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Brown dragons, also known as sand dragons or great desert dragons, were ferocious dragons that lived under the desert sands.[4]

Description[]

They had sand colored scales, though unlike other types of dragon their scales were leathery. They had small webbed claws and very large, long mouths. Unlike most other types of dragons, they were wingless. To make up for this, they are the most adept diggers, speeding under loose sand very fast.[4]

A dragon egg could be identified as belonging to a brown by the yellow color seen when held in front of an intense white light; this was unique to brown dragon eggs.[5]

Personality[]

Brown dragons were both ferocious and intelligent. They were not particularly friendly or talkative, and this was mostly due to the fact that they considered most other creatures to be food, including people, and the idea of talking to their food was silly to them.[4]

Abilities[]

A brown dragon's breath weapon was a line of acid, which reduced most animals to little more than sand and dust.[3][4] Brown dragons were also born with an immunity to acid and the effects of desert heat. They could even survive indefinitely in an airless environment.[3]

In terms of senses, brown dragons had the ability to detect vibrations in the ground in order to detect approaching prey.[3][4] Their eyes could see in areas of both low-light and total darkness.[1]

Young brown dragons had the ability to cast create sand once per day, allowing them to cover up their burrows,[3] while juveniles could create water once per day.[3][4]

Additionally, older and more powerful brown dragons gained a certain amount of power over air. They gained the ability to whip up a vortex-like sandstorm[3][6] and summon once per day either powerful air elementals[6] or a powerful earth elemental.[3] Older brown dragons also used illusions or invisibility spells to conceal themselves from unsuspecting prey.[3]

Great wyrms, the oldest of brown dragons, could innately cast the disintegrate spell.[3][6]

Combat[]

Brown dragons preferred ambushes to straightforward fighting. They often buried themselves in the sand and waited for prey, then attacked with great fury.[3][4]

Ecology[]

Brown dragon 2e

A closer look at brown dragon's face.

These dragons mated and raised families for only short periods of time during the adult stage of their life. However, there were many brown dragons who chose to never mate and live a solitary life.[3]

Diet[]

Brown dragons were both a carnivorous and lithovorous species. They could subsist on a diet of minerals, including sand, but their preferred diet was meat. They were particularly fond of horseflesh,[3][4] but also regarded intelligent humanoids as food.[4]

Habitats[]

A brown dragon typically laired in a large cave or underground chambers they had burrowed, deep under the desert sand.[3][6] These dwellings were typically 1,000 feet (300 meters) beneath the sand.[3]

On Toril they were commonly found in the Raurin desert and the wastes of eastern Mulhorand, often close to settled areas.[3][6]

Languages[]

In addition to being able to speak Common and Draconic,[1] brown dragons had their own dialect of Draconic and could speak the dialect of blue dragons.[3]

Relationships[]

Brown dragons and blue dragons, being two types of chromatic dragon that lived in desert environments and liked to burrow into the sand, were considered to be natural enemies. They often fought each other, with their battles being considered legendary among humans.[3]

The people of Mulhorand had a curious respect for brown dragons and as a result often viewed blue dragons as the more evil aggressors.[3]

History[]

Brown dragon vs adventurers

A brown dragon ambushing delicious adventurers.

Brown dragons were thought to have been created by Imaskari artificers in the Raurin desert.[6] Over time, brown dragons migrated away from the Raurin and moved into the wastes of eastern Mulhorand.[3]

Notable Brown Dragons[]

Appendix[]

Appearances[]

Adventures
Dungeon #40, "Khamsa's Folly"
Video Games
Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal
Organized Play & Licensed Adventures
Troubled Roads

Gallery[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 James Wyatt, Rob Heinsoo (February 2001). Monster Compendium: Monsters of Faerûn. Edited by Duane Maxwell. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 38–39. ISBN 0-7869-1832-2.
  2. Richard Baker and James Wyatt (2004-03-13). Monster Update (Zipped PDF). Web Enhancement for Player's Guide to Faerûn. Wizards of the Coast. p. 3. Archived from the original on 2016-11-01. Retrieved on 2018-09-10.
  3. 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 Monster sheets included in Scott Bennie (1990). Old Empires. (TSR, Inc). ISBN 0-8803-8821-8.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 James Wyatt, Rob Heinsoo (February 2001). Monster Compendium: Monsters of Faerûn. Edited by Duane Maxwell. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 39. ISBN 0-7869-1832-2.
  5. Ed Greenwood (January 1996). Volo's Guide to the Dalelands. (TSR, Inc), p. 193. ISBN 0-7869-0406-2.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 James Wyatt, Rob Heinsoo (February 2001). Monster Compendium: Monsters of Faerûn. Edited by Duane Maxwell. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 40. ISBN 0-7869-1832-2.
  7. Eric L. Boyd, Eytan Bernstein (August 2006). Dragons of Faerûn. Edited by Beth Griese, Cindi Rice, Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 145. ISBN 0-7869-3923-0.
  8. BioWare (June 2001). Designed by Kevin Martens. Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal. Black Isle Studios.
  9. Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 145. ISBN 978-0786906574.

Connections[]

The Family of Dragons

Metallic dragons: GoldSilverBronzeCopperBrassElectrumMercuryPlatinumSteel

Chromatic dragons: BlackBlueBrownGrayGreenOrangePinkPurpleRedSaltWhiteYellow
Gem dragons: AmethystBeljurilCrystalEmeraldObsidianSapphireTopazRuby
Neutral dragons: AmberJacinthMoonstonePearl
Lung dragons: Chiang lungLi lungLung wangPan lungShen lungT'ien lungTun mi lungYu lung
Ferrous dragons: • CobaltIron
Planar dragons: AdamantineAstralBattleBlightChaosEtherealHellfire wyrmHowlingMirageOceanusPyroclasticRadiantRustShadowStyxTarterian
Spelljamming dragons: Moon/lunarRadiantSun/solar
Epic dragons: ForcePrismaticTime
Catastrophic dragons: BlizzardEarthquakeVolcanic
Miscellaneous dragons: CobraDzalmusMistRattelyrSongVishap

Draconic transformations: AirAscendantBrainstealerHidecarved


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