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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

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PFS StandardAncient Horned Dragon

The magic that flows through primal dragons can manifest more animalistic or bestial features in a given type of dragon. Notably among these are the massive paired horns of the horned dragon. While their bulky frames, natural coloration, and prominent ridged scales are all remarkable in their own way, it's the horns that are most obvious and striking at first glance. Horned dragons use their horns to impale their prey in a quick and brutal display of their might. They are generally contemplative and have a fixation on knowledge and self-discipline, traits belied by their bestial appearance. As a result, horned dragons are generally more open to speaking with outsiders.

Recall Knowledge - Dragon (Arcana): DC 38
Unspecific Lore: DC 36
Specific Lore: DC 33

Elite | Normal | Weak
Proficiency without Level

Ancient Horned DragonCreature 17

Uncommon Gargantuan Amphibious Dragon Primal 
Source Monster Core pg. 121
Perception +30; darkvision, scent (imprecise) 60 feet
Languages Chthonian, Common, Draconic, Elven, Fey, Jotun
Skills Acrobatics +25, Arcana +32, Athletics +30, Deception +27, Diplomacy +31, Forest Lore +31, Intimidation +31, Nature +28, Occultism +34, Society +31, Stealth +29
Str +7, Dex +4, Con +5, Int +6, Wis +5, Cha +6
Camouflage The dragon can Hide in natural environments even if they don't have cover.
AC 41; Fort +30, Ref +29, Will +32; +1 status to all saves vs. magic
HP 315; Immunities paralyzed, poison, sleep
Frightful Presence (aura, emotion, fear, mental) 90 feet, DC 37Miasma (aura, poison) 20 feet. After the dragon uses their Poison Breath, a cloud of poison gas continues to emanate from their body for 1 round. Any creature that ends its turn in the miasma takes 4d6 poison damage (DC 37 basic Fortitude save). Any creature in the miasma is concealed and treats other creatures as concealed. The dragon can see through this concealment.Twisting Tail [reaction] Trigger A creature within reach of the dragon's tail uses a move action or leaves a square during a move action it's using; Effect The dragon makes a tail Strike at the creature with a –2 penalty. If the Strike hits, the dragon disrupts the creature's action.
Speed 50 feet, fly 200 feet, swim 50 feet; forest passage, trackless journey
Melee [one-action] jaws +33 [+28/+23] (magical, poison, reach 20 feet), Damage 3d12+15 piercing plus 4d4 poisonMelee [one-action] claw +33 [+29/+25] (agile, magical, reach 15 feet), Damage 3d10+15 slashingMelee [one-action] tail +31 [+26/+21] (magical, reach 25 feet), Damage 3d10+13 bludgeoningMelee [one-action] horn +31 [+26/+21] (magical, reach 20 feet), Damage 2d10+13 piercingPrimal Innate Spells DC 39; 6th dominate; 4th charm (at will), suggestion; 2nd entangling flora (at will)
Draconic Frenzy [two-actions] The dragon makes two claw Strikes and one horn Strike in any order.Draconic Momentum The dragon recharges their Poison Breath whenever they score a critical hit with a Strike.Forest Passage The horned dragon ignores any difficult terrain caused by plants, such as bushes, vines, and undergrowth. Even plants manipulated by magic don't impede their progress.Impaling Charge [two-actions] Requirements The dragon doesn't have a creature impaled on their horn; Effect The dragon attempts to gore a foe. They Stride, then attempt a horn Strike. On a hit, the target becomes impaled on the dragon's horn. The creature is grabbed while on the horn (and can attempt to Escape as normal). The dragon doesn't need to use additional actions to keep the impaled creature grabbed. If the dragon moves, they bring the grabbed creature along with them.Poison Breath [two-actions] (primal, poison) The dragon breathes a toxic cloud that deals 18d6 poison damage in a 60-foot cone (DC 37 basic Fortitude save). They can't use Poison Breath again for 1d4 rounds.Trackless Journey The horned dragon always gains the benefits of Cover Tracks in natural surroundings, even while moving at full speed.

All Monsters in "Dragon, Horned"

NameLevel
Adult Horned Dragon12
Ancient Horned Dragon17
Young Horned Dragon8

Dragon, Horned

Source Monster Core pg. 119
The magic that flows through primal dragons can manifest more animalistic or bestial features in a given type of dragon. Notably among these are the massive paired horns of the horned dragon. While their bulky frames, natural coloration, and prominent ridged scales are all remarkable in their own way, it's the horns that are most obvious and striking at first glance. Horned dragons use their horns to impale their prey in a quick and brutal display of their might. They are generally contemplative and have a fixation on knowledge and self-discipline, traits belied by their bestial appearance. As a result, horned dragons are generally more open to speaking with outsiders.

Dragon

Related Groups Dragon, Adamantine, Dragon, Conspirator, Dragon, Diabolic, Dragon, Empyreal, Dragon, Fortune, 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 Athervox

As horned dragons are contemplative and seek scholarly endeavors, Athervox is no different. An astronomer by trade, this great horned dragon maintains an observatory near Senara in the Whisper Woods of Cheliax. There, she struck a deal with House Thrune where she agreed to instruct a handful of apprentices. After a few years of instruction, these “apprentices” vanished one night, taking volumes of the dragon's crucial notes—a slight she has not forgotten and for which she plans to seek vengeance.

Sidebar - Locations Horned Dragon Lairs

Horned dragon lairs are generally found within forests and swamps, but these sites can vary. Some horned dragons keep lairs within caves; others within hollowed trees or underneath the roots of large tree systems; some dragons even keep lairs among forest canopies. Their hoards are typically well kept, organized, and filled with tomes of lore and scrolls of magic, along with antiquities they collect for their own inscrutable reasons. Many of these treasures come from across the globe, and many an adventurer has survived an encounter with a horned dragon by stroking their ego and plying them with rare artifacts or lost lore from ancient cultures.

Sidebar - Advice and Rules Horned Dragon Spellcasters

Horned dragon spellcasters tend to cast the following spells.

Young Horned Dragon

Primal Prepared Spells DC 26, attack +20; 3rd dispel magic, slow, veil of privacy, wall of thorns; 2nd humanoid form, one with plants, sound body; 1st gust of wind, vanishing tracks, ventriloquism; Cantrips (3rd) detect magic, know the way, light, read aura, tangle vine

Adult Horned Dragon

Primal Prepared Spells DC 33, attack +26; As young horned dragon, plus 5th dispel magic, toxic cloud, veil of privacy; 4th hydraulic torrent, mountain resilience, unfettered movement; Cantrips (5th) detect magic, know the way, light, read aura, tangle vine

Ancient Horned Dragon

Primal Prepared Spells DC 39, attack +33; As adult horned dragon, plus 8th desiccate, punishing winds; 7th execute, mask of terror, veil of privacy; 6th field of life, tangling creepers, truesight; Cantrips (8th) detect magic, know the way, light, read aura, tangle vine