Dragon Ruler, Pearl the Moon Dragon Working Draft
Pearl, The Moon Dragon
Colossal Dragon (Chaos, Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 48d12+576 (888 hp)
Initiative: +8
Speed: 60 ft., fly 300 ft. (poor), swim 60 ft., burrow 30 ft.
Armor Class: 50 (–8 size, +38 natural, +10 insight), touch 12, flat-footed 50
Base Attack/Grapple: +48/+83
Attack: Bite +59 melee (4d8+19/19-20)
Full Attack: Bite +59 melee (4d8+19/19-20) and 2 claws +59 melee (4d6+9) and 2 wings +59 melee (2d8+9) and tail slap +59 melee (4d6+28)
Space/Reach: 30 ft./20 ft. (30 ft. with bite)
Special Attacks: Breath weapon, charm reptiles, corrupt water, crush 4d8+28, freezing fog, frightful presence, spell-like abilities, spells, summon djinni, tail sweep 2d8+28
Special Qualities: Alternate form, blindsense 60 ft., damage reduction 15/epic or lawful, darkvision 1,600 ft., detect gems, immunities (
to acid, breath weapons, charm, cold, death, disintegration, electricity, fire, hold, paralysis, sleep, slow, spells up to 6th level, and poison), keen senses, luck bonus,
see invisibility, spell resistance 30, spider climb, telepathy 300 ft., water breathing
Saves: Fort +38, Ref +26, Will +37
Abilities: Str 48, Dex 10, Con 35, Int 31, Wis 31, Cha 32
Skills: Appraise +36, Balance +6, Bluff +62, Concentration +63, Diplomacy +74, Disguise +37 (
+43 acting), Gather Information +62, Intimidate +68, Jump +37, Knowledge (arcana) +35, Knowledge (history) +35, Knowledge (nature) +17, Knowledge (religion) +35, Knowledge (the planes) +35, Listen +61, Search +61, Sense Motive +61, Spellcraft +65 (
+71 decipher scrolls), Spot +61, Survival +61 (
+65 aboveground, +65 on other planes), Tumble +51, Use Magic Device +62 (
+68 with scrolls)
Feats: Automatic Quicken Spell×3, Dire Charge, Flyby Attack, Hover, Greater Spell Penetration, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Initiative, Improved Multiattack, Multiattack, Power Attack, Quicken Spell, Snatch, Spell Penetration, Superior Initiative, Wingover
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary, retinue (1 plus 4 great wyrm Mystaran amber dragons) or traveling court (1 plus 4 great wyrm Mystaran Amber dragons, plus a great wyrm black, brass, copper, red, and white dragon)
Challenge Rating: 28
Treasure: Triple standard
Alignment: Always chaotic neutral
Advancement: —
Level Adjustment: —
An awe-inspiring dragon whose form subtly shifts between the shapes of different types of dragon. Its scales are pale white like moonlight and gleam with the subtle iridescence of a pearl.
The Moon Dragon, or Pearl as she is also called, is an immortal dragon who rules over Chaotic dragons. In her full glory Pearl is larger than any great wyrm among the mortal dragons. She answers to no one except The Great Dragon who commands all dragonkind. There are two other Dragon Rulers who directly serve The Great One: Diamond the Star Dragon, who rules Lawful dragons, and Opal the Sun Dragon, who rules Neutral dragons. Pearl sometimes meets with Diamond and Opal but avoids dealing with other Dragon Rulers such as Bahamut, Ruby, or Tiamat.
The Moon Dragon Ruler rarely visits the Prime Material, she usually appears to deal with some matter affecting a large number of Chaotic dragons or at the Great Dragon's direct bidding, although some visits have seemingly been whims inspired by her Chaotic temperament. When she does appear, Pearl is normally accompanied by multiple great wyrms. Her attendants always include four Mystaran amber great wyrms and maybe another five or so Chaotic dragons (usually a black, brass, copper, red and white great wyrm). Her palace on the Plane of Limbo is staffed by many more Chaotic creatures, not all of them dragons. The Moon Dragon's courtiers and palace followers all worship Pearl with fanatical devotion.
