Dragon Encounters

While this blog is not meant as a homebrew blog, I feel that an exception is called for. D&D dragons are more or less identical, and while my encounters might be able to make up for that somewhat, they rely on the dragon being the main focus of the encounter, and sometimes even the story. 

In this article, I’m going to take a break from my normal style and provide a unique feature for each chromatic dragon, usable even when they play a minor role.

While there is no actual reason why the effect of a younger dragon of the same type shouldn’t also apply to the older dragon, I would advise against. The ideal monster for a fight isn’t one with an entire arsenal of weapons, it’s a monster with 2-3 well-chosen ones.

The role of a monster is for the PCs to figure out how to handle it, and that becomes impossible when it keeps pulling different abilities out of its pocket. (It also throws a ridiculous amount of complexity onto the DM, often messing up the pace of combat as he has to take a moment to decide what to do next, while running several other monsters at the same time.)

Wyrmlings:

My basic suggestion for wyrmlings is that they have a spell attached to each of them, placed there by their parents to protect them. The spell activates once a day, when the wyrmling is first reduced to half HP. It does not take any action on the part of the dragon.

This will increase the wyrmling’s CR by approx. one.

• Black – Cause Fear. (Basically, it works like fearful presence of the adult and ancient dragons.)
• Blue – Blur.
• Green – Mirror Image.
• Red – Haste. (While using the effects as printed, I would suggest narrating it as the dragon’s scales becoming harder and the dragon becoming frenzied, along with it speeding up a little. This is purely for narrative effect.)
• White – Armor of Agathys. This spell renews itself at the start of each of the wyrmling’s turns, so long as it is under half HP.

Young Dragons

For young dragons, I am going to provide a small effect to accompany their bite. The bite already does breath weapon type damage, and this will add an effect to go along with that. (Except with the red, where I did something different.) They will only trigger if the dragon managed to hit with its bite.

The changes are minor, and should not affect the CR.

• Black – The acid in the bite also damages the PC’s armor slightly, reducing the amount of AC the armor provides by one. If the player isn’t wearing armor, or if the AC benefit of the armor has already been reduced to zero, ignore this effect. A shield does not count as armor regarding this effect. The effect lasts until the armor can be repaired.
• Blue – The shock of the lightning numbs the PC’s body. Until the end of the dragon’s next turn, the PC has – 2 to AC and – 2 to hit with all attack rolls.
• Green – The poison remains in the PCs veins, obstructing all methods of healing. The next time this PC receives any form of healing within the next hour, he recovers five less HP. If the PC is already under this effect, nothing happens. If a PC was under this effect and was then healed, being bitten again reapplies the effect.
• Red – Once this dragon bites you, it doesn’t let go quickly. Any PC bitter be the red dragon is grappled. The dragon can let him go with a free action, or can let him go with a bonus action to either push him up to ten feet or knock him prone. The dragon cannot use its mouth to bite or breath fire while it’s grappling a PC.
• White – The cold moves through the PCs body, numbing him. For the next turn, the PC’s movement speed is reduced by 15.

Adult Dragons

I am going to provide two different ideas for the adult, one an effect to accompany its breath weapon, the other an alternative to its frightful presence. I recommend against using them both in the same encounter, especially if you haven’t used either of the effects of that particular type of dragon in a previous encounter.

Breath Weapon Enhancements

(These ideas will increase the CR of the blue and red dragons by 1. For the other dragons, the difference will be negligible.)

These effects very much depend on area, and work best when using a battlemap.

• Black – The acid leaves a shallow trench in the ground. Anybody walking into the area within one round of the dragon using its breath weapon will take 4d8 acid damage. If anybody falls prone over the trench within 10 minutes of the breath weapon being used they will also take 4d8 acid damage. The area of the trench is difficult terrain, permanently.
• Blue – Anybody who fails their save and takes full damage is also stunned until the end of the dragon’s next turn.
• Green – All PCs effected by the poison, without making their save, are poisoned until the end of their next turn. In addition, the poison cloud lingers in the air. Anybody who ends the turn in the area affected by the breath weapon before a round passes is poisoned until the end of their next turn.
• Red – In addition to making a DEX save, if they wish to avoid taking full damage they immediately move to the closest point that isn’t inside the fire. If they’re within 10 feet of the edge, they move to the closest spot, if they’re in the middle, they throw themselves prone*. In addition, it takes time for the air to cool down. Anyone entering the area, including by standing up if they’re prone, takes an additional 9d6 fire damage.
• White – The breath functions like the gust of wind spell. Anybody who fails their CON save is pushed 15 feet away from the dragon, and moving toward the place where the dragon was when it used its breath weapon costs double movement for one round afterwards, while within the original area-of-effect.

* They make this movement during the dragon’s turn. Treat like forced movement. Ideally, they would first choose whether to make this movement, then roll their DEX save. This would mean that they’d move even if they failed the save. Since players tend to roll before you have a chance to ask them if they want to move, I’d suggest that the movement just be made mandatory.

Replacements for Frightful Presence

These replacements are only to be different in terms of their effects. Their range, their save DC, and the fact that the PCs get to make a save each turn are all meant to be identical to that dragon’s fearful presence, except where specifically mentioned otherwise.

