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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Faolyn" data-source="post: 9440484" data-attributes="member: 6915329">The next planar dragon is the arboreal dragon, which is, of course, from Arborea—although they really should be from the Feywild. Or the Dreaming, in Level Up. There’s not much to say about them. They’re set up as fairy-tale dragons, but are too nice to be the typical fairy-tale dragon. They’re more like the friendly dragon from a children’s book. Only sometimes drunk.[ATTACH=full]377409[/ATTACH]Arboreal DragonPlanar Dragons, Dragon Magazine #321Creature Edward Bonny; art by Marc SassoMore often found in the Dreaming than anywhere else, arboreal dragons are beautiful fey creatures. Many people believe that they are gigantic faerie dragons, and while this isn’t true, the two consider each other to be cousins. Arboreal dragons are serpentine in appearance. They lack the horns, spikes, and ridges that other dragons have, and instead have large, leaf-like ears that taper into very long points, almost like an insects antennae. Their wings are gossamer and their shimmering scales constantly change color. Their eyes are pure black, and whenever they move, they leave a trail of sparkling mist in their wake. Arboreal dragons have an almost fragile appearance, although in reality they are quite sturdy.Party On! The fey folk enjoy revelries, and arboreal dragons are no different. They often take on a humanoid or faerie form in order to attend plays and fetes—and in fact are rarely found in their true form, excepting those occasions when they need to fight or be impressive for some reason. They are exceedingly fond of wine, song, and the attentions of amenable creatures of other species and gladly indulge in such joys whenever they can.Romantics. Arboreal dragons have a strong love of epic tales, especially those featuring knights in shining armor who set out to defeat great evil or for the sake of their ruler or nation, and those of people who go on quests to find, or at the behest of, true love. But even better than tales are when it happens in real life. Should an arboreal dragon encounter someone who is on a true noble quest, they will stop at nothing to aid them—anything that allows the story that is unfolding to have a happy ending. There are few things that upset the dragon more than a story that ends in tragedy.Dreaming Dwellers. Arboreal dragons live amongst the fey folk in the Dreaming and rarely travel to any mortal realms, save to planes where animals and plants dominate. They are protective of their domains, but not fanatically so. If a foe seems too powerful to fight, the dragons will back off—and then engage in underhanded tactics and guerrilla warfare against them. All but the youngest of these dragons have the ability to lay a powerful curse on their targets, turning them into animals. This curse is often permanent, and many of the beasts that roam the dragon’s territory used to be people. The dragon can recognize these former foes by sight and will never actively harm them—the point of the curse is to make the creature live its life as a lowly animal, after all—but they also don’t prevent other creatures from harming them.That said, arboreal dragons revel in personal freedom and hate creatures who would try to control or enslave others, or who demand conformity—against such creatures, an arboreal dragon will fight to its last breath.Climate/Terrain: Temperate; Dreaming, forest, grassland, hill, Plantasia, swamp, Veskrollo, XyclioneLegends and LoreWith an Arcana or History check, the characters can learn the following:DC 10. Known to be honorable, arboreal dragons never lie. However, they’re fey creatures, and so very often twist the truth.DC 15. These dragons exhale a burst of glass-sharp thorns, although they are better known for their ability to turn their foes into animals, sometimes permanently. Strangely, whenever they move, they leave trails of quickly-dissipating glitter in the air.DC 20. Arboreal dragons are rarely found in their true form, as even young dragons learn how to change into humanoid or faerie form. In such forms, they can usually be found among other fey, engaging in amusements.Arboreal Dragon EncountersChallenge Rating 1-2 arboreal dragon wyrmlingTreasure: 40 gp, 400 sp, turquoise earings (25 gp), dust of sneezing and choking, potion of heroismChallenge Rating 3-4 arboreal dragon wyrmling with 1d6+2 goblins or blink dogs; arboreal dragon wyrmling with 1d4+4 pixies or spritesTreasure: 110 sp, 3,000 cp, garnet ring (25 gp), embroidered silk handkerchief (25 gp), hat of disguise, magic pocket mirrorChallenge Rating 5-10 Young arboreal dragon; arboreal dragon wyrmling with 1d4 horned tauricsTreasure: 230 pp, 700 gp, 3 moonstones (50 gp each), carved ivory statuette of a forest spirit (250 gp), silver necklace with alexandrite pendant (250 gp), focusing mirror, potions