WarDriveWorley
Hero
I choose you Púcachu!!!!
sorry I'll see myself out....
Homebrew A Leveled Up Bestiary
I choose you Púcachu!!!!
sorry I'll see myself out....
Twiggly the Gnome
Legend
Tall Tales of the Wee Folk had playable Pookas!
Faolyn
(she/her)
I remember that one! I don't think I have the book anymore, though.
Faolyn
(she/her)
I love baku. I actually really like all the non-humanoid celestials (the humanoid ones like solars and devas do nothing for me), but baku are just neat. I was actually introduced to the D&D baku through the 2e Planescape MC, so I think it was the art that really got me. That also meant I didn’t realize that they were created by Gygax as an “official monster.” None of those cheap knockoff monsters for you!
The next three monsters are probably going to take several days each—I’ve reached my first dragons!
Artist: Jim Holloway and Tony DiTerlizzi
Baku
Featured Creatures, Dragon Magazine #65
Created by Gary Gygax
Baku resemble small elephants with short trunks, with curled tusks that are scrimshawed into intricate designs. Their backs and serpentine tails are covered in golden scales, and their legs and paws are leonine.
Urban Angels. Despite their large size and bulk, baku are remarkably agile. This suits them well, as they prefer to live in heavily populated areas, where they travel invisibly, helping to promote peace and good dreams wherever they can. Their primary purpose is to safeguard the dreams against the intrusions of night hags and other evil creatures with similar abilities.
On occasion, a baku will latch onto a humanoid whom they feel needs some extra help and remain with that person for a week or more.
Friendly Guardians. Baku are kind creatures. When they discover a creature performing evil, they will offer that creature an opportunity to repent, or at least an alternative action that doesn’t cause anyone harm. They are ever-courteous and always polite.
Dark Ones. Baku devour bad dreams, but on rare occasions, the baku becomes gluttonous, desiring to eat more and more bad dreams to eat until the phrase “you are what you eat” becomes all too literal for them. These baku are known as Dark Ones and roam the worlds, inflicting nightmares wherever they go. More than that: they seek to remove hope and creativity from their victims.
Legends and Lore
With an Arcana or Religion check, the characters can learn the following:
DC 15. Baku are elephantine celestials that protect dreamers.
DC 20. Baku are intelligent, kindly shapechanging celestial beings who travel freely among humanoid settlements, protecting and aiding those who are suffering from nightmares. Some unscrupulous buyers are willing to pay a great deal of money for their tusks. A rare few baku, however, fall and consume hope instead of nightmares.
Baku Encounters
Terrain: Astral, Ethereal, Feywild, Grassland, Jungle, Settlement, Temple
CR 5-10 1 baku; 1 baku and 1 minstrel or priest
Signs
1. The sound of distant trumpeting. It strikes a note of fear in the heart of everyone who hears it.
2. A person telling others about the wonderful dream they just had.
3. In a crowded marketplace, people unconsciously moving out of the way of an invisible baku.
4. An ivory merchant who has recently suffered from a mysterious attack.
5. A character with two or more levels of strife falls takes a long rest outside of a haven. Upon waking up, they’ve removed a level of strife.
6. An artist who has been suffering from terrible nightmares and a loss of creativity.
Behavior
1. Hot on the trail of a coven of night hags; may ask the party for help finding them.
2. In the form of a bull with a golden hide, whom the locals revere as a sign of special favor from the gods.
3. In humanoid form, acting as a therapist for people who need to talk about their problems.
4. In humanoid form, battling a malcubus who is also in humanoid form.
5. In humanoid form, inquiring about people’s dreams; looking for a renegade Dark One.
6. Appearing in an adventurer’s dream with a message.
Names
Ahlam, Bhranti, Cimon, Eidniuet, Hulum, Imena, Menalli, Svajone
Baku
Large celestial (shapechanger)
Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)
AC 15 (natural armor)
HP 102 (12d8+48)
Speed 50 ft., fly 50 ft.
STR 21 (+5) DEX 12 (+1) CON 19 (+4)
INT 18 (+4) WIS 16 (+3) CHA 18 (+4)
Proficiency +3
Maneuver DC 16
Saving Throws Int +7, Wis +6, Cha +7
Skills Insight +6 (detecting emotions +1d4), Perception +6, Persuasion +7, Stealth +4
Condition Immunities charmed, paralyzed, poisoned
Senses darkvision 120 ft., truesight 30 ft., passive Perception 17
Languages Celestial, Common, Sylvan, telepathy 100 ft.
Celestial Nature. The baku doesn’t require air or sleep, and feeds harmlessly off the dreams of mortals.
Etherealness. The baku magically travels to the Ethereal Plane. While on the Ethereal Plane, the baku can see and hear into the Material Plane and can choose to make itself audible and hazily visible to creatures on the Material Plane. If a humanoid on the Material Plane invites the baku to do so, the baku can use an action to magically travel from the Ethereal Plane to the Material Plane.
Good. The baku radiates a Good aura.
Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). The baku’s spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 15). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:
At Will: detect evil and good
3/day each: calm emotions, cure wounds, lesser restoration, protection from evil and good
Magic Resistance. The baku has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Dream-Eater (3/Day). While on the Ethereal Plane, the baku magically touches a sleeping humanoid that is not protected by a magic circle or protection from evil and good spell or similar magic. While the touch persists, the baku appears in the creature’s dreams and can manipulate them, as per the dream spell. The creature can end the dream at any time. If the dream lasts for 1 hour, the target removes a level of strife. This is in addition to any levels of strife that are removed by completing a long rest. Upon waking up, the creature gains an expertise die on the next check they make that day with the Performance skill or with an artisan tool kit. Additionally, for the next 8 hours, the creature can’t be affected by nightmares, whether magical in origin, such as those created by the dream spell or by a night hag’s Nightmare Haunting, or purely mundane.
Actions
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8+5) slashing damage.
Gore. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (3d8+5) piercing damage. If the baku moves at least 20 feet straight towards a creature and then hits it with a gore attack on the same turn, the target must succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Trumpet (Recharge 5-6, True Form Only). The baku emits a powerful trumpeting. Each creature within 60 ft. of the baku that can hear it must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. A creature with the Evil alignment has disadvantage on this save. On a failure, the creature takes 21 (6d6) psychic damage and is frightened for 1 minute. On each of its turns, the frightened creature must take the Dash action and move away from the baku by the safest and shortest available route, unless there is nowhere to move. On a success, the creature takes half damage and isn’t frightened. A frightened creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. The baku can choose any number of creatures it can see to be immune to the trumpet.
