Faolyn
(she/her)
I'd love to see it! I've used homebrewery but I found it a bit fiddly at times.
Homebrew A Leveled Up Bestiary
- Thread starter Faolyn
- Start date
Learn Latex, seem complex at first but the learning curve is fast and online you will find any example/code snippet needed.
there is also a neat template for simulating DnD layout GitHub - rpgtex/DND-5e-LaTeX-Template: LaTeX package to typeset material for the fifth edition of the "world's greatest roleplaying game".
i use texstudio TUS/OBSS_eng.pdf at master · buzzqw/TUS (not DnD layout, but as you see is easy to build something nice).
BHH
Faolyn
(she/her)
Here come the orange dragons, the second of the missing chromatics! Richard Alan Lloyd continues with the color wheel science here: an orange dragon is the descendant of a yellow and red dragon. They’re salt-based, like their yellow ancestor, but the red’s flames separate the chloride from the salt, leaving nothing but fun, explosive sodium behind. Apparently, orange dragon saliva is oil-based, not water based, thus preventing the sodium from exploding in their mouths. In fact, in the original writeup, the dragon spits a “metallic silvery stream” that drenches the targets and two rounds (minutes) later, it explodes—and trying to wash the gunk off just causes it to explode early.
While I personally don’t need to have this level of real science behind my dragons (they couldn’t logically exist otherwise), it’s definitely a lot of fun to read.
Artist: David Day
Orange Dragon (Chromatic)
The Missing Dragons, Dragon Magazine #65 and The Return of the Missing Dragons, Dragon Magazine #248
Created by Richard Alan Lloyd
When an orange dragon hatches, its scales are blazing orange, but as they age, they develop metallic splotches of yellow, red, and brown. Their wings are short and tipped with green. Their physique is very alligator-like, with a long, toothy maw and splayed limbs. Their eyes are yellow-green, flecked with neon orange.
Jungle Lords. Orange dragons live in thick tropical jungles and swamps. The rainier the jungle, the better, as they love swimming and basking in the rain—and also because they love plants and the wetness helps to prevent their fiery breath from doing much harm. Amidst all the greenery, their coloration makes them resemble the brilliant tropical flowers that they love so much. Orange dragons often cultivate huge gardens that are resplendent with beautiful and exotic (and often dangerous) plants, some of which they created themselves through selective breeding and grafting. Among their gardens, they also keep dryads, mobile plants, and druids who view the dragon as a beloved, if sometimes cruel, master.
Orange dragons rarely fly, even when hunting, as they prefer the touch of the earth and of greenery against their hide.
Fierce Hunters. Orange dragons prefer eating fish, reptiles, and tropical fruits. However, they are also avid hunters and occasionally go after larger mammalian prey—including humanoids, who make for better sport. When they hunt, do so like felines, stalking their prey for long periods of time and then playing with it and letting it go again to prolong the hunt.
Orange dragons sometimes come into contact with black dragons, and view them as the greatest prey at all. The black dragon’s love of decay infuriates orange dragons, who prefer vibrantly living and healthy plants.
Budding Alchemists. Some orange dragons take their love of plants one step further and become alchemists of a sort. These dragons experiment with their gardens, and they not only distill their flowers and fruits into potions, oils, perfumes, and medicines, but they also breed plants that produce magical fruits and pollen, or are actively carnivorous. An orange dragon’s garden can be as deadly as the dragon itself.
Family Dragons. Unusually among dragons, orange dragons mate for life and the pair will live together in close proximity or even together, raising multiple clutches together. They also frequently foster the young of siblings or even unrelated dragons.
Legends and Lore
With an Arcana or History check, the characters can learn the following:
DC 10. Orange dragons live in vibrant tropical rainforests and swamps. They love flowers and plants of all kinds.
DC 15. Orange dragons spit a strange, noxious, metallic substance, which is made of pure sodium. This substance explodes shortly after coming into contact with flesh or water.
DC 20. While all orange dragons cultivate poisonous plants, the oldest dragons can channel those poisons though itself, making the air around it dangerous to breathe.
Orange Dragon Encounters
Terrain: Jungle, swamps, water
CR 5-10 orange dragon wyrmling with 2-4 dragonbound warriors (see warrior); orange dragon wyrmling with 1 dryad
Treasure: 1,000 gp, bronze armband that looks like twining vines set with orange citrine (150 gp), 4 jaspaers (50 gp each), masterwork naturalist’s guide to exotic plants (50 gp), herbalist’s kit, oil of etherealness, birdsong whistle, perfume vile, restorative ointment.
CR 11-16 young orange dragon; young orange dragon with 1d8+4 dragonbound warriors or kobolds; young orange dragon with 2-4 lizardfolk and 1 lizardfolk druid, 1 wallflower, or 1 awakened tree.
Treasure: 190 pp, 900 gp, treasure map leading to the discovery of a rare spell of 2nd level (250 gp), jade bowl from a unknown jungle society (750 gp), 1d4 vials of medicinal salve (75 gp each), 1d4 vials of antitoxin (75 gp each), 2 potions of greater healing, potion of dimunition.
CR 17-22 adult orange dragon; young orange dragon with shambling mound and 1-2 wallflowers.
Treasure: 3,000 gp, correspondence with several botanists and alchemists across the world, 1 potionfruit tree (the tree produces 2d4+4 fruits that have the effects of a common or uncommon potion or oil; each tree produces the same sort of fruit, and a fruit remains fresh for two weeks after being picked; the tree grows new fruits each year), 1d4 vials of Perdita’s abandon poison, supreme potion of healing,
CR 23-30 ancient orange dragon; ancient orange dragon with shambling mound.
Treasure: 900 pp, 7,000 gp, 1 jacinth (5,000 gp), 2d6+4 exotic bird of paradise flowers created by the dragon (500 gp each to the right collector), 3-4 potionfruit trees (the fruits produce the same effects of a rare potion or oil), dancing sword, rose of the enchantress.
CR 31: orange dragon great wyrm; ancient orange dragon with treant.
Treasure: 25,000 gp, golden ewer studded with carnelian and jade (7,500 gp), 3-4 potionfruit trees (the fruits produce the effects of a very rare potion or oil), a preserved leopard hide covered in Druidic writing that contains information leading to the discovery of a rare druid spell, liquid luck, marvelous pigments, robe of scintillating colors.
Signs
1-2. Extremely vibrant and unusually large flowers are everywhere. A DC 18 Nature check reveals subtle signs on domestication and artificial breeding.
3. A humanoid, running for their life: the current target of the dragon’s hunt.
4. An unusually large number of plant creatures and dryads, working in concert.
5. An explosion in the distance.
6. With a DC 15 Nature check, evidence of explosive damage done to trees which has since healed over.
Behavior
1. Tending to a garden of exotic plants.
2. Asleep in the rain.
3. Stalking a new mammalian prey.
4. Playfully swimming or fishing in a river.
Orange Dragon Lair Features
The save DC for the following effects is 13 + the dragon’s proficiency modifier. Choose or roll one or more of the following lair features:
1. 1d4+2 pools of water are scattered throughout the lair. The dragon can use Spitstream on a pool within 60 feet of it. When it does, the sodium reacts to the water and causes an explosion that fills a 20-foot cube. Each creature within that area must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 22 (4d10) force damage. This causes the pool of water to empty and remain dry for 1 week or until the next time it rains, whichever comes first.
2. Grasping, clinging semi-mobile plants fill the dragon’s lair. The entire area is difficult terrain for everyone but the dragon and its minions.
3. Pollen shed by poisonous plants hangs in the air. A bloodied creature in the lair makes a Constitution saving throw at the start of each of its turns. On a failure, it has disadvantage on attack rolls until the start of its next turn. On a success, it is immune to this effect for 24 hours.
4. The air is hazy with moisture and water constantly drips in from above. Range of vision is limited to 60 feet, and Perception checks that rely on hearing are made at disadvantage, due to the constant dripping noises.
Names
Aranchi, Firebloom, Heliconias, Malphighiales, Nymphaeles, Orchid, Poales, Sziena
Variant: Orange Dragon Spellcaster
Some orange dragons develop the ability to innately cast spells. A yellow dragon’s spellcasting ability is Charisma. It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components. Each age category knows its own spells and those of younger age categories.
Young (save DC 13): 3/day each: freedom of movement, wall of thorns
Adult (save DC 15): 3/day each: control water, plant growth
Ancient (save DC 18): 1/day each: suggestion, wall of thorns
Great Wyrm (save DC 18): 1/day: control weather
Ancient Orange Dragon
Legendary gargantuan dragon
Challenge 23 (50,000 XP)
AC 22 (natural armor)
HP 367 (21d20+147; bloodied 184)
Speed 40 ft., fly 80 ft., swim 40 ft.
STR 27 (+8) DEX 14 (+2) CON 25 (+7)
INT 14 (+2) WIS 15 (+2) CHA 19 (+4)
Proficiency +7
Maneuver DC 25
Skills Perception +9 (+1d6), Nature +9 (+1d4, plants +1d6), Stealth +7
Damage Resistances force, poison
Damage Immunities fire
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 22
Languages Common, Draconic, and two more
Friend To Plants. The dragon can speak with plants as if they shared a language. Additionally, the dragon ignores difficult terrain caused by plants.
Jungle Stalker. While in a forested area, the dragon has advantage on Stealth checks.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). When the dragon fails a saving throw, some of its scales catch on fire and burn off. If it has no more uses of this ability, its Armor Class is reduced to 20 until it finishes a long rest.
Ruthless (1/Round). After scoring a critical hit on its turn, the dragon can immediately make one claw attack.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +17 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 30 (4d10+8) piercing damage plus 9 (2d8) poison damage. Instead of dealing piercing damage, the dragon can grappled the target (escape DC 25), and a Huge or smaller creature grappled in this way is restrained. While grappling a creature, the dragon can’t bite or use Spitstream on another target.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +17 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (3d8+8) slashing damage.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +17 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (3d8+8) bludgeoning damage.
Explosive Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon exhales a line of a silvery, toxic substance in a 90 foot long, 10-foot wide line. Each creature in that area must make a DC 24 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the end of its next turn. At the start of the dragon’s next turn, the substance explodes, inflicting 35 (10d6) fire damage and 35 (10d6) force damage. Additionally, nonmagical objects in that area also take force damage.
Spitstream. The dragon targets a creature within 60 feet and spits silvery goo on it, forcing it to make a DC 22 Dexterity saving throw. The creature takes 22 (4d10) fire damage on a failure or half damage on a success. A creature that fails the save also takes 9 (2d8) ongoing fire damage. A creature can use an action to end the ongoing damage.
Awaken Forest (1/Day). The dragon animates 8 nearby trees, turning them into awakened trees, which immediately join the battle, using their own initiatives. The trees remain animated until slain, for 1 hour, or the dragon uses an action to cause them to return to their original state.
Reactions
Tail Attack. When a creature the dragon can see within 10 feet hits the dragon with a melee attack, the dragon makes a tail attack against it.
Legendary Actions
Roar. Each creature of the dragon’s choice within 120 feet that can hear it makes a DC 19 Charisma saving throw. On a failure, it is frightened for 1 minute. A creature repeats the saving throw at the end of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. When it succeeds on a saving throw or the effect ends for it, it is immune to Roar for 24 hours.
Wing Attack. The dragon beats its wings. Each creature within 15 feet makes a DC 25 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, it is pushed 10 feet away and knocked prone. The dragon can then fly up to half its fly speed.
Vicious Pounce (Costs 2 Actions). The dragon leaps up to 30 feet and lands heavily. Each creature within 15 feet must make a DC 25 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, it is knocked prone. The dragon can then make a claw attack at a prone creature.
Ancient Orange Dragon Variant: Orange Great Wyrm
The dragon is an elite monster, equivalent to two CR 23 monsters (100,000 XP). It has 735 (42d20+294; bloodied 367) hit points and the following trait:
Burning Poisons (1/Day). When the dragon is first bloodied, it immediately recharges its breath weapon, if it’s not already available. After doing so, the dragon draws upon plant toxicity and its every exhalation produces poisons. A creature that starts its turn within 15 feet of it for the first time on a turn makes a DC 24 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute on a failed save, or until the end of its next turn on a successful one. While poisoned, the creature also takes 5 (1d10) ongoing fire damage. A creature may make a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
The dragon has the following additional legendary actions, which it can only use while bloodied:
Elite Recovery. The dragon ends one negative effect currently affecting it. It can do so as long as it has at least 1 hit point, even while unconscious or incapacitated.
Mortal Terror (Gaze). A creature within 120 feet makes a saving throw against Roar, even it has already successfully saved within the past 24 hours.
Process Sodium (Costs 2 Actions). The dragon recharges its breath weapon.
Concentrated Blast (Costs 3 Actions). The dragon spits a glob of pure sodium at a creature within 90 feet of it it can see. The creature is affected as if caught in the dragon’s breath weapon, rolling to save as usual.
Adult Orange Dragon
Legendary huge dragon
Challenge 19 (20,000 XP)
AC 19 (natural armor)
HP 288 (23d12+138; bloodied 144)
Speed 40 ft., fly 80 ft., swim 40 ft.