of gaseous form and giant strength, wand of magic detectingChallenge Rating 11-16 Adult arboreal dragon; young arboreal dragon with 1d4+2 faerie dragons, goblin bosses, or satyrsTreasure: 130 pp, 600 gp, 4 topazes (500 gp each), 5 grams of gold dust (250 gp), large tapestry depicting a fey festival (500 gp), chess set where the pieces are made of magical living wood (500 gp), +2 scimitar made of magical wood, censer of controlling air elementalsChallenge Rating 17-22 Ancient arboreal dragon; adult arboreal dragon with fey knight, green hag, or minstrels; adult arboreal dragon with knightTreasure: 3 vials of faerie dragon euphoria gas, ioun stone of protection, oil of slipperiness, spellcasting symphony (harp of harmony), vial of beautyChallenge Rating 23-30 Ancient arboreal dragon with faerie noble; ancient arboreal dragon with 2-3 fey knights; ancient arboreal dragon with holy knightTreasure: gold and electrum birdcage with a singing clockwork bird inside (2,500 gp)Challenge Rating 31+ Great wyrm arboreal dragon with archfey or knight captainTreasure: 20 pieces of jewelry that resemble stained glass (50 gp each), platinum crown set with a star sapphire (5,000 gp)Signs1. Very large, exotic flowers in brilliant colors; with a DC 15 Perception or Investigation check, the flowers subtly turn to “watch” passers-by.2. Sparkling fog.3. The laughing of fey folk4. Living trees grown in the shape of dancing fey-folk5. A line of small hoof prints that turn into footprints and eventually into draconic prints6. A plant grows from a seed to a friendly, flowering awakened shrub in just moments.Behavior1. In fey form and off to a fey party. Will invite the party, if they are nice.2. Approaches the party while shapechanged to ask a riddle. There are no wrong answers, but the quality and creativity of the offered answer will determine how the dragon responds to the party3. On the trail of a fiendish incursion4. Reading an epic story and hoping to discuss it with someone5. Making literal moonshine out of actual moonlight6. Tending its gardenLair FeaturesThe save DC for the following effects is 13 + the dragon’s proficiency bonus. Choose or roll one or more of the following lair features:1. Illusions befuddle creatures trying to navigate the lair. When a creature tries to reach a specific location in the lair or leave it, it must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, it ends up back where it started a few minutes later.2. The lair is filled with magical plants that slowly shuffle about, blocking or creating passageways and herding adventures towards specific areas. Once each hour, travelers must make a group Perception check; on a failure, they miss the trees picking their pockets and stealing from their packs, and each character loses 50 gp worth of gold and small objects.3. The lair has several large, gnarled trees in it. As an action, the legendary dragon that is within 5 feet of one of these trees can teleport to another gnarled tree in its lair.4. The dragon’s lair is home to numerous faerie knights. At the beginning of each round of combat, roll a d6. On a 5-6, 1 faerie knight arrives to defend the dragon, acting on the dragon’s initiative. The faerie knights fight until killed or until the dragon instructs them to stop.NamesDewglimmer, Indred, Nannog, Torlynth, WinterbloomAncient Arboreal DragonLegendary Gargantuan dragon (fey); Challenge 22 (41,000 XP)AC 20 (natural armor)HP 370 (20d20+160; bloodied 185)Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft., fly 80 ft.STR 26 (+8) DEX 16 (+3) CON 26 (+8)INT 18 (+4) WIS 16 (+3) CHA 22 (+6)Proficiency +7; Maneuver DC 23Saving Throws Dex +10, Con +15, Wis +10, Cha +13Skills Arcana +12, Insight +10, Perception +10 (+1d6), Performance +13, Persuasion +13, Stealth +10Damage Immunities acid, thunderCondition Immunities charmed, unconsciousSenses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 23Languages Common, Draconic, Sylvan, two moreChaotic Good. The dragon radiates an aura of Chaos and Good.Forest Mastery. The dragon isn’t hindered by difficult terrain caused by natural or magical plants.Legendary Resistance (3/day). When the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead. When it does, it sheds some of its scales, which turn into leaves and flower petals. If it has no more uses of this ability, its Armor Class is reduced to 18 until it finishes a long rest.Speak with Plants. The dragon can communicate with plants.ActionsMultiattack. The dragon attacks once with its bite and twice with its claws. In place of its bite attack, it can Spit Thorn.Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 30 (4d10+8) piercing damage.Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (3d8+8) slashing damage.Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (3d8+8) bludgeoning damage, and the dragon pushes the target 10 feet away.Quarterstaff (Humanoid Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (1d6+8) bludgeoning damage, or 12 (1d8+8) bludgeoning damage with shillelagh.Beastly Curse (1/day). The dragon targets any number of creatures it can see that are not fey and are within 60 feet of it and forces them to make a DC 21 Charisma saving throw. On a failure, a creature is magically polymorphed into a Tiny beast for 1 minute. At the end of each of its turns, the creature may make a new saving throw, ending the effect on a success. If the creature fails three saving throws, the transformation is permanent until the creature is targeted by a remove curse.Briar Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon breathes razor-sharp thorns in a 90-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 23 Dexterity saving throw, taking 66 (19d6) piercing damage, or half damage on a success. A creature that fails its save also has its speed by half until it spends an action picking briars the off of it.Spit Thorn. The dragon targets a creature within 60 feet, forcing it to make a DC 23 Dexterity saving throw. The creature takes 22 (4d10) piercing damage on a failure or half as much on a success. A creature that fails its save is also poisoned for 1 minute. The creature can make a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns, taking 11 (2d10) poison damage on a failure and ending the effect on a success.Change Shape. The dragon magically takes the shape of a humanoid, fey, or beast, or changes back into its true form. It reverts to its true form if it dies. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying is absorbed or borne by the new form (dragon’s choice). In the new form, the dragon’s stats are unchanged except for its size. It can’t use Spit Thorn, Breath Weapon, Tail Attack, or Wing Attack except in dragon form. In beast form, it can attack only with its bite and claws, if appropriate to its form. If the beast form is Large or smaller, the reach of these attacks is reduced to 5 feet. In humanoid form, it can attack only with its quarterstaff.Faerie Speech. The dragon speaks magical words to a creature within 60 feet that can hear and understand it. That creature must make a DC 21 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by the dragon until the end of its next turn.Bonus ActionsWerelight. The dragon can shed dim light to a 30-foot radius, or extinguish the glow.ReactionsTail Attack. When a creature the dragon can see within 10 feet of the dragon hits it with a melee attack, the dragon makes a tail attack against it.Legendary ActionsThe dragon can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. It regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.Roar. Each creature of the dragon’s choice within 120 feet that can hear it makes a DC 21 Charisma saving throw. On a failure, it is frightened for 1 minute. A creature repeats the saving throw at the end of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. When it succeeds on a saving throw or the effect ends for it, it is immune to Roar for 24 hours.Wing Attack. The dragon beats its wings. Each creature within 15 feet makes a DC 23 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, it is pushed 10 feet away and knocked prone. The dragon can then fly up to half its fly speed.Awaken The Forest’s Wrath (Costs 2 Actions). The dragon magically animates a Large or larger plant within 60 feet. The plant is immobile, but otherwise is treated as an awakened tree. Creatures other than the plant and the dragon treat the ground within 15 feet of the plant as difficult terrain, as surrounding roots conspire to trip and grasp moving creatures. The plant remains animated for 1 hour. The dragon can only have three plants animated in this fashion at a time, and if it uses this action to animate a fourth plant, the plant that has been animated the longest returns to normal.Variant: Dragon SpellcasterSome dragons develop the ability to innately cast spells. A dragon spellcaster’s spellcasting ability is Charisma. It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components. Each age category knows its own spells and those of younger age categories:Young Adult (save DC 15): At Will: dancing lights, shillelagh; 3/day each: faerie fire, phantasmal force Adult (save DC 17): 3/day each: conjure fey, true polymorphAncient (save DC 21): 1/day each: dominate monsterAncient Dragon Variant: Arboreal Great WyrmThe dragon is an elite monster, equivalent to two CR 22 monsters (82,000 XP). It has 740 (40d20+320; bloodied 370) hit points and the following trait:Blossoming Spring (1/Day). When the dragon is first bloodied, it immediately recharges its breath weapon, if it is not already available. Flowers grow from every nearby plant and hundreds of butterflies appear and surround the dragon’s foes, fluttering madly in their faces, and wild fey laughter is emitted from every corner. Until the end of the dragon’s next turn, each of the dragon’s foes is blinded and deafened.The dragon has the following additional legendary actions, which it can only use while bloodied:Elite Recovery. The dragon ends one negative effect currently affecting it. It can do so as long as it has at least 1 hit point, even while unconscious or incapacitated.Mortal Terror (Gaze). A creature within 120 feet makes a saving throw against Roar, even if it has already successfully saved within the past 24 hours.Dragon Breath (Costs 2 Actions). The dragon uses its breath weapon.Regrowth (Costs 2 Actions). The dragon recharges its breath weapons.