Dragon, Brine
Climate/Terrain: Any ocean
Frequency: Very rare
Organization: Solitary
Activity Cycle: Any
DIET: Omnivore
INTELLIGENCE: Low (5-7)
TREASURE: Special (see table)
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic neutral
NO. APPEARING: 1 (2-5)
ARMOR CLASS: 2 (base)
MOVEMENT: Sw 9
HIT DICE: 11 (base)
THACO: 9 (base)
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 +special
DAMAGE/ ATTACK: 4d10
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Breath weapon, spells, surprise
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Variable
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Variable by age
SIZE: H (26’)
MORALE: Champion (15)
XP VALLUE: Variable
Brine dragons are fully aquatic; they cannot fly or walk on land, nor breathe air. They do not enjoy even breaking the sea’s surface, but sometimes do so if given the proper incentive, such as a boatload of juicy humans.
These massive creatures look much like plesiosaurs with draconian heads. They have flippers where other dragons have claws, and their oversized teeth make them appear as if they are smiling all the time. The grin is not a friendly one.
The hide of the brine dragon is rough and mottled, ridged and craggy. The scales are irregular, and do not fit together well. Huge clumps of salt dot its body, some so old that they are discolored and cannot be dissolved in the water.
Combat: The brine dragon is a good swimmer. Its unwieldy bulk belies its swimming ability; brine dragons can move through the oceans without causing so much as a ripple. As a result, opponents suffer a -1 penalty on their surprise rolls. The dragon itself is acutely aware of disturbances in the currents, and is surprised only on a 1-in-10 chance. It attacks with little or no provocation. Sometimes it doesn’t attack, even when combat might be expected; brine dragons are extremely capricious and unpredictable.
The brine dragon’s bite causes terrible damage and can badly gouge large marine creatures such as whales or amphidragons.
Breath weapon/Special Abilities: The brine dragon breathes a cloud of alkaline-salt-and-saliva-based spray that burns like acid. The cloud is 90 feet long, 45 feet wide, and 45 feet high. Those successfully saving vs. breath weapon suffer half damage. The brine dragon can use this breath weapon once every three rounds. The breath weapon can be used equally well underwater, on the surface, or against an aerial target.
Brine dragons are themselves immune to poisons and acids. As a brine dragon ages, it gains several magical abilities (See table), each usable three times per day.
Habitat/Society: Brine dragons are unpredictable, violent, and have nihilistic tendencies. They have no leader or society.
Brine dragons make their lairs out of coral and rock formations, using their caustic breath and spittle to glue together a convenient cave. Each brine dragon stakes out its turf, which can vary day to day from 100 yards to ten miles across. Its cave remains its only point of fixed interest.
When a brine dragon lays its eggs, the female usually stays around and raises the hatchlings, though sometimes the male stays and does the job instead. Other times both parents stay and raise the hatchlings, or both parents leave and let the eggs fend for themselves. Sometimes the parents get hungry and just eat the eggs or young. Their extremely random parenting keeps the number of brine dragons low.
Ecology: Brine dragons get their name from their love of salt. The dragons eat salt and also absorb it as they swim the oceans. Often they can be found in coastal salt marshes.
Brine dragons hate black dragons and will attack them at every opportunity. Otherwise, they will eat nearly anything, including marine undead.
Originally appeared in Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Two (1995).
