Dragon’s chamber (EL 11)
Before you lies an enormous cavern. The pathway slopes down steeply. Off in the distance, echoing off the walls of this cave, you can hear the sound of pouring water, as if a waterfall is present elsewhere in the cavern. In front of you, you can just make out some stalactites hanging from the ceiling. The air here is stale and acrid.
This large chamber is over 120’ feet across, and anywhere from 80 to 100 feet tall. Stalactites (some as tall as 20 feet) dot the ceiling. The sound of water fills this chamber – echoing off the stones. In the distant corner, a waterfall from an underground stream pours in and falls some 75’ into the pool. An underwater tunnel some 5’ below the surface connects this room to area 10.
There is a secret door which leads to area 9. It is accessible via the dragon’s plateau. The door can be found from active searching (DC 18). There is no physical mechanism to open it – instead, the door rotates on an axis like a revolving door, and requires a combined strength of 30 to push open.
Two dragons reside here – sibling green dragons, a juvenile female (CR 8), and a young male (CR 5). They rest on the treasure-covered plateau rising out of the water in the southeast corner of the pool. The dragons will notice anyone entering from area 7. Catching these dragons by surprise is difficult at best. The dragons never sleep at the same time. Any adventurers entering the chamber through area 7 carrying a light source of any kind will be spotted instantly. Furthermore, the steep incline into area 7 and extending down to the pool from area 7 is comprised primarily of shale – loose layers of rock which break easily. Climbing down the steep incline to the pool quietly is nearly impossible (Move Silently DC 40).
The entrance into this chamber is also fairly steep, and the rocks are not stable. Any movement faster than a single move action requires a balance check (DC 10) to avoid falling. Characters who fall slide 1d4 x 5’ down the slope and take 2 points of bludgeoning damage per 5’ fallen.
Once the dragons are alerted to the presence of adventurers entering the chamber, the younger male will slip quietly (Move Silently) into the water. The deepest parts of the pool here are over 20 feet deep. There he will wait quietly in order to ambush anyone who dares assault their lair on the plateau – rising from the water attacking from the rear once the time is right.
Ferix, Juvenile Green Dragon (CR 8)
Large Dragon [Air]
Hit Dice: 14d12+42 (133 hp)
Initiative: +4 (+4 Improved Initiative, +0 Dex)
Speed: 40 ft., fly 150 ft. (poor), swim 40 ft
AC: 22 (–1 size, +13 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 22; (26 with
mage armor)
BAB/Grapple: +14/+22
Full Attack: 1 bite +17 (2d8+4), 2 claws +17 (1d8+2), 2 wings +17 (1d6+2), tail slap +17 (1d8+6)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft. (10 ft. with bite)
Special Attacks: Breath Weapon (DC 22), Spells
Special Qualities:Darkvision 120’, Blindsense, Immunities, Keen Senses, Immunity to Acid, Water Breathing
Saves: Fort +12, Ref +9, Will +11
Abilities: Str 19, Dex 10, Con 17, Int 14, Wis 15, Cha 14
Alignment: Lawful Evil
CR: 8
Skills: Bluff +6 (+4 ranks, +2 Cha),
Concentration +11 (+8 ranks, +3 Con),
Diplomacy +6 (+4 ranks, +2 Cha),
Escape Artist +4 (+4 ranks, +0 Dex),
Hide +15 (+15 ranks, +0 Dex),
Intimidate +12 (+10 ranks, +2 Cha),
Listen +21 (+17 ranks, +2 Alertness, +2 Wis),
Move Silently +15 (+15 ranks, +0 Dex),
Search +17 (+15 ranks, +2 Int),
Sense Motive +15 (+13 ranks, +2 Wis),
Spot +21 (+17 ranks, +2 Alertness, +2 Wis),
Use Magic Device +16 (+14 ranks, +2 Cha)
Feats: Ability Focus (Breath Weapon), Alertness, Hover, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Attack (bite)
Breath Weapon (Su): Ferix’s breath weapon is a cone of corrosive gas dealing 8d6 points of acid damage. This cone extends 40 feet out. Reflex save DC 22 for half damage.
Spells: Ferix casts arcane spells as a 1st level sorcerer.
Spells Known: 0: acid splash,
detect magic,
mage hand,
read magic;
1stgrease,
mage armor
Spells per Day: 5, 5
Immunities (Ex): All dragons have immunity to sleep and paralysis effects.
Blindsense (Ex): Dragons can pinpoint creatures within a distance of 60 feet. Opponents the dragon can’t actually see still have total concealment against the dragon.
Keen Senses (Ex): A dragon sees four times as well a human in shadowy illumination and twice as well in normal light. It also has darkvision out to 120 feet.
Water Breathing (Ex): A green dragon can breathe underwater indefinitely and can freely use its breath weapon, spells, and other abilities while submerged.
Ferix’s Tactics
Ferix is the older of the two dragons – and is protective of her younger brother. She will usually instruct her sibling to hide in the water away from immediate danger if danger approaches. Prior to that, Ferix will cast
mage armor on her brother first and then on herself. If she has time, she will use the wand of
eagle’s splendor on herself which gives her an additional two spells per day due to the +4 increase to her charisma.
Ferix will attempt to parlay initially – to gauge her opponents. This gives her a chance to study them. During this time she will attempt to gather any information she can about recent activities nearby if possible, but more importantly she will analyze the party makeup, trying to discern who the threats are.
