Excerpted from the Ruins & Rogues Creature Compendium, Fifth Edition, incorporating materials from the Sorcerers & Sabers Interverse Guide.
JAVA DRAGON
Large dragon (Chromatic/Metallic), true neutral
Armor Class: 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points: 150 (15d10 + 50)
Speed: 40 ft., climb 40 ft., fly 80 ft.
STR: 23 (+6)
DEX: 10 (+0)
CON: 21 (+5)
INT: 16 (+3)
WIS: 11 (+0)
CHA: 19 (+4)
Saving Throws: Dex +4, Con +9, Wis +4, Cha +8
Skills: Perception +8, Stealth +4, Deception +5
Damage Immunities: fire, acid
Senses: blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 18
Languages: Common, Draconic, Coffeecant
Challenge: 10 (6000 XP)
Actions
Multiattack
The dragon makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws.
Bite
Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d10 + 6) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) fire damage. This action can only be used in the dragon’s natural or quasi-dragonborn forms; it does half-damage in the latter.
Claw
Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d6 + 6) slashing damage. This action can only be used in the dragon’s natural or quasi-dragonborn forms; it does half-damage in the latter.
Scalding Coffee Breath
(Recharge 5-6). The dragon exhales boiling hot black coffee in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw, taking 25 (10d6) scalding damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. This action can only be used in the dragon’s natural or quasi-dragonborn forms.
Coffee Break
Once per long rest, the dragon may imbibe coffee of any kind (including its own breath weapon) and gain the effects of a haste spell for one minute.
Alter Self
The dragon assumes the form of either a humanoid or a quasi-dragonborn combining features of its humanoid and dragon forms. It may do this as a free action at any time and maintains the chosen form without concentration indefinitely, including unconsciousness but not death. High stress, agitation, or intense emotion may cause the dragon to “slip” from one form to another, but never occurs in its natural form.
Descritpion
The product of an insane wizard’s crossbreeding attempts between chromatic (red), metallic (copper), and pseudo (coffeedrake) dragons, the java dragon is a powerful being suffused with the raw natural energy of caffeine itself. The original purpose, if any, behind their creation is long since lost, but many have speculated that the unknown and unnamed wizard was attempting to make the perfect barista.
Due to their origins, java dragons are viewed with contempt by red dragons and condescending pity by copper dragons, and are generally looked down upon or shunned by their other kin. The rare and exotic coffeedrakes are instantly drawn to them and always friendly, however, and a coffeedrake can be an effective way of identifying a java dragon in humanoid form. They are rarely, if ever, kept as companions or familiars by most java drakes for this reason.
Thanks to their inborn skills, most java dragons work as baristas in their humanoid forms, preferring large cities where they can remain concealed and aloof from dragonkind. In this guise they are incredibly effective, but they generally do not have the business acumen to run a coffee shop on their own without a partner. This, plus the ever-present risk of being discovered, leads many to remain low-level employees and move around frequently between employers. Some, though, have become successful enough to co-own shops and at least one java dragon, Sumatraan the Dark-Roasted, lives openly in her true form.
From hatching, java dragons are fluent in the coffeecant, the patois common to baristas and other java jockeys. Though it is primarily used for communicating coffee orders, the coffeecant can be used to convey basic information in most circumstances and can be used as a secret code when under duress. It is also used by java dragons to identify their fellows during those relatively rate times they seek each others’ company.
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