Hello and welcome back to a new Frightful Fridays! This dragon swarm continues the theme from last week and returns to one of my favorite types of creatures: the kaida. This dragon, naturally inclined to organizing with others of its kind, makes for a terrific protector of hoards belonging to a myriad of creatures.
I hope you like the idea of treasure that fights back. Thanks for reading!
Individual coins in this pile of coins sprout wings, tails, and toothy maws, and take to the air en masse.
Coin Kaida Swarm CR 8
XP 4,800
N Diminutive dragon (swarm)
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +15
Defense
AC 22, touch 18, flat-footed 18 (+4 Dex, +4 size, +4 natural)
hp 94 (9d12+36)
Fort +10, Ref +10, Will +11
Defensive Abilities swarm traits; Immune electricity, paralysis, sleep; Resist cold 10; SR 19
Offense
Speed 30 ft., fly 40 ft. (perfect)
Melee swarm (2d6 plus 3d6 electricity and poison)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks distraction (DC 18), poison
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 10th; concentration +12)
3/day—empowered lightning bolt (DC 17)
1/day—detonate (DC 18)
Statistics
Str 1, Dex 18, Con 19, Int 19, Wis 16, Cha 14
Base Atk +9; CMB —; CMD —
Feats Elemental Focus (electricity), Empower Spell-Like Ability (lightning bolt), Greater Elemental Focus, Improved Iron Will, Iron Will
Skills Appraise +16, Bluff +22, Disable Device +11, Fly +25, Intimidate +14, Perception +15, Sense Motive +15, Sleight of Hand +13, Spellcraft +16, Stealth +24, Use Magic Device +14; Racial Modifier +8 Bluff
Languages Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Infernal
Ecology
Environment any terrestrial
Organization solitary, pair, or hoard (3–8 swarms)
Treasure standard (coin bodies)
Special Abilities
Poison (Ex) Swarm—injury; save Fort DC 18; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d3 Cha drain; cure 1 save. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Individually the smallest of kaida, coin kaidas learned quickly to gather together in great numbers for mutual protection. Their ability to merge with and fully imitate coins also protects them from other creatures. Larger dragons and humanoids with considerable treasuries who are aware of coin kaidas attract the minuscule dragons to their hoards where the kaidas feel most at home and provide a surprise guardian for the treasure. The highly-intelligent kaidas typically wait for an intruder (anyone not permitted access to the treasure) to get within touching distance of the treasure before launching themselves into flight and attacking.
In their un-merged forms, kaidas are a drab blue, which, along with their command of electricity, causes sages to speculate that the dragons are related to mighty blues. Blue dragons, for their part and when they deign to respond to the question, refuse to acknowledge the relationship. Spellcasters can take individual coin kaidas as familiars, which vary in power depending on the coin to which a kaida can attune itself. A swarm contains a typical mix of coins; less powerful swarms consisting solely of copper coins exist, as do extremely powerful versions comprised only of platinum coins.
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