Blog (A5E) Level Up Monster Preview: Green Dragon

Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition's Monstrous Menagerie contains more in-depth treatments of the O5E monsters you already know and love. We include interesting, varied actions which will surprise your players, and a range of new tools to enhance monster encounters — signs, behaviors, lairs, encounters, treasure, names, and more.

If you follow us on Twitter you may have seen the Bugbear preview we shared a few days ago. Below, there’s a bigger monster. A green dragon.

Monster Preview: Green Dragon — Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition (A5E)

If you follow us on Twitter you may have seen the Bugbear preview we shared a few days ago. Below, there’s a bigger monster. A green dragon.

www.levelup5e.com

 

[dalisprime]

8) Roar: I really like moving the frightful presence to a legendary action, as now you can unload both the roar and your breath as your opening move....and a big alpha move is needed in these kind of boss fights.

The DC does seem awfully low, is that a typo or because its a charisma save?

Just noticed as well - shouldn't it be 22 (or perhaps make Roar and Honeyed words key off Charisma making it a DC 19 save instead?) like the rest of its abilities? It's a CR 22 creature, there's no reason for it to pull its punches, especially when Calm Emotions exists.

 

[Stalker0]

Just noticed as well - shouldn't it be 22 (or perhaps make Roar and Honeyed words key off Charisma making it a DC 19 save instead?) like the rest of its abilities? It's a CR 22 creature, there's no reason for it to pull its punches, especially when Calm Emotions exists.

Calm Emotions? A party of this level should have been having a heroes feast for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

 

[WarDriveWorley]

Love the update. A couple of questions/thoughts though:

1. I know the o5MM has variants for giving Dragons casting abilities (which I've always wished was baked in), are you planning on having similar in the e5MM?
2. With the greens tendency to be super-powered grimma wormtongues I would expect a Green to have some ability to disguise themselves as a humanoid. Likely it would prevent the Dragon from using many of its abilities, but I think having one acting as a voice behind the throne would be a nice touch. And for clarification I know a DM can write up a reason why the emrald wyrm is in, say, elven form, but I would just like to see it spelled out.
3. Semi-related to 2 above. I love honeyed words, but I would also love to see a non-combat option. Maybe give the dragon the option to force and attack or force an action similar to command. I keep getting images of a green stalking players as they try and navigate the forest surrounding their lair, using its honeyed words to distract and hamper the players.
4. Also semi-related to the above 2 points, I'm wondering if beguiling gaze is only usable if the green is seen by the target. If not it would cover my concern in 3 to a point.
5. I agree that blood toxicity is a bit too powerful as written. I think having a poison aura would be easier and just as effective.

Can't wait to see what else you're going to throw at us.

 

[dalisprime]

Calm Emotions? A party of this level should have been having a heroes feast for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

Or just group hug the Paladin (assuming the level up one has aura of courage!).

Either way - lots of ways to deal with the frightened condition by the time the group encounters a cr22 beastie so setting the DC at 15 (even if it targets Charisma and not Wisdom for some reason) is rather strange.

 

[dave2008]

Would the LUMM have a higher proportion of high CR critters?

According to Morrus, no:

So to be clear: we're making an advanced version of 5E. The Monstrous Menagerie is the monsters from the O5E MM, but with each monster treated more in-depth.

 

[duneguy]

Its good.

Would the LUMM have a higher proportion of high CR critters?

Also, new conditions?

Yes and no. The monster book doesn't have a ton of new monster types (though it does have a few), but it has a ridiculous number of variants - mostly higher-powered versions of classic monsters - so the higher end of the CR scale is much more filled-in.

And there are a handful of new conditions.

 

[Zaukrie]

Buy the first one, and then we'll talk!

I'd think new monsters would entice more GMs, but I could be wrong. I'd like that.

 

[Morrus]

I'd think new monsters would entice more GMs, but I could be wrong. I'd like that.

We’re making an advanced version of 5E. That means advancing everything in 5E, otherwise we won’t have made the game we intended to. Then we can think about new material.

As Paul says above, there will be plenty of new variants of existing monsters in there, but the focus isn’t brand new monsters.

 

[Zaukrie]

We’re making an advanced version of 5E. That means advancing everything in 5E, otherwise we won’t have made the game we intended to. Then we can think about new material.

As Paul says above, there will be plenty of new variants of existing monsters in there, but the focus isn’t brand new monsters.

Even WotC puts out new monsters....as do other companies. Not sure I understand this. That said, if you can make low level monsters interesting, and high level ones not just bags of hit points, great!

 

[Morrus]

Even WotC puts out new monsters....as do other companies. Not sure I understand this.

I don’t really know any other way to say it. We’re making an advanced version of 5E. Like you say, there are plenty of places you can get new monsters from (including us in other books and articles we've published.)

In this particular book, we're doing something different - taking existing monsters and advancing them.