D&D 5E D&D Gem Dragons Are Officially Back

So if you're (not) like me and you don't have the time or patience to watch Spoilers & Swag, you may have missed this awesome reveal... Gem Dragons are back! And I don't just mean back in a third-party book like Matt Colville's Strongholds and Followers (great book, check it out), I mean back officially for D&D 5e.

In case you don't know, Gem Dragons are the third-wheel of dragonkind... they are not Good (Metallic) or Evil (Chromatic), they are Neutral. This makes them easily overlooked in the struggle of good vs. evil, but they've popped up here and there in previous editions.

But it looks like Gem Dragons have returned, first to promote the sale of a very expensive sapphire dice set. This little paper fold-out is included (screenshots below), complete with lore for gem dragons and a statblock for the Adult Sapphire Dragon specifically.

Of course, if you don't want to buy a pricey set of dice for a statblock... you're in luck, as Nathan Stewart reveals that everybody else will get access to it "early in 2020, where we [WotC] will have some fun ways to get that out there." So it looks like some product will be released including the Neutral Dragons, a new adventure or maybe a new monster book!

Feel free to speculate, here's the images;

 

[Yaarel]

FYI my favourite Chromatic Dragon is the Purple aka Deep Dragon, and for the metallic dragons Steel Dragon, Orchium Copper, and Mitheril Dragons. For other Dragons I like Song Dragons, Shadow Dragons, Dragon Turles, Fairy/Persaudo Dragons, Niv Mizzet (what ever he is).

My favorite metallic dragon is the 4e mithril dragon with a teleportation speed. Awesome!

 

[gyor]

Of the missing ones, it's definitely the lack of Celestials/Fey that hurts the most. There are lots of different options for aberrations and undead from Volo's, and I don't normally need more than the lycanthropes we have already.

But in 5e there aren't really that many options for monsters set in the Feywild or good-aligned planes, making it a lot harder to set a varied campaign there.

Fey aren't as lacking as Celestials, although there are glaring omissions like Nymphs. But Celestial yeah, it's basically just Coautls, Unicorns, Pegasi, Empyreans, and Angels in the MM, Ki-Rin in VGTMs, and Wayfinders Guide to Ravnica has Fedilar (I would love to see these spread beyond MtG settings, as they would fit into FR to a T with it's Cat Gods and Feline races), Archons (Celestial but not traditional Celestial Archons sowing confusion), Death Pact Angels, and the Guildmaster of the Boros, but most of these are Ravnica/MtG specific, with no guidance for using them in D&D in general.

 

[Demetrios1453]

Well, they weren't in the 1st edition monster manual... I checked. I don't consider dragon magazine to be official content for an edition.

They first appeared in Dragon Magazine in 1980. They didn't get an "official" release until one of the 2e Monstrous Compendium additions - the Fiend Folio appendix from what Wikipedia says..

 

[cbwjm]

I was a fan of the mercury dragon. It was probably my favourite in 2e.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

Just for kicks I'm going to list every dragon not in 5e. Starting with the Chromatic/Metallic. Source is 1d4chan, opinions not my own.

Chromatic

• Brown: Introduced in the Forgotten Realms in AD&D, Brown Dragons are desert-dwelling burrowers who have changed markedly over the editions. Rising to prominence in 4e as part of the Chromatic Draconomicon, they were given back limited flight (traditionally not available to them) and were given the strange trait of being gourmet epicures; they love food and prize unique flavors and cooking skills. Brown Dragons use high-velocity gouts of sand to scour flesh from bone.
• Gray: Gray Dragons didn't exist until 4th edition adapted them from the minor "outcast" dragons of Faerun known as Fang Dragons, giving them caustic, petrifying slime as a breath weapon, petrifying claw and bite attacks, and an obsession with hunting. Prior to that, the only claimant to the name "Gray Dragon" was a breed of linnorm.
• Purple: Like Brown Dragons, Purple Dragons were adapted from a Forgotten Realms dragon of AD&D, the Deep Dragon. These slender, serpentine Chromatics are the primary draconic denizens of the Underdark, using their psychotropic venom breath and power to turn into insubstantial shadows to sate their wanderlust by roaming the ever-changing depths of the world.