Knowing that it will take a few rounds for attackers to get to her by foot, Ferix will immediately fly up and hover over the group, using her breath weapon targeting as many people as possible, but making sure to get those individuals she considers major threats – spellcasters. She will then fly back and wait to see what her attackers do next.
Ferix counters with
grease spells to knock anyone climbing up the side of her plateau wall. The DC for climbing the wall here under normal conditions is DC 15. Under the effects of a
grease spell it increases to a DC of 25. Once her
grease spells are depleted, she will attempt to bull rush individuals off. Because Ferix has Improved Bull Rush, her bull rushes do not provoke attacks of opportunity, and she has a +4 on opposed strength checks. Victims pushed off the plateau wall fall into the water and are subject to attack from Ferix’s younger brother Artix. See Artix’s section on tactics for more details here.
Artix, Young Green Dragon (CR 5)
Medium Dragon [Air]
Hit Dice: 11d12+22 (93 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 40 ft., fly 150 ft. (poor), swim 40 ft
AC: 20 (+10 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 20; (24 with
mage armor)
BAB/Grapple: +11/+14
Full Attack: 1 bite +15 (1d8+3), 2 claws +15 (1d6+1), 2 wings +14 (1d4+1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Breath Weapon (DC 17)
Special Qualities: Darkvision 120’, Blindsense, Immunities, Keen Senses, Immunity to Acid, Water Breathing
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +7, Will +8
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 10, Con 15, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 12
Alignment: Lawful Evil
CR: 5
Skills: Bluff +5 (+4 ranks, +1 Cha),
Concentration +6 (+4 ranks, +2 Con),
Diplomacy +5 (+4 ranks, +1 Cha),
Escape Artist +4 (+4 ranks, +0 Dex),
Hide +16 (+14 ranks, +2 Stealthy, +0 Dex), Intimidate +7 (+6 ranks, +1 Cha), Listen +17 (+14 ranks, +2 Alertness, +1 Wis), Move Silently +16 (+14 ranks, +2 Stealthy, +0 Dex), Search +11 (+10 ranks, +1 Int),
Sense Motive +7 (+6 ranks, +1 Wis),
Spot +17 (+14 ranks, +2 Alertness, +1 Wis),
Use Magic Device +5 (+4 ranks, +1 Cha)
Feats: Alertness, Stealthy, Hover, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (bite)
Breath Weapon (Su): Artix’s breath weapon is a cone of corrosive gas dealing 6d6 points of acid damage. This cone extends 30 feet out. Reflex save DC 17 for half damage.
Immunities (Ex): All dragons have immunity to sleep and paralysis effects.
Blindsense (Ex): Dragons can pinpoint creatures within a distance of 60 feet. Opponents the dragon can’t actually see still have total concealment against the dragon.
Keen Senses (Ex): A dragon sees four times as well a human in shadowy illumination and twice as well in normal light. It also has darkvision out to 120 feet.
Water Breathing (Ex): A green dragon can breathe underwater indefinitely and can freely use its breath weapon, spells, and other abilities while submerged.
Artix’s Tactics
Artix lies in the deep end of the pool hiding - waiting for opportunities to present themselves. The DC to spot Artix while he is submerged is his Hide check (+16) plus a conditional modifier of +10 (feel free to adjust this downwards in the presence of sufficiently bright light). Artix attacks anyone thrown into the pool by his larger sister. In game terms, he will hold his initiative until an opportunity presents itself. Once this happens, he will attempt to grapple and submerge his pray – swimming back to area 10. It takes Artix 5 rounds to swim back to the area 10 – where he will let go of his prey before swimming back to join his sister. Here, underwater, in utter blackness, the PC needs to make a search check (DC 20) in order to find the opening to the air chamber. In addition, if the PC has been grappling with Artix for the 5 rounds it took to get here, that counts as 10 rounds of holding their breath against their constitution score.
Attacking Artix while he is submerged with a ranged weapon from land incurs a -2 penalty to hit.
It’s about 180’ from the chamber in area 10 to breathable air back in area 8. Swimming through this water requires a DC 10 swim check each round. A character with a movement of 30’ can swim 15’ per round as a full round action with a DC 10 swim check. This will require 12 rounds. A character can hold her breath underwater for a number of rounds equal to her constitution score. After this time, each round requires a DC 10 constitution check. The DC increases by 1 each round. When the character finally fails her check, they begin to drown. In the first round, she falls unconscious (0 hp). In the following round, she drops to –1 hit points and is dying. In the third round, she drowns.
Incidentally, it is only half as far back (90') from the chamber in area 10, to breathable air in room 6.
If the combat goes against Ferix, Artix will rise out of the water and attack while hovering. He will counter first with a breathe weapon, and then will engage in melee attacking the strongest looking opponents first.
Treasure: The plateau where Ferix and Artix reside is covered in treasure. There are two large piles of coins where the two dragons make their beds. The total amount from coinage is 10,137 cp, 5,913 sp, 2,154 gp and 207 pp. In addition, there are a number of magic items – a potion of
barkskin (+2), a set of slightly corroded +1 full plate armor (a craftsmen could polish it back to its full glory in 1d4 days), a wand of
eagle’s splendor (24 charges), and Bracers of Armor +5. In addition, there are a number of mundane items including a set of lock picks, a large darkwood shield (though slightly pitted from the acidic air), a MW composite (+2 strength) shortbow, a MW cold iron greataxe, 3 smokesticks, and a vial of antitoxin. There is also a small box which contains 13 pearls – 12 white, irregular pearls (10gp each), and a single black pearl (worth 500gp).
Contributed by: Curtis "der_kluge" Bennett
