[Kromm]

Here's an example of a dragon that has been fleshed out for an encounter:

Ssymm the Just

Medium Dragon

Ssymm is known as "the Just" not because she's particularly fair or interested in justice (though like any dragon, she may make deals), but because her two heads represent balance: One breathes fire; the other, cold. She is exceptionally sinuous and flexible even as dragons go, able to twist around to keep an eye on everything happening in battle and to reach foes on all sides with her numerous natural weapons – and to avoid attacks!

As well, Ssymm is remarkably magically talented, her fire-breathing head possessing Magery (and specializing in Fire spells), her cold-breathing one boasting Power Investiture (Druidic). She has 35-point Energy Reserves for both kinds of magic. Moreover, her most prized possessions are an unmatched pair of collars fastened around her necks, and these are potent power items. Her cold-breathing head wears a 5-lb. silver band decorated with tiny sapphires, worth $8,500 and holding 25 FP for druidic magic. Her fire-breathing head wears a 5-lb. loop of billon adorned with small rubies, worth $6,000 and containing 19 FP for wizardly spells. Her ability to bond to two power items confounds druidic and wizardly scholars alike.

Ssymm's lair is a domed cavern 100' (33 yards) in diameter, with 50' (17 yards) of overhead clearance. If attacked there, she likes to fill it with druidic Hail and wizardly Smoke to damage, blind, and suffocate foes. A 17-yard-radius casting will do the trick, taking one second and costing 17 energy points in either case. If warned far in advance, she'll be sure to fill her lair with Mystic Mist as well.

Under no circumstances will Ssymm fight on the ground unless forced to do so – say, by having her wings crippled. She'll always stay at least four yards up to avoid her Area spells. Given that the average human is two yards tall, she can fly at an altitude of six yards and still use her reach 4 tail and wings, and perhaps try Frostbite (with -2 for two spells on and another -2 for distance, she has effective skill 16). When using breath weapons, she'll stay 10 yards up, even though that doesn't let her use her maximum number of attacks. She loves to "bomb" the area with Explosive Fireball, and when doing so flies far above while preparing the spell, dumping it on foes when she comes close to try other attacks.

ST: 35
DX: 14
IQ: 14
HT: 15

HP: 35
Will: 14
Per: 16
FP: 15

Speed: 7.25
Move: 6 (Air Move 14/21)

SM: +4

Dodge: 12
Parry: 11

DR: 6

Bite (16): 4d+2 impaling. Reach C, 1.
Cold Breath (16): Costs 2 FP per use. 1-yard-wide × 10-yard-long cone. 4d-1 burning – won't set fires.
Fire Breath (16): Costs 2 FP per use. 1-yard-wide × 10-yard-long cone. 4d-1 burning.
Front Claw (16): 4d+2 cutting or impaling. Reach C-3.
Hind Claw (14): 4d+3 cutting or impaling. Reach C-3.
Horns (16): 4d+2 cutting. Treat as weapon, not as body part, both to attack and parry! Reach C, 1.
Tail (12): 4d+3 crushing or double that for knockback only (no damage). Reach C-4.
Wing (14): 4d+2 crushing or double that for knockback only (no damage). Reach C-4.

Traits: 360° Vision; Bad Grip 2; DR 6 vs. cold/ice and heat/fire; Energy Reserve 35 (Druidic); Energy Reserve 35 (Magical); Enhanced Dodge 2; Enhanced Move (Air); Extra Attack 3; Extra-Flexible; Extra Head 1; Flight (Winged); High Pain Threshold; Horizontal; Immunity to Disease; Loner (12); Magery 4; Nictitating Membrane 6; Night Vision 9; Penetrating Voice; Power Investiture 4 (Druidic); Temperature Tolerance 4 (Cold); Temperature Tolerance 4 (Heat); Unfazeable.

Skills: Brawling-16; Diplomacy-14; Fast-Talk-14; Innate Attack (Breath)-16; Tactics-14.

Spells (Druidic): Dispel Magic-16; Fog-16; Frostbite-20; Hail-18; Mystic Mist-18; Recover Energy-16.

Spells (Wizardly): Create Fire-16; Deflect Energy-18; Explosive Fireball-20; Extinguish Fire-16; Fireball-16; Ignite Fire-16; Shape Fire-16; Smoke-18.

Class: Mundane.

Notes: Thanks to the extra head, Ssymm can attack more often than most medium dragons: four times. She can still use each natural weapon just once – but the extra head means that "bite," "breath," and "horns" represent two weapons apiece, and she can use one attack to lob an Explosive Fireball, if she has one ready. Ssymm's total DR is 12 vs. cold/ice and heat/fire attacks. Ssymm can cast two sorts of spells, but remember that the Energy Reserves and power items for each are separate. And despite all this duplication, Ssymm does not have Compartmentalized Mind; she must cast spells like anybody else, taking a single Concentrate maneuver instead of another maneuver. If she survives to become a large dragon, that may change . . .