STR 24 (+7) DEX 14 (+2) CON 22 (+6)
INT 14 (+2) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 17 (+3)
Proficiency +6
Maneuver DC 21
Skills Perception +8 (+1d6), Nature +8 (+1d4, plants +1d6), Stealth +6
Damage Resistances force, poison
Damage Immunities fire
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 18
Languages Common, Draconic, and one more
Friend To Plants. The dragon can speak with plants as if they shared a language. Additionally, the dragon ignores difficult terrain caused by plants.
Jungle Stalker. While in a forested area, the dragon has advantage on Stealth checks.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). When the dragon fails a saving throw, some of its scales catch on fire and burn off. If it has no more uses of this ability, its Armor Class is reduced to 17 until it finishes a long rest.
Ruthless (1/Round). After scoring a critical hit on its turn, the dragon can immediately make one claw attack.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 23 (3d10+6) piercing damage plus 9 (2d8) poison damage. Instead of dealing piercing damage, the dragon can grappled the target (escape DC 21), and a Large or smaller creature grappled in this way is restrained. While grappling a creature, the dragon can’t bite or use Spitstream on another target.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (3d8+6) slashing damage.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (3d8+6) bludgeoning damage.
Explosive Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon exhales a line of a silvery, toxic substance in a 60 foot long, 5-foot wide line. Each creature in that area must make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the end of its next turn. At the start of the dragon’s next turn, the substance explodes, inflicting 28 (8d6) fire damage and 28 (8d6) force damage. Additionally, nonmagical objects in that area also take force damage.
Spitstream. The dragon targets a creature within 60 feet and spits silvery goo on it, forcing it to make a DC 22 Dexterity saving throw. The creature takes 22 (4d10) fire damage on a failure or half damage on a success. A creature that fails the save also takes 5 (1d8) ongoing fire damage. A creature can use an action to end the ongoing damage.
Awaken Forest (1/Day). The dragon animates 6 nearby trees, turning them into awakened trees, which immediately join the battle, using their own initiatives. The trees remain animated until slain, for 1 hour, or the dragon uses an action to cause them to return to their original state.
Reactions
Tail Attack. When a creature the dragon can see within 10 feet hits the dragon with a melee attack, the dragon makes a tail attack against it.
Legendary Actions
Roar. Each creature of the dragon’s choice within 120 feet that can hear it makes a DC 17 Charisma saving throw. On a failure, it is frightened for 1 minute. A creature repeats the saving throw at the end of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. When it succeeds on a saving throw or the effect ends for it, it is immune to Roar for 24 hours.
Wing Attack. The dragon beats its wings. Each creature within 15 feet makes a DC 21 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, it is pushed 10 feet away and knocked prone. The dragon can then fly up to half its fly speed.
Vicious Pounce (Costs 2 Actions). The dragon leaps up to 30 feet and lands heavily. Each creature within 15 feet must make a DC 21 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, it is knocked prone. The dragon can then make a claw attack at a prone creature.
Young Orange Dragon
Large dragon
Challenge 12 (8,400 XP)
AC 17 (natural armor)
HP 189 (18d10+90; bloodied 95)
Speed 40 ft., fly 80 ft., swim 40 ft.
STR 20 (+5) DEX 14 (+2) CON 20 (+5)
INT 12 (+1) WIS 13 (+1) CHA 15 (+2)
Proficiency +4
Maneuver DC 17
Skills Perception +6 (+1d6), Nature +6 (+1d4), Stealth +6
Damage Resistances force, poison
Damage Immunities fire
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 16
Languages Common, Draconic
Friend To Plants. The dragon can speak with plants as if they shared a language. Additionally, the dragon ignores difficult terrain caused by plants.
Jungle Stalker. While in a forested area, the dragon has advantage on Stealth checks.
Ruthless (1/Round). After scoring a critical hit on its turn, the dragon can immediately make one claw attack.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (3d10+4) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) poison damage. Instead of dealing piercing damage, the dragon can grappled the target (escape DC 17), and a Medium or smaller creature grappled in this way is restrained. While grappling a creature, the dragon can’t bite or use Spitstream on another target.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8+5) slashing damage.
Explosive Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon exhales a line of a silvery, toxic substance in a 40 foot long, 5-foot wide line. Each creature in that area must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the end of its next turn. At the start of the dragon’s next turn, the substance explodes, inflicting 18 (5d6) fire damage and 18 (5d6) force damage. Additionally, nonmagical objects in that area also take force damage.
Orange Dragon Wyrmling
Medium dragon
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
AC 14 (natural armor)
HP 75 (10d8+30; bloodied 30)
Speed 40 ft., fly 80 ft., swim 40 ft.
STR 16 (+3) DEX 14 (+2) CON 17 (+3)
INT 10 (+0) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 13 (+1)
Proficiency +3
Maneuver DC 17
Skills Perception +4 (+1d4), Nature +4 (+1d4), Stealth +5
Damage Resistances force, poison
Damage Immunities fire
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses blindsight 10 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Common, Draconic
Friend To Plants. The dragon can speak with plants as if they shared a language. Additionally, the dragon ignores difficult terrain caused by plants.
Jungle Stalker. While in a forested area, the dragon has advantage on Stealth checks.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d10+3) piercing damage.
Explosive Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon exhales a line of a silvery, toxic substance in a 40 foot long, 5-foot wide line. Each creature in that area must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the end of its next turn. At the start of the dragon’s next turn, the substance explodes, inflicting 7 (2d6) fire damage and 7 (2d6) force damage. Additionally, nonmagical objects in that area also take force damage.
While I personally don’t need to have this level of real science behind my dragons (they couldn’t logically exist otherwise), it’s definitely a lot of fun to read.
Artist: David Day
Orange Dragon (Chromatic)
The Missing Dragons, Dragon Magazine #65 and The Return of the Missing Dragons, Dragon Magazine #248
Created by Richard Alan Lloyd
When an orange dragon hatches, its scales are blazing orange, but as they age, they develop metallic splotches of yellow, red, and brown. Their wings are short and tipped with green. Their physique is very alligator-like, with a long, toothy maw and splayed limbs. Their eyes are yellow-green, flecked with neon orange.
Jungle Lords. Orange dragons live in thick tropical jungles and swamps. The rainier the jungle, the better, as they love swimming and basking in the rain—and also because they love plants and the wetness helps to prevent their fiery breath from doing much harm. Amidst all the greenery, their coloration makes them resemble the brilliant tropical flowers that they love so much. Orange dragons often cultivate huge gardens that are resplendent with beautiful and exotic (and often dangerous) plants, some of which they created themselves through selective breeding and grafting. Among their gardens, they also keep dryads, mobile plants, and druids who view the dragon as a beloved, if sometimes cruel, master.
Orange dragons rarely fly, even when hunting, as they prefer the touch of the earth and of greenery against their hide.
Fierce Hunters. Orange dragons prefer eating fish, reptiles, and tropical fruits. However, they are also avid hunters and occasionally go after larger mammalian prey—including humanoids, who make for better sport. When they hunt, do so like felines, stalking their prey for long periods of time and then playing with it and letting it go again to prolong the hunt.
Orange dragons sometimes come into contact with black dragons, and view them as the greatest prey at all. The black dragon’s love of decay infuriates orange dragons, who prefer vibrantly living and healthy plants.
Budding Alchemists. Some orange dragons take their love of plants one step further and become alchemists of a sort. These dragons experiment with their gardens, and they not only distill their flowers and fruits into potions, oils, perfumes, and medicines, but they also breed plants that produce magical fruits and pollen, or are actively carnivorous. An orange dragon’s garden can be as deadly as the dragon itself.
Family Dragons. Unusually among dragons, orange dragons mate for life and the pair will live together in close proximity or even together, raising multiple clutches together. They also frequently foster the young of siblings or even unrelated dragons.
Legends and Lore
With an Arcana or History check, the characters can learn the following:
DC 10. Orange dragons live in vibrant tropical rainforests and swamps. They love flowers and plants of all kinds.
DC 15. Orange dragons spit a strange, noxious, metallic substance, which is made of pure sodium. This substance explodes shortly after coming into contact with flesh or water.
DC 20. While all orange dragons cultivate poisonous plants, the oldest dragons can channel those poisons though itself, making the air around it dangerous to breathe.
Orange Dragon Encounters
Terrain: Jungle, swamps, water
CR 5-10 orange dragon wyrmling with 2-4 dragonbound warriors (see warrior); orange dragon wyrmling with 1 dryad
Treasure: 1,000 gp, bronze armband that looks like twining vines set with orange citrine (150 gp), 4 jaspaers (50 gp each), masterwork naturalist’s guide to exotic plants (50 gp), herbalist’s kit, oil of etherealness, birdsong whistle, perfume vile, restorative ointment.
CR 11-16 young orange dragon; young orange dragon with 1d8+4 dragonbound warriors or kobolds; young orange dragon with 2-4 lizardfolk and 1 lizardfolk druid, 1 wallflower, or 1 awakened tree.
Treasure: 190 pp, 900 gp, treasure map leading to the discovery of a rare spell of 2nd level (250 gp), jade bowl from a unknown jungle society (750 gp), 1d4 vials of medicinal salve (75 gp each), 1d4 vials of antitoxin (75 gp each), 2 potions of greater healing, potion of dimunition.
CR 17-22 adult orange dragon; young orange dragon with shambling mound and 1-2 wallflowers.
Treasure: 3,000 gp, correspondence with several botanists and alchemists across the world, 1 potionfruit tree (the tree produces 2d4+4 fruits that have the effects of a common or uncommon potion or oil; each tree produces the same sort of fruit, and a fruit remains fresh for two weeks after being picked; the tree grows new fruits each year), 1d4 vials of Perdita’s abandon poison, supreme potion of healing,
CR 23-30 ancient orange dragon; ancient orange dragon with shambling mound.
Treasure: 900 pp, 7,000 gp, 1 jacinth (5,000 gp), 2d6+4 exotic bird of paradise flowers created by the dragon (500 gp each to the right collector), 3-4 potionfruit trees (the fruits produce the same effects of a rare potion or oil), dancing sword, rose of the enchantress.
CR 31: orange dragon great wyrm; ancient orange dragon with treant.
Treasure: 25,000 gp, golden ewer studded with carnelian and jade (7,500 gp), 3-4 potionfruit trees (the fruits produce the effects of a very rare potion or oil), a preserved leopard hide covered in Druidic writing that contains information leading to the discovery of a rare druid spell, liquid luck, marvelous pigments, robe of scintillating colors.
Signs
1-2. Extremely vibrant and unusually large flowers are everywhere. A DC 18 Nature check reveals subtle signs on domestication and artificial breeding.
3. A humanoid, running for their life: the current target of the dragon’s hunt.
4. An unusually large number of plant creatures and dryads, working in concert.
5. An explosion in the distance.
6. With a DC 15 Nature check, evidence of explosive damage done to trees which has since healed over.
Behavior
1. Tending to a garden of exotic plants.
2. Asleep in the rain.
3. Stalking a new mammalian prey.
4. Playfully swimming or fishing in a river.
Orange Dragon Lair Features
The save DC for the following effects is 13 + the dragon’s proficiency modifier. Choose or roll one or more of the following lair features:
1. 1d4+2 pools of water are scattered throughout the lair. The dragon can use Spitstream on a pool within 60 feet of it. When it does, the sodium reacts to the water and causes an explosion that fills a 20-foot cube. Each creature within that area must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 22 (4d10) force damage. This causes the pool of water to empty and remain dry for 1 week or until the next time it rains, whichever comes first.
2. Grasping, clinging semi-mobile plants fill the dragon’s lair. The entire area is difficult terrain for everyone but the dragon and its minions.
3. Pollen shed by poisonous plants hangs in the air. A bloodied creature in the lair makes a Constitution saving throw at the start of each of its turns. On a failure, it has disadvantage on attack rolls until the start of its next turn. On a success, it is immune to this effect for 24 hours.
4. The air is hazy with moisture and water constantly drips in from above. Range of vision is limited to 60 feet, and Perception checks that rely on hearing are made at disadvantage, due to the constant dripping noises.
Names
Aranchi, Firebloom, Heliconias, Malphighiales, Nymphaeles, Orchid, Poales, Sziena
Variant: Orange Dragon Spellcaster
Some orange dragons develop the ability to innately cast spells. A yellow dragon’s spellcasting ability is Charisma. It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components. Each age category knows its own spells and those of younger age categories.
Young (save DC 13): 3/day each: freedom of movement, wall of thorns
Adult (save DC 15): 3/day each: control water, plant growth
Ancient (save DC 18): 1/day each: suggestion, wall of thorns
Great Wyrm (save DC 18): 1/day: control weather
Ancient Orange Dragon
Legendary gargantuan dragon
Challenge 23 (50,000 XP)
AC 22 (natural armor)
HP 367 (21d20+147; bloodied 184)
Speed 40 ft., fly 80 ft., swim 40 ft.
STR 27 (+8) DEX 14 (+2) CON 25 (+7)
INT 14 (+2) WIS 15 (+2) CHA 19 (+4)
Proficiency +7
Maneuver DC 25
Skills Perception +9 (+1d6), Nature +9 (+1d4, plants +1d6), Stealth +7
Damage Resistances force, poison
Damage Immunities fire
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 22
Languages Common, Draconic, and two more
Friend To Plants. The dragon can speak with plants as if they shared a language. Additionally, the dragon ignores difficult terrain caused by plants.
