Earth Dragons (Subtype – Earth; Alignment – usually Neutral)
Earth dragons are usually a muddy brown in color, although it is sometimes hard to tell which is the dragon’s own color, and which is the dirt clinging to it. Earth dragons usually live on open plains and prairies, and they spend much of their time shallowly underground. Burrowing is their preferred form of transportation; they sport massive, if blunted, mole-like claws. Their wings are somewhat stunted, and although they can fly, their maneuverability is somewhat wanting. Earth dragons’ eyes take on an amber glow as they age.
An earth dragon’s lair resembles a rabbit warren in layout and design; they sometimes employ kobolds to design and maintain their traps, generally in exchange for the kobolds’ keeping peace with other races in the area. Earth dragons are often true neutral in the manner of maintaining a balance between the vying alignments and power centers in their territories. They are not as druidic as wood dragons, but they do take a more active role than some other types of dragons in helping crops turn out or averting some natural disasters, even though the local inhabitants (human or otherwise) may not realize the dragon is present. (Earth dragons have no qualms about accepting offerings villages seeking abundant harvests might leave at shrines.) Should one force in their territory become too powerful and threaten to overwhelm others, they may take steps, overt or not, to reduce that entity’s power.
Earth dragons will try more than once to parley before resorting to combat. The warnings may be subtle if the offending creature has not yet noticed the dragon – often a near miss by a falling tree or rock – but if the offront is great enough, the dragon will attempt to intimidate the offender directly. Earth to mud and its reverse are favored tactics should combat ensue.
- Immune to Electricity; Immune to Acid
- Breath Weapon: A cone of mud (creatures which take damage from the attack must make an additional Reflex save (DC 14) to clear the mud enough to breathe, see, and hear; until this Reflex save is made, follow the rules for Drowning, Blindness, and Deafness)
- Earthshape: An earth dragon has an inate connection to earth-based substances. An earth dragon can manipulate 10 cubic yards of earth per age category a day (moving, shaping, hardening, softening, enriching, blighting; it cannot turn earth all the way to stone or mud with this ability).
- Alternate Form (Su): An earth dragon can assume any animal or humanoid form of Medium size or smaller as a standard action three times per day. This ability functions as a polymorph spell cast on itself at its caster level, except that the dragon does not regain hit points for changing form and can only assume the form of an animal or humanoid. The dragon can remain in its animal or humanoid form until it chooses to assume a new one or return to its natural form.
- Other spell-like abilities: 3/day – meld into stone (juvenile); 3/day – plant growth (adult); 3/day – flesh to stone (old); 2/day – reverse gravity (ancient); 1/day – storm of vengeance (great wyrm)