All Monsters in "Dragon, Diabolic"

Name	Level
Adult Diabolic Dragon	15
Ancient Diabolic Dragon	20
Diabolic Archdragon	23
Young Diabolic Dragon	11

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, Barrage, Dragon, Bog, Dragon, Brine, Dragon, Cinder, Dragon, Cloud, Dragon, Conspirator, Dragon, Coral, Dragon, Crystal, Dragon, Delight, Dragon, Despair, Dragon, Empyreal, Dragon, Executor, Dragon, Forest, Dragon, Fortune, Dragon, Horned, Dragon, Magma, Dragon, Mirage, Dragon, Mocking, Dragon, Oath, Dragon, Omen, Dragon, Phase, Dragon, Requiem, Dragon, Resurrection, Dragon, Rime, Dragon, Rune, Dragon, Sage, Dragon, Sea, Dragon, Sky, Dragon, Sovereign, Dragon, Stormcrown, Dragon, Time, Dragon, Umbral, Dragon, Underworld, Dragon, Vizier, Dragon, Vorpal, Dragon, Wailing, Dragon, Whisper, Dragon, Wish, Dragonet, Wyrmwraith
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.

Alternate Abilities

With the powers of Hell at their disposal, diabolic dragons can have a multitude of different abilities. You can apply the following adjustments to diabolic dragons of any age.

Some diabolic dragons can steal the faces and memories of those whose souls they possess, wearing them as disguises with which to deceive potential victims. To make a dragon with this ability, replace frightful presence with the following.

Diabolic Disguise [one-action] (concentrate, divine, polymorph) The dragon assumes the form of a specific creature whose soul gem or infernal contract is in their possession or hoard. This has the effects of Change Shape, except the dragon also gains perfunctory knowledge of the creature’s personality, social connections, mannerisms, and surface memories, at the GM’s discretion. Any knowledge the dragon gains by taking on another creature’s form is lost when the dragon dismisses the effect or changes shape again, although nothing prevents them from recording it by other means while transformed.

Diabolic dragons with a flair for sorcery can sunder the fabric between the Universe and the depths of Hell with a mere gesture. To make a dragon with this ability, replace Draconic Frenzy with the following.

Infernal Rift [three-actions] (divine, fire, unholy) The dragon uses their claw to tear open a rift to Phlegethon, the fourth layer of Hell. The rift measures 5 feet wide, 10 feet high, and up to 20 feet long, and can be Sustained for up to 1 minute. While the rift is open, any creature occupying its area or an adjacent square at the start of its turn takes 3d6 fire damage (+1 die for each dragon age category beyond young) and an equal amount of spirit damage with a basic Reflex save. The dragon can choose instead to open a rift to Cocytus, the frozen seventh layer of Hell, to replace this fire damage with cold damage, although it is still subject to the dragon’s Diabolic Fire ability.

Diabolic dragons with exceptional mastery of devilish pacts and interplanar summoning can replace spellcasters’ conjured minions with their own. To make a dragon with this ability, replace Hell’s Sting with the following.

Intercept Summons [reaction] (concentrate) Trigger A creature within 30 feet uses magic to summon or conjure a creature; Effect The dragon attempts a counteract check with a Hell Lore check (counteract rank equal to half the dragon’s level, rounded up). On a success, the dragon seizes control of the effect, causing it to fail and immediately casting a summon fiend spell of the same rank (minimum 5th) as the triggering effect to summon a creature with the devil trait.

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.

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.

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

Diabolic Archdragon

Divine Prepared Spells DC 46, attack +38; As ancient diabolic dragon plus 10th indestructibility, massacre; Cantrips (10th) detect magic, divine lance, message, sigil, void warp