Undead Dragon Template
by Jamie BatyDMR2 32
An undead dragon is the body of a dead dragon animated by an undead spirit. The spirit can make the dragon walk and attack, but it cannot fly, talk or cast any spells. The dragon corpse may be of any colour and it retains any resistances it had in life.
Authorities who have studied these creatures believe that the draconic corpses are inhabited by spirits other than a draconic, noting the loss of many draconic abilities and the awkwardness of the undead dragon. Some have also suggested these creatures are a result of a dragon failing in an attempt to transform into a more powerful undead form, such as a lich or vampire.
From a distance of 90ft or more, an undead dragon is nearly indistinguishable from a live dragon, but closer inspection reveals rotting flesh, sightless eyes, and wounds that likely killed the original dragon.
Creating an Undead Dragon
Undead Dragon is an acquired template that can be added to any Dragon (referred to hereafter as the base creature).
An Undead Dragon uses all the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Size and Type: The dragon's type changes to Undead. It retains any subtypes except alignment subtypes and subtypes that indicate kind. It does not gain the augmented subtype. It uses all the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Hit Dice: An undead dragon has 1/2 HD of the base creature. Increase the remaining Hit Dice to d12s.
Speed: Same as the base creature, except the dragon loses the ability to fly.
Armour Class: The base creature's natural armour bonus improves by +2.
Base Attack Bonus: An undead dragon has a base attack bonus equal to 1/2 its Hit Dice.
Attack: An undead dragon maintains all of the attacks it possessed as a normal dragon.
Full Attack: An undead maintains all of the attacks it possessed as a normal dragon.
Damage: Undead dragons inflict damage with their attacks as a dragon of their original size and type.
Special Attacks: An undead dragon loses all special attacks except Tail Sweep and Crush (if the base creature possessed them), Frightful Presence, and as noted below.
Breath Weapon (Su): An undead dragon may breathe (every 1d4 rounds) a billowing cone of fetid gas, the range is based on the undead dragon's size. Any creature caught within the cone must make a fortitude save or suffer damage based on the base creatures size and type. In addition those that fail their saving throw contract the Foul Rotting disease (see below). Those that make their save suffer half damage and do not contract the disease. The save DC is Charisma based.
Foul Rotting Disease
contact or inhalation, incubation period 6 hours, damage 1d4 Str, 1d4 Con and 1d4 Dex. The fortitude save DC is equal to 10 + 1/2 HD + Cha modifier.
Affected creatures begin to notice their skin rotting after the incubation period. This disease can only be cured through a cure disease spell, heal spell or paladin's remove disease ability. Ability damage heals normally once the disease is cured.
Paralysis (Ex): Any creature hit by the lesser night dragon's bite or claw attacks must make a fortitude save or be paralysed for 2d4x10 minutes. Elves have immunity to this paralysis.
Rotting Stench (Ex): An undead dragon emits a disgusting scent of rotting flesh. Any creature within 20ft of the undead dragon must make a fortitude save or be sickened (the character takes a -2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks). A sickened character remains sickened up to 1d4+4 rounds after leaving the presence of the undead dragon.
Special Qualities: An undead dragon retains all the special qualities of the base dragon except any spells and spell-like abilities, and gains those described below.
Cold Immunity (Ex): An undead dragon has 100% immunity to all cold damage.
Turn Resistance (Ex): An undead dragon adds +4 to its hit dice total when resolving a turn, rebuke, command, or bolster attempt.
Undead Traits: Immune to mind-influencing effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, necromantic effects, and any effect that requires a fortitude save unless it also works on objects. Not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, ability drain, energy drain, or death from massive damage. It cannot be raised, and resurrection works only if it is willing. The creature has darkvision 60 ft. unless otherwise noted.
Saves: Base save bonuses are Fort +1/3 HD, Ref +1/3 HD, and Will +1/2 HD + 2.
Abilities: Increase from the base dragon as follows: Str +4 and Cha +2. Decrease Int -6. As an undead creature, an undead dragon has no Constitution score.
Skills: An undead dragon 's skills are unchanged with the following exceptions: they lose all skill ranks in Knowledge (Any), Spellcraft, and Use Magic Device.
Feats: Undead dragons have the same feats as the base creature, with the following exceptions: they lose any metamagic feats, spellcasting-based feats and any feats related to flying.
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 1/2 the base creature's CR
Treasure: Triple standard.
Alignment: Changes to Chaotic Evil.
