Advanced Dungeons & Dragons	-	Dragon magazine	-	Dragon #146
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FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO. APPEARING: 1-2
ARMOR CLASS: -2
MOVE: 12”/30” (MC: B)
HIT DICE: 13-15
% IN LAIR: 65%
TREASURE TYPE: H, R, U (X2)
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2 claws, 1 bite, and 1
tail strike
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-8/2-8/6-48/2-16
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Major breath weapons,
exceptional damage from bite, four
attacks per round, major spell use
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Magic resistance,
high intelligence, detects hidden/
invisible objects, fear aura, savingthrow
bonus with age, polymorph self
at will, low armor class
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 5%
INTELLIGENCE: Exceptional
ALIGNMENT: Any lawful
SIZE: L (56? long)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
CHANCE OF:
Speaking: 75%
Magic Use: 85%
Sleeping: 15%
LEVEL/XP VALUE: 13-14 HD: X/13,250 +
18 per hit point; 15 HD: X/17,550 + 20
per hit point

Obsidian dragons appear in most
respects to be like silver dragons. The
main difference between the two is that
obsidian dragons are black with silver
highlights. Known only from the northern
reaches of the continent of Oerik (in the
WORLD OF GREYHAWK® setting), obsidian
dragons are thought to be distant but
more powerful cousins of silver dragons,
originating (some speculate) in the Land of
Black Ice. All obsidian dragons are lawful.
Some 65% are of good alignment, while
25% are neutral and 10% are evil. As with
silver dragons, these creatures are able to
polymorph themselves at will in order to
appear to be a human or normal animal.

The obsidian dragon?s tail attack only
affects those targets within 20? of the tail
itself. The breath weapon of the obsidian
dragon is a cone of black acidic frost, 90?
long with a 30? base. Creatures who fail
their saving throws vs. dragon breath take
the usual damage from cold, equal to the
dragon?s hit points, but they must save
again at -2 to avoid taking 2-16 hp acid
damage as well (no acid damage is taken if
this second save is made). This breath
weapon can be used three times per day.

Three times per day, the obsidian
dragon can also breathe forth a membranous
web of black ice 10? in diameter, shot
up to 60? away. Those failing a saving
throw vs. dragon breath are enveloped in
the web and encased in 5-8? of black ice
by the end of that round. All encased
creatures are held immobile and must
make a second saving throw vs. breath
weapon to keep their faces from being
covered. Otherwise, they will suffocate in
2-5 rounds unless they can make their
bend bars/lift gates strength rolls to break
free, or unless the black-ice web suffers at
least 12 hp damage (attack vs. AC 4). Onequarter
of the damage done to the blackice
web is instead inflicted on the victim so
encased.

While very young, obsidian dragons are
able to cast three first-level spells. At each
age thereafter, they gain three more spells
of one higher spell level, plus one spell
from each lower spell level. Thus, an
ancient dragon could cast 10 first-level
spells, nine second-level spells, eight thirdlevel
spells, etc. Ancient dragons have a
25% chance of knowing one ninth-level
spell. Furthermore, 45% of magic-using
obsidian dragons have spell books, so they
may select spells for use rather than
knowing only a limited number of spells
per level.

Created by: Mark Mathis
Illustration by Thomas Baxa