Change Shape. The baku magically takes the shape of a Medium humanoid or a Large beast, or changes back into its true form. It reverts to its true form if it dies. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying is absorbed or borne by the new form. In the new form, the baku’s stats are unchanged except for its size. In beast form, it can only use its Claw and Gore attacks.
Invisibility. The baku magically turns invisible until its concentration ends (as if concentrating on a spell) or it uses a bonus action to become visible. Any equipment the baku wears or carries is invisible with it.
Bonus Actions
Trample Underfoot. The baku makes a claw attack against a prone creature.
Combat
Normally shy and peaceful, baku are determined combatants against creatures that prey on the hopes and dreams of others. They typically prefer to start a fight by trumpeting and then engaging in melee combat while invisible. If bloodied and fighting a mundane foe, they retreat into the ethereal. If fighting a foe such as a night hag or malcubus, or are fighting to protect a chosen mortal, they fight to the death.
Variant: Useful Trunk
Baku trunks are short but fully prehensile and quite agile. It’s not uncommon for a baku to wield a weapon in their trunks, particularly if it’s a magical weapon. These baku are proficient in simple and martial weapons that don’t have the Heavy or Two-Handed trait, and gain the following trait:
Elephant Strength. A melee weapon deals one extra die of damage when the baku hits with it (included in the attack).
The baku also gains an attack such as this one:
Morningstar +1. +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8+6) bludgeoning damage. If a fiend comes within 30 feet of the baku while it is wielding this morningstar, the weapon’s head glows red. Once per day, upon inflicting damage to a fiend, the baku can use its reaction to cause the morningstar to inflict an additional 11 (2d10) radiant damage to that fiend.
Variant: Dark Ones
Only a tiny percentage of baku fall from grace, but those that do are implacable in their desire to undo the good their cousins perform. These baku lose the Dream-Eater and Good traits, when they use their Trumpet attack, creatures with the Good alignment, not Evil, have disadvantage on their save, and they gain the following traits:
Evil. The dark one radiates an Evil aura.
Dreams Must Die (1/Day). While on the Ethereal Plane, the dark one magically touches a sleeping humanoid that is not protected by a magic circle or protection from evil and good spell or similar magic. While the touch persists, the dark one appears in the creature’s dreams and can manipulate them, as per the dream spell. The creature can end the dream at any time. If the dream lasts for 1 hour, the target gains a level of strife and gains no benefit from the rest, and is rattled for 24 hours.
The next three monsters are probably going to take several days each—I’ve reached my first dragons!
Artist: Jim Holloway and Tony DiTerlizzi
Baku
Featured Creatures, Dragon Magazine #65
Created by Gary Gygax
Baku resemble small elephants with short trunks, with curled tusks that are scrimshawed into intricate designs. Their backs and serpentine tails are covered in golden scales, and their legs and paws are leonine.
Urban Angels. Despite their large size and bulk, baku are remarkably agile. This suits them well, as they prefer to live in heavily populated areas, where they travel invisibly, helping to promote peace and good dreams wherever they can. Their primary purpose is to safeguard the dreams against the intrusions of night hags and other evil creatures with similar abilities.
On occasion, a baku will latch onto a humanoid whom they feel needs some extra help and remain with that person for a week or more.
Friendly Guardians. Baku are kind creatures. When they discover a creature performing evil, they will offer that creature an opportunity to repent, or at least an alternative action that doesn’t cause anyone harm. They are ever-courteous and always polite.
Dark Ones. Baku devour bad dreams, but on rare occasions, the baku becomes gluttonous, desiring to eat more and more bad dreams to eat until the phrase “you are what you eat” becomes all too literal for them. These baku are known as Dark Ones and roam the worlds, inflicting nightmares wherever they go. More than that: they seek to remove hope and creativity from their victims.
Legends and Lore
With an Arcana or Religion check, the characters can learn the following:
DC 15. Baku are elephantine celestials that protect dreamers.
DC 20. Baku are intelligent, kindly shapechanging celestial beings who travel freely among humanoid settlements, protecting and aiding those who are suffering from nightmares. Some unscrupulous buyers are willing to pay a great deal of money for their tusks. A rare few baku, however, fall and consume hope instead of nightmares.
Baku Encounters
Terrain: Astral, Ethereal, Feywild, Grassland, Jungle, Settlement, Temple
CR 5-10 1 baku; 1 baku and 1 minstrel or priest
Signs
1. The sound of distant trumpeting. It strikes a note of fear in the heart of everyone who hears it.
2. A person telling others about the wonderful dream they just had.
3. In a crowded marketplace, people unconsciously moving out of the way of an invisible baku.
4. An ivory merchant who has recently suffered from a mysterious attack.
5. A character with two or more levels of strife falls takes a long rest outside of a haven. Upon waking up, they’ve removed a level of strife.
6. An artist who has been suffering from terrible nightmares and a loss of creativity.
Behavior
1. Hot on the trail of a coven of night hags; may ask the party for help finding them.
2. In the form of a bull with a golden hide, whom the locals revere as a sign of special favor from the gods.
3. In humanoid form, acting as a therapist for people who need to talk about their problems.
4. In humanoid form, battling a malcubus who is also in humanoid form.
5. In humanoid form, inquiring about people’s dreams; looking for a renegade Dark One.
6. Appearing in an adventurer’s dream with a message.
Names
Ahlam, Bhranti, Cimon, Eidniuet, Hulum, Imena, Menalli, Svajone
Baku
Large celestial (shapechanger)
Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)
AC 15 (natural armor)
HP 102 (12d8+48)
Speed 50 ft., fly 50 ft.
STR 21 (+5) DEX 12 (+1) CON 19 (+4)
INT 18 (+4) WIS 16 (+3) CHA 18 (+4)
Proficiency +3
Maneuver DC 16
Saving Throws Int +7, Wis +6, Cha +7
Skills Insight +6 (detecting emotions +1d4), Perception +6, Persuasion +7, Stealth +4
Condition Immunities charmed, paralyzed, poisoned
Senses darkvision 120 ft., truesight 30 ft., passive Perception 17
Languages Celestial, Common, Sylvan, telepathy 100 ft.
