Midgard Linnorm

This great, wingless serpent may be as immortal as its sire. It is covered with blue, green, and silver scales that glisten like opals. Its jaws stretch 50 feet wide and twice as long. Despite its malicious nature, it considers combat beneath it and prefers to meddle in the affairs of other creatures through its magic.

Originally Posted by Boz of the En World forums.

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This immense, wingless dragon has massive blue, green and silver scales that glisten like opals, the shifting colors mimicking a stream of running water when the dragon moves. Its mouth is filled with a double row of pale-blue teeth, and its jaw seems to stretch wide enough to swallow a small whale.

Its perfectly round, emerald-green eyes appear to have no lids or pupil and reflect light like mirrors. Its hornless head is topped with a ridge of coarse midnight blue hair that looks like a horse’s mane, which extends partway down its massive neck where it becomes a lighter blue spinal ruff that runs to the tip of its barbed tail. The rear legs are short and stumpy, and look too weak to support the dragon’s bulk, while its front legs are longer and end in razor-sharp claws.

The Midgard linnorm may be the only offspring of Jormungandr, the Midgard Serpent. This most magnificent of the linnorms rivals the strongest of dragons in power, and may be as immortal as its sire. Those that have seen the Midgard linnorm and lived to tell the tale said that it was so long they could not see the end of it.

The Midgard linnorm lives alone in the deepest parts of the bottom of the ocean, spending most of its time there. This serpent is solitary, considering the company of others inconsequential, though it does employ other creatures as guards to do its dirty work. The linnorm considers all of the sea floor to be its domain, and will dispatch any creature that tries to claim territory there. All other linnorms bow to the Midgard linnorm, and would never dare to challenge it.

The Midgard linnorm’s lair is an underwater sea cave, so deep beneath the water’s surface that no light filters down. This lair is guarded by four powerful, venerable sea linnorms. The dragon’s wealth is stored in the deepest chambers. The linnorm does not favor coins and gems, but keeps and makes use of magical treasure. The linnorm also likes artistic items purloined from the surface world such as decorative prows of ships, statues from villages, large shields, and other trinkets.

The Midgard linnorm can speak Draconic and Abyssal, and can communicate with other creatures telepathically.

The Midgard linnorm is 500 feet in length, and weighs 10,000 tons.

Linnorm, Midgard Linnorm
Colossal Dragon (Water)
Hit Dice	50d12+400 (725 hp)
Initiative	+4
Speed	50 ft (10 squares), Swim 100 ft
Armor Class	51 (-8 size, +49 natural), touch 2, flat-footed 51
Base Attack/Grapple	+50/+79
Attack	Bite +56 melee (8d6+13/19-20) or tail slap +55 melee (4d8+19)
Full Attack	Bite +56 melee (8d6+13/19-20) and 2 claws +53 melee (4d8+6) and tail slap +53 melee (4d8+19)
Space/Reach	30 ft/20 ft (30 ft with bite)
Special Attacks	Breath weapon, constrict 4d8+19, improved grab, spell-like abilities, spells
Special Qualities	Blindsense 60 ft, damage reduction 15/epic and cold iron, immune to disease, Paralysis, and sleep effects, immunity to cold, keen senses, Spell Resistance 51, telepathy 120 ft
Saves	Fort +35 Ref +29 Will +35
Abilities	Strength 36, Dexterity 10, Constitution 26, Intelligence 23, Wisdom 26, Charisma 28
Skills	Balance +2, Bluff +62, Concentration +61, Diplomacy +66, Disguise +9 (+11 acting), Intimidate +64, Jump +23, Knowledge (Arcana) +59, Knowledge (Geography) +59, Knowledge (history) +59, Knowledge (nature) +61, Knowledge (religion) +59, Listen +61, Search +59, Sense Motive +61, Spellcraft +61 (+63 scrolls), Spot +61, Survival +61 (+63 following tracks, +63 avoid getting lost, +63 aboveground), Swim +74, Tumble +53, Use Magic Device +62 (+64 scrolls)
Feats	Ability Focus (breath weapon), Awesome Blow, Blind-Fight, Cleave, Great Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Initiative, Improved Overrun, lightning reflexes, Multiattack, Power Attack, Snatch, Weapon Focus (bite)
Epic Feats	Devastating Critical (bite), Overwhelming Critical (bite), Superior Initiative
Environment	Any aquatic
Organization	Solitary
Challenge Rating	37
Treasure	10% coins; double goods; triple items
Alignment	Always lawful evil
Advancement	—
Level Adjustment	—

