Dragon, Metallic, Brass

Brass dragons are great talkers, but not particularly good conversationalists. They are egotistical and often boorish. They oftern have useful information, but will divulge it only after drifting off the subject many times and after hints that a gift would be appreciated.

At birth, a brass dragon's scales are dull. Their color is a brassy, mottled brown. As the dragon gets older, the scales become more brassy, until they reach a warm burnished appearance.

Combat: Brass dragons would rather talk than fight. If an intelligent creature tries to take its leave of a brass dragon without talking to it at length, the dragon might have a fit of pique and try to force a conversation with suggestion or by giving the a dose of sleep gas. If the victim falls asleep it will awaken to find itself pinned under the dragon or buried to the neck in the sand until the dragon's thirst for small talk is slaked. Before melee, brass dragons create a cloud of dust with dust devil or control winds, then charge or snatch. Brass dragons often use control temperature to create heat to discomfort their opponents. When faced with real danger, younger brass dragons will fly out of sight, then hide by burrowing. Older dragons spurn this ploy.

Breath Weapon/Special Abilities: A brass dragon has two breath weapons: a cone of sleep gas 70' long, 5' wide at the dragon's mouth, and 20' wide at its end; or a cloud of blistering desert heat 50' long, 40' wide, and 20' high. Creatures caught in the gas, regardless of Hit Dice or level, must save vs. breath weapon for half. A brass dragon casts its spells and uses its magical abilities at 6th level, plus its combat modifier.

At birth, brass dragons can speak with animals freely, and are immune to fire and heat. As they age, they gain the following additional powers:

Young: create or destroy water three times a day. Juvenile: dust devil once a day. Adult: suggestion once a day. Mature adult: control temperature three times a day in a 10' radius per age level. Old: control winds once a day. Great wyrm: Summon djinni once a week. The dragon usually asks the djinni to preform some service. Although the djinni serves willingly, the dragon will order it into combat only in extreme circumstances, as the dragon would be dismayed and embarrassed if the djinni were killed.

Habitat/Society: Brass dragons are found in arid, warm climates; ranging from sandy deserts to dry steppes. They love intense, dry heat and spend most of their time basking in the sun. They lair in high caves, preferably facing east where the sun can warm the rocks, and their territories always contain several spots where they can bask and trap unwary travelers into conversation.

Brass dragons are very social. They usually are on good terms with neighboring brass dragons and sphinxes. Brass dragons are dedicated parents. If their young are attacked they will try to slay the enemy, using their heat breath weapons and taking full advantage of their own immunity.

Because they share the same habitat, blue dragons are brass dragons' worst enemies. Brass dragons usually get the worst of a one-on-one confrontation, mostly because of the longer reach of the blue dragon's breath weapon. Because of this, brass dragons usually try to evade blue dragons until they can rally their neighbors for a mass attack.

Ecology: Like other dragons, brass dragons can, and will, eat almost anything if the need arises. In practice, however, they eat very little. They are able to get nourishment from the morning dew, a rare commodity in their habitat, and have been seen carefully lifting it off plants with their long tongues.