Celestial Nature. The baku doesn’t require air or sleep, and feeds harmlessly off the dreams of mortals.
Etherealness. The baku magically travels to the Ethereal Plane. While on the Ethereal Plane, the baku can see and hear into the Material Plane and can choose to make itself audible and hazily visible to creatures on the Material Plane. If a humanoid on the Material Plane invites the baku to do so, the baku can use an action to magically travel from the Ethereal Plane to the Material Plane.
Good. The baku radiates a Good aura.
Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). The baku’s spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 15). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:
At Will: detect evil and good
3/day each: calm emotions, cure wounds, lesser restoration, protection from evil and good
Magic Resistance. The baku has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Dream-Eater (3/Day). While on the Ethereal Plane, the baku magically touches a sleeping humanoid that is not protected by a magic circle or protection from evil and good spell or similar magic. While the touch persists, the baku appears in the creature’s dreams and can manipulate them, as per the dream spell. The creature can end the dream at any time. If the dream lasts for 1 hour, the target removes a level of strife. This is in addition to any levels of strife that are removed by completing a long rest. Upon waking up, the creature gains an expertise die on the next check they make that day with the Performance skill or with an artisan tool kit. Additionally, for the next 8 hours, the creature can’t be affected by nightmares, whether magical in origin, such as those created by the dream spell or by a night hag’s Nightmare Haunting, or purely mundane.
Actions
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8+5) slashing damage.
Gore. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (3d8+5) piercing damage. If the baku moves at least 20 feet straight towards a creature and then hits it with a gore attack on the same turn, the target must succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Trumpet (Recharge 5-6, True Form Only). The baku emits a powerful trumpeting. Each creature within 60 ft. of the baku that can hear it must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. A creature with the Evil alignment has disadvantage on this save. On a failure, the creature takes 21 (6d6) psychic damage and is frightened for 1 minute. On each of its turns, the frightened creature must take the Dash action and move away from the baku by the safest and shortest available route, unless there is nowhere to move. On a success, the creature takes half damage and isn’t frightened. A frightened creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. The baku can choose any number of creatures it can see to be immune to the trumpet.
Change Shape. The baku magically takes the shape of a Medium humanoid or a Large beast, or changes back into its true form. It reverts to its true form if it dies. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying is absorbed or borne by the new form. In the new form, the baku’s stats are unchanged except for its size. In beast form, it can only use its Claw and Gore attacks.
Invisibility. The baku magically turns invisible until its concentration ends (as if concentrating on a spell) or it uses a bonus action to become visible. Any equipment the baku wears or carries is invisible with it.
Bonus Actions
Trample Underfoot. The baku makes a claw attack against a prone creature.
Combat
Normally shy and peaceful, baku are determined combatants against creatures that prey on the hopes and dreams of others. They typically prefer to start a fight by trumpeting and then engaging in melee combat while invisible. If bloodied and fighting a mundane foe, they retreat into the ethereal. If fighting a foe such as a night hag or malcubus, or are fighting to protect a chosen mortal, they fight to the death.
Variant: Useful Trunk
Baku trunks are short but fully prehensile and quite agile. It’s not uncommon for a baku to wield a weapon in their trunks, particularly if it’s a magical weapon. These baku are proficient in simple and martial weapons that don’t have the Heavy or Two-Handed trait, and gain the following trait:
Elephant Strength. A melee weapon deals one extra die of damage when the baku hits with it (included in the attack).
The baku also gains an attack such as this one:
Morningstar +1. +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8+6) bludgeoning damage. If a fiend comes within 30 feet of the baku while it is wielding this morningstar, the weapon’s head glows red. Once per day, upon inflicting damage to a fiend, the baku can use its reaction to cause the morningstar to inflict an additional 11 (2d10) radiant damage to that fiend.
Variant: Dark Ones
Only a tiny percentage of baku fall from grace, but those that do are implacable in their desire to undo the good their cousins perform. These baku lose the Dream-Eater and Good traits, when they use their Trumpet attack, creatures with the Good alignment, not Evil, have disadvantage on their save, and they gain the following traits:
Evil. The dark one radiates an Evil aura.
Dreams Must Die (1/Day). While on the Ethereal Plane, the dark one magically touches a sleeping humanoid that is not protected by a magic circle or protection from evil and good spell or similar magic. While the touch persists, the dark one appears in the creature’s dreams and can manipulate them, as per the dream spell. The creature can end the dream at any time. If the dream lasts for 1 hour, the target gains a level of strife and gains no benefit from the rest, and is rattled for 24 hours.
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Faolyn
(she/her)
My first Level Up dragon! Richard Alan Lloyd created the “missing” chromatic dragons in issue #65, then revamped them for 2e in issue #248. I wonder if he stopped playing by 3rd edition, never moved to 3e, if Dragon didn’t publish the conversions, or if he just didn’t bother to convert them in the first place. This entry is for the yellow dragon. Purple and orange dragons coming soon.
This article assumes that a green dragon may be the child (or grandchild) of a blue and yellow dragon, even going so far as to say that the lightning of a blue dragon’s breath separates the sodium from the chloride of a yellow dragons’ breath, thus producing a green dragon’s gaseous chorine breath. Gotta give him props for trying to figure out the science here!
Once again, I welcome any criticism or corrections of my math or a creature’s abilities.
Artist: David Day
Yellow Dragon (Chromatic Dragon)
The Missing Dragons, Dragon Magazine #65 and The Return of the Missing Dragons, Dragon Magazine #248
Created by Richard Alan Lloyd
Yellow dragons are long, blunt-nosed, and almost worm-like, with short limbs that end in oversized, mole-like claws. Their wings are short and fanlike, folding completely against their body when not in use. When first hatched, a yellow dragon’s tiny scales appear like lemon-colored bits of glass. As the dragon ages, some of the scales get lighter and sun-bleached but retain their small size, allowing them to move like a snake.
Salt The Earth. Yellow dragons naturally lair in salt-filled areas: salt marshes, ocean beaches, inland salt lakes, estuaries, and salt pans. Their presence causes these places to become even more salt-filled, choking out most life as potable water is turned to brine and brine becomes saline water. Even animals that normally thrive in salt water begin to die off, leaving behind only tiny (or giant) invertebrates and salt-loving fungi. When a yellow dragon lives in an area, existing buildings begin to crumble and decay from the damage the salt causes.