Jungle Stalker. While in a forested area, the dragon has advantage on Stealth checks.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). When the dragon fails a saving throw, some of its scales catch on fire and burn off. If it has no more uses of this ability, its Armor Class is reduced to 20 until it finishes a long rest.
Ruthless (1/Round). After scoring a critical hit on its turn, the dragon can immediately make one claw attack.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +17 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 30 (4d10+8) piercing damage plus 9 (2d8) poison damage. Instead of dealing piercing damage, the dragon can grappled the target (escape DC 25), and a Huge or smaller creature grappled in this way is restrained. While grappling a creature, the dragon can’t bite or use Spitstream on another target.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +17 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (3d8+8) slashing damage.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +17 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (3d8+8) bludgeoning damage.
Explosive Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon exhales a line of a silvery, toxic substance in a 90 foot long, 10-foot wide line. Each creature in that area must make a DC 24 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the end of its next turn. At the start of the dragon’s next turn, the substance explodes, inflicting 35 (10d6) fire damage and 35 (10d6) force damage. Additionally, nonmagical objects in that area also take force damage.
Spitstream. The dragon targets a creature within 60 feet and spits silvery goo on it, forcing it to make a DC 22 Dexterity saving throw. The creature takes 22 (4d10) fire damage on a failure or half damage on a success. A creature that fails the save also takes 9 (2d8) ongoing fire damage. A creature can use an action to end the ongoing damage.
Awaken Forest (1/Day). The dragon animates 8 nearby trees, turning them into awakened trees, which immediately join the battle, using their own initiatives. The trees remain animated until slain, for 1 hour, or the dragon uses an action to cause them to return to their original state.
Reactions
Tail Attack. When a creature the dragon can see within 10 feet hits the dragon with a melee attack, the dragon makes a tail attack against it.
Legendary Actions
Roar. Each creature of the dragon’s choice within 120 feet that can hear it makes a DC 19 Charisma saving throw. On a failure, it is frightened for 1 minute. A creature repeats the saving throw at the end of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. When it succeeds on a saving throw or the effect ends for it, it is immune to Roar for 24 hours.
Wing Attack. The dragon beats its wings. Each creature within 15 feet makes a DC 25 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, it is pushed 10 feet away and knocked prone. The dragon can then fly up to half its fly speed.
Vicious Pounce (Costs 2 Actions). The dragon leaps up to 30 feet and lands heavily. Each creature within 15 feet must make a DC 25 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, it is knocked prone. The dragon can then make a claw attack at a prone creature.
Ancient Orange Dragon Variant: Orange Great Wyrm
The dragon is an elite monster, equivalent to two CR 23 monsters (100,000 XP). It has 735 (42d20+294; bloodied 367) hit points and the following trait:
Burning Poisons (1/Day). When the dragon is first bloodied, it immediately recharges its breath weapon, if it’s not already available. After doing so, the dragon draws upon plant toxicity and its every exhalation produces poisons. A creature that starts its turn within 15 feet of it for the first time on a turn makes a DC 24 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute on a failed save, or until the end of its next turn on a successful one. While poisoned, the creature also takes 5 (1d10) ongoing fire damage. A creature may make a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
The dragon has the following additional legendary actions, which it can only use while bloodied:
Elite Recovery. The dragon ends one negative effect currently affecting it. It can do so as long as it has at least 1 hit point, even while unconscious or incapacitated.
Mortal Terror (Gaze). A creature within 120 feet makes a saving throw against Roar, even it has already successfully saved within the past 24 hours.
Process Sodium (Costs 2 Actions). The dragon recharges its breath weapon.
Concentrated Blast (Costs 3 Actions). The dragon spits a glob of pure sodium at a creature within 90 feet of it it can see. The creature is affected as if caught in the dragon’s breath weapon, rolling to save as usual.
Adult Orange Dragon
Legendary huge dragon
Challenge 19 (20,000 XP)
AC 19 (natural armor)
HP 288 (23d12+138; bloodied 144)
Speed 40 ft., fly 80 ft., swim 40 ft.
STR 24 (+7) DEX 14 (+2) CON 22 (+6)
INT 14 (+2) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 17 (+3)
Proficiency +6
Maneuver DC 21
Skills Perception +8 (+1d6), Nature +8 (+1d4, plants +1d6), Stealth +6
Damage Resistances force, poison
Damage Immunities fire
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 18
Languages Common, Draconic, and one more
Friend To Plants. The dragon can speak with plants as if they shared a language. Additionally, the dragon ignores difficult terrain caused by plants.
Jungle Stalker. While in a forested area, the dragon has advantage on Stealth checks.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). When the dragon fails a saving throw, some of its scales catch on fire and burn off. If it has no more uses of this ability, its Armor Class is reduced to 17 until it finishes a long rest.
Ruthless (1/Round). After scoring a critical hit on its turn, the dragon can immediately make one claw attack.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 23 (3d10+6) piercing damage plus 9 (2d8) poison damage. Instead of dealing piercing damage, the dragon can grappled the target (escape DC 21), and a Large or smaller creature grappled in this way is restrained. While grappling a creature, the dragon can’t bite or use Spitstream on another target.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (3d8+6) slashing damage.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (3d8+6) bludgeoning damage.
Explosive Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon exhales a line of a silvery, toxic substance in a 60 foot long, 5-foot wide line. Each creature in that area must make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the end of its next turn. At the start of the dragon’s next turn, the substance explodes, inflicting 28 (8d6) fire damage and 28 (8d6) force damage. Additionally, nonmagical objects in that area also take force damage.
Spitstream. The dragon targets a creature within 60 feet and spits silvery goo on it, forcing it to make a DC 22 Dexterity saving throw. The creature takes 22 (4d10) fire damage on a failure or half damage on a success. A creature that fails the save also takes 5 (1d8) ongoing fire damage. A creature can use an action to end the ongoing damage.
Awaken Forest (1/Day). The dragon animates 6 nearby trees, turning them into awakened trees, which immediately join the battle, using their own initiatives. The trees remain animated until slain, for 1 hour, or the dragon uses an action to cause them to return to their original state.
Reactions
Tail Attack. When a creature the dragon can see within 10 feet hits the dragon with a melee attack, the dragon makes a tail attack against it.
Legendary Actions
Roar. Each creature of the dragon’s choice within 120 feet that can hear it makes a DC 17 Charisma saving throw. On a failure, it is frightened for 1 minute. A creature repeats the saving throw at the end of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. When it succeeds on a saving throw or the effect ends for it, it is immune to Roar for 24 hours.
Wing Attack. The dragon beats its wings. Each creature within 15 feet makes a DC 21 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, it is pushed 10 feet away and knocked prone. The dragon can then fly up to half its fly speed.
Vicious Pounce (Costs 2 Actions). The dragon leaps up to 30 feet and lands heavily. Each creature within 15 feet must make a DC 21 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, it is knocked prone. The dragon can then make a claw attack at a prone creature.
Young Orange Dragon
Large dragon
Challenge 12 (8,400 XP)
AC 17 (natural armor)
HP 189 (18d10+90; bloodied 95)
Speed 40 ft., fly 80 ft., swim 40 ft.
STR 20 (+5) DEX 14 (+2) CON 20 (+5)
INT 12 (+1) WIS 13 (+1) CHA 15 (+2)
Proficiency +4
Maneuver DC 17
Skills Perception +6 (+1d6), Nature +6 (+1d4), Stealth +6
Damage Resistances force, poison
Damage Immunities fire
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 16
Languages Common, Draconic
Friend To Plants. The dragon can speak with plants as if they shared a language. Additionally, the dragon ignores difficult terrain caused by plants.
Jungle Stalker. While in a forested area, the dragon has advantage on Stealth checks.
Ruthless (1/Round). After scoring a critical hit on its turn, the dragon can immediately make one claw attack.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (3d10+4) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) poison damage. Instead of dealing piercing damage, the dragon can grappled the target (escape DC 17), and a Medium or smaller creature grappled in this way is restrained. While grappling a creature, the dragon can’t bite or use Spitstream on another target.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8+5) slashing damage.
Explosive Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon exhales a line of a silvery, toxic substance in a 40 foot long, 5-foot wide line. Each creature in that area must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the end of its next turn. At the start of the dragon’s next turn, the substance explodes, inflicting 18 (5d6) fire damage and 18 (5d6) force damage. Additionally, nonmagical objects in that area also take force damage.
Orange Dragon Wyrmling
Medium dragon
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
AC 14 (natural armor)
HP 75 (10d8+30; bloodied 30)
Speed 40 ft., fly 80 ft., swim 40 ft.
STR 16 (+3) DEX 14 (+2) CON 17 (+3)
INT 10 (+0) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 13 (+1)
Proficiency +3
Maneuver DC 17
Skills Perception +4 (+1d4), Nature +4 (+1d4), Stealth +5
Damage Resistances force, poison
Damage Immunities fire
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses blindsight 10 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Common, Draconic
Friend To Plants. The dragon can speak with plants as if they shared a language. Additionally, the dragon ignores difficult terrain caused by plants.
Jungle Stalker. While in a forested area, the dragon has advantage on Stealth checks.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d10+3) piercing damage.
Explosive Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon exhales a line of a silvery, toxic substance in a 40 foot long, 5-foot wide line. Each creature in that area must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the end of its next turn. At the start of the dragon’s next turn, the substance explodes, inflicting 7 (2d6) fire damage and 7 (2d6) force damage. Additionally, nonmagical objects in that area also take force damage.
Last edited:
Faolyn
(she/her)
Sadly, Richard Lloyd did not give the purple dragon a scientific basis the way he did for the orange and yellow dragons. Instead, the purple’s breath is simply “pure energy, a deadly combination of the fire and lightning of its red and blue parents.” I'd have thought they'd breathe a flaming lightning storm. But pure light is pretty cool.
Out of curiosity: 1e dragons were given a “percentage to speak” and 2e dragons had a percentage chance (usually a base of 14%) to be able to communicate with any intelligent being. Did any of you guys actually roll for this?
Anyhoo, I'm going to take a couple of days off to do some other writing and recharge my monster batteries.
Artist: David Day
Purple Dragon (Chromatic)
The Missing Dragons, Dragon Magazine #65 and The Return of the Missing Dragons, Dragon Magazine #248
Created by Richard Alan Lloyd
Purple dragons hatch with deep indigo scales that turn violet as they reach adulthood, and then darker and darker, so an ancient purple dragon is so deeply purple as to be nearly black. Their eyes are a vibrant magenta color. They have a long row of backwards-curing spikes running down their neck, back, and tail. They typically smell like soot and ozone.
Sadistic Tyrants. Purple dragons are the undisputed rulers of the plains and prairies and they like to say that they are all the fury of a prairie storm made flesh. They rule their lands like a simple, savage predator mixed with a mob boss. They demand constant tribute in exchange for their “protection,” but if slighted, they go on destructive sprees. They leave the people they “protect” alive—most of the time—because it’s more fun to watch them have to try to struggle to rebuild their homes and lives than it is to simply eat them. Purple dragons like to surround themselves with sycophantic bullies to do the menial tasks, but many of these thugs die at the dragon’s own claws during one of its violent rages.
Purple dragons eat meat, preferring large herd animals: buffalo, horses, deer, among others, and have a particular fondness for domesticated animals, primarily because they know their “subjects” have no way of stopping them. They are willing to eat tubers and root vegetables, but view those as flavorings rather than proper food. However, unlike many other dragons, purple dragons have cannibalistic tendencies as well—they will gladly hunt and devour other dragons, particularly copper dragons, as their territories often overlap.
Burrowers. These dragons make very obvious lairs. They find a hill and dig a large, multi-chambered maze of a burrow underneath it. They take little care to hide the entrance and often decorate it to make it flashy and obvious, and they bully weaker creatures into being guards. Purple dragons enjoy burrowing, and their lairs often snake on for miles around.
Legends and Lore
With a History or Nature check, the characters can learn the following:
DC 10. Purple dragons are vicious carnivores that live on prairies and grasslands.
DC 15. Purple dragons exhale burning light. Not only does this light produce injuries that take a long time to heal, but the dragons can change the shape of the light from a wide cone to a thin beam.
DC 20. Purple dragons claim control over wide swathes of land. They consider themselves the masters of everyone who lives in the area and demand tribute from the people they claim to control.
Purple Dragon Encounters
Terrain: Grasslands
CR 3-4 Purple dragon wyrmling; purple dragon wyrmling with 3 or 4 kobolds or bandits.
Treasure: 150 gp, 200 sp, 500 cp, copper shield-shaped brooch inlaid with silver (25 gp), 2 torches with continual flame cast on them, potion of growth.
CR 5-10 Young purple dragon; purple dragon wyrmling with 1d8+4 kobolds; purple dragon wyrmling with 2 ankhegs.
Treasure: 200 gp, 550 sp, 7 jaspers (50 gp each), 1 purple spinel (500 gp each), pair of amethyst earrings (250 gp), antique brass lamp (worth 50 gp), archaic creed, magic mirror (pocket), scroll of animate objects.
CR 11-16 Adult purple dragon; young purple dragon with 1d4+2 bandits and 1 bandit captain; young purple dragon with 1-2 ogres or 1 bulette.
Treasure: 950 gp, 2,300 sp, 5 amethysts (100 gp each), onyx-studded brazier (150 gp), chess set made out of agate and marble (500 gp), +1 shield with a mirrored finish, quiver of the hunt, stone of good luck.
