Cave dragons are among the apex predators of the underworld, always hungry and ready to ravenously devour just about anything they encounter. The living, the undead, plants, effectively anything organic is viable food for a cave dragon. Few alliances last long with a cave dragon, and all are non-starters unless a sizable bribe of treasure or food is offered up. On occasion they will join one side of the underworld wars, usually in exchange for eating most of the dead once the battles are over.
Long and thin, they crawl through narrow tunnels using their stunted wings like forelimbs and a massive number of short tendrils along the side of their body to help slide across the stone of their realm. When young they are white like limestone, getting darker with age but always similar to the color of stone to allow them camouflage. They have no eyes, instead using incredible senses to traverse their environments with no hindrance. Long spikes cover much of their bodies, acting both as additional sensors to sense the slightest movement in stone they touch and as able to be flared up to impale other creatures and block tunnels to prevent creatures from outflanking them.
For all their power and dominance of the underworld, cave dragons rarely grow to truly ancient ages. Their slow burrowing and massive appetites means they often strip their territory of food and are unable to find their way to further fertile ground before starving, keeping their population lower and weaker than they otherwise could be. Sometimes a desperate dragon will find its way to the surface to feed on the more available food there, but their earthbound movement and lack of sight leaves them incredibly vulnerable.
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Pathfinder 2e
Cave Dragon Spellcasters
Cave dragon spellcasters tend to cast the following spells.
Young Cave Dragon
Primal Prepared Spells DC 29, attack +21; 4th mirage, mountain resilience, stone shape; 3rd blindness, lightning bolt, one with stone, safe passage; 2nd clear mind, shatter, water breathing; 1st create water, fleet step (x2), vanishing tracks; Cantrips (4th) detect magic, guidance, know the way, vitality lash
Adult Cave Dragon
Primal Prepared Spells DC 34, attack +26; as young cave dragon, plus 6th cursed metamorphosis, petrify, truesight; 5th control water, impaling spike, speak with stones; Cantrips (6th) detect magic, guidance, know the way, vitality lash
Young Cave Dragon Creature 11
Large, Dragon, Primal
Perception +20; scent (imprecise) 120 feet, tremorsense (precise) 120 feet, no vision
Languages Common, Draconic, Goblin, Sakvroth
Skills Athletics +23, Intimidation +21, Nature +20, Stealth +20, Survival +20, Cavern Lore +19
Str +6, Dex +1, Con +5, Int +0, Wis +1, Cha +4
AC 30; Fort +22, Ref +16, Will +20; +2 status to all saves vs. primal
HP 195; Immunities paralyzed, poison, sleep, visual
Frightful Presence (aura, emotion, fear, mental)) 90 feet, DC 29
Ruff Spikes [reaction] Trigger A creature tires to enter a space within 5 feet of the dragon. Effect The dragon flares its spikes, dealing 2d8 piercing damage. The creature must attempt a DC 30 Reflex save.
Critical Success The creature is unaffected.
Success The creature takes half damage.
Failure The creature takes full damage and can’t enter a space within 5 feet of the dragon for the rest of its turn, but can continue moving.
Critical Failure The creature takes double damage and its movement ends without entering the space.
Speed 40 feet, burrow 20 feet, climb 20 feet, fly 20 feet
Melee jaws +23 (magical, poison, reach 10 feet), Damage 2d12+10 piercing plus 2d6 poison
Melee wing +21 (agile, magical, reach 10 feet), Damage 2d8+10 slashing
Melee spine +21 (agile, magical), Damage 1d8+10 piercing
Primal Innate Spells Spells DC 29 ; 4th darkness (at will); 3rd earthbind; 2nd blur;
Cave Dragon Poison (poison) The enfeebled condition from cave dragon poison can’t be reduced until the poison is cured. Saving Throw DC 30 Fortitude; Maximum Duration 24 hours; Stage 1 2d6 poison and enfeebled 1 (1 minute); Stage 2 4d6 poison and enfeebled 2 (1 minute); Stage 3 8d6 poison and enfeebled 4 (24 hours).
Draconic Frenzy [2 actions] The dragon makes two wing Strikes and one spine Strike in any order.
Draconic Momentum The dragon recharges their Poison Breath whenever they score a critical hit with a Strike.
Poison Breath [2 actions] (poison, primal) The dragon breathes poison gas that deals 9d6 poison damage in a 30-foot cone (DC 30 basic Fortitude save). A creature that fails this save is also exposed to Cave Dragon Poison. They can’t use Poison Breath again for 1d4 rounds.
Tunneler The dragon can leave a tunnel behind itself when it burrows.