Quiet Lives. The presence of so much salt seems to preserve everything in a state of motionlessness and with great inertia. The weather is rarely severe. Instead of violent storms that quickly blow through an area, it may simply rain in steadily for days or even weeks in a quiet, unpleasant drizzle. Yellow dragons revel in the silence that surrounds them. The buzzing of flies and the soft whoosh of lapping ocean waves are the only noises they tolerate. Travelers who take pains to keep quiet are likely to be tolerated, but those who are loud can expect meet the dragon’s quiet wrath. And yellow dragons enjoy torturing those who anger them, and then preserving their corpses in the salt.
As a result, yellow dragons are typically solitary. When they keep servitors, they expect them to speak in sign language or through writing, and while they do enjoy hearing stories and news from the outside world, they prefer to read it rather than the hear it. Powerful yellow dragons simply turn salt-preserved corpses into zombies or even mummies, neither of which need to talk.
Legends and Lore
With an Arcana or History check, the characters can learn the following:
DC 10. Yellow dragons live in salt marshes and salt flats and on beaches. They exhale clouds of salty particles that not only erode what they touch, but also cause blindness and choking.
DC 15. The lair of a yellow dragon is always in an incredibly dry, moisture-sucking place. They hate noise, and so their lairs are always very quiet places.
DC 20. Truly ancient yellow dragons can transform targets into pillars of salt.
Yellow Dragon Encounters
Terrain: desert, swamp, ruin, water
CR 3-4 yellow dragon wyrmling; yellow dragon wyrmling with 1 or 2 crocodiles, swarms of insects, or sahuagin; yellow dragon wyrmling with 2d4 giant crabs
Treasure: 150 gp, 800 sp, trade goods (500 pounds of salt worth 25 gp), silver-edged mirror (25 gp), an earthenware tureen once painted with abstract designs which have now been eroded away, dust of sneezing and choking, tome of the endless tale
CR 5-10 young yellow dragon; young yellow dragon with 1 or 2 crocodiles, swarms of insects, or sahuagin; young yellow dragon with
Treasure: 230 gp, 600 sp, trade goods (1,000 pounds of salt worth 50 gp), 2 pearls (100 gp each), 1d4 barrels of salted meat of unknown type (15 gp each), platinum and onyx necklace (250 gp), set of navigator’s tools, decanter of endless water, feather token (boat), spell scroll of hypnotic pattern
CR 11-16 young yellow dragon with giant crocodile, 2 giant scorpions, 2 scorpionfolk, or sahuagin champion; young yellow dragon with 1d4+1 dragonbound warriors, jackalweres, or sahuagin; adult yellow dragon.
Treasure: 260 pp, 50 gp, 890 sp, trade goods (5,000 pounds of salt worth 250 gp), medallion carved from bronze dragon horn (1,000 gp), iron crown set with moonstones (500 gp), bag of 12 pearls (100 gp each), damaged canoe, dust of disappearance, elemental gem (fire), ring of animal influence
CR 17-22 adult yellow dragon with giant crocodile, scorpionfolk imperator, or sahuagin champion; adult yellow dragon with 2d12 zombies, 2d12 sahuagin, or 2 zombie knights; adult yellow dragon with stuffed crab
Treasure 600 pp, 900 gp, trade goods (10,000 pounds of salt worth 500 gp), 3 black pearls (300 gp each), 1 opal (1,000 gp), ivory scepter with gold inlays in floral patterns (1,100 gp), golden cup with a sea serpent and merfolk relief on it (250 gp), clockwork calender, heavily corroded but still functional +2 shield, spell scroll of hallucinatory terrain
CR 23-30 ancient yellow dragon; ancient yellow dragon with 3 zombie knights; ancient yellow dragon with 2 zombie hordes or 2 sahuagin champions
Treasure 1,800 pp, 9,000 gp, trade goods (10,000 pounds of salt worth 500 gp), a bag of 6 black pearls (300 gp each), yellow dragon egg (25,000 gp), a triton ruler’s coral and mother-of-pearl crown and scepter (20,000 gp each), carpet of flying, fathomer’s ring, iron bands of binding
CR 31+ yellow dragon great wyrm; ancient yellow dragon with 1d4+1 mummies; ancient yellow dragon with div, ancient yellow dragon with 1d4 zombie hordes
Treasure 5,000 pp, 12,000 gp, trade goods (20,000 pounds of salt worth 1,000 gp), ivory bowl (1,500 gp), very large iron and gold bell (1,000 gp, but bulky), a heavily eroded slab of stone with ancient writing on it: a rare spell of at least 5th level (7,500 gp), diamond ring (7,500 gp), iron flask with a noble marid trapped within, ioun stone (insight), spell scroll of mirage arcane, scimitar of speed,
Signs
1-2. Pillars of salt.
3-4. Dead, withered, salt-damaged plants.
5. The salt-preserved corpse of an animal or humanoid.
6. The air is so dry that nosebleeds are a common occurrence.
7. A pool of water. Although it seems fresh, it is actually saturated with salt.
8. A tiny village. The inhabitants are servants of the dragon and have had their tongues removed.
Behavior
1-2. Flying overhead, hunting.
3. Hiding in ambush.
4. Sleeping in the sun and half-buried in the salt.
5. Floating in a briny pool or the ocean.
6. Plotting against a nearby black or bronze dragon.
7. Sitting very still and listening to nothing.
8. Devouring a preserved corpse.
Names
Bleakest, Cyradalia, Lahbanaarav, Salansorl, Tasalacea, Tihordlak, Witherfang
Yellow 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. Creatures have advantage on saving throws against spells from the water school of magic, and a spellcaster who makes an attack roll when casting a water spell does so at disadvantage.
2. Clouds of swarming insects and floating particles of salt dust hang in the air. The maximum range of any sight-based senses is 60 feet. Additionally, Perception checks are made with disadvantage and all passive scores (including passive Perception) are reduced by 5. The dragon’s vision is not impaired.
3. Pools and tunnels of thick, briny water connect parts of the lair.
4. Each time a character tries to drink a liquid in the lair, including a potion, the Narrator should roll a die. On an odd result, the liquid is tainted with salt and useless.