CR 17-22 Ancient purple dragon; adult purple dragon with 1 bandit captain and 2d4 bandits; adult purple dragon with 3 ogres.
Treasure: 300 pp, 4,800 gp, 5,000 sp, 2 spinels (500 gp each), idol carved from jet and inlaid with silver and purple iolite (750 gp), fine tapestry depicting an epic battle (250 gp), herd of 2d8 × 5 cattle (worth 10 gp each), jade tiger, orb of chaotic assault, wand of the scribe.
CR 23-30 Ancient purple dragon with 2 ogres, 1 bandit captain, and 1d8+4 bandits.
Treasure: 850 pp, 19,000 gp, 3 white opals (1,000 gp each), electrum chalice with a unicorn horn stem (2,500 gp), large bronze temple bell (500 gp, counts as bulky), local noble heir that is being held hostage, scrolls of control weather and teleport, set of dragon scale male made from a gold dragon, ring of shooting stars.
CR 31+ Great wyrm purple dragon; ancient purple dragon with 1d4 purple dragon wyrmlings; ancient purple dragon with ogre mage and 5 ogres.
Treasure: 5,000 pp, 25,000 gp, 12 star sapphires (1,000 each), fist-sized amethyst (5,000 gp), ruby ring (7,500 gp), bronze statue of the dragon with amethyst eyes and onyx inlays (7,500 gp, counts as bulky), portrait by a famous painter that had been stolen from a museum (10,000 gp), sword of life stealing made from a single piece of snowflake obsidian, 6 +3 arrows, helm of brilliance (half charged), ring of elemental command (air), robe of stars.
Signs
1. A tremor shakes the ground; the dragon is digging below.
2. A fort-like town of gamblers, crooks, thugs, and other such low-lifes: servants of the dragon.
3. A sudden beam of blinding light in the distant, originating from above.
4. Humanoid corpses, strung up as a warning to others; includes the dragon’s symbol.
5. A stampede of buffalo.
6. A dust storm.
Behavior
1. Ransacking a farmstead that was delinquent in paying their tribute.
2. Appearing before the party, demanding a payment to cross its lands.
3. Attacks on site
4. Willing to hire the party to do some dirty work for it.
5. Flying overhead
6. Devouring a horse.
7. Digging a new burrow.
8. Perched atop a hillock, watching the land below.
Purple Dragon Lair Features
The save DC for the following effects is 13+ the dragon’s proficiency modifier. Choose or roll one or more of the following lair features:
1. The lair is filled with dust. The dragon can make a tail attack against the wall or floor, causing the area in a 40-foot cube centered on the point of impact to become heavily obscured until the end of the dragon’s next turn.
2. A successful Perception check reveals a hidden tunnel. If possible, the dragon grapples someone in its jaws and squeezes through the tunnel.
3. Numerous hidden pit traps abound in the lair, each 1d4+1 × 5 feet deep. A Perception check is required to spot them. The dragon never triggers them.
4. The floor of the dragon’s lair is covered with loose dirt and stones from the dragon’s constant burrowing, except for a few areas the dragon’s minions keep clean. The 80% lair is difficult terrain for anyone other than them.
Names
Anwizblion, Faxeondev, Firebolt, Garromer, Night Sun, Pyroxfirio
Variant: Purple Dragon Spellcasters
Some purple dragons develop the ability to innately cast spells. A yellow dragon’s spellcasting ability is Charisma. It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components. Each age category knows its own spells and those of younger age categories.
Young (save DC 13): 3/day each: gust of wind,
Adult (save DC 15): 3/day each: conjure minor elementals, wind wall
Ancient (save DC 18): 1/day each: call lightning, fire shield
Great Wyrm (save DC 18): 1/day: incendiary cloud
Ancient Purple Dragon
Legendary gargantuan dragon
Challenge 22 (41,000 XP)
AC 21 (natural armor)
HP 347 (21d20+126; bloodied 174)
Speed 40 ft., burrow 40 ft., fly 80 ft.
STR 27 (+8) DEX 10 (+0) CON 23 (+6)
INT 14 (+2) WIS 15 (+2) CHA 18 (+4)
Proficiency +7
Maneuver DC 24
Skills Intimidation +11, Perception +9 (+1d6), Stealth +7 (at night +1d6)
Damage Resistances fire, lightning
Damage Immunities radiant
Condition Immunities blindness
Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 22
Languages Common, Draconic, one other
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). When the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead. When it does, some of its scales flash with brilliant light, then dim and fall away. If it no more uses of this ability, its Armor Class is reduced to 19 until it finishes a long rest.
Master of the Storm. The dragon’s movement and vision is not hindered by snow, wind, or storms.
Night Blindness. If the dragon uses its breath weapon in dim light or darkness, then each creature other than the dragon that is within 30 feet of the it must make a DC 21 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature is blinded for 1 minute. A blinded creature may make a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If the creature rolled a critical failure on this saving throw, it is blinded until targeted by a lesser restoration or similar effect.
Actions
Multiattack. The dragon attacks once with its bite and twice with its claws. In place of its bite attack, it can use Firestorm.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 30 (4d10+8) piercing damage plus 9 (2d8) fire damage. Instead of dealing piercing damage, the dragon can grapple the target (escape DC 24), and a Huge or smaller creature is grappled in this way is restrained. While grappling a creature, the dragon can’t bite or use Firestorm on another target.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (3d8+8) slashing damage.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (3d8+8) bludgeoning damage.
Burrow. The dragon burrows under the ground without provoking opportunity attacks, moves up to its burrow speed, and then resurfaces in an unoccupied space. If it is within 15 feet of a creature, it then makes a bite attack.
Energy Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon exhales pure, brilliant energy in its choice of a 90-foot cone or a 90-foot-long, 10-foot-wide line. Each creature in the area makes a Dexterity saving throw, taking 93 (16d10) radiant damage on a failed save or half damage on a success. Additionally, a creature that fails its saving throw is burned by the energy. For the next 24 hours or until it is targeted by a lesser restoration or similar magic, when it regains hit points through magical or nonmagical means, it only regains half as many.
Firestorm. The dragon exhales a swirl of lightning and flames. It targets one creature within 60 feet, forcing it to make a DC 21 Dexterity saving throw. The creature takes 11 (2d10) fire damage and 11 (2d10) lightning damage on a failure or half as much damage on a success.
Reactions
Tail Attack. When a creature the dragon can see within 10 feet hits the dragon with a melee attack, the dragon makes a tail attack against it.
Legendary Actions
Roar. Each creature of the dragon’s choice within 120 feet that can hear it makes a DC 19 Charisma saving throw. On a failure, it is frightened for 1 minute. A creature repeats the saving throw at the end of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. When it succeeds on a saving throw or the effect ends for it, it is immune to Roar for 24 hours.
Wing Attack. The dragon beats its wings. Each creature within 15 feet makes a DC 25 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, it is pushed 10 feet away and knocked prone. The dragon can then fly up to half its fly speed.
Energy Wall (1/Day, Bloodied Only). The dragon channels its energy breath into a wall of magical force that either forms a hemispherical dome with a 15-foot radius or a wall up that is up to 30 feet on a side, centered on a point it can see within range. The wall lasts for 10 minutes or until the dragon uses a bonus action to end it, and extends to the material plane. If the wall enters a creature’s space when it appears, the creature is pushed to one side of the wall (50% chance of either direction). The wall sheds bright light to 10 feet and dim light for a further 10 feet. Nothing physical can pass through the wall. The dragon can use its breath weapon through it. The wall can be destroyed with a dispel magic (using the dragon’s spell save DC for the ability check) or by being dealt at least 50 force damage at once. It is otherwise immune to damage.
Ancient Purple Dragon Variant: Purple Great Wyrm
The dragon is an elite monster, equivalent to two CR 22 monsters (82,000 XP). It has 694 (42d20+294; bloodied 347) hit points and the following trait:
Brightest Light. When the dragon is first bloodied, it immediately recharges its breath weapon, if it’s not already available. Additionally, for 1 minute, saves against its Night Blindness are made with disadvantage.
The dragon has the following additional legendary actions, which it can only use while bloodied:
Elite Recovery. The dragon ends one negative effect currently affecting it. It can do so as long as it has at least 1 hit point, even while unconscious or incapacitated.
Mortal Terror (Gaze). A creature within 120 feet makes a saving throw against Roar, even it has already successfully saved within the past 24 hours.
Growing Light (Costs 2 Actions). The dragon recharges its breath weapon.
Hellstorm (Costs 3 Actions). The dragon spits fire and lightning at a creature it can see within 90 feet. The creature takes damage as if caught in the dragon’s breath weapon, but isn’t at risk of blindness. Half of the damage is fire damage and the other half is lightning damage.
Adult Purple Dragon
Legendary huge dragon
Challenge 16 (15,000 XP)
AC 19 (natural armor)
HP 250 (20d12+120; bloodied 125)
Speed 40 ft., burrow 40 ft., fly 80 ft.
STR 23 (+6) DEX 10 (+0) CON 21 (+5)
INT 12 (+1) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 16 (+3)
Proficiency +5
Maneuver DC 19
Skills Intimidation +8, Perception +7 (+1d6), Stealth +5 (at night +1d6)
Damage Resistances fire, lightning
Damage Immunities radiant
Condition Immunities blindness
Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 20
Languages Common, Draconic, one other
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). When the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead. When it does, some of its scales flash with brilliant light, then dim and fall away. If it no more uses of this ability, its Armor Class is reduced to 17 until it finishes a long rest.
Master of the Storm. The dragon’s movement and vision is not hindered by snow, wind, or storms.
Night Blindness. If the dragon uses its breath weapon in dim light or darkness, then each creature other than the dragon that is within 30 feet of the it must make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature is blinded for 1 minute. A blinded creature may make a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If the creature rolled a critical failure on this saving throw, it is blinded until targeted by a lesser restoration or similar effect.
Actions
Multiattack. The dragon attacks once with its bite and twice with its claws. In place of its bite attack, it can use Firestorm.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 27 (4d10+5) piercing damage plus 9 (2d8) fire damage. Instead of dealing piercing damage, the dragon can grapple the target (escape DC 19), and a Large or smaller creature is grappled in this way is restrained. While grappling a creature, the dragon can’t bite or use Firestorm on another target.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (3d8+5) slashing damage.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (3d8+5) bludgeoning damage.
Burrow. The dragon burrows under the ground without provoking opportunity attacks, moves up to its burrow speed, and then resurfaces in an unoccupied space. If it is within 10 feet of a creature, it then makes a bite attack.
Energy Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon exhales pure, brilliant energy in its choice of a 60-foot cone or a 60-foot-long, 5-foot-wide line. Each creature in the area makes a Dexterity saving throw, taking 66 (12d10) radiant damage on a failed save or half damage on a success. Additionally, a creature that fails its saving throw is burned by the energy. For the next 24 hours or until it is targeted by a lesser restoration or similar magic, when it regains hit points through magical or nonmagical means, it only regains half as many.
Firestorm. The dragon exhales a swirl of lightning and flames. It targets one creature within 60 feet, forcing it to make a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw. The creature takes 11 (2d10) fire damage and 11 (2d10) lightning damage on a failure or half as much damage on a success.
Reactions
Tail Attack. When a creature the dragon can see within 10 feet hits the dragon with a melee attack, the dragon makes a tail attack against it.
Legendary Actions
Roar. Each creature of the dragon’s choice within 120 feet that can hear it makes a DC 16 Charisma saving throw. On a failure, it is frightened for 1 minute. A creature repeats the saving throw at the end of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. When it succeeds on a saving throw or the effect ends for it, it is immune to Roar for 24 hours.
Wing Attack. The dragon beats its wings. Each creature within 15 feet makes a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, it is pushed 10 feet away and knocked prone. The dragon can then fly up to half its fly speed.
Energy Wall (1/Day, Bloodied Only). The dragon channels its energy breath into a wall of magical force that either forms a hemispherical dome with a 15-foot radius or a wall up that is up to 30 feet on a side, centered on a point it can see within range. The wall lasts for 10 minutes or until the dragon uses a bonus action to end it, and extends to the material plane. If the wall enters a creature’s space when it appears, the creature is pushed to one side of the wall (50% chance of either direction). The wall sheds bright light to 10 feet and dim light for a further 10 feet. Nothing physical can pass through the wall. The dragon can use its breath weapon through it. The wall can be destroyed with a dispel magic (using the dragon’s spell save DC for the ability check) or by being dealt at least 25 force damage at once. It is otherwise immune to damage.
Young Purple Dragon
Large dragon
Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)
AC 19 (natural armor)
HP 152 (16d10+64; bloodied 76)
Speed 40 ft., burrow 40 ft., fly 80 ft.
STR 19 (+4) DEX 10 (+0) CON 19 (+4)
INT 11 (+0) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 14 (+2)
Proficiency +4
Maneuver DC 16
Skills Intimidation +6, Perception +5, Stealth +4
Damage Resistances fire, lightning
Damage Immunities radiant
Condition Immunities blindness
Senses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 16
Languages Common, Draconic
Master of the Storm. The dragon’s movement and vision is not hindered by snow, wind, or storms.
