Huge dragon (avian), chaotic neutral

Armor Class 18 (natural armor)
Hit Points 276 (24d12 + 120)
Speed 40 ft., fly 120 ft., climb 30 ft., swim 30 ft.

STR 26 (+8)
DEX 14 (+2)
CON 21 (+5)
INT 18 (+4)
WIS 15 (+2)
CHA 18 (+4)

Saving Throws Dex +8, Con +11, Wis +8, Cha +10
Skills Perception +14, Intimidation +10
Damage Resistances poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks while in lair
Damage Immunities lightning, thunder
Condition Immunities frightened
Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 24
Languages Common, Auran, Draconic
Challenge 16 (15,000 XP)

A monstrous thunderbird-dragon that terrorizes the skies of the Dragon’s Keep arena. Hatched from corrupted piasa eggs long thought destroyed, Caraxes is an ancient avian drake of scaled feathers, cracking storm powers, and a jagged chrome beak. It hunts like a winged tyrant of the skies, choosing when to appear with thundering roars, bringing lightning and winds. In darkness, its eyes glow like horrible emeralds, alight with storms.

Caraxes is no true dragon, but an ancient Piasa-spawned storm drake, born of sky and thunder, it has grown terrifying and cunning. Its wings create storms, its cries split stone, and its presence warps the weather for miles. It roosts in the battleground, its lair below its arena. Caraxes hoards wreckage, relics, trophies, broken war machines and scorched banners it claims from those slain beneath its shadowed wings.

TRAITS

• Living Storm.
  Caraxes is surrounded by howling winds and crackling static. Ranged weapon attacks against him have disadvantage while he is flying.
• Sky Tyrant.
  Caraxes can hover, and opportunity attacks against him are made with disadvantage.
• Thunderous Wings.
  Whenever Caraxes takes flight or lands, creatures within 20 feet must succeed on a DC 18 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone and pushed 10 feet away.
• Storm Sight.
  Caraxes can see normally through heavy rain, fog, clouds, and magical wind effects.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack.
  Caraxes makes three attacks: one with his beak and two with his talons.
• Beak.
  Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target.
  Hit: 21 (2d12 + 8) piercing damage plus 9 (2d8) lightning damage.
• Talons.
  Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
  Hit: 17 (2d8 + 8) slashing damage.
• Thunder Breath (Recharge 5–6).
  Caraxes exhales a cone of concussive thunder in a 60-foot cone.
  Each creature in that area must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw, taking 63 (14d8) thunder damage and being knocked prone on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
  Structures and unsecured objects automatically fail the save.
• Lightning Spear (Recharge 4–6).
  Caraxes fires a focused bolt of lightning in a 120-foot line that is 5 feet wide.
  Each creature in the line must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw, taking 66 (12d10) lightning damage on a failed save, or half on success.

LEGENDARY ACTIONS (1/round)

Caraxes can take 1 legendary action per round, choosing from the options below.

• Wing Buffet.
  Caraxes beats his wings. Each creature within 15 feet must succeed on a DC 18 Strength save or take 13 (2d6 + 6) bludgeoning damage and be pushed 10 feet.
• Static Burst.
  A creature Caraxes can see within 60 feet takes 10 (3d6) lightning damage.
• Move.
  Caraxes flies up to half his flying speed without provoking opportunity attacks.

LAIR ACTIONS (OPTIONAL – Dragon’s Keep Arena)

Each Round Caraxes rolls a D20, on a 20 one of these three things happens:

• Falling Debris: Stone and debris rain down. One creature Caraxes can see must succeed on a DC 15 Dex save or take 14 (4d6) bludgeoning damage.
• Storm Surge: Strong winds whip through the arena. Anything flying except Caraxes must succeed on a DC 15 Strength save or be pushed 20 feet.
• Lightning Sigils: Arcane runes flare — one random creature takes 10 (3d6) lightning damage.

Caraxes was originally conceived as the catalyst and reason for the eponymous Dragon’s Keep Car Wars arena. I never statted him out in 2023, as the arena was the only thing my free-lance commission covered. I would be remiss if I statted him out for 5e and not for Car Wars.

Car Wars Stats:
CARAXES, THE THUNDERBIRD DRAKE (Car Wars 4e)

Type: Biological Super-Heavy Flyer (Monster)
Scale: Counts as a Superheavy vehicle for collision and damage purposes
Arena Class: Legendary Beast

MOVEMENT

• Acceleration: 10
• Top Speed: 120 mph (flying)
• Handling Class: 3
• Turning: As helicopter (can pivot in place at 30 mph or less)
• Altitude: 1–10 (can climb or dive 2 altitudes per turn)
• Special: Caraxes may hover at speed 0 without stalling.