Variant: Yellow Dragon Spellcaster
Some yellow 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: pass without trace, silence
Adult (save DC 15): 3/day each: animate dead, blight
Ancient (save DC 18): 1/day each: control wind, create and destroy water
Great Wyrm (save DC 18): 1/day: create undead
Ancient Yellow Dragon
Legendary gargantuan dragon
Challenge 23 (50,000 XP)
AC 21 (natural armor)
HP 367 (21d20+147; bloodied 183)
Speed 40 ft., burrow 40 ft., fly 80 ft., swim 40 ft.
STR 27 (+8) DEX 14 (+2) CON 25 (+7)
INT 16 (+3) WIS 13 (+1) CHA 16 (+3)
Proficiency +7
Maneuver DC 23
Saving Throws Dex +9, Con +14, Wis +8, Cha +10
Skills Perception +8 (+1d6), Stealth +9
Damage Immunities acid
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 21
Languages Common, Draconic, two more
Ambusher. When submerged in salt or in water, the dragon has advantage on Stealth checks. If the dragon hits a creature that can’t see it with its bite, it can deal piercing damage and grapple the target simultaneously.
Amphibious. The dragon can breathe air and water.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). When the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead. When it does so, some of its scales turn a dull gray. If it has no more uses of this ability, its Armor Class is reduced to 19 until it finishes a long rest.
Actions
Mulltiattack. The dragon attacks once with its bite and twice with its claws. In place of its bite attack, it can use Salt Spray.
Desiccating Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 30 (4d10+8) piercing damage plus 9 (2d8) necrotic damage, and its hit point maximum is reduced by half of the necrotic damage taken. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a short or long rest. Instead of dealing piercing damage, the dragon can grappled the target (escape DC 23), and a Huge or smaller creature is grappled in this way is restrained. While grappling a creature, the dragon can’t bite or use Salt Spray against 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.
Salt Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon exhales a 90-foot cone of corrosive, choking particles of salt. Each creature in that area must make a DC 22 Dexterity saving throw, taking 88 (16d10) acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature that failed its saving throw is also blinded and poisoned until the end of its next turn.
Salt Spray. The dragon spits liquid salt at a creature within 60 ft., forcing it to make a DC 22 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, it takes 11 (2d10) acid damage and 11 (2d10) necrotic damage and is blinded for 1 minute. The creature may make a DC 22 Constitution saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself 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
The dragon can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. It regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Pillar of Salt (Costs 3 Actions; Recharge 6). The dragon spits salt at a creature within 60 feet. That creature must make a DC 22 Constitution saving throw. If it rolls a natural 1 on the save, it is petrified instantly and turned into a pillar of salt. Otherwise, it is restrained as it begins to be petrified. The creature repeats the saving throw at the end of its turn, ending the effect on itself on a success and becoming petrified on a failure. The petrification can be removed with greater restoration or similar powerful magic.
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 22 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.
Ancient Yellow Dragon Variant: Yellow 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:
Withering Salt (1/Day). When the dragon is first bloodied, it immediately recharges its breath weapon, if it’s not already available. For the next minute, the dragon’s salt breath because far more draining, ignoring necrotic resistance and treating necrotic immunity as necrotic resistance. Additionally, a creature that rolls a critical failure when making its saving throw against its Salt Spray trait is blinded until it is targeted by a lesser restoration or similar spell.
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.
Draw Silica (Costs 2 Actions). The dragon recharges its breath weapon.
Desiccation. The dragon strikes a creature within 120 feet with a gout of liquid salt. The creature is affected as if caught in the dragon’s breath weapon, rolling to save as normal.
Adult Yellow Dragon
Legendary huge dragon
Challenge 16 (15,000 XP)
AC 19 (natural armor)
HP 242 (21d12+105; bloodied 121)
Speed 40 ft., burrow 40 ft., fly 80 ft., swim 40 ft.
STR 23 (+6) DEX 14 (+2) CON 21 (+5)
INT 14 (+2) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 14 (+2)
Proficiency +5
Maneuver DC 19
Saving Throws Dex +7, Con +10, Wis +6, Cha +6
Skills Perception +6 (+1d6), Stealth +7
Damage Immunities acid, necrotic
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 19
Languages Common, Draconic
Ambusher. When submerged in salt or in water, the dragon has advantage on Stealth checks. If the dragon hits a creature that can’t see it with its bite, it can deal piercing damage and grapple the target simultaneously.
Amphibious. The dragon can breathe air and water.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). When the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead. When it does so, some of its scales turn a dull gray. If it has no more uses of this ability, its Armor Class is reduced to 19 until it finishes a long rest.
Actions
Multiattack. The dragon attacks once with its bite and twice with its claws. In place of its bite attack, it can use Salt Spray.
Desiccating Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (3d10+6) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) necrotic damage, and its hit point maximum is reduced by half of the necrotic damage taken. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a short or long rest. Instead of dealing piercing damage, the dragon can grappled 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 Salt Spray against another target.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (3d8+6) slashing damage.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d8+6) bludgeoning damage.
Salt Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon exhales a 60-foot cone of corrosive, choking particles of salt. Each creature in that area must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw, taking 66 (12d10) acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature that failed its saving throw is also blinded and poisoned until the end of its next turn.
Salt Spray. The dragon spits liquid salt at a creature within 60 ft., forcing it to make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, it takes 11 (2d10) acid damage and 11 (2d10) necrotic damage and is blinded for 1 minute. The creature may make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself 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
The dragon can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. It regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Pillar of Salt (Costs 3 Actions; Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). The dragon spits salt at a creature within 60 feet. That creature must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw. If it rolls a natural 1 on the save, it is petrified instantly and turned into a pillar of salt. Otherwise, it is restrained as it begins to be petrified. The creature repeats the saving throw at the end of its turn, ending the effect on itself on a success and becoming petrified on a failure. The petrification can be removed with greater restoration or similar powerful magic.
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 22 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
Young Yellow Dragon
Large dragon
Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)
AC 18 (natural armor)
HP 136 (16d10+48; bloodied 68)
Speed 40 ft., burrow 40 ft., fly 80 ft., swim 40 ft.
