Here's the next one. Note that we'll once again need a name change to avoid confusion with the orange dragon from Dragon Compendium.
Orange Dragon
Frequency: Rare
No. Appearing: 2-5
Armor Class: 4
Move; 10”/30”
% in Lair: 65%
Treasure Type: H
No. of attacks: 3
Damage/attack: 1-6/1-6/2-12
Special Attacks: Breath weapon and possible spell use
Special Defenses: Chameleon power
Magic Resistance: See text above
Intelligence: 15-18
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Size: L (20’ long)
Psionic Ability: Nil
Chance of Speaking 50%, Magic use 75%, Sleeping 20%
Orange dragons are always found in mated pairs in generally temperate climes. They are so loyal to one another that if one is killed the other will pine and die in from 3 + (1-6) days though if they witness the death consider them as having 2 more H.D. for the purpose of attack, and the mate will blindly attack the figure(s) who actually slew his mate, abandoning all considerations of personal safety! The children of orange dragons are not so protected, nor are they loyal to their parents to the same maniacal degree (they would be first to third age level).
Orange dragons, regardless of age level, can change their color to become either a colored or metallic dragon. This ability is enhanced by the fact that orange dragons are often Illusionists; thus a limited Change Self is also brought into play to conform to the shape of the color change-physical size does not appreciably change in any case. Note that only magic-using dragons who know and then select Change Self can perform this latter change, however.
The orange dragon’s breath is a form of Color Spray that extends in a cone from its mouth to a distance of 6” with a base of 3”. The spray has these effects: 1. It deals out 2 points of damage per Hit Die of the dragon, ¼ if a saving throw is successful; 2. Those with fewer hit dice/levels than the dragon must save versus magic or be blinded for 4-16 melee rounds; 3. Those with as many hit dice/levels (or more) than the dragon must save versus magic or be stunned for 2-12 melee segments. An orange dragon can breathe once for every even-numbered age level it has attained; thus, first age level orange dragons cannot breathe at all.
If they can cast spells, they gain them in the following way: One first level spell for each of the dragon.s first three age levels; One second level spell for each of the dragon.s 4th to 6th age levels; One third level spell for each of the dragon.s 7th and 8th age levels.
Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #38 (1980).