Sunwyrm

The sunwyrm is a dangerous draconic beast that lurks in the skies above sweltering regions such as deserts and savannahs. It can transform part or all of its body into pure energy to lay waste to its victims.

A sunwyrm looks like a radiant dragon with shining scales that radiate visible waves of heat. It has batlike wings that emit brilliant light. A fanged mouth and horns dominate the creature’s draconic head, and almost-liquid light seems to seep from its eyes. A sunwyrm has eight legs, and it can use the front four, which are more limber, to devastating effect in combat. Finally, the creature’s tail is long and sinuous with a glowing ball of pulsating energy at the tip. A sunwyrm is nearly 15 feet long, and it has a wingspan of well over 30 feet.

A sunwyrm spends the majority of its life in the air soaring on powerful thermals and scouring the lands below for creatures to swoop down on and eat. Sunwyrms are carnivores, but their digestion processes transform consumed flesh into pure energy and light that is then emitted from their tail, eyes, and wing membranes. Like many dragons, sunwyrms have an almost maniacal obsession with precious metals and treasure, but they particularly love to collect gold and gemstones.

Sunwyrms can transform their bodies into burning energy, and in this form they can pass through nonliving matter. They prefer to make their lairs inside sand dunes, where they rest in brilliant energy form. Most sunwyrm lairs have at least a few open air caves nearby for the storage of the creature’s loot.

Sunwyrms speak Common, Auran, Ignan, and Draconic.

Combat

The sunwyrm has a unique method of hiding in plain sight. Since it emits light constantly, it positions itself in the sky directly between its prey and the sun, casting no shadows and waiting for the perfect opportunity to swoop down and strike. Against powerful foes, a sunwyrm prefers to remain in its hidden position and blast them with its breath weapon. In melee combat, the creature makes full use of its brilliant energy attacks by using the Power Attack feat against armored foes.

Breath Weapon (Su): A sunwyrm breathes a 90-foot line of burning yellow energy every 1d4 rounds that deals 15d8 points of damage (Reflex DC 19 half). This beam of energy passes through nonliving matter (including constructs and undead) without harming it, but it affects all living creatures in its path. The breath weapon deals purely physical damage, and it can be defeated by damage reduction but not by energy resistance.

Brilliant Aura (Su): A sunwyrm constantly emits light, which provides illumination to a range of 240 feet. A sunwyrm takes a −20 penalty on all Hide checks when it cannot overwhelm its brilliance with an equal or brighter light (such as sunlight). Any creature that looks at a sunwyrm must make a Fortitude save (DC 19) each round it continues to look or it becomes blinded for 3d6 minutes.

Brilliant Energy (Su): At will as a free action, a sunwyrm can transform its front four claws or its teeth into brilliant energy weapons, allowing those attacks to ignore nonliving matter (including constructs and undead).

Energy Form (Su): As a move action, a sunwyrm can transform its entire body into energy. In this form, the sunwyrm gains the incorporeal subtype. It can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, +1 or better magic weapons, spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities. The creature has a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source, except for force effects or attacks made with ghost touch weapons. A sunwyrm in energy form can pass through solid objects, but not force effects, at will. It can use its breath weapon in this form, but not its normal attacks; physical contact with a sunwyrm in energy form does no damage to living creatures. A sunwyrm always moves silently and cannot be heard with Listen checks if it doesn’t wish to be while in this form.

Keen Senses (Ex): A sunwyrm sees four times as well as a human in low-light conditions and eight times as well in normal light.

Source: Fiend Folio, page 164. Changes applied as per the D&D^® v.3.5 Accessory Update.