STR 19 (+4) DEX 14 (+2) CON 17 (+3)
INT 12 (+1) WIS 11 (+0) CHA 12 (+1)
Proficiency +4
Maneuver DC 16
Saving Throws Dex +6, Con +7, Wis +4, Cha +5
Skills Perception +4 (+1d6), Stealth +6
Damage Immunities acid, necrotic
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 19
Languages Common, Draconic
Ambusher. When submerged in salt or in water, the dragon has advantage on Stealth checks. If the dragon hits a creature that can’t see it with its bite, it can deal piercing damage and grapple the target simultaneously.
Amphibious. The dragon can breathe air and water.
Actions
Multiattack. The dragon attacks once with its bite and twice with its claws.
Desiccating Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (3d10+4) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) necrotic damage, and its hit point maximum is reduced by half of the necrotic damage taken. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a short or long rest. Instead of dealing piercing damage, the dragon can grappled 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 creature
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (3d8+6) slashing damage.
Salt Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon exhales a 60-foot cone of corrosive, choking particles of salt. Each creature in that area must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw, taking 50 (9d10) acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature that failed its saving throw is also blinded and poisoned until the end of its next turn.
Yellow Dragon Wyrmling
Medium dragon
Challenge 3 (700 XP)
AC 16 (natural armor)
HP 58 (9d8+18; bloodied 29)
Speed 30 ft., burrow 30 ft., fly 60 ft., swim 30 ft.
STR 15 (+2) DEX 14 (+2) CON 14 (+2)
INT 10 (+0) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 10 (+0)
Proficiency +3
Maneuver DC 13
Saving Throws Dex +5, Con +5, Wis +3, Cha +3
Skills Perception +3 (+1d6), Stealth +5
Damage Immunities acid, necrotic
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses blindsight 10 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages Draconic
Ambusher. When submerged in salt or in water, the dragon has advantage on Stealth checks. If the dragon hits a creature that can’t see it with its bite, it can deal piercing damage and grapple the target simultaneously.
Amphibious. The dragon can breathe air and water.
Actions
Desiccating Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d10+2) piercing damage plus 2 (1d4) necrotic damage, and its hit point maximum is reduced by half of the necrotic damage taken. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a short or long rest.
Salt Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon exhales a 30-foot cone of corrosive, choking particles of salt. Each creature in that area must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw, taking 22 (4d10) acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature that failed its saving throw is also blinded and poisoned until the end of its next turn.
This article assumes that a green dragon may be the child (or grandchild) of a blue and yellow dragon, even going so far as to say that the lightning of a blue dragon’s breath separates the sodium from the chloride of a yellow dragons’ breath, thus producing a green dragon’s gaseous chorine breath. Gotta give him props for trying to figure out the science here!
Once again, I welcome any criticism or corrections of my math or a creature’s abilities.
Artist: David Day
Yellow Dragon (Chromatic Dragon)
The Missing Dragons, Dragon Magazine #65 and The Return of the Missing Dragons, Dragon Magazine #248
Created by Richard Alan Lloyd
Yellow dragons are long, blunt-nosed, and almost worm-like, with short limbs that end in oversized, mole-like claws. Their wings are short and fanlike, folding completely against their body when not in use. When first hatched, a yellow dragon’s tiny scales appear like lemon-colored bits of glass. As the dragon ages, some of the scales get lighter and sun-bleached but retain their small size, allowing them to move like a snake.
Salt The Earth. Yellow dragons naturally lair in salt-filled areas: salt marshes, ocean beaches, inland salt lakes, estuaries, and salt pans. Their presence causes these places to become even more salt-filled, choking out most life as potable water is turned to brine and brine becomes saline water. Even animals that normally thrive in salt water begin to die off, leaving behind only tiny (or giant) invertebrates and salt-loving fungi. When a yellow dragon lives in an area, existing buildings begin to crumble and decay from the damage the salt causes.
Quiet Lives. The presence of so much salt seems to preserve everything in a state of motionlessness and with great inertia. The weather is rarely severe. Instead of violent storms that quickly blow through an area, it may simply rain in steadily for days or even weeks in a quiet, unpleasant drizzle. Yellow dragons revel in the silence that surrounds them. The buzzing of flies and the soft whoosh of lapping ocean waves are the only noises they tolerate. Travelers who take pains to keep quiet are likely to be tolerated, but those who are loud can expect meet the dragon’s quiet wrath. And yellow dragons enjoy torturing those who anger them, and then preserving their corpses in the salt.
As a result, yellow dragons are typically solitary. When they keep servitors, they expect them to speak in sign language or through writing, and while they do enjoy hearing stories and news from the outside world, they prefer to read it rather than the hear it. Powerful yellow dragons simply turn salt-preserved corpses into zombies or even mummies, neither of which need to talk.
Legends and Lore
With an Arcana or History check, the characters can learn the following:
DC 10. Yellow dragons live in salt marshes and salt flats and on beaches. They exhale clouds of salty particles that not only erode what they touch, but also cause blindness and choking.
DC 15. The lair of a yellow dragon is always in an incredibly dry, moisture-sucking place. They hate noise, and so their lairs are always very quiet places.
DC 20. Truly ancient yellow dragons can transform targets into pillars of salt.
Yellow Dragon Encounters
Terrain: desert, swamp, ruin, water
CR 3-4 yellow dragon wyrmling; yellow dragon wyrmling with 1 or 2 crocodiles, swarms of insects, or sahuagin; yellow dragon wyrmling with 2d4 giant crabs
Treasure: 150 gp, 800 sp, trade goods (500 pounds of salt worth 25 gp), silver-edged mirror (25 gp), an earthenware tureen once painted with abstract designs which have now been eroded away, dust of sneezing and choking, tome of the endless tale
CR 5-10 young yellow dragon; young yellow dragon with 1 or 2 crocodiles, swarms of insects, or sahuagin; young yellow dragon with
Treasure: 230 gp, 600 sp, trade goods (1,000 pounds of salt worth 50 gp), 2 pearls (100 gp each), 1d4 barrels of salted meat of unknown type (15 gp each), platinum and onyx necklace (250 gp), set of navigator’s tools, decanter of endless water, feather token (boat), spell scroll of hypnotic pattern
CR 11-16 young yellow dragon with giant crocodile, 2 giant scorpions, 2 scorpionfolk, or sahuagin champion; young yellow dragon with 1d4+1 dragonbound warriors, jackalweres, or sahuagin; adult yellow dragon.
