A topaz dragon's lair is located within a coastal cavern, its entrance underwater and the main chambers in a large, dry underground refuge. The lair is often secure, with only the aquatic entrance leading into it, and any smaller entrances act as mere air holes that are too small for most other creatures to crawl through. The dragon keeps very few markings within its lair, and the tunnels it makes are often winding and chaotic, designed to confuse intruders and either force them to wander around until the dragon returns and takes care of them, or to frustrate them enough that they leave.

Lair Actions

On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the dragon takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects.

• The dragon drains all moisture from a line of land, creating a dehydrating, debilitating wall. The dragon makes a line that is 50 feet long and 5 feet wide that is built in 10 foot contiguous sections as the dragon desires. Creatures who start their turn in this wall or who move through it for the first time on their turn must make a DC 15 constitution saving throw or be dealt 14 (4d6) necrotic damage and have their remaining movement reduced by 15 feet. On a successful save, the creature is dealt half as much damage and their movement is not reduced. Creatures immune to necrotic damage automatically succeed on this saving throw. This wall remains until the dragon uses its next lair action or the dragon dies.

• The dragon rapidly dehydrates a target creature, draining them of their stamina. One target creature is forced to make a DC 15 constitution saving throw, being dealt 14 (4d6) necrotic damage and suffering from one level of exhaustion on a failed saving throw. On a successful saving throw, they do not suffer any exhaustion.
• The dragon releases some of the moisture it has absorbed in an aquatic pulse, knocking creatures away from a target point before the water rapidly evaporates once more. Creatures within 50 feet of the target point must make a DC 15 strength saving throw or be pushed 30 feet away straight from the point of origin. The dragon automatically passes this saving throw.

Regional Effects

A legendary topaz dragon's lair is warped by the dragon's magic, creating one or more of the following effects.

• Their lair is bone-dry, despite its watery entrance. Non-magical liquid will evaporate and disappear within five minutes of becoming exposed to this air unless the liquid's container is brought out of the lair. Water within a mile of the lair itself will feel strangely dry.
• The lair will feel strangely off, as if the energies are slightly unbalanced and discordant, and (if the dragon has its way) will make those that spend too long in the lair nauseous, and give intruders an urgent desire to leave.
• The stone of the lair will become encrusted with yellow and orange gem, multi-faceted and glowing brightly. Any aquatic beast that comes in contact with this stone will become mentally connected with the Topaz dragon, who can use this connection to hunt the creature, and to temporarily look through their eyes and scout out the area around its lair.