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| Advanced Dungeons & Dragons | - | Dragon magazine | - | Dragon #146 |
FREQUENCY: Rare
NO. APPEARING: 1-4
ARMOR CLASS: 1
MOVE: 12"/24? (MC: D)
HIT DICE: 10-12
% IN LAIR: 45%
TREASURE TYPE: B, R
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2 claws, 1 bite, and 1
tail strike
DAMAGE/ATTACK: See Table 1
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Major breath weapon,
poisonous bite, exceptional damage
from bite, four attacks per round, to-hit
bonus with age, smoke cloud
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Magic resistance,
immune to fire, high intelligence,
detects hidden/invisible beings, fear
aura, saving-throw bonus with age
MAGIC RESISTANCE: See Table 1
INTELLIGENCE: High
ALIGNMENT. Lawful evil
SIZE: See Table 1
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
CHANCE OF:
Speaking: 95%
Magic Use: Nil
Sleeping: 35%
LEVEL/XP VALUE: 10 HD: IX/6,900 + 14
per hit point; 11-12 HD: X/10,000 + 16
per hit point
A cobra dragon is gloss black, with an
orange underbelly. On either side of its
neck is a large hood of skin that resembles
that of a king cobra. Legend holds that
certain king cobras of great age transform
into cobra dragons. Evil reptiles of the
Orient, these monsters rival western
dragons in greed and aggressiveness.
Cobra dragons do not use magic; in fact,
they are highly resistant to it. Instead,
they rely on their natural abilities to
destroy their enemies.
A cobra dragon attacks by slashing with
its claws and whipping with its tail. Due to
great strength and skill, a cobra dragon
gains a bonus to hit per age category (see
Table 1). From the dragon’s mouth extend
two 13” fangs that inject a deadly venom.
A victim bitten by the dragon immediately
becomes weak (reduce strength score by
half) and dizzy (- 3 on all to-hit rolls), and
suffers frequent periods of nausea (+4
bonus to be hit by opponents). Every
round thereafter, the victim suffers 1 hp
damage from extensive bleeding under the
skin. All of these effects continue for 10
rounds; at this time, if the individual is
successful in making a saving throw vs.
poison, he returns to his normal level of
function. A failed saving throw indicates
the victim falls into shock. When in shock,
the victim is unconscious, pale, and covered
in sweat. Unless the individual is
magically cured of the poison within the
next five rounds, the victim dies. Those
bitten by a cobra dragon cannot ingest
solids or liquids (due to nausea) until the
effects of the poison have subsided.
Table 1
Cobra Dragon Age Categories
| Age category | Length | Magic resistance | Hit bonus | Damage by claws/bite/tail |
| Very young | 6' | 15% | - | 1-4/1-10/1-2 |
| Young | 15' | 30% | +1 | 1-6/1-10/1-4 |
| Subadult | 29' | 45% | +2 | 2-8/2-20/1-6 |
| Young adult | 37' | 60% | +2 | 2-12/3-30/2-8 |
| Adult | 40' | 65% | +3 | 2-16/3-10<?>/2-12 |
| Old | 41' | 70% | +3 | 2-16/3-30/2-12 |
| Very old | 42' | 75% | +4 | 2-16/3-30/2-12 |
| Ancient | 43' | 80% | - | 2-16/3-30/2-12 |
Three times per day, a cobra dragon can
breathe a cone of fire 90’ long with a 30’
base diameter. Optionally, the dragon can
breathe its breath weapon directly under
its body. The force of the fiery breath
striking the ground forms a 40’-diameter
circle of flame (similar in nature to a wall
of fire spell) that surrounds the dragon,
burning all within its area of effect. This
tactic is quite effective when the cobra
dragon is surrounded by multiple opponents.
Cobra dragons are not affected by
their own breath weapons, as well as all
other fire- and heat-based attacks, magical
or mundane, but take +2 hp/HD of cold
damage. Other elemental attacks (based on
water, air, or earth) affect them normally.
When the dragon's fire breath is
expelled, a stationary, black smoke cloud is
released from its nostrils in a 90'-diameter
circle around the dragon. All those within
the cloud (except the dragon) suffer from
coughing, nausea, and irritated eyes,
resulting in a -2 to hit for as long as the
opponents remain within the cloud. The
smoke cloud lasts 4-16 rounds before
breaking up. Strong winds move the
smoke cloud but do not aid in dispersing
it. Effects from several smoke clouds are
cumulative. Thus, 2 clouds released in
the same area would result in a -4 to hit,
3 clouds would result in -6 to hit.
Cobra dragons live in caves and underground
caverns in tropical and subtropical
environments. They dislike swamps. In
Kara-Tur (the Oriental Adventures
lands of
the FORGOTTEN REALMS™ setting), cobra
dragons are found in the far southern
reaches of the T’u Lung Empire, where
they cause considerable grief and destruction.
They are said to be even more
numerous in other lands south and west
of that empire.
Like other dragons, a cobra dragon lays
claim to an area of land surrounding its
lair, ferociously driving off all other creatures.
Intrusion by another cobra dragon
is only tolerated during the spring mating
season. The mating ritual involves the
male and female entering noninjurious
combat that results in a fiery display.
Mating only occurs during age categories
four and five. Cobra dragons past the
adult stage of life boast of having outgrown
the mating drive. After mating, the
female lays 1-4 12” -long eggs. When
hatched, the newborn dragons remain
with the female until they reach subadulthood.
Skull collecting is a favorite pastime of
cobra dragons. Skulls of powerful monsters
and rare creatures are highly prized.
Favorite skulls include those of cave bears,
dinosaurs, dragons, giants, and unicorns.
Humanoid skulls are deemed interesting
but of little value since they are so easily
obtained. The offering of a rare skull as a
gift when attempting to converse with a
cobra dragon aids considerably in gaining
the dragon’s favor.
Due to its charisma, power, and cunning,
a cobra dragon of adult age and beyond
attracts a small number of intelligent
creatures who search for a leader to
serve. Common followers include bakemono,
gargoyles, lizard men, and mobats.
These creatures live with the dragon and
worship it as a god. A cobra dragon of
adult age or older has a 60% chance of
having 2-8 such allies, chosen by the DM
and heavily equipped for combat (if such
is possible).
Created by: Randy Johns
Illustration by Thomas Baxa
LETTERS
Dear Dragon:
I am writing about the cobra dragon in issue
#146. The cobra dragon’s venom reduces a
character’s strength by half. Would that include
magical strength, such as from a girdle of giant
strength or strength spell?
Eric Moon
Fairport NY
(Dragon #148)
Cobra dragon venom would not affect magical
strength gained from a potion or girdle, though
if the character using such strength-boosters
lost the effects of the potion or took off the
girdle, his normal strength score would be
reduced by half. If the character was under the
effects of a strength spell when he was bitten,
reduce his normal strength score by half, then
add the amount of strength he gained from the
spell to get his new strength score.