Treasure: 260 pp, 50 gp, 890 sp, trade goods (5,000 pounds of salt worth 250 gp), medallion carved from bronze dragon horn (1,000 gp), iron crown set with moonstones (500 gp), bag of 12 pearls (100 gp each), damaged canoe, dust of disappearance, elemental gem (fire), ring of animal influence
CR 17-22 adult yellow dragon with giant crocodile, scorpionfolk imperator, or sahuagin champion; adult yellow dragon with 2d12 zombies, 2d12 sahuagin, or 2 zombie knights; adult yellow dragon with stuffed crab
Treasure 600 pp, 900 gp, trade goods (10,000 pounds of salt worth 500 gp), 3 black pearls (300 gp each), 1 opal (1,000 gp), ivory scepter with gold inlays in floral patterns (1,100 gp), golden cup with a sea serpent and merfolk relief on it (250 gp), clockwork calender, heavily corroded but still functional +2 shield, spell scroll of hallucinatory terrain
CR 23-30 ancient yellow dragon; ancient yellow dragon with 3 zombie knights; ancient yellow dragon with 2 zombie hordes or 2 sahuagin champions
Treasure 1,800 pp, 9,000 gp, trade goods (10,000 pounds of salt worth 500 gp), a bag of 6 black pearls (300 gp each), yellow dragon egg (25,000 gp), a triton ruler’s coral and mother-of-pearl crown and scepter (20,000 gp each), carpet of flying, fathomer’s ring, iron bands of binding
CR 31+ yellow dragon great wyrm; ancient yellow dragon with 1d4+1 mummies; ancient yellow dragon with div, ancient yellow dragon with 1d4 zombie hordes
Treasure 5,000 pp, 12,000 gp, trade goods (20,000 pounds of salt worth 1,000 gp), ivory bowl (1,500 gp), very large iron and gold bell (1,000 gp, but bulky), a heavily eroded slab of stone with ancient writing on it: a rare spell of at least 5th level (7,500 gp), diamond ring (7,500 gp), iron flask with a noble marid trapped within, ioun stone (insight), spell scroll of mirage arcane, scimitar of speed,
Signs
1-2. Pillars of salt.
3-4. Dead, withered, salt-damaged plants.
5. The salt-preserved corpse of an animal or humanoid.
6. The air is so dry that nosebleeds are a common occurrence.
7. A pool of water. Although it seems fresh, it is actually saturated with salt.
8. A tiny village. The inhabitants are servants of the dragon and have had their tongues removed.
Behavior
1-2. Flying overhead, hunting.
3. Hiding in ambush.
4. Sleeping in the sun and half-buried in the salt.
5. Floating in a briny pool or the ocean.
6. Plotting against a nearby black or bronze dragon.
7. Sitting very still and listening to nothing.
8. Devouring a preserved corpse.
Names
Bleakest, Cyradalia, Lahbanaarav, Salansorl, Tasalacea, Tihordlak, Witherfang
Yellow 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. Creatures have advantage on saving throws against spells from the water school of magic, and a spellcaster who makes an attack roll when casting a water spell does so at disadvantage.
2. Clouds of swarming insects and floating particles of salt dust hang in the air. The maximum range of any sight-based senses is 60 feet. Additionally, Perception checks are made with disadvantage and all passive scores (including passive Perception) are reduced by 5. The dragon’s vision is not impaired.
3. Pools and tunnels of thick, briny water connect parts of the lair.
4. Each time a character tries to drink a liquid in the lair, including a potion, the Narrator should roll a die. On an odd result, the liquid is tainted with salt and useless.
Variant: Yellow Dragon Spellcaster
Some yellow 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: pass without trace, silence
Adult (save DC 15): 3/day each: animate dead, blight
Ancient (save DC 18): 1/day each: control wind, create and destroy water
Great Wyrm (save DC 18): 1/day: create undead
Ancient Yellow Dragon
Legendary gargantuan dragon
Challenge 23 (50,000 XP)
AC 21 (natural armor)
HP 367 (21d20+147; bloodied 183)
Speed 40 ft., burrow 40 ft., fly 80 ft., swim 40 ft.
STR 27 (+8) DEX 14 (+2) CON 25 (+7)
INT 16 (+3) WIS 13 (+1) CHA 16 (+3)
Proficiency +7
Maneuver DC 23
Saving Throws Dex +9, Con +14, Wis +8, Cha +10
Skills Perception +8 (+1d6), Stealth +9
Damage Immunities acid
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 21
Languages Common, Draconic, two more
Ambusher. When submerged in salt or in water, the dragon has advantage on Stealth checks. If the dragon hits a creature that can’t see it with its bite, it can deal piercing damage and grapple the target simultaneously.
Amphibious. The dragon can breathe air and water.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). When the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead. When it does so, some of its scales turn a dull gray. If it has no more uses of this ability, its Armor Class is reduced to 19 until it finishes a long rest.
Actions
Mulltiattack. The dragon attacks once with its bite and twice with its claws. In place of its bite attack, it can use Salt Spray.
Desiccating Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 30 (4d10+8) piercing damage plus 9 (2d8) necrotic damage, and its hit point maximum is reduced by half of the necrotic damage taken. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a short or long rest. Instead of dealing piercing damage, the dragon can grappled the target (escape DC 23), and a Huge or smaller creature is grappled in this way is restrained. While grappling a creature, the dragon can’t bite or use Salt Spray against 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.
Salt Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon exhales a 90-foot cone of corrosive, choking particles of salt. Each creature in that area must make a DC 22 Dexterity saving throw, taking 88 (16d10) acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature that failed its saving throw is also blinded and poisoned until the end of its next turn.
Salt Spray. The dragon spits liquid salt at a creature within 60 ft., forcing it to make a DC 22 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, it takes 11 (2d10) acid damage and 11 (2d10) necrotic damage and is blinded for 1 minute. The creature may make a DC 22 Constitution saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself 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
The dragon can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. It regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Pillar of Salt (Costs 3 Actions; Recharge 6). The dragon spits salt at a creature within 60 feet. That creature must make a DC 22 Constitution saving throw. If it rolls a natural 1 on the save, it is petrified instantly and turned into a pillar of salt. Otherwise, it is restrained as it begins to be petrified. The creature repeats the saving throw at the end of its turn, ending the effect on itself on a success and becoming petrified on a failure. The petrification can be removed with greater restoration or similar powerful magic.
