# Dragon (Planar, Shadow) Ancient Shadow Dragon <div class="grid-container"><div class="MON">Ancient Shadow Dragon</div> <div class="CR">CR 16 (76,800 XP)</div> <div class="SOU">Draconomicon pg. 191</div> <div class="SYS">Dungeons & Dragons 3.5</div></div> CE Huge Dragon (extraplanar) **Init** +3 **Senses** dragon senses, see in darkness; **Perception** +36 **Aura** frightful presence (300 ft., DC 28), gloom (100 ft.) #### defense **AC** 41, 7 touch, 42 flat-footed (-1 Dex, +34 natural, -2 size) **hp** 297 (22d12+154) **Fort** +20, **Refl** +12, **Will** +20 **Feint** 46, **Demoralize** 39 **DR** 15/magic; **SR** 32 **Immune** energy drain, negative energy, paralysis, sleep #### offense **Speed** 80 ft., fly 200 ft. (poor) **Melee** bite +31 (2d8+16 plus 10 cold), 2 claws +31 (2d6+11), 2 wings +29 (1d8+5), tail slap +29 (2d6+16) **Space** 15 ft., **Reach** 10 ft. (15 ft. with bite) **Special Attacks** breath weapon (50 ft. cone, DC 28, 20d6 negative energy, usable every 1d4 rounds), crush (DC 28, 2d8+16), enervating breath, slaying breath **Spell-Like Abilities** (CL 22nd, Concentration +29) > **At will**— _dimension door_, _mirror image_, _nondetection_, _shadow walk_ **Sorcerer Spells Known** (CL 13th, Concentration +20) > **0**— > **1st**— > **2nd**— > **3rd**— > **4th**— > **5th**— > **6th**— #### statistics **Str** 33, **Dex** 8, **Con** 25, **Int** 24, **Wis** 24, **Cha** 25 **BAB** +22, **CMB** +35, **CMD** 44, **TA** +31, **RTA** +19 **Feats** [[Alertness]], [[Cleave]], [[Extend Spreading Breath]], [[Greater Spell Focus]] (illusion), [[Hover]], [[Improved Initiative]], [[Multiattack]], [[Power Attack]], [[Shape Breath]], [[Spell Focus]] (illusion), [[Spreading Breath]] **Skills** Appraise +32, Bluff +32, Fly +16, Intimidate +32, Knowledge (arcana) +32, Knowledge (history) +32, Knowledge (nature) +32, Knowledge (planes) +32, Knowledge (religion) +32, Perception +36, Sense Motive +36, Spellcraft +32, Stealth +20 **Languages** Abyssal, Aklo, Common, Draconic, Giant, Necril, Undercommon **SQ** shadow blend, shadow magic mastery #### Special Abilities ### Breath Weapon (Su) Although it deals negative energy damage, a shadow dragon's breath weapon does not heal undead creatures. ### Dispel Light (Su) The gloom that surrounds a shadow dragon dispels the light around it. Any light effect of 5th level or lower within the shadow dragon's gloom aura is automatically dispelled. ### Enervating Breath (Su) Instead of a cone of negative energy, a shadow dragon can breathe a cone of enervating energy. Creatures in the area of effect must succeed on a Fortitude save or gain 10 negative levels. A successful save halves the numbers of negative levels gained. ### Gloom (Su) The shadows lengthen around a shadow dragon, leeching the color and light in 100-foot radius. The aura of gloom does not lower illumination by itself, but it does suppress light effects and prevents nonmagical light sources from increasing the light level. This is a 9th-level darkness effect for resolving light and darkness effects. ### Jaws of Death (Su) An adult or older shadow dragon deals cold damage equal to its age category with its bite attack. ### Shadow Blend (Su) A shadow dragon can disappear into the shadows. In conditions of dim illumination or darker, the shadow dragon is invisible. ### Shadow Magic Mastery (Su) An old or older shadow dragon can draw more deeply on the plane of shadow to create magical effects. When he casts a spell from the shadow subschool the creates a quai-real effect (such as _shadow evocation_), that effect is 10% more real than normal (30% rather than 20%). ### Slaying Breath (Su) Any creature brought to 0 or fewer hit hit points by a shadow dragon's breath weapon must succeed on a DC 28 Fortitude save of be immediately slain. This is a death effect. #### Ecology **Environment:** Any (Plane of Shadow) **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 Shadow dragons are sly and devious creatures with ties to the Plane of Shadow. Shadow dragons have translucent scales and dark bodies, giving them an indistinct appearance; from a distance, they seem to be nothing but a foreboding mass of shadows. ### Combat Shadow dragons prefer to attack from hiding, employing their shadow blend ability. They use illusion spells to confuse and misdirect their foes.