Just got back from getting my covid booster!
Remember how,
way back when I did the phase dragon as a variant of the faerie dragon? Well, here’s some more faerie dragon variants for you. They’re called drakes in this article, but I’ve renamed them as dragons, to keep the theme going. We have the crystal dragon (renamed to
jewel dragon), demon drake (renamed to
hellion dragon), faerie drake (renamed to
mimic dragon), and the shadow drake (renamed to
gloom dragon).
This article also comes with a new spell!
Also, I’m taking a day or three off, because the
next monsters are a whole bunch of dragons and you know how long those take.
Faerie Dragon Variants
Dragons are Wizards’ Best Friends, Dragon Magazine #146
Created by David E. Cates; art by Jennell Jaquays
Gloom Dragon
These faerie dragon variants often occur where the Feywild and Shadowfell are close. They are a bit snakier in build. Their scales are ash-gray when they first hatch, but become darker and smokier as they age. Gloom dragons are quiet, introspective creatures who prefer peace and quiet instead of confrontation. They typically have standoffish personalities and often live on the outskirts of faerie dragon communities, away from all the noise. Gloom dragons have a fondness for darkly-colored gems, which they collect, and honey and sweet fruits, which they eat in large amounts.
Gloom dragons are resistant to cold and necrotic damage, and innately know different spells than faerie dragons do:
5 years old, at will: guidance, mage hand, minor illusion
10 years old, 1/day: darkness
30 years old, 1/day: blur
50 years old, 1/day: rope trick
Gloom dragons lose the Prismatic Light action and instead gain the following traits:
Darksight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the dragon’s vision.
Shadow Stealth. While in dim light or darkness, the dragon can take the Hide action as a bonus action. If the dragon makes a successful attack while hiding, it doesn’t reveal its position.
Additionally, their breath weapon has been altered:
Dark Mask (Recharge 5-6). The dragon spits darkness at one creature within 10 feet of it. The target must make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or its head is surrounded is a cloud of magical darkness for 1 minute, and the target is blinded. The target may use its action to fan away the cloud, ending the effect.
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Hellion Dragon
Often hatched in places where the walls between the Feywild and the lower planes are at the thinnest, hellion dragons are petty-minded and mean-spirited and love to play nasty pranks. Fortunately for most, they prefer to play these pranks on creatures who are
also petty and mean, rather than on nicer creatures—they like seeing people get what they deserve. Hellion dragons have horns rather like a red dragon’s, but their coloration ranges from reds to purples to oranges, flecked with black. As they age, the black flecks get larger and the other colors get more intense.
Hellion dragons are immune to fire damage, and innately know different spells than faerie dragons do:
5 years old, at will: produce flame, thaumaturgy, vicious mockery
10 years old, 1/day: silent image (note: if you have access to the
Manual of Adventurous Resources volume 1, replace with
bestow minor curse)
30 years old, 1/day: pretty-oops! (see below)
50 years old, 1/day: fear
Hellion dragons lose the Prismatic Light action and instead gain the following trait:
Boom! (3/Day). The dragon targets a Tiny nonmagical object that is not being worn or held that is within 60 feet of it, and chooses one of the following effects:
• The object explodes with a brilliant flash of light and sends shrapnel in all directions. Each creature within 10 feet of the object must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 7 (2d6) piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.
• The object explodes harmlessly but releases a noxious cloud of sulfurous gas that fills a 10-foot cube. It lingers for 1 minute or until dispersed by a moderate wind. The area is heavily obscured, and a creature that starts its turn in its area must make a DC 12 Constitution against poison saving throw or use its action to retch and reel.
Additionally, their breath weapon has been altered:
Fire Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon spits fire at one creature within 10 feet of it. The target must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw, taking 2 (1d4) fire damage. The damage increases by 1d4 for each age category above 5 years old.
Pretty—Oops! (Rare Spell)
1st-level (illusion; animal, obscurement, shadow, transformation)
Classes: bard, wizard
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: Touch
Target: One beast or object
Components: V, S, M (a downy feather)
Duration: 8 hours
Saving Throw: Constitution negates (special)
This spell may be cast on a Tiny creature that has an Intelligence score of 4 or less, or on an inanimate object. If cast on a creature, it may make a saving throw to resist. On a failure, it is unconscious and paralyzed for 8 hours, and may make a new save at the end of each hour, ending the effect on itself on a success.
