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BLACK DRAGONS BY SIZEOverall Body Neck Tail Body Standing Maximum MinimumSize Length Length Length Length Width Height Wingspan Wingspan WeightMedium 15 ft. 5 ft. 5 ft. 5 ft. 2½ ft. 3½ ft. 25 ft. 12 ft. 300 lb.Large 30 ft. 9 ft. 8 ft. 13 ft. 4½ ft. 6½ ft. 36 ft. 18 ft. 2,400 lb.Huge 53 ft. 15 ft. 15 ft. 23 ft. 7 ft. 11 ft. 60 ft. 30 ft. 19,500 lb.Gargantuan 83 ft. 23 ft. 23 ft. 37 ft. 9 ft. 15½ ft. 80 ft. 40 ft. 159,000 lb.partly submerged. A black dragon locates the mainentrance underwater and hides the entrance eitherunder thick layers of plant life or under a wall of mudthrough which the dragon can swim.Favored TreasureBlack dragons favor coins over other sorts of treasure,because coins can survive long-term immersionbetter than fragile paintings or sculpture. Althoughcoins tarnish, they do not rust as other metals do.Gems might survive even better, but gems showup in black dragons’ hoards less frequently thancoins. One possible reason for this disparity isthat, since coins are obviously manufacturedPhysical CharacteristicsBlack dragons appear abnormally slender in comparisonto other chromatic dragons—wiry, but not gaunt.Although their forward-jutting horns look fearsome,the horns serve no offensive use. They simply protectthe dragon’s head. The sunken eyes contribute to thehead’s infamous skull-like appearance.When a black dragon submerges, a number ofmuscular and nervous changes take place. The eyesbulge dramatically, pressed outward by the dragon’sfacial muscles as the dragon’s vision adapts to thewater and murkiness. After this happens, the dragoncan discern fewer minute details but gains sensitivityto large shapes and movements.CHROMATIC DRAGONS IN DETAILrather than naturally occurring, black dragonsview them as intrinsically more valuable to their(former) possessors than gems.Life CycleThe incubation period for a black dragon’s eggs isabout sixteen months, twelve of those months outsidethe female’s body. A typical clutch consists offive to ten eggs. Roughly half of the eggs hatch successfullyunder optimal conditions.A black dragon remains a wyrmling for about fouryears. It reaches adulthood at approximately 125years and becomes an elder around the age of 900.It becomes ancient at around 1,600 years and passesaway by the age of 2,200.When a deceased black dragon experiences environmentaldiffusion, the result is an area of abnormalhumidity and foul soil. Few plants grow there, andthose that do are poisonous. Any water that collects inthe area becomes acidic and burns to the touch—notenough to cause real damage, but enough to hurt. It isnot potable.A thin layer of webbing stretches between a blackdragon’s toes, thicker on the rear feet than the fore.This webbing grants the dragon its impressive swimmingspeed. A swimming black dragon uses its tailboth for propulsion and as a rudder.The hide of a black dragon functions like the skinof amphibians: It extracts oxygen from the waterand feeds the oxygen directly into the bloodstream,without the need for gills. This process is less efficientthan breathing with lungs, so although blackdragons are technically amphibious and can remainunderwater for hours or days, they must surface andspend a few hours breathing air at least once or twicea week.Black dragons have a strong, acrid scent.OPTIONAL RULESA black dragon ignores cover or concealment granted bydirty water or other opaque liquids.When underwater, a black dragon gains a +4 bonus toStealth checks.SAM WOODCHAPTER 1 | Dragon Lore31