Metallic

• Adamantine: Adamantine Dragons are heavily-armored Metallics native to the Underdark, who may arguably be more powerful than even Gold Dragons, with distinctive beak-like snouts and a breath weapon that deals thunder damage. They are essentially the Metallic analogue to the Purple Dragon, favoring the Underdark as their domicile of choice. These dragons were entirely unique to 4e; AD&D had featured an Adamantite Dragon, but that was a Planar Dragon native to the Twin Paradises of Bytopia.
• Cobalt: Like the Iron Dragon, Cobalt Dragons are a Ferrous Dragon breed that got promoted to Metallic in 4th edition, with quite a lot of differences. The 4e Cobalt Dragon is a grim, vicious, possessive, powerfully built Metallic Dragon that looks a lot like a flying bear. They absolutely hate the heat, establishing tyrannical dominions in colder regions where they are comfortable. Possessed of an exorbitant amount of martial pride, Cobalt Dragons prefer valuable arms and armor for their hordes, and relish commanding skilled, war-like minions.
• Iron Dragons originated in Dragon Magazine #170 as members of the Ferrous Dragon family - see that page to learn about how they looked there. As a core member of the Metallics, 4e's Iron Dragons are essentially a Metallic analogue to the White Dragon, being simple-minded, brutish and violently aggressive dragons who rely on electromagnetic attacks and thick scales to fight their foes.
• Mercury: Fickle, whimsical and highly chaotic, the Mercury Dragon is an obscure beastie that is native to the Forgotten Realms, having first appeared in the original Faerun-set Draconomicon before hitting the big leagues with a place in the AD&D Monstrous Manual, followed by 3rd edition's "Dragons of Faerun" and then the 4e Metallic Draconomicon. Traditional Mercury Dragons use laser beam breath weapons and reflection-based attacks. The 4e version is a superb shapeshifter that might as well be made of living metal - picture a draconic T-1000 Terminator - and wields a poisonous breath weapon.
• Mithral: Unique to 4th edition, Mithral Dragons are the elite of the Metallic Dragon family tree, native to the Astral Sea and wielding a diverse array of powers that allow them to bend space and time to their will. In this, they could be argued as a spiritual inheritor to the original Adamantite Dragon, but their arrogant self-righteousness and desire to change the world - regardless of what the world thinks - is perhaps closer to the 4e rendition of Couatls.
• Orium: Entirely unique to 4th edition, Orium Dragons are red-gold colored dragons, with serpentine heads, necks and tails mounted on a rather feline body frame. Based on "orium", WoTC's trademarkable name for "Orichalcum", they are obsessive historians who seek out ancient ruins to maintain, preserve and restore. Their unique breath weapon is a gout of toxic vapor, which then coalesces into a snake-like construct that keeps on fighting on its own after being exhaled.
• Steel: The Steel Dragon has a rather complex history, and is arguably not a "true" metallic dragon, having no asserted ties to that category prior to 4th edition. Steel dragons first showed up in Advanced Dungeons & Dragons as a draconic breed unique to the setting of Greyhawk. This, combinined with their prominent presence in the City of Greyhawk, led to their alternative nickname of "Greyhawk Dragons". They made their debut in the Greyhawk Appendix for the Monstrous Compendium, and were subsequently reprinted in 1993's Monstrous Manual, albeit with a fancy new colored art piece. The confusion stems from the fact that another Steel Dragon debuted in 2e as well; the Faerunian Steel Dragon, in the original Draconomicon. Whilst their basic personalities (and thus fluff) were identical, save for an expansion on habitat/society lore, they differed in their abilities.

 

[Demetrios1453]

Have to say that I like the artwork in Strongholds & Followers for gem dragons better than the example of a WOTC gem dragon shown in the picture shared by the OP.

E.g.:

View attachment 115746

Hmmm. I'll have to disagree and say I like the classic version such as the one seen in the original post. If you enlarge it and look closely, it definitely has a very gem-y translucent quality which looks very nice (and has always been part of the description of the type). It's probably one of the best color illustrations of a gem dragon I've seen (the 2e versions were black and white, later flatly colored in for the Monstrous Manual, while the 3e ones were just poorly drawn). The one seen here just isn't doing it for me...