Night Blindness. If the dragon uses its breath weapon in dim light or darkness, then each creature other than the dragon that is within 30 feet of the it must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature is blinded for 1 minute. A blinded creature may make a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Actions
Multiattack. The dragon attacks once with its bite and twice with its claws.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (3d10+4) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) fire damage. Instead of dealing piercing damage, the dragon can grapple the target (escape DC 16), and a Medium or smaller creature is grappled in this way is restrained. While grappling a creature, the dragon can’t bite another target.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (3d8+4) slashing damage.
Energy Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon exhales pure, brilliant energy in its choice of a 30-foot cone or a 30-foot-long, 5-foot-wide line. Each creature in the area makes a Dexterity saving throw, taking 55 (10d10) radiant damage on a failed save or half damage on a success.
Purple Dragon Wyrmling
Medium dragon
Challenge 3 (750 XP)
AC 19 (natural armor)
HP 52 (8d8+16; bloodied 26)
Speed 40 ft., burrow 40 ft., fly 80 ft.
STR 16 (+3) DEX 10 (+0) CON 15 (+2)
INT 10 (+0) WIS 11 (+0) CHA 12 (+1)
Proficiency +2
Maneuver DC 13
Skills Perception +2, Stealth +2
Damage Resistances fire, lightning
Damage Immunities radiant
Condition Immunities blindness
Senses blindsight 10 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages Common, Draconic
Master of the Storm. The dragon’s movement and vision is not hindered by snow, wind, or storms.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d10+3) piercing damage.
Energy Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon exhales pure, brilliant energy in its choice of a 15-foot cone or a 15-foot-long, 5-foot-wide line. Each creature in the area makes a Dexterity saving throw, taking 33 (6d10) radiant damage on a failed save or half damage on a success.
Out of curiosity: 1e dragons were given a “percentage to speak” and 2e dragons had a percentage chance (usually a base of 14%) to be able to communicate with any intelligent being. Did any of you guys actually roll for this?
Anyhoo, I'm going to take a couple of days off to do some other writing and recharge my monster batteries.
Artist: David Day
Purple Dragon (Chromatic)
The Missing Dragons, Dragon Magazine #65 and The Return of the Missing Dragons, Dragon Magazine #248
Created by Richard Alan Lloyd
Purple dragons hatch with deep indigo scales that turn violet as they reach adulthood, and then darker and darker, so an ancient purple dragon is so deeply purple as to be nearly black. Their eyes are a vibrant magenta color. They have a long row of backwards-curing spikes running down their neck, back, and tail. They typically smell like soot and ozone.
Sadistic Tyrants. Purple dragons are the undisputed rulers of the plains and prairies and they like to say that they are all the fury of a prairie storm made flesh. They rule their lands like a simple, savage predator mixed with a mob boss. They demand constant tribute in exchange for their “protection,” but if slighted, they go on destructive sprees. They leave the people they “protect” alive—most of the time—because it’s more fun to watch them have to try to struggle to rebuild their homes and lives than it is to simply eat them. Purple dragons like to surround themselves with sycophantic bullies to do the menial tasks, but many of these thugs die at the dragon’s own claws during one of its violent rages.
Purple dragons eat meat, preferring large herd animals: buffalo, horses, deer, among others, and have a particular fondness for domesticated animals, primarily because they know their “subjects” have no way of stopping them. They are willing to eat tubers and root vegetables, but view those as flavorings rather than proper food. However, unlike many other dragons, purple dragons have cannibalistic tendencies as well—they will gladly hunt and devour other dragons, particularly copper dragons, as their territories often overlap.
Burrowers. These dragons make very obvious lairs. They find a hill and dig a large, multi-chambered maze of a burrow underneath it. They take little care to hide the entrance and often decorate it to make it flashy and obvious, and they bully weaker creatures into being guards. Purple dragons enjoy burrowing, and their lairs often snake on for miles around.
Legends and Lore
With a History or Nature check, the characters can learn the following:
DC 10. Purple dragons are vicious carnivores that live on prairies and grasslands.
DC 15. Purple dragons exhale burning light. Not only does this light produce injuries that take a long time to heal, but the dragons can change the shape of the light from a wide cone to a thin beam.
DC 20. Purple dragons claim control over wide swathes of land. They consider themselves the masters of everyone who lives in the area and demand tribute from the people they claim to control.
Purple Dragon Encounters
Terrain: Grasslands
CR 3-4 Purple dragon wyrmling; purple dragon wyrmling with 3 or 4 kobolds or bandits.
Treasure: 150 gp, 200 sp, 500 cp, copper shield-shaped brooch inlaid with silver (25 gp), 2 torches with continual flame cast on them, potion of growth.
CR 5-10 Young purple dragon; purple dragon wyrmling with 1d8+4 kobolds; purple dragon wyrmling with 2 ankhegs.
Treasure: 200 gp, 550 sp, 7 jaspers (50 gp each), 1 purple spinel (500 gp each), pair of amethyst earrings (250 gp), antique brass lamp (worth 50 gp), archaic creed, magic mirror (pocket), scroll of animate objects.
CR 11-16 Adult purple dragon; young purple dragon with 1d4+2 bandits and 1 bandit captain; young purple dragon with 1-2 ogres or 1 bulette.
Treasure: 950 gp, 2,300 sp, 5 amethysts (100 gp each), onyx-studded brazier (150 gp), chess set made out of agate and marble (500 gp), +1 shield with a mirrored finish, quiver of the hunt, stone of good luck.
CR 17-22 Ancient purple dragon; adult purple dragon with 1 bandit captain and 2d4 bandits; adult purple dragon with 3 ogres.
Treasure: 300 pp, 4,800 gp, 5,000 sp, 2 spinels (500 gp each), idol carved from jet and inlaid with silver and purple iolite (750 gp), fine tapestry depicting an epic battle (250 gp), herd of 2d8 × 5 cattle (worth 10 gp each), jade tiger, orb of chaotic assault, wand of the scribe.
CR 23-30 Ancient purple dragon with 2 ogres, 1 bandit captain, and 1d8+4 bandits.
Treasure: 850 pp, 19,000 gp, 3 white opals (1,000 gp each), electrum chalice with a unicorn horn stem (2,500 gp), large bronze temple bell (500 gp, counts as bulky), local noble heir that is being held hostage, scrolls of control weather and teleport, set of dragon scale male made from a gold dragon, ring of shooting stars.
CR 31+ Great wyrm purple dragon; ancient purple dragon with 1d4 purple dragon wyrmlings; ancient purple dragon with ogre mage and 5 ogres.
Treasure: 5,000 pp, 25,000 gp, 12 star sapphires (1,000 each), fist-sized amethyst (5,000 gp), ruby ring (7,500 gp), bronze statue of the dragon with amethyst eyes and onyx inlays (7,500 gp, counts as bulky), portrait by a famous painter that had been stolen from a museum (10,000 gp), sword of life stealing made from a single piece of snowflake obsidian, 6 +3 arrows, helm of brilliance (half charged), ring of elemental command (air), robe of stars.
Signs
1. A tremor shakes the ground; the dragon is digging below.
2. A fort-like town of gamblers, crooks, thugs, and other such low-lifes: servants of the dragon.
3. A sudden beam of blinding light in the distant, originating from above.
4. Humanoid corpses, strung up as a warning to others; includes the dragon’s symbol.
5. A stampede of buffalo.
6. A dust storm.
Behavior
1. Ransacking a farmstead that was delinquent in paying their tribute.
2. Appearing before the party, demanding a payment to cross its lands.
3. Attacks on site
4. Willing to hire the party to do some dirty work for it.
5. Flying overhead
6. Devouring a horse.
7. Digging a new burrow.
8. Perched atop a hillock, watching the land below.
Purple Dragon Lair Features
The save DC for the following effects is 13+ the dragon’s proficiency modifier. Choose or roll one or more of the following lair features:
1. The lair is filled with dust. The dragon can make a tail attack against the wall or floor, causing the area in a 40-foot cube centered on the point of impact to become heavily obscured until the end of the dragon’s next turn.
2. A successful Perception check reveals a hidden tunnel. If possible, the dragon grapples someone in its jaws and squeezes through the tunnel.
3. Numerous hidden pit traps abound in the lair, each 1d4+1 × 5 feet deep. A Perception check is required to spot them. The dragon never triggers them.
4. The floor of the dragon’s lair is covered with loose dirt and stones from the dragon’s constant burrowing, except for a few areas the dragon’s minions keep clean. The 80% lair is difficult terrain for anyone other than them.
Names
Anwizblion, Faxeondev, Firebolt, Garromer, Night Sun, Pyroxfirio
Variant: Purple Dragon Spellcasters
Some purple dragons develop the ability to innately cast spells. A yellow dragon’s spellcasting ability is Charisma. It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components. Each age category knows its own spells and those of younger age categories.
Young (save DC 13): 3/day each: gust of wind,
Adult (save DC 15): 3/day each: conjure minor elementals, wind wall
Ancient (save DC 18): 1/day each: call lightning, fire shield
Great Wyrm (save DC 18): 1/day: incendiary cloud
Ancient Purple Dragon
Legendary gargantuan dragon
Challenge 22 (41,000 XP)
AC 21 (natural armor)
HP 347 (21d20+126; bloodied 174)
Speed 40 ft., burrow 40 ft., fly 80 ft.
STR 27 (+8) DEX 10 (+0) CON 23 (+6)
INT 14 (+2) WIS 15 (+2) CHA 18 (+4)
Proficiency +7
Maneuver DC 24
Skills Intimidation +11, Perception +9 (+1d6), Stealth +7 (at night +1d6)
Damage Resistances fire, lightning
Damage Immunities radiant
Condition Immunities blindness
Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 22
Languages Common, Draconic, one other
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). When the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead. When it does, some of its scales flash with brilliant light, then dim and fall away. If it no more uses of this ability, its Armor Class is reduced to 19 until it finishes a long rest.
Master of the Storm. The dragon’s movement and vision is not hindered by snow, wind, or storms.
Night Blindness. If the dragon uses its breath weapon in dim light or darkness, then each creature other than the dragon that is within 30 feet of the it must make a DC 21 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature is blinded for 1 minute. A blinded creature may make a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If the creature rolled a critical failure on this saving throw, it is blinded until targeted by a lesser restoration or similar effect.
Actions
Multiattack. The dragon attacks once with its bite and twice with its claws. In place of its bite attack, it can use Firestorm.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 30 (4d10+8) piercing damage plus 9 (2d8) fire damage. Instead of dealing piercing damage, the dragon can grapple the target (escape DC 24), and a Huge or smaller creature is grappled in this way is restrained. While grappling a creature, the dragon can’t bite or use Firestorm on another target.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (3d8+8) slashing damage.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (3d8+8) bludgeoning damage.
Burrow. The dragon burrows under the ground without provoking opportunity attacks, moves up to its burrow speed, and then resurfaces in an unoccupied space. If it is within 15 feet of a creature, it then makes a bite attack.
Energy Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon exhales pure, brilliant energy in its choice of a 90-foot cone or a 90-foot-long, 10-foot-wide line. Each creature in the area makes a Dexterity saving throw, taking 93 (16d10) radiant damage on a failed save or half damage on a success. Additionally, a creature that fails its saving throw is burned by the energy. For the next 24 hours or until it is targeted by a lesser restoration or similar magic, when it regains hit points through magical or nonmagical means, it only regains half as many.
Firestorm. The dragon exhales a swirl of lightning and flames. It targets one creature within 60 feet, forcing it to make a DC 21 Dexterity saving throw. The creature takes 11 (2d10) fire damage and 11 (2d10) lightning damage on a failure or half as much damage on a success.
Reactions
Tail Attack. When a creature the dragon can see within 10 feet hits the dragon with a melee attack, the dragon makes a tail attack against it.
Legendary Actions
Roar. Each creature of the dragon’s choice within 120 feet that can hear it makes a DC 19 Charisma saving throw. On a failure, it is frightened for 1 minute. A creature repeats the saving throw at the end of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. When it succeeds on a saving throw or the effect ends for it, it is immune to Roar for 24 hours.
Wing Attack. The dragon beats its wings. Each creature within 15 feet makes a DC 25 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, it is pushed 10 feet away and knocked prone. The dragon can then fly up to half its fly speed.
Energy Wall (1/Day, Bloodied Only). The dragon channels its energy breath into a wall of magical force that either forms a hemispherical dome with a 15-foot radius or a wall up that is up to 30 feet on a side, centered on a point it can see within range. The wall lasts for 10 minutes or until the dragon uses a bonus action to end it, and extends to the material plane. If the wall enters a creature’s space when it appears, the creature is pushed to one side of the wall (50% chance of either direction). The wall sheds bright light to 10 feet and dim light for a further 10 feet. Nothing physical can pass through the wall. The dragon can use its breath weapon through it. The wall can be destroyed with a dispel magic (using the dragon’s spell save DC for the ability check) or by being dealt at least 50 force damage at once. It is otherwise immune to damage.
Ancient Purple Dragon Variant: Purple Great Wyrm
The dragon is an elite monster, equivalent to two CR 22 monsters (82,000 XP). It has 694 (42d20+294; bloodied 347) hit points and the following trait:
Brightest Light. When the dragon is first bloodied, it immediately recharges its breath weapon, if it’s not already available. Additionally, for 1 minute, saves against its Night Blindness are made with disadvantage.
