Bestiary/Skeletal Dragon
 | |
| General | |
|---|---|
| Type | Undead dragon |
| Category | Undead |
| Alignment | Evil |
| Karma | −22,500 |
| Fame | 22,500 |
| Behavior | Attacks on sight |
| Speed | Medium |
| Stats | |
| Strength | 898–1,030 |
| Dexterity | 68–200 |
| Intelligence | 488–620 |
| Hit points | 558–599 |
| Stamina | 68–200 |
| Mana | 488–620 |
| Damage | 29–35 |
| Armor | 80 |
| Resources | |
| Carving | 19 raw ribs, 20 barbed hides |
The Skeletal Dragon is the bones of a great dragon raised as undead: 558–599 hit points, an armor rating of 80, 120–130 Necromancy, spells and a freezing cold breath.
Overview
- In-game name: a skeletal dragon
- Corpse: a skeletal dragon corpse
- Behavior: it attacks the nearest target it sees and fights like a spellcaster (mage AI), mixing spells with melee.
- Target switching: it re-picks its target whenever it moves, so it may switch to whoever is closest.
- Bleed immune: bleed attacks (a weapon special New Bradford enables) don't affect it.
Stats
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Strength | 898–1,030 |
| Dexterity | 68–200 |
| Intelligence | 488–620 |
| Hit points | 558–599 |
| Stamina | 68–200 (same as its Dexterity) |
| Mana | 488–620 (same as its Intelligence) |
| Melee damage | 29–35 |
| Armor rating | 80 |
| Fame / Karma | 22,500 / −22,500 |
Skills
| Skill | Range |
|---|---|
| Necromancy | 120.1–130.0 |
| Spirit Speak | 120.1–130.0 |
| Magic Resistance | 100.3–130.0 |
| Tactics | 97.6–100.0 |
| Wrestling | 97.6–100.0 |
| Evaluating Intelligence | 80.1–100.0 |
| Magery | 80.1–100.0 |
Abilities
Cold breath
The skeletal dragon breathes frost 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 skeletal dragon deals about 27–29). It does less damage as it gets hurt. (100% cold 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 skeletal dragon 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.
- Necromancy: with 120.1–130.0 Necromancy it also casts necromancer spells (New Bradford has Necromancy enabled). How often depends on its Necromancy compared with its Magery. Necro damage spells: Pain Spike, Poison Strike, Strangle, Wither and Vengeful Spirit. Necro curses: Blood Oath, Corpse Skin, Evil Omen and Mind Rot. It finishes off a weak target with Pain Spike, and heals itself with Spirit Speak instead of Greater Heal.
Poison immunity
It is immune to all poison, so poisoned weapons, the Poison spell and poison potions do nothing to it.
Dispels summons
Any summoned creature that can be dispelled is destroyed instantly when it hits the skeletal dragon in melee or the skeletal dragon hits it. Blade spirits, energy vortexes, summoned elementals and daemons are wasted against it.
Special behaviors
- Pets get no bonus. Pets do normal damage to it.
- Carving oddity. It gives 19 raw ribs when carved, even though it's all bones; where it's hiding them is anyone's guess.
Loot
Every skeletal dragon carries:
- Gold: about 1,608–2,600 in total (from its "Filthy Rich" ×4 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 16 chances, from about 33% down to 5% each)
- A musical instrument (about 8% or less)
Carving
Use a blade on the corpse to get:
- 19 raw ribs
- 20 barbed hides
Tips
- Its cold breath scales with its current hit points, so open with your hardest attacks.
- It can dispel summons and it's immune to all poison.
- It turns to attack whoever moves near it, so it's hard to keep its attention on one tank.
- Four Filthy Rich loot packs and 5 gems make it a very rich kill.
- Carve it for 20 barbed hides, the best leather in the game.