If it's meant to be a living dragon possessed by a dead dragon, you can probably just use the standard stat block for which ever type of dragon you need (Young, Adult, etc.) You could change the breath weapon to necrotic energy and maybe switch out a spell for Animate dead so the dragon can raise a skeleton or zombie for flavor. If it's meant to be a reanimated dead dragon or one who has escaped death/reanimated, etc. then a Dracolich is definitely your best bet.
Does it necessarily need to have different stats and actions? Could just give it the personality and possibly regional effects appropriate for the dragon type that's possessing it. Would be quite a shock to find that instead of the black dragon they thought they were going up against, the party found itself face to face with a bronze dragon.
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Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Technically it would be like a mind-controlled dragon. In 3rd Ed that would be a monster template.
Here the difference would be an exorcism could work. To expel the unholy spirit should be a cleaner option to avoid the mind-controlled dragon was hurt.
Things inherent to the body would not change, should the dragon being possessed be a red dragon, their breath weapon resistances would remain the same, but things like spells and tactics might be that of the possessing dragon's type. If it was a white Dragon ghost possessing the body of a red dragon, then use the spells and mental features of the white dragon and the breath weapon and resistence from the Red Dragon's body.
At least, that would be my logic.
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He/Him. Loooooooooong time Player. The Dark days of the THAC0 system are behind us.
"Hope is a fire that burns in us all If only an ember, awaiting your call To rise up in triumph should we all unite The spark for change is yours to ignite." Kalandra - The State of the World
Things inherent to the body would not change, should the dragon being possessed be a red dragon, their breath weapon resistances would remain the same, but things like spells and tactics might be that of the possessing dragon's type. If it was a white Dragon ghost possessing the body of a red dragon, then use the spells and mental features of the white dragon and the breath weapon and resistence from the Red Dragon's body.
At least, that would be my logic.
Personally, I would say that spells would be based off the body's type.
Things inherent to the body would not change, should the dragon being possessed be a red dragon, their breath weapon resistances would remain the same, but things like spells and tactics might be that of the possessing dragon's type. If it was a white Dragon ghost possessing the body of a red dragon, then use the spells and mental features of the white dragon and the breath weapon and resistence from the Red Dragon's body.
At least, that would be my logic.
Personally, I would say that spells would be based off the body's type.
I get what you are hinting at, Draconic magic being of the body like sorcery, but the divide of "The spells they are using are of a different dragon type" is a narrative hint and stops it from just being "the same as the normal form just with a mental passenger" type scenario.
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He/Him. Loooooooooong time Player. The Dark days of the THAC0 system are behind us.
"Hope is a fire that burns in us all If only an ember, awaiting your call To rise up in triumph should we all unite The spark for change is yours to ignite." Kalandra - The State of the World
Letting it reposition via a whoosh of hellfire (avoiding OA's) would be a powerful legendary action that doesn't change the CR and makes the fight more dynamic.
Also, since fiends tend to call fiends, it could summon forth other - weaker - fiends as minions. Don't bother making it an action, just call it a "Lair Action" that only happens at the top of the initiative order on the first round. This way, your boss has mooks to make the fight interesting. https://1921681254.mx/
How would you run a dragon that has been possessed by the spirit of a dead dragon? Which stats would you use and which breath weapon would you use.
Make it a Dracolich. Use the appropriate stat block.
DM, player & homebrewer(Current homebrew project is an unofficial conversion of SBURB/SGRUB from Homestuck into DND 5e)
Once made Maxwell's Silver Hammer come down upon Strahd's head to make sure he was dead.
Always study & sharpen philosophical razors. They save a lot of trouble.
If it's meant to be a living dragon possessed by a dead dragon, you can probably just use the standard stat block for which ever type of dragon you need (Young, Adult, etc.) You could change the breath weapon to necrotic energy and maybe switch out a spell for Animate dead so the dragon can raise a skeleton or zombie for flavor. If it's meant to be a reanimated dead dragon or one who has escaped death/reanimated, etc. then a Dracolich is definitely your best bet.
I’d look at the ghost stat block and use the possession power there, since that’s exactly what’s happening. No need to re-invent the wheel.
Does it necessarily need to have different stats and actions? Could just give it the personality and possibly regional effects appropriate for the dragon type that's possessing it. Would be quite a shock to find that instead of the black dragon they thought they were going up against, the party found itself face to face with a bronze dragon.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
What stat block?
Technically it would be like a mind-controlled dragon. In 3rd Ed that would be a monster template.
Here the difference would be an exorcism could work. To expel the unholy spirit should be a cleaner option to avoid the mind-controlled dragon was hurt.
Think of it like this.
Things inherent to the body would not change, should the dragon being possessed be a red dragon, their breath weapon resistances would remain the same, but things like spells and tactics might be that of the possessing dragon's type.
If it was a white Dragon ghost possessing the body of a red dragon, then use the spells and mental features of the white dragon and the breath weapon and resistence from the Red Dragon's body.
At least, that would be my logic.
He/Him. Loooooooooong time Player.
The Dark days of the THAC0 system are behind us.
"Hope is a fire that burns in us all If only an ember, awaiting your call
To rise up in triumph should we all unite
The spark for change is yours to ignite."
Kalandra - The State of the World
Personally, I would say that spells would be based off the body's type.
I get what you are hinting at, Draconic magic being of the body like sorcery, but the divide of "The spells they are using are of a different dragon type" is a narrative hint and stops it from just being "the same as the normal form just with a mental passenger" type scenario.
He/Him. Loooooooooong time Player.
The Dark days of the THAC0 system are behind us.
"Hope is a fire that burns in us all If only an ember, awaiting your call
To rise up in triumph should we all unite
The spark for change is yours to ignite."
Kalandra - The State of the World
Letting it reposition via a whoosh of hellfire (avoiding OA's) would be a powerful legendary action that doesn't change the CR and makes the fight more dynamic.
Also, since fiends tend to call fiends, it could summon forth other - weaker - fiends as minions. Don't bother making it an action, just call it a "Lair Action" that only happens at the top of the initiative order on the first round. This way, your boss has mooks to make the fight interesting. https://1921681254.mx/