Pearl's natural pearlescent dragon form is mutable and can change size and shape at will as described under her Alternative Form ability. Her normal Colossal size can range from 100 to 300 feet in length (including tail) and weighs 50 to 1,000 tons..
Pearl speaks many languages, including Draconic, Abyssal, Celestial, and Common, though she can converse with any intelligent creature.
Combat
As befits her chaotic nature, Pearl is highly unpredictable in combat. Her incredible mind and eons of experience mean her her tactics should always be inventive and effective even if her actions seem random. She enjoys melee combat, and her Dire Charge and Automatic Quicken Spell feats allow her to make a full attack and cast a quickened spell every round.
Alternate Form (Su): Pearl can assume any animal or humanoid form of Huge size or smaller as a standard action. She can also assume the form of any of the chaotic dragon varieties she rules over of any age category from wyrmling to great wyrm. The Moon Dragon can remain in an alternate form until she chooses to assume a new one or return to her natural form.
Her natural form can be any size between Tiny and her normal size of Colossal and can assume the shape but not the coloration of any chaotic dragon, including wingless and legless species (she can still fly magically in wingless forms). Pearl can resize and reshape her natural form as a free action once per round.
Breath Weapon (Su): Pearl has the breath weapons of a black dragon, brass dragon, copper dragon, Mystaran amber dragon, red dragon and white dragon. She uses her breath weapons as a standard action. Once she uses a breath weapon, Pearl can't breath again until 1d2 rounds later.
If the campaign includes other species of dragon with an "always chaotic" alignment (such as the mustard dragon or tourmaline dragon) Pearl may be able to use their breath weapons too.
Once Pearl uses a breath weapon, she can't use that specific breath weapon again until 10 rounds have passed. She may still use a different dragon's breath weapon that has the same effect. For example, Pearl can use her black dragon line of acid breath weapon and then use copper dragon line of acid breath 1d2 rounds later, but would have to wait 10 rounds before using her black dragon breath weapon again.
Details of the Moon Dragon's breath weapons are as follows:
| Dragon | Breath Weapon | Shape | Damage/Effect |
| Amber | jade-green gas | 80 ft. cone | 24d12 acid
plus 1d8/4d6 jade curse* |
| ruby-red flames | 80 ft. cone | 24d12 fire
plus 4d6/4d6 ruby curse* |
| Black | acid | 140 ft. line | 24d12 acid |
| Brass | flames | 140 ft. line | 24d12 fire |
| sleep gas | 80 ft. cone | sleep for 1d6+12 rounds |
| Copper | acid | 140 ft. line | 24d12 acid |
| slow gas | 80 ft. cone | slowed for 1d6+12 rounds |
| Red | flames | 80 ft. cone | 24d12 fire |
| White | frost | 80 ft. cone | 24d12 cold |
Targets exposed to the Moon Dragon's breath weapons can attempt DC 46 Reflex saves to take half damage.
*If they fail their Reflex save against one of her Mystaran amber dragon breath weapons, they must also attempt a DC 46 Fortitude save or contract a supernatural curse carried by the breath weapon, as follows.
Jade Curse: Objects and creatures affected by this curse begin to rot away. The jade breath curse does not affect anything made of metal or targets with a hardness of 10 or more. Creatures vulnerable to ability damage take 1d8 Constitution damage every minute, while targets immune to ability damage take 4d6 typeless damage every minute instead. Targets with immunity to disease take half damage. Damage caused by the jade curse cannot be repaired or healed until the curse is neutralized by any effect that cures disease, such as
remove disease or
heal.
Ruby Curse: This curse is harmless to creatures, but objects affected by it begin to melt away. Anything affected by the curse takes 4d6 fire damage plus 4d6 typeless damage every round.
The save DCs are Constitution-based.
Charm Reptiles (Sp): Pearl can use this ability three times per day. It works as a
mass charm spell that affects only reptilian animals. The Moon Dragon can communicate with any charmed reptiles as though casting a
speak with animals spell. This ability is the equivalent of a 1st-level spell.
