FREQUENCY: Very rare
FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Dungeon Level IV])
 

NO. APPEARING: 1 (75%) or 2 (25%)
ARMOR CLASS: -2
MOVE: 18" / 24" (MC: E)
HIT DICE: 4 to 6 (each +1)
% IN LAIR: 40% (2 Shadow Dragons: subterranean, TPL35:5th, REF4.83)
TREASURE TYPE: [SB]
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-5/2-5/3-12
SPECIAL ATTACKS: [SB]
SPECIAL DEFENSES: [SB]
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 20%
INTELLIGENCE: Very to genius
ALIGNMENT: Neutral evil
SIZE: L (20' to 30' long)
CHANCE OF:
    Speaking: 100%
    Sleeping: 50% in daylight, 5% otherwise
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: IV | 245 + 5

The shadow dragon is nocturnal,
subterranean,
or found on the planes of dimness such as Shadowland. <link to Shadow, and perhaps make note of alternate name there>
The species is also independent and solitary.
Only occasionally will a mated pair be encountered.
The female lays a clutch of 5-8 eggs in a dark place,
and the first <1st> one to hatch quickly devours the others.
Shadow dragons cannot abide either very hot climes or or arctic conditions, <color theory>
but they thrive in cooler temperate regions. <adjustments to the WSG temperature effects?>

Shadow dragons prefer to walk rather than fly,
for they are poor flyers and tire in a few turns. <give precise #, and relate this to the WSG Fatigue & Exhaustion rules>
The size of a shadow dragon determines its hit dice <HD>.
    Twenty-five percent <25%> are small (all female),
    50% are average,
    and 25% are large (all male).
Age determines pips per hit die <HD>,
as with all dragons <link>,
but a shadow dragon always has +1 per die,
    so a very young dragon (hatchling) has 2 pips per die and and ancient specimen 9 pips per die.

The visual capabilities of a shadow dragon are inferior in bright light. <WSG, Vision & Visibility>
They see normally (at least 100% of human daylight standard) in starlight. <link to WSG Glossary>
They have ultravisual <link> capability and very superior infravision <link> (180 feet).

All shadow dragons speak the tongue of all evil dragons, <** add to master language list> and from 1-4 additional languages <link to DMG language table>
([intelligence 11-12 = 1 language, 13-14 = 2, etc.).
<add links through the numbers, as well>

Those of 17-18 [intelligence] are able to use illusionist spells of 3rd-4th levels,
2 spells per level,
attained from adult age.
    Thus an adult shadow dragon with 17 or 18 intelligence will have 2 illusionist spells of 1st level;
    an ancient one of 18 intelligence will have 2 each of 1st-4th levels.
<again, add links through the Int numbers>
<links to illusionist tables>
Normal clawing and biting attack typically follows a breath attack.
The breath weapon of a shadow dragon is a cloud of darkness 40-feet long,
30-feet wide,
and 20-feet high.
This tangible stuff blidns those within its confines, <link to blindness effects>
even those with infravisual capabilities,
and lowers their life energy so as to leave them only 25% of their usual vitality (level or hit dice; <link> 50% if a saving throw <save> is successsful) for as many turns as the dragon has age categories.
Spells will be lost permanently from such exposure until relearned or regained normally.
Exposure does not affect a shadow dragon at all, of course.

All shadow dragons have the ability to hide in shadows <link> as a 10th level thief.
Due to their nature and substance,
they can be harmed only by magic weapons.
They are immune to life level loss of all types.
Shadow dragons cannot be subdued and sold.

The hoard of a shadow dragon is typically 10-80 gems of opaque substance and dark hue,
black being preferred. <make a shadow dragon gem subtable>
It prizes items connected with shadow and darkness and will try to destroy magic which deals with fire and/or light.
Likewise,
the spells used will not be those of light or fire.

Shadow dragons appear as wormlike dragons of lighter and darker shadows.
The bat-like wings are semitransparent,
as is most of the body.
If someone is trying to spot a shadow dragon,
the eyes,
pools of feral gray opalesence,
are the easiest to detect.
Then,
however,
it is usually too late.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gray Mouser
Gary, thanks for the info on dragons. As a follow up, I'm wondering any of the new dragons from Monster Manual II ever made it into your campaign? I really like the Shadow Dragon (I'm thinking of springing it on my PC's at some point  ) and the Cloud and Mist varieties were excellent as well.

Gray Mouser

Yes, the shadow dragon was encountered--nasty meeting that the details of which i but vaguely remember. The cloud and mist versions of dracos wree in an area of wilderness adventure that i had laid out ofr PCs to get transported to, but that never happened. As nearly as i can remember, there was only one randon encounter with a cloud dragon in my campaign.

Cheers,
Gary