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Advanced Dungeons & Dragons	-	Dragon magazine	-	Dragon #146

FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO. APPEARING: 1-2
ARMOR CLASS: 5 (2 in flight)
MOVE: 6?/28? (MC: A)
HIT DICE: See Table 2
% IN LAIR: 33%
TREASURE TYPE: Incidental (usually J-N,
Qx5)
sive spit, surprise 1-5 on 1d6
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 bite
DAMAGE/ATTACK: See Table 2
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Poisonous and corro-
SPECIAL DEFENSES:
Magic resistance,
minor spell immunities,
multiple savingthrow
bonuses
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 35%
INTELLIGENCE: Semi-
(low when empathically
bound)
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: S (See Table 2)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil, but
immune to attack
CHANCE OF:
Speaking: See below
Magic Use: Nil
Sleeping: 10%
LEVEL/XP VALUE: Up to V/400
+ 5 per hit point

These strange creatures
look like winged snakes,
and they are distant cousins to
faerie dragons. They usually
live in or near wilderness
swamp areas, making
their homes in the trunks
of giant trees.

They freely associate with
black dragons, who accept
minidragons outside their
lairs. Minidragons are dull
green, while their underbellies
are orange or scarlet.
Their wings are patterned
in alternating stripes of
green and orange or green
and scarlet. Rarer minidragons
have bluish or
yellowish tinges. There are no obvious
differences between males and females.
Four times per day, a minidragon of
adult age or older is capable of spitting
a nerve toxin that can be used to disable
or slay its enemies. The minidragon
must make a to-hit roll with its
venom in order to affect the target.
This toxic spit has a 60? range, with - 2
and - 5 to-hit modifiers for medium (21-
40?) and long (41-60?) ranges..

If the poison hits, two saving throws
must be made against its effects. The first.
saving throw is against the effects of the
nerve toxin. If the victim fails his saving
throw vs. poison, he takes 1-4 hp damage
per round for 3-6 rounds until death or
until the poison is magically neutralized.
Furthermore, the intense pain of the toxin
causes the victim to take a -4 modifier on
to-hit rolls, armor class, and saving throws
for the first 1-4 rounds.

The second saving throw is made for the
victim?s armor, against a corrosive substance
found in the venom. If the armor
fails a save vs. acid (see the 1st Edition
DMG, page 80), it loses one step of armor class
protection permanently. Magical
armors lose their enchantments if this
save is failed as well.

A neutralize poison spell neutralizes the
nerve toxin but has no effect on the damage
already done by it. Nor will this spell
have any effect upon the damage done by
the corrosive nature of the venom.

Minidragons have a permanent sense of
empathy, as per the psionic discipline, that
functions in a 20? radius. This power gives
them +4 to all their saving throws if
attacked by creatures within this range,
since they are able to instantly take evasive
actions and dart for cover. Because of
their unique constitution, minidragons
receive an additional + 4 bonus to their
poison and acid saving throws. All minidragons
have an innate magic resistance
of 35% and are immune to charm and
summon monster spells.

Left alone, the minidragon is fairly eventempered
and will not usually attack
humans unless angered or its lair is disturbed.
Even then, the minidragon will
usually sense if the intrusion is willful or
not. If it senses the intrusion is an accident,
the minidragon tries to warn off the
intruder. If the minidragon senses that it is
being hunted, it can be very cunning, as
its empathic ability allows it to evade cap
ture often. The minidragon?s swift, darting
movements while flying give it a better
armor class. When its colorful wings are
folded to its body, and it is in natural surroundings,
the minidragon blends in with
these surroundings so well that it surprises
on 1-5 on 1d6.

In very rare instances, minidragons
form an empathic bond with a friendly
human or demihuman. The chance of this
occurring equals the charisma score of the
human or demihuman, expressed as a
percentage chance that is rolled when the
minidragon and character meet. If this roll
fails, it cannot be rolled again for that one
character. If it succeeds, the minidragon
stays with the character and gains one
point of intelligence every month for 1-4
months. The minidragon learns to speak
the character?s preferred language in 3-6
months. This increase in abilities is lost
if the character and the minidragon are
separated by over 20? for longer than a
month, The maximum intelligence score
for a bonded minidragon is seven.

Minidragons have the age categories of
major dragons, but lack the size categories,
sensory powers, fear auras, and
saving-throw bonuses. They cannot be
subdued.

Though minidragons have 60? infravision,
they are not usually nocturnal.
When trying to frighten or warn off a
creature, they are capable of emitting a
very loud and piercing hiss. Minidragons
are also able to spit harmless spittle at an
opponent, perhaps for the purpose of
frightening it.

Minidragons have a simple language that
is based upon the language that black
dragons speak. Minidragons prize shiny
objects such as pieces of glass, coins, or
jewels. Minidragons are capable of hovering
in one place. These drakes usually eat
insects, rodents, berries, tubers, and nuts,
but are quite capable of downing larger
creatures for food, if necessary. Minidragons
are fond of salt and often react to it
as a cat does to catnip.

Table 2
Minidragon Age Categories

Age category	HD	Bite damage	Length
Very young	1	1-2	8"
Young	2	1-3	1'
Subadult	3	1-4	1' 6"
Adult	3+2	1-4	2'
Old	4	1-4	2'3"
Very old	4+2	2-5	2'6"
Ancient	5	1-4	3'