With this spell, you turn a Tiny creature or object into a Tiny object that looks however you wish it to but is the same approximate size and shape as the original. If the illusory object is held (not just touched), it reverts back to its normal form. If it is a creature, it is no longer paralyzed or unconscious, but it
is enraged, and it has advantage on the first attack roll it makes against the creature that is holding it.
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Jewel Dragon
Jewel dragons sometimes hatch from faerie dragon eggs when the parents consume magical gemstones, live too close to places that are connected to the Plane of Earth, or are exposed to a great deal of prismatic magic—although this mutation also sometimes occurs for no reason whatsoever. When first hatched, their scales look like pale white quartz. Jewel dragons particularly enjoy eating gemstones, and their scales take on the colors of the gems they eat. The older a jewel dragon becomes, the more colors appear on their hides, until they are a scintillating rainbow of color. A jewel dragon that doesn’t eat gemstones eventually reverts back to a quartz-white color.
Jewel dragons are resistant to acid and radiant damage, immune to the blinded condition, and innately know different spells than faerie dragons do:
5 years old, at will: dancing lights, guidance, resistance
10 years old, 1/day: invisibility
30 years old, 1/day: mindshield
50 years old, 1/day: daylight
Jewel dragons lose the Prismatic Light action and instead gain the following trait:
Crystal Reflection. A creature making a spell attack against the dragon with a spell from the force, illusion, lightning, prismatic, or radiant schools has disadvantage on the attack roll. If the dragon succeeds on its saving throw against such a spell or the spell attack misses it, roll a d6. On a 1-5, the dragon is unaffected. On a 6, the dragon is unaffected and the effect is reflected back at the caster as though it originated from the dragon, turning the caster into the target.
Additionally, their breath weapon has been altered:
Acid Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon spits acid at one creature within 10 feet of it. The target must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw, taking 2 (1d4) acid damage. The damage increases by 1d4 for each age category above 5 years old.
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Mimic Dragon
The mimic dragon appears to be a random mutation of the normal faerie dragon. These dragons look exactly like a miniature version of regular dragon of any type but essence dragon—chromatic, gemstone, metallic—but with stripes and splotches on their wings and tails; these markings are light-colored in female mimic dragons and dark-colored in males. On any given day, a mimic dragon may suddenly shift in appearance, looki like a different sort of dragon. The environment and weather seems to play a part in it: for instance, during cold weather, a mimic dragon is more likely to appear as a white or silver dragon than as a blue dragon, and a mimic dragon in a swamp is more likely to change to look like a black dragon. But it's not a guarantee and the dragon itself doesn’t seem to have control over it. Their mentality even shifts a tiny bit to match their new form. A mimic dragon that appears like a green dragon may act more devious than normal, and one that appears like an amethyst may act unusually diplomatic.
Mimic dragons are resistant to whatever energy type the dragon they appear like is resistant or immune to, have a swim speed of 30 feet, and innately know different spells than faerie dragons do:
5 years old, at will: mage hand, minor illusion, prestidigitation
10 years old, 1/day: mirror image
30 years old, 1/day: one spell that a young spellcasting dragon of its apparent type can cast
50 years old, 1/day: one spell that an adult spellcasting dragon of its apparent type can cast
Mimic dragons lose the Prismatic Light action and instead gain the following traits:
Hold Breath. The mimic dragon can hold its breath for 30 minutes.
Keen Smell. The mimic dragon has advantage on Perception checks that rely on smell.
Additionally, its bite attack and breath weapon have been altered:
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 1 piercing damage plus 1 damage of the same type its breath weapon inflicts.
Breath Weapon (Recharge 5-6). The dragon breathes energy at one creature within 10 feet of it. The target must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw, taking 2 (1d4) damage of the type the dragon it appears like can breathe. The damage increases by 1d4 for each age category above 5 years old.