The dragon has the following additional legendary actions, which it can only use while bloodied:
Elite Recovery. The dragon ends one negative effect currently affecting it. It can do so as long as it has at least 1 hit point, even while unconscious or incapacitated.
Mortal Terror (Gaze). A creature within 120 feet makes a saving throw against Roar, even it has already successfully saved within the past 24 hours.
Growing Light (Costs 2 Actions). The dragon recharges its breath weapon.
Hellstorm (Costs 3 Actions). The dragon spits fire and lightning at a creature it can see within 90 feet. The creature takes damage as if caught in the dragon’s breath weapon, but isn’t at risk of blindness. Half of the damage is fire damage and the other half is lightning damage.
Adult Purple Dragon
Legendary huge dragon
Challenge 16 (15,000 XP)
AC 19 (natural armor)
HP 250 (20d12+120; bloodied 125)
Speed 40 ft., burrow 40 ft., fly 80 ft.
STR 23 (+6) DEX 10 (+0) CON 21 (+5)
INT 12 (+1) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 16 (+3)
Proficiency +5
Maneuver DC 19
Skills Intimidation +8, Perception +7 (+1d6), Stealth +5 (at night +1d6)
Damage Resistances fire, lightning
Damage Immunities radiant
Condition Immunities blindness
Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 20
Languages Common, Draconic, one other
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). When the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead. When it does, some of its scales flash with brilliant light, then dim and fall away. If it no more uses of this ability, its Armor Class is reduced to 17 until it finishes a long rest.
Master of the Storm. The dragon’s movement and vision is not hindered by snow, wind, or storms.
Night Blindness. If the dragon uses its breath weapon in dim light or darkness, then each creature other than the dragon that is within 30 feet of the it must make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature is blinded for 1 minute. A blinded creature may make a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If the creature rolled a critical failure on this saving throw, it is blinded until targeted by a lesser restoration or similar effect.
Actions
Multiattack. The dragon attacks once with its bite and twice with its claws. In place of its bite attack, it can use Firestorm.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 27 (4d10+5) piercing damage plus 9 (2d8) fire damage. Instead of dealing piercing damage, the dragon can grapple the target (escape DC 19), and a Large or smaller creature is grappled in this way is restrained. While grappling a creature, the dragon can’t bite or use Firestorm on another target.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (3d8+5) slashing damage.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (3d8+5) bludgeoning damage.
Burrow. The dragon burrows under the ground without provoking opportunity attacks, moves up to its burrow speed, and then resurfaces in an unoccupied space. If it is within 10 feet of a creature, it then makes a bite attack.
Energy Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon exhales pure, brilliant energy in its choice of a 60-foot cone or a 60-foot-long, 5-foot-wide line. Each creature in the area makes a Dexterity saving throw, taking 66 (12d10) radiant damage on a failed save or half damage on a success. Additionally, a creature that fails its saving throw is burned by the energy. For the next 24 hours or until it is targeted by a lesser restoration or similar magic, when it regains hit points through magical or nonmagical means, it only regains half as many.
Firestorm. The dragon exhales a swirl of lightning and flames. It targets one creature within 60 feet, forcing it to make a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw. The creature takes 11 (2d10) fire damage and 11 (2d10) lightning damage on a failure or half as much damage on a success.
Reactions
Tail Attack. When a creature the dragon can see within 10 feet hits the dragon with a melee attack, the dragon makes a tail attack against it.
Legendary Actions
Roar. Each creature of the dragon’s choice within 120 feet that can hear it makes a DC 16 Charisma saving throw. On a failure, it is frightened for 1 minute. A creature repeats the saving throw at the end of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. When it succeeds on a saving throw or the effect ends for it, it is immune to Roar for 24 hours.
Wing Attack. The dragon beats its wings. Each creature within 15 feet makes a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, it is pushed 10 feet away and knocked prone. The dragon can then fly up to half its fly speed.
Energy Wall (1/Day, Bloodied Only). The dragon channels its energy breath into a wall of magical force that either forms a hemispherical dome with a 15-foot radius or a wall up that is up to 30 feet on a side, centered on a point it can see within range. The wall lasts for 10 minutes or until the dragon uses a bonus action to end it, and extends to the material plane. If the wall enters a creature’s space when it appears, the creature is pushed to one side of the wall (50% chance of either direction). The wall sheds bright light to 10 feet and dim light for a further 10 feet. Nothing physical can pass through the wall. The dragon can use its breath weapon through it. The wall can be destroyed with a dispel magic (using the dragon’s spell save DC for the ability check) or by being dealt at least 25 force damage at once. It is otherwise immune to damage.
Young Purple Dragon
Large dragon
Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)
AC 19 (natural armor)
HP 152 (16d10+64; bloodied 76)
Speed 40 ft., burrow 40 ft., fly 80 ft.
STR 19 (+4) DEX 10 (+0) CON 19 (+4)
INT 11 (+0) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 14 (+2)
Proficiency +4
Maneuver DC 16
Skills Intimidation +6, Perception +5, Stealth +4
Damage Resistances fire, lightning
Damage Immunities radiant
Condition Immunities blindness
Senses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 16
Languages Common, Draconic
Master of the Storm. The dragon’s movement and vision is not hindered by snow, wind, or storms.
Night Blindness. If the dragon uses its breath weapon in dim light or darkness, then each creature other than the dragon that is within 30 feet of the it must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature is blinded for 1 minute. A blinded creature may make a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Actions
Multiattack. The dragon attacks once with its bite and twice with its claws.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (3d10+4) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) fire damage. Instead of dealing piercing damage, the dragon can grapple the target (escape DC 16), and a Medium or smaller creature is grappled in this way is restrained. While grappling a creature, the dragon can’t bite another target.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (3d8+4) slashing damage.
Energy Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon exhales pure, brilliant energy in its choice of a 30-foot cone or a 30-foot-long, 5-foot-wide line. Each creature in the area makes a Dexterity saving throw, taking 55 (10d10) radiant damage on a failed save or half damage on a success.
Purple Dragon Wyrmling
Medium dragon
Challenge 3 (750 XP)
AC 19 (natural armor)
HP 52 (8d8+16; bloodied 26)
Speed 40 ft., burrow 40 ft., fly 80 ft.
STR 16 (+3) DEX 10 (+0) CON 15 (+2)
INT 10 (+0) WIS 11 (+0) CHA 12 (+1)
Proficiency +2
Maneuver DC 13
Skills Perception +2, Stealth +2
Damage Resistances fire, lightning
Damage Immunities radiant
Condition Immunities blindness
Senses blindsight 10 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages Common, Draconic
Master of the Storm. The dragon’s movement and vision is not hindered by snow, wind, or storms.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d10+3) piercing damage.
Energy Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon exhales pure, brilliant energy in its choice of a 15-foot cone or a 15-foot-long, 5-foot-wide line. Each creature in the area makes a Dexterity saving throw, taking 33 (6d10) radiant damage on a failed save or half damage on a success.
Last edited:
Micah Sweet
Level Up & OSR Enthusiast
The only issue I have with the "combo" idea, is that it should appear just as much to green dragons, and obviously it doesn't. You might as well have made orange and purple unique.
Faolyn
(she/her)
I'm not sure I understand what you mean here, sorry.
Micah Sweet
Level Up & OSR Enthusiast
I just mean that the original article depicts purple and orange dragons as hybrids, and not actual unique dragon breeds, and stats them accordingly. Nothing to do with your design work (which is excellent).
Faolyn
(she/her)
Ah, gotcha. And thanks! And yeah, you're right about the green dragons. And there should also be gray dragons hybrids as well! Acid snow breath?
GuyBoy
Hero
I remember in the old JG campaign setting of Dave Arneson’s Blackmoor, there was a statue of the Grey Dragon of Glendower.
Always thought a grey dragon would be cool.
Faolyn
(she/her)
Leaving the dragons behind, this article primarily is about elves. Specifically, “non-good” elves: the grugrach and valley elf. But along side them came the cooshee, the elven dog (I prefer to think of them as faery dogs, though). In 2e, it got a tiny line in the “Mammal” entry of the Monstrous Compendium, and then were reprinted in The Complete Book of Elves.
I think the oddest thing about the cooshee’s entry is that Gygax gave it’s weight in stones, not pounds. 12-15 stone, in fact, which makes them big neutral-with-good-tendencies bois indeed. (In The Complete Book of Elves, their weight was increased to up to 300 pounds, or over 21 stones).
Cooshee
Featured Creatures, Dragon Magazine #67
Created by Gary Gygax
Also called elven dogs, cooshee are large fey canines, often employed by faerie hunters. They have a build similar to that of a short-furred malamute, but their fur is green with brownish markings, which gives them excellent camouflage in a forest. Their paws have huge, curved nails, which allow them to get better traction when running. Much like their otherworldy owners, cooshee are long-lived; they can easily live to be 100 years old.
Well-Trained Hunters. It is said that cooshee were created by archfey to be the perfect hunting beast. Most fey believe that, even if they can’t agree which archfey is responsible. They are also quite intelligent and can be taught very complicated tricks. They will continue to track their prey until called off, and will use exactly as much force when attacking prey as they are ordered to. However, they have no interest in creatures that aren’t of fey heritage, and even magical attempts to befriend one usually fails.
Loyalty. Cooshee are incredibly loyal to their masters and to a lesser extent, fey and elves in general. A chooshee without a master doesn’t go feral. Even if they never find a new master—which is rare, because they are highly prized and often in demand—they always remember their training. Cooshee are also loyal to each other. They mate for life and should one die, the other will usually pine away out of grief. They are also very protective of their pups. The only time they will disregard their master’s orders is when their mate or pups are in danger.
Legends and Lore
With a Nature check, the characters can learn the following:
DC 10. Cooshee are powerful hunting dogs used by the fey and some elves. They tend to dislike dogs that were bred by other humanoids.
DC 15. Cooshee have a penetratingly loud bark, but only bark to warn their masters or packmates of danger. They are otherwise silent.
Cooshee Encounters
Terrain: Feywild, forest, grassland
CR 1-2 2-3 cooshee
CR 3-4 6-7 cooshee and 1 wood elf scout.
Treasure: 50 gp, 20 silver arrows, potion of healing.
CR 5-10 3d4+2 cooshee and 1 fey knight.
Treasure: gold-buckled dog collars studded with tiny quartz gems (one for each cooshee, worth 50 gp each), pair of mithral daggers, elven chain.
Signs
1-2. Three very loud barks; it’s impossible to tell how far away the dog actually is.
3. With a DC 17 Survival check, the footprints of a large dog.
4. With a DC 15 Perception check, a hank of green dog fur caught on a thorny bush.
Behavior
1. In a pack, hunting prey.
2. Pinning a humanoid down while waiting for its master to catch up.
3. Being trained by a faery knight.
4. Rolling in the dirt.
Cooshee
Medium beast (fey)
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
AC 13
HP 22 (4d8+4; bloodied 11)
Speed 40 ft.
STR 12 (+1) DEX 16 (+3) CON 13 (+1)
INT 4 (-3) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 7 (-2)
Proficiency +2
Maneuver DC 12
Skills Perception +2, Stealth +3
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception
Languages understands Sylvan but can’t speak
Borker. The cooshee’s bark can be heard up to 1 mile away.
Camo-Furred. The cooshee has advantage on Stealth checks made while in a forest.
Fey Ancestry. The cooshee gains a d4 expertise die on saving throws against being charmed or put to sleep.
Keen Hearing and Smell. The cooshee has advantage on Perception checks that rely on hearing and smell.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (2d4+1) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it makes a DC 13 Strength saving throw, falling prone on a failure.
Bonus Actions
Prey-Chaser. The cooshee can take the Dash action as a bonus action.
Worry. The cooshee can make one bite attack against a prone creature. Instead of doing damage, it can choose to grapple the target (escape DC 13). While grappling a creature in this manner, the cooshee can’t bite another creature, but has advantage on bite attacks made against the grappled creature.
Combat
Cooshees obey the directives of fey and elven masters only and will fight to the death, if ordered to. They prefer to pull prey down with a bite and then keep them down, often with their teeth on their target’s neck.
I think the oddest thing about the cooshee’s entry is that Gygax gave it’s weight in stones, not pounds. 12-15 stone, in fact, which makes them big neutral-with-good-tendencies bois indeed. (In The Complete Book of Elves, their weight was increased to up to 300 pounds, or over 21 stones).
Cooshee
Featured Creatures, Dragon Magazine #67
Created by Gary Gygax
Also called elven dogs, cooshee are large fey canines, often employed by faerie hunters. They have a build similar to that of a short-furred malamute, but their fur is green with brownish markings, which gives them excellent camouflage in a forest. Their paws have huge, curved nails, which allow them to get better traction when running. Much like their otherworldy owners, cooshee are long-lived; they can easily live to be 100 years old.
Well-Trained Hunters. It is said that cooshee were created by archfey to be the perfect hunting beast. Most fey believe that, even if they can’t agree which archfey is responsible. They are also quite intelligent and can be taught very complicated tricks. They will continue to track their prey until called off, and will use exactly as much force when attacking prey as they are ordered to. However, they have no interest in creatures that aren’t of fey heritage, and even magical attempts to befriend one usually fails.