 

[Urriak Uruk]

Ferrous Dragons:

• Chrome: With scales that initially resemble tarnished silver and grow shinier as they age, it should be no surprise that Chrome Dragons are often mistaken for Silver Dragons. That would be a terrible mistake to make, as Chromium Dragons are known for their greed, malice and cruelty, which gives them a Chaotic Evil alignment in AD&D and a Lawful Evil one in 3e.
• Avaricious enough to give a Red Dragon pause and sadistic enough to make a Black Dragon take notes, Chrome Dragons live for the sake of hunting treasure and killing anything that catches their attention. Although fully capable of living off of nothing but ice and snow, they vastly prefer raw, bloody meat.
• Nickel: The swamp and marsh-dwelling Nickel Dragons are the smallest and weakest of their family, although they're still highly dangerous opponents who make up for physical deficits with deceitfulness, tenacity and sheer viciousness. In AD&D, they are known for being extremely fickle and unpredictable, giving them a Chaotic Neutral nature. In 3rd edition, instead, they are just jerks who enjoy harassing and bullying others, making them Lawful Neutral. In fact, the AD&D version of the Nickel Dragon is pretty Chaotic Stupid, especially when it comes to rearing its offspring, which is contributing to the race's decline.
• Tungsten: Tungsten Dragons are unique amongst the Ferrous Dragons for having a racial alignment of Good. However, it's not exactly a nice form of good. In a nutshell, Tungsten Dragons believe the adage "the ends justify the means"; after all, if evil will stop at nothing to win, then good must stop at nothing to defeat evil. This is why they are Neutral Good in AD&D, and Lawful Good in 3e. Of course, in a typical display of draconic hypocrisy/incompetence, that dedication to preserving and expanding good typically ends at the borders of a Tungsten Dragon's territory. Furthermore, they deal harshly with intruders, unless somehow convinced that their potential victims are actually working for the side of good.

Greater Gem Dragons:

• Amethyst: Diplomatic and easy-going by nature, the purple-hued amethyst dragons favor the psionic disciplines of psychokinesis and psychometabolism, although they also possess skills in telepathy and metapsionics. Feeding on fish and gemstones, their breath weapon is a "faceted lozenge" of violet-hued energy, which functions more like a fireball than the traditional draconic breath weapon. This kinetic glob is spat at a target point, whereupon it erupts in a powerful concussive force-blast that can knock creatures clean off their feet and blow down buildings like a bomb. Given their predominantly piscovorous diet, amethyst dragons favor the shores of isolated mountain lakes and pools, sometimes going so far as to dig out caves underwater to dwell - they have an instinctive ability to breathe water.
• Crystal: Easily distinguished by their lack of wings and spinal frill, the lizard-like crystal dragons are amongst the most friendly and gregarious of all the gem dragons, with their Chaotic Neutral tendencies fitting their intense curiosity about the world around them. Obviously, their psionics skill lies in the field of clairsentience, although they are amongst the weakest of the gem dragons. Born with glossy white scales, they turn increasingly translucent as the crystal dragon ages, which causes them to sparkle and glitter in any sort of light.
• Emerald: Known as the most paranoid of the gem dragons, emerald dragons use their innate affinity for telepathy and clairstentience to indulge their love of studying history without having to actually interact with other races. These scintillating green-scaled dragons favor lairing on extinct or rarely-active volcanoes, where they feed on lizards and giants - especially fire giants, whom they absolutely detest for some reason. Immune to sound-based attacks and with innate Flame Walking abilities, emerald dragons possess a medley of enchantment and fire-based spell-like abilities. Their breath weapon is a brain-scrambling sonic shriek.
• Obsidian: Not one of the original five breeds of Gem Dragons, Obsidian Dragons were invented in 3rd edition as part of the Mind's Eye article series on the WotC website. These Gem Dragons are the most intelligent of their family, but also the most vicious; extremely haughty, easily angered and with a sadistic streak that manifests in a love of "toying" with their prey before finishing it off, their mandated alignment is Neutral Evil.
• Sapphire: Naturally adept in clairsentience, psychokinesis and psychoportation (favoring the latter) and militantly territorial, few have any real hopes of sneaking up on a sapphire dragon. Favoring subterranean regions, these dragons are sometimes mistaken for blue dragons by those who either forget where the Chromatics live or fail to notice the difference in horns (blues have a single nasal horn, sapphires have two curved horns on the sides of their heads, like blacks). Despite how fiercely they protect their turf, unless you're a known hostile (such as a drow, duergar, aboleth or illithid), the sapphire's typical approach is to convince you to leave first, then attack if you won't go.
• Topaz: Unfriendly, selfish and highly erratic, the topaz dragons are perhaps the biggest jerks of the gem dragons, and certainly some of the least desireable to meet. Able to breathe water and immune to cold, their breath weapon is a ray that evaporates water, fatally desiccating living creatures caught in it. They also possess various spell-like abilities relating to manipulating water, which increase as they age. Native to oceanic coastlines, they have a peculiar enmity for bronze dragons and will attack them on sight, making them unique amongst the gem dragons in that regard.

