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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

Pathfinder RPG (1st Edition) Pathfinder RPG (2nd Edition) Starfinder RPG Starfinder RPG (2nd Edition)

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There is a Legacy version here.

Dragon, Cloud

Source Draconic Codex pg. 117
Cloud dragons are the primal dragons of sky and mist. Long, long ago, in the days before folks wrote things down with any sort of consistency, cloud dragons might have been visitors to Golarion, hailing first from the endless air beyond reality. If so, they’ve settled in quite comfortably. Cloud dragons dwell in the high places of the world, nesting atop the peaks of mountains or the tallest of trees of alpine forests. They revel in flight even more than other dragons, and fly higher than most any of their kin, to the places where the air grows thin and the sky takes on the shades of night. They travel often and journey far.

Members

Adult Cloud Dragon (Creature 14), Ancient Cloud Dragon (Creature 19), Cloud Archdragon (Creature 22), Young Cloud Dragon (Creature 10)

No Icon Cloud Dragon Spellcasters

Cloud dragon spellcasters tend to cast the following spells.

Young Cloud Dragon

Primal Prepared Spells DC 29, attack +21; 4th lightning bolt, mirage, vapor form; 3rd haste, lightning bolt, slow; 2nd humanoid form, resist energy, sure footing; 1st tailwind, thunderstrike, ventriloquism; Cantrips (4th) detect magic, electric arc, frostbite, prestidigitation, sigil

Adult Cloud Dragon

Primal Prepared Spells DC 34, attack +26; As young cloud dragon, plus 6th chain lightning, cursed metamorphosis, truesight; 5th banishment, howling blizzard, lightning bolt; Cantrips (6th) detect magic, electric arc, frostbite, prestidigitation, sigil

Ancient Cloud Dragon

Primal Prepared Spells DC 41, attack +33; As adult cloud dragon, plus 9th falling stars, metamorphosis, wrathful storm; 8th arctic rift, desiccate, punishing winds; 7th eclipse burst, energy aegis, regenerate; Cantrips (9th) detect magic, electric arc, frostbite, prestidigitation, sigil

Cloud Archdragon

Primal Prepared Spells DC 45, attack +37; As ancient cloud dragon, plus 10th cataclysm, revival; Cantrips (10th) detect magic, electric arc, frostbite, prestidigitation, sigil

Dragon

Related Groups Dragon, Adamantine, Dragon, Barrage, Dragon, Bog, Dragon, Brine, Dragon, Cinder, Dragon, Conspirator, Dragon, Coral, Dragon, Crystal, Dragon, Delight, Dragon, Despair, Dragon, Diabolic, Dragon, Empyreal, Dragon, Executor, Dragon, Forest, Dragon, Fortune, Dragon, Horned, Dragon, Magma, Dragon, Mirage, Dragon, Mocking, Dragon, Oath, Dragon, Omen, Dragon, Phase, Dragon, Requiem, Dragon, Resurrection, Dragon, Rime, Dragon, Rune, Dragon, Sage, Dragon, Sea, Dragon, Sky, Dragon, Sovereign, Dragon, Stormcrown, Dragon, Time, Dragon, Umbral, Dragon, Underworld, Dragon, Vizier, Dragon, Vorpal, Dragon, Wailing, Dragon, Whisper, Dragon, Wish, Dragonet, Wyrmwraith
Dragons come in myriad forms, with many having magical abilities or connections to magic. Some dragons draw greater power from magic than others, allowing them to manifest abilities or alter their physiques with prolonged exposure to magic. These dragons become more powerful as they age and strengthen their connections with their magical origins. Scholars debate the classification of these dragons, with some preferring the name magical dragons and others using traditional dragons due to their connection to specific magical traditions. Regardless of their names, these dragons share a number of characteristics: their ability to tap into magical energies, intensified might and cunning as they grow older, and an inclination to hoard vast amounts of treasure and wealth.

Draconic Spellcasters

Each dragon features a sidebar on spellcasting dragons of that type. To make a dragon spellcaster, remove the dragon's Draconic Frenzy and Draconic Momentum abilities, and give them the spells outlined in their sidebar. You can swap out any number of these with other spells, provided you keep the same number of spells for each rank. You might also want to increase the dragon's Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma modifier by 1 or 2 to reflect their mastery of magic.

Sidebar - Additional Lore Draconic Groupings

The broader grouping of dragons is generally sorted into more granular categories, the first of which is based on the four magical traditions. Each dragon falls into one of these large categories, and dragons in a given category share a number of common traits.

Arcane Dragons: These dragons seem to have greater control over magic and their innate abilities. Many arcane dragons have mastery over a certain subset of magic, such as illusions or teleportation. Other arcane dragons have the ability to tap into or manipulate raw magical energies, regardless of their origins. Their bodies tend to be more slender than other dragons due to their reliance on magic for hunting. Their scales generally come in perfect patterns or very organized shapes.

Divine Dragons: While the name might suggest dragons directly related to deific entities, divine dragons instead derive their power from planes other than the mortal Universe. Similar to how a god grants power to a cleric, these dragons receive magical abilities and other influences from another plane. As such, divine dragons are among the most varied of dragons. These dragons generally take on an appearance similar to other native creatures of their influential planes, making it difficult for them to hide their planar connections.

Occult Dragons: At times alien and off-putting and other times alluring and mysterious, occult dragons derive their powers from the inexplicable and unknown. These dragons use magic that seems to exist within the crevices and shadows between other forms of magic. Whether it's due to this strange magical influence or something else, occult dragons are most likely to directly interact with other creatures. While generally sporting similar builds to other dragons, occult dragons make greater use of their wings as supplementary appendages, leaving their forward limbs free to use for other things. Their scales and plating generally feature strange shapes and patterns that are rarely seen in the natural world.

Primal Dragons: While all dragons are fierce and terrifying in their own way, primal dragons seem to embody the most bestial traits among dragons. These dragons derive their power from the magic of the natural world. While primal dragons aren't directly bound to serve nature, many of them choose to act as keepers of their habitats. Primal dragons are generally larger than other dragons and fall back on their instincts more often, making them particularly dangerous when threatened. Their scales typically have less elaborate shapes than other dragons, or will sometimes resemble natural terrain. Some dragons even grow natural features like small plants on their bodies.

Draconic Families: In addition to these classifications, dragons are sometimes grouped into families. These include the enigmatic esoteric dragons, the regal imperial dragons, the space-faring outer dragons, and the mighty skymetal dragons. Draconic families are sometimes made up of dragons with obvious physiological similarities, while other families seem to be made up of dragons of similar color, habitat, behavior, or other traits that make for vague connections. Often, families include dragons of varied magical traditions. As such, the members of a given family are sometimes the subject of debate and scholarly arguments.

Sidebar - Advice and Rules Shape-Changing Dragons

Though it's uncommon, some dragons can take humanoid forms. They gain the following ability:

Change Shape [one-action] (concentrate, polymorph); The dragon takes on the appearance of any Small or Medium humanoid. This doesn't change their Speed or attack and damage bonuses with their Strikes but might change the damage type their Strikes deal (typically to bludgeoning).