# Styx Dragon >[!infobox]+ >![[BestiaryIndex.base#Styx Dragon]] > >| Link | >| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | >| [[07 Monsters of Temnia/Monsters/D/Dragon (Planar, Styx) Wyrmling Styx Dragon.md\|Wyrmling Styx Dragon]] | >| [[07 Monsters of Temnia/Monsters/D/Dragon (Planar, Styx) Very Young Styx Dragon.md\|Very Young Styx Dragon]] | >| [[07 Monsters of Temnia/Monsters/D/Dragon (Planar, Styx) Young Styx Dragon.md\|Young Styx Dragon]] | >| [[07 Monsters of Temnia/Monsters/D/Dragon (Planar, Styx) Juvenile Styx Dragon.md\|Juvenile Styx Dragon]] | >| [[07 Monsters of Temnia/Monsters/D/Dragon (Planar, Styx) Young Adult Styx Dragon.md\|Young Adult Styx Dragon]] | >| [[07 Monsters of Temnia/Monsters/D/Dragon (Planar, Styx) Adult Styx Dragon.md\|Adult Styx Dragon]] | >| [[07 Monsters of Temnia/Monsters/D/Dragon (Planar, Styx) Mature Adult Styx Dragon.md\|Mature Adult Styx Dragon]] | >| [[07 Monsters of Temnia/Monsters/D/Dragon (Planar, Styx) Old Styx Dragon.md\|Old Styx Dragon]] | >| [[07 Monsters of Temnia/Monsters/D/Dragon (Planar, Styx) Very Old Styx Dragon.md\|Very Old Styx Dragon]] | >| [[07 Monsters of Temnia/Monsters/D/Dragon (Planar, Styx) Ancient Styx Dragon.md\|Ancient Styx Dragon]] | >| [[07 Monsters of Temnia/Monsters/D/Dragon (Planar, Styx) Wyrm Styx Dragon.md\|Wyrm Styx Dragon]] | >| [[07 Monsters of Temnia/Monsters/D/Dragon (Planar, Styx) Great Wyrm Styx Dragon.md\|Great Wyrm Styx Dragon]] | NE Small Dragon #### Base statistics **CR** 3; **Size** Small; **Hit Dice** 5d12 **Speed** 60 ft., burrow 20 ft., swim 60 ft. **Natural Armor** +4; **Breath Weapon** line, 1d6 acid **Str** 13, **Dex** 14, **Con** 13, **Int** 10, **Wis** 11, **Cha** 10 #### Ecology **Environment:** Any (The River Styx) **Organization** Solitary (1 dragon, any age), clutch (1d4+1 wyrmlings, very young, young, or juveniles or young adults), family (pair of mature adults and 1d4+1 offspring) **Treasure** Triple **Advancement** By age category Also known as shadowdrakes or darkwyrms, Styx dragons haunt the putrid waters of the River Styx throughout its nearly infinite length. One of the few creatures immune to the harmful effects of the river, Styx dragons swim with impunity across the top layers of all the Lower Planes, feasting on fiends and any other creature they can find and catch. A Styx dragon has a long, serpentine body with tiny, flipperlike claws that are useless on land and in combat. Its wings are too small to carry it aloft, but help to propel it through the water. Its tail splits into two long, bladed whips that it can use to slash and grab its prey. A Styx dragon’s scales are slimy and range from dark brown to rusty red in color. Its eyes glow with a lurid yellow light. Styx dragons make their lairs by burrowing into the mud on the banks of the Styx. They do not like to leave their native plane, but if one is forcibly brought to the Material Plane, it will thrive in fetid water. Styx dragons normally subsist on the flesh of fiends, but enjoy eating any meat— particularly rotting carrion. ### Combat A Styx dragon’s physical attacks are limited: It attacks with the twin blades of its tail instead of claws, it cannot use its wings effectively, and it does not gain tail slap attacks in addition to its tail blades. Its tail blades deal damage as if the dragon were one size category larger than actual, however, as does its tail sweep. #### Special Abilities ### Breath Weapon (Su) A sytx dragon's breath weapon is a line of caustic slime that persists for 3 rounds. Creatures exposed to the breath weapon take the listed damage (a successful Reflex save results in half damage), then take half that damage again on the second round, and one quarter damage on the third round. A creature affected by the acid can scrape the acid off with a full round action, or wash it off with a gallon or more of water as a standard action. ### Didactic Memory (Ex) A styx dragon's memory is unassailable. They are immune to any effect that would erase, alter or block access to their own memories. They are immune to _feeblemind_, Intelligence penalties, damage and drain. They ignore any effect that would negatively impact their Intelligence score, Intelligence checks or Intelligence-based skill checks, but apply such effects to other scores or checks normally. ### Disease (Ex) The bite of a very young or older styx dragon can transmit stygian wasting. The symptoms of the stygian wasting include flesh rotting away and hair falling out. Stygian wasting— Bite-injury; *save* Fort DC (as breath weapon); *onset* 1 day; *frequency* 1/day; *effect* 1d6 Cha damage; cure 3 consecutive saves. The save DC is Constitution-based. ### Paralyzing Gaze (Ex) An old or older styx dragon can paralyze foes with a glance. Paralyzed for 1 round, 30 feet, Fortitude DC negates. The save DC is Charisma-based. ### Powerful Tail (Ex) The bifurcated tail of a styx dragon deals damage as if it were one size category larger than normal. ### Slick (Su) A young or older styx dragon is constantly damp, even when fully out of the water. Any creature who touches a styx dragon, or is hit with one of its natural attacks, is treated as if doused with unholy water. ### Stupefaction (Su) As a use of its breath weapon, an ancient of older Styx dragon can blast one creature within 100 feet, potentially enfeebling its mind. This ability functions as _feeblemind_, except that the effect lasts one hour per age category of the dragon. ### Stupefying Breath (Su) Instead of a line of acid, a Styx dragon can breath a cone of stupefying gas. Creatures in the area must succeed on a Will save or take 1 point of Intelligence damage per age category. This is a mind-affecting, compulsion effect. ### Stygian Magic (Ex) An adult or older sytx dragon casts spells with the [[Stygian Spell]] metamagic feat as a standard action, rather than a full-round action. A styx dragons casts such spells with a spell slot one higher than the spell, rather than two. ### Suffocating Depths (Su) The water surrounding a styx dragon is especially hostile to air-breathers. Any creature that attempts to hold its breath underwater within 100 feet of a styx dragon must immediately make a DC 10 Constitution check or begin drowning. ## Styx Dragon Abilities by Age | Age | Special Abilities | Caster Level | | ------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------ | | Wyrmling | Amphibious, didactic memory, powerful tail, stupefying breath, immunity to poison and disease | — | | Very young | Disease, frightful presence | — | | Young | DR 5/magic | 1st | | Juvenile | Slick, _fog cloud_ | 3rd | | Young adult | DR 10/magic | 5th | | Adult | Stygian magic _stinking cloud_ | 7th | | Mature adult | DR 15/magic | 9th | | Old | Paralyzing gaze, _mind fog_ | 11th | | Very old | DR 20/magic and 5/good | 13th | | Ancient | Stupefaction, _control water_ | 15th | | Wyrm | DR 20/magic and 10/good | 17th | | Great wyrm | Suffocating depths | 19th |