Lesser Gem Dragons:

• Amber: Denizens of the deep forest, amber dragons are "neutral" in the sense a force of nature is neutral; they just do what they like and don't give a naughty word about anyone else. Uniquely amongst dragons, they actually disdain material possessions, and so neither form hoards nor establish permanent lairs. Feeding on coniferous tree sap, they are territorial, but don't seek to actively protect nature as a driving goal. Still, they're apparently close enough to the balance for nature to reward them, given that all amber dragons can cast druidic spells. Their breath weapon is a conical gout of scalding hot tree sap, which rapidly solidifies into amber when exposed to cooler air.
• Jacinth: Distinguished by their shimmering, flame-bright orange hides, jacinth dragons are amongst the rarest of all gem dragons, something not helped by their natural preference for isolationism. Amongst the smallest of the dragons, to the point it negatively impacts on their fearful aura, they are nonetheless very magically powerful - their innate spellcasting ability gives them the combined spells and caster level of both a wizard and a cleric. They can't shapeshift, but they can Blink, as per a 10th level caster, 6 times a day.
• Jade: Described as an "oriental cousin" to the Emerald Dragon, jade dragons have the traditional "oriental dragon" body-structure - a wingless, four-limbed serpent with somewhat leonic facial features. Smaller and weaker than emerald dragons, and lacking their psionic powers, they possess the spellcasting ability of a multiclassed wizard/cleric and retain the deadly sonic shriek of their relatives. They can also hypnotize others simply by talking, much like the jacinth dragon, although with less aptitude. They also share the jacinth's inability to shapeshift without preparing spells in advance, and their ability to blink.
• Moonstone: The largest of the lesser gem dragons, moonstone dragons normally dwell in the Plane of Faerie and the Plane of Dreams, or at least on the Ethereal Plane, very rarely coming to the material world. Interested predominantly in the affairs of the fey over that of humans, they have access to both wizardly and priestly spells (something that seems to be a running theme for Neutral Dragons), although restricted in what they can wield. They can use wizardly enchantment/charm and illusion spells, alteration spells of dim light and shadow, and spells of dreams and dreaming, as well as priestly spells from the spheres of all, healing, necromancy (good only), and divination.
• Pearl: The wingless sea-dwelling pearl dragon is a creature content with the simple life, seeking to avoid trouble and feed on fish whilst gathering its beloved pearls. Unusually for an oceanic dragon, it has no innate water-breathing ability, and instead simply has an enormous capacity for holding its breath - over an hour at a time. They are quasi-nomadic, moving on as they deplete pearl beds in their territory, but because of their need to meticulously take every single piece from one lair to the other, transferring lairs takes a pretty damn long time, as you might expect.

 

[Demetrios1453]

And thinking it over, they obviously like releasing the new "monster" books with some player options, so I bet we'll see gem dragon dragonborn if this does end up being part of an upcoming release of that type. And if it doesn't end up being all dragons, I'm guessing that they will do elementals along with them. Genies and elementals have some interesting lore, and it will allow for some further expansion of the Inner Planes (and Inner Planar monsters, like the paraelementals and the energons (although the energy planes aren't technically "inner" any more)), and allow for new player options by finally getting the genasi into a proper hardcover...

Maybe a "Forces of Nature" themed book? That would allow for fey as well...

 

[Connorsrpg]

FYI my favourite Chromatic Dragon is the Purple aka Deep Dragon, and for the metallic dragons Steel Dragon, Orchium Copper, and Mitheril Dragons. For other Dragons I like Song Dragons, Shadow Dragons, Dragon Turles, Fairy/Persaudo Dragons, Niv Mizzet (what ever he is).

Yes. I have a purple dragon ruler of one of the lands in my expanded Elsir Vale setting

 

[Parmandur]

Just for kicks I'm going to list every dragon not in 5e. Starting with the Chromatic/Metallic. Source is 1d4chan, opinions not my own.