Advancement: ---
Level Adjustment: ---
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Sample Undead Dragon (former Wyrm Black Dragon)
Gargantuan Undead (Water)
Hit Dice: 17d12 (110 hp)
Initiative: +4 (+4 Improved Init)
Speed: 60 ft. (12 squares), Swim 60ft. (12 squares)
Armour Class: 41 (-4 size, +35 natural), touch 6, flat-footed 41
Base Attack/Grapple: +8/+34
Attack: Bite +22 melee (4d6 + 14 + Paralysis)
Full Attack: Bite +22 melee (4d6 +14 + Paralysis) and 2 Claws +20 melee (2d8 +7 + Paralysis) and 2 wings +20 melee (2d6 +7) and 1 tail slap +20 melee (2d8 +7)
Space/Reach: 20 ft. /15 ft. (20 ft. with bite)
Special Attacks: Breath Weapon, Crush, Frightful Presence, Paralysis, Rotting Stench, Tail Sweep
Special Qualities: Blindsense, Cold Immunity, Spell Resistance 26, Damage Reduction 20/magic, Darkvision 120ft., Immunity to acid, Keen Senses, Low-light vision, Rotting Stench, Turn Resistance, Undead Traits, Water Breathing
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +14
Abilities: Str 39, Dex 10, Con -, Int 12, Wis 19, Cha 20
Skills: Concentration +30, Diplomacy +9, Gather Information +7, Hide
12, Intimidate +43, Listen +43, Search +38, Sense Motive +29, Spot +43, Survival +20, Swim +37
Feats: Alertness, Blind-Fight, Cleave, Improved Initiative, Multiattack, Power Attack, Track
Environment: Warm Marshes
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 8
Treasure: Triple Standard
Alignment: Always Chaotic Evil
Advancement: ---
Level Adjustment: ---
This undead creature was once a black dragon. Its corpse has been possessed by an evil spirit of some type, resulting in the animating of this monstrosity.
(The stats are based on the black dragon wyrm Vrinthralix, found in the WotC online adventure War of Dragons.)
Combat
Though corrupt and evil, undead dragons focus almost single-mindedly upon their hoards. They rarely venture from their lairs except to collect treasure for their hoard. They will stop at nothing to acquire more treasure, and, in protecting their hoards, they display a ferocity that puts most living dragons to shame.
Blindsense (Ex): Undead dragons can pinpoint creatures within a distance of 60 feet. Opponents the undead dragon can't actually see still have total concealment against the undead dragon.
Breath Weapon (Su): An undead dragon may breathe (every 1d4 rounds) a billowing cone of fetid gas, the range is based on the undead dragon's size. Any creature caught within the cone must make a fortitude save or suffer damage based on the base creatures size and type. In addition those that fail their saving throw contract the Foul Rotting disease (see below). Those that make their save suffer half damage and do not contract the disease. The save DC is Charisma based.
Foul Rotting Disease
contact or inhalation, incubation period 6 hours, damage 1d4 Str, 1d4 Con and 1d4 Dex. The fortitude save DC is equal to 23 (Cha based).
Affected creatures begin to notice their skin rotting after the incubation period. This disease can only be cured through a cure disease spell, heal spell or paladin's remove disease ability. Ability damage heals normally once the disease is cured.
Cold Immunity (Ex): An undead dragon has 100% immunity to all cold damage.
Crush (Ex): This special attack allows a jumping undead dragon to land on opponents as a standard action, using its whole body to crush them. Crush attacks are effective only against opponents three or more size categories smaller than the undead dragon (though it can attempt normal overrun or grapple attacks against larger opponents).
A crush attack affects as many creatures as can fit under the dragon's body. Creatures in the affected area must succeed on a Reflex save vs DC 23 (Cha based) or be pinned, automatically taking 4d6 +21 bludgeoning damage during the next round unless the dragon moves off them. If the undead dragon chooses to maintain the pin, treat it as a normal grapple attack. Pinned opponents take damage from the crush each round if they don't escape.
Damage Reduction (Su): This undead dragon has DR20/magic. An undead dragon's natural weapons are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Frightful Presence (Ex): An undead dragon can unsettle foes with its mere presence. The ability takes effect automatically whenever the dragon attacks, charges, or flies overhead. Creatures within a radius of 330 ft are subject to the effect if they have fewer than 17 HD. A potentially affected creature that succeeds on a Will save (DC 23) remains immune to that night dragon's frightful presence for 24 hours. On a failure, creatures with 4 or less HD become panicked for 4d6 rounds and those with 5 or more HD become shaken for 4d6 rounds. Undead dragons ignore the frightful presence of other dragons.
Immunity to Acid (Ex): This undead dragon has 100% immunity to acid damage.
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.
Paralysis (Ex): Any creature hit by the lesser night dragon's bite or claw attacks must make a fortitude save vs DC 23 (Cha based ) or be paralysed for 2d4x10 minutes. Elves have immunity to this paralysis.
Rotting Stench (Ex): An undead dragon emits a disgusting scent of rotting flesh. Any creature within 20ft of the undead dragon must make a fortitude save vs DC 23 (Cha based) or be sickened (the character takes a -2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks). A sickened character remains sickened up to 1d4+4 rounds after leaving the presence of the undead dragon.
Tail Sweep (Ex): This special attack allows this undead dragon to sweep with its tail as a standard action. The sweep affects a half-circle with a radius of 30 feet, extending from an intersection on the edge of the dragon's space in any direction. Creatures within the swept area are affected if they are four or more size categories smaller than the dragon. The tail sweep automatically deals 2d6 +21 damage. Affected creatures can attempt Reflex saves to take half damage (DC 23).
Turn Resistance (Ex): An undead dragon adds +4 to its hit dice total when resolving a turn, rebuke, command, or bolster attempt.
Water Breathing (Ex): This undead dragon can breathe underwater indefinitely (not needed) and can freely use its breath weapon, and other abilities while submerged.
Skills: Hide, Move Silently, and Swim are considered class skills for this undead dragon.
Undead Traits: Immune to mind-influencing effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, necromantic effects, and any effect that requires a fortitude save unless it also works on objects. Not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, ability drain, energy drain, or death from massive damage. It cannot be raised, and resurrection works only if it is willing. The creature has darkvision 60 ft. unless otherwise noted.