Drake, Rift
Description
Creatures of the badlands and regions scarred by the gods, rift drakes are as savage and brutal as the lands they hunt. Their strength and savagery often make them seem like mere deadly beasts, but rift drakes simply delight in battle more than most drakes, frequently clashing even with other members of their own kind. They rarely deign to talk with other creatures, often doing so only as a cruel game in which they make more and more outrageous demands until their victims realize the drakes are toying with them or the manipulative drakes grow bored.
A rift drake rarely stays on land for long, preferring to circle high above near ominous peaks or spires and roosting in the crevices of the same. When a rift drake spies prey from such heights, it breaks from its flight to dive onto victims, scattering groups and sowing terror with its sudden emergence. With particularly agile foes, a rift drake will use its breath to slow victims first, then pick them off one by one. Rift drakes enjoy the taste of blood, and focus their attacks on the fleshiest-looking creatures.
A rift drake is around 14 feet long, end to end. Its burly, spiky body weighs about 2,500 pounds.
Combat Stats
- Melee
- bite +18 (2d8+10/19-20 plus bleed), tail slap +12 (1d10+3 plus trip)
- Space
- 10 ft.
- Reach
- 10 ft.
Ability Scores
Special Attacks
bleed (1d6)
Clinging Corrosion — As a standard action, a rift drake can spit a ball of caustic gas that bursts into a cloud upon impact. This attack has a range of 60 feet and deals 5d10 points of acid damage to all creatures within the resulting 15-foot-radius spread. Additionally, any creature damaged by this attack is affected as though by the spell slow for 1d4 rounds. A successful DC 20 Reflex save halves the damage and negates the slowing effect. Once a rift drake uses its breath weapon, it cannot do so again for 1d6 rounds. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Savage Bite — A rift drake applies 1-1/2 times its Strength bonus to damage dealt with its bite attack, and it threatens a critical hit on a 19–20.
Special Qualities
Speed Surge — Three times per day as a swift action, a rift drake can draw on its draconic heritage for a boost of strength and speed that allows it to take an additional move action that round.
Feats
Bleeding Critical, Critical Focus, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (bite)
Special Abilities
Universal Monster Rules
Special Abilities
Feats, Traits & Items
Whenever you score a critical hit with a slashing or piercing weapon, your opponent takes 2d6 points of bleed damage (see Conditions) each round on his turn, in addition to the damage dealt by the critical hit. Bleed damage can be stopped by a DC 15 Heal skill check or through any magical healing. The effects of this feat stack.
You receive a +4 circumstance bonus on attack rolls made to confirm critical hits.
When flying, the creature can take a move action and another standard action at any point during the move. The creature cannot take a second move action during a round when it makes a flyby attack.
You can choose to take a –1 penalty on all melee attack rolls and combat maneuver checks to gain a +2 bonus on all melee damage rolls. This bonus to damage is increased by half (+50%) if you are making an attack with a two-handed weapon, a one handed weapon using two hands, or a primary natural weapon that adds 1-1/2 times your Strength modifier on damage rolls. This bonus to damage is halved (–50%) if you are making an attack with an off-hand weapon or secondary natural weapon. When your base attack bonus reaches +4, and every 4 points thereafter, the penalty increases by –1 and the bonus to damage increases by +2. You must choose to use this feat before making an attack roll, and its effects last until your next turn. The bonus damage does not apply to touch attacks or effects that do not deal hit point damage.
You gain a +1 bonus on all attack rolls you make using the selected weapon.
Skills
Climb +15, Fly +14, Intimidate +12, Perception +14, Sense Motive +11, Stealth +12, Survival +13
- Type
- Dragon
- Alignment
- CE
- Size
- Large
- Environment
- warm hills or mountains
- Organization
- solitary, pair, or rampage (3-12)
- Treasure
- standard
- Senses
- darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +14
- Languages
- Draconic
- Source
- Bestiary 3