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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

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PFS StandardAncient Diabolic Dragon

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.

Recall Knowledge - Dragon (Arcana): DC 42
Unspecific Lore: DC 40
Specific Lore: DC 37

Elite | Normal | Weak
Proficiency without Level

Ancient Diabolic DragonCreature 20

Uncommon Gargantuan Divine Dragon Unholy 
Source Monster Core pg. 114
Perception +13; greater darkvision, scent (imprecise) 60 feet, smoke vision
Languages Aklo, Chthonian, Common, Diabolic, Draconic, Empyrean, Necril, Pyric
Skills Acrobatics +13, Athletics +18, Deception +14, Diplomacy +16, Hell Lore +13, Intimidation +14, Legal Lore +15, Religion +15, Society +13, Thievery +13
Str +10, Dex +5, Con +8, Int +5, Wis +7, Cha +8
Smoke Vision Smoke doesn't impair the dragon's vision; they ignore the concealed condition from smoke.
AC 24; Fort +16, Ref +12, Will +12; +2 status to all saves vs. divine
HP 390; Immunities fire, paralyzed, sleep; Weaknesses holy 15
Frightful Presence (aura, emotion, fear, mental 90 feet, DC 20) Hell's Sting [reaction] (divine, mental, unholy) Trigger The dragon is critically hit with a melee attack; Effect The dragon channels the rancor of Hell back through the body of their foe, overwhelming it with an infernal assault on the mind. The triggering creature takes 10d6 mental damage with a DC 22 basic Will save. Holy creatures use an outcome one degree of success worse than they roll on their saving throw.Reactive Strike [reaction]
Speed 70 feet, fly 180 feet
Melee [one-action] jaws +18 [+13/+8] (fire, magical, reach 10 feet, unholy), Damage 4d12+18 piercing plus 2d6 fireMelee [one-action] claws +18 [+14/+10] (agile, fire, magical, unholy), Damage 4d8+18 piercing plus 2d6 fire and Improved GrabMelee [one-action] tail +16 [+11/+6] (fire, magical, reach 15 feet, unholy), Damage 4d8+18 bludgeoning plus 2d6 fire and Improved KnockdownDivine Innate Spells DC 20, attack +12; 9th divine immolation (at will), falling stars (fire only), wall of fire (at will); 8th summon fiend (phistophilus only; at will); 7th interplanar teleport (at will; self only); Cantrips (10th) ignition
Diabolic Fire Any fire damage that a diabolic dragon deals, including fire damage from spells, is imbued with the unholy power of Hell to scorch the spirit as well. A creature takes spirit damage instead of fire damage if that would be more detrimental to the creature (as determined by the GM). A diabolic dragon is immune to the diabolic fire of other diabolic dragons, the fire from divine immolation, and similar effects.Draconic Frenzy [two-actions] The dragon makes two claw Strikes and one tail Strike in any order.Draconic Momentum The dragon recharges their Hellfire Breath whenever they score a critical hit with a Strike.Hellfire Breath [two-actions] (divine, fire, unholy) The dragon unleashes a blast of infernal fire that deals 21d6 fire damage in a 50-foot cone (DC 22 basic Reflex save). The dragon can't use Hellfire Breath again for 1d4 rounds.

All Monsters in "Dragon, Diabolic"

NameLevel
Adult Diabolic Dragon15
Ancient Diabolic Dragon20
Young Diabolic Dragon11

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.

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 - 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