Chromatic

• Brown: Introduced in the Forgotten Realms in AD&D, Brown Dragons are desert-dwelling burrowers who have changed markedly over the editions. Rising to prominence in 4e as part of the Chromatic Draconomicon, they were given back limited flight (traditionally not available to them) and were given the strange trait of being gourmet epicures; they love food and prize unique flavors and cooking skills. Brown Dragons use high-velocity gouts of sand to scour flesh from bone.
• Gray: Gray Dragons didn't exist until 4th edition adapted them from the minor "outcast" dragons of Faerun known as Fang Dragons, giving them caustic, petrifying slime as a breath weapon, petrifying claw and bite attacks, and an obsession with hunting. Prior to that, the only claimant to the name "Gray Dragon" was a breed of linnorm.
• Purple: Like Brown Dragons, Purple Dragons were adapted from a Forgotten Realms dragon of AD&D, the Deep Dragon. These slender, serpentine Chromatics are the primary draconic denizens of the Underdark, using their psychotropic venom breath and power to turn into insubstantial shadows to sate their wanderlust by roaming the ever-changing depths of the world.

Metallic

• Adamantine: Adamantine Dragons are heavily-armored Metallics native to the Underdark, who may arguably be more powerful than even Gold Dragons, with distinctive beak-like snouts and a breath weapon that deals thunder damage. They are essentially the Metallic analogue to the Purple Dragon, favoring the Underdark as their domicile of choice. These dragons were entirely unique to 4e; AD&D had featured an Adamantite Dragon, but that was a Planar Dragon native to the Twin Paradises of Bytopia.
• Cobalt: Like the Iron Dragon, Cobalt Dragons are a Ferrous Dragon breed that got promoted to Metallic in 4th edition, with quite a lot of differences. The 4e Cobalt Dragon is a grim, vicious, possessive, powerfully built Metallic Dragon that looks a lot like a flying bear. They absolutely hate the heat, establishing tyrannical dominions in colder regions where they are comfortable. Possessed of an exorbitant amount of martial pride, Cobalt Dragons prefer valuable arms and armor for their hordes, and relish commanding skilled, war-like minions.
• Iron Dragons originated in Dragon Magazine #170 as members of the Ferrous Dragon family - see that page to learn about how they looked there. As a core member of the Metallics, 4e's Iron Dragons are essentially a Metallic analogue to the White Dragon, being simple-minded, brutish and violently aggressive dragons who rely on electromagnetic attacks and thick scales to fight their foes.
• Mercury: Fickle, whimsical and highly chaotic, the Mercury Dragon is an obscure beastie that is native to the Forgotten Realms, having first appeared in the original Faerun-set Draconomicon before hitting the big leagues with a place in the AD&D Monstrous Manual, followed by 3rd edition's "Dragons of Faerun" and then the 4e Metallic Draconomicon. Traditional Mercury Dragons use laser beam breath weapons and reflection-based attacks. The 4e version is a superb shapeshifter that might as well be made of living metal - picture a draconic T-1000 Terminator - and wields a poisonous breath weapon.
• Mithral: Unique to 4th edition, Mithral Dragons are the elite of the Metallic Dragon family tree, native to the Astral Sea and wielding a diverse array of powers that allow them to bend space and time to their will. In this, they could be argued as a spiritual inheritor to the original Adamantite Dragon, but their arrogant self-righteousness and desire to change the world - regardless of what the world thinks - is perhaps closer to the 4e rendition of Couatls.
• Orium: Entirely unique to 4th edition, Orium Dragons are red-gold colored dragons, with serpentine heads, necks and tails mounted on a rather feline body frame. Based on "orium", WoTC's trademarkable name for "Orichalcum", they are obsessive historians who seek out ancient ruins to maintain, preserve and restore. Their unique breath weapon is a gout of toxic vapor, which then coalesces into a snake-like construct that keeps on fighting on its own after being exhaled.
• Steel: The Steel Dragon has a rather complex history, and is arguably not a "true" metallic dragon, having no asserted ties to that category prior to 4th edition. Steel dragons first showed up in Advanced Dungeons & Dragons as a draconic breed unique to the setting of Greyhawk. This, combinined with their prominent presence in the City of Greyhawk, led to their alternative nickname of "Greyhawk Dragons". They made their debut in the Greyhawk Appendix for the Monstrous Compendium, and were subsequently reprinted in 1993's Monstrous Manual, albeit with a fancy new colored art piece. The confusion stems from the fact that another Steel Dragon debuted in 2e as well; the Faerunian Steel Dragon, in the original Draconomicon. Whilst their basic personalities (and thus fluff) were identical, save for an expansion on habitat/society lore, they differed in their abilities.

I honestly can see a Bestiary the size of Mordenkein's or Volo's just covering the various Dragons and similar creatures, if all of these guys get MM like write-ups. And then add in chapters diving deep into the iconic ten from the MM, with random charts, lairs and other fun...solid book potential.

Heck, throw on some Council if Worms Shenanigans for the heck of it...