Cadaverous Appearance. While the zombie dragon is lying still, it is indistinguishable from a mundane decomposing corpse. It can still be detected by a detect evil and good spell, or similar magic.
Undead. The dragon doesn't need to eat, drink or breath.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Phylactery bound. If the dragon is killed while its phylactery remains intact and has a maximum hit point value greater than 1, the dragon returns back to life on initiative count 20 with its hit point maximum halved.
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: +13 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d10 + 6) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) necrotic damage. Additionally, living creatures must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or have their hit point maximum reduced equal to the necrotic damage taken.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d6 + 6) slashing damage.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d8 + 6) 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 20 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.
Skeleton Breath (Recharge 5–6). The dragon exhales rot and bone in a 45-foot cone. Each creature in that cone must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw, taking (8d8) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. In addition, 5 skeletons are formed out of the rot and bone spewed by the breath weapon, attacking the party at initiative count 0.
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 10 feet of the dragon must succeed on a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw or take 13 (2d6 + 6) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone. The dragon can then fly up to half its flying speed.
Noxious gas (Costs 3 Actions). The dragon exudes a cloud of noxious gas up to a range of 10ft. Any living creatures caught in the area of this effect needs to make a DC18 Constitution save. On a failure, the creature rolls a 1d6 and contracts the corresponding disease from the options below
- Blinding Sickness: Pain grips the creature's mind, and its eyes turn milky white. The creature has disadvantage on Wisdom checks and Wisdom Saving Throws and is Blinded.
- Filth Fever: A raging fever sweeps through the creature's body. The creature has disadvantage on Strength checks, Strength Saving Throws, and Attack rolls that use Strength.
- Flesh Rot: The creature's flesh decays. The creature has disadvantage on Charisma checks and vulnerability to all damage.
- Mindfire: The creature's mind becomes feverish. The creature has disadvantage on Intelligence checks and Intelligence Saving Throws, and the creature behaves as if under the Effects of the Confusion spell during Combat.
- Seizure: The creature is overcome with shaking. The creature has disadvantage on Dexterity checks, Dexterity Saving Throws, and Attack rolls that use Dexterity.
- Slimy Doom: The creature begins to bleed uncontrollably. The creature has disadvantage on Constitution checks and Constitution Saving Throws. In addition, whenever the creature takes damage, it is Stunned until the end of its next turn.
Lair and Lair Actions
The Zombie dragon's lair is often found near or in abandoned graveyards, causing the buried dead to slowly turn into a large variety of undead. The area around the lair slowly loses all life, trees and vegetation petrifying, the wild-life in the area growing sickly and disease ridden.
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:
- Skeletal and zombified hands emerge out of the ground in a 10-foot-radius circle on a point the dragon chooses. The area is considered difficult terrain. Creatures caught or ending their turn in the area must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure. the creature becomes grappled and immobilized. The area and this effect persists until the dragon dismisses it as an action, uses this lair action again, or dies. A creature may attempt to escape the grapple by using an action to make a DC 15 Athletics or Acrobatics check.
- A cloud of swarming insects fills a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on a point the dragon chooses within 120 feet of it. The cloud spreads around corners and remains until the dragon dismisses it as an action, uses this lair action again, or dies. The cloud is lightly obscured. Any creature in the cloud when it appears must make on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature that ends its turn in the cloud takes 10 (3d6) piercing damage.
- A 30-foot-wide wave of bones and rot rises from the ground moving 60 feet in one direction. When the wave moves, any creature in its space moves along with it and falls prone, and the creature must make a DC 15 Strength saving throw, taking 1d10 bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
When the wave stops, the bones and rot settles and buries creatures in it. A creature buried in this way is blinded and restrained and has total cover. It can try to dig itself free as an action, breaking the surface and ending the blinded and restrained conditions on itself with a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check.
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