Horned dragon

Horned dragon

(Creature)

Amphibious

Dragon

Primal

Level

Varies

Images of horned dragons

Source: Monster Core, pg(s). 119–121

Ⅱ

See also: Green dragon

Horned dragons are primal dragons named for the pair of prominent horns that grow atop each dragon's snout. They are often introspective and value knowledge and self-discipline, and have an intellectual inclination that contrasts with their bestial features, making them unexpectedly approachable and more willing to engage with outsiders than many other types of dragon.

Appearance

While their robust physique, natural hues, and ridged, leaf-shaped scales are noteworthy, the striking appearance of their horns commands immediate attention. These imposing paired horns are the manifestation of the more animalistic nature of the primal magic that flows through primal dragons such as themselves, and horned dragons showcase their formidable strength by using their horns to swiftly and brutally impale their prey. In addition to the forest-dwelling common green horned dragon, there may be horned dragons of other colorations such as blue or tan, adapted to live in other environments such as lakes or deserts.

Abilities

In addition to their impaling horns, a horned dragon's magical natural weapons include their powerful jaws, claws, and tail. Although they are the weakest of the primal traditional dragons, forest dragons are nonetheless fearsome combatants. They can emit a cone-shaped cloud of poison breath, and the most powerful among them can continue emanating this toxic gas from their body after exhaling it to form an obscuring miasma. They have a twisting tail that can quickly swat in reaction to foes' movement, and their frightful presence inspires fear in those nearby.

Horned dragons are agile fliers who can also run on land and swim in water. They are especially adept at passing through otherwise impeding plants, such as bushes, undergrowth, and vines and including those manipulated by magic. Adult horned dragons innately cover their tracks when passing through natural environs, even when moving quickly, and ancient horned dragons develop a natural camouflage that can allow them to hide in plain sight when in nature.

Like most dragons, horned dragons can naturally see in the dark and detect nearby creatures by their scent. They are immune to being paralyzed, put to sleep, or poisoned. They can speak and understand Draconic as well as Common tongues, and older horned dragons learn additional languages such as Elven, Fey, Chthonian, and Jotun.

As beings of primal magic, all horned dragons have the innate ability to cast some spells of that magical tradition, and as can be found among all magical dragon species, some horned dragons additionally take up the magical arts and learn to prepare spells.

Habitat

Horned dragons establish their lairs in various environments. Common green horned dragons are generally found within forests and swamps, although their choice of location can be diverse. Some prefer caverns, others opt for hollowed trees or nest underneath the roots of large tree systems, and some even nest among the canopies of forested areas. Furthermore, different types of horned dragon may be adapted to different environments, such as lakes or deserts.

Within their lairs, horned dragons maintain meticulously organized hoards composed of volumes of knowledge and magical scrolls, alongside an assortment of antiquities collected for reasons known only to them. Many of these treasures originate from distant lands, and adventurers have often managed to negotiate encounters with horned dragons by flattering their egos and offering rare artifacts or ancient lore from exotic cultures.

On Golarion

See also: Category:Horned dragon/Inhabitants

• Athervox maintains an observatory near Senara in the Whisperwood of Cheliax.
• A band of kobolds beneath Otari acquired and recently hatched a horned dragon egg.

References

Horned dragons were created as a mechanical and thematic replacement for green dragons in the Pathfinder Second Edition Remaster Project, and some green dragons have been retroactively changed to become horned dragons. For details, see Meta:Green dragon and Meta:Chromatic dragon.

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.

External links

• Luis Loza. Mess With the Dragon, Get the Horns!. Paizo blog, 2024