Loyalty. Cooshee are incredibly loyal to their masters and to a lesser extent, fey and elves in general. A chooshee without a master doesn’t go feral. Even if they never find a new master—which is rare, because they are highly prized and often in demand—they always remember their training. Cooshee are also loyal to each other. They mate for life and should one die, the other will usually pine away out of grief. They are also very protective of their pups. The only time they will disregard their master’s orders is when their mate or pups are in danger.
Legends and Lore
With a Nature check, the characters can learn the following:
DC 10. Cooshee are powerful hunting dogs used by the fey and some elves. They tend to dislike dogs that were bred by other humanoids.
DC 15. Cooshee have a penetratingly loud bark, but only bark to warn their masters or packmates of danger. They are otherwise silent.
Cooshee Encounters
Terrain: Feywild, forest, grassland
CR 1-2 2-3 cooshee
CR 3-4 6-7 cooshee and 1 wood elf scout.
Treasure: 50 gp, 20 silver arrows, potion of healing.
CR 5-10 3d4+2 cooshee and 1 fey knight.
Treasure: gold-buckled dog collars studded with tiny quartz gems (one for each cooshee, worth 50 gp each), pair of mithral daggers, elven chain.
Signs
1-2. Three very loud barks; it’s impossible to tell how far away the dog actually is.
3. With a DC 17 Survival check, the footprints of a large dog.
4. With a DC 15 Perception check, a hank of green dog fur caught on a thorny bush.
Behavior
1. In a pack, hunting prey.
2. Pinning a humanoid down while waiting for its master to catch up.
3. Being trained by a faery knight.
4. Rolling in the dirt.
Cooshee
Medium beast (fey)
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
AC 13
HP 22 (4d8+4; bloodied 11)
Speed 40 ft.
STR 12 (+1) DEX 16 (+3) CON 13 (+1)
INT 4 (-3) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 7 (-2)
Proficiency +2
Maneuver DC 12
Skills Perception +2, Stealth +3
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception
Languages understands Sylvan but can’t speak
Borker. The cooshee’s bark can be heard up to 1 mile away.
Camo-Furred. The cooshee has advantage on Stealth checks made while in a forest.
Fey Ancestry. The cooshee gains a d4 expertise die on saving throws against being charmed or put to sleep.
Keen Hearing and Smell. The cooshee has advantage on Perception checks that rely on hearing and smell.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (2d4+1) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it makes a DC 13 Strength saving throw, falling prone on a failure.
Bonus Actions
Prey-Chaser. The cooshee can take the Dash action as a bonus action.
Worry. The cooshee can make one bite attack against a prone creature. Instead of doing damage, it can choose to grapple the target (escape DC 13). While grappling a creature in this manner, the cooshee can’t bite another creature, but has advantage on bite attacks made against the grappled creature.
Combat
Cooshees obey the directives of fey and elven masters only and will fight to the death, if ordered to. They prefer to pull prey down with a bite and then keep them down, often with their teeth on their target’s neck.
Micah Sweet
Level Up & OSR Enthusiast
This is an amazing thread, by the way. You do great work!
Faolyn
(she/her)
Thank you so much!
Faolyn
(she/her)
You're welcome! It's one of those creatures that I wish are more common--faerie hounds fill as much of a mythic niche as griffons do. Sadly, its CR is too high for a ranger (an elven on, at least) to have as a friend--I didn't think to check when I made them--but perhaps one could get a cooshee as a special reward.
Faolyn
(she/her)
It’s a two-for-one day here, since these monsters have very small entries. @xiphumor wanted some plants, so here we go. Even though they’re fungi grumblegrumble. Here are the ascomoid and basidirond by Gary Gygax, who hopes we will be amused and entertained by them. The thing that amuses me the most is that they have “unratable” Int scores and an evil alignment. I guess Gygax isn’t a fan of mushrooms.
Both of these are under the header of “Fungi,” so use that entry’s Legends and Lore, Signs, and Behaviors.
Artist: Jeff Easley
Fungi, Ascomoid
Featured Creatures, Dragon Magazine #68
Created by Gary Gygax
Ascomoids are giant puffball mushrooms. Their thick, leathery hide is covered in small divots which act as both sensory organs and pores from which toxic spores constantly waft.
Rolling Balls. An ascomoid roll slowly around their underground environment, picking up speed once it detects a warm-blooded creature, then ramming the creature at full-speed. They don’t eat their victims; their sole purpose is to infect the corpse with their spores so that a new generation of ascomoid can grow.
Unwitting Protectors. Some creatures who live in the underlands have taken to capturing ascomoids and using them as sentinels or releasing them against their foes. Others raise them to harvest their spores for use as a poison.
Ascomoid Encounters
CR 3-4 1 ascomid
Ascomoid
Large plant
Challenge 3 (750 XP)
AC 15 (natural armor)
HP 39 (6d10+6; bloodied 19)
Speed 30 ft.
STR 18 (+4) DEX 10 (+0) CON 12 (+1)
INT 1 (-5) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 1 (-5)
Proficiency +2
Maneuver DC 14
Damage Resistances acid, fire, force, lightning; slashing
Damage Immunities bludgeoning, poison
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, fatigue, frightened, poisoned, prone, restrained, stunned
Senses blindsight 90 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 10
Languages —
Siege Monster. The ascomoid deals double damage to objects and structures
Actions
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d10+4) bludgeoning damage, and if the creature is Medium or smaller, it must make a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Spore Jet. The ascomoid targets a creature within 30 feet of it and emits a jet of spores. That creature must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw. The creature takes 14 (4d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one, and until the end of its next turn, it is blinded and has disadvantage on ability checks and attack rolls it makes until the end of its next turn due to choking and coughing. Additionally, on a failed save, a creature is poisoned for 1 minute. The creature may make a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Combat
The ascomoid has no mind and no strategy; it attacks the closest creature within range.
* * *
Artist: Jeff Easley
Fungi, Basidirond
Featured Creatures, Dragon Magazine #68
Created by Gary Gygax
A basidirond can be described as looking like an umbrella turned inside out, with a three to six woody stems that act as legs. A stream of dark spores constantly drifts, smoke-like, from their caps. Their bodies are orange in color, tapering to darker brown on their “legs.”
Mobile Hunters. Basidirons consume rot and decay. They are primarily scavengers; when they find a corpse, they plant themselves in it, sucking it dry of all nutrients and moisture. If necessary, they instead hunt down large prey to consume, beating a creature to death with their long “legs.”
Hallucinatory Spores. The spores the basidirond constantly emits cause hallucinations in those who inhale them. These hallucinations are nearly always unpleasant and generally involve believing that the target or those near them are changing in size, melting, diseased, or are covered in blood-draining leeches or flesh-devouring insects.
Basidirond Encounters
CR 0-2 1-2 basidironds
CR 3-4 3-4 basidironds
Basidirond
Medium plant
Challenge 1 (200 XP)
AC 15 (natural armor)
HP 33 (5d8+10; bloodied 16)
Speed 20 ft.
STR 16 (+3) DEX 12 (+1) CON 15 (+2)
INT 1 (-5) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 1 (-5)
Proficiency +2
Maneuver DC 13
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, fatigue, frightened, poisoned, prone, restrained, stunned
Senses blindsight 90 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 11
Languages —
Spore Cloud. A creature that starts its turn within 5 feet of the basidirond or enters within 5 feet of it for the first time on its turn must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute. While poisoned, the creature hallucinates and is incapacitated and its speed can’t be higher than 20 feet. A creature may make a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Actions
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) bludgeoning damage.
Combat
The basidirond has no mind and no strategy; it attacks the closest creature within range.
Both of these are under the header of “Fungi,” so use that entry’s Legends and Lore, Signs, and Behaviors.
Artist: Jeff Easley
Fungi, Ascomoid
Featured Creatures, Dragon Magazine #68
Created by Gary Gygax
Ascomoids are giant puffball mushrooms. Their thick, leathery hide is covered in small divots which act as both sensory organs and pores from which toxic spores constantly waft.
Rolling Balls. An ascomoid roll slowly around their underground environment, picking up speed once it detects a warm-blooded creature, then ramming the creature at full-speed. They don’t eat their victims; their sole purpose is to infect the corpse with their spores so that a new generation of ascomoid can grow.
Unwitting Protectors. Some creatures who live in the underlands have taken to capturing ascomoids and using them as sentinels or releasing them against their foes. Others raise them to harvest their spores for use as a poison.
Ascomoid Encounters
CR 3-4 1 ascomid
Ascomoid
Large plant
Challenge 3 (750 XP)
AC 15 (natural armor)
HP 39 (6d10+6; bloodied 19)
Speed 30 ft.
STR 18 (+4) DEX 10 (+0) CON 12 (+1)
INT 1 (-5) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 1 (-5)
Proficiency +2
Maneuver DC 14
Damage Resistances acid, fire, force, lightning; slashing
Damage Immunities bludgeoning, poison
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, fatigue, frightened, poisoned, prone, restrained, stunned
Senses blindsight 90 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 10
Languages —
Siege Monster. The ascomoid deals double damage to objects and structures
Actions
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d10+4) bludgeoning damage, and if the creature is Medium or smaller, it must make a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Spore Jet. The ascomoid targets a creature within 30 feet of it and emits a jet of spores. That creature must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw. The creature takes 14 (4d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one, and until the end of its next turn, it is blinded and has disadvantage on ability checks and attack rolls it makes until the end of its next turn due to choking and coughing. Additionally, on a failed save, a creature is poisoned for 1 minute. The creature may make a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Combat
The ascomoid has no mind and no strategy; it attacks the closest creature within range.
* * *
Artist: Jeff Easley
Fungi, Basidirond
Featured Creatures, Dragon Magazine #68
Created by Gary Gygax
A basidirond can be described as looking like an umbrella turned inside out, with a three to six woody stems that act as legs. A stream of dark spores constantly drifts, smoke-like, from their caps. Their bodies are orange in color, tapering to darker brown on their “legs.”
Mobile Hunters. Basidirons consume rot and decay. They are primarily scavengers; when they find a corpse, they plant themselves in it, sucking it dry of all nutrients and moisture. If necessary, they instead hunt down large prey to consume, beating a creature to death with their long “legs.”
Hallucinatory Spores. The spores the basidirond constantly emits cause hallucinations in those who inhale them. These hallucinations are nearly always unpleasant and generally involve believing that the target or those near them are changing in size, melting, diseased, or are covered in blood-draining leeches or flesh-devouring insects.
Basidirond Encounters
CR 0-2 1-2 basidironds
CR 3-4 3-4 basidironds
Basidirond
Medium plant
Challenge 1 (200 XP)
AC 15 (natural armor)
HP 33 (5d8+10; bloodied 16)
Speed 20 ft.
STR 16 (+3) DEX 12 (+1) CON 15 (+2)
INT 1 (-5) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 1 (-5)
Proficiency +2
Maneuver DC 13
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, fatigue, frightened, poisoned, prone, restrained, stunned
Senses blindsight 90 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 11
Languages —
Spore Cloud. A creature that starts its turn within 5 feet of the basidirond or enters within 5 feet of it for the first time on its turn must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute. While poisoned, the creature hallucinates and is incapacitated and its speed can’t be higher than 20 feet. A creature may make a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Actions
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) bludgeoning damage.
Combat
The basidirond has no mind and no strategy; it attacks the closest creature within range.
Last edited:
WarDriveWorley
Hero
Look at all the fun..guys. Must be a party.
WarDriveWorley
Hero
Faolyn
(she/her)
I know there's an issue with two articles on them, so I'll see what I can make out of them!
Faolyn
(she/her)
Gygax continued his evil fungi monsters in the following issue, so here’s one more: the ustilagor, also known as the larval intellect devourer.
Gygax started this column saying that eventually there will be an end to the monsters one could create. And for a while, he was sort of right: after this, there’s a pretty long dry spell of monsters, and the few monsters that are included aren’t particularly interesting to me. The next monsters I want to convert don’t show up until #86. But it’s interesting that he thought that eventually nobody would be able/willing to come up with new monsters. Did he think they weren’t necessary, or was his own well of monsters drying up and he assumed the same for everyone else as well?
Artist: Jeff Easly
Intellect Devourer, Ustilagor
Featured Creatures, Dragon Magazine #69
Created by Gary Gygax
Ustilagors appear to be fist-sized, brain-like lumps of mold with stubby, limb-like protrusions.
Larvae. Intellect devourers take over the bodies of the creatures whose brains they consume, but they don’t keep those bodies forever. Inevitably, the body gets too damaged or too rotten to be useful, at which point its abandoned. But the intellect devourer leaves behind almost microscopic eggs, which develop into fungi-like larvae known as ustilagors.
Most intellect devourers care nothing for these larvae, and produce so many eggs that only a handful will grow to adulthood. On rare occasions, though, an intellect devourer will shepherd their young—not out of any sense of parental affection, but because they feel a need to increase their numbers.
Aura of Hate and Fear. Ustilagor produce a psionic effect that causes those who are close by to become hateful and fearful of their allies and surroundings. The effect can cause even close friends to begin bickering with each other, or even to out-right attack each other.
Legends and Lore
With an Arcana check, the characters can learn the following:
DC 10. The ustilagor is the larval form of the intellect devourer.
DC 15. Although unintelligent by most standards, ustilagor have psionic abilities that negatively affect the minds of those who are close by.
DC 20. Ustilagor are considered a delicacy by many telepathic aberrations. Others find they taste like tangy mushrooms, and so they are a popular, if very dangerous, food for many creatures.
