D&D (2024) 2025's Ancient Green Dragon Stat Block From The New Monster Manual

The new ancient green dragon from the 2025 Monster Manual was previewed at Gen Con.

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[dave2008]

They have +1 legendary resistance and reaction/turn if they are in their lair. A little generic, but cant say its not powerful.

Yes, I prefer the flavor abilities and set off turn actions of the 2014 version (of course I can still use those).

 

[dave2008]

It does have a significant damage increase overall. Previously, the bite did 24. Rend deals 27, and can be done 6 times per round.

I realize that it technically can do more damage, but dragons are better designed (IMO) with fewer, but higher damage attacks. Make it (on average) 3 attacks at 54 damage vs 6 attacks at 27 damage

 

[dave2008]

So we obviously don't have the new monster making guidelines, but I ran this through the old CR guidelines, and if you assume it gets only one reaction rend per round it has a CR of...23. If it gets 3/ round then its CR is 25. So a bit of a swing there!

 

[mellored]

So this seems to confirm that Legendary Actions are gone, the may also gotten rid of Lair Actions,

Lair Actions are mixed in now, but they still kind of exsist.

Lair Actions:
1 Extra legendary save
1 Extra reaction per round.

I don't like the lack of separate bite and claw attacks nor the lack of damage in the rend attack.

I do.

I never found rolling 2d6+1d10 easier than rolling 3d8.

And again, shrinks the block. Which is more room for more interesting things.

Rend should do more damage, but the reactions are interesting and the spellcasting is appreciated.

Rend can happen 6 or 7 times a round. That's plenty of damage.

Though I do like how reactions give it a semi-scaling based on party size. It also spreads the damage out amongst the party members.

 

[dave2008]

I will say its spell casting is pretty impressive. At will charm monster (and as a reaction) is no joke

 

[dave2008]

Lair Actions are mixed in now, but they still kind of exsist.

Lair Actions:
1 Extra legendary save
1 Extra reaction per round.

I prefer the more flavorful options in the 2014 MM. Of course this statblock itself is much more thematic than the 2014 version so it is a net bonus I think (and I can combine the two).

I do.

I never found rolling 2d6+1d10 easier than rolling 3d8.

It wasn't about easier for me. It was about dragons doing what they should be able to do.

And again, shrinks the block. Which is more room for more interesting things.

I agree with this. They packed a bunch of interesting things in a tight stat block

Rend can happen 6 or 7 times a round. That's plenty of damage.

As I noted in another post I wasn't talking about total damage, but per attack damage. Interesting the CR calculator assumes it is only getting (at most) 4 rends per round. If we use the old DMG calculator.

 

[mellored]

They have +1 legendary resistance and reaction/turn if they are in their lair. A little generic, but cant say its not powerful.

It also doesn't prevent more interesting ones.

I.e.

Reactions
Rock Fall (recharge 6): can only be used in it's lair. Rocks fall and everyone dies.

 

[aco175]

The layout of the statblock seems fine. I'm not sure about the attribute and modifier and save on the same line. It looks a bit confusing, but I can now see them in the same place.

I see it gets an extra reaction if in its lair, which most would be rend/counterattack so whatever. Charm more casters and rend fighters, meh.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

It also doesn't prevent more interesting ones.

I.e.

Reactions
Rock Fall (recharge 6): can only be used in it's lair. Rocks fall and everyone dies.

Yeah, I've my fingers crossed to see a general list of lair actions potentially triggered on a reaction by, say, green dragons of every age.

 

[dave2008]

I do want to say that overall I think this is an improvement to the 2014 version, I just wish a few things had gone a different way. Of course it means my versions are still the best!