# Dragon (Metallic, Mercury) Very Old Mercury Dragon <div class="grid-container"><div class="MON">Very Old Mercury Dragon</div> <div class="CR">CR 15 (51,200 XP)</div> <div class="SOU">Dragons of Faerûn pg. 138</div> <div class="SYS">Dungeons & Dragons 3.5</div></div> CG Huge Dragon (fire) **Init** +3 **Senses** dragon senses; **Perception** +30 **Aura** frightful presence (270 ft., DC 23 Will), glare (60 ft.) #### defense **AC** 33, 7 touch, 34 flat-footed (-1 Dex, +26 natural, -2 size) **hp** 238 (19d12+114) **Fort** +17, **Refl** +10, **Will** +15; +3 vs. light or patterns **Feint** 40, **Demoralize** 33 **DR** 15/magic; **SR** 26 **Defensive Abilities** protected sight, reflective scales **Immune** blindness, dazzling, fire, paralysis, sleep **Weakness** vulnerable to cold #### offense **Speed** 60 ft., fly 200 ft. (poor) **Melee** bite +27 (2d8+15), 2 claws +27 (2d6+10), 2 wings +25 (1d8+5), tail slap +25 (2d6+15) **Space** 15 ft., **Reach** 10 ft. (15 ft. with bite) **Special Attacks** breath weapon (100 ft. line, DC 25, 9d6 fire, usable every 1d4 rounds), crush (DC 25, 2d8+15), fascinating breath **Spell-Like Abilities** (CL 19th, Concentration +23) > **At will**— _color spray_, _mirror image_, _rainbow pattern_, _silent image_ **Sorcerer Spells Known**(CL 13th, Concentration +17) >**0**— >**1st**— >**2nd**— >**3rd**— >**4th**— >**5th**— _telekinesis_ >**6th**— #### statistics **Str** 31, **Dex** 8, **Con** 23, **Int** 18, **Wis** 19, **Cha** 18 **BAB** +19, **CMB** +31, **CMD** 40, **TA** +27, **RTA** +16 **Feats** [[Alertness]], [[Flyby Attack]], [[Greater Spell Focus]] (illusion), [[Hover]], [[Improved Initiative]], [[Improved Vital Strike]], [[Multiattack]], [[Power Attack]], [[Spell Focus]] (illusion), [[Vital Strike]] **Skills** Appraise +26, Bluff +26, Fly +13, Intimidate +26, Knowledge (arcana) +26, Knowledge (history) +26, Knowledge (nature) +26, Perception +30, Sense Motive +30, Spellcraft +26 **Languages** Common, Draconic, Elven, Ignan **SQ** change shape (tiny, small or medium humanoid or animal; _polymorph_), pattern mastery #### special abilities ### Fascinating Breath (Su) Instead of a line of brilliant white light, a mercury dragon can breathe a 50 ft. cone of psychotropic gas. Creatures in the area must succeed at a DC 25 Will save or be fascinated for 1d6 + 9 rounds. ### Glare (Ex) A mercury dragon's scales glimmer so brightly that reflected light dazzles the eye. Creatures within 60 feet of a mercury dragon that is in an area of normal or brighter light is dazzled. ### Pattern Mastery (Su) A mercury dragon adds its age category to the any hit die limit of its spell-like abilities from the illusion (pattern) subschool. This applies to both the total number of hit die of creatures that can be affected (such as _rainbow pattern_), as well as effects based on the targets hit die (such as from _color spray_) ### Reflective Scales (Su) The scales of a mercury dragon are so reflective that they can deflect magical rays. Any ray targeted at a mercury dragon has a 20% miss chance. #### Ecology **Environment:** Temperate Mountains **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 Mercury dragons are creatures of impulse, given to whimsy and rapid changes of direction, both mental and physical. They delight in being unpredictable and rarely even finish a thought before moving on to the next thing that comes to mind. At birth, a mercury dragon’s scales are dull silver in hue. As the dragon gets older, the scales become brighter and brighter until they reach a brilliant mirror finish. Quick and agile flyers, mercury dragons have smooth, flat, barely discernible scales that seem to flow together as one. The dragon’s eyes start out a deep blue or violet with a dark pupil and a pale yellow-white iris. As the dragon grows older, its pupils become paler and brighter, until the eyes resemble silver orbs. Mercury dragons prefer to lair in warm, volcanic regions, making their lairs in lava tubes and other narrow, winding tunnels or high caves that face east to catch the morning sun. They love clear air and bright sunlight and dwell near snowfields, glaciers, mountain lakes, and sun-dappled alpine meadows that sparkle with light on clear days. Mercury dragons eat anything, but they prefer to feed on metal ores. Although they have no venomous attacks, the flesh of mercury dragons is highly poisonous (treat as an ingested form of **insanity mist**). ### Combat Mercury dragons are as unpredictable when it comes to combat as they are in any other situation. They would usually rather flee than fight, using their spell-like abilities to delay their foes while making good their escape. If their opponents pursue, mercury dragons prefer to use their superior maneuverability and speed to outmaneuver their foes, launching a series of hit-and-run attacks from the direction of the sun.