Corrupt Water (Sp): Once per day Pearl can stagnate 10 cubic feet of water, making it become still, foul, and unable to support animal life. The ability spoils liquids containing water. Magic items (such as potions) and items in a creature’s possession must succeed on a Will save (DC equal to that of the dragon’s frightful presence) or become fouled. This ability is the equivalent of a 1st-level spell. Its range is equal to that of the dragon’s frightful presence.
Crush (Ex): When flying, Pearl can land on opponents three or more sizes smaller than herself as a standard action, using her whole body to crush them. A crush attack affects as many creatures as can fit under Pearl's body. Each creature in the affected area must succeed on a DC 63 Reflex save or be pinned, automatically taking 4d8+28 points of bludgeoning damage. The save DC is Constitution-based. Thereafter, if Pearl chooses to maintain the pin, treat it as a normal grapple attack. While pinned, the opponent takes crush damage each round.
Detect Gems (Sp): Pearl can use this ability three times per day. This is a divination effect similar to a
detect magic spell, except that it finds only gems. The Moon Dragon can scan a 60-degree arc each round: By concentrating for 1 round it knows if there are any gems within the arc; 2 rounds of concentration reveal the exact number of gems; and 3 rounds reveal their exact location, type, and value. This ability is the equivalent of a 2nd-level spell.
Freezing Fog (Sp): Pearl can use this ability three times per day. It is similar to a
solid fog spell but also causes a rime of slippery ice to form on any surface the fog touches, creating the effect of a
grease spell. The Moon Dragon is immune to the
grease effect because of her spider climb ability. This ability is the equivalent of a 5th-level spell.
Frightful Presence (Ex): Pearl can unsettle foes with her mere presence. The power takes effect automatically whenever Pearl attacks, charges, or flies overhead. Creatures within a radius of 360 feet are subject to the effect if they have fewer than 48 Hit Dice. An affected creature can resist the effects by making a Will save (DC 44). A successful saving throw makes a creature immune to Pearl's frightful presence for one day. Creatures with 4 Hit Dice or fewer become panicked for 4d6 rounds if they fail their saving throws. Creatures with 5 or more Hit Dice become shaken for 4d6 rounds if they fail their saving throws. Dragons ignore the effects of Pearl's frightful presence. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Icewalking (Ex): This ability works like the
spider climb spell, but the surfaces the Moon Dragon climbs must be icy. It is always in effect.
Immunities (Ex): Pearl is immune to acid, breath weapons, charm, cold, death, disintegration, electricity, fire, hold, paralysis, sleep, slow, and poison effects. Pearl ignores the effects of spells and spell-like abilities of 6th level or less, just as if the spellcaster had failed to overcome the Moon Dragon's spell resistance.
Keen Senses (Ex): Pearl sees four times as well a human in shadowy illumination and twice as well in normal light. She also has darkvision out to 120 feet.
See Invisibility (Ex): Pearl has the extraordinary ability to see invisible creatures. This works like the
see invisibility spell with a range of 1,600 feet. This power is always active.
Luck Bonus (Sp): Once per day Pearl can touch a gem, usually one embedded in the dragon’s hide, and enspell it to bring good luck. As long as the Moon Dragon carries the gem, Pearl and every chaotic creature in a 10-foot radius per age category of the Moon Dragon receives a +1 luck bonus on all saving throws and similar rolls, as for a
stone of good luck. If Pearl gives an enspelled gem to another creature, only that bearer gets the bonus. The effect lasts 1d3+?? hours but ends if the gem is destroyed. This ability is the equivalent of a 2nd-level spell.
