Dread Wyrm
The orc mercenaries were closing in on their prey. Crawling through the jumbled rocks and hillocks one of them wondered why their quarry hadn’t done the same.
“Do you think da ‘umans is smart like we?” the orc sergeant grunted. This is, of course, difficult logic for an orc to get around.
“I spose not,” answered the inquirer, a bit dejected.
As they clambered over the top a large creature, like a wingless black dragon, popped up from a deep hole in the ground before them. As the sergeant turned to order his men to attack he was struck down by the creature’s claws and terrible bite. The rest of the pack of orcs fled squealing in all directions.
“What was that horrible racket?” Koram asked.
“Hard to say, but whatever it is, it sounds like it is being eaten by something. Maybe there were dragons in those hills,” Chalk replied.
Dread Wyrm
No. Enc.: 1 (14)
Alignment: Neutral (many have Chaotic tendencies)
Movement: 90′ (30′)
Armor Class: 4
Hit Dice: 5
Attacks: 3
Damage: 1d6/1d6/1d10 (claw/claw/bite)
Save: F5
Morale: 8
Hoard Class: VII
X.P.: 800
While not as terrible as a dragon, a dread wyrm is still quite fearsome in its own right. At about twenty feet in length, including a long tail, these serpentine creatures appear as wingless dragons that look quite frightening, with long, rending claws and dagger-like teeth. Their scaly hides range in color from drab gray to an oily black.
Oftentimes Dread Wyrms are found in their natural habitat; rocky and hilly areas with a few caves that they use to make homes and store their treasure in. These monsters are not as savage as the average dragon and can sometimes be reasoned with or bested at riddles or puzzles.
You can never have too many lizards.
Thank you, Lord Kilgore! Well, this is a very mellow, “basic wyrm” that I feel more comfortable throwing in numbers at a party as opposed to the Woe Wyrm from December that will be more of an end boss for a small adventure arc.