ARMOR (Natural Armor)

• Front: 30
• Back: 25
• Left: 25
• Right: 25
• Top: 20
• Bottom: 20

Internal Structure: 50 points
Crew: 1 (Caraxes himself)

WEAPONS (BIOLOGICAL)
Lightning Breath

Location: Front
Type: Heavy Laser–equivalent
Damage: 4d6
Range: 20
To-Hit: +1
Ammo: Unlimited (Recharge on 1–2 on d6 each turn)

Special:

• Ignores smoke
• Causes electrical fire on natural 6
• Treat as laser for targeting modifiers

Thunder Shockwave (Wing Slam)

Location: All sides
Type: Area weapon
Damage: 2d6 to all vehicles within 2”
Effect:
All vehicles within radius must make a control roll at –2 or spin.

Recharge: every 3 turns

Talon Strike (Ramming Attack)

Type: Ram
Damage: 6d6
Caraxes takes: 2d6
Counts as ram plate + solid tire collision.

Hurricane Buffet

Type: Gas Streamer–like attack
Range: 10” cone
Effect:
Vehicles must roll control at –3 or be pushed 1” sideways
No damage unless collision occurs

Recharge: 4–6 on d6

SPECIAL ABILITIES
Living Storm

• Caraxes is always surrounded by heavy wind.
• All missile weapons fired at him are at –2 to hit.

Sky Terror

• Drivers within 5” of Caraxes must make a morale check (or control roll at –1).
• Failure = cannot move closer next turn.

Lightning Aura

• Any vehicle that rams Caraxes or is rammed by him takes 1d6 electrical damage automatically.

Monster Physiology

• Immune to tire damage
• Immune to oil and spikes
• Immune to gas weapons
• Fire attacks do half damage
• Electrical weapons do normal damage

DAMAGE EFFECTS (BIOLOGICAL)

When Caraxes loses 10 internal points:
Roll 1d6:

1–2: Lose 5 mph top speed
3–4: Lose one weapon next turn
5: Handling worsens by 1
6: Berserk — attacks nearest target

POINT VALUE (Arena)

Estimated Value: 12,000–15,000 points
(Should be fought by 3–5 cars or as a scenario boss)

==============================================================

CAR WARS 4E VEHICLE RECORD SHEET

VEHICLE NAME: CARAXES, THE THUNDERBIRD DRAKE
CLASS: BIOLOGICAL SUPERHEAVY FLYER
ARENA CLASS: LEGENDARY BEAST
CREW: 1 (SELF)
POWER PLANT: BIOLOGICAL FUEL: N/A
WEIGHT EQUIV: SUPERHEAVY (10,000 lbs collision class)

==============================================================

MOVEMENT

Acceleration: 10 Top Speed: 120 mph
Handling Class: 3 Current HC: _ Turning: Helicopter Altitude: 1–10 Current Altitude: _

Special:
[ ] Hover at 0 mph
[ ] Pivot ≤ 30 mph
[ ] Climb/Dive 2 levels per turn

Speed Record: ____________________________________

==============================================================

ARMOR RECORD

FRONT [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

BACK [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

LEFT [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

RIGHT [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

TOP [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

BOTTOM [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

==============================================================

INTERNAL STRUCTURE (50)

[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

==============================================================

WEAPONS

1. LIGHTNING BREATH (Front)
   Type: Heavy Laser Equivalent
   Damage: 4d6 Range: 20 To-Hit: +1
   Recharge: Fires on 1–2 (d6) Fired This Turn: [ ]
   Recharged: [ ]
2. THUNDER SHOCKWAVE (All)
   Damage: 2d6 Radius: 2”
   Control –2
   Recharge: Every 3 turns Cooldown: 0 1 2 3 (Circle one)
3. TALON STRIKE (Ram)
   Target: 6d6
   Self: 2d6
   Lightning Aura applies
4. HURRICANE BUFFET (10” Cone)
   Control –3
   Recharge: 4–6 on d6 Recharge Roll: __

==============================================================

DEFENSIVE SYSTEMS

[ ] Living Storm (Missiles –2 to hit)
[ ] Lightning Aura (1d6 electrical on contact)

==============================================================

SPECIAL RULES

[ ] Immune: Tires
[ ] Immune: Oil
[ ] Immune: Spikes
[ ] Immune: Gas
[ ] Fire Damage Halved
[ ] Electrical Normal

==============================================================
BIOLOGICAL DAMAGE EFFECT TABLE

(Every 10 Internal Lost – Roll 1d6)

1–2 □ Top Speed –5 mph
3–4 □ Lose one weapon next turn
5 □ Handling –1
6 □ Berserk (Attack nearest)

Damage Thresholds:
10 □ 20 □ 30 □ 40 □ 50 □

==============================================================

ARENA VALUE: 12,000–15,000 POINTS

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