Spell-Like Abilities: At will—
astral projection,
chaos hammer (DC 25),
cloak of chaos (DC 29),
detect law,
greater dispel magic,
greater teleport,
locate object,
plane shift (DC 28),
protection from law (DC 22),
speak with animals,
telekinesis,
word of chaos (DC 28); 4/day—
suggestion (DC 24); 3/day—
darkness (radius 200 ft.),
endure elements (radius 200 ft.)(DC 22),
fog cloud,
gust of wind,
insect plague, wall of ice (DC 25); 2/day—
control weather, stone shape; 1/day—
control winds (DC 26),
discern location,
disintegrate (DC 27),
find the path (DC 27),
foresight (DC 30),
mass charm monster (DC 29),
move earth, plant growth,
transmute rock to mud or
mud to rock (DC 26),
wall of stone (DC 26). Caster level 20th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.
Spells: Pearl is a 20th-level sorcerer and a 20th-level cleric. She can also cast cleric spells and spells from cleric domains as arcane spells. Pearl has access to
all the domains available to the chaotic dragons she rules (For the black, brass, copper, Mystaran amber, red and white dragons, these are Chaos, Destruction, Earth, Evil, Fire, Knowledge, Luck and Trickery). In her natural form, Pearl can cast her spells with but a word.
Sorcerer Spells Known: (6/9/9/9/8/8/8/8/7/7; save DC 21 + spell level):
0—
arcane mark,
dancing lights,
detect magic,
ghost sound,
mage hand,
message,
prestidigitation,
read magic,
resistance;
1st—
mage armor,
ray of enfeeblement,
shield,
true strike,
unseen servant;
2nd—
blindness/deafness,
cat's grace,
detect thoughts,
hideous laughter,
mirror image;
3rd—
arcane sight,
displacement,
haste,
major image;
4th—
black tentacles,
crushing despair,
dimensional anchor,
greater invisibility;
5th—
feeblemind,
mind fog,
mirage arcana,
wall of force;
6th—
antimagic field,
heal,
veil;
7th—
insanity, limited wish, prismatic spray;
8th—
greater shadow evocation,
mass charm monster,
mind blank;
9th—
shades,
shapechange,
weird.
Typical Cleric Spells Prepared: (6/8+1/8+1/7+1/7+1/7+1/6+1/5+1/5+1/5+1; save DC 20 + spell level):
0—
cure minor wounds [×2],
detect poison,
guidance,
resistance,
virtue;
1st—
cure light wounds [×2],
detect good,
divine favor [×2],
entropic shield,
inflict light wounds,
obscuring mist,
protection from goodᴰ;
2nd—
aid,
align weapon,
cure moderate wounds,
inflict moderate wounds,
invisibilityᴰ,
lesser restoration,
resist energy,
shatter,
undetectable alignment;
3rd—
bestow curse,
clairaudience/clairvoyanceᴰ,
cure serious wounds,
inflict serious wounds,
magic circle against law,
nondetection,
remove curse,
wind wall;
4th—
confusionᴰ
, control water, cure critical wounds, dismissal, divination, freedom of movement, inflict critical wounds, restoration;
5th—
break enchantment,
dispel law,
false visionᴰ,
greater command,
mass cure light wounds,
mass inflict light wounds,
scrying,
true seeing;
6th—
antilife shell,
blade barrier,
forbiddance,
heroes' feast,
mass eagle's splendor,
misleadᴰ,
undeath to death;
7th—
destruction,
greater restoration,
greater scrying,
spell turningᴰ,
regenerate,
repulsion;
8th—
dimensional lock,
earthquake,
fire storm,
greater planar ally,
greater spell immunity,
polymorph any objectᴰ;
9th—
implosion,
mass heal,
miracle (×2),
soul bind,
time stopᴰ.
ᴰ
Domain spell.
Summon Djinni (Sp): This ability, usable once per day, works like a summon monster spell, except that it summons one djinni. This ability is the equivalent of a 7th-level spell.
Spider Climb (Ex): Pearl can climb on vertical surfaces and ceilings as though using the
spider climb spell. This ability also renders Pearl immune to grease effects such as that left by her
freezing fog spell-like ability.
Water Breathing (Ex): The Moon Dragon can breathe underwater indefinitely and can freely use her breath weapon, spells, and other abilities while submerged.
Originally appeared in D&D Master Rules (1985).