Monster Encounters
Terrain: caverns.
CR 0-2 2d4 ustilagors.
CR 3-4 Intellect devourer controlling a commoner and 2-3 ustilagors.
Signs
1-2. A member of the adventuring party is suddenly inexplicably angry at and distrusting of their allies.
3. A half-eaten humanoid corpse, which is covered in burned and melted skin.
4. Unusually-shaped lumps of mold covers the ground, walls, and ceiling.
Behavior
1. Tracking prey.
2. Devouring a corpse.
3. Watching a group of mind-affected humanoids slaughter each other.
4. On the run from some aboleth thralls, who are gathering them as a treat for their master.
Ustilagor
Tiny plant (aberration)
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
AC 12
HP 10 (4d4; bloodied 5)
Speed 20 ft.
STR 7 (-2) DEX 15 (+2) CON 10 (+0)
INT 2 (-4) WIS 11 (+0) CHA 15 (+2)
Proficiency +2
Maneuver DC 12
Skills Stealth +4 (+1d4)
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, fatigue, frightened, poisoned, prone, restrained, stunned
Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 10
Languages —
Limited Telepathy. The ustilagor can share basic emotions with each other and with creatures that can communicate telepathically that are within 30 feet.
Pack Tactics. The ustilagor has advantage on attack rolls against a creature if at least one of the ustilagor’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and is not incapacitated.
Pliable. The ustilagor can move through an area as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.
Telempathic Projections. The ustilagor radiates an aura of phobic emotions in a 15-foot radius sphere. A creature that starts its turn in that area or enters the area for the first time on its turn must make a DC 12 Intelligence saving throw or be rattled and confused until the end of its next turn. Aberrations and creatures that are immune to being charmed are immune to this effect. The ustilagor can use a bonus action to suppress this ability.
Actions
Tentacle Whip. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) acid damage, and the target must make a DC 10 Constitution save or take 1d4 ongoing acid damage. A creature can use an action to wipe off the acid on itself or a creature within 5 feet.
Reactions
Energy Control. When targeted by an attack that inflicts cold, fire, or lightning damage, the ustilagor gains resistance to the damage from that attack.
Combat
Ustilagor prefer to remain in hiding and let victims tire themselves out by attacking each other first before moving in for the kill. They retreat upon being injured.
Gygax started this column saying that eventually there will be an end to the monsters one could create. And for a while, he was sort of right: after this, there’s a pretty long dry spell of monsters, and the few monsters that are included aren’t particularly interesting to me. The next monsters I want to convert don’t show up until #86. But it’s interesting that he thought that eventually nobody would be able/willing to come up with new monsters. Did he think they weren’t necessary, or was his own well of monsters drying up and he assumed the same for everyone else as well?
Artist: Jeff Easly
Intellect Devourer, Ustilagor
Featured Creatures, Dragon Magazine #69
Created by Gary Gygax
Ustilagors appear to be fist-sized, brain-like lumps of mold with stubby, limb-like protrusions.
Larvae. Intellect devourers take over the bodies of the creatures whose brains they consume, but they don’t keep those bodies forever. Inevitably, the body gets too damaged or too rotten to be useful, at which point its abandoned. But the intellect devourer leaves behind almost microscopic eggs, which develop into fungi-like larvae known as ustilagors.
Most intellect devourers care nothing for these larvae, and produce so many eggs that only a handful will grow to adulthood. On rare occasions, though, an intellect devourer will shepherd their young—not out of any sense of parental affection, but because they feel a need to increase their numbers.
Aura of Hate and Fear. Ustilagor produce a psionic effect that causes those who are close by to become hateful and fearful of their allies and surroundings. The effect can cause even close friends to begin bickering with each other, or even to out-right attack each other.
Legends and Lore
With an Arcana check, the characters can learn the following:
DC 10. The ustilagor is the larval form of the intellect devourer.
DC 15. Although unintelligent by most standards, ustilagor have psionic abilities that negatively affect the minds of those who are close by.
DC 20. Ustilagor are considered a delicacy by many telepathic aberrations. Others find they taste like tangy mushrooms, and so they are a popular, if very dangerous, food for many creatures.
Monster Encounters
Terrain: caverns.
CR 0-2 2d4 ustilagors.
CR 3-4 Intellect devourer controlling a commoner and 2-3 ustilagors.
Signs
1-2. A member of the adventuring party is suddenly inexplicably angry at and distrusting of their allies.
3. A half-eaten humanoid corpse, which is covered in burned and melted skin.
4. Unusually-shaped lumps of mold covers the ground, walls, and ceiling.
Behavior
1. Tracking prey.
2. Devouring a corpse.
3. Watching a group of mind-affected humanoids slaughter each other.
4. On the run from some aboleth thralls, who are gathering them as a treat for their master.
Ustilagor
Tiny plant (aberration)
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
AC 12
HP 10 (4d4; bloodied 5)
Speed 20 ft.
STR 7 (-2) DEX 15 (+2) CON 10 (+0)
INT 2 (-4) WIS 11 (+0) CHA 15 (+2)
Proficiency +2
Maneuver DC 12
Skills Stealth +4 (+1d4)
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, fatigue, frightened, poisoned, prone, restrained, stunned
Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 10
Languages —
Limited Telepathy. The ustilagor can share basic emotions with each other and with creatures that can communicate telepathically that are within 30 feet.
Pack Tactics. The ustilagor has advantage on attack rolls against a creature if at least one of the ustilagor’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and is not incapacitated.
Pliable. The ustilagor can move through an area as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.
Telempathic Projections. The ustilagor radiates an aura of phobic emotions in a 15-foot radius sphere. A creature that starts its turn in that area or enters the area for the first time on its turn must make a DC 12 Intelligence saving throw or be rattled and confused until the end of its next turn. Aberrations and creatures that are immune to being charmed are immune to this effect. The ustilagor can use a bonus action to suppress this ability.
Actions
Tentacle Whip. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) acid damage, and the target must make a DC 10 Constitution save or take 1d4 ongoing acid damage. A creature can use an action to wipe off the acid on itself or a creature within 5 feet.
Reactions
Energy Control. When targeted by an attack that inflicts cold, fire, or lightning damage, the ustilagor gains resistance to the damage from that attack.
Combat
Ustilagor prefer to remain in hiding and let victims tire themselves out by attacking each other first before moving in for the kill. They retreat upon being injured.
Last edited:
Faolyn
(she/her)
I like warlocks, but I’ve never been fond of the limited number of familiars available to them with Pact of the Chain. Fortunately, this next article is all about supernatural familiars. The first of these creatures is a tiny angel known as lomandur. The lomandur is actually two different creatures from the article (the telperan and the glissen) mushed together, since they were very similar.
The original entry has a rather annoying rules exception to it: they’re immune to natural poisons but not to the toxins of “fantastic beings” like wyverns, leaving it up to the DM to decide what constitutes a fantastic creature.
For the record, none of these familiars have artwork. It’s not just me forgetting to post the image. So your imagination will have to suffice.
The lomandur is under the header of “Angel,” so uses that entry’s Legends and Lore, Signs, and Behaviors.
Angel, Lomandur
Familiars with a special use, Dragon Magazine #86
Created by Stephen Inniss
Lomandur are tiny celestials that that, unlike most angels, are dedicated to goodness instead of law. They resemble genderless, winged humanoid children. Two varieties of them exist: the silvery glissen and the golden telperan, differentiated only by their duties: telperan act as personal assistants and messengers for good-aligned gods and celestials, while glissen act as friends and guides to newly-arrived souls.
Transformed Souls. Among the demons and devils, the “luckiest” of souls are transformed into imps and quasits. Lomandur are created in much the same, from souls that were particularly kind and helpful in life. It’s rare for a lomandur to be “promoted” to a more powerful form of angel, but few care: they view helping others as their goal in life, not accumulating power.
Monster Encounters
Terrain: Astral Plane, Temple
CR 0-1 1-2 lomandur
Lomandur
Tiny celestial (shapechanger)
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
AC 13
HP 7 (2d4+2; bloodied 4)
Speed 20 ft., fly 30 ft.
STR 5 (-3) DEX 16 (+3) CON 12 (+1)
INT 13 (+1) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 15 (+2)
Proficiency +2
Maneuver DC 13
Skills Perception +4
Damage Resistances radiant; damage from nonmagical weapons
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, frightened, rattled
Senses blindsight 10 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Celestial, Common
Immortal Nature. A lomandur doesn’t require air, sustenance, or sleep.
Good. The lomandur radiates an aura of Good.
Halo (True Form Only). The lomandur sheds bright light to 5 feet and dim light for a further 5 feet. As a bonus action, it can suppress this light until it chooses to glow again.
Holy Sight. The lomandur’s darkvision penetrates magical darkness.
Familiar. The lomandur can communicate telepathically with its master while they are within 1 mile of each other. When the lomandur is within 10 feet of its master, its master shares its Magic Resistance trait.
Magic Resistance. The lomandur has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Spellcasting (1/Day). The lomandur can cast calm emotions. Its spellcasting ability for this trait is Wisdom.
Actions
Touch (True Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4+3) force damage, and the target must make a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or be overwhelmed with tiredness and be poisoned until the end of its next turn. A creature that is immune to being put to sleep magically or to the unconscious condition isn’t affected. The lomandur may choose to not inflict damage when it uses its touch.
Shapeshift. The lomandur magically changes its form into a songbird (speed 10 ft., fly 40 ft.), a dog (Size small, speed 40 ft.), a mouse (speed 30 ft.), or a miniature unicorn (size Small, speed 40 ft.). Its statistics are the same in each form except for its size and speed. Equipment it is carrying is not transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
Bonus Actions
Sunburst (1/Day). The lomandur produces a brilliant flash of sunlight in a 20-foot radius. Each creature in that area must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or be blinded until the end of its next turn. Fiends and undead also take 7 (2d6) radiant damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.
Combat
Lomandur will always try to flee rather than fight. When they do fight, they use their touch attack to weaken their foes, then flee.
The original entry has a rather annoying rules exception to it: they’re immune to natural poisons but not to the toxins of “fantastic beings” like wyverns, leaving it up to the DM to decide what constitutes a fantastic creature.
For the record, none of these familiars have artwork. It’s not just me forgetting to post the image. So your imagination will have to suffice.
The lomandur is under the header of “Angel,” so uses that entry’s Legends and Lore, Signs, and Behaviors.
Angel, Lomandur
Familiars with a special use, Dragon Magazine #86
Created by Stephen Inniss
Lomandur are tiny celestials that that, unlike most angels, are dedicated to goodness instead of law. They resemble genderless, winged humanoid children. Two varieties of them exist: the silvery glissen and the golden telperan, differentiated only by their duties: telperan act as personal assistants and messengers for good-aligned gods and celestials, while glissen act as friends and guides to newly-arrived souls.
Transformed Souls. Among the demons and devils, the “luckiest” of souls are transformed into imps and quasits. Lomandur are created in much the same, from souls that were particularly kind and helpful in life. It’s rare for a lomandur to be “promoted” to a more powerful form of angel, but few care: they view helping others as their goal in life, not accumulating power.
Monster Encounters
Terrain: Astral Plane, Temple
CR 0-1 1-2 lomandur
Lomandur
Tiny celestial (shapechanger)
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
AC 13
HP 7 (2d4+2; bloodied 4)
Speed 20 ft., fly 30 ft.
STR 5 (-3) DEX 16 (+3) CON 12 (+1)
INT 13 (+1) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 15 (+2)
Proficiency +2
Maneuver DC 13
Skills Perception +4
Damage Resistances radiant; damage from nonmagical weapons
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, frightened, rattled
Senses blindsight 10 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Celestial, Common
Immortal Nature. A lomandur doesn’t require air, sustenance, or sleep.
Good. The lomandur radiates an aura of Good.
Halo (True Form Only). The lomandur sheds bright light to 5 feet and dim light for a further 5 feet. As a bonus action, it can suppress this light until it chooses to glow again.
Holy Sight. The lomandur’s darkvision penetrates magical darkness.
Familiar. The lomandur can communicate telepathically with its master while they are within 1 mile of each other. When the lomandur is within 10 feet of its master, its master shares its Magic Resistance trait.
Magic Resistance. The lomandur has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Spellcasting (1/Day). The lomandur can cast calm emotions. Its spellcasting ability for this trait is Wisdom.
Actions
Touch (True Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4+3) force damage, and the target must make a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or be overwhelmed with tiredness and be poisoned until the end of its next turn. A creature that is immune to being put to sleep magically or to the unconscious condition isn’t affected. The lomandur may choose to not inflict damage when it uses its touch.
Shapeshift. The lomandur magically changes its form into a songbird (speed 10 ft., fly 40 ft.), a dog (Size small, speed 40 ft.), a mouse (speed 30 ft.), or a miniature unicorn (size Small, speed 40 ft.). Its statistics are the same in each form except for its size and speed. Equipment it is carrying is not transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
Bonus Actions
Sunburst (1/Day). The lomandur produces a brilliant flash of sunlight in a 20-foot radius. Each creature in that area must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or be blinded until the end of its next turn. Fiends and undead also take 7 (2d6) radiant damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.
Combat
Lomandur will always try to flee rather than fight. When they do fight, they use their touch attack to weaken their foes, then flee.
