What is a Black Dragon?
Black dragons are amphibious—although they breathe air, their gills also allow them to breathe water. Their frills and fins make them accomplished swimmers, well suited to their wetland environments and submerged lairs. They’re immune to the fetid water that comes as a result of their magical ability to corrupt water.
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Table of Contents
Black Dragon Lairs
Black dragon lairs are as foul as their souls. The floors are littered with rotting meat, and plundered treasures line the muck and slime of their dank caves amid twisted roots and creepers. Such places are often crawling with pests, snakes, and slimes. Though they claim natural caverns when they can, they make do with areas of dense, twisted vegetation within a swamp. Black dragon treasure hoards primarily consist of gems and expensive glasswork, as valuables of softer substances can’t survive the dragon’s acidic presence.
Breath Weapon
The dragon breathes a spray of acid that deals 8d6 acid damage in a 60-foot line. DC 25 basic Reflex save. It can’t use Breath Weapon again for 1d4 rounds.
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Swamp Dwellers
Murderous tyrants of marshes, swamps, bogs, and fens, black dragons terrorize their domains with intense fervor. Gleefully sadistic, they rule their fetid principalities from a deep cave or otherwise isolated part of the swamp with a mix of lightning-quick raids and subterfuge. Their hatred for other creatures is as acidic as their breath weapons, and they rarely tolerate even other dragons of their kind—except perhaps to mate or temporarily collaborate to take down a mutual enemy.
Treasure
Lording over the darkest swamps and marshes, black dragons are the undisputed masters of their domain, ruling through cruelty and intimidation. Those who dwell within a black dragon’s reach live in fear. Black dragons tend to make their lairs in remote parts of the swamp, preferably in caves at the bottom of dark and fetid pools. Inside, they pile up their filthy treasure and sleep amid the roots and muck. Black dragons prefer their food a bit rotten and will often allow a meal to sit in a pool for days before consuming it. Black dragons prefer treasures that do not rot or decay, making their hoard, full of coins, gemstones, jewelry, and other objects made from stone or metal.
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Adventures for the Black Dragon
Black Dragon Lair
The players discover that a powerful wizard has been using the black dragon’s lair as a means of conducting dark experiments. The wizard has been capturing and experimenting on creatures from nearby towns and villages, using the dragon’s power to augment his spells. The players must infiltrate the wizard’s stronghold, defeat his minions, and confront the wizard and his dragon ally to put an end to the twisted experiments.
Missing Travelers
A group of travelers has gone missing while crossing near a treacherous swamp, and rumors say that they were taken by a black dragon. The players are hired to track down the dragon and rescue the missing travelers. However, the dragon’s lair is hidden deep within the swamp, and the players must brave harsh weather conditions and dangerous terrain to reach it. By the time the players reach it all of the travelers have been consumed by the black dragon, but they can rid the world of this foul creature.
The Tainted Marsh
Adventure Hook: The once-vibrant marshlands surrounding the village of Lyswater have become a fetid, dangerous place. Wildlife has grown twisted and sickly, and the villagers whisper of a malevolent force lurking in the shadows. As the players investigate the marsh, they uncover the presence of a sinister black dragon named Moragurth, whose acidic presence and magical ability to corrupt water have brought ruin to the land.
The players are tasked with finding a way to either drive Moragurth from the marsh or eliminate the black dragon, restoring balance to the environment and ensuring the safety of Lyswater. Along the way, they must navigate the treacherous, poisoned terrain and contend with the twisted creatures that now call the tainted marsh home.
As the players delve deeper into the marsh, they may encounter the following challenges:
- Navigating a maze of twisted vegetation and submerged caverns while avoiding the corrupting effects of the tainted water and Moragurth’s watchful gaze.
- Encountering a tribe of desperate lizardfolk, once peaceful denizens of the marsh, now subjugated by Moragurth’s reign of terror. The players can choose to ally with the lizardfolk, offering them a chance at freedom, or confront them as enemies under Moragurth’s control.
- Discovering the location of Moragurth’s lair, a dank cave filled with rotting meat, twisted roots, and valuable treasures corroded by the dragon’s acidic presence. The players must face the black dragon in its own domain, where the twisted environment itself may prove as dangerous as the dragon.
About the Author:
Dwight Scull has been playing tabletop role-playing games (starting with Dungeons and Dragons 3.5) back in 2001. He started being a dungeon master around 2005.
He loves to play many different types of TTRPGs, including Pathfinder, GURPS, Shadowrun, Vampire: The Masquerade, Mage: The Ascension (and other White Wolf Games), Nights Black Agents, and others.
Fan of mysteries, light horror, co-op board games, true crime, sci-fi, and fantasy.
