Astral dragon

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An astral dragon was a type of dragon that was able to inhabit the Astral Sea. They were chromatic dragons, but they bore only a slight resemblance to others in their subtype.

Abilities
Astral dragons could see through the blur of the Astral Plane for up to ten miles (16 km), and could plane shift frequently, at will. They were able to fly on the Prime Material Plane thanks to an organ in the head, although they were not easily able to walk under the effect of gravity.

Combat
In battle against creatures not native to the Astral Plane, the astral dragon would prioritize attacking spellcasters, since they might be responsible for keeping their companions in the Astral Plane, so killing them would defeat the entire group.

Although an astral dragon had no psionic abilities, it could sense psionic abilities in others, up to around 240 ft (73 m).

Birth and development
A female astral dragon could lay one egg, 5 ft (152 cm) in diameter, every few hundred years. This egg grew, over many years, to 10 ft (3 m) in diameter and a hole opened at one end. The egg itself became the offspring's lair, and it continued to grow to a maximum of around 30 ft (10 m) in diameter, at which time it was very thin (although still strong), and very difficult to see as it was the same color as the surroundings in the Astral Plane.

A young astral dragon used the egg for storing treasure, much like a regular lair, and established a mental link back to the egg, to find it later. Once adulthood was reached, the egg was abandoned in favor of a larger lair, and these eggs were often taken over by other species.

Younger astral dragons spent more time on the Prime Material Plane than their adult counterparts, and the older the dragon became, the more time they spent on their native Astral Plane.

Diet
The astral dragon did not require very much food, but they did enjoy eating, preferring githyanki where possible.

Disease
Some astral dragons contracted a disease known as astralomitis, which inhibited their ability to travel the planes, and was more common amongst astral dragons who switched between planes frequently. If a dragon was on a non-native plane when struck by this disease, it was unable to return, and there was a chance that insanity would ensue. It lost the ability to cast any spells in this state, but ferociously attacked any creatures nearby. This state could last for up to five days, and resulted in the death of the dragon. If it could return to the Astral Plane by this time, the insanity slowly diminished, but it was left unable to switch planes. The disease had no known cure except for a wish spell.

Treasure
Astral dragons, like some other dragons, had a desire for treasure, and sought to acquire it by traveling the planes. A favorite target was githyanki, since they tended to have magical, gem-encrusted armor, but an astral dragon also enjoyed treasure acquired from astral travelers. Magical treasure recovered from an astral dragon's lair on the Astral Plane appeared normal unless it was returned to the Prime Material Plane.

Types of astral dragon

 * Battle dragon
 * Pact dragon

Appearances

 * Magazines:
 * Dragon Magazine #134