Wyrms of the North Kallionastiryne
Dragon Magazine #296
By Skip Williams and Andy Collins
Kallionastiryne regards every inch of the forest where she dwells as her personal domain, and she likewise regards anyone who sets foot inside without her leave as a trespasser and vandal. Her uncompromising defense of her forest has won her the grudging admiration of a few druids; however, Kallionastiryne often allows orcs, giants, or other evil creatures hunting and logging rights, demanding hefty bribes of gold and gems and plenty of flattery as well. Kallionastiryne is not so much worried about the welfare of her forest as she is about being recognized as its sole owner. Because she regards these deals as little more than temporary agreements with inferior creatures they seldom last long. Eventually the dragon notes some lapse or weakness in her partners and kills them, claiming they have violated the agreement in some fashion.
Kallionastiryne: female adult green dragon; CR 12; Huge dragon (Air); HD 20d12+100, hp 230; Init +0; Spd 40 ft., swim 40 ft., fly 150 ft. (poor); AC 27 (touch 8, flat-footed 27); Atk +26 melee (2d8+8, bite), +21 melee (2d6+4, 2 claws), +21 melee (1d8+4, 2 wings), +21 melee (2d6+12, tail slap); Face/Reach 10 ft. x 20 ft./10 ft.; SA Breath weapon, crush, frightful presence, suggestion; SQ Dragon traits, immune to acid, water breathing, DR 5/+1, SR 21, dragon traits; AL LE; SV Fort +17, Ref +12, Will +15; Str 27, Dex 10, Con 21, Int 16, Wis 17, Cha 16.
Skills and Feats: Bluff +20, Concentration +18, Diplomacy +7, Hide -8, Intimidate +25, Knowledge (arcana) +18, Knowledge (nature) +18, Listen +23, Move Silently +20, Search +23, Sense Motive +23, Spellcraft +23, Spot +23, Clinging Breath, Flyby Attack, Hover, Power Attack, Wingover, Wingstorm
Breath Weapon (Su): 50-foot cone, 12d6 acid, save DC 25.
Crush (Ex): Area 10 feet wide and 20 feet long; Small or smaller opponents suffer 2d8+12 points of bludgeoning damage and must succeed at a Reflex save (DC 23) or be pinned; grapple bonus +36.
Wingstorm (Ex): As a full-round action, creates a blast of air of windstorm strength in a cylinder with a 60-foot radius and up to 60 feet high. Creatures in the cylinder suffer wind effects. See Wind effects (DMG) for more information.
Frightful Presence (Ex): 180-foot radius, HD 19 or less, Will save (DC 21) negates.
Water Breathing (Ex): The dragon can breathe underwater indefinitely and can freely use its breath weapon, spells, and other abilities while submerged.
Dragon Traits: Immune to sleep and paralysis effects, darkvision 600 feet, low-light vision, blindsight 180 feet.
Sorcerer Spells Known: (6/7/5; base DC = 13 + spell level): 0 - arcane mark, dancing lights, detect magic, ghost sound, read magic, resistance; 1st - expeditious retreat, Nystul's undetectable aura, shield, true strike; 2nd - darkness, detect thoughts.
Tactics: Kallionastiryne prefers nocturnal assaults, launching her well-planned attacks from the air. She usually has foreknowledge of an upcoming fight, and she prepares with resistance, shield, and expeditious retreat. When preparing for an attack, Kallionastiryne remains in the air and about 300 feet from her quarry while she casts her spells; then she flies in, staying about 30 feet above the ground and looses a clinging breath on as many foes as she can catch in the area. The following round, she hovers and creates a windstorm. In addition to the windstorm effects, the draft from her wings puts out open non-magical flames (such as torches and campfires) and creates a hemispherical cloud of leaves and twigs with a radius of 180 feet. Creatures in the cloud are blinded and remain blinded for 1 round after emerging from the cloud. Those caught in the cloud must succeed at a Concentration check (DC 20) to cast a spell.
On the round following the windstorm, Kallionastiryne makes a crush attack if any of her foes are still standing and small enough to be vulnerable to the attack. Otherwise she makes melee attacks against anyone left standing in the wake of the windstorm. When her foes begin to counterattack, Kallionastiryne uses her clinging breath weapon again (if possible), unleashes another windstorm, or defensively casts a darkness spell to obscure herself, as the situation warrants.
Lair/Encounters: Kallionastiryne's lair is a vast cave in a wooded hillside; however, she keeps the location secret. She has tribute delivered to a picturesque woodland glade containing a pool and a waterfall. Flooded caverns under the waterfall connect to a lake downstream. Kallionastiryne swims to the pool from the lake, giving the impression that her lair lies under the waterfall when it is in fact miles away.
Kallionastiryne often attacks adventurers who stray into her forest. She hopes to loot their remains and hoard whatever wealth she recovers. In such instances, characters might notice an ominous shape somewhere beyond the range of their vision, noticeable only by the way their view of the stars is blocked as the dragon circles their camp before it attacks.
It is equally likely that parties might encounter some of the dragon's cronies as they cut a swath through the forest. Such creatures might flee the scene, seeking the dragon's aid. If a party captures one or more of them they might offer to reveal the location of the dragon's "lair" in return for their freedom.
It is also possible that the party could meet good or neutral woodland creatures who are accustomed to living under the dragon's shadow and do their best to keep out of her way. Some of these creatures might warn a party of the danger the dragon poses, others might seek the party's aid in getting rid of her, possibly also by revealing the location of the "lair."
Power Up
The resistance spell grants Kallionastiryne a +1 resistance bonus to saving throws: Fort +18, Ref +13, Will +16 (don't forget her SR of 21). The shield spell grants a +7 cover bonus against foes on half the battlefield (the shield spell does not grant any saving throw bonuses. Kallionastiryne usually orients the shield toward the greatest numbers, which sometimes is straight down when she's hovering. With the shield in effect, she has: AC 34 (touch 15, flat-footed 34). The expeditious retreat spell doubles Kallionastiryne's speed: 80 ft., swim 80 ft., fly 300 ft. (poor).