Wyvern Drake (CR 10)

This large heavily scaled dragon beats its immense wings and lands two taloned feet. Saliva drips from the beast's toothy maw as it roars a challenge and raises its bifurcated tail, each end tipped with a hooked stinger, poised and ready to strike.

XP 9,600

N Large dragon

Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +19

DEFENSE

AC 22, touch 10, flat-footed 22 (+1 Dex, +12 natural, –1 size)

hp 103 (11d12+55)

Fort +12, Ref +8, Will +10

Immune dragon traits, paralysis, sleep; Resist acid 10 (black, copper, or green), cold 10 (silver or white), electricity 10 (blue or bronze), or fire 10 (gold or red); SR 19

OFFENSE

Speed 20 ft., fly 60 ft. (poor), swim 40 ft.

Melee bite +16 (2d6+6 plus grab), 2 stings +16 (1d6+6 plus poison), 2 wings +11 (1d6+3)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.

Special Attacks breath weapon (6d6 acid, cold, electricity, or fire damage, Reflex DC 19 half, usable every 1d4 rounds), rake (2 talons +16, 1d6+5)

STATISTICS

Str 23, Dex 12, Con 20, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 12

Base Atk +11; CMB +17 (+21 grapple); CMD 28

Feats Combat Reflexes, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Perception)

Skills Bluff +15, Fly +13, Intimidate +15, Perception +19, Sense Motive +15, Stealth +11, Swim +29; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception

Languages Draconic, Dwarven

SQ hold breath

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Breath Weapon (Su) 

Once every 1d4 rounds, a wyvern drake can emit a breath weapon in a 30-foot cone or 60-foot line that deals 6d6 points of energy damage, as determined by the wyvern drake’s chromatic or metallic dragon parent. Creatures that take damage also suffer a secondary effect, as determined by breath weapon’s energy type. A DC 20 Reflex save halves the energy damage and negates the secondary effect. The save DC is Constitution-based. A wyvern drake’s dragon parentage also determines its energy resistance.

Poison (Ex) 

Sting—injury; save Fort DC 20; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d4 Con; cure 2 consecutive saves.

ECOLOGY

Environment temperate or warm mountains and hills

Organization solitary, pair, or flight (3–5)

Treasure standard

Like forked-tail wyverns, wyvern drakes have bifurcated tails that allow for two stinging attacks, and are able to emit a breath weapon that either burn, freeze, corrode, or electrocute those in its path. Wyvern drakes reside in natural caves found in cliff faces or high mountain vales. These beasts often assail mountain goats and similar creatures or unprepared trade caravans from the sky in order to feed upon their crews and capture their cargo.

A typical wyvern drake is 20 feet in length (including its bifurcated tail) and weighs 3,500 pounds. A wyvern drake’s scales can vary in hue, but always appear the same as those of their true dragon parentage–black, green, gold, silver, and so on. While more intelligent than the common wyvern, they enjoy lording the “superior” status they have obtained from their true draconic heritage over their lesser cousins. Because of this higher intelligence and greater cunning, they are commonly trained as war mounts by half-minotaurs and serve their masters as part of specially trained aerial cavalry (see the Horned Skyguard half-minotaur racial archetype).