatically Grabs the target.Draconic Momentum The dragon recharges their Breath Weapon whenever they score a critical hit with a Strike.Draining Blight [two-actions] (healing, necromancy, negative, primal) Frequency once per day; Effect The dragon draws moisture from the living creatures surrounding them, using the energy to heal their own wounds. Each living creature in a 30-foot emanation takes 9d10 negative damage (DC 39 basic Fortitude save). Creatures made entirely of water and plant creatures use the outcome one degree of success worse than they rolled. The dragon regains Hit Points equal to half of the highest damage a single creature takes from this effect.
In addition, all non-creature plant life in the area withers and dies, eliminating non-magical undergrowth and any resulting difficult terrain, cover, and concealment. Water is also consumed in the same way, typically lowering any standing body of water fully within the area by 1 foot.Forest Shape When casting tree shape, a forest dragon can become a tree of the same size and age as themself.Greater Constrict [one-action] 4d8+10 bludgeoning, DC 39Lignifying Bite (plant, primal, transmutation) When a creature made of flesh is reduced to 0 Hit Points by the dragon's jaws Strike, that creature must attempt a DC 39 Fortitude save. If it fails, it dies, and its flesh, made of earth in a metaphysical sense, turns to wood. The wood is living and might grow into a tree over time, but it can't be used as a body or piece of a body for raise dead or other magic that would return the creature to life.Woodland Stride The forest dragon ignores difficult terrain and greater difficult terrain from non-magical foliage.

All Monsters in "Dragon, Forest"

NameLevel
Adult Forest Dragon14
Ancient Forest Dragon19
Young Forest Dragon10

Dragon, Forest

Source Bestiary 3 pg. 74
Forest dragons oversee the endless growth of nature, protect it from plunder, and reclaim ruins for the wilderness. Some say these dragons jealously hoard nature's bounty for themselves while seeing everyone else who tries to benefit from nature as thieves and poachers. They loathe the progress of technology and civilization, preferring the company of monsters and animals.

Forest dragons are their forests in a literal sense. Over time, their hair becomes mossy, their hide toughens like bark, and small insects or animals live within them.

Dragon, Imperial

Related Groups Dragon, Sea, Dragon, Sky, Dragon, Sovereign, Dragon, Underworld
Imperial dragons, namesake of the Dragon Empires and guardians of Tian Xia before humanity arrived, embody five strengthening and counteracting forces. Unlike other true dragons, imperial dragons dive deep into human affairs. Some remain secretive, posing as reclusive hermits, while others keep a high profile, openly ruling factions. Tian cultures in turn venerate the dragons, depicting gods in the form of dragons or claiming ancestry from them. Not all are adored, for plenty of these creatures act wickedly.

Draconic Cycles

Five elements underpin the magical powers of imperial dragons, influencing their relationships to all things and, especially, to others of their kind. These elements interlink in two cycles. In the first cycle, each element feeds one other: wood feeds fire, fire feeds earth, earth feeds metal, metal feeds water, and water feeds wood. In the second cycle, each element counters another: wood counters earth, earth counters water, water counters fire, fire counters metal, and metal counters wood.

Each imperial dragon represents one element and has four abilities related to the cycle. For example, the forest dragon—linked to wood—feeds fire, is fed by water, counters earth, and is countered by metal.

Shape-Changing Dragons

Imperial dragons are the most likely (and willing) of Golarion's dragons to take humanoid forms. The vast majority of them have the following ability, with the tradition trait matching the dragon's innate spells:

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

Imperial Dragon Spellcasters

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

Imperial Dragons On Golarion

Imperial dragons are rarely spotted beyond Tian Xia, where some establish territories to amass power, while others follow their natural affinity to seek a place of comfort.

Sidebar - Related Creatures Children of the Green Spears

A great ancient forest dragon used to live in the Vale of Green Spears, a massive bamboo forest at the center of the Tengu nation Kwanlai. The dragon's last nest of eggs survived her death, and the young dragons hatched from this clutch now fight viciously for control over their late mother's territory.

Sidebar - Advice and Rules Forest Dragon Spellcasters

Forest dragon spellcasters tend to cast the following spells.

Young Forest Dragon

Primal Prepared Spells DC 29, attack +22; 4th gaseous form, hallucinatory terrain, solid fog; 3rd animal vision, stinking cloud, wall of thorns; 2nd animal messenger, darkness, water breathing; 1st create water, goblin pox, pest form; Cantrips (4th) acid splash, detect magic, guidance, read aura, tanglefoot; Rituals DC 29; plant growth

Adult Forest Dragon

Primal Prepared Spells DC 34, attack +28; As young forest dragon, plus 6th baleful polymorph, purple worm sting, tangling creepers; 5th cloudkill, moon frenzy, tree stride; Cantrips (6th) acid splash, detect magic, guidance, read aura, tanglefoot; Rituals DC 34; commune with nature

Ancient Forest Dragon

Primal Prepared Spells DC 41, attack +35; As adult forest dragon, plus 9th implosion, nature's enmity; 8th horrid wilting, polar ray, punishing winds; 7th eclipse burst, prismatic spray, true target; Cantrips (9th) acid splash, detect magic, guidance, read aura, tanglefoot