Nidhogg Dragon
Dragon medium, chaotic neutral
- Armor Class 15 (Natural Armor)
- Hit Points 98 (12d8 +7)
- Speed 30ft, Crawl 80ft
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 15 (+2) 8 (−1) 7 (−2) 11 (0)
- Saving Throws Str +4, Dex +6
- Skills Intimidation +3
- Vulnerabilities Cold
- Resistances -
- Immunities Frightened, Acid
- Senses Tremorsense 120 ft, Passive Perception 9
- Languages -
- Challenge 5 (1.800 XP)
Perennial Vigor. The dragon has advantage on Constitution checks against being poisoned.
Amphibious. The dragon can breathe air and water.
Actions
Multiattack. The dragon can make two bite attacks.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 2d8 slashing damage plus 1d4 acid damage.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 1d8 slashing damage. Targets with Str less than 12 are knocked back 1d4 meters.
Putrid Breath. The dragon can exhale acid in a 30-foot line that is 2 feet wide. Each creature in that line must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 4d8 acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. It have a 1 turn charge delay.
Nidhogg Dragon
Nidhogg, a formidable creature from Norse mythology, takes the form of a colossal dragon or serpent in ancient myths. This was the origin of the name for a dragon that hides in the roots of very thick trees, typically found in ancient regions of the earth, much like the World Tree Yggdrasil in Norse tales.
They live in forests rich in nature, sucking all the nutrients through the roots until everything becomes a lifeless putrid swamp, and then they move on in search of a new home. It is possible to detect the presence of a Nidhogg in the vicinity with a successful Nature check.
Nidhogg Snake
Beast small, lawful evil
- Armor Class 12 (Natural armor)
- Hit Points 13 (3d4 +3)
- Speed 15ft, crawl 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 10 (0) 15 (+2) 14 (+2) 7 (-2) 7 (-2) 13 (+1)
- Saving Throws Str +2, Dex +4
- Skills -
- Vulnerabilities Frio
- Resistances -
- Immunities Assustado, Dano Ácido
- Senses Tremorsense 80ft, Passive Perception 9
- Languages -
- Challenge 2 (700 XP)
Amphibious. The dragon can breathe air and water.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: vs CA. reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 1d6 slashing damage plus 1d4 acid damage.
Appearance. Although they are dragons, these creatures do not have wings and their bodies are elongated like that of a serpent. Their legs are short, often giving the appearance of crawling rather than walking. The tail can measure up to 6 meters in width, while the rest of its body can reach up to 4 meters. Their diet has a significant influence on the coloration of their body, ranging from aged amber to a dark, dim cyan.
Habitat. Living near such a monster is tolerable for up to two decades. Some villages may exist near the lair of this creature without being fully aware of its presence. Over time, the soil becomes lifeless, and these villages weaken until they are either abandoned or destroyed. More observant individuals might connect certain clues such as desecrated graves, withering plants, sickly trees, and infertile soil to the presence of a Nidhogg dragon.
Territorial. Nidhoggs do not appreciate interaction with others of their kind. They live solitary lives for most of their adulthood except when they need to continue the species. They can lay up to 20 eggs in a single clutch (only one becomes a Nidhogg, the rest hatch into a subspecies called Nidhogg Serpent).
Primal Remnants. Deep down, there is still a trace of chromatic dragon blood flowing through this creature’s veins. They have a penchant for collecting yellow-hued objects due to their inherent greed, such as amber found in thick-rooted trees. Creatures that carry any item appealing to a Nidhogg tend to be spared from fatal attacks or, in the worst case, preserved in sap.
Nidhogg Snake
After the Nidhogg eggs hatch, only one true dragon will be born, while the rest resemble serpents, lacking hind legs or wings. These smaller creatures will follow the Nidhogg until the end of its life and will inherit its habitat after everything has been consumed into a grotesque swamp.
Loyal Pawns. They will not stop attacking any threat to their master until the last serpent is dead. Even after the Nidhogg is slain, they will continue to attack any nearby creatures blindly. A Nidhogg Serpent can be domesticated if it hatches away from the true Nidhogg egg.
Appearance. A Nidhogg Serpent does not grow taller than 40 cm and its body has a total length of 68 cm, with the tail accounting for 25 cm of this length. They lack hind legs, having only front legs which they use to grasp and climb roots. Their coloration remains the same throughout their life except for the roof of their mouth, which changes from a dark purple to a slime green.
Wood Gnawers. Their primary task is to gnaw at tree roots and search for salts in very thin parts. They move very well through wood and always seem to know the connections from one tree to another.
The Lair of the Nidhogg Dragon
As previously mentioned, Nidhoggs prefer deep lairs among the roots of very large trees, above 4 meters in height. They favor well-forested valleys of ancient plants where they can move beneath the earth, commonly found in flowering plains or not-too-cold taigas.
This would be the best-case scenario if you encounter a Nidhogg dragon, for depending on its age, the entire forest that once thrived may now be a barren place devoid of vegetation and difficult to navigate alone. Everything within a 20-kilometer radius of a Nidhogg's lair turns into a swamp with dried branches and fallen trees blocking the path of any creature.
Lakes and ponds are now consumed by a green, foul-smelling liquid that renders the water undrinkable, and a mist covers the entire region, sickening those who stay too long in such a place. The lair is not fixed; the dragon actually roams through the roots and tends to sleep in those that are thick enough to support its body.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing ties), a Nidhogg fought in its lair has a challenge rating of 6 (2,300 XP). The dragon takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the dragon can't use the same effect two rounds in a row:
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The thickness of the fog centered 40 feet around the Dragon thickens in a radius of 100 feet. The scenery within this fog undergoes an accelerated decomposition process, and any creature in the gas must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned. A strong wind (30 kilometers per hour) can disperse the effect. Otherwise, the fog lasts until the dragon uses this lair action again or until the dragon dies.
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A total of 4 Nidhogg Serpents are summoned to attack (2 if there are already any in battle), emerging from nearby trees and attacking randomly immediately after the Dragon's turn. At the end of Nidhogg's turn, it can choose to feed on one of its Serpents and regain 3d4 +3 HP.
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There are up to 4 large trees (20 feet tall) close to each other in the dragon's lair, allowing it to enter and exit randomly (1d4) from one of them without using its movement. While underground, at the end of another creature's turn, it can choose to submerge again and swap its position (It can stay undergroud for 2 turns max). Nidhogg also gains a new action on its turn: it can remain hidden underground until its next turn and can only be hit in this situation by effects that deform the ground, such as "Earthquake" which causes it to emerge immediately and take 3d8 bludgeoning damage.
Regional Effects
The region containing a Nidhogg's lair is warped by the creature's presence, creating one or more of the following effects:
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A shallow, foul-smelling mist covers an area of 200 meters around the monster's lair. Creatures within this area must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or become sickened for 1d4 days.
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Fresh food within the 200-meter area around the creature's lair rots quickly (Precisely max of 2 hours). The same fate befalls fruits that grow around the lair.
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Being within 100 meters of the lair causes confusion in the senses and disrupts meditation: Casting concentration spells requires a Wisdom saving throw DC 12 or the concentration will be lost immediately due to a strong sense of discomfort.
If the dragon dies, the mist will dissipate within 1 day. Players can perform a ritual determined by the DM to restore the vegetation to life within 2d10 days.
Concept Artist: @Darenrin