*Adult Arboreal DragonLegendary Huge dragon (fey); Challenge 16 (15,000 XP)AC 18 (natural armor)HP 250 (20d12+120; bloodied 125)Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft., fly 80 ft.STR 22 (+6) DEX 16 (+3) CON 22 (+6)INT 16 (+3) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 19 (+4)Proficiency +5; Maneuver DC 19Saving Throws Dex +8, Con +11, Wis +7, Cha +9Skills Arcana +8, Insight +7, Perception +7 (+1d6), Performance + 9, Persuasion +9, Stealth +8Damage Immunities acid, thunderCondition Immunities charmed, unconsciousSenses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 20Languages Common, Draconic, Sylvan, two moreChaotic Good. The dragon radiates an aura of Chaos and Good.Forest Mastery. The dragon isn’t hindered by difficult terrain caused by natural or magical plants.Legendary Resistance (3/day). When the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead. When it does, it sheds some of its scales, which turn into leaves and flower petals. If it has no more uses of this ability, its Armor Class is reduced to 16 until it finishes a long rest.Speak with Plants. The dragon can communicate with plants.ActionsMultiattack. The dragon attacks once with its bite and twice with its claws. In place of its bite attack, it can Spit Thorn.Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (3d10+6) piercing damage.Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (3d8+6) slashing damage.Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d8+6) bludgeoning damage, and the dragon pushes the target 10 feet away.Quarterstaff (Humanoid Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d6+6) bludgeoning damage, or 10 (1d8+6) bludgeoning damage with shillelagh.Beastly Curse (1/day). The dragon targets any number of creatures it can see that are not fey and are within 60 feet of it and forces them to make a DC 17 Charisma saving throw. On a failure, a creature is magically polymorphed into a Tiny beast for 1 minute. At the end of each of its turns, the creature may make a new saving throw, ending the effect on a success. If the creature fails three saving throws, the transformation is permanent until the creature is targeted by a remove curse.Briar Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon breathes razor-sharp thorns in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw, taking 52 (15d6) piercing damage, or half damage on a success. A creature that fails its save also has its speed by half until it spends an action picking briars the off of it.Spit Thorn. The dragon targets a creature within 60 feet, forcing it to make a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw. The creature takes 16 (3d10) piercing damage on a failure or half as much on a success. A creature that fails its save is also poisoned for 1 minute. The creature can make a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns, taking 5 (1d10) poison damage on a failure and ending the effect on a success.Change Shape. The dragon magically takes the shape of a humanoid, fey, or beast, or changes back into its true form. It reverts to its true form if it dies. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying is absorbed or borne by the new form (dragon’s choice). In the new form, the dragon’s stats are unchanged except for its size. It can’t use Spit Thorn, Breath Weapon, Tail Attack, or Wing Attack except in dragon form. In beast form, it can attack only with its bite and claws, if appropriate to its form. If the beast form is Large or smaller, the reach of these attacks is reduced to 5 feet. In humanoid form, it can attack only with its quarterstaff.Faerie Speech. The dragon speaks magical words to a creature within 60 feet that can hear and understand it. That creature must make a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by the dragon until the end of its next turn.Bonus ActionsWerelight. The dragon can shed dim light to a 15-foot radius, or extinguish the glow.ReactionsTail Attack. When a creature the dragon can see within 10 feet of the dragon hits it with a melee attack, the dragon makes a tail attack against it.Legendary ActionsThe dragon can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. It regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.Roar. Each creature of the dragon’s choice within 120 feet that can hear it makes a DC 17 Charisma saving throw. On a failure, it is