COMBAT

The Midgard linnorm may be malicious, but it considers itself above physical confrontation. It much prefers to meddle in the affairs of other linnorms and sentient creatures through its magic, maintain its control secretly. When combat is necessary, the dragon relies on its minions to fight for it, but if a confrontation is unavoidable the Midgard linnorm will bring the full might of its breath weapons and spell-like abilities to bear on the targets before using its melee weapons.

Breath Weapon (Su): The Midgard linnorm has three types of breath weapon: a line of boiling water, a cone of dust, and a cone of wind. It may use any breath weapon once every 1d4 rounds. All three breath weapons function normally underwater. The save DCs are Constitution-based.

The spray of boiling water is a 200-foot line that deals 20d20 points of fire damage (Reflex DC 45 half). Additionally, the creature must succeed on a DC 45 Strength check or be pushed back 100 feet (as if bull rushed). Air breathing creatures with less than 7 Hit Dice must succeed on a DC 45 Constitution check, or their lungs fill with water and they begin drowning immediately, and are treated as if beneath water in terms of being able to breathe. Creatures that fail the Constitution check may attempt a new check every round to cough the water out.

The cloud of dust is a 200-foot cone that deals 16d20 points of damage (Reflex DC 45 half) and causes living creatures to fall into fits of sneezing and coughing. Additionally, living creatures in the area must succeed on a DC 45 Fortitude save or take 2d6 points of Constitution damage immediately. In addition, those failing a second DC 45 Fortitude save 1 minute later are dealt 1d6 points of Constitution damage. Those who succeed on either saving throw are nonetheless disabled by choking (treat as stunned) for 5d4 rounds.

The third breath weapon is a 200-foot cone of wind that deals 12d20 points of damage (Reflex DC 45 half). Additionally, the creature must succeed on a DC 45 Strength check or succumb to the tornado-force wind, causing Large or smaller creatures to be blown 200 feet away, Huge creatures to be knocked down, and Gargantuan or Colossal creatures
to be checked

Constrict (Ex): The Midgard linnorm deals automatic tail slap damage with a successful grapple check.

Crush (Ex): When jumping, the Midgard linnorm can land on opponents three or more sizes smaller than itself as a standard action, using its whole body to crush them. A crush attack affects as many creatures as can fit under the Midgard linnorm’s body. Each creature in the affected area must succeed on a DC 43 Reflex save or be pinned, automatically taking 8d6+13 points of bludgeoning damage. The save DC is Constitution-based. Thereafter, if the Midgard linnorm chooses to maintain the pin, treat it as a normal grapple attack. While pinned, the opponent takes crush damage each round.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the Midgard linnorm must hit with its tail slap attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict.

Spell-Like Abilities: At will – Create Water, detect thoughts (DC 21), protection from energy, water breathing;

1/day – Acid Fog, arcane eye, Charm Person (DC 20), charm monster (DC 23), control water, fog cloud, greater invisibility, greater teleport (DC 26), hypnotic pattern (DC 21), power word blind, power word stun, see invisibility, shapechange, solid fog, telekinesis (DC 24), veil (DC 25), wall of ice (DC 23), whispering wind.

Caster level 14th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

Tail Sweep (Ex): The Midgard linnorm can sweep with its tail as a standard action. The sweep affects creatures four or more size categories smaller than the linnorm within a 20-foot-radius half-circle centered on the linnorm’s rear. Each affected creature that fails a Reflex save (DC 43 half) takes 4d6+19 points of damage. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Keen Senses (Ex): The Midgard linnorm sees four times as well as a human in low-light conditions and twice as well in normal light. It also has Darkvision with a range of 120 feet.

Skills: The Midgard linnorm has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

Originally found in Dragon Magazine #183 (“The Vikings’ Dragons,” July 1992, Jean Rabe), and Monstrous Compendium Annual One (1994)