Adult Cave Dragon Creature 15
Huge, Dragon, Primal
Perception +24; scent (imprecise) 120 feet, tremorsense (precise) 240 feet, no vision
Languages Common, Draconic, Goblin, Sakvroth
Skills Athletics +31, Intimidation +27, Nature +25, Stealth +25, Survival +25, Cavern Lore +24
Str +8, Dex +1, Con +7, Int +1, Wis +1, Cha +5
AC 36; Fort +29, Ref +22, Will +24; +2 status to all saves vs. primal
HP 275; Immunities paralyzed, poison, sleep, visual
Ruff Spikes [reaction] As young cave dragon, but 4d8 piercing damage, and DC 36.
Frightful Presence (aura, emotion, fear, mental) 90 feet, DC 34
Speed 40 feet, burrow 40 feet, climb 40 feet, earth glide
Melee jaws +30 (magical, poison, reach 15 feet), Damage 3d12+14 piercing plus 2d6 poison
Melee spine +28 (agile, magical), Damage 2d8+14 piercing
Melee wing +28 (agile, magical, reach 10 feet), Damage 3d8+14 slashing
Primal Innate Spells DC 34 ; 4th darkness (at will), talking corpse; 3rd earthbind (×3); 2nd blur (×3);
Cave Dragon Poison (poison) The enfeebled condition from cave dragon poison can’t be reduced until the poison is cured. Saving Throw DC 36 Fortitude; Maximum Duration 24 hours; Stage 1 4d6 poison and enfeebled 1 (1 minute); Stage 2 6d6 poison and enfeebled 2 (1 minute); Stage 3 12d6 poison and enfeebled 4 (24 hours).
Draconic Frenzy [2 actions] As young cave dragon.
Draconic Momentum As young cave dragon.
Earth Glide The dragon can Burrow through any earthen matter, including rock. When it does so, the dragon moves at its full burrow Speed, leaving no tunnel or signs of its passing.
Poison Breath [2 actions] (poison, primal) As young cave dragon, but a 60-foot cone, 13d6 poison damage, and DC 36.
Tunneler The dragon can leave a tunnel behind itself when it burrows.
13th Age
Cave dragons have the standard escalator ability, but unlike other dragons do not automatically get flight.
Medium Cave Dragon
6th level wrecker [dragon]
Initiative: +9
Toxic Bite +11 vs. AC – 15 damage plus 5 poison damage.
C: Poisonous Breath +11 vs. PD (1d4 nearby enemies) – 8 ongoing poison damage.
Natural 14+: The target is also dazed as long as it’s taking the ongoing damage.
Natural 18+: The target is weakened instead of dazed while taking the ongoing damage.
Limited Use: 1/battle. At the start of each of its turns, the dragon can roll a d6; if it rolls equal to or less than the escalation die, it recharges its poisonous breath. After each success, the recharge die increases by one, from a d6 to a d8, then d10, d12, and finally d20. It can’t use poisonous breath two turns in a row, even if it recharges.
[Special Trigger] Ruff Spikes +11 vs. PD – 5 damage.
Natural Even Hit: The target’s movement ends for the round without engaging the dragon.
Limited Use: 1/round, as an interrupt action when an enemy attempts to engage the dragon.
Burrower and Poor Flyer.
Resist Poison 12+.
AC 20 PD 20 MD 18 HP 88
Large Cave Dragon
Large 10th level wrecker [dragon]
Initiative: +12
Massive Jaws and Claws +15 vs. AC (2 attacks) – 40 damage.
Natural Even Hit: 10 poison damage.
C: Poisonous Breath +15 vs. PD (1d4+1 nearby enemies) – 22 ongoing poison damage.
Natural 14+: The target is also dazed as long as its taking the ongoing damage.
Natural 18+: The target is weakened instead of dazed while taking the ongoing damage.
Limited Use: 1/battle. At the start of each of its turns, the dragon can roll a d6; if it rolls equal to or less than the escalation die, it recharges its poisonous breath. After each success, the recharge die increases by one, from a d6 to a d8, then d10, d12, and finally d20. It can’t use poisonous breath two turns in a row, even if it recharges.
[Special Trigger] Ruff Spikes +15 vs. PD – 15 damage.
Natural Even Hit: The target’s movement ends for the round without engaging the dragon.
Limited Use: 1/round, as an interrupt action when an enemy attempts to engage the dragon.
Earth Glide: The dragon can burrow as the standard monster ability, except it doesn’t have to roll a save to burrow through any form of rock or stone.
Resist Poison 16+.
AC 24 PD 24 MD 22 HP 430
Writing and Rolling 