Shimmering Dragon
I love travel, and I figure that’s something a lot of people have in common. For Travel Week, I thought we could start things up with a fantastic transportation device, and kicked around a few ideas, including magic horses (we’ve had a few), a giant turtle (just had one), and a fantastic hell train (would have been cool, but might be better as a spell or something). Finally, I settled on a rideable creature that soars through the air and can bring the whole party across the multiverse on its back. Enter the shimmering dragon.
Shimmering Dragon
This immense serpentine creature has scales that ripple and shimmer, making it impossible to tell exactly what color it is. Two grasping claws reaching like glittering scythe blades as it takes to the sky, and bright wings made from shifting energy of multifaceted colors extend from its back. Its eyes gleam like jewels and its breath turns to colored mist.
SHIMMERING DRAGON CR 19
XP 204,800
N Colossal dragon
Init +6; Senses darkvision, low-light vision; Perception +35
DEFENSE
AC 34, touch 5, flat-footed 31 (+2 Dex, +1 dodge, +29 natural, –8 size)
hp 387 (25d12+225)
Fort +22, Ref +18, Will +23
Defensive Abilities natural concealment, reflecting scales; DR 15/magic; SR 30
Speed 60 ft., fly 200 ft. (average)
Melee bite +33 (4d6+24/19-20), 2 claws +33 (3d6+16/19-20)
Space 30 ft.; Reach 30 ft.
Special Attacks breath weapon (60-ft. cone, plane shift, Will DC 31, usable every 1d4 rounds), dimensional shift
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 20th, concentration +26)
At Will—astral projection, etherealness, greater teleport, plane shift (self and willing targets only), shadow walk (DC 22)
STATISTICS
Str 42, Dex 14, Con 26, Int 21, Wis 25, Cha 23
Base Atk +25; CMB +49; CMD 62
Feats Cleave, Dodge, Flyby Attack, Greater Vital Strike, Improved Critical (bite, claws), Improved Initiative, Improved Vital Strike, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Toughness, Vital Strike
Skills Appraise +33, Bluff +34, Diplomacy +34, Fly +22, Intimidate +34, Knowledge (arcana) +33, Knowledge (planes) +33, Linguistics (+33) Perception +35, Sense Motive +35
Languages Abyssal, Aklo, Aquan, Auran, Celestial, Common, Ignan, Infernal, Sylvan, Terran
SQ accurate shifting
ECOLOGY
Terrain any
Organization solitary
Treasure triple
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Accurate Shifting (Su): Whenever a shimmering dragon uses a teleportation effect to travel or to send another character to a different location, the shimmering dragon and any characters it sends arrive exactly where the shimmering dragon wishes. Additionally, the shimmering dragon is immune to any effect which hampers or tampers with teleportation, such as dimensional anchor or teleport trap.
Breath Weapon: A shimmering dragon’s breath weapon is a cone of magical mist, which sends creatures to another plane as with the plane shift spell. While the shimmering dragon can send creatures to any location it chooses, it must send the targets to the same plane of existence.
Dimensional Shift (Su): As a swift action, a shimmering dragon can instantly transport itself anywhere within 1,000 feet. This effect functions like a dimension door spell, except that the shimmering dragon can act after shifting in this way.
Natural Concealment (Ex): Because a shimmering dragon’s scales shimmer and shift, it is nearly impossible to locate its actual location. All attacks against a shimmering dragon have 50% miss chance.
Reflecting Scales (Su): Whenever the shimmering dragon resists a spell using its spell resistance, there is a 25% chance that the spell is turned back upon the caster, as with a spell turning spell.
Ecology
A shimmering dragon is an interplanar beast that hatches from an egg that was fertilized on one plane, incubated upon another, and then hatched on a third plane. The dragons mature exceedingly quickly, reaching adulthood within a few years of birth. Like their bodies, their minds rapidly grow allowing them to gain superhuman intelligence in rapid time.
Like all dragons, shimmering dragons have a great love of wealth, but rather than focusing on achieving vast sums of treasure, the shimmering dragon desires only the rarest and most exotic treasures. They prefer items of significance and beauty, keeping their collection small and well curated often displayed in places of prominence. As such, the dragons lack the overwhelming greed of their close kin and can be more easily bargained with than other dragons. This is useful as few beings possess such a great affinity for travel as the shimmering dragon, who can cross the infinite distances of the planes quickly and more accurately than even the most skilled of wizards. The great beasts are interested in visiting exotic locations and acquiring very interesting goods and stories from places that they might feel unwelcome. In this pursuit, they often hire adventurers to serve their interest, trading their travel services in exchange for finding their goods.