frightened for 1 minute. A creature repeats the saving throw at the end of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. When it succeeds on a saving throw or the effect ends for it, it is immune to Roar for 24 hours.Wing Attack. The dragon beats its wings. Each creature within 15 feet makes a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, it is pushed 10 feet away and knocked prone. The dragon can then fly up to half its fly speed.Awaken The Forest’s Wrath (Costs 2 Actions). The dragon magically animates a Large or larger plant within 60 feet. The plant is immobile, but otherwise is treated as an awakened tree. Creatures other than the plant and the dragon treat the ground within 15 feet of the plant as difficult terrain, as surrounding roots conspire to trip and grasp moving creatures. The plant remains animated for 1 hour. The dragon can only have three plants animated in this fashion at a time, and if it uses this action to animate a fourth plant, the plant that has been animated the longest returns to normal.*Young Arboreal DragonLarge dragon (fey); Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)AC 16 (natural armor)HP 152 (16d10+64; bloodied 76)Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft., fly 80 ft.STR 18 (+4) DEX 16 (+3) CON 18 (+4)INT 14 (+2) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 17 (+3)Proficiency +4; Maneuver DC 16Saving Throws Dex +7, Con +8, Wis +5, Cha +7Skills Arcana +8, Insight +5, Perception +5 (+1d6), Performance +7, Persuasion +7, Stealth +7Damage Immunities acid, thunderCondition Immunities charmed, unconsciousSenses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 17Languages Common, Draconic, SylvanChaotic Good. The dragon radiates an aura of Chaos and Good.Forest Mastery. The dragon isn’t hindered by difficult terrain caused by natural or magical plants.Speak with Plants. The dragon can communicate with plants.ActionsMultiattack. The dragon attacks once with its bite and twice with its claws. In place of its bite attack, it can Spit Thorn.Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (3d10+4) piercing damage.Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8+4) slashing damage.Beastly Curse (1/day). The dragon targets up to 4 creatures it can see that are not fey and are within 60 feet of it and forces them to make a DC 15 Charisma saving throw. On a failure, a creature is magically polymorphed into a Tiny beast for 1 minute. At the end of each of its turns, the creature may make a new saving throw, ending the effect on a success. If the creature fails three saving throws, the transformation is permanent until the creature is targeted by a remove curse.Briar Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon breathes razor-sharp thorns in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw, taking 38 (11d6) piercing damage, or half damage on a success. A creature that fails its save also has its speed by half until it spends an action picking briars the off of it.Change Shape. The dragon magically takes the shape of a humanoid, fey, or beast, or changes back into its true form. It reverts to its true form if it dies. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying is absorbed or borne by the new form (dragon’s choice). In the new form, the dragon’s stats are unchanged except for its size. It can’t use Breath Weapons except in dragon form. In beast form, it can attack only with its bite and claws, if appropriate to its form. If the beast form is Large or smaller, the reach of these attacks is reduced to 5 feet. In humanoid form, it can attack only with its greatsword.Bonus ActionsWerelight. The dragon can shed dim light to a 5-foot radius, or extinguish the glow.*Arboreal Dragon WyrmlingMedium dragon (fey); Challenge 2 (450 XP)AC 15 (natural armor)HP 45 (7d8+14; bloodied 22)Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft., fly 60 ft.STR 14 (+2) DEX 16 (+3) CON 14 (+2)INT 12 (+1) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 15 (+2)Proficiency +2; Maneuver DC 12Skills Perception +2, Stealth +5Damage Immunities acid, thunderCondition Immunities charmed, unconsciousSenses blindsight 10 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12Languages Common, Draconic, SylvanChaotic Good. The dragon radiates an aura of Chaos and Good.Forest Mastery. The dragon isn’t hindered by difficult terrain caused by natural or magical plants.Speak with Plants. The dragon can communicate with plants.ActionsBite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d10+2) piercing damage.Briar Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon breathes razor-sharp thorns in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw, taking 15 (4d6) piercing damage, or half damage on a success. A creature that fails its save also has its speed by half until it spends an action picking briars the off of it.</blockquote>

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