Bestiary/Ancient Wyrm

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Ancient Wyrm

General
Type	Dragon
Category	Dragons
Alignment	Evil
Karma	−22,500
Fame	22,500
Behavior	Attacks on sight
Speed	Fast
Stats
Strength	1,096–1,185
Dexterity	86–175
Intelligence	686–775
Hit points	658–711
Stamina	86–175
Mana	686–775
Damage	29–35
Armor	70
Resources
Carving	19 raw ribs, 40 barbed hides, 12 red, yellow, black or green scales

The Ancient Wyrm is the oldest and greatest of the dragons: over 1,000 Strength, up to 711 hit points, strong magic, poison bites and fire breath. It's one of the toughest regular monsters in the game, and among the richest.

Overview

• In-game name: an ancient wyrm
• Corpse: a dragon corpse
• Behavior: it attacks the nearest target it sees and fights like a spellcaster (mage AI), mixing spells with melee.
• Movement: it is one of the faster creatures in the game (fast speed).
• Target switching: it re-picks its target whenever it moves, so it may switch to whoever is closest.

Stats

Stat	Value
Strength	1,096–1,185
Dexterity	86–175
Intelligence	686–775
Hit points	658–711
Stamina	86–175 (same as its Dexterity)
Mana	686–775 (same as its Intelligence)
Melee damage	29–35
Armor rating	70
Fame / Karma	22,500 / −22,500

Skills

Skill	Range
Magic Resistance	100.5–150.0
Tactics	97.6–100.0
Wrestling	97.6–100.0
Evaluating Intelligence	80.1–100.0
Magery	80.1–100.0
Meditation	52.5–75.0

Abilities

Fire breath

The ancient wyrm breathes fire at its target.

• Chance: 50% each time it gets a chance to act in combat, then it waits 30–45 seconds before it can breathe again.
• Damage: 5% of its current hit points, at most 200 (a full-health ancient wyrm deals about 32–35). It does less damage as it gets hurt. (100% fire damage; the type doesn't matter under New Bradford's combat rules.)
• Range: the target has to be within its sight range and in line of sight.
• It stops for about a second to breathe, so you can see it coming.
• A peacemade (calmed) or summoned ancient wyrm can't use it.

Magic

It fights with the mage AI: it closes to melee range but casts between swings. Its Magery is 80.1–100.0 and its Evaluating Intelligence 80.1–100.0.

• Damage spells: Magic Arrow, Harm, Fireball, Lightning, Mind Blast, Energy Bolt, Explosion and Flame Strike.
• Other spells: about 1 cast in 8 is Poison (only if you aren't poisoned already). It may also Bless itself, curse you (Weaken, Clumsy, Feeblemind or Curse), drain your mana (Mana Drain or Mana Vampire) or Paralyze you.
• Healing: it cures itself when poisoned, and sometimes heals itself (Greater Heal when badly hurt), more often the higher its Magery.

Poison attack

Each time its melee attack hits, there's a 50% chance it also poisons the target with Lesser or Regular poison (50/50 each hit).

• Lesser poison deals 2.5% of your current hit points (at least 4, at most 26) every 3 seconds, for up to 10 ticks.
• Regular poison deals 3.125% of your current hit points (at least 5, at most 26) every 3 seconds, for up to 10 ticks.
• Cure it with a cure potion, the Cure or Arch Cure spell, or a healer's bandages and the Healing skill. Higher levels are harder to cure.

Poison immunity: it is immune to poison up to Regular (Lesser, Regular). Only stronger poison affects it.

Dispels summons

Any summoned creature that can be dispelled is destroyed instantly when it hits the ancient wyrm in melee or the ancient wyrm hits it. Blade spirits, energy vortexes, summoned elementals and daemons are wasted against it.

Loot

Every ancient wyrm carries:

• Gold: about 1,206–1,950 in total (from its "Filthy Rich" ×3 loot)
• 5 random gems (amber, amethyst, citrine, diamond, emerald, ruby, sapphire, star sapphire or tourmaline)

It may also carry:

• A magic weapon, armor piece or shield (up to 12 chances, from about 33% down to 5% each)
• A musical instrument (about 6% or less)
• A level 5 treasure map (1% chance)

Carving

Use a blade on the corpse to get:

• 19 raw ribs
• 40 barbed hides
• 12 scales of one random color: red, yellow, black or green

Tips

• At full health its breath deals only about 32–35 damage, and less as the wyrm is hurt; its spells and 29–35 melee hits are the real danger.
• It switches targets whenever it moves, so groups can share the damage.
• Its touch destroys summons, so don't send energy vortexes or blade spirits.
• Its corpse gives 40 barbed hides and 12 scales.