Adamantine Dragon

(From Dragon Magazine #321 - 2004):

Adamantine dragons patrol Bytopia, ever on alert for invading fiends, spying rilmani, and other unwanted intrusions, These self-appointed guardians of the Twin Paradises take the security of their home plane seriously, rarely visiting other planes. Adamantine dragons are widely regarded as exemplars of basic goodness. They are helpful to a fault, never failing to aid good beings in times of need.

An adamantine dragon's body is small in Comparison to its disproportionately large claws, wings, and tail. It has a smooth hide that gleams like a silvery metal coated in diamond dust. Sweeping horns fan back from the dragon's snout, forming a radiant, crownlike crest.

Gnome petitioners of Bytopia, the closest allies of adamantine dragons, often build them magnificent castles to use as lairs. These castles are usually built near gnome towns the adamantine dragons have sworn to protect. Occasionally, an adamantine dragon lairs in uncivilised Shurrock, in order to watch over travelers to that layer.

Adamantine dragons speak Celestial, Draconic, and Gnome.

Combat: Adamantine dragons favor using their hold monster breath at the start of combat, then wade into battle swinging their massive claws and trying to destroy any equipment their enemies might have. They have no compassion for evil creatures and banish evil threats they cannot slay outright.

Breath Weapon (Su): An adamantine dragon has two types of breath weapon, a line of searing white hot fire and a cone of hold monster gas. Living creatures within a cone of ho!d monster gas musr succeed on a Will save or be held, regardless of HD, for 1d6 rounds plus 1 round per age category of the dragon. This is a mind-affecting compulsion enchantment effect. 

Increased Damage (Ex); Because of their oversized limbs and natural weapons, adamantine dragons deal damage as if they were one size category larger than they really are. The adamantine dragon doesn't gain the additional attacks of the larger size, only the greater damage.

Adamantine Touch (Ex): An adamantine dragon's natural weapons are treated as adamantine weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction and bypassing hardness.

Improved Sunder: An adamantine dragon has the Improved Sunder feat as a bonus feat, and it frequently attempts to destroy its opponents' weapons and armor.

Alternate Form (Su): An adult or older adamantine dragon can assume any animal or humanoid form of medium size or smaller as a standard action three times per day. This ability functions as the polymorph spell cast by a 10th-level caster, except that the dragon does not regain hit points for changing form and can only assume the form of an animal or humanoid. The dragon can remain in its animal or humanoid farm until it chooses to assume a new one or return to its natural form.

Spell-like Abilities: 3/day-mirror image (very young or older), dimension door (juvenile or older), dispel evil (adull or older), banishment (old or older), antipathy (old of older), power word stun (ancient or older), reverse gravity (great wyrm).

Skills: Heal and Tumble are considered class skills for adamantine dragons.

(from 2nd Edition Monstrous Manual: Outer Planes Appendix - 1991):

Adamantite dragons are perhaps the mightiest of dragonkind. They are the epitome of good, sacrificing whatever is necessary for the common good of intelligent creatures everywhere.

These other-planar creatures are strange among dragonkind, since they are born with their shining coats of adamantite fully developed (explaining their very low armor class even when hatchlings). This mighty coat is a shining silver color that reflects light in brilliant, scintillating beams and rainbows — refreshing to those who can bask in its goodness, painful to those who hide in the shadows of evil.

Adamantite dragons speak their own tongue and the language of all good dragons. By their juvenile years (age category 4), they will speak common. By the time they are adults (age category 6), they are 50% likely to speak any language of dragonkind.

Combat: Due to the adamantine dragons’ strong taste for physical battle, they may use the extra attack forms of dragons (wing buffet, foot stomp, etc) one age category earlier than other dragons.

Breath Weapon/Special Abilities: An adamantite dragon has two breath weapons, one of which can only be used at certain times. The common form of breath weapon is a cone of flame 110’ long, 10’ wide at the dragon’s mouth, and 45’ wide at the end. This is a magical flame and will ignite even nonflammable materials.

The adamantite dragon’s second breath weapon projects an area of time stop. It has the same dimensions as the cone of flame. Anyone caught in the area must save vs. spells or be affected as if by a time stop spell cast at 20th level of magic use. This breath weapon may only be used on the dragon’s home plane (Twin Paradises), when the dragons are defending the plane, and even then only one time per day.

Adamantite dragons may use these spell-like abilities: polymorph self, 3 times per day, permanent, may revert to dragon form without restriction; magic missile, (adults and older), five missiles per round; blink, (mature adults and older).

Due to their extra-planar nature, all adamantite dragons are immune to nonmagical weapons.

Habitat/Society: The adamantite dragons are the sell-appointed guardians of the Twin Paradises. These great creatures are extremely powerful and will come to the aid of any intelligent creature. It should be noted, however, that they are unconcerned with law or chaos, but only the protection of sentient lifeforms.

Ecology: Adamantite dragons have little place in the ecosystem of the Twin Paradises. They can, however, be avaricious hunters with huge appetites. Adamantite dragons have no moral objection to hunting unintelligent lifeforms for food.