Each of these probably increases the dragon’s CR by 1. Note that because of the strength of these effects, they have the potential to drastically alter the course of a battle. As such, they aren’t recommended unless both the DM and at least most of the players are experienced enough to cope with sudden, and major, changes to a battle.

• Black – Darkness spreads out from the dragon. In actuality, it’s an illusion effect, that the players will roll for the same way they roll for fearful presence, except that the save is INT instead of WIS. The darkness doesn’t affect the dragon, but it does affect its allies.
• Blue – The dragon’s eyes start glowing with a hypnotic glow. If a PC at the start of their turn is looking toward the dragon’s eyes, or looks into the eyes during his turn, but before taking his action, he needs a WIS save to avoid becoming paralyzed. Once he makes his save once, he gains immunity. (Fighting with your head turned away is like suffering the blind condition, and imposes disadvantage.)
• Green – All the PCs who fail their saved become charmed.  This condition can end if the dragon attacks them (including with its breath weapon), or if they make their save. Both ways cover immunity.
• Red– All effected PCs are confused, as though under the effects of the Confusion spell.
• White – The white dragon roars, inflicting 4d6 thunder damage on all PCs within range, or half that on a save.  In addition, the players cannot talk to each other (including out of game) until the dragon’s next turn.  Making the save does not confer immunity, but the dragon must wait until this ability recharges before using it again. It recharges on a 5-6, similar to, but independent of, the breath weapon.

Ancient Dragons

For ancient dragons, I am going to give each one a set of mythic actions. (For anyone unfamiliar with the term, mythic actions are a D&D feature that says that when the monster drops to zero HP the first time, it regains all its HP and unlocks a set of more powerful actions. Dropping it to 0 Hp a second time kills it.)

Mythic actions are supposed to be extra actions, but some of mine are other effects. Oh, well, this is a homebrew section.

When using mythic actions, remember to cut the dragon’s HP in half, as it will go through it twice. If you don’t do this, then you’ve doubled the dragon’s HP, which will raise the CR by about 5 all by itself. (And also create a frustratingly long fight.)

Black Dragon:

• The dragon gains the ability to cast fearful presence, even on PCs that already made their save. The new fearful presence only targets one PC each time (although it can have multiple PCs targeted, over the course of multiple turns) In all other ways, it is identical to frightful presence.
• For the cost of two legendary actions, the dragon flies over the PCs, tearing at itself with its claws to release a rain of acid blood. The dragon takes 6d6 slashing damage, the PCs take 8d6 acid damage, or half damage on a DEX save.
• When the dragon is reduced to 0 HP, it erupts in an acidic tidal wave, doing 20d6 acid damage to every PC, half on a successful DEX save.

Blue Dragon:

• The dragon’s breath weapon gains to branching quality of the spell Chain Lightning. When the dragon uses its breath weapon, it can choose to have the lightning split, following the area rules of the spell. The branches splitting off the main bolt only do 15d6 lightning damage, half on saves. The main branch keeps its original damage.
• The dragon gains the flyby trait. When it uses its legendary action for a tail attack, it can move up to 10-feet afterwards, providing it was already in the air. (Flyby: This creature’s movement does not trigger attacks of opportunity.)
• The dragon’s claws and bite become sharper, gaining +2 damage/ +2 to hit. (The tail is unaffected.)

Green Dragon:

• The green dragon can use Command as part of its multiattack, substituting it for its bite. It can also use it as a legendary action once a round. It costs one legendary action. (The effects are the same as the spell.)
• When the dragon uses its breath weapon, it can teleport to any space within the radius of its poison. If it appears behind a PC, it can make a surprise attack with its tail as a bonus action.
• Once a day, when its breath is available, the dragon can use it to create 3 small dragons instead of using it for its normal attack. The small dragons use the wyvern statblock, except that they have an INT of 1, their type is construct, and all the damage they deal is poison damage instead of its usual type.

Red Dragon:

• Instead of using its breath weapon to attack, the dragon spreads its breath over itself, lighting itself on fire. For the next 10-minutes, the dragon’s bite and claw attacks do an additional 10d6 fire damage, as does ending a turn within 10-feet of the dragon, or hitting the dragon with a melee attack.
• The dragon gains the reckless ability. (Reckless: Optional. Until the beginning of your next turn, all your attacks have advantage, all attacks against you have advantage.)
• Any creature hit by the dragon’s tail attack must make a STR save (DC 23), or be pushed directly away from the dragon until they are 15-feet away, and be knocked prone. If they are already 15-feet from the dragon, they’re only knocked prone.

White Dragon:   

• When the dragon’s mythic actions are triggered, a cloud of mist rises and covers the area within 50 feet of the dragon in every direction. If there are 10-25 feet worth of mist between an attacker and a target, the area is considered lightly obscured. Any more, and the area is heavily obscured. Anyone ending their turn in the mist takes 4d6 cold damage. The mist does not move with the dragon.
• The dragon’s breath attack now causes a temporary blizzard, which covers the ground turning it into difficult terrain, and giving disadvantage to saves against the dragon’s wing attack made while standing on the ice.
• The cold inside the dragon increases, giving the dragon resistance to fire and poison damage.