Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Multiattack. The dragon can use its Frightful Presence. It then makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +17 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (2d10 + 10) piercing damage plus 14 (4d6) fire damage.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +17 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d6 + 10) slashing damage.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +17 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (2d8 + 10) bludgeoning damage.
Frightful Presence. Each creature of the dragon’s choice that is within 120 feet of the dragon and aware of it must succeed on a DC 21 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the dragon’s Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours.
Fire Breath (Recharge 5–6). The dragon exhales fire in a 90-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 24 Dexterity saving throw, taking 91 (26d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
The dragon can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The dragon regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Detect. The dragon makes a Wisdom (Perception) check.
Tail Attack. The dragon makes a tail attack.
Wing Attack (Costs 2 Actions). The dragon beats its wings. Each creature within 15 feet of the dragon must succeed on a DC 25 Dexterity saving throw or take 17 (2d6 + 10) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone. The dragon can then fly up to half its flying speed.
Description
The odor of sulfur and pumice surrounds a red dragon, whose swept-back horns and spinal frill define its silhouette. Its beaked snout vents smoke at all times, and its eyes dance with flame when it is angry.
A Red Dragon’s Lair
Red dragons lair in high mountains or hills, dwelling in caverns under snow-capped peaks, or within the deep halls of abandoned mines and dwarven strongholds. Caves with volcanic or geothermal activity are the most highly prized red dragon lairs, creating hazards that hinder intruders and letting searing heat and volcanic gases wash over a dragon as it sleeps.
With its hoard well protected deep within the lair, a red dragon spends as much of its time outside the mountain as in it. For a red dragon, the great heights of the world are the throne from which it can look out to survey all it controls—and the wider world it seeks to control.
Throughout the lair complex, servants erect monuments to the dragon’s power, telling the grim story of its life, the enemies it has slain, and the nations it has conquered.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the dragon takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the dragon can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:
- Magma erupts from a point on the ground the dragon can see within 120 feet of it, creating a 20-foot-high, 5-foot-radius geyser. Each creature in the geyser’s area must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 21 (6d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
- A tremor shakes the lair in a 60-foot radius around the dragon. Each creature other than the dragon on the ground in that area must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone.
- Volcanic gases form a cloud in a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on a point the dragon can see within 120 feet of it. The sphere spreads around corners, and its area is lightly obscured. It lasts until initiative count 20 on the next round. Each creature that starts its turn in the cloud must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the end of its turn. While poisoned in this way, a creature is incapacitated.
Regional Effects
The region containing a legendary red dragon’s lair is warped by the dragon’s magic, which creates one or more of the following effects:
- Small earthquakes are common within 6 miles of the dragon’s lair.
- Water sources within 1 mile of the lair are supernaturally warm and tainted by sulfur.
- Rocky fissures within 1 mile of the dragon’s lair form portals to the Elemental Plane of Fire, allowing creatures of elemental fire into the world to dwell nearby.
If the dragon dies, these effects fade over the course of 1d10 days.
I am a three foot tall Gnome Artificer armorer, am I small enough to fit in his ear canal ? I have a plan .
Given that dragons are reptiles, and that reptile have tiny holes instead of ears probably not.
With its CHA it can make 6 spells up to lvl 8 soooo yea lol I don’t think they need them but if you wanna kill your party go ahead.
“Each spell can be cast once per day, requiring no material components, and the spell's level can be no higher than one-third the dragon's challenge rating (rounded down).”
i find this part to be so ridiculous. Are you telling me that a full level sorcerer(who could get their powers from a dragon mind you) can have all sorts of spells including a level 9 one. However a dragon is stuck at 6 spells up to level 8? In theory that sounds nice but come on this is a Ancient Red Dragon here they might as well be Demi-Gods. I say put one more in its CHA modifier to give it 27 (which rounded down to 3rd would give it access to 9th level spells from the sorcerer spell list). This would give your players something to actually be afraid of fighting but also proud of defeating.
I think it was only an adult, 24 cr is a bit much for 6 9th level characters with half health and no spells, even with the time stop.
Most players who metagame often forget that there's a thinking DM behind the scenes. Any DM worth their salt will not allow an encounter they painstakingly built to be cheesed away. As a DM, I would either have a small brigade of wyverns, or a couple of champion level half-dragons, or even an adult or two. And then there's always retreating well before it gets hairy as dragons despite their rage will value their hide and pull away first.
"My armour is like tenfold shields, my teeth are swords, my claws spears, the shock of my tail a thunderbolt, my wings a hurricane, and my breath death!"
Seriously, though. Don't even think about fighting one of these things without a 20th level party stocked with magic items.
wow.
Yes, yes it does :)
why is there so much math in d and I just want to punch imagairey animals
Might unleash one of these bad boys on my players
EXACTLY WHAT I WAS THINKING!!!!!
hot take: best dragon
NO!
SILVER DRAGON IS BEST!!!
VARIANT: DRAGONS AS INNATE SPELLCASTERS
Dragons are innately magical creatures that can master a few spells as they age, using this variant.
A young or older dragon can innately cast a number of spells equal to its Charisma modifier. Each spell can be cast once per day, requiring no material components, and the spell’s level can be no higher than one-third the dragon’s challenge rating (rounded down). The dragon’s bonus to hit with spell attacks is equal to its proficiency bonus + its Charisma bonus. The dragon’s spell save DC equals 8 + its proficiency bonus + its Charisma modifier.
"Easy peasy for this specific max level build if the dragon does nothing but fly directly toward me" isn't the flex you think it is buddy
I think I just ****ed my group up. So, playing a homebrew half-dragon race, with the father being an ancient red who hates my character's very existence (long story). Dragon Daddy swore an oath to kill my character as soon as he finds her, and....he found out where the group is (right before we beat Strahd and ran off to a nearby city). Dear god, the Ancient Red makes Strahd look like a two-week-old kitten.
He stole a npc companion i just want to know what we are going up against.
Sounds likely
20 rangers in one group all with swift quiver and oathbow?
ok then
TPK!!!!!