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 22 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.
Ancient Yellow Dragon Variant: Yellow 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:
Withering Salt (1/Day). When the dragon is first bloodied, it immediately recharges its breath weapon, if it’s not already available. For the next minute, the dragon’s salt breath because far more draining, ignoring necrotic resistance and treating necrotic immunity as necrotic resistance. Additionally, a creature that rolls a critical failure when making its saving throw against its Salt Spray trait is blinded until it is targeted by a lesser restoration or similar spell.
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.
Draw Silica (Costs 2 Actions). The dragon recharges its breath weapon.
Desiccation. The dragon strikes a creature within 120 feet with a gout of liquid salt. The creature is affected as if caught in the dragon’s breath weapon, rolling to save as normal.
Adult Yellow Dragon
Legendary huge dragon
Challenge 16 (15,000 XP)
AC 19 (natural armor)
HP 242 (21d12+105; bloodied 121)
Speed 40 ft., burrow 40 ft., fly 80 ft., swim 40 ft.
STR 23 (+6) DEX 14 (+2) CON 21 (+5)
INT 14 (+2) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 14 (+2)
Proficiency +5
Maneuver DC 19
Saving Throws Dex +7, Con +10, Wis +6, Cha +6
Skills Perception +6 (+1d6), Stealth +7
Damage Immunities acid, necrotic
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 19
Languages Common, Draconic
Ambusher. When submerged in salt or in water, the dragon has advantage on Stealth checks. If the dragon hits a creature that can’t see it with its bite, it can deal piercing damage and grapple the target simultaneously.
Amphibious. The dragon can breathe air and water.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). When the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead. When it does so, some of its scales turn a dull gray. If it has no more uses of this ability, its Armor Class is reduced to 19 until it finishes a long rest.
Actions
Multiattack. The dragon attacks once with its bite and twice with its claws. In place of its bite attack, it can use Salt Spray.
Desiccating Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (3d10+6) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) necrotic damage, and its hit point maximum is reduced by half of the necrotic damage taken. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a short or long rest. Instead of dealing piercing damage, the dragon can grappled 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 Salt Spray against another target.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (3d8+6) slashing damage.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d8+6) bludgeoning damage.
Salt Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon exhales a 60-foot cone of corrosive, choking particles of salt. Each creature in that area must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw, taking 66 (12d10) acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature that failed its saving throw is also blinded and poisoned until the end of its next turn.
Salt Spray. The dragon spits liquid salt at a creature within 60 ft., forcing it to make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, it takes 11 (2d10) acid damage and 11 (2d10) necrotic damage and is blinded for 1 minute. The creature may make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself 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
The dragon can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. It regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Pillar of Salt (Costs 3 Actions; Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). The dragon spits salt at a creature within 60 feet. That creature must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw. If it rolls a natural 1 on the save, it is petrified instantly and turned into a pillar of salt. Otherwise, it is restrained as it begins to be petrified. The creature repeats the saving throw at the end of its turn, ending the effect on itself on a success and becoming petrified on a failure. The petrification can be removed with greater restoration or similar powerful magic.
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 22 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
Young Yellow Dragon
Large dragon
Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)
AC 18 (natural armor)
HP 136 (16d10+48; bloodied 68)
Speed 40 ft., burrow 40 ft., fly 80 ft., swim 40 ft.
STR 19 (+4) DEX 14 (+2) CON 17 (+3)
INT 12 (+1) WIS 11 (+0) CHA 12 (+1)
Proficiency +4
Maneuver DC 16
Saving Throws Dex +6, Con +7, Wis +4, Cha +5
Skills Perception +4 (+1d6), Stealth +6
Damage Immunities acid, necrotic
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 19
Languages Common, Draconic
Ambusher. When submerged in salt or in water, the dragon has advantage on Stealth checks. If the dragon hits a creature that can’t see it with its bite, it can deal piercing damage and grapple the target simultaneously.
Amphibious. The dragon can breathe air and water.
Actions
Multiattack. The dragon attacks once with its bite and twice with its claws.
Desiccating Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (3d10+4) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) necrotic damage, and its hit point maximum is reduced by half of the necrotic damage taken. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a short or long rest. Instead of dealing piercing damage, the dragon can grappled 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 creature
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (3d8+6) slashing damage.
Salt Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon exhales a 60-foot cone of corrosive, choking particles of salt. Each creature in that area must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw, taking 50 (9d10) acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature that failed its saving throw is also blinded and poisoned until the end of its next turn.
Yellow Dragon Wyrmling
Medium dragon
Challenge 3 (700 XP)
AC 16 (natural armor)
HP 58 (9d8+18; bloodied 29)
Speed 30 ft., burrow 30 ft., fly 60 ft., swim 30 ft.
STR 15 (+2) DEX 14 (+2) CON 14 (+2)
INT 10 (+0) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 10 (+0)
Proficiency +3
Maneuver DC 13
Saving Throws Dex +5, Con +5, Wis +3, Cha +3
Skills Perception +3 (+1d6), Stealth +5
Damage Immunities acid, necrotic
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses blindsight 10 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages Draconic
Ambusher. When submerged in salt or in water, the dragon has advantage on Stealth checks. If the dragon hits a creature that can’t see it with its bite, it can deal piercing damage and grapple the target simultaneously.
Amphibious. The dragon can breathe air and water.
Actions
Desiccating Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d10+2) piercing damage plus 2 (1d4) necrotic damage, and its hit point maximum is reduced by half of the necrotic damage taken. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a short or long rest.
Salt Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon exhales a 30-foot cone of corrosive, choking particles of salt. Each creature in that area must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw, taking 22 (4d10) acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature that failed its saving throw is also blinded and poisoned until the end of its next turn.
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WarDriveWorley
Hero
spleeeeee
AnotherGuy
Hero
Faolyn
(she/her)
According to the original article, the queen is a bit bigger--like about four inches long--but doesn't seem to have any other abilities. The only thing of note is that the article says you can't remove a queen from the hive without killing it. Perhaps it actually melds with the stone of their hive? I'll make a variant for the whiz-bang.
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