Dragons are not the conventional beasts of folklore, bound to a singular reptilian form. They are manifestations of primal spirits, entities of raw power and insatiable hunger that embed themselves within a diverse range of unsuspecting creatures, though they show a marked preference for carnivores.

When these spirits infect a host, a terrible transformation occurs. The creature mutates, growing in size and strength, its form twisting into something new and terrible. Fish become leviathans of the deep, birds turn into titanic sky-terrors, and wolves morph into hulking, fanged monstrosities. No vertebrate is immune to this corruption.

Yet, these creatures share more than just their spirits' transformative touch. They are all driven by ravenous hunger and greed, traits imparted by the spirit at the heart of the Dragon. Their vast appetites drive them to claim territories as their own, hunting and devouring all within their self-proclaimed domain.

And all of this would be bad enough if the beast were still an unintelligent brute. But the spirit within them will lend the creature a dangerous intellect, equal to and even greater than most adventurers who must face it. While the spirit does not keep its memories between bodies, they are still terribly clever foes, and as they extend the lifespan of the creature they infest, they have time to gain wisdom in addition to intelligence.

Dragons present a unique challenge to adventurers. They are not mere beasts to be vanquished, but a force of nature to be reckoned with. Each one is a unique and terrible creature, born of a primal spirit and a corrupted host. The very mention of the word Dragon evokes not just fear, but a sense of awe and wonder at the strange and terrible creatures they have become. Those who face them must be prepared to confront not just a powerful adversary, but the very essence of greed and hunger incarnate.

Scholars believe there to be 144 Dragon spirits in the Realms. These spirits are immortal; whenever a Dragon is slain, the spirit survives, and seeks out a new host. It takes a decade or more for a Dragon to reach full size, but this means that it is impossible to wipe Dragons out; all that can be done is to purchase a brief respite against them.

Regardless of their base creature type, all Dragons receive a +1 bonus to their Charisma.

Dragons spawn from ordinary animals, but they are limited in the sort of creatures that they inhabit. The creature must be a vertebrate, and the spirit will prefer to infest a carnivore or omnivore. A Dragon spirit might be forced to infest an herbivore, but they will often sacrifice themselves to the first predator to come along in such circumstances, and then infest that predator instead.

Regardless of the original form, a Dragon is assumed to be Medium size, unless it expends features to increase its size.

Choose one of the following base creature types.

A Dragon spirit that infests a fish will initially be bound to the water, but a Fish Dragon can still be a terrifying threat—especially given the fact that they can easily grow to massive sizes. A Fish Dragon gains a +1 bonus to their Body. They gain a Swim speed of six, but cannot move about on land. The Fish Dragon can breathe air as easily as it can water.

Perhaps the toughest of Dragons, the Turtle Dragon gains a +1 to its Body, and Resistance 1 to all Physical damage. This Resistance stacks with that gained by taking the Resilience feature. They gain a speed of three, and can swim as well as they can walk.

This might be what most people think of when the word Dragon is mentioned. The Lizard Dragon has a speed of six, and gains a +1 bonus to its Agility. Crocodilians, despite not technically being lizards, gain the same statistics as a Dragon.

A raptor of uncommon size and power is a terrifying sight, especially given the powerful intellect that most birds already possess. The Bird Dragon gains a +1 bonus to its Foresight, and gains a ground speed of three and a Fly speed of six.

Carnivoran mammals are uncommon hosts for Dragon spirits, but terrifying when they occur. Dragon spirits prefer to infect wolves or bears, rather than great cats, but they will take what they can get. The Mammal Dragon gains a +1 bonus to their Agility, as well as a ground speed of six.

Every Dragon must be a Solo, and for that reason will receive a +1 bonus to all of their attributes. Despite their origins as animals, a Dragon is not restricted to putting its lowest attribute in its Education, as Beasts are. A Dragon will start with fifteen stamina, plus any it gains from its class.

A Dragon can never be built at Level 0. Just becoming infested by the spirit makes the beast a Level 1 Solo threat.

For every level attained by the Dragon, including its first, choose and add one of the following features.

Flight
Frightful Presence
Large Size
Increased Damage
Natural Weapons
Resilience
Sharp Senses
Swift
Swimmer
Toughness

Breath Weapon
Elemental Resistance
Huge Size